#man what the hell how was i so good at planning and executing said plans when i was 18 years old and now at 23 don't know what i'm doing

[angels-fantasy]

Sweet Confessions

Katsuki Bakugou x Fem!Reader

Description : After a night out with friends, Bakugou decides to tell you something while you two are eating sweet pastries.

Details : 1.8k words, friends to lovers, cussing, reader and bakugou are over 21! readers looks are not specified in any way, but she is a woman. small mention of alcohol.

this is my first fanfic ever, so please be kind! constructive criticism is welcome :)

When Bakugou received a text message from Kirishima inviting him out to eat with the bunch of other idiots, he immediately declined. Though this was nothing new, and it was something his red-haired friend was already expecting. Which is why he had Mina execute plan b.

Raccoon Eyes

Yo Bakugou! Come out with us tonight. You're always locked away in your apartment. Let loose a little!

Bakugou glared at his phone and typed out a message.

Hell no.

UGH BAKUGOU!! You're literally no fun. I can't believe you'd miss out on the opportunity to see this cutie -.-

A few seconds later, a picture was sent. When Bakugou opened it, he saw that it was a picture of you. He brought his phone closer to his face and looked it over carefully. He noticed you were dressed for the occasion, like everyone else in the background, and you were smiling widely at the camera. Mina probably told you to pose.

He must've been looking at your photo for too long because another text from Mina came in.

You drooling or what lover boy? Hurry up and get here so you can make a move already. We all know you like her 🙄.

Bakugou felt his face flush. It was true, he did have a crush on you. And though he never verbally admitted it to anyone, they all saw right through him. Except you, of course.

He clicked his tongue and typed up a quick response before beginning to get ready.

Shut up. I'll be there in 30.

"Woo! We got him!" Mina cheered, leaning across the table to high-five Kirishima.

You looked between them suspiciously, "What are you guys plotting?"

The pink woman had the audacity to look nervous. "Nothing! Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, okay."

As Mina and Kirishima kept whispering to each other, you squirmed in your seat. You knew the other pro heroes at the table fairly well, but not enough to just strike up a conversation like you would with Mina.

"Hey pretty, what do you look so nervous for?"

You turned to the left and were faced with a yellow haired man.

"Oh, hi Kaminari. I'm not nervous, just hungry. They're taking a little long to bring out the food. Don't you think?" You lied.

Thankfully he was kind of an airhead. "Oh yeah I know right! I'm starving. I'm gonna go ask how much longer!" He said and got up out of his seat, leaving you alone again.

You sighed and took a sip of your drink. Since Mina and Kirishima were too busy talking to each other, and you didn't want to bother talking to anyone else you decided to scroll mindlessly on your phone.

Some time later, the empty seat next to you was pulled out and sat in by Bakugou himself.

Your ears got hot at the sight of him. It wasn't the first time you'd met him, you two were good friends after all. But you never got used to how handsome he was. It was like he got better looking everyday. You began to wonder what he looks like under that button up-

"Hey nightlight, what're you staring at huh?" He asked, snapping you out of your trance.

"Shut up! I told you to stop calling me that." You said with false annoyance.

"It ain't my fault your quirk makes you a nightlight." He smirked. You scrunched your nose to hide your laugh, but unknowingly failed since Bakugou still saw it.

His nickname for you was completely harmless, and came from your quirk which allowed you to produce light from your hands. It wasn't anything comparable to a pro hero's quirk, but it did have its uses.

"Kacchan you made it!" Midoriya exclaimed with his big smile.

Bakugou clicked his tongue, "Shut it nerd, or else I'll leave. Give me a menu, yeah?"

Midoriya laughed off his words and passed him a menu, used to his harsh way of speaking.

Dinner went on without any problems, and the food was delicious. Everyone around the table cracked jokes, brought up old memories, and some people had even began drinking alcohol, including you.

Your drink wasn't very strong, but the few you had was enough to have you a little tipsy. Thankfully, you took an uber to the restaurant, so you didn't have to worry about driving.

During dinner, you and Bakugou engaged in a conversation. Mostly about his hero work and the villains he had caught recently.

Once everyone finally finished their food and drinks, they had all begun to leave. Slowly leaving one by one, some in pairs as well.

While you grabbed your stuff, you got on your phone to call for an uber but got interrupted by Bakugou talking to you.

"How you gettin' home nightlight? You better not even think about driving after drinking." He warned.

You brushed him off, "I'm taking an uber, don't worry!"

He grunted in agreement and was silent for a moment before saying, "I'll give you a ride home. C'mon."

"No it's okay! I can just take the uber home. Besides, didn't you drink too?"

"Hell no I didn't. It's not my thing. Just hurry up and accept my offer alright? This is the only time I'll be this nice."

You smiled at his words, knowing he was lying when he said this was the only time he'd be nice.

"Alright then, let's go!"

He smirked and held out a hand for you to hold, which you did while he walked you to his car. He made sure you didn't fall on the way there, and even opened the door for you.

"Wow what a gentleman you are. Do you open doors for all the ladies?" You teased.

"Nah, so consider it special treatment for you Nightlight."

You smiled shyly and wiggled your feet a bit after he shut your door and got into his own seat.

The ride to your house was quiet, except for the occasional small talk. But it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. It was a comforting feeling for the both of you.

When he pulled up to your place, you turned to him to say goodbye, but instead you said "Um, do you wanna come inside with me? I have some pastries I made earlier..."

He laughed lightly at your words, "Sure, but be ready for me to critique the hell out of those pastries."

You led him inside where you both took off your shoes and coats. You ushered him to sit on the couch and relax while you went to go prepare some drinks and the pastries for the two of you.

While you were gone for a few minutes, Bakugou couldn't help but think about how he was actually inside your house. It wasn't the first time he'd been there, but it was the first time he'd been there alone. Just you and him.

In the midst of his thinking, he felt his phone buzz and he looked at it to see a message from Kirishima.

Shitty Hair

I see you left with your little nightlight ;) Better make a move while you have the chance!!

Bakugou huffed and sent a middle finger emoji, then silenced his phone. He didn't need any distractions.

Finally, you came from the kitchen with a tray in your hands and placed it on the coffee table.

"Here they are! My babies. I hope they're still good, considering they're not as fresh as they were this morning." You said nervously while sitting down next to him.

Bakugou hummed and grabbed a pastry, biting into it. You watched silently as he chewed and swallowed it, anticipating his reaction.

He bit it again, "S' good."

You smiled, "I'm glad you like it. That means a lot coming from you, Bakugou. Your cooking is so good!"

He turned away with a red face, "Of course it is. I'm the best at everything. And why don't you call me Katsuki? We've known each other for years now."

"Oh, I didn't realize you felt that way. Sorry Baku-erm, Katsuki. I just thought you didn't want anyone to call you that, especially since Kirishima doesn't even call you that..."

"Tsk, I feel a lot of ways. You just don't know about it."

Your interest peaked at his words. "Oh yeah? Then would you do the honors by telling me how you feel Katsuki?" You teased.

Bakugou felt himself hesitate before speaking, which is something he never did. Gosh, he couldn't believe this is how he was going to confess to you.

"I like you, idiot."

Your smile fell and your expression formed into one of pure confusion. "What?"

Damn. Maybe that wasn't the right move.

He began to panic and sat up quickly, "Ugh, nothing. Forget about it-"

"No! I'm not forgetting about that." You said while grabbing his hand, pulling him back down onto the couch.

As he sat down next to you in silence, you kept his hand in yours. "You like me Katsuki?"

He huffed and turned away. "So what if I do? It doesn't matter-"

You grew frustrated at his words. "Of course it matters! Stop acting like this is nothing. I need you to talk to me seriously, because I don't want to get my hopes up..."

He looked back at you, only to see your eyes watering. "Hey wait-don't cry. Shit. I'm real fuckin' bad at this, ain't I?"

You laughed and sniffled, "Yeah, a little."

He sighed and squeezed your hand that was holding his.

"I uh, I do really like you. I have for a while. I just didn't wanna fuck up what we already had-" He was cut off by you throwing your arms around his neck tightly.

"You big dummy. I can't believe you thought you'd mess things up."

His eyes widened in surprise, but he still wrapped his arms around your waist. He stayed quiet to listen to what you had to say.

"I actually like you too, y'know. I have for a while now."

He smirked and hugged you tighter. "Thank god. I was almost afraid you'd run out on me."

You snorted and pulled away slowly. "No way in hell would I do that. I just didn't know how to tell you..."

He threw an arm around you and said, "Well I'm glad ya did. 'Cause you're my girl now."

"Don't I get any say in this?" You asked jokingly.

"Nah, you agreed when you said you liked me back."

Extra:

That night, Katsuki decided to sleepover at your place since you two had already made it official. You lent him some mens pajamas you had since you were sure they'd fit him, which he fussed about because he assumed they belonged to another man.

"No Katsuki, these are actually mine believe it or not."

"Tsk, good. If I ever find any other loser's shit in here I'll blow it up."

[atarathegreat]

Scary Wife Privilages Tokyo Revengers

Featuring: Kokonoi Hajime, Ken Ryuguji (Draken), Rindou Haitani, Atsushi Sendo (Akkun)

Synopsis: They don't need you to stand up for them, but damn do they love when you get feisty.

It was crazy to you the extent of disrespect that Kokonoi would put up with while you were around. Everyone was aware of how ruthless the man could be, but they were also aware of how he hid it when you were around, and they took advantage of it. You lost count of how many people stopped in with random complaints about whatever Koko had done the previous week.

You lost count, sure, but not your temper.

Another poor soul walked in, anger evident on his face. Kokonoi wasn't any less pissed than you were, but he didn't like to explode when you happened to be with him. Of course, you knew this. You'd seen him strangle a man for information. You rolled your eyes thinking about it: how could he strangle a man in front of you with zero hesitation but he didn't want to get angry?

"Don't." You glared at the fancy suit and tie as he sat in the chair opposite the desk where Koko sat. "Don't say a word if it's negative." your voice was dark, heavy, almost dangerous, "Give your report and leave."

The man stared up at you as you leaned on Kokonoi's chair, "If there are problems then the boss needs to know."

Koko would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed with the way you leaned over his desk, grabbing the man by his tie and jerking him forward. He knew you had a temper but this...this was different. This made him wish he was on the receiving end of your death glare. "Say it then." Your words sent a chill up Koko's spine, "Tell me your complaint."

And for the first time, Koko seen one of his men speechless. You were scaring the hell out of him, even more so than any gun.

"No, ma'am, it's okay..." His underling whimpered. Koko had never heard any of his men whimper. But there it was, the fear in his eyes and a very pathetic whine that came out as he spoke.

Inui and Kenny had been busting their asses all day. They'd fixed bike after bike, crushed their fingers, bruised their legs, and Kenny slammed his head into the shelf holding parts, effectively bringing the whole thing down. Inui had laughed, stating, "You're too damn tall for this little shop!"

You smiled, and your smile could've made the devil himself kneel in terror, "Then give your report and go."

As they were replacing a whole gas tank for an old rusted up bike, (Kenny knew it would be more use to the customer as scrap, but the man was adamant about getting the poor heap of metal fixed) someone started hitting the bell on the front desk like it was an emergency. Kenny looked up, sharing a look of exhaustion with Inui before they both stood and slowly made their way out.

"Finally!" The woman yelled and slammed her hands on the counter, "You fixed my sons bike and charged him extra! Who do you think you are?"

Inui, who was busy pulling the books for the week, responded before Kenny could, "I'm Inui Seishu, he's Ken Ryuguji."

Inui's sarcasm made the woman angrier, and Kenny, for the very first time, hated that his friends kneejerk reaction to people was dry sarcasm. She started yelling louder, getting on Ken's nerves as he stood and took it. What was he going to do? Him and Inui charged fairly on their work, and this was a woman, Kenny couldn't exactly brawl with her.

"Would you just give me your sons name so I can find what we fixed and how much we charged?" Inui asked dryly, glancing up from the computer.

"No! You're supposed to know this stuff already! Unless you're scamming everyone that comes into this store!" The woman was becoming red in the face, "Scammers! Overpriced mechanics."

A sweet gust of wind carried over Kenny, he didn't have time to groan about someone else coming in before you had analyzed the situation. You'd heard the woman yelling from outside, a plan of action already made and ready to be executed. Inui smiled at you, "Good evening, Y/n."

"Evening, Inui." Both men paused at the calm air in your voice, "What's the problem here?"

You were here, meaning Kenny could relax and let you handle this problem on legs. He smiled and waved at his daughter who was holding your hand tightly, she waved back and giggled when your hand absently rested in her hair. God, how did his day get twenty times better with just a simple little sound?

The woman quickly tried to usher you out of the shop, stopping when you gently shoved her hand away, "You better get your little girl out of here, these scammers-"

"Enough." Your tone was cold, "These men are charging just right for their expertise and parts they replace. Do you understand how much money it costs to order half the parts for a motorcycle?''

Inui piped up quickly, "I don't think she does, Miss Ryuguji. Enlighten her."

Now Kenny was regretting how funny it was that his friend loved instigating you.

"In the last month this shop has spent over 6734610 yen in bike parts, three pieces of which went to your sons bike three days ago. Inui," You looked over at him, "search the name Kyoka. Broken clutch, broken break and an old spark plug."

Everyone waited silently as Inui looked it up. Your daughter pulled her hand free and ran to her dad, whispering to him as he picked her up, "Mommy is real scary right now." Kenny nodded, "Mommy doesn't take this type of shit, does she, baby girl?" The young child giggled, "She said she was gonna have to beat ass when we came in."

Kenny covered his daughters mouth, "Hey, we talked about the swearing, didn't we?"

He didn't have time to get an answer from your daughter because you started yelling back at the older lady, "I don't care if your son used his whole damn paycheck to get his bike fixed. He's in his thirties and doesn't need his mommy to come and bitch about price for him. Go on! Yell some more, because I promise you, I am much louder."

She tucked tail and hurried from the shop, leaving you alone with the two mechanics, "You charged twenty yen over..."

Rindou, while he loved his brother very much, didn't like the man coming over. Ran had a bad habit of flirting with you and Rindou had caught his brother setting his hands on your thighs too many times. He wasn't worried about you falling for the ridiculous antics, you'd always removed Ran's hands promptly but respectfully, he just hated that his brother was encroaching on his wife. Ran could have any woman he wanted, why did he have to go after you?

Inui grinned, "Agree with us in public, huh?"

"Rin?" You called to him from across your shared bedroom, "I can see the way your eyebrows are moving. What are you thinking?"

He snapped out of his thoughts quickly, looking at the beautiful outfit you were wearing, the way your arms stretched as you struggled with the clasp of your necklace. "Nothing." Rindou muttered, stepping up behind you to grab the ends of the silver chain.

"Have I ever told you that you suck at lying to me?" Your eyes pierced his through the mirror of your vanity. He couldn't hide the small smirk, "You have."

Rindou appreciated the way you called him out so openly, most people were too afraid of him to, but you didn't fear anyone, not even Mikey, and Mikey had held a gun to your throat. "I...Is it bad that I don't want Ran to come over? I love him, but-"

"I think it's a normal reaction when a man keeps trying to seduce your wife." You were nothing if not brutally honest, "I can't say I'm thrilled to have him over, either."

And yet, despite neither of you being excited to see him, you both greeted Ran with smiles and hugs. You, of course, had to peel the older man from your body, chuckling as you stated, "Boundaries, Ran."

Ran knew the extent he could go, and he exploited it. Placing his hands on your lower back, just above your ass where you couldn't protest your boundaries, or grabbing your hand and tugging you away from Rindou at the worst moments. It was getting on Rindou's nerves the more the night went on, to the point that Rin was hanging onto your back and refusing to let you do anything without him. He was acting like a koala, and as much as you loved him, it was getting aggravating having two grown men following you around.

"Enough!" You snapped, scaring the brothers, "Sit down!"

They did, Ran smiling as you finally lost your temper with them. Rindou glared at his brother, kicking him under the table, "This is your fault..."

"Quiet." You sounded like a mother scolding her children, "We're going to set some new rules, okay? Good."

Rindou knew that none of the rules were meant for him, but the tone in your voice was, at the very least, worrying to him. He knew you could strangle Ran, not with pure strength but because Ran would let you, and he didn't want you to get any more pissed.

