#maybe its because it was one of the first female characters i saw

[kvtnisseverdeen]

1x01 "Wolf Moon" | 3x23 "Insatiable" 

TEEN WOLF

[bookdragonideas]

Here's the thing. I'm a girl, and as a girl, I really like it when girls are portrayed in fiction. Especially fantasy.

But so much fiction/fantasy mixes up 'girls' with 'unstoppable forces of female badass' and there's not necessarily anything wrong with having a character who is an 'unstoppable forces of female badass'. But it gets old real quick. And it is not the same as portraying normal girls, or having good female characters.

And that's one of the many reasons I love Avatar the Last Airbender.

Because all the girl characters have flaws and weaknesses and sometimes act like idiots or jerks. They get emotional and make mistakes. They lose fights or arguments or are just wrong sometimes. Some of them are amazing warriors, and some aren't. Some are powerful or special and some are normal, with nothing special about them.

And I Love that.

I was around the same age as Katara when I first watched Atla. And I instantly connected with her as a character. I loved her optimistic attitude and her fighting spirit. And I could relate with her anger, and with her maternal instinct. I admired her fighting skills of course, but I loved how the show portrayed her compassion and kindness, the way she could both beat up a bunch of bullies AND enjoy a relaxing day at the spa. She was a baddass warrior that should never be crossed. But she was also a normal teenage girl who had a lot of the same internal struggles and problems that I did.

(I never connected to Toph on the same level, but I did relate to her on a few things. She's an adorable trash gremlin who would commit any crime for fun and I love that. But she struggles with being both independent and letting people help her, and I still struggle with that sometimes. I've learned that sometimes, you can help others by letting them help you.)

Yue is, in my opinion, a perfect example of a type of hero that seems to be disappearing. She is not a warrior. She is not a fighter. She's not even a bender.

Yue is a perfect princess, a perfect daughter. She is extremely feminine in a rather older sense.

And she was the only one who could save the world. She gave up everything for her people. She saved everything, everyone, the entire world. Without ever becoming a fighter.

Yue is a perfect example of a girl who was never more than a girl, and how that's okay. Not every girl has to be rough and tumble and fight for her rights in order to change everything. Sometimes it's okay to just be a quiet obedient girly girl. Sometimes that's all it takes to be a hero.

And I love that. Yue is strong in her own way. She is unique and interesting. She appears in only a few episodes and yet manages to be one of my favorite characters.

Song is another great example of this. Song is a healer in a small town. We don't see much of her but we see her compassion and empathy. She is gentle and generous. A healer not a fighter.

She watches Zuko steal her ostrich horse and does nothing.

Is that because she's kind and generous and knows he needs it more? Or is it because she's a healer girl who knows she can't actually stop those two from taking the horse? Maybe neither, maybe both. I have always thought that the scene where Zuko steals the horse and only the audience knows she saw it is one of the most thought-provoking in the series.

Suki is a badass warrior woman who is an awesome fighter and good leader. She is one of the best non bender fighter we see in the entire show. She was one of the smartest, most efficient, and powerful characters we ever saw.

She kissed a boy she had just met because she thought he was cute.

Now don't get me wrong I love SokkaxSuki. Its one of the best couples in the show.

But Suki totally did the old 'love at first sight' thing. And that is awesome. Because when she kisses him she delivers one of the best lines, not only from her, but, I think, in the entire show.

"I AM a warrior, but I'm a girl too."

Being a warrior doesn't mean that she isn't also a teenage girl. She might be a fighter, but she still gets crushes and likes to flirt with cute boys. And hey, she picked a good one. Not every boy is going to come break you out of prison.

Anyways, let's have more realistic girls in fiction. And please enjoy the next 24 hours.

[samcarter34]

Since people seem to once again be having trouble remembering the order of operations, let me just remind everyone:

The ability Laudna possesses to feed Delilah is Hunger of the Shadow. In the fight with Bor’dor, Laudna used that BEFORE Orym’s head nod. Bor’dor attacked them and her response was to do the thing she knew would give power to Delilah. Matt even makes the sound of Delilah’s heartbeat.

The spell she used after the head nod? Whither and Bloom. The same spell she later attacked Orym with, which isn’t even a warlock spell.

And speaking of the head nod, you want to know what’s it’s prefaced with? ‘Laudna you can do whatever you want.’ And Marisha responds by saying that Laudna is ‘barely present’ because she’s having ptsd flashbacks to all of the times something horrible happened to her and she couldn’t do anything about it. So she kills Bor’dor because it makes her feel in control of the situation.

And yeah, the 4SD where Liam says Orym thought Delilah might come back. Except y’all somehow took that and made it seem like he’s the one who shoved Laudna over the edge when what actually happened is that Laudna flung herself off it because betrayal is triggering to her.

And the sword. The sword which apparently wasn’t triggering enough that Imogen contemplating whether the Vanguard were good guys didn’t cause any reaction. Or for that matter, make her object to Ashton’s ‘this is permission statement.’ But she saw Orym wearing it, got uncomfortable and then all it took was one sentence from Delilah for her to decide to steal it. Delilah, who mutilated her, murdered her, has been possessing her for decades, and who basically held her soul hostage when BH wanted VM to resurrect Laudna. But what Delilah didn’t do? Tell Laudna to steal the sword.

I wasn’t around for campaign 1, but in campaign 2 I definitely noticed a trend that people who were all ‘I love women! Female characters rock!’ would, the second one of their alleged faves did something controversial (or just something they didn’t like) would find a way to shift the onus onto someone else so she could remain blameless. And that is definitely continuing this campaign, and if anything is getting worse (which, not to get into speculation, but I wonder if it’s because all of the female characters this go round are more traditionally feminine than last campaign.)

I think the reason Orym’s been getting raked across the coals so hard by certain parts of the fandom is actually because of this. Because Imogen’s repeatedly gone ‘what if the Vanguard have a point’ and Laudna agrees with everything she says, whereas Orym’s been pretty consistently ‘no, the murder cult that murdered my family are bad guys.’ And well, can’t go around admitting that our faves did something wrong.’

And so we have a situation where Laudna attacks Orym, but somehow that’s Orym’s fault because the possibility of Laudna doing something wrong ruins people’s lesbian cottegecore fantasy. But the thing is, that whole thing was all Laudna. She chose to listen to her first murderer when Delilah said ‘maybe it’s cursed’ and then she chose to blanket the room in magical darkness (sorcerer ability, not warlock) chose to cast an area of effect spell to destroy the thing Orym was using to sheath the sword (sorcerer spell, not warlock) and, upon hurting Orym, chose not to drop said darkness, which meant Orym couldn’t see who attacked him. And when she got caught, she tried to downplay what she did, tried to say that because she didn’t mean to hurt him it didn’t count, refused to apologize for actually hurting him, kept shifting her argument (and even low key got called out on it by Imogen when she asked Laudna why she’s want its power inside her if she thinks it’s so evil.)

There is an alternate universe where Laudna wakes Orym up and they have what probably would have been an intense discussion about the sword (and that might even have been what Marisha was aiming for before Delilah got involved) and THAT truly would have been the ‘both sides are equally right’ scenario, but that’s not what we got. And you can say Orym shouldn’t have taken the sword unilaterally (but somehow Laudna’s allowed to unilaterally steal and absorb it?) or that she’s being manipulated by Delilah, but the fact is that Laudna’s an adult and is responsible for her own decisions. Yes, Delilah is a powerful and malign presence that they all downplayed/ignored, but, to use Marisha’s addiction metaphor, making amends with those you’ve harmed is a part of recovery for a reason. Because ultimately, you are the one who did that. Yes, it does immensely suck for Laudna that she’s been handed the cards she has been, but it’s up to her to make the best play she can.

Wow this got long, but my overall point is that Laudna is a character with her own agency and makes her own decisions (well, Marisha makes them, but at this point y’all should know she’s not conflict averse and is willing to have her characters make controversial character choices). And really, take all that away, what’s left? How much onus can you take from a character before you might as well go look at a painting?

[b0bs0ndugnutt]

Because the “shrodinger’s queerbait” nonsense will never go away, indulge me an analogy (and a long post).

wlw ships are the “made from scratch” cake in a world where we only ever expect cake mix from the box.

Say you have a show where, in the first interaction between a male and female character, there is a red box. It could be a Betty Crocker box of cake mix. Because all it takes is just one smile — one wink — one raised eyebrow— and the fans don’t question it. We’re clearly making a cake here. The box is red.

Meanwhile, you have two female characters building their own relationship that have elements that could build to romance. There are eggs in the fridge. A few more episodes, there’s flour in the pantry. Sugar. Baking powder. Queer fans start whispering…we could be making a cake here. Other fans scoff “you will read into anything. They’re just eggs! Everyone has eggs in their fridge!” Maybe so, maybe not. They are written off as discrete ingredients, nothing to see here.

That red box is still sitting in the pantry. Obviously we’re going with that one, and it’s definitely cake mix. That guy and girl stood next to each other again.

The wlw relationship is now full-on batter. It was a cake recipe all along, but it’s not baked yet. The crowd that wrote off every ingredient is now saying the writers are just going to “squander” that box that could be ready-made cake mix or that they’re being “forced” to bake a cake with the very ingredients the writers deliberately bought and put in their pantry.

Now it’s in the oven, the cake is baking. That crowd will still insist it’s forced, or maybe its actually something else, or it’s rushed, or it’s pandering. Whether the writers painstakingly built a pantry to make the cake they truly wanted or they were cultivating good ingredients and realized they had the fixings for a more decadent cake and went there, it doesn’t matter. It’s still a recipe. One that fans who always have to piece together ingredients had hoped for or saw from the get-go, despite being scoffed at and disparaged. Just because that crowd didn’t see (or refused to see) those ingredients as part of a whole, doesn’t make it any less of a recipe.

And wlw fans shouldn’t have to keep writing essays to demonstrate that the wlw “cake” has all the ingredients every cake mix does, or keep pointing out that fans were ready to believe a cake was being baked when they saw a nondescript box, but that they’ll do anything to discredit or doubt the cake from scratch that’s now cooling off on the counter.

It is partly a function of heteronormativity from the audience in immediately seeing romance in any whisper of interaction between m/f characters and passing off all charged interactions between female characters are sisterly or platonic. And it also comes from writers, who are either being cautious so as not to spook corporate overlords or audiences, or who are preserving plausible deniability.

To take the analogy further, box cake mix is fine! It works! It is, practically speaking, what a lot of folks know by default. I thought I was a Duncan Hines girl once myself. Vanilla cake mix has the ingredients measured out, it’s a safe bet, it tastes like cake.

But it doesn’t mean every red box is cake mix. And it doesn’t make the cake that had to be pieced together from scratch due to censorship, caution, time, narrative build-up, what-have-you, any less of a cake.

[shegatsby]

Hi, how are you? Please don't judge or kill me! Please, I don't condone this kind of behaviour. So, I have a request about Mads Mikkelsen's character Le Chiffre from Casino Royale.

So Female!Reader's father won against Le Chiffre his money at the casino.

To take revenge, Le Chiffre kidnaps Reader to get revenge on her father. Warning:Kidnapping, Non-con.

Please don't kill me, I don't condone this behaviour.!!! <3<3<3

A/N; Thank you for this request I sure had fun writing it ;) It got longer than i expected but hey, who cares. love you all.

Warnings; Kidnapping, smut, minors get the fuck out or else!

The only reason why you followed your father to Montenegro was to unwind from stressful year at the university. He said he had some business to attend to and he offered you a most generous holiday which you didn’t hesitate to indulge in. First few days were relaxing, you joined a yoga class, got several massages, swam in the sea and also at the pool, however, tonight would be the night to switch things up.

Your father said he was going to gamble at a casino, the hotel you stayed in was infamous for its illegal businesses such as gambling. Your father said it could be fun to have you there with him, he liked to show off his intelligent and siren looking daughter and to distract the gamblers.

Your dress was long and red, the fabric was satin, so smooth on your skin, the dress had a slash on your left side, up to your thigh. Hair let loose, red nails and red lips.. you were the walking femme fatal that night.

You entered the room with your dad, a soft 20s music was playing at the casino, yellow lights and dark green chairs, couches made the place look vintage, there were bodyguards at each door.

As you walked together you saw him

He was among his ‘’friends’’ or people he did business with. He was covered in black, which made him look manly and dangerous. His silver watch was shining under the yellow lights, you noticed that he had no ring, could be single. He was laughing at one of their jokes when he lifted his gaze and he saw you entering. His expression changed in a second, the way he looked at you up and down didn’t go unnoticed. His left eye twitched and he looked away, from afar you could see there was something in his left eye, looked like a nasty scar. It made you curious about him, because the way he dressed and held himself showed you that he had men to do the dirty work but maybe, time to time he liked to get his hands dirty… why were you so interested in a man who seemed older than you all of a sudden? You were here to enjoy your holiday and do a trick with our dad. Ever since you hit the age 18 your dad started to take you to casinos when he wanted to gamble, and you came up with this thing where you flirt with other gamblers to distract them, it worked usually because of weak nature of men.

Your father guided you to the bar to get drinks, there was still 20 minutes till the game started so he ordered you something and you gracefully took your place to observe the environment. ‘’Excuse me love, I have to use the restroom.’’ Your father announced and left, you were enjoying your drink and listening to the soft tunes when you felt a presence next to you. You looked up to see your father but you were surprised. That man with the scar was sitting next to you, ‘’Hello.’’ He said looking at you, he wasn’t shy showing his scar, it was infact nasty but you didn’t shy away, you directly looked into his eyes, you innocently smiled, for some strange reason you liked the scar, it suited him perfectly. His plump lips formed into a dangerous smile, ‘’Allow me to accompany you while you wait for your partner.’’ His tone was questioning, he ordered two drinks, ‘’He is my father. Not so smooth are you Mister?’’ he chuckled at your boldness, he extended his hand, ‘’Le Chiffre. And you are?’’

You accepted his hand, he had a strong grip, ‘’Ms. Y/N Y/L/N.’’ he gave a small peck on your hand, predator disguised as a gentleman. ‘’I assume you are here to accompany your father?’’ you took a sip from your cocktail, ‘’Correct. I didn’t want to leave him alone, plus, I’m his lucky charm.’’

‘’Good girl.’’ His eyes never left yours, you wondered if he could see from his scarred eye, of course you didn’t ask. With his comment you could feel heat rising up to your cheeks, thankfully your father came.