It might as well have been a brothel. The second you walked in you were slammed with the smell of perfume and expensive fabrics. You'd learned to take headache relief before showing up, and it helped for the most part. The women, Hostess's as your husband called them, were lined up all day. Mostly they stood and watched men walk in and pick another woman to have their fun with before they walked out, half drunk and with their pants undone while the woman spent the next hour getting fixed up.

"And for the love of god, Ran, stop flirting with me! I don't like you!" You huffed, crossing your arms, "I have zero attraction to you, give up. Because if you don't, and I say this heavily, Ran, I will bring out every ounce of Haitani that I have picked up in the last three years and I will sink you to the bottom of the ocean."

The man who greeted you as you walked in was quick to remove a dark velvet rope, letting you go up the steps to where you knew Atsushi was sitting. But you were greeted with a sight that made you cackle.

Atsushi was sitting in his usual spot on one of the overpriced couches, legs spread wide and his arms resting over the back. He laid his head back to see you, smiling as you walked closer. You stared down at the woman who was crouched between his knees, "I can hear you begging from the doorway. It's pathetic."

Her poorly manicured nails slowly pulled off his knees, her wrongly glossed lips parting as she spoke, "Wh-who are you?"

You moved Atsuhsi's hand to show off his ring, "Take a guess. Tell me-Oh, no, don't get up!" You stopped her from moving from her position, "Tell me, how does it feel to beg for a married man?"

She was silent, staring up at you. You were like the boogey man for the girls who worked, as each one had tried to make themselves Atsushi's favorite.

"Good to see you, babe." Atsushi reached up and held your face, "Come just to see me?"

"Mhm, that was the initial goal." You walked around and sat beside him, grabbing the woman's hands and placing them on Atsushi's thighs, "Now, I want to see something."

The woman looked even more scared as you moved her around, "Did you think you would get away with this, sweetheart? I know these girls share stories of me, so there's no way you didn't hear about me."

"I swear, I didn't know the boss was married...I hadn't heard anything..." She was wide eyed, shaking a little. You laughed, "Come now, Atsu, are your girls hazing each other?"

He shrugged, "You know I don't pay that much attention."

You stood quickly, dragging the woman backwards and bending her painfully over the small table behind her. She gasped, eyes going wider if that was even possible. Atsushi had seen you do this before.

Both your faces were only inches apart, your wide smile would haunt her for days, "Does this hurt you? Can you take more?" She shook her head, muttering out a quiet "no" that made you giggle, "Then know that you can't handle what my husband could do to you. Even if you were just sucking cock, he's too brutal for you to stand. So, please, attempt this again. Do it, sweetheart, on the very, very slim chance he cheats on me, I'll know you won't be walking for a few days while I file divorce."

The doubled threat wasn't lost on Atsushi, who quickly moved to drag you into his lap, "Babe, c'mon, this place needs ladies who work." He sounded calm, but you could see the emotion hidden in his movements. Atsushi didn't want you to even mention divorce ever again, let alone after you threatened his employee.

The woman ran away fast when you waved her off, "Atsu, honey, my love. Don't let me find this again. I might just kill the next bitch."

[oliveisme533]

My dad's neighbor is a dilf

Chapter 2

Joel Miller x you

Summery: You had decided to spend your summer in Austin with your dad. You used to spend almost every summer there, but hadn't spent a summer there since you were a teenager. Which means you hadn't seen a certain Joel Miller in years..

Warnings: Verbally abusive boyfriend. Talks of mental health and self harmI will put a sign for what paragraph to skip if you want to avoid that content

Of fucking course Ben would call you... your rub your temple and groan. "It's too late for this shit" you mutter to yourself and flick off the light with a little more force than you intended.

Sunday morning you slept in. It wasn't until about 11:00 that you heard your dad banging around in the kitchen downstairs. You drag yourself out of bed, highly motivated by the smell of coffee making its way to your nose. As your feet hit the landing toilet freeze, the fog of sleep dissipates instantly and your insides turn to liquid. "It's really no problem! I can have it fixed in a couple hours, plus you don't want to wait around with that kind of shit. It can turn into a much bigger problem real quick if you don't take care of it soon" that was Joel's voice. What is Joel doing in your kitchen at 11am on a Sunday?!! Especially when he was just here..last night? Do him and my dad really spend that much time together?? You contemplate running back upstairs but then your dad catches a glimpse of you before you can execute your plan. "Well hey babydoll! Didn't know if you were still alive up there" you offer him a grunt in response as you make your way to the coffee pot. "Good morning to you too" he laughs. "Oh hey, the water is going to be shut off in a bit because there's a leak in the water pipes upstairs. Joel said he would take care of it so water should be back on in an hour or so." "Do you just call Joel instead of a plumber these days?" You question your dad with a raised eyebrow. He chuckles "no, I basically sent him a text this morning asking for his opinion on whether or not this needed to be fixed asap or it was no big deal. I was going to call someone on Monday, but he insisted". Your dad lowered his voice slightly as he then said "between you and me...I think he's trying to stay real busy these days. I know having Sarah with her mom for the summer has been a really hard adjustment for him" that seemed logic enough to you and you said as much to your dad before Joel came back through the front door carrying several tools.

"Well good morning sunshine" he said with a smile that stirred inside of you. "One of these days I oughta teach your dad how to be useful around the house so he can carry on without me" "yeah you two are like a married couple" you joked. Joel chuckled "mmm well who could resist this handsome man" he said gesturing to himself. You rolled your eyes "you're old" it was a cheap shot, but also you secretly would admit his age because you were curious. He laughed and said "yeah Sarah says the same to me" but he didn't say anything else. He walked out of the kitchen and began up the stairs towards the leaky pipe or whatever the hell he was here to fix. As soon as he was out of sight you flung your head back "why...why couldn't dad just call a freakin plumber" you resolved to deal with the Ben situation after you had some breakfast in your stomach. It was not something you were particularly looking forward too, but you knew he wouldn't let up until you responded. Sure you could block him, but it wasn't like he was some tinder date gone wrong. You two had spent years together, not to mention you were adults who needed to handle the situation like adults and not take the easy way out.

After breakfast you found an outfit that wasn't an old t-shirt and shorts with little owls on them. You were still mortified that Joel saw this look. "Okay you can do this" you breathed, picking up your phone and tapping Ben's name." Of course he picked up almost immediately. "Hey.. how are you?" You responded politely, but quickly veered the conversation to what he really wanted to talk about. "Well, I've been thinking. I really think you and I are meant to be together. It just feels right, and I know I haven't always been the best at showing up or just being a good boyfriend in general, but now I really feel I'm ready for that level of commitment" there was a short pause

"listen, Ben ... I just don't see it that way. I've spent too much time over the years being disappointed by your actions. I've broke my own heart so many times because I convinced myself you were really going to change and then to I didn't. I can't do that anymore. We're too old for this. I'm glad you feel like you're ready to commit and I hope you find a girl who is too, but at this point in my life I just can't offer you that." You had feared he would be angry, but weren't prepared for what came next. ⚠️CW⚠️ "Are you fucking serious?? Like after all these years you're just going to throw all that away?! Like honestly I didn't need to come back and give you another chance but I did and" "GIVE ME another chance?!! What the fuck Ben..HOW do you even see it that way??" "WHAT DO YOU MEAN??" He shouted back "babe I have put up with so much of your shit over the years and now I'm saying that it doesn't matter and I'm going to stick around regardless of all that!" Oh now he has crossed a line "MY SHIT?! WHAT, PRAY TELL ARE YOU REFERRING TOO?!" "I have had to do SO MUCH for you like when your mental health is bad you just shut off completely. It's like trying to be in a relationship with a fucking wall! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD THAT IS...WHAT KIND OF TOLL THAT TAKES ON ME." Hot tears of anger were streaming down your cheeks. "I CANNOT believe you said that! Did you ever consider how hard it is FOR ME in those times?! Like honestly Ben you only think about yourself." "Oh really is that why I took off work so I could drive you to the hospital when you slit your wrists and you called me, crying?? Obviously that shows I care for you! You cannot tell me I only care about myself when I had to do that kind of shit for you!" Your chest was now rising and falling very rapidly. You certainly were not thinking about how loud you were being right now, but luckily your dad was outside mowing the lawn, well out of earshot. "Ben that is the bare MINIMUM A PERSON CAN DO. Like you're really hanging that over my head??! fucking grow up! God FORBID YOU TAKE THE TIME TO DRIVE ME TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM DURING THE WORK DAY. How about we talk about all the shit I've done for YOU over the years." You could now hear him laughing. A hollow laugh, but a laugh all the same. "Oh DONT EVEN. What could you POSSIBLY have done to compare to me being your GODDAMN NURSE when you're a grown adult." It was all too much. You were all but sobbing at this point. "You are such an ASSHOLE Ben! Don't EVER call me again! THIS IS OVER. I will NEVER love you and you will NEVER speak to me this way again. If you so much as text me...I'm going to get fucking restraining order!" You choked out. "A RESTRAINING ORDER ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?? My dads a literal LAWYER you know that right babe?! I'm NOT going to let that happen!" "Do you even hear yourself right now??! LEAVE ME THE. FUCK. ALONE."

                            End of CW

You hang up the call and crumple to your bed with heaving sobs. You are interrupted by a knock on your door. Presuming it's your dad you walk over to open in and all but fling yourself out the door way knowing he's standing right then ready to hold you. Hug you and tell you everything will be okay like you're 13 or something. The blurred your vision and it was not your dad on the other side of the door. Your head hit his chest and you flung your arms up around his neck. "Dad I hate boys!" You sobbed. But then you realized the height wasn't right, the smell wasn't right, the arms and chest weren't right...

you practically jumped backwards and to your horror saw Joel Miller standing before you. His soft puppy dog eyes heavy with concern and care. "I-um sorry. I assumed it was my dad or I never would have" Joel held up a hand to cut you off. "It okay, you don't need to apologize...I've got a daughter of my own don't think I haven't had the same hug and those same tears." His voice was soft and gentle, and he smiled at the last comment. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay." You could only nod. "It's none of my business, but this guy sounds like bad news and it's a matter of your safety...does your dad know about all this?" You nodded again. "Yes he knows about Ben...although I'll need to update him on the new low that Ben stooped to today. But my dad knows and I feel safe...and in blocking Ben's number." Joel's brows were knit together. "Okay...I don't need to know about but your dad does and it sounds like you've got a good thing going there." You felt awkward and more than anything wanted to disappear and forget this interaction ever took place. You shifted your weight from one foot to the other and picked at your fingers "um yeah I think everything with be fine now" you said awkwardly. "Alright well I apologize for intruding into your private life, but I'm glad you're safe and under your dads roof." He started to walk away when you heard yourself say "Thank you Joel..I really appreciate it."he smiled at you and said "don't mention it" "You better finish up fixing that leak before my dad finds something else to break." Joel laughed "don't worry I'm just about done and I'll be out of yalls way in a jiffy." What a day... and it's only noon

[misguidedasgardian]

I need to (10)

... Calm down

MASTERLIST

Summary: Emotions are running high

Pairings: Cregan Stark x Fem!Reader 

Warnings: cursing, modern au, underage drinking in some countries, fluff, young adults hornyness, sexual tension. Reader and Cregan... hear things... Might miss some warnings 

Wordcount: 2.9 k

Notes: Very mild chapter, I included a classic trope for this one jeje, i’m committed with the romcom/telenovela type jeje

Sceptics would say that there is no such thing as a friendship between a man and a woman

That the mere beginning of said “friendly” relationship was built in a mutual interest for one another, a carnal interest, and as such, there was no thing as a friendship

And right now…

In your “friendship” with Cregan

You had to agree

He couldn’t stop looking at you, as you were both in photography class

He had agreed to give you space, he had, and you had said you wanted to be just friends, but the thing is, you didn't want just to be friends

You liked him

Aemond had left the state, you knew as much, and he hasn't posted your nude pictures, so, you figured you were safe, for now

This was your home now and even though he had tried to… taint it, he was not going to be able to, you were not going to let him.

You were home, nobody could hurt you here 

You even got an emergency visit to the school’s therapist, and then another the following week, and then another, you were in a good track, it's been only a week and yet, you felt better

The definitive and messy breakup.

The colossal break up, the atomic break up

But you were calm again, with the certainty that you were not going to see Aemond in the near future

That you were finally free

That you were pursuing your dreams 

With only one look to the therapist you felt like you just survived a catastrophe, but that’s the thing, you survived it, this was the calm after the storm

And the damage wasn’t so bad

Because you are still here, in your college, with your friends… your Cregan friend

Now you had a taste for Dornish coffee with cinnamon

“Oh wow, but look at this picture…!”, admired the professor, you looked up and there it was, your face, for everyone to see, projected on the wall, looking straight at the camera, your lips opened just a bit, a coy look on your eyes, looking over your shoulder, the plastic curtains drew diagonal lines over your face, and Cregan had turn it to a black and white picture

You couldn’t believe was you were seeing

That couldn’t be your face

The texture, the feelings in it, the color, or rather, lack thereof

“...You can see the passion! the connection between photographer and subject, this is… something else…”, yours and Cregan’s eyes connected, “this is the ultimate portrait, an ode to a muse…”

Can he see across the darkened classroom how nervous you were? Did he really…?, No… 

He finally changed the photo, but now there was the one you took of him

“And this one, is the ultimate love poem”, he continued criticising your photo, “so sweet, tender, honest…”

The professor got carried away when he was showing the photo you took of Cregan, he looked back at you, marvelled with a wide smile on his face

You looked down, ashamed, nervous

How the hell were you supposed to be friends with a man you wanted to taste cinnamon coffee from?

. . .

You were walking back to your dorm, Cregan insisting in accompanying you

“How are the classes going?”, he asked softly

“Bananas”, you answered, “the midterms are coming and for many are written exams but for me are models, and huge project sheets”, you said apologetically

“That is a lot of work, the ADA is famous for it”, he said with a smile

“Business administration is no cake either”, you said back

“No it isn’t”, he chuckled, “maybe we can all support each other, do some sort of study night, I have to execute a business plan, and I would like some help too”

“Oh what is it about?”, you asked

“Well, first I have to make the plan for the midterm”, he laughed, “and then execute it in the summer”

“Oh, really? you have to make your own business?”, you asked, amazed

“For starters, yes”

“So cool, have you given it a thought about what you’d like it to be?”

“I’d like to implement a plan on saving a dying business with a bunch of growth opportunity”

“Thats sounds incredible”, you said with a smile, “if it includes a remodel of some sort let me know”

“Totally, we’d make a good team” 

The walk back to the dorms was short, just across the park, and you were starting to get close, you saw a bunch of people gathered by the entrance

“But when will it be fixed?”, you heard

“It's freezing!”, said another. You and Cregan shared concern looks

“We are trying the best we can”

“We can’t sleep in there”

When she saw you approaching, Sara walked towards you with a frown on her face

“What’s going on?”, you asked

“The thousand year old boiler finally exploded!”, she growled

“It didn’t explode!”, you heard someone said

“It’s fucking freezing!”, she continued, “we can’t sleep in there”

“Shit!”, you cursed

“Well girls, grab your things, you are coming with me”, Cregan said simply, you looked at him, alarmed

“Really?”, you asked, “Are you sure?”

“Of course, I'm not going to let you freeze!”, he said with a smirk, “besides, that is what friends do…”, was he teasing you? yes he was

Cregan even walked you up to the room, and in a bag you took the essentials, and in a backpack what you were going to need for tomorrow, Sara did the same thing

It was freezing, the kind of that stuck into your clothes, you could actually see your breath inside those stoney walls

The walk was fun, talking about your next midterms and exams, and as soon as you got home, Jace was there

“DUDE THERE YOU ARE! WHY YOU TOOK SO LONG? DID THEY FINALLY SHOW THE PICTURE? SHE REALIZES THAT YOU LIKE HER SO MUCH SO YOU TWO F-…”, Jace showed up in the corner and got quiet when he saw you standing there

“Hey creeper”, you whispered

“Oh, the girls are here!”, he said with a weird smile, Cregan was petrified

“They are”, he said

“The boiler exploded”, whispered Sara with a teasing smile, “roomie”, she teased

“Great, let’s eat”, he muttered

“I’m gonna, cook us pasta”, you declared, “I trust you have the basics?”

“YOUR FAMOUS PASTA?”, asked Jace, “IT'S MYTHICAL!”

“We haven’t eaten it in a while haven’t we?”, you giggled

“What is this pasta?”, asked Cregan

“Pasta with mystery sauce”, chuckled Jace, is going to be awesome

“You just let me do what I have to do”, you said mysteriously, you dropped your bags near the couch and then you went to the kitchen, is the least you could do for the boys to let you stay

You loved eating pasta and is the only thing you learned to cook when you were little, when sometimes your godmother had meetings or small trips

Jace would come to your house, you had nannies and a maid in the house, so you were with more people, but still, you learned how to cook the basics

You were putting a whole package of pasta in the boiling water when Sara sneaked into the kitchen

“I’m sleeping with Jace”, said Sara 

“What? fuck no!”, you said back

“Yeah, I think I wanna fuck him”, she whispered

“NO!”, you said, “we have to sleep together, like last time”

“I don’t wanna”, she said with a sneaky smile,  “Jace doesn’t dare to make the first move so I’m gonna”, she continued, “I’m gonna fuck him”

“More power to you, but I don’t… Cregan is going to think that is weird”

“Believe me he isn’t”, she said, “Jace is talking to him right now”

“It is weird though”, you continued, “Are you and Jace going to… date?”

“We don’t know yet”, she whispered, “we have been sexting since forever”

“Sara…”

“Do me a solid, I NEED to get laid”, she continued

“Promise me is not a rouse for me and Crehan to get together”

“Look, it is a golden opportunity, but I really, REALLY want to fuck your best friend”

“STOP SAYING FUCK!”, you muttered

“I really want to… Ride Jacaerys until his wheels fall off”, you slapped your forehead

“Promise me you are thinking this through…”, you whispered

“I promise”, she said, and then you smiled wickedly

“Mmmm somebody is getting laid tonight”, you teased

“It’s cool, right?”, she asked, her face changed from one second to another, now she looked concerned, worried.

“What do you mean?”, you asked her back

“He is your best friend”, she said quietly

“Yes! that’s why I want you to get together already!”, you mocked, “if you trust me to get with your brother I trust you to get with mine”, she hugged you and you hugged her back

The boys had gotten a University subsidized apartment, there were a couple of building around campus for this purpose, it was, small but comfortable, in a “butterfly” shape, it had two rooms of the same size, shared bathroom, and a kitchen with an open space to the livingroom and diningroom 

You had talked to Sara about getting one next year, together, you were excited 

“I need to make the sauce”, you giggled

“I’ll leave you to it”, she said excitedly walking out of the kitchen, “boys! set the fucking table!”, she demanded 

Soon you were all sitting on the table, munching on the pasta you had made

Jace moaned dramatically

“FUCK! This is even better than the last time”, he said

“Well, I’ve perfected my recipe”, you teased

“This is hands down the best pasta I’ve ever had”, approved Cregan

The truth is you hadn't made it in a while, Aemond didn’t like it 

“Next year, I’m gonna ask you to make this at least once a week!”, begged Sara, you chuckled

While Jace and Sara where sitting on the couch… very cozy… you just came out of the bathroom and were intercepted by Cregan

“I put your things in my room”, he said softly

“Great”, oh you were nervous

“I can take the couch if you want”

“You don’t have to”, you said softly, “If someone should take the couch is me”

“No possible way”, he said, “besides, this is what friends do”

“Is it?”, you teased

“Yes”, he chuckled

“If this is awkward I can sleep on the couch”, he insisted, “I don’t want you to think we… have… to do something”

“I trust you”, you said quietly, “I know you don’t make assumptions”, 

“What kind of friend would I be if I was trying to get into your pants incessantly?”, he asked quietly, gently. You laughed 

This was awkward

You thought, as you laid on the bed next to Cregan, you had placed a pillow in the middle of your heads, you didn’t trust yourself, you wanted him, you did, and even though you asked him for a friendship right the same day Aemond tried to explode your world… now two weeks later you were not so sure anymore

You wanted him

And it didn’t help that you were hearing… noises… sexual noises from way across the apartment

Jace and Sara’s noises

“I’m gonna…”, he muttered, signaling to the TV

“PLEASE”, you begged. The sounds from the television immediately drowned out the… other sounds, Cregan started changing the channels, looking for something to watch, until he found a good ol’ slasher movie

“Perfect”, he said, looking over at you, you smiled

“These are my comfort movies”, you giggled

“Of course they are”, he chuckled darkly, “alongside Unsolved mysteries”

“I put them to fall asleep sometimes”, you laughed, he laughed wholeheartedly 

You watched the movie for a while in silence, but it was a classic, you had seen a bunch of times, and apparently, Cregan did too, as he started getting bored pretty quickly, moving restlessly on the bed

“Well, if we are friends, we should know things about one another…”, muttered Cregan, looking over the pillow. You giggled, but you wanted to humor him

“Alright, ask away, what would you want to know?”, you asked him

“Well, I already know how you take your coffee, so how about, what’s your favorite color?”

“Really?” you teased

“Answer the question”, he said, smiling widely at you

“Well, it’s purple”, you said, “what’s yours?”

“Mmm very regal, mine’s grey”

“Boring”

“But not like half white half black grey, but… the greenish grey, like the colour of old stones of the Literature department”

“Oh yeah, well, that’s cool I admit it”

“What’s your favourite animal?”, you giggled, but gave him an answer, “oh, cool”

“What’s yours?”, you asked back

“The wolf”

“Uh so cool, and very patriotic”

“Very funny”, he teased back

You turned, accommodating to look at him he did the same, now you were just looking at each other, smiling

“I’m sorry”, you whispered

“Why?”, he asked

“For cancelling our date”, you continued, “I was not ok after my ex boyfriend payed me a visit”

“Wait, he was here?”, he asked, “the one who…”

“Cheated on me with my teacher, yes”, you whispered, “he was here two weeks ago”

“What happened?”

“He wanted me back…”, you confessed

“Do you still have feelings for him?”, is that fear? what you saw in his eyes

“No… but he wanted to blackmail me into getting back together…”

“With what…? What does he have on you?”, he got serious all of a sudden, you laughed

“Relax…”, you giggled, “I didn’t committed any crimes, I just…”, now you were concerned, “Well, we were together forever and… sometimes when we were apart, I missed him, and I was horny, and underage and I… send him pictures”, you said, evading his eyes

“He threatened to… release those pictures?”, he asked, concern washing on his face

“He implied it”, you said after a long sigh 

“That’s a felony, if he does something we can sue his ass”

“Yes, he hasn't though, not yet anyways”, you said, “he said some nasty things, made me realise who he really was, someone I couldn’t possibly be with, but, everything got scrambled back up again, me running away, we didn’t really broke up, but, this time it is for good, we are not getting back together, ever”, you said surely

“Like the great Margaery Tyrell said”, he teased, you giggled at him

“Yeah”, you admit, “but that day, I was fucked up, he said some nasty things… and… I got scared, he managed to get in my head, like he always does”

“And now?”, he asked

“Now that he is away, I've come to think about what he said… I’m out of his spell, I know he said those things, and aren’t true, so now I’m better”, you sentenced 

“You don’t ever have to be scared…” he said gently, “I’m here, Jace, Sara, we are all here for you”

“Thank you”, you whispered

“Next time I see him, I will beat his ass”, he continued, “show him some northern hospitality”

“That is the opposite of Northern hospitality!”, you complained, He laughed

“I know!”, he laughed back, and then he got serious, “remember the girl that interrupted us the other night?”

“Yeah”

“She is my ex”, he told you, and you nodded, you had thought about that possibility, “she went to study to the White Harbor, we are both from here, know each other since we were little, and… we thought we could make it work, distance and all, but… she… started dating someone else and practically ghosted me, for months, broke with me over text”

“I’m so sorry”, you whispered

“I did my mourning too”, he said with a shy smile 

“We are in a good track then”, you laughed

“We are”, he chuckled, you felt his gaze on you, is heated gaze, fuck, you needed him, you wanted him, did he wanted you too?

When your eyes connected, you realised it

Yes he did 

You had placed your hand over the pillow that separated you two, and he did the same, grabbing it softly

“I’ll wait for you”, he whispered

“Thank you”, you said back, “I won't be long”, he smiled widely, his beautiful eyes twinkling. You intertwined your fingers, feeling electric currents flying all over your body

You fell asleep like that, holding hands.

The very next morning, you all woke up pretty early, you needed to get to class

WHen you got out of Cregan’s room, Jace was already making breakfast

“Hey” you said with a warning in your voice, it was weird looking at him after… hearing things

“Good morning”, he said with a wicked grin, “Sara is still asleep”

“It was haunting, jace”, you accused with a traumatised look on your face

“Not my fault you and Cregan didn’t make noises of your own…”, and then he smirked, “or did you?”

“No, we did nothing”, you said back, “because our ears were bleeding”, Jace chuckled, “please, ask Sara for a real date”

“I will”, he said with a smile, “relax”

“I’m relaxed”

“You need to get laid”

“Fuck you”

“Want to have breakfast?”, he asked

“I don’t know, did you wash your hands?”, Jace chuckled

“Yes I did”

“Than yes”, you whispered

“You heard about that party next weekend?”, he asked when Cregan walked back into the kitchen

“Just a party in the frat house”

“We have those?”, you asked

“Well, they call themselves that, they are the guys from the football team”, said Jace

“Why don’t you both live there too?”

“They never take freshmen, and… they are fucking animals”

“Yeah living there is not that fun… partying there though…”, Cregan hissed, “that is indeed evry entertaining”

“Can us girls go?”, you asked

“You are girls, so the answer is yes”, mocked Jace

“Great, so after the second heaviest week of our semester, we party”, you said with a wide smile

taglist ❤️

@mxtokko @princesssterek @thefandomimagines @iamavailablesstuff @misspascalpunk @sweethoneyblossom1 @ipostwhtifeel @lunamoonbby @ahristata @watercolorskyy @yazzzmints @n4tforlife @littleshadow17 @alexa4040 @speedyballoonpainter @hc-geralt-23 @rayrayredpanda @eralen @yentroucnagol @valeskafics @iloveallmyboys @schadenfreude-and-sarcasm @ttkttt @aleemendoza2425-blog @drwstarkeyy @casualfansoul @urmomsgirlfriend1 @bruher @@toms-cherry-trees @happinessinthebeing 

[kastlequill]

iii/v. ‘til my pulse loses time: pulsus paradoxus

pairing: kyle gaz garrick x f!reader word count: 1.7k synopsis: the third time you save gaz tags: whumptober, infection, wound tending, hurt/comfort, medic!reader, 4+1, no y/n warnings: none ao3: read here ← prev | next →

III.

You had lost count of how many times you’d warned him about the risk of infection, which was already quite high given the sheer frequency at which he acquired open wounds.

Best keep that thing covered, soldier, had been your soft-spoken command to close out his fourth visit in the span of a month and a half. That time, a stabbed forearm, and the time before that, a nasty gash down his spine, and so on. I don’t want to see you back in my infirmary for a long while, copy?

But it seemed your cautioning had gone in one ear and out the other. It wasn’t that Gaz didn’t know how to protect himself, nor was he incapable of mitigating the damage he sustained in combat; the sergeant was a competent man, something that you greatly appreciated when it came time to patch him up.

Rather, it was more so the case that he treated his life recklessly. Surviving was one thing, but exiting the fray unscathed? That was an altogether different and separate objective which, in his mind, warranted far less concern than completing the mission.

To him, the game plan was very simple: successfully execute orders, then get the hell out of there. Bonus points if he kept the majority of his body intact and functional.

For a soldier, this logic made total sense. Such a thought process was to be expected from someone who had spent over a decade honing his physical form into a weapon and had thus learned how to mentally detach himself from his personhood whenever necessary. During the firefight, his muscles and limbs moved in accordance with years of conditioning and training, acting on autopilot. Gaz, the man who brought you lunch on your busiest days and made damn certain none of your rowdier patients were giving you shit, faded into the background; what he did became exceedingly more important than the fact that it was he who did it.

For a medic, however? The stunning lack of self-preservation irritated you to no end.

And today, that irritation spiked to a record peak the instant he walked into the medbay with unfocused eyes and beads of sweat on his brow bone, jaw slightly loose, chest heaving for air.

“Hey, Doc,” Gaz said with a wince, the greeting sounding more like a croak than anything else. He pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead. “I’m not feeling too good. You mind if I. . ?”

Those were the last words to leave his lips before he all but collapsed into your waiting arms. Ignoring the worry that had begun to churn in your gut, you immediately helped him stumble to a nearby cot then gradually sat him down. Instinct took over, spurring you to quickly gather your medkit, don a pair of surgical gloves, gently open his mouth, and stick a thermometer under his tongue.

High body temperature, difficulty attending to external stimuli, fast pulse—textbook signs of an infection.

You were thankful that the nurse was too busy checking on another admit to notice how you cradled his face in your hands for a beat longer than was necessary after removing the thermometer. “Gaz, I need you to stay sharp, you got that? You have to show me where you’re injured so I can do my job.”

Blinking a little more awake, he gave a curt nod and lifted up the front end of his shirt to reveal what looked to be a knife wound slightly above his left hip. If the accumulation of dried pus was anything to go off of, it must have been at least a week old.

That’s definitely infected, alright.

“Why didn’t you call this in?” You lightly pressed into the inflamed flesh around the problem site, assessing its tenderness, but stopped when he let out a low, pained hiss. “We could’ve gotten it squared away in less than half an hour and saved ourselves the trouble.”

His half-lidded stare locked onto your alert, wide eyes. “Y’told me you’d rather I not come around for a bit, yeah? Can’t have you getting sick of me already, Doc. It’s bad form.”

It took everything in you not to flinch.

Of course a soldier would interpret an offhand joke in its most literal sense. Your playful tease had been intended to disguise genuine concern. Instead, the man had gotten the impression that you were annoyed by his insistence, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

In reality, you damn near prayed to any and all deities for them to shorten the time between his visits and lengthen his stays.

“That isn’t—” You swallowed an overwhelming wave of mixed emotions. “That isn’t what I meant, Kyle.”

He grinned, suddenly very coherent and present. “So it’s Kyle now, is it? Well, if I’d bloody known some measly infection is all it’d take for you to call me by my name, then I would’ve fuckin’ done this ages ago.”

Heat rushed towards your face, mostly pocketing itself in your cheeks. Some reassurance followed suit; Gaz couldn’t be too bent out of shape if he still had the energy and mental faculties to. . . to flirt with you.

As you cleaned the oozing gash, flushing it out with cool water and dabbing on a topical antibiotic with a Q-tip, the sergeant lowered his head to watch you work, eager to witness you in your element. Perhaps it should’ve annoyed you because of how frequently his forehead bumped into yours, but you understood his curiosity well. It was only fair, considering how often you wondered about him in the field; what he did, how and why he did it.

Who he became.

The occasional graze of your fingertips along his ribcage made the skin there to ripple, and he released a shaky exhale. “What’s the verdict, then?”

“Nothing that oral antibiotics and proper wound care won’t fix. But I want to keep you here overnight for observation and rehydration.” You stuck on a lopsided bandage and used your hand to smooth out any crinkles in the adhesive. When you lifted your face to address him more directly, the slight brush of his nose against yours caused a hitch in your breathing, and you jerked backward, startled by his closeness.

A pleased hum emanated from his throat. “Always lookin’ out for me. Soon as I get this blasted thing sorted, I’ll thank you properly.”

“There’s no need,” you assured him, stepping further out of reach. “Just focus on getting better, will you? This prescription is over the course of seven days. Don’t let me hear you’ve been skipping your meds.”

Needing to put several meters between the two of you, the shelves at the backend of the clinic were the perfect escape. There, no longer in view, you sifted through various supplies until you found an open box of penicillin, counted fourteen tablets in total, then funneled the antibiotic into a standard orange prescription bottle. By the time you returned to his cot with the medication, the sergeant was already munching on a couple of crackers, courtesy of the nurse.

He visibly straightened at your arrival and softly said, “Thank you. I mean it.”

Just doing my job, was what you should have replied. Nonchalant; not the slightest bit personally vested in your patient outside of the clinic.

“If you really want to thank me, you’ll stop getting hurt all the damn time,” were the words you muttered instead, sounding like a petulant child. Or perhaps you simply sounded like someone who gave a shit.

Because you did. You, a tested combat medic who should honestly know better by now, cared deeply about him, a special operator who risked his life daily so that the rest of the world remained relatively out of harm’s way. And given the horrors you’d seen both on the battlefield and in the infirmary, to care for someone like him was a terrifying notion.

What a nuisance, these matters of the heart.