‘’Le Chiffre?’’ your father asked in a not so kind matter, ‘’Mr. Y/L/N,’’ he greeted your father with the same icy cold courtesy. ‘’Long time no see.’’ Your father said, ‘’Looking forward to see you at the game with your,’’ he looked at you, ‘’lucky charm.’’ His hand went to his pocket to get his silver inhaler and bid you goodbye. You didn’t understand the tension that they had, maybe it was because of the competitive business life.

Soon the game started, your father’s instructions were simple, wait for Le Chiffre to make a bold move and distract him, it was an old game of yours.

You were like a hawk watching the table from afar, your fingertips circling around the cocktail glass, you saw that it was his turn to make a move and you bolted to your feet. Your heels were making powerful sounds on the marble floor and you saw him looking up as he was shaking the dice in his big palm, your eyes never left his dangerous ones, he wasn’t ready the dice unintentionally fell from his palm, you saw the pure anger written on his perfectly shaped face as you got on the elevator you could hear your father’s victorious laugh.

You didn’t join your father, who was celebrating the big cash he just won. You were in your hotel room, just out of the shower and moisturized. You couldn’t help but think of Le Chiffre, was that money important to him? Did your father and he had a history? You needed a spa night. Since it was late you didn’t mind leaving your hotel room only in a long robe and nothing else, the halls were quiet, no workers around which was strange. You didn’t mind, the spa was at the top floor so you pressed the button and waited, after few floors two men who were dressed in black joined. When you reached the top floor something felt fishy with the situation but you couldn’t turn back to your room now so you decided to stick with the plan. Your steps were quick on the marble floors, you finally saw someone who was attending the spa area and you informed them, they smiled and showed you to one of the cabins. You were alone, thankfully. You just sat and closed your eyes to relax, the steam helped you calm your mind, well, it was too calming and soon you were asleep.

You slowly started to feel your body again, your eyelids felt so heavy but a sudden panic made you open your eyes, you weren’t at the spa, you were at a bedroom.. that wasn’t yours.

As you lifted your body with the help of your shaky hands you heard a voice which was familiar, ‘’Slow down, you are still recovering.’’ Someone, a man, sat on the edge of the bed and you could feel his hand on your small back. You looked up to see him and it was Le Chiffre, but why was he here?

‘’Wh-‘’ your throat was dry, ‘’Here.’’ He offered you a glass of water, you were hesitant but thirst clenched your being so you drank with his help. ‘’Good girl.’’ He said when you drank the whole glass.

You were coming to your senses so you pushed yourself away from him, your back resting on the headboard of the bed, ‘’You might be wondering why you’re here-‘’

‘’Might?!’’ you replied. Cleary not amused, ‘’As you can remember your father won a significant amount of money, thanks to your help, I want that money back.’’

‘’So you kidnapped me?!’’ you could feel anger boiling, ‘’Smart one aren’t you. Until that money is returned you are my-‘’

‘’Hostage.’’ You sarcastically said, ‘’guest.’’ He answered, ‘’It had been 5 hours since you were taken You must be hungry. Come.’’ He extended his hand but you refused, as you quickly stood up you got dizzy so he grabbed your waist, his scent filled your nostrils. He smelled good.

You couldn’t protest because it was hard for you to walk so with his help you left the room. You weren’t at the hotel anymore, it was a mansion. Was this his house? You walked down the stairs, all you could see was an astonishing house with large paintings and furniture. He took you to the dining room where breakfast waiting for you both. Your stomach growled, he chuckled and helped you to your chair. ‘’Why can’t you just win the money back? There is another game tonight.’’ You asked, looking at the breakfast. You had to keep your calm in order to survive because you didn’t know what was he capable of. ‘’I don’t have for another game and I don’t like taking chances.’’

You laughed sarcastically, ‘’Says the man who was gambling last night.’’ You drank the orange juice, it was tasty. ‘’I was going to win. Until I got distracted by a certain beauty.’’ His comment made you blush so you didn’t look at him, ‘’Is it scary to look at me love?’’ he sounded hurt, ‘’I understand if it is the case.’’ You didn’t care about the scar so you looked straight at him, ‘’There we go.’’ He smiled, ‘’Now, finish your breakfast, I have plans for us.’’

You didn’t know his plan but you had to play along, you finished your breakfast as he commanded so, it was delicious anyways and you were almost sure there was no poison. He looked at your finished plate, you could see a small smile forming on his plump lips, they distracted you, ‘’Well done.’’ You noticed that he kept giving you praises, which was your weak spot but he didn’t know.. or did he?

He stood up, extended his big hand, ‘’Shall we?’’

You thought he was going to torture you, lock in his basement, feed you to his dogs but instead he took you on a stream in the mountains, he said he liked to come here, swim and make plans for his business, he said the water calms his nerves and keeps him connected to mother nature. Before you left his mansion a maid came to give you a bag with everything you need, a bathing suit, towels, sunglasses, sunscreen, you name it. Le Chiffre didn’t need changing, he just took off his shirt and jumped into the stream, you thought he wanted to give you privacy so you quickly changed into your bathing suit, it was red, a color he choose but you had no idea. Once you changed you placed one of the towels on the grass and sat, started to put sunscreen on your legs, arms, ‘’Need a hand?’’ you heard his serpent voice, tempting and you looked up to see him, on the edge, his broad arms supporting his body by leaning into the ground, ‘’Yes, thank you.’’ Two can play the games, you thought. The way he jumped up to the shore, his arms and legs flexing did something to your core. You had to exhale the breath you were holding, without a word he sat behind you, put some sunscreen in his palm and started to rub your back. You literally held onto grass under your hands, his calloused hands trying to be gentle but you could sense the certain urge to go deep, and rough.

‘’When I first saw you at the casino,’’ he began, ‘’I thought to myself, I must have this girl somehow.’’ He wasn’t shy at all, ‘’I guess Universe finally decided to give me a break and let me have one good thing.’’ It was obvious that his life was difficult, and seeing you as something good  made you blush.

You turned to face him, his eyes were hoping for something, something tangible and you decided.

You leaned in to give him a kiss which he gladly took, his lips were so full and soft, his big hands went to caress your face, as the kiss got heated you followed his movements, he made you lay on your back, your legs invited him by opening. When he bit your neck you moaned, he pulled away, ‘’Did I hurt you?’’ he was out of breath, the genuine curiosity could be seen in his eyes and you almost cried.  ‘’No, keep going.’’

He kissed you again, you could feel his hard member between your legs, there was no going back.

His hand went to dip into your wetness and he moaned into your mouth, he pulled away to give kisses to your face and neck, ‘’just how I imagined.’’ He said as he started to rub your clit, your arched your back, his sweet torture was driving you mad. ‘’Do you want this?’’ he looked to see any sort of discomfort on your face but all he found was flushed cheeks, lust written in your eyes, mouth slightly parted. ‘’Yes,’’ you said, ‘’please’’ he grinned.

His fingers pushed the fabric away, he quickly got rid of his short and gave himself few pumps, you couldn’t help but notice how big he was.

He rubbed his tip into your folds, making you whimper, ‘’pleasee’’ you said whining, ‘’Please what, lucky charm?’’ you couldn’t help but moan deeply, ‘’Please fuck me, ever since I saw you last night I wanted you to bend me over and fuck me raw.’’ Well, it wasn’t a lie, he had a strange aura to him.

Your confession startled him at first, Le Chiffre, even though he didn’t want to admit, he had insecurities thanks to the scar on his face, ladies usually went for his colleges, not him. Hearing you openly admit to want him turned him on, he was planning on to be gentle with you but after what you said, that wasn’t an option anymore, he had to have you and keep you all to himself.

Your legs wrapped around him and he inserted himself with one thrust, you screamed in pain at first because it had been a while, ‘’Look at me.’’ He was deep inside you, you could feel his pubic hair tickling your skin. You meet his eyes and he started to move, you knew after this session you would have sore thighs, but you didn’t want him to stop. He stretched you out perfectly, ‘’Open your mouth.’’ And you did, he spit in your mouth, bit your lower lip, gave you multiple hickies.

Your fingers locking in his hair, you’ve never heard a man moan like him before, it made you clench around him again and again. You wetness and the sounds you make was heaven for him, of course he had multiple partners before but they all seemed fake, artificial, on the other hand you were screaming, tears in the corner of your eyes, you looked perfect. He sucked on your clothed nipples, gave them slaps, you were close and each sucking and slapping made you see stars, you liked his roughness. ‘’Come on my cock princess, let me feel it, come on.’’ He knew you were close and his praises pushed you over the edge, he followed behind.

His head fell to the crook of your neck, both of you were breathing heavily, ‘’I can’t let you go, not after this.’’

[mysicklove]

you ask for a thirst?, I shall deliver. this is something I've thought about but I don't know if it's good enough for a fic.. pro-hero!kirishima, who has a worker (like an assistant, fem!reader) who whenever he does something well (idk defeats a powerful villain, or something along the lines) rewards him by fucking him.

THIS IS SHIT IM SORRY!!

No this is such a good idea. I swear that makes so much sense with his character. I was going to make this a drabble but one thing led to another…

𝐌𝐑. 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐓!

Paring: Sub! Top! Pro-Hero Kirishima x Dom! Bottom! Female! Assistant reader

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: Oral (fem receiving), vaginal penetration, multiple orgasms, teasing lol

A/N: This low-key isn't hot, its more fun and cute. I feel like hot-very serious sex is not Kirishimas thing, but also idk what im talking about. I also head cannon him to have a VERY high stamina so lololol

In the beginning, you would make small positive regards on well he did in battle. As his personal assistant, it wasn't unheard of to praise your boss. But then you slowly became more confident when you noticed how positively he reacted. You switched to running your fingers down his biceps and fluttering your lashes at him, while you called him “big” and “strong.” This was the first time you saw him get hard. You kept it to yourself.

You realized he had a crush on you not long later. Watched him come racing to your desk to tell you about his missions. Watched him squirm and falter whenever you got too close to him. And finally watched his crumble under you when you first sucked him off.

But you have never fucked. He was desperate for it at this point and you hung it over his head. It was adorable watching him slowly get pent-up and frustrated. But he never complained.

So you couldn't help but tease him just a tad.

He races out of his desk when he got the call from Pinky. On his way out he sees you, sitting at your desk sucking on a lollipop. He forces himself to tear his gaze away from your lips, that oh just recently was around him, so that he could continue walking.

You on the other hand, rest your head on your hand and grin up at him, before taking the lollipop out of your mouth. “Make sure to be a good boy and catch that villain, maybe you’ll get a nice reward when you come back,” You call and he froze mid-step to turn back to you.

His face turns red and he brings his hands up to play with his face gear in embarrassment. “What type of reward? Do you mean…Do you really…Wait–Stop it! I have to go! I’ll come back, I promise, please wait for me, I’ll be good!” And with that he quickly runs away from you leaving you with a small smirk, loving the way you make the pro hero flustered.

The villain was hard to catch. Simply for one, his quirk was strong, and two, Eijiro could not stay focused. Your voice and that goddamn lollipop could not leave his head and the idea of reward? It was too much for him.

So, when Dynamite grabs the villain, Eijiro manages to scamper away and sprint back to his office. He ignored the raised eyebrow from Pinky, who is confused due to the fact that he always stays around just to make sure nothing happens. They failed to understand that he has somewhere to be!

He rushes over to his office and sees you sitting on his desk, legs crossed, and playing with his Red Riot nameplate. He tries to calm his rapid breaths from the run, so he doesn’t look too desperate, but it fails, and you smirk at him.

He gulps. He is your boss, why the hell is he getting so flustered around you?

“Cmere Mr. Red Riot,” You purr and he jumps. He loves it when you call him that. The two of you have been working together for a while, and he assured you to call him Kirishima, but now at this very moment, he regrets asking you that. Because why the hell does his hero name sound so sexy when it falls from your lips?

He quickly shuts and locks the door before following your command. He stands in front of you and has to look down to make eye contact with you. He towers over you in this position. “Can I have, uh, have my reward now? The villain…He is in jail.” You begin to run your fingers over his bare chest, slightly glistening with sweat. He shudders.

“Was my strong pro-hero doing a good job protecting the city?” You purr as you trace a circle around one of his nipples.

He nods his head rapidly but winces when you pinch the nub lightly. “Y-Yeah! I was good like you said!”

You smile warmly and he looks away with a small blush. “That's great. Good job. What would you like as a reward? I can schedule you a couple of days off from work–I mean you definitely deserve a vacation”

His eyes snap back toward yours in confusion. He leans forward and rests his head on your shoulder. “Don't tease me. You know what I want,” He whines and you grin.

“I can't read minds. You gotta tell me, Red.” Another nickname he adores so much. Probably even more than Red Riot, due to the fact you used it when you gave him head last time.

“Wanna fuck you.” You giggle lightly at the comment and he blushes even more. Then, he mumbles out, “Please?”

You lean forward and begin to press light kisses on his torso and he sighs. “Take off your clothes, love. Is the door locked?” You murmur and he nods his head. “Good boy.” He looks away with a wobbly smile. Then, he begins to undress.

Now, he stands in front of you, completely bare, contrasting your fully clothed self. He can't bear to look at you, he's too embarrassed. His fists clench at his side, waiting for your command.

You slip off your small cardigan and then shimmy your mini skirt off. He watches eagerly, trying his best to not get too hard. Then, you begin to fake struggle with your buttons and look up at him with a pout. “Do you, um, need help Y/N?”

You smile at him. “Would you?” He gulps but nods. He takes a step closer to you and with shaky fingers he begins to take off your shirt, button by button. He holds his hands on your waist as he stares at your now bare breasts. You weren't wearing a bra. He was hard.

You grab his chin and press your lips to his. He moans into it and kisses you back with such intensity, you have to slightly lean back. You fall backward on his desk and he leans over you, elbows leaning next to your head. You feel his cock brush against your panties and gasp.

He begins to kiss your neck and moves down your body. “Been waiting for this. For so long,” He murmurs against your skin, looking up at you with doe eyes.

“Yeah? Ever since I gave you that blowjob?” He licks your stomach and smiles.

“Ever since the first day you complimented me.”

“So desperate,” You tease and he huffs, gently nipping at the skin beneath him.

“But I didn't say anything! Didnt, want to make you uncomfortable!”

“I know. You're so cute.” He blushes again and falters. It's one of those compliments he can't help but blush at. His whole life he tried to be manly and somehow he is reduced to being “cute” to you. It made him feel strange, but good. “Want you to eat me out, can you do that for me, Red?”

He was buzzing with excitement. He has been waiting patiently for you to allow him to return the favor. “Y-Yeah! Thank you.” You laugh lightly at his politeness.