His eyes dulled at your response, and you were consumed with the desire to bring back the light in those brown depths. “You know I can’t.”

The confirmation, though expected, still stung. Knowledge was such a curse, you decided. On some occasions, it benefited you to wield it, but on others, it only brought inescapable suffering. Regardless of the consequences, the possessor of said knowledge was forced to carry it within them always, robbed of a chance at blissful ignorance.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” you sighed, lips settling into a resigned smile. “It was worth a shot.”

From then on, the remainder of your tending to him was spent in silence. Not an awkward silence, nor an angry silence; just silence. A neutral, comfortable silence—your favorite.

All that was left to do could’ve been passed off to the technician or even skipped entirely, but you felt compelled to go the extra mile where he was involved. You wet a rag to rid his forehead of sweat and used a tissue to gently dust away the crystallized mucus in his tear ducts. Before you had the opportunity to assist him in laying flat on the cot, your pillow-fluffing was interrupted by the slight weight of cold metal meeting the warm skin of your neck.

A dog tag. His dog tag.

Your brain momentarily short-circuited. The gravity of the action was not lost on you, nor was its heavy implications. Not in the least.

“I’ll try. For you,” he clarified, resolutely holding your gaze, an oath on his lips, “I’ll try.”

Good enough, you thought. Because it had to be.

This would have to be enough, whatever this was. This, a fledgling, precursory thing. This, stealing moments with him during the brief lapses of warfare, hidden behind the plastic tarp covering the infirmary. This, assuaging your anxieties by catching sight of him from afar, the distance between your clinic and his barracks too vast. This, an invisible threshold, a nonexistent white line that warned do not cross. This, the space decreed by professionalism somehow both too much and too little.

This would have to be enough.

tbc.

[peacexatxlast]

Thomas Shelby; For a Good Cause a/n: After geeking to a dear friend about the slutty Brummie ganster... I had this idea. Shoutout to @jvstsaywhen for helping sort out my messy thoughts and giving me a good laugh in the process. You are an angel for dealing with my dramaticize.... ah.... however it's spelled ;) I hope you enjoy this chaos... Er... that's all... <3 plot: Tommy is in a mood and snaps at Frances. His wife does not approve... Warnings: Smuttttt, swearing, terrible plot and messy structure Word count: 3,098

There were days where Tommy would traipse around the house with docile ignorance to time. When life was in his command and the very March of the clock seemed to tick, tick, tick to his orders. ‘On the up’ he used to say, having his ducks lined in a neat row to be sent out and executed accordingly. Everyone enjoyed Tommy in this state, finding his company to be much more approachable and welcoming than the latter when hell seemed to burn in his stare. 

His wife thoroughly enjoyed his good moods, praising his tactical brilliance all the while as he would share his plans to expand the ever increasing wealth of Shelby Company Limited. He liked strategies, and when one was perfectly flowing by his bullet points, it gave him time to relax into her touch and devote attention to her. God, she loved when the world revolved around Thomas Shelby and bowed to his will accordingly. 

That day… was not one of those times. 

The house was torn into a hurricane. Thomas didn’t walk nor traipse, stuck in his office since dawn. No, he simmered, brooded, boiled. Whatever familial, political or business related issue he was stewing over, she thought better than to interrupt or disturb him. His sharp tongue and quick wit was only favorable when the dark cloud above his head wasn’t there striking lightning and crackling a roar of thunder. He was intolerable when he was struck under these moods, and so she busied herself that day on the other side of the house and ignored altogether his office. 

That is, until she caught word through the walls of the house of an episode involving their dear, loyal head maid and her moody, tempered husband. He’d snapped at her! Two younger maids were gossiping in the corridor, the woman of the house’s steps light and airy as she descended into the madness. She was not one to play into the whispers and traveling gossip, never sure how much truth was seeded through the game of telephone. However, the news she’d captured was not all that unbelievable. In fact, she believed every single word of it. 

Even so, she went straight to the source, confronting the maid about her husband’s behavior. She came on behalf of Frances, in favor of the woman, and she made that very clear as she approached her. “I have overheard Thomas has said something to upset you, Frances…Please, before you try to defend him, I am coming to get the truth so I can proceed and make sure this is dealt with properly…. No, Frances, his behavior is not alright! ….No matter what tantrum he has conjured within himself, he is not to unload it upon you! ……I assure you, this will be handled immediately. …..Take the evening off, I insist. As well as the other maids. I will be sure he eats something…” Yeah, a stale loaf and murky bath water… The lengthy exchange had come to an end with permission to relax and recover from Thomas’ short temper. She sincerely apologized on his behalf, embracing the older woman fondly. She had been a constant in the midst of the ever changing staff who were scared off by the Shelby man. 

The woman stopped short of the office door, glaring daggers into the polished oak as she debated entering inside and ripping into him. Her better judgment stalled her fantasy, knowing the outcome of such frivolous escapades. Thomas, much like an impetuous child being reprimanded, did not respond well to arguing and the rise of her voice. Yelling and screaming would only fuel coal into his burning fire. She did not wish to stoke this outrage but to smother it in water and cut off its supply of oxygen before it further burned anyone in the household. Had he kept his mood to himself, she wouldn’t have even bothered to address it. He lost that privilege the moment he spoke against Frances. Now, he must be scolded…. But craftily. 

Other alternatives were needed besides yelling. As his wife of sometime now, she had learned how to best escalate these outbursts: by meeting him in the middle… Of his body that is, speaking through his cock- on his cock- while his mind was clouded by pleasure and would adhere to anything and everything she said. Men were really, truly simple-minded creatures at the end of the day… and the sun had just begun to descend from the sky. 

She popped back up into their bedroom and slipped into something a little more uncomfortable for the evening. Adorned in a silk slip with sheer lingerie hidden beneath, she padded downstairs after a few spritz of perfume and a light toss of her hair on her shoulders. The clothing she wore was not for her benefit but his, remembering a comment he had made about how he so adored her in such apparel. As a good, devoted wife would, she remembered these things to spark erotica into his heart when the mood fancied her more than him. She’d never been turned away blatantly, but sometimes it took a retreating reprieve to lick her wounds and come back with vengeance, looking good enough to eat. And eat he would. 

Out of respect, she knocked. Time ticked by, moments stretching into a minute before she heard, ‘Come’. It was gruff and calloused, her eyes narrowing as she pushed the door open, adjusting the tie at her waist. It was late enough in the evening to assume she would be in such attire, batting eyelashes to clear the glare from her gaze as she sought his form out. 

Stress cloaked the shadows of his face, earning a soft hum from her lips as she followed the maze of chairs and coffee table to appear before him. “I know you’re busy, so I will keep it short and sweet.” She purred decadently, a sultry glance offered in jest as she removed the silk from her body to be devoured by the glaring gaze of her husband. He was upset to be interrupted, jaw tightening further at the new material offered to gaze at. Whether or not he enjoyed this view was beyond her, but she bathed in the heat of his stare nonetheless. Her name fell across her lips, either in plea or warning… Again, she was unsure of the origin, but it didn’t matter. She pursued on with her mission, rounding the desk. He leaned back in the throne of his palace, a good sign she noted. She was not above fucking on paperwork like a needy whore she often was; however, the wise woman was attempting to make his life a little less irritating. Wrinkled papers and soiled cardstock would only upset him further, so she began neatly piling the mess onto the side with enough room for her to be splayed out in front of him later however he saw fit. 

The undergarments she wore left little to the imagination, swaying her hips in a tantalizing manner while she worked. Her ass, one of her better features in her opinion, was perfectly on display in front of him covered in pale blue. Straightening, she turned to address him once more. He hadn’t spoken, a sharp glare slicing into her. “I can see the ungreased gears grinding in your mind, Thomas. You’re running off of smoke and fumes, and you’re reasoning and decision making will suffer for it. So,” A grin slipped over her lips, dropping to her knees with a look of need so saturated in exaggeration it was almost too satire to believe… Either way, he didn’t seem to notice or care, head cocked in interest. Jesus, he looked divine, the burdens of the world resting atop his shoulders working for him. And that damned waistcoat… His sleeves rolled in the sluttiest of ways to his elbows. She melted, biting her lip. “Let me help you clear your… head…” Teeth tugged her bottom lip into her mouth, pushing her palms onto his thighs as she rolled between his legs. Her head tilted, seeking his lips for a kiss. It was ultimately his choice to agree, eyes fluttered at half mast with a beckoning gaze. 

Adrenaline coursed through her veins as his lips brushed hers, reaching further to seal their agreement in a kiss. He was so fucking easy to draw in, lips quirking into a smug grin as his hand wrapped around her throat with a delicate squeeze. Pressed further into his palm, she extended her vulnerability towards him. Even in his worst of mood, she trusted him wholly with her life. He would never allow harm to come to her, either by another’s or his own hand. That much she could count on. 

The unholy darkened gaze of lust pooling in his icy stare was enough to drench her thighs in arousal, mouth watering and nearly forgetting her reason for this visit. It was so easy to be trapped in the riptide of his attention, treading dangerous waters as if she were in the shallows. She wanted to drown in his affection, tightening fingers around his thighs, scratching at the fabric which was now proving to be an annoying barrier. She had come prepared for this, the least he could do was catch up!

“How do you want me, Mr. Shelby?” She whispered against her hungry embrace, nipping at his bottom lip while trailing her palm up his thigh and towards his groin. There was no doubt in her mind of his hardening state, only solidifying what she knew to be true while stroking his growing arousal. “How can I help you relax, sir?” Fingers twitched around her throat, pulling a low groan from her lips, tilting her head back eagerly. “Bent over my desk, Mrs. Shelby. First piece of business crossing it that I’ve enjoyed working on.” The gravel in his voice was thrown down at his feet, collecting at her knees where she hurriedly moved to obey his command. Her heart pattered on incessantly in her chest, wiggling from her underwear; the fabric pooled at her feet in a soft flutter, kicked aside as rough hands found the new expanse of flesh. 

Her wiggling in search of something to grind against earned her behind a quick slap. She yelped, more out of surprise than anything. It hardly hurt, the blushing print of his hand fading as quickly as it had come… much to her disappointment, but the thrill of his reprimand remained, stepping aside to flaunt his goods for him. It all belonged to him anyways, something he was all too aware of given his patience… 

“Please, Tommy…” She whined, shuddering delightfully as his fingers traced the inner flesh of her parted thigh. He strayed from where the subtle ache began to grow, needy and impatient for the relief that only he could offer. She arched in such a way to find the edge of the desk brushing teasingly against her swelling bundle of nerves. A moan caught in her throat, hissing softly at the sharp pain receding into pleasure. It wasn’t enough to satiate her, and if anything it only brought a renewed rush of desperation to settle in her belly. 

He chuckled, kneading the flesh of her thigh with one hand while the other handled the buttons of his trousers. “Thought this was for my stress relief, hm? Looks like you’re in need of a reliever as well.” His words unnerved her, eyes rolling backwards with a shiver rolling under her spine. Remember the mission… Right… 

“You’ve not touched me in more than a week, Thomas. Do forgive your wife for seeking out your affection once in a while, ey?” She bit playfully, reaping the reward of her snarky attitude as Thomas adorned another smack to her ass. In the process of recovering from the delicious prick of pain stinging her flesh, he introduced her to a new sensation of minor discomfort: one she never truly grew accustomed to no matter how prepared she was. The head of his cock pushed past slick folds and buried himself within her cunt in a single thrust. A hot moan burbled from her lips, unbridled need spilling unabashed in the presence of her creator and destroyer. With one word he could build her higher than the tallest mountain or steepest building, and the slightest brush of his hand could have her crumpling harder to the floor than the burning of Rome. 

“Then it’s all too overdue, isn’t it?” He rasped, finding the natural handle to grip of her curved hip, recoiling back and striking fast. Even despite his girth and size, she would always adjust, but in the initial moment of penetration she relished the twinge of pain brimming with tension as it dissolved deliciously into pleasure. Part of the reason for dismissing the maids for the evening was her inability to withhold the melodic chorus of praises falling from her mouth, blessing the gods for creating such a man to ravish her so thoroughly. It’d become a rule to not withhold her sounds of enjoyment from him, and she made no effort to do so at that moment as he decided on a pace that best suited his mood then: brutal. 

With a pace that would surely bring a bruising hand print from how tightly he held her, pulling back and snapping his hips back just as quickly, she smoothed her hands against the top of the desk towards the edge where she curled her fingers to give hold to something. It was all the stability she had, the balls of her feet lifting from the floor while he moved her where he wanted, how he wanted, and when. Her nails clawed into the pine or oak or whatever the hell he wanted his damned desk to be, sure to have ruined a perfectly good manicure, but for a good cause. The color could easily be reapplied at a later date, then focusing on keeping her footing as she was propped on her tippy toes. She trusted him further to not let her fall into a mess onto the floor, and he ever so kindly secured her faith with a hand snaking into her scalp and pulling. A choked moan fell from her lips, taking every inch of his borderline abusive thrusts. She was greedy for his attention, hungrily devouring every gruff grunt and groan that parted his scowl. “I want to see you, Tommy… please.” She murmured, rolling with what little power she had to match his relentless pace. Three times he slammed into her again, relinquishing enough to spin and toss her body onto the desk like a rag doll. Desire hooded her gaze, reaching blindly to grasp at his shoulders and pull him in for a heated kiss. Masterfully, he maneuvered himself once more between her thighs, drawing a shared sigh of relief from them both. She would have thanked him if she could form a coherent fucking thought then, too busy clawing and grasping at his clothes to shed them. The waistcoat, his shirt, exposing every layer until his chest was bared before her. 

Her lips attacked him with as much abandon as he fucked her, spreading her legs further, tucking them appropriately around his waist to latch onto him. His breath was hot against her neck, teeth sinking into her pulse point while she lay siege to his back with an assault of her nails. 

“Thomas, fuck, right there!” Over and over again he drilled the head of his erection in the most calculated way to curl her toes and see stars beneath her eyelids. She whimpered softly, the guilt brushing over her intense pleasure that it prolonged her release. Agitated, she clung tighter to him, begging for more of him: harder, faster, deeper. Thomas was all too kind to comply, filling the office room with her sweet, sweet cries paired with the harmony of skin meeting skin. Pressure built within his abdomen, muscles tightening, flexing, burning for release. The tell of his impending orgasm came in the subtle loss of his rhythm, arm snaking around her waist for support as he chased after the high. His needy behavior pulled her father into the swarming heat boiling within her stomach, whining for his attention, demanding he satiate her needs as well. She didn’t have to ask twice, finding relief in the flick of his thumb over the slick of her bundled nerves, circling her button with relative ease; it seemed as though he hardly had to put effort into causing her downfall. 

“Oh, fucking- Tommy, fuck me, please… Fill me, love,” Her sweet coax was his own demolition, cresting the mountain and quickly crashing down in a crescendo of blurring release. She held her orgasm until he came, coming undone in the very capable hands of her husband with breathless cries of his name which would disperse evenly throughout the room and haunt him later while he attempted to finish his letters. Good. She would reduce herself to nothing more than his panting, begging whore if it meant he would return regularly to their marital bed. 

The moment directly after an orgasm was possibly her favorite. Silence enveloped them safely in an embrace, sweat coated bodies relaxing into one another while they panted into one another’s mouth for oxygen. No words were needed in exchange, holding onto him for a moment longer before allowing him to part from her and collect his composure. A breathless giggle, blissed to heaven and back in the warm delusion post orgasm. “You will apologize to Frances for the harsh comment you made to her earlier.” She breathed, her tone soft but sincere, rounded with an authority she only carried when necessary. As he tucked himself within his trousers, he nodded curtly, shifting his glance to her suspiciously. A smile graced her lips, waiting for him to hand her undergarments to her like a gentleman should, accepting them with a soft ‘thank you’. 

“This is how you relieve built up tension, not snapping at your staff in undeserved anguish. Especially Frances. I’m your wife; I’m made to take it.” she slipped from the desk, wrapping the robe around her body once more. Her hand threaded through his scalp comfortingly, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “Try not to spend all night working. I will be in bed when you decide to join me. Goodnight, Mr. Shelby.” 

The faintest quirk of a smile met his lips, pecking her lips before she escaped him. “Goodnight, my love.”

[sanjisluvbot]

ISEKAI YANDERE STRAWHATS X BLACK FEM READER PT 7

Masterlist

1 2 3 4 5 6

TW: drugging

Your eyes widened, you knew the edge you felt from Luffy wasn’t something you could easily shake off. Luffy was good at emotional manipulation but you were even better, I mean you had to be. Law was right to tell you to try and distance yourself from him but it was hard when he was really the only person you could trust.