He tears himself from the desk and kneels in front of your clothed pussy. He grabs the lacey underwear and pulls it down, exposing you completely. He stares at it, admiring it with blown pupils. He doesn't know where to start. His throbbing cock was distracting him. “Taking your sweet time down there aren't ya? Need any help?”

He grips your hips and pulls you forward onto his mouth. You gasp. His arms wrap around the back of your thighs and he traps you in his hold. He laps and suckles like a starved man.

Your head falls back against the desk and you arch your back slightly. One of your hands falls on his red hair and grips it. “Doing so well for me. Making me f-feel so good.” His moans come out muffled.

He begins to hump the air and his eyes begin to water with his lack of air. Drool and other juices begin to drip down his chin and his red eyes don't leave yours. He feels a sense of pride when he watches you come undone. It makes me feel like he is needed.

He unbelievably was messy. The noises that came from below were lewd and if anyone pressed their ear against the door, they would definitely know exactly what was happening. Eijiros flushed and wet face didn't help your case.

“Fuck! Going to cum. Dont, stop!” You moan as your body begins to contract. Eijiro nods against you and whines softly when you tug his hair. He grabs your hips and pressed them even closer to his face and your mouth goes open in a silent moan, and you tremble against him.

When you come down Eijiro doesn't seem to get the hint. In fact, with the added juices he seems to lap at your cunt even harder. “Enough Kirishima.”

He pulls away immediately at the command with a dazed look. Unknown liquids drip from his face and his eyes furrow. “Red,” He reminds and you roll your eyes with a smile, before bracing yourself on your elbows.

“Yeah, yeah. Red. Now tell me Red, do you want me to suck you off or do you want to fuck me?” He sits on his knees and thinks for a minute. You grab a tissue from his desk and lean forward to wipe his drenched mouth. He smiles wide, showing his pointy teeth and you laugh.

“Fuck me.” He sighs dreamily and you hold back a laugh. “I mean you. Fuck you. Not fuck you as in “Fuck you!” like I want to fu–”

“Okay yeah, I got it. Cmere.” He nods his head, ears burning red, and leans back over you. He kisses you again and you can taste yourself. He thrusts his tongue into your mouth with a moan. You feel his throbbing cock on your thigh, so you pull away and glance down.

It's huge. Red and throbbing. Drops of pre drip from it and onto your thigh. When you turn your gaze back to the man in front of you, you hold back a coo. You swear he is giving you puppy dog eyes. “Well? Put it in.”

“I can? For real now?” If he was a puppy, his tail would be wagging frantically. But he wasn't and you were getting impatient.

“Yeah, if you put it in before I dry up.”

“Sorry! Just excited!” You laugh as he lines up his cock, his face bright red. With one quick, but hard thrust, he is in and the two of you moan. His mouth grazes against yours and he looks at you with lidded eyes when he slowly begins to start moving his hips. Your legs wrap around his hips and he sighs.

“Mhmmm feels good,” he mumbles. You nod your head and his hips begin to go quicker and stronger. He pulls himself away from you to stand fully up. He grabs your hips and continues to ram his cock into you. “Been thinking about this forever,” He whines and your smile, and squeeze your eyes shut when he hits that spot.

“Yeah?” You say, knowing he already told you this earlier. It was cute though.

“Yeah! I-I kept thinking about it today. Oh god! Got distracted earlier.” He groans and presses a kiss to your leg. You grip the edge of the desk as your body continues to move up and down on the desk from the force of his thrusts.

You try to stay composed, but it's a lot harder now. “Aw, Pro-Hero couldn't stop thinking about fucking his assistant? You're so lewd, Red Riot. What would the fans think?” He whines and his blush flares at your teasing tone. He loves it. Loves how condescending and pitying you sound, it makes him feel dumb.

He flips you over and your eyes widen as your chest now touches the cool desk. He brings your hips back so that they fall over the edge of the desk and then pushes his body on top of yours, chest to your back. His much larger frame covers you completely as he rests his elbows on the table next to your head so he doesn't crush you. “Can't help it!” He finishes, acting like he didn't just switch positions so rapidly.

Lewd smacks and grunts fill the air and the two of you pant. Eijiro hasn't stopped talking, constantly chanting out praises and whines. His rough pace never slowed down and you have already came. His stamina was unbelievable, you barely could keep up with him.

“Oh no. No no no. I'm going to cum–Not yet! It can't end yet!” Even in your exhausted state, you laugh and then whine.

“S-So dramatic. We can go again love. A-And when you get back from your missions!” The last part comes out shaky and your eyes slightly roll back.

Either from your words or his upcoming orgasm, he was going even faster. “Will you reward me every time? Please, please, please! I'll continue being good, I promise!” He flips you over and you are looking back into his eyes. Desperation leaks from his face, for whatever reason afraid of you saying no.

You shakily reach a handout cup on his cheek, and he leans into your palm immediately. Sweat and lose tears fall from his face and onto yours. “Of course. Now, be good and cum for me, Red.”

He nods his head rapidly and whines into your neck. “I'm cumming. Thank you! Thank you! Oh fuck.” His hips stutter and he cums in you with one last high-pitched moan.

The hero half collapses on you, now only one arm to brace himself up. You pet his head affectionately.

He turns to you, eyes half-lidded and grinning with an after-sex glow. “Round two?”

There is a knock at the door and the two of you freeze. “Mr. Red Riot, you have a meeting in five minutes. Oh and if you see Ms. L/N, please let me know!”

He looks at you with those puppy dog eyes again. “Do I have to go?” He whispers into your neck and you laugh, before pushing his sweaty body off of you.

“Go, you horny bastard.”

“Will I get another reward if I do?” He grins and you pinch the bridge of your nose. He doesn't leave until you agree.

[tetragonia]

Midnight Repair Shop

John "Bucky" Egan x Female!Mechanic!Reader

Blurb: In the middle of the night, accompanied with the choruses of men from the Officer’s pub afar, Bucky saw the hangar light was on. He peeked and found Jerry to his Tom—(Y/N), one of the mechanics whose side job apparently was to annoy him. It was that one time when Bucky and (Y/N) repaired not only the plane, but somehow their whole dynamics all these months.

warning: inaccuracies especially with the mechanical terms because I'm not used to them and just looked em up from the internet. also, maybe weird phrasing or grammatical incorrect since English is not my first language. pls let me know what I could do better <3

note: pure fluff and giggles, some arguments but all is good with our Bucky. this is my first mota fic out there and why shouldn't i choose our antic Bucky as the main character? ;) also, this is based on the portrayal of the actors from Masters of the Air. all respect to the veterans and family

words: 3160 (sorry!)

It was a sunny day as the sun was casting a golden hue over Thorpe Abbotts, the distant hum of aircraft engines signaled the approach of returning fighter planes. Among them was Major John Egan–”it’s just me, Bucky’s fine”–his B-17 streaking through the sky and leading the squadron. It was not an easy mission, but it was nothing they couldn’t handle. The route was clear and the enemy’s cover was minimum.

With steady hands, Bucky guided his aircraft toward the runway as his eyes scanned the horizon for any signs of trouble. The roar of the engine filled the cockpit as he made minute adjustments to his altitude and speed, preparing for the critical moment of touchdown.

As the wheels of his B-17 made contact with the tarmac, Bucky maneuvered and smoothly brought it to a stop with. The plane rolled to a halt, its engine purring contentedly as Bucky taxied toward the waiting ground crew.

You were one of the ground crews, a skilled mechanic around the base. People knew your work ethic and they damn respected you out of it. And that clearly gave some benefits around here.

“Back from another joyride, Major?”

You emphasized the rank as Bucky made his way out from the cockpit. His flight suit was slightly disheveled, his hair was a bit scruffy but his smile was as bright as the summer sun. Brady jumped out, his eyes scanned you and Bucky.

“Hey, (Y/N).”

“Capt,” you tilted your chin and raised your eyebrows slightly to acknowledge his presence.

“Joyride?” Bucky pulled your attention back at him. “More like a death-defying adventure, (Y/N). You know, I like to keep things exciting.”

“That ain’t exciting, bud,” you sighed, rolling your eyes. “Let’s see what kind of mess you’ve gotten yourself into this time.”

You wasted no time inspecting the plane, your expert eye quickly picking up on any signs of damage. Still locking your eyes to the plane, you said, “I swear, Bucky, if next time you come back with another dent in your plane, I’m going to start charging you for the repairs. And trust me, it ain’t cheap.”

“Did you just threaten me?” he let out a dramatic gasp, putting his hand in front of his chest. “You know, I think I’m starting to rub off on you. After all, it truly takes a special kind of person to keep up with a pilot like me.”

Your hands ran through the plane’s body, bullet holes were scattered and some flak damages were tattooed to the metal skin. You suspected there were some engine reduction from the enemy’s fire, as well as control surface damage.

“You’re not the only one keeping me busy. I have plenty of other pilots crashing their planes too, creating these cute little bends and missing some rivets,” you couldn’t help but to roll your eyes again.

“You know, (Y/N), I’m starting to think you have a thing for me crashing. How else do you explain always being there to fix up my messes?” still in his dramatic tone, he raised an eyebrow at you.

You turned your head to him, trying to mimic his dramatic gasp earlied, “Oh my God! Weird thing is, I can’t imagine having this thing called a job! Have you ever heard of that?”

You lost count on rolling your eyes at him. He laughed faintly and started to walk away from you. 

“Hey, (Y/N), if I had a penny for every time you gave me that look of disapproval, I’d have enough to buy myself a damn new plane. One that doesn’t need fixing every time I fly it.”

“Spare your voice for the interrogation, Bucky, you’re just talking shit right now,” you said dismissively. You could hear his ragged breath from your place, that man clearly needed to at least have a good hot chow.

“Ouch, that stings.”

Despite your dismissive tone, you couldn’t help but to let a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

As the darkness draped itself over Thorpe Abbotts like a heavy cloak, the Officer's pub emerged as a sanctuary of warmth and light. The air was buzzing with the low hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses, faint laughters could be heard from afar. Bucky Egan was bathed in a warm, golden light from the row of lanterns that lined the walls. Wooden beams crisscrossed the ceiling above him, their darkened surfaces reflecting the soft glow of the fire roaring in the hearth.

Around the room, Bucky found himself gathered at wooden tables with other airmen as the air was thick with the scent of pipe tobacco and the familiar aroma of alcohol, mingling with the lively strains of a piano being played in the corner.

“I don’t know, man. You seem pretty tipsy already,” Buck Cleven shook his head with a chuckle when Bucky offered to buy them another round of drinks. “I don’t want you stumbling into any trouble, you know.”

Hearing what his buddy said, Bucky laughed. “Me? Trouble? Com on, Buck, you know me better than that. I can handle myself just fine! Look at this.”

Bucky tried to jump from his seat to buy another round, but then he stumbled and let the men laugh as he landed in a weird position.

“Alright, alright,” he said, laughing with them too. He was just too damn charming to be ashamed, it’s alarming.

“No more drinks,” Bucky said, God knows to Buck or to himself.

“No more drinks,” Buck hummed the same chorus. Bucky laughed, shook his head faintly.

“I’m gonna head back,” he eventually reached a decision. “And I don’t want any of you to take me, feel like flying solo tonight. ‘Kay?”

“Sure, Bucky, whatever you want,” Brady laughed as he sipped his glass. With that, Bucky stumbled out into the cool night air, leaving the sounds of laughter and conversation that faded behind him. He took a deep breath, the crisp night air helped him clearing his muddled mind as he made his unsteady steps back to his barrack.

Humming sporadic notes from Bing Crosby, he noticed a faint flickering light shined through the windows from a hangar nearby with its door ajar. Curious, and perhaps a little tipsy, he decided to investigate.

Who the hell works at this hour, he thought to himself. With a curious tilt of his head, he veered off course, his feet guiding him toward the source of lights. Peeking a bit, he was greeted by the sight of your back, working on his plane.

Bucky sauntered in, his flight jacket slung over one shoulder, a cocky grin plastered across his face. He squinted against the sudden brightness, his eyes struggling to adjust to the harsh contrast after the darkness outside. Blinking rapidly, he stumbled forward, laughing at his own stupidity. And he might or might not realize that he always felt way more stupid around you, throwing all those flirts and banters like a loony.

“Hey there, (Y/N)! Patching up the old birds, are we?” Bucky slurred slightly. 

You turned your head at him, still on your workbench raising an eyebrow at Bucky’s disheveled appearance.

“Looks like someone had a bit too much to drink tonight,” you made a remark as you continued working gunning the rivets. “Too much liquid courage at the pub?”

Bucky chuckled, he leaned against a nearby box for support. “Liquid courage? More like liquid genius! But hey, I couldn’t resist the chance to see your pretty face before I hit the hay.”

Bucky grinned stupidly at your back as he heard you replied monotonously, “Oh lucky me. The pleasure is all mine, I’m sure.”

He laughed at your dry response, stepped in. “Nah, just needed a little pick-me-up after a long day of saving the world. You know how it is.”

You rolled your eyes, but couldn’t suppress a smile at Bucky’s antics. You’ve gotten used to all that now, working side by side for a couple months.

“Yeah, yeah, the brave pilot routine. I’ve heard it all before. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got work to do.”

As Bucky watched you expertly finish tinkering the body, you couldn’t help but admire your skill and determination. God knows since when you had worked on his plane today!

He leaned against the nearby workbench, his grin widening. “It’s your touch that keeps her purring, (Y/N). Without you, she’d be just another hunk of metal gathering dust.”

You rolled your eyes. "Flattery will get you nowhere, flyboy. You’re not fooling anyone with your smooth talk.”

“Hey, I’m just stating facts!”

“Yeah, and Hitler’s a good man. Now do me a favor, hand me the rivet gun over there,” you asked, tilting your head to the tool box.

Your hand brushed with his as he handed you the rivet gun. The wind suddenly swirled around the hangar and you shuddered at the chills down your spine. You took the gun swiftly and placed it over the exposed end of the rivet shaft. You securely fastened patches of those new aluminum sheets metal onto the wing, covering the bullet holes.

You’d been fixing the engine with Ken all day, finished just before the curfew. To clear your mind, you decided to fix the panels tonight as you asked Ken to get a hot chow. After some good arguments thrown from you, Ken gave up and walked away.

And here you were, in the hangar with the famous Bucky Egan. You’d been working with him for months, yet you didn’t know if he made all those compliments and flattery to other women as well. There weren’t any female mechanics around here and you knew he had his own way with women.

Flattery didn’t get him anywhere, but it got you somewhere. 

You decided to break the silence, “You know, Bucky, I’m starting to think you pilots have a secret competition to see who can wreck their plane the most. Am I right?”

To hide whatever feelings that tried to surface, you put your familiar mask–strict, to the point, and sometimes a bit offensive. That way, you could protect yourself.

“Am clearly the best,” from the corner of your eyes, you could see him nodded and smiling. Suddenly it was so infuriating, how smiley he always was, how cheerful and friendly he was to you. How easy he was to throw compliments, and how easy he was to look at her with such adoration.

“Yeah, I've always thought you were a great pilot. Shame you're not quite as good at keeping your plane in one piece.”

You were unable to keep your feelings now. It was bottled up all this time. You were tired, hungry, and thirsty. You were vulnerable.

“Hey, hey, now,” Bucky might be a bit drunk but he wasn’t stupid. Something in the air shifted, your tone was harsh. Too harsh for his liking and your own good. Your tone was aggressive and he felt like you tried to hurt him with your remarks. Usually, they were all harmless, he even found you funny. But what was with the sudden change of tone?

“Come on, now. Why do you always pick on me?” Bucky tried to remain calm.

Forgot being calm! You were raging all of sudden. “Why would I pick on you, stop being so full of yourself.”

That’s it. That was the last straw.

“Hey, that stings!” Bucky was flustered, he walked closer to you, gaze piercing your back.

You sighed. You’re tired. You’ve been working all day and haven’t eaten since 8 am. It’s somewhere over 12 am now.

Fuck, you muttered to yourself. You need to shape the replacement panels to match the contours of the wing’s surface before riveting them. You got up and walked to the sheet metal bender, but Bucky stopped you.

With the faint hangar light on top of you both, now Bucky could fully take a look at your current state. You knew you looked terrible.

“Okay, you need to stop,” Bucky sighed. “Go to your barrack. You need to sleep.”

“I need to work.”

“She can wait. I’ll ask Lemmons to patch her up early in the morning,” Bucky said, his voice was authoritative. “Now, let’s get you some sleep.”

“No,” you tried to walk to the metal bender but his grip was strong.

“Come on, or I’m gonna abduct you.”

You almost rolled your eyes at that, but he quickly swept you off the ground. “Hey! Put me down!”

Despite the serious and cold air surrounding you both earlier, you could see how Bucky giggled. You always acted all tough, but you were just a girl for him. Your strength couldn’t even match him.

She’s cute, you didn’t know Bucky thought that right now.

He thought this was all just a joke, your mind stated.

“Nah, I’ll put you on your bed myself.”

You huffed in frustration, your attempts to free yourself only serving to make Bucky hold on tighter. "This isn't funny, Bucky! Put me down right now!"

But before Bucky could respond, his foot caught on a stray toolbox lying on the floor, sending you both tumbling to the ground in a tangled heap of limbs. With a yelp of surprise, you landed on top of him, your bodies pressed together in an awkward and unexpected embrace.

For a moment, you lay there in stunned silence, the only sound filling the air was the pounding of your hearts. 

With a stupid grin on his face, Bucky smiled surprisingly sweetly, “Hello.”

As the realization of your predicament sunk in, your cheeks flushed crimson, maybe with anger or maybe with something else.

"Are you kidding me, Bucky?" you exclaimed, pushing yourself off him with a scowl. "I told you to put me down!"

Bucky winced while grinning sheepishly, rubbing his head where it had collided with the floor. He was fully sober now, thanks for the thud. "I'm sorry, (Y/N). I didn't mean for us to fall."

You crossed your arms over your chest, your expression still stormy. "Well, it's not funny. You could have seriously injured yourself. You’re one of the best pilots we’ve got, what would happen if you got hurt?!"

Bucky sighed, his earlier amusement fading as he met your angry gaze. He got up, walked a step closer to you. 

"You need to be worried about yourself. What is it, (Y/N)? You’re not usually this… tensed. Is something bothering you?”

Bucky put his hand on your shoulder. You stiffened at his touch, jerking away as if scalded. 

"I'm fine," you snapped, your tone once again sharp and defensive.

Bucky's brow furrowed in confusion, hurt flickering in his eyes. "Hey, I was just asking. You don't have to bite my head off."

You didn’t want to meet his gaze. Your eyes wandered to the floor that suddenly became so interesting.

But you knew that Bucky wasn't about to let you off the hook that easily. "I don't buy it, (Y/N). You've been acting strange lately, and I want to know why."

You scoffed, rubbed your eyes slowly, “It’s nothing.”

“Hey, tell me,” Bucky now grabbed your arms and once again you stiffened at his gesture. You looked up as your gaze fell to his, eyes blinked rapidly. Your cheeks flushed as you once again broke eye contact and looked at the new interesting thing: the metal bender.

And a realization hit Bucky like a lightning. The way you laughed or rolled your eyes at his jokes despite being known as a serious fella, the way you looked at him before he took off, the way you always kept some distance…

“Hey,” Bucky’s voice softened. “I’ve never been this straightforward, but we don’t have much time… Do you like me?”

He could feel your muscles tensed under his touch. You still refused to look at him.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," you stammered, your voice barely above a whisper. Where did the tough, no-nonsense (Y/N) go?

“Hey, (Y/N), look at me,” Bucky asked you gently. He knew for sure that you held a feeling for him and he was too damn stupid to realize. He tried so hard to suppress his smile.

You looked up, his expression was soft and his eyes fixed on you with a gleam that made the butterflies crazy inside your stomach.  You thought about every possible reaction: rejections, lots of yelling, a broken respect and trust, no more jokes and friendships… But you didn’t expect when he leaned closer and brought you in, when his lips touched yours with a gentleness you could only imagine.

Bucky’s lips tasted like a good amount of mint and alcohol mixture. You were intoxicated. He put his hand on your hip, the other caressed your cheek. His touch was a gentle yet firm anchor, drawing you closer to him in a silent declaration of desire. Your fingers traced the curves of your hips with a tender reverence, his touch sending shivers down your spine as you melted into his embrace.

He’d never imagine touching you, grabbing your crinkled jumpsuit as he kissed you deeper, his hands wandered. You felt a rush of warmth spreading through your body, igniting a fire within you that you couldn’t ignore. His hands, strong and sure from years of training, held you as if you were the most precious thing in the world. His touch was both possessive and protective all at once.

When you both pulled away, trying to catch a breath, you saw Bucky smiling. His hands were still on your hips, now the right one stroke your cheek and your lips.

"You know, (Y/N), I've always admired you. The way you always know your way around an engine, your work ethic, your remarks, your replies to my jokes… I've always thought you were pretty amazing,” he whispered. “The way you handle those machines... it's something else. That’s why I always send my plane to you."

Your cheeks flushed slightly at the unexpected compliments, and you cleared your throat awkwardly. You were anything but flushed and fluttered.

"Well, I guess someone has to keep you flyboys in the air. Can't have you crashing and burning without us, right? You better treat her right up there or I'll make sure your next landing isn't so smooth."

Bucky grinned, feeling a surge of confidence after a heavy cloud towering you both  earlier.

"Hey, what do you say we had a drink tomorrow? I’d like to discuss tonight's matter, after you had a good rest of course.”

Your heart raced at the thought of spending more time with Bucky outside of work. You were exhausted, but after what happened tonight, you knew you wouldn’t be able to sleep.

"I suppose one drink couldn't hurt. But don't think this means I'm going easy on you, Bucky. I've got a reputation to uphold, after all."

[fiendishfables]

hello!! i saw ur blog and i was super excited to see another aroaceee is it alright if you do platonic adam x reader headcanons? he can be reader's friend, sibling, or preferably reader's father figure as long as its platonic, anything u'd like is fine! sorry if my request is kinda weird lol, i just haven't seen a lot of platonic hazbin hotel stuff (especially stuff with adam in it)

a/n: Always good to meet other aroace individuals, indeed. I personally love Adam, he is absolutely my favorite character. I’ve been dying to write for him more and thinking of him as a dad is just my favorite scenario-

warnings: cursing, Adam being Adam, brief mentions of sex, subtle hints at Lute x Adam (if you squint)

words: 944

additional notes: this was one of my first asks I ever got; I AM SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT. Enjoy~!

Adam as a Father Figure

Headcanons

First of all, he never expected to actually have a kid of his own, but now here he was

By the time you turned 6, you knew about every single curse word in existence, along with a (disturbingly) decent amount of female anatomy

Lute gets promoted to babysitter

When Adam is off performing with his band or needed in the council/other Heavenly resides, Lute is responsible for keeping track of his child

Even if she lost you (which she has, multiple times) he won't be that worried

You were a kid and as far as Adam knew, kids needed food

Hence how he knew you would find your way back to him eventually

Okay scratch that, maybe he does get a little worried...a lot

Starts to doubt his ability as a parent

Once he even got Sera to send out a search party for you because you had been gone longer than usual

It worried him sick whenever you went exploring, but he was almost a bit prideful that his offspring had managed to inherit his sneaking around capabilities already at such a young age

Lute has had to console her boss many times in response to your random disappearances under her watchfulness

He has legit been facedown on the couch with his head in her lap whilst he bawls his eyes out, blabbering to her about his worries pertaining to you, and then somehow that stems to his hopes and dreams in life (he doesn't wanna talk about it)

Only for you to walk in with food from some random location about 10 minutes later

You'd be on the floor as soon as you enter the domicile because Adam would have jumped on you and then proceeded to hug the very life out of you (all while stealing your bag of food in the process and running off with it)

Calls you a bitch, dumbass, and 'a little shit' for worrying him

Though he would never openly admit he had been worried

He doesn't care if you have a social life, he wants you home safe before 9pm, sharp

── ･ ｡☆*☽*☆ﾟ.──

Teaches you how to play guitar

He claims its because he wants to pass on one of his awesome talents to his only child, but he also really wants you to join him and his band on stage one day or another

You are in the starter stages of learning and are able to accurately get chords down and learn to read sheet music

A tear just may have come to his eye

The first song you two ever perform together is "Hell is Forever"

He did see someone try to give you a rose after your performance and nearly knocked them out

Trust him, he's a sex and relationship positive guy (for the most part) but he also can't help but feel like he wants to protect you at all costs

If you dare to call him over-protective, he will very gladly give you the silent treatment for a good 5 minutes

After that time mark, he will be groveling at your feet and whining about how sorry he is (rare that he actually says 'sorry')

His biggest fear is his own child having it out for him and not wanting anything to do with him

A clingy parent, no doubt

Wants to train you in the ways of becoming an Exorcist Angel

Poor guy is a bit insecure about everything and needs extra reassurance, though he would never ever outwardly ask for it

That's a sign of weakness in his eyes

Not for his child though

You come to him with even the smallest hint of watery eyes and he is already going full dad-mode

Determined to find the fucker who made you upset

Promises to give em' a good ol' kick in the balls (or vag)

Adam won't discriminate, he's just there to beat the ass of whoever hurt his precious baby

He will get in a fist fight with Sera in order to make you happy

Just expect to be the one he then blames when he gets demoted

── ･ ｡☆*☽*☆ﾟ.──

Adam totally took lots of naps before he had a child, so this just makes for the two of you ending up crashing on the couch together and creating a melodic tune out of your in-sync snoring patterns

Anything the two of you can do together without constantly arguing is a miracle, so this is to be cherished

He has definitely given you some very creative nicknames (as he calls himself 'Dickmaster')

Lute has taken many pictures

She wants to make a photo album and give it to Adam one day just to piss him off

But as she knows how much he really cares for you, she does not want to risk him growing apart from you due to something stupid she did for a few momentary laughs

Let's you two have your moments without interrupting

The two of you always fight over food and who gets to pick where you go for the evening, if going anywhere at all

Lute claims that you are making Adam all the more emotional, but no one seems to be complaining

Especially not the High Council

Its nice to have him shut his mouth for once and remotely think about his actions and who they could potentially effect

Adam has something to lose now, and everyone in both Heaven and Hell alike knew it

No demon spawn would ever get to set even a foot near you

You were the first life he felt truly responsible for

He refuses to fuck it up and lose someone else he cares about

He would protect you until the ends of time, whether you liked it or not

[all-mirth-no-matter]

Time After Time | Chapter Fourteen

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x Reader, Tommy Shelby x Original Female Character

Summary: Startling revelations ensue after drinking the tea. While you wait for Tommy to return, Benji comes in search for another date. Ada takes you shopping for a new dress to wear to the races.

Warning: language, slight supernatural (kinda?), harassment (not anything explicit but not fun), less tommy in this one but promise next chapter will make up for it!

ao3 link | catch up on tumblr here

Chapter 14: Raise Hell

I found myself an omen, and I tattooed on a sign. I set my mind to wandering, and I walk a broken line. You have a mind to keep me quiet, and although you can try. Better men have hit their knees, and bigger men have died. 

It came upon a lightning strike, and eyes of bright clear blue. I took that tie from around my neck, and gave my heart to you. I sent my love across the sea, and though I didn’t cry. That voice will haunt my every dream, until the day I die.

— Raise Hell, Brandi Carlile 

The tea cup landed on the rug with a soft thud, the hot liquid spilling at your feet — though you couldn’t feel a degree of it. 

Your mouth gapped open at the sight before you — your mother, sitting on the rug across from you, her legs crossed same as yours, as she smiled at you. 

“This isn’t real,” you whispered, still too surprised to move, your heart racing. 

Your eyes searched over your mother’s features, looking for some hint of something fake to indicate the trick that was being played here. 

But there was your mother — as plain as day. There was no otherworldly glow or translucent quality. She looked solid, wearing the same kind of modern shirt and jeans that she would have been wearing back when she was alive, looking very out of place against the 20th century backdrop. 

The only difference between the person in front of you and the memory of your mother was the smile on her face. 

“Real is quite relative, don’t you think, Y/N?”

Her voice sounded the same as well, if not maybe stronger than it had in her last handful of years. 

Instinct to combat your mother reared its ugly head as you scoffed and responded involuntarily, “Quite relative to whether I’m hallucinating or dreaming, sure.” 

Your mother chuckled, “I’ve missed you, my darling. We have so much to talk about.” 

Swallowing, you accepted that whether dream, hallucination, ghost, or indeed real, you’d done this for a reason. You’d been given this opportunity by the Delphi for a reason. It was now or never, and you couldn’t let a little thing like freaking out over talking to your dead mother stand in your way. 

“Do you know what’s happened to me?” you asked, feeling yourself sit up a little straighter. 