“ Luffy what would make you think about that right now?” You said trying to remove his arm from your waist though your efforts were no use as he gripped you even tighter.

“ You’ve been really close with Traffy, I- no the entire crew has noticed and I just wanted ti know if you’re going to make us go through this again.”

Damn them all to hell honestly.

You wanted to express your anger to him so badly but that would just foil your plans completely. Deep breaths y/n, just reassure him and the crew so they can let you go to Zou.

“ Listen Luffy, me and Law just have a lot in common. We get along really well and we’re just friends. I’m not gonna leave. ”

He smiled at you and started talking to you about his plan to unlock the fridge that night with the help of one of Ussop’s new inventions. You began to tune him out when you realized that your anxiety was beginning to overflow. Your hands felt clammy and you wanted to be alone. Luffy’s grip was agonizing and you knew it was his way of threatening you silently.

If this plan wasn’t executed to perfection who knows what they’d do to you. What would happen with Law if they- no, no more negative thoughts. If you stress this too much they really will notice.

Meanwhile in the library Robin was drinking tea while reading a book with chopper.

“ Robin, have you noticed how close Y/N has been with Trafalgar?”

Robin looked up from her book and smirked at the doctor, “ I think she likes him… maybe he liked her too they’re both strategists”

“ I guess”

Robin was weary though, she knew deep down you had not fully accepted everything so why would you get close with Law? She was sure she heard everything right when you two went off but could they have a hidden agenda being together?

Before she thought any further the man of the hour walked in. He nodded in their direction and went to the book shelf himself picking out a book on ancient medicine.

“ Traffy y/n seems to have opened up to you since we’ve gotten off Punk Hazard. What made you so close if you don’t mind me asking?”

“ She’s very intelligent and we get along well.”

“ oh, well she’s more of a closed off type so I was just curious because it happened so fast.”

This is what you were talking about. Robin was the most observant and the most dangerous, Law needed to think of a way to through this woman off their tracks quickly.

“ Well aside from her intelligence she’s beautiful, I couldn’t resist wanting to know her better. When switching out the cuffs she told me about the adventures you’ve been on and she sounded so entranced with everything I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her.”

The conversation went on for a while and Law was able to tell her suspicions died down a bit but his guard wasn’t completely down. There was no wonder the government wanted her for themselves Robin had a way with words. The rest of the crew was getting ready for bed and Law was using this time to stall before questions from them kept him from the little sleep he normally gets.

Wandering towards the make quarters he saw you leaving from a shower with Nami, he couldn’t help but stare at the way your skin glowed. He wasn’t lying about you being beautiful.

You felt eyes on your back and looked up to the stairs, Law was leaning over the railing and when u made eye contact he gave u a soft smile. You waved and continued your way to the room while drying your hair, Nami nudged you when the door closed.

Here we go man here we go

“ When did you too become a thing?”

“ We aren’t a thing. We just have some things in common and when he told me he wanted to strategize something clicked and it brought us closer in a way.”

“ That’s great, he’s cute too maybe you should date him”

You gave her a fake laugh and made your way to bed wanting to end this never ending interrogation.

The next morning you were in DressRosa and everything was going accordingly till you needed to leave. There was a huge fuss on whether or not you should stay with the captains and vice captain or if you should go to Zou with the others. Law was able to convince Luffy but the look in Zoro’s eye told you he knew Law was shitting through his teeth.

“ Why would Y/N go to Zou? We can protect her here”

“ Why would a woman who doesn’t have a devil fruit or any fighting skills need to be in the middle of a war?”

“ What would she do in Zou? None of us even know your crew and without all of us there so many things could happen to her because as you said, she’s defenseless”

Law was able to manipulate the boys easily causing a fight between the two hotheads.

“ What are you trying to say you angry green drunkard”

“ I’m saying I can protect y/n better than a horny cook with shitty eyebrows”

Eventually you found yourself starring into the endless sea feeling giddy knowing you were closer and closer to freedom. Getting to see Momo turn into a real life dragon had to be one of your favorite highlights as well, you would very much miss this world even though you don’t want to admit it.

That awful nagging in the back of your head that wants you to stay started again as you grew closer to Zou.

Is it that bad to sta- YES. Yes it is stop it brain you need to go home you can’t just live this double life.

“ Y/N chaaaaaan, you look so stunning in the sun like a goddess from the heavens. Do you want a sweet tart?”

You happily took the treat and settled down after the crew dealt with the impending threat of big mom. How you wish you could stay to see it and see Sanji as a pretty prince.

For some reason, as you were almost done eating the treat you felt slightly weaker like you needed to take a nap. The crew let their eyes wander to you every once in a while like they were waiting.

Have I been drugged? Why would they drug me now?

“ Y/N chan please understand it’s only for your own good and protection that we do this.”

Your vision grew blurry and you tried to quickly stand up which failed miserably, you fell to your knees and everything just looked like shapes and colors. How long would this last? You needed to contact Law and his crew. They’re gonna save you.

Back on DressRosa while you and Law were on the deck with Ussop, Frank, Kin, Momo, and Franky the crew discussed your sudden closesness with the new captain.

“ I think they’re into something more than we know”

“ Of course they are y/n hasn’t fully adjusted to everything yet, why would she be so chummy with a captain from this world she’s never met”

“ Well they did seem to have hit it off, they could just really like eachother…”

“ Nami, although that might be true there is definitely something more to their relationship. I think it might have something to do with her being specifically one of the people to be sent to Zou first.”

“ Robin is right, he was so adamant on arguing with me to send her to Zou.. it was strange”

The crew argued, but Luffy silenced them. They awaited their orders knowing that the look on Luffy’s face.

“ Let her go, whatever they are planning won’t go as they think especially because they won’t be together for a while.”

They all silently agreed till Robin spoke up once more, “ Chooper, would you be able to make a drug for Sanji to put in y/n’s drink or food? Not one to harm her but maybe to keep her asleep for a while till we are reunited?”

The doctor and the cook were conflicted, this went against everything they stood for but it was captains orders and they loved their little y/n.

Sanji held back tears as he carried you into your room, having to go to such lengths just to keep you with them strained his heart.

“ She’ll be okay right chopper? It’s not hurting her or anything she’s just asleep?”

“ Y-yes it was only sedatives and sleep medication in a medium dose. She should only be asleep for a few days”

The guilt was clear to see on their faces, and the guilt was on the rest of the tiny crew as well but deep down it felt real good to know that this was going to ensure y/n would not only be safe but in their arms forever.

Whatever it takes.

Tags: @herwritingartcowboy @axulaphie @arminscum-slut @toshirolovebot [ If you are missing I apologize, please message me I’ll add you today <3 ]

A/N : sorry this update took a while, I’ve been dealing with some things mentally and it interrupted my writing flow. I’m really glad everyone is enjoying this series the support means so much to me along with your comments. I’m in shock with how many people are enjoying my writing, and I’ve got more things coming during the weekend <3

Not proofread btw 💀

[cynthia39100]

Merlin rewatch -- S1E8: The Beginning of the End

Arthur is fair and smart LET HIM KNOW THINGS

Arthur started arguing with Uther from the very beginning when the druid boy hadn’t even been brought to the table. He knew Druids were peaceful right from the start! He was fair, he believed a punishment should fit the crime. He also said, “Showing mercy can be a sign of strength.” Let’s see when the writer decided it was a lesson he needed to relearn…

His pouty face was so cute <3

~~~

I had a lot of sympathy for Arthur even though it was more of a Morgana episode. He worked so hard, struggling between his loyalty to the King and his own better judgement. Uther wasn’t giving him a good time and Morgana wasn’t helping. I understand why Morgana didn’t want to clue him in, but she didn’t need to pretend to agree with Uther at that point. It just made Arthur’s life harder and frankly herself more suspicious. It’s not like Morgana hadn’t criticised Uther’s policy before.

She didn’t need to jibe Arthur when he came to search her room either. That man wasn’t even looking! He was eating fruits XD

~~~

Love Arthur’s face here~ He was so stunned to find Morgana. He hesitated so long and he looked around all the guards before ordering the arrest. It showed clearly that if there weren’t guards, he would have let them go.

This scene is proof that Morgana should drag Arthur into saving Mordred mission in the first place. Hell, she didn’t hesitate to drag Gaius into this, who probably would sell them out if Merlin wasn’t involved. She had never had a problem making Arthur do as she pleased anyway and Arthur had fought with his father about this matter in front of her.

~~~

Arthur said “It’s too late. He’s been caught.”when Morgana finally asked him to help, implying that if Morgana had come to him earlier he would have turned a blind eye. Again, He didn’t like the idea of executing the Druid man, let alone a child. But there was a line he wasn’t willing to cross. “I won’t betray him.” He said. A parallel to what Uther accused Morgana of. He was convinced by Morgana in the end, but I don’t think he was entirely wrong in that regard. It wouldn’t be right if he casually broke the law or antagonised the King when it suited him.

~~~

Once Arthur was included he made a good plan and executed it perfectly. Always loved a smart Arthur. He looked so good in that shot of him drugging the guards XD

How did he contact a druid camp though?? If it’s that easy they should all be killed by now…

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[bunglegaydogs]

skk dynamics!

I just want to talk about Soukoku so that is precisely what I'm going to do ^^

As per, this post has no specific or planned direction, I'm just gonna see where it takes me lol.

It genuinely irks me to see the rampant mischaracterisation within the fandom pertaining to not only just Soukoku, but several other characters as well. Ranpo, Akutagawa, Kunikida, etc. It might just be my dumb little screaming brain being scared of something that's not supposed to be in my head, or hell, something that's in the BACK of my mind, and I know that makes no sense but it does to me xoxo

I just really treasure the dynamic between Dazai and Chuuya and I get frightened that when I think somebody is mischaracterising them, I'm the only one that thinks that and that I'm just perceiving them wrong. Which genuinely is the one thing I never wish to do; when I write fics, my number one goal is to make the characters as true to life as possible. I try my damndest to do justice to their characters, and based off of the lovely people that read it and comment, I'm doing something right, surprisingly.

The characterisation of Dazai and Chuuya specifically is something so important to me because I relate to the both of them the most out of any of my interests. And I have a LOT of interests.

I don't know why or how, but they came to be my absolute favourite characters over all other fandoms and shows and games and films I enjoyed. (I'm excluding the Marauders fandom here, because I also love Remus and Sirius exactly like this). I piss myself off with it sometimes, because I accidentally base all of my creative outlets off of Soukoku, and lo and behold, I have about 30 unfinished ideas/fics after one night of ruminating over these motherfuckers.

Anyways. Like I said, this post has no point, it's just my incoherent, incessant rambling that if I don't write down, will slowly eat away at me until I die ^^

So, I guess, without further ado, I'm just gonna get going?

LMAO

Anyways,

Soukoku's dynamic has always been interesting. We were introduced to them first (as a pair) as enemies; ex-partners, rivals, loathing each other. But, when we slowly got to see more of their relationship, more of their past, more of their dynamic, quite a lot of us slowly came to realise; oh shit. There's more to them here.

The two of these together aren't just black-and-white characters. Dazai is not inherently good just because he works for the ADA. Chuuya is not inherently bad just because he works for the PM. They are morally grey characters. They've killed people, tortured people, stolen, beaten, attacked, hurt, all that good stuff that comes with being in the Mafia (nevermind fucking Mafia executives). Something that a lot of people seem to forget is where to draw the line between these two organisations; if the ADA is harbouring two fugitives that are ex-mafia, one of them being an executive, another fugitive that terrorised the streets of Japan as a man-eating tiger, and is run by an ex-assassin who was close with the current leader of the Port Mafia, who's to say that they're the good guys? Who is the one to define the evil and the light?

Nobody.

There are no sides.

The Port Mafia aren't the bad guys, and the Agency aren't the good guys. They're both doing their morally grey jobs with their morally grey cast of characters.

Yes, on a base level, the ADA are supposed to be the good guys, whereas the Mafia are the bad. It's a narrow-minded way of thinking and looking at the series, but on a surface level, yes, that seems to be the case.

However, we have layers to this. We know how morally grey these characters are, good or bad. Take Tanizaki, for example, and his way of going about it when Naomi is threatened. He knows he's morally grey. He knows he's not one of the good guys. None of them are! They save people, and that makes them good. But it doesn't make them the good guys. I'm not calling them bad people, of course not. I'm just saying, in the wise words of a post I once read months back, 'Maturing is realising that neither the Port Mafia or the ADA are the good or bad guys'. Something along those lines.

ANYWAYS, I've written this much already and still haven't spoken about SKK.

My point here was their good apple/bad apple dynamic. Dazai is from the same place Chuuya is at, the Mafia. So, by calling Dazai a 'bad guy' you're indirectly also calling Chuuya a bad guy. You're calling Hirotsu a bad guy. You're calling Akutagawa a bad guy. You're calling Higuchi a bad guy. You're calling all of these Mafia members the bad guys; when that's not strictly true. Morally grey characters, yet not monsters. Not bloodthirsty, demonic, evil motherfuckers. They're in the Mafia; not a good start, of course. But again, this does not make them bad people. Actions don't define the person you make yourself out to be, if that makes any sense. Just because a bad person did one good thing one time does not necessarily make them a good person. But if they strive to become a better one by constantly doing good and making active efforts to change their ways, then they're well on their way to earning that title, or coming close to it. Just because someone good did a bad thing one time does not automatically make them a bad person. They're not awful for making one bad choice, depending on the severity and their actions after the choice. Because it can go both ways; strive to be a better person, or fall to be a bad one.

ANYWAYS.

SOUKOKU.

I LOVE SOUKOKU.

So, I'm actually going to talk about them instead of fucking RABITTING ON FOR HOWEVER LONG.

Anyways.

Soukoku is special to me. I relate to the both of them the most. I recognise the flaws in each of them, and I recognise the good. I recognise the changes they're willing to put themselves through for the sake of the greater good, and I recognise the struggles they've been through to get there. I see myself in them, and so I can't help but latch onto them and want to keep them for myself. My subconscious wants to protect them and make them happy and becomes unhealthily attached to these fictional characters.

Anyways.

Soukoku dynamics. Right.

One of my favourite dynamics about Soukoku is the childlike behaviour they exhibit with one another. Even after seven years and they still bicker like they did at 15. I've said it a thousand times before and I'll fucking say it again; they let each other be the children that they never got to be. They let loose with one another. They unwind. They relax. They recognise their similarities (much to Chuuya's chagrin and unwavering denial) and each other's differences. Where there is hate, there is love and trust. It's buried deep. But it's there. The two of them have their walls put high up. They guard themselves well. They keep their shit inside. They let not another soul see what goes on in their hearts. So, with their crying children stuck inside of them and locked down, they let them out around each other. By simply being with each other at any given moment, they're healing their inner children, and allowing them to breathe.

Each moment with Soukoku is so delicate. It feels intrusive to watch their intimate scenes. It feels like such a beautiful moment, so precious to watch and so delicate to touch. The intimate scenes with the two of these are either emotionally charged, blazing, action-packed and full of chaos, or quiet and serene. Tranquil. It's never really neutral ground for them. It's either chaos or serenity, just a calm moment between the two of them, away from the rest of the world and taking (unknowing) comfort in each other's presence.

It's the small smiles from Dazai when Chuuya isn't looking. It's the words and actions with hidden meanings exchanged between them. It's the concern when one of them gets hurt, or is stuck in an unprecedented situation. It's the unfaltering trust and loyalty between each other that pushes them forward, even if it kills them, or seems fruitless. It's the determination that sits in the both of them to protect those that they care about, and put the world above all else for just a moment.

Small, knowing glances. Inside jokes. Petulant, playful bickering. Concerned thoughts. Constant thoughts.

I find it hard to believe that nobody else finds Dazai and Chuuya suspicious; they're hardly discreet about how much they think about each other. Example number one:

Chuuya is drunk with Hirotsu and Kajii. On a whim, he decides to go on a rant about Dazai. Hirotsu and Kajii are apparently sick of it; he does this a lot. He decides, impulsively, to ring Dazai's phone. Dazai picks up the fucking phone. Hirotsu answers, Dazai's like 'Oh, hey, yeah this is my old phone.' Blatantly lies to the motherfucker, because Dazai, honey, you're at home reading; what have you got your old phone from seven years ago next to you, working, and on for? Chuuya wants to speak with him. Gets angry when he can't talk to him to shout at him and complain. Keeps trying to call him back in anger.

Now, if I do say so myself, that's pretty suspicious of them.

Example two:

Dazai in fucking general. He does not shut the fuck up about Chuuya. He tells everyone he meets about how much he spends thinking about Chuuya (everyone except the Agency ahem). He's fucking gay.

That also brings me on to another point. Dazai rarely speaks about Chuuya with the ADA; I'm not too sure I've ever seen him say anything about him to them, except in Wan and the like. (I'm dumb tho tbf). However, upon Yosano figuring out Chuuya's identity, his first reaction is "Goddamn it, Dazai told them". Not that he's a widely known gravity manipulator and its not fucking hard to figure it out, plus the fact that he's a Mafia executive, PLUS the fact that they're a detective Agency? His first impulse is to blame Dazai lmao. Anyways.

You can ignore the first half of that paragraph I was just chatting mad wham.

Anyways.

I just enjoy how peaceful and serene the intimate moments between Soukoku can be. Even the world around them is falling apart, it still somehow feels so beautiful, real, raw, and personal. When Dazai is watching Chuuya fight in storm bringer, it feels so quiet. All hell is breaking loose, yet Dazai is so breathtaken by Chuuya that we feel as if we're interrupting. I don't know why but all I picture upon imagining that scene is a very quiet scene, just for a few seconds, of no music or anything, and white. Just the colour white in as many places as possible. A softness to the screen. I don't know. It just feels like that to me and I can't explain it.

Soukoku's dynamics are so important, because when people mischaracterise both Dazai and Chuuya and then smush that together it creates an abomination of what was supposed to be beautiful and ruins the relationship they really have, muddying their name. Their relationship is special. It's so much more than hate.

Hate is also a crucial part of their relationship, however. And a lot of us Soukoku shippers tend to forget that. We're so blinded by how much we want them to admire and adore each other that we forget how much they do despise one another. And I've mentioned this before in another post.

Their hate is real. It's not a ruse, it's the real deal. They genuinely do hate one another; but that hate is filled with so much more than downright disgust. That hate is filled with the trust of their bond, seven years of partnership, love, and so many unspoken things between the two of them.

Chuuya hates Dazai because he hates himself. He refuses to let himself see the similarities between him and Dazai, because he could never be like him. Chuuya often struggles with his identity and who he is and just how human he is. He didn't know until he was 16 whether he was a real human or not. And so, upon meeting this other human at 15 who craves death and wants to just throw away this human life that he's been given? That's a hard no for Chuuya. He resents Dazai for being so willing to give up his life so carelessly, so easily. He'd do anything at that point to realise just how human he was, to prove his humanity to others and to show his compassion and human qualities. And he stumbles across this stone-cold, suicidal kid who wants to let go of all of that, sees no point in trying to even be human, and who is lacking empathy for other human lives. Chuuya disgusts and loathes that. So, he wants nothing to do with him. Does not want to be attached to him in any way shape or form. Refuses to acknowledge their similarities. So, when he's being tortured, and the first thing he hallucinates is Dazai? It preys on his insecurities and deepest fears. He fears that he's not at all a human, and he fears that he is like Dazai, an unfeeling, indifferent, seemingly heartless boy who wishes to give up on the world, who wishes he was never born, who wishes nothing more than to be granted that sweet release of death.

I can't articulate very well, so for that I do apologise! But yeah, this has always been an important scene for me. In his moment of weakness, Chuuya hallucinated the person that he wanted to see the least, first. He hallucinated Dazai before his freshly dead friends, etc. And claims that, whilst he's being tortured, after Verlaine has killed the people closest to him, that he hates him the most out of anyone in the world. A lot of people said that this was an overreaction; respectfully, shut the fuck up ^^ My boy was being tortured, give him some leeway, yeah?

Anyway.

It just goes to show how deep those roots of self-hatred go within Chuuya; it seems him and Dazai have something more in common than originally thought.

Now, I don't actually have a complete grasp on the reason why Dazai hates Chuuya so much. Because, he doesn't hate him as much as Chuuya hates him, or as much as he makes it out to be. Dazai is an eccentric bastard, dramatising things for the sake of stirring up trouble. He overexaggerates for a variety of reasons, one of those being to conceal any emotion he IS feeling. He makes a big song and dance out of the little things to try and forget about the big things. To not think. Dazai is not numb by nature. He's numb by conditioning. He has conditioned himself to feel nothing, to be cold and logical and rational. Mori, of course, only exemplified these traits, making him colder and more calculated than ever/before. So, my blind guess is that he holds a sort of resentment to Chuuya for being able to be more normal than he is, for wanting to live and not seeing the world as a boring, pointless place. But, he also wants Chuuya to thrive as a human, to be able to live his life knowing and being sure of his humanity. And, when it's only him and Verlaine, he grows quite... emotional (trust me, it's not a lot but that's the only word I can think of) when talking about his humanity. That, Chuuya has to be a human. Because how could he hate someone so much? He has to be a human, because if he wasn't he would like Dazai more.

I think Dazais "issue" (I CAN'T THINK OF WORDS RIGHT NOW LMAO) is that he just wants Chuuya to like him. Maybe he wants a friend. Maybe there's something else to it. But, Dazai has always had strong... feelings, towards Chuuya. "Jokingly" telling him he loves him. Getting awfully close when he doesn't need to, and never does with anyone else. Yeah, you're not fooling anybody hun. Makes many romantic comments that could be passed off as something else entirely about him. Showing active concern for him. Caring for him. Thinking about him. He shows a lot more attention to Chuuya than he gets in return; by that I mean speaks about it more. Is a lot more verbal than Chuuya is.

GAHHHH sorry sorry I just have too much to say and don't know when to SHUT THE FUCK UP but I have SO MUCH more to say, but I'm going to be going off and writing my shitty little fics that should've been written yonks ago <3

have a lovely day/night! ^^

[weirdly-specific-but-ok]

starting a tag game for writers

Hi, it's Asmi! Okay, so, I've seen so many people afraid to start/continue writing because they're afraid it'll be garbage. And it's so sad how much joy and creativity is getting lost because of that fear. I've written utter shit before, and looking back on it is actually hilarious, and also, it's a reminder of how far I've come as a writer.

I really, really want people to be less afraid of the written word and of creating, and to get rid of that aura of mystery and elitism that often covers the writing process. Writing is messy and it's hell and it's torture. And it's amazing.

So here's the tag game:

Give me three lines/paragraphs that you've written that you love [fiction, non-fiction, from different works or the same, from completed stories or poems or WIPs, from yesterday or ten years ago] that you love. If that seems hard, even one will do. It doesn't have to be perfect. It can just be something silly that gives you joy.

And give me three lines/paragraphs that you've written that you dislike and find shitty. Anything at all as long as you wrote it. If you think it's ridiculous or absolute fucking garbage, even better! That's the point of this game. To see that we all write good things and bad things. Yeah? You can do this. And remember that both these categories are subjective.

I'll start. It's not as scary as it seems, I promise.

Things I've written that I find shitty:

The first man grabbed him by his collar, pinned him against the wall of the cave in which they were standing, and spat, “It doesn’t matter what you’ve done before. If the Queen’s not in the graveyard tonight, King Baza’s going to plan a most delightful execution for you. And even if he doesn’t, you being his nephew and all, I will arrange an accidental blowing up of your house when you are, tragically, inside.” [discount wall slam scene courtesy of 2016 Asmi, you're welcome]

“Overreacting?” said Dextor in disbelief, staring at Jay like, ‘What is wrong with you, dude?’ [sigh. my serious-scene-writing left a lot to be desired.]

“Don’t go,” I said, fighting tears. “Please, don’t leave me, too! You’re all I have left.” Strange thoughts for a child, but I meant every word. She looked at me with anguish. “I am sorry, Phil. Believe me, you are all I have, too, and this hurts me more than it does you. You’re like my son.” [I'm hysterical rereading this melodramatic shit, which was NOT the intended effect]

Things that I've written that I love:

He dropped the books onto a nearby chair and pulled her into his arms as he’d been longing to do all day, the smell of blueberries and hair product and her. The books she was holding were pressed against his chest, and he didn’t care. Why did he need to love the stars when he could love her, why did he need to look up at the sky for answers when they were right there in his arms? [I love this because when I first wrote it, I thought it was romantic, but I realised later that the boy, Ant, is aroace, and it doesn't change a thing about this scene, except that their love is platonic]

"Maybe being happy is the best that we can do. Maybe that’s more than most people manage, anyway.” They stood in front of the entrance, over puddles that reflected all the broken skyscrapers and the colours of the street and the grey-yellow sky. “Whatever you do with your parents,” she said. “Don’t let your guilt get in the way of doing ballet. It’s not wrong to be happy. It’s not.” [This is from the book I finished and I published, and I just really like this paragraph. It's not my favourite, but it makes me smile.]

The last you may leave wherever you please, wherever it is birds land to die. [A line from a poem I wrote in 2022, I like the rhythm]

(It took effort to find ones that I wanted to share, oof. If you find this difficult just know you're not alone. I usually like my writing, but turns out it's hard to take something you created and go hey, look, I'm proud of this. But we can do it.)

Alright, of course anyone who sees this is welcome to join, and tag the writers you know so we can all be uh writerly together :") but to start it off, no pressure tags @howmanyholesinswisscheese, @1800ineedshelp, @queermarzipan, @thescholarlystrumpet, @madfangirlontheloose.

Oh, and also tagging @neil-gaiman, @dduane, @drchucktingle just because maybe if you see this and join in, new writers will find comfort in knowing their role models have ups and downs, good and bad days too :")

Have a lovely day, everyone, and keep writing.

[captain-mj]

Heya, I love your writing! It’s the good shit.

Talking about good shit, you have dragged me into price x graves hell. It’s cozy here, so I‘m not complaining, but your recent angst headcanons for them made me crave more.

If you have the time/motivation for it, would you be up for expanding on those? It can take any form, really. More headcanons or maybe a short drabble about an instance where Price couldn’t trust Graves' word, but it came out he was being truthful (or anything about any of the previous headcanons rly (the food as apology hit different ngl), I just need angst rn).