Her smile fell, eyes moving around the bedroom before landing back on you, running down the clothes you were wearing. “The curse. It finally came for you, too.” 

“Too? Are you saying—“

“Yes. I too was pulled from my present and into the past. As was my mother, and her mother, and her mother before that.” 

You couldn’t believe it. Of all the things you had expected, this hadn’t even crossed your mind. “How far back?” you wondered aloud.

She shrugged, “Centuries, I suppose. All the first born daughters of this cursed lineage. Cursed to know the future, because it’s our past.” 

So that was the schtick, you realized. You couldn’t predict the future, but you could recall it from a past that hadn’t happened yet — as long as you’d been paying attention. Your mother’s insistence of learning history now made more sense. 

And yet, there was still a big question, one you asked aloud, “Why?”

“I don’t know. That is still a mystery.” Your mother dropped her head slightly out of shame, “Even in death, I’m still searching for answers.” 

I curse you, Cassandra! The voice from your dreams echoed through your head and a crazy realization hit you. “Who was the first?”

Your mother swallowed. “When you were born, I saw a vision of my daughter. A woman who would know the future, just like I did. I heard the whisper of a name. It should have been a warning, but I was under a lot of drugs and hormones and thought the name was pretty. So did your father. We already had your first name picked out so on the spot agreed to name you Cassandra. I had no idea it was the name of our matriarch — of the first to be cursed.” 

“So it’s true, we come from the original Cassandra of Troy?” Your mother nodded and you shook your head. “But that doesn’t make any sense. Say the stories are true — say the Greek Gods really existed — she could actually tell the future and she’s from the ancient past.” 

“Another mystery.” 

You huffed, so sick of the ambiguity. 

“I’m sorry,” your mother said softly, causing you to meet her eyes again. “For lying to you all those years, for confusing you. For causing you grief and madness.” 

You felt a lump in your throat, your chest tight at hearing the acknowledgment you’d wished for your whole childhood. Your brain wanted to comfort her, tell her it was alright, but your heart was more wounded than you’d ever realized.

You swallowed down the rise of tears that were threatening to build and changed the subject. “When were you born?” 

She blinked, aware of your deflection method, and answered. “The early 2020s.” 

“But that’s so—“

“Close?” your mother sighed. “Yes. I grew up blissful — my mother never mentioned her own displacement. So when I was stripped from my loved ones in 2040 to 1990, I was distraught. I was lucky to meet your father, though regretfully I was never able to open myself up completely to him, still mourning the loss of my first love. I would jump from fits of madness to total denial. After we had you, I thought things would be different. But as you grew, I became more suspicious that you would also be stripped away from me, or I you, and the fear drove me mad. So I tried to prepare you. But the closer I got to my own birth date, the madder I became and more desperate for answers I grew. Eventually, I became convinced that I’d made the whole thing up. The line between reality and delusion became nonexistent.”

You felt the tears begin to pool again as you thought about your own struggles with reality since arriving here. Madam Despoina had told you that you were stronger than your mother. But that wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. 

“I’m sorry for your father, as well,” she went on. You opened your mouth to protest, but she stopped you. “I was able to warn him about certain events — terrorism, the housing bubble, natural disasters — but I couldn’t save him, not in the end.”

“Did you ever tell him? Properly, that is?” You found yourself asking, thinking about Tommy.

Your mother shook her head. “Not directly. The best I could come up with was the gift of prophecy. After a while of telling that story, a part of me began to believe it. Believe it for you.”

“I’m sorry,” you found yourself saying, “for being so hard on you. I didn’t understand—“

“And now you do,” she said with a soft smile, “more now than ever. And unfortunately, darling, I’m going to have to put pressure on you one final time.” 

“What do you mean?”

“The curse — it must be broken. You have to find a way to break it.” 

“Me? Why—“ your words stopped as you thought about Madam Despoina’s prophecy. “‘You have a chance to mend ancient mistakes. Break the cursed chain, end the line of travel.’ A woman from the Delphi family who said she was a descendent of the Pythia told me that.” 

She smiled knowingly again, “Your tattoo, ya?”

Your mouth dropped slightly, “You knew?” 

“I have the same one. I had the same impulse before I was pulled away. I didn’t even know you had it until I—“ she cut herself off, looking somber again before clearing her throat. “It’s the tree of knowledge, of balance. But how were you able to find them?”

“I’ve met some people since arriving here. A Romani family that I’ve grown quite close to. One of the brothers specifically, he— he helped me find them.” 

Your mother hummed as she listened, her eyes moving again to the space around you. “What year is this exactly?” 

“January 1919.” Your mother’s eyes widened. “I’ve been here a few months now.” 

“And I thought fifty years was a shock,” she murmured. “Remarkable. Although the interwar period has it’s merits I suppose. Roaring 20s, jazz, rise of automotives, electricity, women’s suffrage. Though suppose it also has it’s negatives: Great Depression, prohibition, facisism, gangsters—“ You must have had a reaction, because your mother paused. “This man, is he a nice man?”

You swallowed at that, your eyes shifting. “I think he wants to be. But the circumstances are a little more complicated.” 

“Complicated like organized crime complicated?” She retorted, and you were surprised at her humor in the situation. “Oh sweetheart, you didn’t—“ 

You scrunched your face, “I didn’t mean to. There’s been odd coincidences between us since even before we met. I had a vision of him the night I woke up here. He had one of me as well. And then there’s the other dreams—“

“What dreams?”

You took a deep breath, feeling once again like you were in a room filled with puzzle pieces trying to figure out which was the right piece to pick up and share with your mother. “I’ve had dreams. Very real feeling dreams of myself as Cassandra in ancient Troy. They’ve just been pieces though, it still feels incomplete.” 

“You’ve got a strong connection to her,” your mother mused. “There has to be something in those dreams, that story, that can help you?” 

Shifting in your place, she rose her brow at you. A wave of nostalgia hit you as you recalled the look many times from your childhood. She knew you had more. 

“The Delphi woman, Madam Despoina, she— she called him Apollo. It’s his face I see in my dreams when I, as Cassandra, am with him, as Apollo. But I— I don’t know what that means.”

Her eyes narrowed as the muscle in her cheek flinched, “And does he mean something to you?” 

Her question caused your brow to furrow. “What does that have to do with this?” 

“Mother’s intuition, I suppose,” she smiled. “It’s been good to see you, my darling.” 

“What do you—“ 

You blinked. 

She was gone. 

——-

You woke up the next morning on the cold floor of your apartment, the empty tea cup still laying on the rug. 

“Mum!” you exclaimed with a jolt upward, looking to the spot in front of you. 

But of course, no one was there. You were as alone in your apartment as you’d been when you arrived last night.

You reached for the tea cup and knew that it didn’t matter. Yesterday you might have tried to argue with yourself that you’d simply been dreaming or hallucinating, but the time for denial was over. 

Whatever this stuff had been that Madam Despoina gave you had given you the ability to talk with your mother last night. 

As you got ready for your shift at the Garrison, you tried to go through everything your mother had said to you, trying to commit it to memory, afraid that any little bit of it could slip away. 

You were going through it for about the twentieth time when a patron cleared his throat at the bar. 

“Apologies, I was—“ you turned and your customer service smile fell, “Oh, Benji, hello.” 

“I was just coming by to see when you were available next,” he said, offering you his most handsome smile. “No deaths or births or any other excuses this time, eh?”

Your brow lifted, finding that statement slightly rude. It’s not as if you’d blown him off for a headache or something minor — someone had died. 

But you knew what you had to do. Benji had been nothing but nice, if not a little forward, with you since you’d meet. It’d been wrong of you to accept his invitation when you were feeling alone and rejected. You couldn’t allow him to continue to believe he had a shot, but there was no reason to be rude about it. 

“I’ve been thinking about that, Benji, and I just— I don’t think it’s such a great idea.” His smile slowly began to fall as you talked, his brow creasing. “I shouldn’t have accepted in the first place,” you continued, feeling awkward and guilty. 

“Come on, love, you haven’t even given me a chance,” he tried to defend, pulling another smile on his face, though it didn’t reach his eyes. 

“I wasn’t ready to start anything. I’m still— I’m still adjusting and I—“

“Hmm,” Benji shoved his fists in his pocket. “And this wouldn’t have anything to do with the rumors going around of you and Tommy, would it?”

Your mouth opened slightly at the allegation, but you couldn’t form any kind of defense. Instead you crossed your arms, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” 

“Liar,” he hissed, slamming his fist to the bar top. The handful of patrons in the pub looked toward them, curious by the commotion. Benji noticed the eyes and cleared his throat, lowering his voice as he lifted his finger. “You’re making a big mistake, Y/N. Tommy-boy can’t sit on the throne forever, I’ll make sure of that.” 

He gave you a wicked smile as he turned and left the pub, slamming the door on his way out. 

You contemplated whether you should tell anyone about your interaction with Benji. Unsure if his threats were real or brought on simply by rejection and jealously, you decided to stay quiet for now. 

Things had been quiet for a few days afterwards, but slowly you began to notice some major irregularities in the books. Benji’s numbers were showing signs of stealing again. It started off small, similar to what it’d been when you originally became suspicious of him. But now it was quite obvious.

Finally, you came to the conclusion that you had no choice but to bring this to Polly’s attention. It was early in the morning before the shop opened. Polly was helping with John’s kids while Ada was MIA (though if you were a betting woman, you’d say she was with Freddie), and you found yourself sitting alone at the kitchen table, book open in front of you as you felt weirdly conflicted over Benji’s malfeasance.

In the past, you hadn’t been aware of what happened to the people you reported. But now, you knew that there were physical repercussions for stealing from the Shelbys, even as extreme as death. And whether it was guilt for leading him on or some piece of you that still believed that deep down he was a good guy — you began to contemplate whether he deserved a fair warning before you officially reported him. If he knew that he wasn’t as sneaky as he thought he was, that someone was paying attention to him, maybe he’d realize his mistake and end it before something bad happened to him.

You got up to get some tea, trying to think through how exactly you were going to warn him without giving yourself away, when the front door opened.

“How were the kids?” You asked over your shoulder as you poured, assuming Polly had returned.

“Y/N?”

A deeper voice than you expected came from behind you. Spinning around, you were surprised to find the man himself standing in the kitchen doorway.

Your heart rate surged when his eyes moved curiously from you to the table, the open diary and pencil next to it.

“You–” he started, the gears in his head turning to process the scene in front of him. “It’s been you all along.”

“What are you–” you tried to discreetly walk toward the other set of doors, but Benji rounded the table quicker than you, cutting off your escape routes.

What was the saying about good intentions?

“Benji you shouldn’t—“ you tried to lift up your arms between you.

His eyes narrowed and he took a step toward you. Your back hit the counter behind you as he caged you in. “It’s you isn’t it? I kept trying to figure out how it was Lenny and Jackson got stitched. And there you were all along — the little mouse hiding in plain sight.”

“Get off me!” You shouted as you tried to push him away, but he grabbed your arms. You tried to use some of the self defense moves you’d learned, but Benji was stronger than you’d anticipated, and much more sober than the last man you had to fight off of you in the pub. He spun you around and pinned your arms behind your back, pressing his weight onto you so you were pinned even tighter against the shelves and counter. You tried to kick, but he had your legs locked between his.

You were completely defenseless.

“You think you can fuck with me—“

“I wasn’t— I haven’t said anything–,” you gasped out, your face against the shelves as you tried to catch your breath while still struggling to get him off you. You felt the tears begin to fall down your face as you felt helpless.

“And you fucking won’t! You killed my mates. I’m gonna make you wish you’d never met Tommy—“

“Oi!”

Polly’s voice shouting from the doorway finally caused Benji to release you. At the slightly feel of freedom, you pushed him off and ran for the other other end of the kitchen. You grabbed a near empty bottle near you and threw it at him. He ducked as it broke against the wall behind him.

“Out!” Polly shouted, grabbing his arm and pushing him out the door. “And don’t you dare come back!”

Benji was shouting as well, raving that he was a Peaky Blinder dammit, and no one could stop him from getting what he wanted.

He looked back at you as he said that and you shivered.

Sure, you were shaken by being manhandled like that by someone you thought was a good enough man. But more than that, you were angry. This had been the second time since you’d been here that a man thought he could toss you around like you were some kind of doll.

Polly turned back toward you, and immediately got busy pouring you a cup of tea. She let you take your time as you finally launched into explanation. At the end, she calmly rose from her seat and found Scudboat in the betting den, who’d shown up at some point in all your distraction. You watched as she whispered in his ear and then calmly again walked back toward the kitchen. She reached into a drawer and pulled out a small handgun.

“You know how to use this?” 

Nodding, she handed it to you and told you to keep it on you from now on. 

“Go back to work, Y/N. Benji won’t be bothering you again.” 

——-

Polly had been right. Another week went by and you hadn’t seen or heard a peep from Benji. Part of you wondered if the bastard was dead, and you weren’t sure how exactly you felt when you realized that you didn’t really care. 

You also wondered if Tommy knew now about what happened with Benji. You hadn’t heard from him since he left again, but knew from Polly and Ada that they’d be back by the following weekend. 

In all the excitement, you’d forgotten about Tommy’s invitation to the races. When Ada burst into your apartment to announce that they were going shopping, you’d been surprised. It’d been a while since you’d been to the shops, but you weren’t going to deny the opportunity to find something nice to wear to your first race. 

“I’ve been crying nonstop for weeks,” Ada explained as you both walked around, looking at different fabrics as she pointed out some options. “Every little thing sets me off, I tell ya. I thought it was because of the funeral, but Martha and I weren’t really that close. Suppose it’s sympathy for the kids. Dunno. It’s been making me so tired though. I think I may be ill or something.” 

“Maybe,” you mused, grabbing the dress she handed you. 

A woman caught the corner of your eye. At your gaze, she dropped her head and turned. 

You ignored her, used to people staring when she was out with Ada. You hadn’t understood it when you’d first become friends, but now you realized. 

When you saw her again at the next shop, you began to feel less like it was accidental. 

“Hi,” you greeted when you met her eyes again. She looked away and tried to leave, but you spoke again, “Can I help you?” 

The woman stopped finally and turned, her head down slightly sheepishly. She wore a small hat and trendy dress, her hair was cut short like most women of the day, and you could tell she was quite tall, though she seemed to slouch slightly. Her facial features were sharp, complimenting her slim body shape. She was quite beautiful, and in your day could see her being the ideal supermodel. But the bags under her eyes and wornness of her skin led you to believe that her story probably wasn’t that simple. Not here, in Small Heath. 

“Pardon?” She finally said innocently, trying to subtly give you a once over as well. 

You shrugged, “It just seemed like you were needing something from me. My mistake.” 

You turned to leave but she spoke again. “This is incredibly improper of me, but I saw you and I just— you and Tommy, ya?” 

As you turned back to her, your brow creased. Instinct had you looking around for Ada. Ever since your encounter with Benji, you’d been edgier than you’d ever been, always looking for the exits and for familiar faces to run toward. It made you feel incredibly vulnerable and you absolutely hated it. You felt your fingers grip the strings of your handbag, knowing the gun Polly had given you was safely tucked away inside.

Swallowing, you resounded yourself to shake it off, to toughen up, and you straightened your shoulders as you addressed the stranger once again. “Excuse me?” 

“My sister saw you both walking home often late at night. I suppose he’s moved on, I shouldn’t be surprised.” She was rambling now, her cheeks blushed as if she were embarrassed by her own words. “I know we shouldn’t be speaking of this, not in public at least. It’s just hard, y’know, losing a customer. Especially one like him.” 

Customer. You looked over the stranger in front of you again and tried to think of any other instance where her phrasing would make sense aside from the very clear one that came to mind. 

Ada called for you, reaching you with a handful of dresses. You turned back to the woman who nodded and made her leave. 

“Ada, who was that?” 

She craned her neck and clicked her teeth. “Ah, that was Lizzie Stark. Surprised you haven’t seen her around town. Though why would you, less you were payin’ I suppose. Here, try these on.” 

——-

It’d been a while since you’d been on a real date. Even before you’d been sent to this place, dates had started to dwindle as you got older and got more choosy. For a while, starting in college, you’d easily been able to flirt with someone new, get to know them, and then start a fling for a while until one or both of you got bored. The couple serious relationships you’d had were harder for you. Being vulnerable hadn’t come easy for you, and it created commitment and trust issues. Dates became more complicated than they were worth. 

Tommy had greeted you at your place, and you surprised yourself with how much you missed him in the few weeks he’d been away. There was something about his presence, knowing that he was here, in the city, gave you a wave of some kind of safety and security that you hadn’t realized you’d been missing. 

He looked tired, though he smiled at you warmly as he walked you toward the family car, and offered you a hand in as you climbed in. 

This had been the first time you’d actually been excited for a date since possibly high school. 

And of course, Harry had to go and buzz kill your mood the day before the races. He hadn’t meant to, of course. After the Benji incident, he’d been extra protective and cautious. You’d explained the situation (without the stealing money from the Shelbys part) and he’d been surprisingly sensitive. But he believed his recent pub decision would make you feel better instead of make you sour.

“Somethin’ the matter?” He asked when you were quieter than he expected. “If this is about Hancock—“

“No,” you answered, already knowing from Polly that Tommy and the brothers had learned of Benji’s malfeasance, but he’d disappeared before Scudboat and Lovelock could find him. You’d cursed your previous self for trying to be sympathetic toward the man — it seemed like you’d just made everything worse. “It’s nothing honestly, just something silly.” 

“Go on, then. I can handle silly.” 

Your cheek flinched as you looked over toward Tommy, humored by him even saying the word ‘silly’. He rose his eye brow as he looked over to you, offering you a smirk before pulling his eyes back to the road. 

“Harry’s putting in an advertisement in the paper for another barmaid.” 

Tommy’s smirk turned into a frown, “Is he mad? The place wouldn’t be standin’ without you — I’ve seen the numbers, I know. I’ll have a word with Harry—“

“He’s not replacing me,” you quickly corrected. “I thought the same thing, but he wants me to concentrate more on the books and said he’d rather bring someone in part time to fill in behind the bar.” 

“Ah,” his brow creased as he gave you a short look. “The problem, then?” 

You sighed, knowing that you were being childish. “I’m just feeling territorial, is all. I know I’m not technically being replaced, but part of it feels that way. Did I mention I have a small case of control issues? I blame it on being an only child.” 

Tommy chuckled softly and shook his head. “You have nothing to worry about. If anything it’ll leave more time for you to do your real job.” 

“My real job?” You asked him curiously. 

“The Shelby business, ‘course. Wheels are already in motion, and today we’re going to enact the second part of my plan.” 

“And that is?” 

Tommy smiled, “Gonna buy a horse.”

>> next chapter << chapter masterlist

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[lady-ashfade]

Thank you: Soft moment between You and Demon Slayer characters.

Notes: Man, I should be asleep right now because about to be but in a coma by my heart rate- But no, my brain wants this. Only tanjiro is a romantic choice but it still up to you.

I read the motherly HC’s by @midnightwriter21 and i couldn’t help but want to do something to. Thank you for the comforting idea that heals me.

Reader: Female, and sweet and caring. Very motherly.

Characters: Tanjiro Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, Muichiro Tokito

(Romantic/ Platonic)

It had been years since he felt truly at home somewhere. It wasn’t just comfort of those around him, he had nezuko and that was all he need. No matter where he was he had her, and his founded family. But here, with you, was something familiar but distant…

The house smelled of cinnamon, he woke up in fresh clothes and sheets under him. He was warm and felt at peace. He had no idea why this didn’t just feel like a safe house. When he woke up he saw his clothes cleaned and repaired, the holes and blood stains no longer in them. And a cute hair pin for nezuko, which she was hopping up and down for.

When they made their way down the hallway the sweet smell got stronger and it made his mouth water. Nez was the first one to open the kitchen door and rush in, with a hum and a brightened look on her face.

He felt his heart warm as you smiled sweetly at her, flour on your cheek and sweat on your forehead from the warm room. “Come sit down,” you move your hands to show a nicely made sitting area with plates already prepared. “Hope it’s to your liking” He looked at the plates, nez couldn’t eat the food and he felt bad to bring this to your attention, until he looked closely. It wasn’t food at all but pretending food, like for children to play with.

You felt so homely to be around, like one his mom used to have. “I’m also making cookies, because you deserve it.” Tanjiro just looked at you for a minute and let his body take in the feeling of warmth. The sunshine in front of him with all its glory..

He was very grateful and thanked you, he shouted at how nice you had been to him and that he would make up for it. But you refused any help he offered around the house. So for the short time he stayed there, he cherished every second.

(Platonic)

He had never met anyone as gentle as you and he wondered how you got into this line of work, or made it this far without being killed. You weren’t a demon slayer, but a doctor for the near by demon slayers. You ran a safe house, cooked and clean and hosted anyone who needed it.

You ran your hands softly along his arm with some medicine that was cold, he just sat there. He could barely feel you, and he knew if it wasn’t for the medicine being cold he wouldn’t feel it at all. Usually, these things sting the wound but that didn’t happen. “You should get some rest when I’m done here, I’ll bring you a change of clothes.” You smiled at him.

He just looked plainly at you and slowly blinked, but speaking to you. “Do you prefer a red or a blue tooth brush?” What kind of question was that? Really, why would he care. A few seconds you realize he wouldn’t crack but that didn’t hurt you in the slightest. People take time, or maybe they never open up at all. It didn’t matter, as long as they are happy.

You patched him up from every scratch to every bigger wound. You never once let go of your smile, or didn’t try and talk to him when he wasn’t comfortable in doing so. The silence wasn’t filled with tension, it was calming to say the least. Your carful touches and your soft breaths, it was almost like being taken care of a mother…

You stood up when you were all done and clapped your hands slightly together and opened a  cabinet. Pulling out a few things, a blue toothbrush, a small towel, a pair of socks and what caught his eyes the most…

A blue lollipop.

“You don’t have to eat it, but all my patients get a treat.” Your voice beamed as you hand him the candy. He stared at it confused and then back up at you. It was very soft, like not even a inch but his lips curled up. “Thank you.” He said quietly.

You just giggled and help him to his room. He didn’t know why you just smiled and acted like a angel. But, it was a nice change.

(Platonic)

While tanjiro chopped firewood, something he begged you to let him do and wouldn’t stop asking about, she had a moment alone with you. She sat beside you, the sun had just set and you did some of your work.

You hummed a sweet tune as you wash the clothes, in your own little world. She stared at you and enjoyed the sound, it was nice to her. Maybe it was a glimpse of the passes when her mother would sing to her and her siblings. Whatever the reason, she was loving this moment.

That was until you stop humming the song, maybe it came to a end but she glared slightly, not mean or anything but in confusion. You heard her make a sound and found her staring at you with her head titled to the side.

You just smiled, “What is it, Nezuko?” You asked with a cheery tone. She just inched closer and tried to hum like you had, her nails pointing at you. “Oh, is this about my humming?” You chuckle as she nodded her head at a rapid speed. “Do you want more?”

When she agreed you smiled, continued to hum a new song your mother had once taught you. A weight pressed on your shoulder and your heart flutter in awe. She closed her eyes and listened to you continue to make the sweet sounds, her face happy and calm.

You knew this moment was more important to you. The place got lonely at times but with the siblings staying you couldn’t help but feel a hole being replaced. It was healing for you in a way, to hum for her like your mother used to do when you slept.

[yoursweetwife]

hii haha i dont see a lot of topaz x reader so im gona req one hehe so you know the trope where like (character) introduces their pet to their s/o and the pet likes the s/o more than (character)? i wanna see how topaz would react if numby would rather chill with reader more than topaz, if u dont wanna write this then its okay have a nice rest of your day! :D

warnings: female reader (but no pronouns are used), jealous Topaz, Topaz needs a hug

p.s sorry if this is not what you wanted, but as soon as I saw your request, I immediately thought of jealous Topaz

Right now, Topaz was dismayed by the sight in front of her.

She witnessed how Numby lay on your thighs and rubbed against them as if it was the best pillow of his life (in fact, it was true).

Your fingers ran over the piggy's smooth skin, stroking him in every accessible place and cooing sweetly at his every joyful squeal. But once upon a time it was Topaz herself.

She's actually very happy that you two have become friends. Even at the first meeting, Numby began to feel a strange attachment to you. He tried to climb into your arms when they met him, squeaked happily and jumped, which was quite surprising, because it took him time even to let himself be petted. And you never missed a chance to play with Numby.

Despite your work, you remained a good person, and that's what attracted Topaz to you.

And she is glad to have such a wonderful lover, but now she constantly has the feeling that she no longer lives in this house.

But Topaz is partly to blame for not intervening. And she can’t even figure out who she envies more.

"Who's the good piggy here? It's Numby!"

You laughed quietly at the excited sounds Numby was making. It was very difficult to resist his charms.

"Agree Topaz. Topaz?"

She continued to look at you through her eyelashes, resting his cheek with one hand and frowning slightly. You looked at woman worriedly and called her name again.

Your voice seemed to bring her out of some kind of trance.

Topaz shook her head and gasped at the realization that you were calling her.

“Haha, sorry, I was lost in thought. Did you want something?”

She rubbed the back of her head and focused all her attention on you. You couldn’t help but notice the slight sadness in her voice, and even Numby stopped playing and began to pay attention to the conversation.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, eh...I"

Topaz couldn't find the words? If anyone had told her that, you and she would have laughed about it. You noticed how her gaze ran over Nambi lying on your lap, and without thinking twice you put two and two together. Oh, who would have thought...

"Topaz, are you...jealous?"

After your words, an expression of shock appeared on the girl’s face. white-haired woman began to actively shake her head, fervently denying your words.

"No no! Well maybe a little... But I like watching you and Nambi have fun, I really do."

You immediately realized that Topaz had received almost no affection lately. A guilty expression appeared on your face.

Numby looked at you and seemed to understand what you were thinking.

You and Nambi “looked at each other” and a smile immediately appeared on your face, while the piglet stomped around impatiently. Topaz did not have time to react when at the one moment two bodies knocked her down, pinning her to the sofa.

She felt your warm breath on her neck, tickling her skin, one of her hands held your waist while the other stroked Numby, who settled comfortably on her stomach.

A heartfelt, loud laugh burst from her chest, making you laugh along with her.

"What is this for?"

Topaz asked, stopping laughing. You moved closer to her face and quickly kissed her lips, a light blush appearing on her pale cheeks.

"doesn't matter."

[nenilein]

Hello! Apologies for sending an ask out of the blue but considering your familiarity with localisation differences in persona 4/golden, I was wondering if anything comes to your mind regarding this aspect and how the game depicts queerness and queer themes? Thank you!

Heya! Don't worry, I was thinking people would probably ask stuff like this. After all, I already replied to somebody's tags asking this same thing previously, but I know not many people saw that, so let me use the chance to go into more detail:

Unfortunately, Persona 4's treatment of queer themes is not a result of the translation. The only things that were down to translation choices were small things, such as which pronouns are used in which situation (because Japanese does not at all have the same concept of third person pronouns as English, and the way first person classifiers that mean "I" work is very complex and a lot more vibes-based than actually tied to gender.)

But for the most part, everything is pretty much the same. Kanji's reaction to Chie mumbling about something being "off" about how he interacted with Naoto that first time, the tent scene, Yosuke's extreme insecurity in his own sexuality in addition to everyone else's... I think maybe the only thing that's a biiit better in Japanese is that Teddie is kiiinda genderfluid in Japanese, with the artbook outright stating that he doesn't necessarily consider himself "male" when he's in his bear form, unless it's necessary for a joke.

A lot of this can be traced to the really odd relationship the game's director, Katsura Hashino, has to queer themes. In interviews about Catherine Fullbody (a game which infamously has a rather weirdly handled gay romance route which, however, is notably also the only romance route in the game that cannot possibly result in a bad ending), he talks about how he's always admired queer people for being "strong" and wanted to write queer stories, but couldn't really do it until Fullbody because Atlus higher ups were afraid of backlash from the fans.

Traces of this are actually seen in Persona 4 Vanilla's data, where remnants of a surprisingly well done romance route for YOSUKE, of all people, are still present. That route made it far enough into development to have voiced lines in both, English and Japanese. However, it was dummied out in the final game and its script content was removed. Yosuke STILL has the "girlfriend flag" in the code that all the female romance options also have, but in the finished game it only checks whether you can hug him during his social link or not. Everything else was dummied out. You can still find the voice files on the cutting room floor if you want:

And yes, the "I like you" line is unambiguously romantic in Japanese. His wording is very hard to misinterpret.

However, in the finished game and the rest of the franchise Yosuke's bisexuality was reduced to an in-joke of the developers. It's most poignant in Persona Q (the first one), where if you get the "marriage" scene with Yosuke in the second dungeon, his reactions differ WILDLY depending on which Protagonist you are playing as, far more than other male characters. With Makoto Yuki he acts nonchallant and deadpan about it. With Yu Narukami he acts like a blushy Tsundere and panics constantly. So, yeah.