Hope you have an amazing day! :D

The food apology has not left my brain, so here you go! Included a couple of my headcanons here

~~~~

Graves was staring a hole into him. "So you don't trust me?"

"Look, it's not that."

"No. It is that. It's good fucking intel, Price. Makarov will be there tomorrow. I have a few people who work there and..." Graves trailed off, just staring at him. He looked hurt and Price didn't get why.

"Graves. You can't tell me who the source is and... you know what happened in Mexico. I can't tell my team this intel on your word alone." Price was tired of this conversation. It felt like they had some version of it every week. He waited for Graves to do what he normally does, get angry. Maybe raise his voice a little before just giving up because he knew Price wouldn't budge.

Not this time. Graves quietly pulled on his coat, not looking at Price this time. Price frowned and went to touch his shoulder but Graves pulled back.

"I get it. I understand I... I messed up in Mexico. Really badly. Did things I'm not proud of. But you said you forgave me." He looked up at him. "If it really was just your team you're worried about, I'd accept it. But this isn't about your team. You just... don't trust me at all. You don't trust me with anything." Graves didn't look angry. "I'm going to head out for a bit. Want to grab some stuff for tonight."

Price sighed. "I'm sorry."

Graves looked up at him before shrugging and leaving.

Price went to his office as normal. They were all on base, plus Alex which was nice. He was American so a lot of them used him as a translator for Graves because asking that man to explain himself usually just made them more confused. Graves had laughed when he found out, saying he was glad someone spoke both their languages.

Price shouldn't have brought up Mexico. He sighed, watching Soap and Ghost continued their conversation about the map and best plans of execution. The map they were talking about was where Makarov had been seen lately. It made zero sense on its own, just a confusing set of points that looked painfully random.

Graves came in and paused. Most of his team had gravitated towards his office so there was quite a few people in his way.

"Ghost." Graves handed him a bowl. "Hand that to Price. Your stupid British stores are annoying, had to travel across your entire goddamn country." Ghost did as told, setting the food in front of Price.

Ghost looked up. "How the fuck did you make gumbo here?"

"How the fuck do you know what gumbo is?"

"I was stuck in Texas a while, don't want to talk about it, do you have more? Is it good? I'll pay?"

Soap hit him lightly, trying not to laugh.

Price was still stuck on what gumbo was.

"Well, I had to make a few substitutions and the base kitchen was missing some things, but you make do. There's plenty if you guys want some."

Alex and Ghost were gone.

Price frowned. "Why did you bring me food? You usually just wait for me to not be busy."

Graves blushed the smallest bit. "Look, it just got done cooking so eat it or don't." He crossed his arms.

Price quickly tried a bite, not wanting to be on Graves's bad side anymore than he already was. It was spicier than he was expecting, but good. Really good.

Gaz stole the spoon from his hand to try it. He got up. "I'll be right back."

Soap looked at Graves. "Ya didn't poison it did you?"

"I wouldn't waste the food on you guys. Would've just made fucking beans on toast." Graves glared at him. Soap nodded and noticing he was alone with them, quickly left.

"I hope you like it." Graves looked shy, not looking at him anymore. "Felt kinda homesick. Knew some of your crew had experience with the South and thought it would be nice."

Price got up and pulled him over, kissing him softly. He felt Graves stiffen before melting. They wrapped their arms around each other and stayed still for a minute. Price squeezed him before hearing his phone buzz. He pulled away to check it and saw that Makarov had been seen. Exactly where Graves said he would.

Graves looked at his phone and he could feel him biting his tongue to not say 'I told you so'.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's okay." Graves didn't have any inflection in his voice. "Do you guys have time?"

"We'll attempt. Do you want to come?"

Graves looked excited. "Yes. I'd love to come."

Price squeezed him a little tighter. Neither knew how to apologize. It seemed to work just fine for today.

[kokitschi]

AITA for getting two of my classmates killed?

Okay, okay, I know the title sounds bad but hear me out first.

So we're in this (involuntary) death game, right, long story. Basically the goal is to get away with murder but if you get caught, you get horrifically executed. Fun stuff.

Anyway, so this whole situation kinda takes a toll on me, but I keep it lowkey. Well, actually, my strategy was to act like I'm really enjoying this whole game, get chummy with the game master and stuff like that. I was apparently very convincing, even though I kept dropping hints that I'm not having a good time. So everyone was convinced pretty early on that I'm some psycho who gets pleasure out of watching people suffer, which admittedly I can't fully blame them for. But they were literally convinced I was satan incarnated before I ever did some heinous stuff just because I wasn't very nice and friendly and didn't want to pretend like we can just friendship-is-magic our way out of this. They literally got upset at me for freely speaking about the death of our classmates and trying to warn this sweet naive fucking idiot about being too trusting and the consequences of cooperating under these circumstances. No, I was not nice about it. But like, get real. They just didn't want to face the reality of the situation and that's fucking dangerous.

Anywayyyy, time passes, people get killed, everyones on edge and depressed and shit. Despite what I just said, I didn't actually believe that we all shouldn't cooperate under any circumstances. I just thought we shouldn't do it so openly. So there were two people I mainly cooperated with, let's call them G and M.

G is the aforementioned sweet naive idiot, he also happens to be an absolute mountain of a man. I saw potential in him, I knew he wasn't actually that dumb, he was just, naive and trusting and he really really wanted to protect people. I thought that was a dangerous combination. So I took him under my wing and we did spend a lot of time together.

M is... well, she's a dumb fucking bitch. Obnoxious as hell. But she's also pretty brilliant in making stuff. Like, inventions I mean. VERY USEFUL. We didn't get along much, but I knew how to handle her and we ended up collaborating on several creations and gadgets.

It was really powerful stuff, y'know? I was sure we could use these to take down the game master. I said as much to her. But she... was unsure. Actually, I guess it would be more accurate to say that she was scared, if not terrified. She didn't believe that we could win this way because she thought our classmates would definitely betray us! Can't blame her for thinking that, I guess. It was still pretty discouraging. It would've been fine if the issue had ended here, probably.

But then... long story short, I found out that she was trying to kill me. :')

I would've laughed but it really wasn't that funny, was it. I thought we had at least a truce, you backstabbing fucking bitch. Haha.

I couldn't let this happen. Of course I didn't want to die, but I did also think that if I die here, everyone else will also die. Even if she didn't get away with it, which is debatable because there would've only been about 1.5 competent people left alive to figure it out, I had plans to properly end this game. I couldn't die here.

I had to eliminate her first. She was simply too big of a threat. Not only was she actively planning to murder me, after we've literally created another possibility, she was also emotionally very unstable. It was too risky to solve this another way. Even if we had managed to pacify her now, she was still the biggest risk factor.

I had probably squeezed out all the valuable uses out of her anyway at that point, hah.

So yeah, I decided to strike her down before she could strike me down. But I didn't want to risk either getting everyone killed (because obviously I could've planned a murder I could get away with, duh) or getting executed myself. That would kinda be against the point of ending this game with more than 2 people left alive.

G had grown very depressed over the course of the game. He's always had a tendency to self deprecate and he's been offering himself as a meat shild since the very beginning but especially lately. So I thought I would be so kind and take him up on his offer :)

You guys don't know just how much he's been begging to be used, be useful, protect someone. Literally.

I planned the murder. I manipulated G, convincing him that this was the way to save everyone and he executed my orders. He killed her. I didn't have to get my own hands dirty. He even bought in his own ideas to cover up the murder scene!

The only information I hid from him was that I never planned to let him get away with this. He still chose to kill her, yknow? I didn't force him to do it. I did push his buttons. I knew he would do it if I just said the right words. But if I hadn't manipulated him like this, someone else eventually would've. And he would've done it for them too. Maybe it was always gonna happen!

Anyway, G got executed. Despite some hiccups during the trials, we unraveled the murder and well. He's dead now. My classmates are very upset with me hahahaha :')

But I didn't have a choice. What was supposed to do? Is it wrong of me for wanting to live? For thinking about the situation realistically? For thinking I was more necessary to end this game than either of them?

Edit: I've usurped the game master. Surely me officially ending this game will prevent people from murdering any more. :)

[aziraphales-library]

hi! could you rec some fics where you consider they're written very very on character? thank youu

Hello! This is pretty subjective, with different people interpreting the characters is different ways, but here are a mixed bag of fics I’ve enjoyed in which I think the characters are at least not wildly out of character...

One Man's Trash by RiaTheDreamer (T)

”I-” Aziraphale seems aware of his words, stuttering before choosing them carefully. “I’m terribly sorry, I was – I was going to ask, you see, but not now. Must have spoken my thoughts out loud, terrible habit of mine.”

A nervous habit, Crowley almost adds.

“I was trying to plan for it,” Aziraphale explains, wringing his hands. “The question. I know it must be uncomfortable –“

“You are talking about the sulfur pit,” Crowley concludes, narrowing his eyes. After Armageddon failed, it’s become a new habit of his. To leave the glasses off once in the bookshop with Aziraphale. The angel had said he liked his eyes, and Crowley had caved in. He points a finger at Aziraphale’s chest, shaking it. “You are talking about Hell – No. You are talking about Falling.”

tread lightly on my ground by IneffableDoll (G)

Crowley wants to live with Aziraphale and doesn’t know how to ask if that’s okay. So, instead, he does the logical thing and decides to just…move into the bookshop. Subtly.

Take My Heart (But Not My Hand) by Ghostinthehouse (T)

"You know he needs touch?"

"Yeah," Crowley says, following Adam's gaze to Aziraphale. "I know. We'll figure it out, he and I. We always do. Eventually."

Infernal Escapes by journeytogallifrey (T)

With room themes such as Escape Eden, The Roman Ruse, Bastille Breakout, and Soho Heist, Infernal Escapes is one of the most popular escape rooms in all of London.

Jaded and adversarial, Crowley has worked at Infernal Escapes too long for his own good. But when kind and eccentric Aziraphale Fell comes in alone as a player, Crowley finds himself fascinated, falling hard for this clever man and his vast talent.

Aziraphale has always wanted to try an escape room, and the experience is better than his wildest dreams. And if he can’t stop thinking about his handsome gamemaster… well. He must just really love escape rooms, mustn’t he?

Though Heaven Bar the Way by everybody_lives (T)

Nearly five decades after the Holy Water argument, Aziraphale is sent to a world-famous sanatorium in the Swiss Alps on an assignment that Heaven appears to care about rather more than usual—only to find out that Crowley, of all creatures, has already established himself there.

Clearly, this cannot be good for anyone's constitution.

I Only Have Eyes For You by Twilightcitysky (M)

After narrowly escaping execution, Aziraphale and Crowley want to fly under the radar for a while. Worried that performing miracles will reveal their location to their former bosses, they relocate to the country and stop using their powers. Meanwhile, Aziraphale is ready to start moving faster... and Crowley has a secret. Can he keep Aziraphale from realizing what's changed while juggling moving trucks, furniture assembly, inquisitive mediums, attacks of Feng Shui, and the mortifying ordeal of grocery shopping?

A fic about moving in together, finding yourself, and finding one another.

- Mod D

[u-n-lucky-being]

𝔐𝔲𝔡𝔡𝔩𝔢𝔡 𝔅𝔦𝔫𝔡𝔰

Part 2: 𝔚𝔥𝔞𝔱 ℑ 𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔲𝔰 𝔱𝔬 𝔟𝔢

INFJ x ENTP

(Part 1: 𝔚𝔥𝔬 ℑ 𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔱𝔬 𝔟𝔢)

(Part 3: 𝔚𝔥𝔬 𝔴𝔢 𝔴𝔢r𝔢)

(Part 4: 𝔚𝔥𝔬 𝔴𝔢 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡 𝔟𝔢)

Tags: f!INFJ, m!ENTP, ft. m!ENTJ, ENTJ is an asshole in this one (sorry to all my ENTJ who are not machiavellian tyrants <3 love you all), lovers to enemies (kinda), fluff, fluff and angst back to back, kingdom setting, there’s an insurgence, kind of historical fiction (…I think? I’m not sure how this genre is called), angst, betrayal, mentions of torture, mentions of murder, mentions of murder, mentions of violence, mentions of war, curse words are used, I’m bad at tagging, I don’t know what else to add, please tell me if I should add anything else.

Word count: 3.9k

Summary: Between the memories of what had once been and what now was, INFJ struggles to decide what had been and now was real. ENTP now struggles, due to his own doings, to get the one he cares about out of danger.

A/N: My brain literally went full 'emotional roller coaster' in this one. A fun ride indeed *said the author while staring at the emotional whiplash she gave to her own characters*. Anyways, feedback is always welcomed. This is my first published story (go to a/n of part 1 to see how I ended with this) so I know I have a lot of work to do and there's a lot of space for growth. Still, I hope whoever ends up reading this enjoys it ~

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“I won’t hurt you”

INFJ and ENTP had been discussing about what seemed to be ENTJ’s ‘Plan of Expansion’.

The man was mad… but he was also a genius strategist. He had been sending troops to other nations through the most unlikely paths without their rulers knoweledge, bribing just the right lords and generals to hide them and keep them fed and safe, while promising them power once he had managed to taken control of their government. At the rate he was doing such stuff, the first three nations could have fallen to him in less than a year- had it not been for the constant troubles the insurgent group kept causing him.

INFJ's chest puffed slightly with pride at the fact that she had been an especially bothersome rock in the king's shoe.

They were in a far corner of the castle’s library, laying on the ground to remain as hidden from view as possible, while reviewing the maps and marks that one of his 'majesty's' generals had sloppily placed in the right place for her to take. It would have been almost worrisome how good she had become at thieving had her circumstances been any different.

She had been infiltrated in the castle for a year and ten months at this point. At first she managed to become a governess for the two lovely kids of one of ENTJ's trusted group of people, then she had slowly but steadily slided her way into gaining the trust and-she would dare to say- even some kind of affection of several relevant figures without attracting too much attention to herself.

She had known ENTP for four months now, after he joined the insurgence. And she had started to sneak him into the castle with her for one.

At first she was reluctant to bring him with her. She knew this was dangerous and the more he knew, the more he got involved, the greater the danger she was putting him in. She sometimes even regretted telling him about her “little” secret, afraid that someday she might be the cause of something terrible happening to him.

But he was actually very smart, gave her different perspectives when she got too stuck on her own, and pointed out details that she might have completely overlooked otherwise. He was useful-

“This is getting boring as hell”

-at least when he was in the mood to be.

INFJ snorted “Sorry that studying this crucial information that could influence the result of, I don't know, our country's maybe even our whole continent's fate, while running the risk of being discovered and quite likely executed, is too 'boring' for you.” she retorted sarcastically.

ENTP sighed dramatically, pushing away the maps and going from sitting to completely laying on the floor “Ah, yes, … so boring. We should study something else.”

Despite the seriousness of their work she couldn’t help but smile when he did this. Taking advantage of the interruprion, she got up to stretch her limbs.

She had to admit to herself that she did not only brought him because of his usefulness, but also because she enjoyed his company. The kind of life she was currentely living was a lonely one- she could not stay for long or be seen too much around those she cared about, not even with the other members of the insurgence, or she could put them and her mission at risk. All of her connections with the people within the castle, even those that she actually liked, were not any better- they were literally built upon lies. The realest relationships she had had in most of her time since her role as an informant started were those with the kids under her care as a governess. But despite the genuine fondness between her and her little students, they were still just kids; she enjoyed talking with them but there was still so much she couldn't converse with them about, not even whithout taking in consideration her current double-life.

It had been more than a year and a half of living isolated while still being surrounded by people. At first she hadn’t mind the solitude- she had always been somewhat of the type to lean into it; but loneliness, especially the type that sticks when you are not actually physically separated from others, could wear down even the most independent hermit, if given enough time.

Nevertheless, it was for the greater good; she could deal with a lonely existence if it meant that those she loved would remain safe, as well as her mission.

Then this dumbass refused to let her push him away so persistently that she eventually gave in. And it had been the best thing that had happened to her in so long.

ENTP was someone who gave her a break from her intense reality. Someone she could rely on. Someone she could freely be herself with. A true friend.

Refusing to lay again on the hard floor just yet, she prefered to lay against the wall to give her sore legs a slightly longer break. Attempting to sound done with ENTP, she looked to the sky as if asking for patience, and sighed “Fine. As long as you don’t go to far, and don’t risk being seen you have my permission to go study whatever you want.”

After a short pause he replied “…Whatever I want, you say?” She looked down towards him, and the moment she saw that mischivious grin spreading across his face, she knew she should not have said that.

At first she expected him to bolt away to do something stupid- he apparentely had the tendency to do just that and it drove her nuts- but instead he jumped to his feet at once and bolted towards her. It happened so fast that she barely had any time to react. In seconds she was caged by him against the wall. “why- What the hell are you doing?!” she exclaimed stunned.

He playfully took a finger to his lips “Shh, we must be quiet, remember?” he laughed softly, apparentely finding her bewilderment amusing. “You told me I had your permission to study anything I wanted.” ENTP explained, though it wasn’t of much help.

Trying to mask with annoyance how flustered she felt at the sudden proximity in a way that wouldn’t get them discovered, she yelled at him as loudly as whispering allowed her to “Yes you idiot! And so?!”

ENTP took a few seconds before answering her. “I wanted to study you,” He whispered back calmly, staring down intently at her; “idiot.” he added after another pause.

She was taken aback. INFJ was not a fool, she knew this guy infront of her was, and had always been, a flirt. When she had first met him she had mentally marked him as a ‘Casanova’; not without foundation though- he had tried to seduce her multiple times, as well as several other women from the group; and once she got to know him better she became convinced that he would hit on a wall if he could. Even after they had become close, he constantly would flirt with her playfully; it got to the point were she became so used to it that she started answering back, leading into a flirty banter between the two.

Nonetheless, lately something felt differentely. She wasn’t sure exactly what but he seemed to look at her a little more intensely, his touched seemed to linger on a little longer, his words seemed to be a little more honest- It was as if she was becoming something more for him.

But INFJ refused to acknowledge all of that… because she was scared it had to do less with a change in him, and more with a change in her.

Because the truth was that the lines had began to blurr for her. She knew she liked what they had, but somewhere along the way she had lost where him-as-a-friend ended and him-as-more-than-that began. And she was not ready to confront that just yet. Nor she was ready to confront its implications.

Because the other truth was that, in the perfect scenario where he liked her back as much and wanted something beyond their friendship- it could not end well. She was a crucial part of a rebellion; a rebellion that was leading towards a war. Her life was always on the line, just like the life of everyone she cared about. And even if they could get away with this,- her sneaking him into her missions, sharing this sort of friendship or companionship- they would not get away with what followed. INFJ would not leave once this mission was over,- if she managed to survived it- she would fight on the war as long as it would last. She was too invested on all of this to not put herself at risk if it meant that she would be contributing towards the future they were fighting for. ENTP, on the other hand, was not as involved in everything as she was. He could still turn around and make himself a peaceful life outside of it all if he wished to.

Putting someone through the sufferings and, quite probably, the loss of being in a relationship with her... she was not selfish enough to do so.

Except that perhaps in this instance, where she could feel the warmth radiating from him and her heart was loud enough to silence every voice of reason in her head- she might be. By this moment she should have already answered to his comment with a witty retaliation, pushed him aside, and continue with her work. But she didn’t. Instead she breathed in deeply, conscious of their closeness, unsure of whether she wanted him to back off or get just a little closer.

After the lack of answer from INFJ, ENTP’s gaze turned into something she couldn’t quite read. “May I?” He asked softly, while asking for permission to touch her face.

She nodded.

He broke their eye contact as he first placed his hand gently on her right cheek, looking at that same place. He carassed her faced, his eyes following the moves of his hand all the way. He carefully let go of it to tug the hair that was covering her face behind her ears. After that, he slowly ran the outline of her ear with the tip of his thumb, sending subtle shivers down her spine. He procceeded to do the same ritual on the other side of her face, while holding her head in place with the first hand, and she confirmed that she was definetely an idiot, as she leaned towards his touch against her better judgement. ENTP had never touched her face as far as she could remember, let alone touch her like this; she doubted anyone had ever touched her in that way before. And she knew that the wise thing was to pull away, she knew it- but she simply closed her eyes instead, savoring the feeling, mentally damning herself. Once he had finished this second route, his thumb traveled towards her jaw, drawing its outline in the same form, until he placed his hand carefully at her chin. She opened her eyes.

INFJ knew he could hear her heartbeat at this point, as well as he could feel the waves of warmth that had traveled to her face the moment he had declared he wanted to study her. At this point there was no denying that this was not one of their usual silly games. He had to know by now that this was deeper than that. So she wondered how much of this was him taking an opportunity at enticing another woman the way he knew he could, and how much this was him taking an opportunity at enticing her because he wanted it to be her.

His hand still on her chin, he exhaled, right before lifting his eyes towards her lips. She parted them almost unconsciously. ENTP’s eyes left her lips to look directly into her own, right before leaning in-

At that second the sharp sound of the doors of the library opening made her gasp in surprise. Just as quickly ENTP’s hand placed itself on her mouth, while he attempted to take a glimpse of whomever had just entered. They heard steps approaching them, and INFJ feared that their carelessness might be the cause of their doom. A single governess being found in a compromising position with a man she sneaked into the castle, at night, while alone... she could bullshit her way out of it, probably. The confidential maps that she had no reason to even know about as well as the compromising notes spreaded accross the floor...? Yeah, she doubted that even her best lying skills would get her out of that.

As the steps got louder, ENTP pushed her deeper against the wall. She tensed. Whether he noticed or not she did not know, as his eyes remained focused on the origin of the steps.

Luckily for them, in a matter of seconds the person left, closing the doors as loudly as they had opened them. Only then did ENTP relaxed and turned back to face her. She remained tense; too many strong emotions too suddenly- and ENTP remained too close.

He seemed to notice just that, so he took a small step back, “You look just as if someone just told you they were about to cut your fingers off.” His hand remained covering her mouth still. INFJ understood why when he said “Relax, otherwise I cannot move my hand; at least until I’m sure you are not about to scream in fear, which surely would get us company very quickly.”

INFJ could read that this was his attempt at easing the atmosphere after… all. He was back at his silly comments, trying to take importance off whatever had just happened between the two. She had no idea about how that made her feel. Nevertheless, she decided to help him a bit and exagerated a deep breath- that might have not been that exagerated if she was honest- while rolling her eyes, and did her best to relax all of her body.

“That’s better.” ENTP grinned at her, “There’s no reason to be scared after all. I could have easily neutralized the guy that was a here a moment ago.” He said cockily “and besides him I see no danger. I mean the books over there- I guess they could fall upon us and bury us, but I don’t actually think that’ll happen… if it did it would be a pretty lame way of dying for a spy, wouldn’t it?” she couldn’t help but to snort at that, making an ungodly sound against his palm that they both ended up chuckling at.

“-But besides them there’s just you and me here.” INFJ’s own mind was definetely against her today, as she could swear she heard an almost wishful tone in that last sentence and her heart almost skipped a bit because of it. He finally added “And I won’t hurt you.”

She mentally replied ‘No, you wouldn’t.’

“So I would say you are safe; no reason to scream in terror, right?”

She laughed against his palm, and nodded. After that he finally pulled away, turned, and pretended to be interested in one of the maps they had already studied. Which was for the best. Whatever had just happened- it wouldn’t end well.

Still, she found herself wishing he had not pulled away.

She wanted nothing more than to get him off of her.

The moment she had saw him entering her cell her survival instincts had kicked in. Or at least would have had she not been in such a crappy state.

Chackled to a wall, barely being able to move due to her bruises and lack of food and water; she was in a vulnerable state and she knew it. ENTJ’s words still echoed in her skull. Only Heavens knew what they could and would do with her, and she honestly did not know how much she could endure. There was no hope of her managing to get out of this. But, she was determined to fight till her last breath- even if her body could not, her will would.

Nevertheless, being determined didn’t mean that she could not fear. And when the man that had entered her cell while she lied helplessly and unprotected launched himself over her, while attempting to quiet her calls for help, she could feel every bit of it.

And to think that in a different time he was the one who made her feel safe.

As she struggled to free herself any way she could, he suddenly pulled away slightly, saying “I won’t hurt you." He whispered "I know you don’t have any reason to believe me, but please listen. Just once.”

His voice sounded sincere; troubled, concerned,- even scared. So she did the only reasonable thing to do.

INFJ bit his hand as hard as she could.

She failed to break skin because of her lack of strength but it was enough to make him pull away from her as he groaned in pain. She didn’t waste a second to begin yelling for help once more in hopes that someone would actually answered. Though she feared that the guards had been actually ordered to not interfere- or would just not care.

And to her further desperation her bold move only gave her four seconds before ENTP had her pin to the wall, with his other hand silencing her once more.

Right before she was about to bite again he stated “I came to warn you.”

Her initial reaction was confusion; enough to make her forget momentarily her intentions against the hand of her captor. But soon enough the rest of her caught up, though he took his hand away right before she could act. She resigned to laugh bitterly again, doubting any guards would come either way, so she did not waste more energy on trying. Instead she replied sarcastically “Oh, really? How thoughtful! What are you going to warn me about? About the twenty-something guards that awaited for me at Lady ESTJ’s chambers perhaps? Or maybe about the man that had been pretending and plotting behind my back for the last eight months? Because then I have bad news for you: It might be too late for that.”

Either because of her words or because he realized she was not about to scream again he backed further away, and she could not be more thankful for that. He exhaled sharply and began “Listen, INFJ, I know-”

She interrupted him before he could continue that sentence “You know nothing.”

He pressed his hands to his face, clearly frustrated. She did not understand what was the point of this act he was trying to pull. Perhaps he wanted her to low her guard just enough to get something out of her. There was a lot she had not shared with him, not even when blind to his true intentions- though she could not pride herself in that fact.

She had done as a way to protect him; so if things went wrong he had more chances of being able to get out of it all.

Stupid. She had been so stupid.

Or perhaps he was just toying with her. Either way she refused to fall for any of his schemes. If he came to hurt her he should just get done with it; she would never allow him to mess with her mind or emotions again.

Not ever again.

“INFJ, please, we don’t have the time for this-”

“Then do whatever the hell you came for and leave.” Stupid, indeed. Careless words that might lead to terrible things; but she was so tired she could not seem to care.

Dealing with his other persona- the king’s right hand man, his true self- she could do; it was someone she had never met and had no memories of. But dealing with him- while he called her name the way he used to, while he looked at her like that, while he became once more that person she had loved- she could not. She just wanted him to leave. Leave this cell. Leave her life. He had caused enough damage on her brain and heart, so why couldn’t him just do whatever more damage he wished to and leave her, once and for all? INFJ did not want to look at him any longer, she did not want to listen to him, she did not want to think of him, she did not even want to resent him; she wanted to wipe him off her memory and be able to live whatever short time she had left without any reminder of him.

Because memories hurt more than anything else.

She didn’t even try to look at him anymore. She couldn’t. At least not until the mirage infront of her turned back into the man she knew him to be.

“Tomorrow, the interrogations will begin; I-” he hesitated, and once again she was left to question what kind of ploy was he trying to pull “I will be there too. ENTJ wants to see you in despair. So don’t fight against-”

INFJ laughed; he was mad, and maybe she was mad too. “You came here to tell me to submit to him? Go fuck your-”

“Is the only chance you have!” she was startled by his sudden outburst “You don’t get it. I’ve seen what they can do. And he is personally fixated on you. He is cruel, he can be vicious and he is determined on taking you to your breaking point; I don't even know where his limits are. So unless you cooperate and pretend to despair he will keep going till you actually break.”

He believed her to be a lot more stupid than she actually was or he believed her to be a lot less headstrong than she was, but either way, one thing was clear: apparentely he did not know her as well as he thought “He is free of trying if he wishes.”

ENTP looked desperate and she ignored how that look pulled her heartstrings “INFJ, please- You don’t have to reveal much, keep you leaders or partners safe if that’s what you want, but just tell him enough. Enough for him to believe-”

“I would rather die!”

“You will die!” Without realizing he was once again mere inches away from her, just like he had been before, and like he had been before. The images of his past self and current self blurring, merging and spliting in her brain. But he did not touch her, nor did he hold her, nor did he kiss her. “And before you do he will torture you! Torture you in ways that will make hell look like a playground! He will and you will wish that death would hurry up because he will make your existence nothing more than pain! And I-” he stopped, suddenly stumbling into his words. He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but ultimately just remained in silence. His eyes appearing to be flooded in despair.

Tears pricked her own. She had not cried yet. Not even one tear. It had all been too quick, too messy, too confusing to make sense of whatever was happening in her heart. She could feel the pain, but nothing else.

But now- How dared he? How cruel had someone to be to come and sound this concerned about a situation he purposely caused? How dared he to make her dizzy, placing her between the warm memories of what she had foolishly believed and felt for him, and the twisted stone cold reality of what things were?

“And who is to blame for that?” she finally answered him, barely speaking above a whisper.

He looked hurt, and she hated herself for the sorrow that look caused in her heart. This must be an act; there was no other explanation. She didn’t even dared to think about other possibilities, because she knew she would find one that would make her heart feel at ease. She would find one that completely explained and justified all of his actions, and she would forgive him. And once she had she would foolishly allow him to dig the knife deeper into her heart.

And all of that was without considering the danger she had put all of the insurgents in. How she put in danger the hopes of a better future for her people, maybe even people of other nations.

No. Not ever again.

Sudden steps resounded accross the halls, startling both of them.

ENTP hesitated before finally walking outside of her cell; before closing the door he said “I will get you out of here. I can't get you out just yet, but I will. I swear on it. Just please- please do what I told you. Trust me, just once more. I don’t have time to explain just yet, but if you don’t-” unable to end the sentence, he swallowed hard and locked the cell. He started walking away but right before disappearing from her sight he turned and said “I’m sorry, for everything.”

Then he was gone.

Leaving her with a confused mind and an even messier heart.

It must be a trap. There was no other explanation.

Not ever again.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Part 1: 𝔚𝔥𝔬 ℑ 𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔱𝔬 𝔟𝔢

Part 3: 𝔚𝔥𝔬 𝔴𝔢 𝔴𝔢r𝔢

Part 4: 𝔚𝔥𝔬 𝔴𝔢 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡 𝔟𝔢

[pacificwaternymph]

Okay, thinking it over (and looking at the tags on the last post which are fucking hilarious), I've decided we're going down the supportive older brother Xornoth route, and here's how it goes down.

Xornoth is someone who prioritizes family over all else. He cares deeply about both his little brother, and his parents (even though his parents treat him like shit), and works hard to preserve their legacy and become the best heir he can be.

When they hear news of Scott's defection, they're torn. On the one hand, this means his brother has abandoned his family for a pirate of all people, but on the other hand, he can totally understand where his brother is coming from. If their sense of loyalty and duty to their parents didn't keep getting in the way, they would have abandoned ship years ago.

So his initial response is just "good for him" along with a resolve to avoid the Codfather's ship at all cost so as not to get into an altercation with his baby bro.

Until they are directly ordered by a very high ranking official to bring the Codfather and his crew, but more importantly, Scott, in, on the grounds that they know him better than anyone else. And now Xornoth is VERY torn.

They're not going to sentence their little brother to death. But he also can't defy a direct order and he still feels obligation to his parents, so deserting isn't an option. But then again, if they disobey the order, they'll be executed instead. Bit of a dilemma.

He agonizes over this the whole time they're stalking the Codfather's ship. They know if they engage them at sea it's an almost assured loss, considering the sirens always lurking beneath their ship would eat them alive. Literally. So he figures it'd be best to wait until they dock, and then try to at least catch the captain and Scott.

By the time that rolls around, they have a plan. He follows Jimmy and Scott around the marketplace until they're in a relatively secluded spot and then ambushes them with a couple of his crew, managing to get the drop on them and take them down.

Scott's shocked and a little betrayed, even though he knows logically this was what was going to happen the next time they saw one another. They end up arguing the whole time they fight, and it ends up getting really personal.

As Xornoth is throwing both Jimmy and Scott in a cell, Scott tries to appeal to them, but Xornoth snaps at him to shut up. Bad times all around.

But here's the thing: Xornoth had absolutely no intention of letting the navy get their hands on his brother.

Their only intention was to do enough to preserve their reputation keep from raising suspicion about their allegiance.

So, late that night, Xornoth sneaks out and goes back to the jailhouse, where Scott and Jimmy are still waiting for either their rescue or their execution. Scott is still really hurt over the things they said to one another during their fight, unaware that Xornoth was only saying those things to make it look realistic.

So there's some understandable confusion when Xornoth shows up with the keys in hand, and starts unlocking the cell. They throw the door open and when neither pirate makes a move to leave, asks what the hell they're waiting for.

Scott: "What are you doing?"

Xornoth: "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting you out of here."

Scott: "But-"

Xornoth: "Scott. Did you really think I was going to let you die?"

So he helps them get back to their ship, which was relocated to a hidden cove the second the crew realized something was wrong and their captain hadn't returned yet.

Scott asks Xornoth to come with them, but they refuse, stating that their parents still need an heir. Besides, they could use a man on the inside to keep them updated on the ongoings of the navy.

Xornoth compliments Scott on the new outfit, then tells him to get out of here before he changes his mind. But both know that they'd never.

[tobiasdrake]

We're in. And we are making bad choices.

For the record, I'm pretty sure that whoever attacked us slipped out the door into the panel room and is now hiding behind the giant vault door we had to open to get in here. But, just like Desuhiko wouldn't let us disarm security, Yuma won't let us go back out into the panel room and check.

Fink the Slaughter Artist is right there, guys.

Got stabbed. Three times, as a matter of fact, judging from the wounds in his back.

Honestly, as Slaughter Art goes, I'm disappointed. Fink had ample time and this whole room to use as his canvas. "On floor stabbed by knife" is about as mediocre of a presentation as it gets.

You're gonna have to step up your game, Fink. Check out the Nail Man crime scenes some time. Now that is dedication to the craft. I'm sorry but as a critic, I'm going to have to give this piece my lowest score ever: 76.5/100.

About fucking time. That's what I wanted to do a minute ago and you were like, "NOOOO We gotta check the body!"

We could be in there right now checking the body if you hadn't stopped me.

OH BY WE YOU MEAN "YOU'. Okay man. Nice to see the limits to your bravado are shining through again.

I mean that affectionately. I said back at Aetheria Academy that I get it: Desuhiko's job is undercover intelligence gathering. He doesn't work homicides. That's fair. I won't fault him for it.

But it's funny.

Okay, I can breathe. We'll be able to access the crime scene without choking to death on poison gas now. And I still think Fink is hiding behind that big metal door, so we might manage to corner them.

If they don't have an alternate point of exit then they have to get past us somehow. As long as we're thorough and don't rush to the scene like idiots, this should work out.

There goes that idea. If Fink isn't behind the door, then where the hell are they? That knife didn't levitate itself into Huesca's back three times.

I mean, it could have. Superpowers exist. But it didn't. He reacted to the presence of another human being in the room with him, so the killer was physically present. Somehow.

Super dead.

I'm intrigued by the whiteboard back there. It's possible that it's like that from use, but someone also might have done that to erase... something they didn't want made. If only there was a way to see what it looked like before.

...if we brought Halara here, they could use their Postcognition to see what the crime scene looked like at the moment the first witness laid eyes on it. Which would be....

Us! That would be us. Halara can use Postcognition to make this room resemble what it looks like right now, as we speak.

...

Okay, that's not going to be very useful. Especially when Shinigami can do the same thing.

I mean. Like. Almost half of the killings were me. So. I'm at a 7 victim body-count versus 11 victims not killed by me. Not counting the two Peacekeeper goons that Yomi had executed for failure.

If it makes you feel better, there's about to be more once Shinigami and I figure out whodunit.

Excuse you, Shinigami. My corpse-production rate is also probably unparalleled within the WDO. I've certainly killed way more people than any Master Detective I've met to date. Well, except maybe Halara.

Oh, this will look good on our rap sheet. Everyone, prepare to say hihi to Yomi when he walks on. I want us all to give him our biggest smiles and most pleasant waves, like there's absolutely nothing wrong with this scene at all.

He won't be fooled for a second but he'll certainly be taken aback by it, and that will be a funny sight before we die.

...actually, on second thought, maybe we could rearm security. Close the door, turn the traps back on, and let Yomi tear out his hair trying to figure out how to pry us out of here. Then we can take our time investigating the death.

Nope, too late. Plan A then.

HIHI BUDDY! How are you? I'm swell! :D

The latter, as a matter of fact. Good guess, man. I can't even begin to try and defend myself when we all know I'll be going 8-to-12 by the time the sun rises again over Kanai Ward.

Yuma, we should probably go with that plan. We can buy time for Halara to get here by... whatever method Yakou did and then kick everyone's ass.

Oooh, a party! We should definitely go along with that plan! I've been wanting a party since we first got to the sub. Maybe there'll be cupcakes.

Wait, no, these guys are fascists. Sprinkled donuts. The monsters.

HA! Distraction! I recognize that shrieking voice. The guy "dying in agony" outside is Yakou.

Watch for our chance to bail, guys.

DON'T TELL YOMI, YOU DIPSHIT. Oh my god. All that effort to create a convincing distraction and Desuhiko blurts out, "LOOK, HE'S DISTRACTING YOMI!!!"

Yuma, I know you're generally non-violent except for all the murders but slap him.

Oh hey, it's my CTU plan! Throw Desuhiko at them and run like hell! Fubuki, Yuma, this is our chance!

In seriousness, I have no idea how this would seriously work. Those two guys have guns trained on us and a third with a baton is at the door. Desuhiko's hug of doom wouldn't stop them from shooting us in the slightest.

But okay. I guess this is how we get out of here.

Least we can go hook up with Yakou and figure out a new avenue for--

Oh. Uh. Hi. You must be Fink. How's tricks....

Oh. That's how.

Shit.

Oh, shit.

Oh, shit, that wasn't a distraction! IT'S HIM! IT'S FUCKING HIM! YAKOU IS THE FIRST TO DIE.

I mean he was the most expendable. Out of everyone here, I'll miss him the least. But still. Fuck. I am not ready for people to start dropping dead.

Fink again. Tossed his cloak aside to reveal a lab coat underneath, just before 'rounding the corner and vanishing from sight.

Total poser move. Definitely Halara. :P

Another one of Fink's knives. They all have the same F carved into them. Fink likes to leave his knives behind at his crime scenes so everyone knows he did it.

We broke the tradition of two bodies in chapter three so that we could have two bodies in chapter four.

Hooo. Why Yakou? He was out-of-disguise so this wasn't a mistaken identify or anything. Which, on that note, why was he out-of-disguise? But. In any case. What could Fink have possibly had against Yakou?

Was this revenge? Did Fink cheat on his wife and Yakou exposed him? I have no idea what to make of this.

We are officially across the threshold. Our teammates are mortal now. That. Is terrifying.