Okay, so, if the director had interest in writing queer stories since before Persona 4, why is Persona 4 the way it is then?

Well, because - and there's no way around it - he sucks at it.

Katsura Hashino has to be one of the clumsiest "gay activists" I've ever seen in my whole darn life. He finds queer people "cool", but seemingly never had any queer writers or sensitivity readers on his teams and it's caused enormous blunders in how these themes have been handled. For example, when after Persona 3 it was pointed out to him that the writing of the female characters in interaction with the male characters was bad, he immediately hired more female writers and gave them free reign for how to handle the female characters from then on out. But apparently the same thing never happened with his mishandling of queer themes. He wants Catherine's Erica and Rin to be empowering figures for trans women and gay men, but makes a lot of blunders in how he has other characters interact with them to the point it buries his good intentions. Erica's boyfriend having gay panic upon realizing she's trans is treated as "funny and cute", even by Erica herself. Rin technically being a monogender alien really undermines his story of becoming more secure in his sexuality. It goes on and on like that.

The intention with Naoto's story was to point out the extreme sexism in Japanese society and how it forces female nerds to find alternate modes of self-expression, but the clumsy choice of including surgery themes in Naoto's dungeon completely buried that for especially western queer audiences. Most people don't even remember Naoto's dungeon was outright modeled after a Kamen Rider villain hideout. They completely shot themselves in the foot with this one. Additionally, the way Naoto is handled AFTER the dungeon makes her (I'm using that pronoun because she calls herself a "woman" in Japanese in the game) seem more like someone who's on the verge of discovering they are X-gender (the japanese word for "nonbinary") than a repressed girl. Like, right down to how she has Rise help her experiment with clothes in the canonical drama CDs only to realize she really is uncomfortable with skirts and go for an androgynous but less restrictive look going forward. The way she dresses in the Golden epilogue and P4D is pretty X-gender core if you ask me. If they had leaned into that they could have genuinely have had something AMAZING, while also presenting the themes of sexism they wanted to explore, but the lack of queer sensitivity readers kind of ruined it.

Same for Kanji. The way they write him makes it seem like he's bisexual or pansexual, rather than straight, but they kinda shove that part of him aside after his dungeon is done, leaving his actual orientation up in the air and wasting a really good chance for representation. NOW, given what happened to Yosuke's social link, it's quite possible the original intent WAS to explore this more and it got cut, but as it stands, we'll never know. The huge problem of the internalized toxic stereotypes his Shadow presented never being reflected on and put into their right context in the rest of the game, when his social link could've given a great opportunity for that is also a huge shame.

All of this happened because of Atlus being unwilling to let their writers go all out with queer themes in fears of alienating a cishet audience AND because Hashino never sat his writing team down with any actual queer writers to sort this shit out and learn how to get across what the team was ACTUALLY trying to say. Now, given, Persona 4 was far from the only Japanese media property with that exact issue at the time, but it hurts especially much in its case because of the game's themes of exploring the truth to its logical conclusion, as well as psychology. These are issues that a remake REALLY would do well to address and correct. I feel like they actually will HAVE to do that, because sensitivity readers have become the NORM in handling these themes now in Japanese media, rather than the exception. You can thank trail blazing mainstream works like Zombie Land Saga for that.

All in all, Persona 4's handling of queer themes is an exercise in frustration that I hope is corrected soon.

[nikox400x]

Kung Fu Panda 4-All the budget went to the animation (spoilers)

Hey all, its me, the guy who everyday make a tour around this site but almost never talk. How are ya?

Two days ago something arrived to the cinema's screens, something that me and everyone were waiting for since 2018, the fourth film and the begginig of the new kung fu panda triology.

You know? When I sat on that theather seat with my friends to see what Dreamworks had prepared for us, I told myself; "Maybe that post I made a while ago throwing shit at what seemed like Kfp 4 was going to be was a bit hard, I hope I can come out regretting what I said that time"

And as soon as the credits ended, it was clear to me, I dont regret a shit. Maybe it was a little exaggerated, compared to what a megamind fan would think about the terrible sequel they made, but still: the film is crappy and boring most of the time. But why?

I'm going to explain some points.

1- Po? Is that you?

I don't know you guys, but i don't think the panda we knew in the end of the third film is the same as this one. Seriously, he share more comparisons with the Po from the legend of awessonless than the one from the films, maybe its a personal thing but it feels that way. At least in the beggining of the film feel like that.

And I don't know what he was thinking about when he decided to follow a thief he doesn't know at all and who tried to steal in his own palace, and that suspiciously know who is the chameleon, whose were her plans, her past, where she lived, where exacly they had to pass through avoiding all the guard inside her home, why the others thiefs of the city hate her so much... With Po's experience with criminals this is like a chef throwing water on a pan with boiling oil, it's obvious what is going to happen.

2- Zheng- Female Nick Wilde but without charisma or half of his intelligence.

I knew it from the first moment I saw Zheng's desing, the people who know me can corroborate that; her facial expressions, her tone while she talk, her animal race, her position as thief, her final when she is part of the justice same as the protagonist... it's clearer than water I think.

Everyone could say this is forgivable if she's smart, but surprise, she's not. This character is just an absurd try of this company for """"conect with infant audience""""(I don't know in what sense, I supose for the cute design, idk). But the point is, the supposed objective of the hollywood companies is give the new generetions better things than we got at their age, but what I see is laziness for write a decent scrip only for take an advantage of a known IP and make easy money. Even the children have quality standars, this is not the dragon warrior and of course this is not kung fu panda.

And talking about the dragon warrior, having our deep and lovely Tigress with her magnific development or Tai Lung back from the spirit realm... why in the hell this character exists?! Oh yeah, for being trending topic in twitter for three days. Yay...

3- The furious five and Shifu, for us : our pretty boys, and for Dreamworks: living jokes.

What made Kung Fu Panda what it is, is not the fucking panda, it's them. They're the inspiration for Po, their allies, the royale representation of kung fu and the ones which everything started with.

Po's a comic relief, and his mission is show his development in part using his humor, but the humor in this film barely works because of the lazy script. Something that even the talented Jack Black himself can't fix, beacuse his only role there is dublin his character, unlike the rest of the residents of the Jade Palace except Dustin Hoffman.

Seth Rogen (Mantis) himself even said that he wasn't even contact by Dreamworks in the first place, only for make a scream in the credits, that's sad beacause he really wanted to see Mantis on the screen. And I know and I understand that the five are expensive, but cmon, they could just simply change the voice actors and offset it with a good script but that's not the case of course. Their role in the film is being a counter for Po's constant jokes, for not to saturate the spectator with jokes, now that's not in there anymore, thank you Dreamworks.

4-The chameleoooohhn and her "motivation".

I can't say much, basically because out of her design she's nonsense. She says that because of her size, she was reyected for being a kung fu warrior.

Yeah of course but only one little thing, what about Shifu? Viper, a warrior without tips? Mantis, literally a dawn insect? Master Oogway, a TURTLE? The masters goose? C'mon even there's a fucking master chicken! Don't talk shit chameleon!

Her importance for the plot? Its almost a lie, the others villains had links to important characters; Tai Lung (with his link to Shifu's past), Shen (with his link to Po's past) or Kai (with his link to Oogway's past), all of them related to important characters. And her? To zheng's past and present I guess? But again, anyone know this character. She's like a villain from a Disney show, you know the type of villain who say a lot of things but at the end, she don't support nothing to the lore.

And her personality is like a mix of all the previous villains, and this sounds good right? HAHAH nope. Do you remember when as a child you mixed all the plasticines of all the colors to create the final color and you ended up with a color similar to poop? well that's exacly how her personality feels like.

5- Po's dads; the only reason they're there is because they ran out of characters to make the film.

The tittle itself tell everything, they don't do anything for the script in all the film, and their objective could be done since the start.

The script of the film except for the final looks like a draft which they didn't know how to complete, everyone who watch it can see it perfecly. The animation, the music and the backgrounds are the only things notable here.

6- Tai Lung and the cheapness nostalgia.

Fan service is not necesarry bad, above all if is used in a good way, they sold us Tai Lung as a miracle but his importance for the plot feels just like a Stan Lee cameo, I like Tai Lung I can say that. But this is too weak, Shen and Kai are only characters in the background who don't do nothing except being defeated or make facial expressions (I don't even joke that Shen would show respect to Po considering what we saw in the second movie, and Kai wasn't supposed to be destroyed as a spirit, what the hell is he doing here again? *sign* I'll to stop trying to make sense of this).

By the way, anyone else think that the dragon warrior role is understimated? I mean Shifu obligated Po to transfers the role to another one just because yes, i mean he only has been the dragon warrior for less than 5 years and now they want to replace him with a random. Everything just for at the end, he choosed a thief with at least 30 crimes registred and who was a traitor during the 75% of the movie.

7- The """""""""humor"""""""", except they forgot the parts where I must to laugh.

Seeing nonsense hits only beacuse yes stopped of being funny a long time ago, and no, I don't want to talk about the bunnies of the portrait because I would get sick. I had to go to the cinema drunk to endure the filler that the movie had, no joke, it was the only way to laugh at those jokes.

So I think about applying the same method as in any movie with bad jokes, ignoring the jokes. I tried to do the same thing but with the pace that the film managed, such a thing was impossible, the pace of the movie seems to be made for Tiktoker children with attention deficit. From the chaos in the quarry until Po takes the bitc... uhg fox out of prison, only 10 fucking minutes pass, all of that for what? So that you feel like the baseless information and the nonsensical plot that they tell us is of any use? they could simply make a non-canonical short and that's it, but no, yes or they were going to tell us a story written by rotten old men who spend the entire day watching Tik Tok. It's not going to be that the child who sees this doesn't get bored, we know that much today's children don't have many neurons as they say, but even to make movies for them you have to have a certain talent.

In some point at the beguining Po make a joke about the ausence of the furious five saying that at least he had them in cardboard posters, and this would be a good joke. Only if the stupid film could be prove that the franquise can do something memorable without the furious five, but again, that's not the case.

Don't have any respect for this movie, look what it had with you. I understand that it is enjoyable because of the animation but it does not go beyond that line, it destroys important things about the canon and spoils its teaching about the need for change by treating it in a terrible way.

Coclusion: KFP 4 is just another Po's adventure as Shifu says, it won't tell nothing to you or make you feel different, it's a shame but after Megamind 2 I imagined something like this. It's a dark era for film, expecially the animated one so like Scar said; Be prepare, there're worse things waiting for us.

Do you want something with real quality? You don't even need kung fu panda 1,2 or 3, for make it easy to this film let's take this marvelous example; kung fu panda: secrets of the scroll (2016). You'll say; "An animated short, this is not like-" Shhh Just watch it, you won't regret it.

If you think I'm wrong in something, just rewatch the film. And if still you aren't agreed with me, well, I respect you and I'm happy you like it. I wish I could love it as you do, but that doesn't mean that the movie isn't bad, because if you watch it with your brain on or remembering the previous movies it's terrible.

. Me? I've to write a story, I love you all. Except you, Dreamworks, I'm mad with you, expecially when you do this at the same day as Akira Toriyama's death :(

[songsofadelaide]

Paraselene

On one side of the coin of fate, Okkotsu Yuuta stopped wanting things ever since he lost one most precious to him, even though it was due to circumstances beyond his control. He decided against wanting anything ever again. 

And on the other side… As a beloved daughter of an age-old sorcerer clan, you often got everything you wanted. That is why you were allowed to grace the stage of many of Tokyo's extravagant places of gathering as one of this generation's most popular idols. And upon meeting Yuuta for the first time, you resolved that this man would be no exception— that you would get him, too— no matter how hard he tried to evade you and your most curious gaze. 

Though admittedly, he didn't try very hard. 

Still reeling from an overseas mission, Special Grade Sorcerer and for-hire bodyguard Okkotsu Yuuta gets roped into a one-night stand with a retiring idol trying to evade an unwanted engagement arranged by her family— and the choice that changes the trajectory of both your lives. 

[An Okkotsu Yuuta x Reader AU one-shot]

cw/tw: female reader, reader is an idol, sorcerer x idol romance au where things are all well (but not really), original characters, no use of yn and instead follows my usual naming convention (I use Otome as a placeholder for yn since it means maiden, which pretty much means yn too), song fic, inaccurate depictions of idol life, fluff, slice of life, some fun until it's not, it's kind of slow burn but maybe not really, mentions of heartbroken gay men because of the stigma, Nana and Soul Eater references, the Zenins are assholes here, too, mentions of the death of a loved one, arranged marriages and family traditions and breaking said family traditions, and a lovely, happy ending (for those who want to know beforehand)— ✦ oc guide here wc: 22.5k

— The boy in the shadows and the girl with stars in her eyes.

"Whenever I look at you, your shadow seems to cast a smile— hiding your teardrops from me secretly, like you always do—" 

Simply put, Yuuta was tired. 

It hasn't been a full 24 hours since he returned from the peacekeeping mission in Monaco that was previously assigned to him by his superior, but here he was with said superior, standing among the audience of a full Yokohama Arena. The lights, music, costumes and stage design were all so artfully made, its calibre unlike anything he had ever seen before— and it was all for the graduation of the centre of sensational idol group Rose Gold. 

"See her? The one in the sparkling red dress."

The boy with dark eyes followed his teacher's steady and slender finger as he pointed at the bright stage just mere steps away from where they were standing in the audience. 

There were five girls in total, but his eyes were drawn to the very same one the older man was pointing at.

"The centre?" He responded, squinting at the brightness of the stage to help his vision adjust and focus on the figure happily waving in the middle, all spotlights on her as she moved her glossy lips to sing to the audience. 

"Hope always may be found in the water's evidence— The loneliness of silence, oh, yes, I know that well, too—"

Pretty, he thought to himself as he was allowed a moment to rest his eyes on you.

"And do you see that thing over there?" His teacher then pointed overhead, just above the steel truss holding all the colourful lights illuminating the stage. Yuuta saw the shadow of a cursed spirit hovering above the centre of the performance, the girl in the sequined dress seemingly sparkling on stage and unaware of the danger that loomed over her. 

But dense, he shook his head. "All right. I know what to do." 

"Then the future starts to move, racing on— Open up the door! It's what you're searching for…"

"E—motion!" The enthusiastic crowd sang along, followed by the flickering of thousands of multicoloured light sticks illuminating the arena even further, like twinkling stars reflected in the inky ocean waves. 

"Suddenly, I know this sky— It's the one that's in my dreams! So anxiously, my heart resounds, passionate and warm!"

Yuuta quietly got up from his seat and shuffled out of the audience, seemingly disappearing backstage with his blade concealed under his jacket. He walked unnoticed, melting into the background as the melodious song filled the still air.

"Secretly, I long to repeat these dreams I had of you… So quietly, just close your eyes and hold me in your arms!" 

The blood rushing through your ears and the heavy pounding of your heart flooded your senses as the final bow call started, wet palms taking wet palms as your group granted your most grateful audience a graceful bow in unison. You could only look up in anticipation as the spotlights drew to a close, the dark energy you had been keeping an eye on for days just gone. 

And how odd it was that it just vanished after it metastasised into something you knew you couldn't do anything about if it went berserk all of a sudden. 

As your fellow idols shuffled off the stage to prepare for the after-concert handshake event, you stood there pondering the events of this show and the disappearance of the cursed spirit that had been plaguing you for weeks, the ache in your feet from the high heels you wore going unnoticed until your manager called your attention. 

Kagomura Sana was one of the few adults you trusted at your talent agency. Rose Gold was composed of five girls— each one with their own manager who reported to the group's main handler, whom you only know as Kyou-san. You didn't care much for the other managers or for Kyou-san, but Sana was someone special to you— she knew you and your peculiar circumstances, and why you were graduating at the height of your group's success.

"Otome! It's Gojo-san! He's here to see you!" 

Snapping out of your reverie, you were approached by two figures, the more familiar one flashing his million-dollar smile at you, bright blue eyes concealed under a pair of darkened sunglasses. In his hands was a bouquet of soft pink roses that added an even softer splash of colour to the exquisitely made crimson dress you were wearing. 

"Yo, ojou-chan!"  

"Satoru nii-san!" You beamed at him like you were still onstage, your arms open to receive the blooms bundled in white and pink crepe paper. "Thank you for coming, even though I know Kazu nii-san asked for your help with that, um, thing…" 

"Oh, that?" Gojo Satoru raised a thoughtful hand to his chin. "Your brother mentioned it, but we didn't expect it to grow that huge. Either someone's super mad or super obsessed with you."

"Or both," you groaned, cradling the flowers close to your chest. "But still, I must thank you for handling that thing in a… clean way. Anything other than that would have spooked everyone onstage and would have caused a scene…" 

"You should be thanking him," the older man jerked his thumb at the younger man standing behind him. "This is his mission, after all."

"I see," you replied with a nod, curiously peering over Satoru's right arm. "Then I must thank you for exorcising that curse, jujutsu-shi."

The younger sorcerer was slightly startled by your approach, even more so when you extended your finely manicured hand for a handshake, your wrist bejewelled with frilly bracelets adorned with fine plastic crystals. 

"It's no problem," said Yuuta. His smile was that of someone not entirely sure what he should do, but he gently took your hand in his and gave it a short shake. 

It was your turn to be surprised when you realised it wasn't another old man with Satoru, but a young sorcerer around your age instead. "O-Oh! I-I didn't know you were just a boy! I thought Satoru nii-san brought another old man like him again."

"Hey! I'm not that old!"

Yuuta saw the abundance of stars in your eyes as you nervously smiled and rambled at him, not at all minding how you grasped him with a sweaty hand. His teacher's rant faded into the air as he mustered a small smile. There was an assortment of equally sparkling jewellery and adornments on your pulled-up hair and right now he was unconsciously thinking you were just as pretty up close as you were on stage earlier. 

"Now that the two of you have been introduced, we should get down to business," Satoru started. "Yuuta's been tasked with searching for the one responsible for all these curses, ojou-chan. I know you have your ever-faithful guardian Yohan-san with you, but Yuuta will stick around to look after you as well."

"I suppose nii-san petitioned this to the magic school," you said with a sigh, only to brighten up with a smile as you clutched the younger man's hand even closer. "Yuuta-san, isn't it? You must allow me to treat you as thanks."

"No worries, ojou-san," he replied, echoing how his superior addressed you before softly gesturing to your sparkling outfit. "But won't you have a hard time moving around?"

His assumption elicited an even softer laugh from you. You graciously gave him your name before finally replying. "I won't go out like this, of course. I must apologise in advance, though, as I still have my final handshake event to get to. It may take some time…"

"Please don't worry about it," the young man reassured you. "It's my duty to keep you safe while you're still on the clock, so…"

—

You never really believed in the saying less is more, especially when it came to style and costumes. The popular idol group Rose Gold is known for its breathtaking and extravagant imagery that drew audiences of all ages from inside and outside the city. Apart from the idols' superb skills, their costumes by the head costume designer Irino Izuna, are often praised for their fine craftsmanship and her specific attention to detail. 

As a former idol herself, she found it a pleasure to dress those with star potential. Rose Gold was named after a precious metal, after all. For Izuna, more is better, and it became the group's principle.

This would be Izuna's final year as the group's head costume designer since she will be getting married soon, making your graduation outfit her penultimate masterpiece. The older woman had long been enamoured by you ever since you first auditioned to become a member many years ago and has since dressed you for every concert, every music video, and every guesting and show you starred in. 

"This one I made especially for you. It would hurt me to see another wearing it, so the group resolved to hand it over to you, Otome-san, if you'll accept, of course." 

"Is that heavy? Let me help you carry it."

Even in your simple civilian clothing, with the glamorous costume and accessories discarded, you still exuded the same kind of vibrance and elegance that made Yuuta rather nervous. 

"Thank you very much, Yuuta-san," you replied, allowing his larger hand to take your suitcase filled with costumes from your fingers. He paused in his tracks when he came in contact with the luggage. "Is something wrong?" 

"There's a curse in this luggage, Otome-san."

"O-Oh! How could I have not noticed?" Your brows furrowed in confusion. Yuuta pulled away from you as you reached for the suitcase once more. "Yuuta-san?"

"You must be exhausted," he remarked. "Can you not sense them?"

"I can, but faintly. Believe it or not, my family is pretty well-known in jujutsu society. I'm… not just some idol, I suppose," you nodded at him. "I believe my brother has made arrangements for you to stay with us for the duration of your mission."

He nodded at you this time, a smile still forming on his otherwise tired face. "I have a week to solve your predicament, but the investigation will be made quicker if you tell me everything you know, like people you suspect."

"Of course. Anything to help you, Yuuta-san," you eagerly nodded once more. The two of you were approached by an older man in a dark-coloured haori, his salt and pepper hair cut short and neat. Though his eyes were concealed under a pair of aviator sunglasses, there was no mistaking the sharpness of his sight. "This is Sakashita Yohan-san. Satoru nii-san mentioned him earlier. He is one of the Koganei Clan's finest sorcerers and has been my guardian since birth. He takes orders directly from my father and my brother, too, since he will be inheriting leadership soon." 

The two sorcerers acknowledged each other with similar bows, the older one taking the cursed suitcase from the younger one. 

"They are harmless at best, something you can easily sweep under the rug if you wish," stated Yohan. You gestured for Yuuta to follow the older man as he led you out of the arena. "Ojou-san, this way, please."

The car ride home was pleasant, but the two men couldn't help but keep their senses on high alert even after the exorcism of the seemingly harmless cursed spirit that chased you wherever you went. 

"Yo-chan, you think we can stop by a convenience store? I want some Yakult…"

"I'll call the estate ahead and let them know that you want some, ojou-san."

The older man could have sworn he heard a small grumble of protest from where you sat in the vehicle.

The Koganei Clan made their home alongside the golden ginkgo trees that lined part of the Meiji-Jingu Gaien, part of the estate shrouded with a curtain due to the perennial nature of the golden tree within the gated property. With a keen eye, any sorcerer would be able to knock on the gates that were hidden from the normal human being.

Yuuta knew that the older sorcerer families had treasures to their names— even yours, whose origins were considered lowly compared to the Great Three Sorcerer Clans. You were welcomed home by a line of female servants in mustard-coloured yukata, the one closest to your age at the very front with a warm smile on her face. 

"Welcome home, ojou-sama!"

You nearly forgot your manners as you happily embraced the other girl. "Marin-chan! Oh, how long has it been?" 

"Eight months to this day, ojou-sama. We're all so happy to see you back home," Marin replied as she returned her liege's embrace. 

Sakashita Marin was Yohan's niece whom he raised as his daughter. Given his close ties to the masters of the house, Marin was given her own task of being your attendant. You did not agree with her at first due to her straitlaced personality, but you soon became fast friends after bonding over the first generation of Rose Gold. 

"Ah, yes. We have a guest, as I'm sure you're all aware of," you said with a smile as you gestured towards the rather tired-looking young man standing right next to you. "This is Okkotsu Yuuta-san. He is a pupil of Satoru nii-san and has been tasked with guarding me?"

"Uh, yes. I will serve as another bodyguard for Otome-san. I-I'll be in your care, then." 

"It's an honour to have another esteemed sorcerer in our home," Marin bowed before him. "Please make yourself comfortable. We will handle your belongings." 

"I'll prepare some tea for you, Yuuta-san," you told him. "If it's not much of a bother, could you perhaps tell me more about the magic school? It's always been my dream to study there, but my family blocked my application to the school because they say it's too dangerous for someone like me to even consider…" 

"Oh, uh, I wouldn't want to impose…" Came his reply as he quickly followed you into your spacious home. "For starters, I was a pretty problematic kid. I have Gojo-sensei to thank for pulling the strings…"

For someone who held a three-hour-long farewell concert earlier today, you still had the boundless energy of someone who just woke up from a long rest. The servants in the kitchen were surprised by your arrival and even insisted on preparing the tea you promised your guest, urging you to rest for the night. 

"I suppose we both have something to be thankful for that weird old man," you said with a laugh as you were both shooed away from the kitchen and led to one of the guest rooms prepared for the young sorcerer. "If you don't mind me asking, what rank are you?"

A single futon was laid out on the tatami, along with most of Yuuta's belongings for the week. His sheathed blade rested against the paper-thin walls while you took your seat on the floor, a tranquil image now unknowingly burned into his mind. He sat across from you and lowered his eyes briefly before fishing out his sorcerer licence from the left breast pocket of his grey jacket. You graciously accepted it with both hands and were visibly surprised by the fact presented to you.

"You're a Special Grade sorcerer! Incredible! I see I've made quite a talented friend." 

He smiled rather sheepishly, a hand on his nape as he attempted to refute your point. "Not really… It's not all good, after all. Having this kind of power."

It was only when he lowered his gaze that you saw the exhaustion on his face, the dark circles under his eyes and a look that seemed to beg for even a moment's repose, only he was too polite to tell you to leave. 

"You must be tired, Yuuta-san. Let's continue this conversation tomorrow," you said with a smile as you slowly rose from your seat. "Please make yourself comfortable. I—"

"O-Oh, are you leaving now, Otome-san?" His eyes followed your movement, lit up by some kind of expectation. "Sorry… To be honest, I'm… having a hard time resting with all of this space. I was hoping you could stay a little bit more to chat…"

You blinked at him, surprised at his sudden insistence. He raised his hands in defence. 

"O-Only if you'd like! But I know you're probably tired yourself…"

"Not at all," you said as you shook your head and took your seat across from him once again. "You know, Yuuta-san, I understand if you feel like your skills may be a curse. Even I… I thought my technique to be my strength, but it made me weaker than the average sorcerer that I couldn't even study at the magic college."

Yuuta couldn't tear his tired eyes away from your leisurely-paced movement, the wave of your legs as you embraced them, the sparkle in your manicured nails, a polish of your choosing, and the tenderness of your voice as you spoke to him deep in the night, with his traditional-styled room illuminated by a single candle. 

"At the end of the day, we are what we make out of our skills. I want to be one of this society's… Well, let's just say I want to help even if I cannot defend myself in battle," you told him with a small curl to your lips. "Yuuta-san, you have the strength to protect many people… Don't ever say it's not all good."

"Perhaps the only regret I have was…" He didn't have the strength to dispute your declaration any further, only enough to start a tale he can't bring himself to finish. "Believe it or not, I had a fiancée before. She was a childhood friend of mine…"

Yes, even with all of his strength and gifts, he was powerless against death itself. 

— A madness and beauty unlike any other.

Sleep eluded you last night, and it was unfortunate that it was made so evident by the dark crescents under your eyes. On the contrary, your hired bodyguard had a refreshed look on his face as he stepped out of his room in his same grey jacket and his blade in tow. 

"Oh, what are we going to do about this?" Marin queried as she fussed over you as you both stood in the hallway. Compared to your decked-out form from yesterday, you were dressed more casually today. "Sana-san will definitely be asking you why you look like that, ojou-sama."

You yawned into your palm, warm tears prickling your eyes as you fought the urge to drive your fists into them, even more so as you saw Yuuta approaching you with a smile. He looked like he had a good night's rest and he deserved it more than you since you weren't careful with your words. 

"Good morning, Otome-san," he greeted you, to which Marin replied with a polite bow before you could even muster a response. 

"Okkotsu-san," she started. "I understand ojou-sama must have kept you up and you gladly regaled her with stories about your work as a jujutsu-shi, but her work as a celebrity has not fully concluded yet. Please urge her to rest once today's activities have ended."

"M-Marin-chan! Th-There's no need to scold Yuuta-san—"

"O-Of course, Marin-san. My apologies. I thought there would be no harm in talking… But yes, we didn't expect it to go all night," Yuuta replied with a quick bow. 

"Nothing inappropriate, I can only hope," Marin concluded before turning back to you. "Otou-san will be here with the car in a bit. Please send Sana-san my regards, ojou-sama. We are comrades in arms, after all!"

"It means they both look after me and my well-being," you said with a laugh as you finally approached the young man, who had a rather confused look on his face. "Good morning, Yuuta-san. I trust you had a good night's sleep."

Too good, he wanted to say. In fact, your conversation from the previous night about his past before becoming a sorcerer lifted a weight off his shoulders for some reason. He wanted to apologise for making you cry because of his story as well. 

"Well, just like Marin said, work's not done just yet," you started, gently psyching yourself up. "Today we're going to my talent agency, Mieux Folie Productions, to say my farewells and get my final paycheck. I suppose that's a good place to start checking the, uh…"

"It's the best place to start, Otome-san," Yuuta nodded at you. "We want to be thorough, even though I can't really sense any more of that lingering maliciousness from your concert last night."

"We'll see about that," you can only say as you stepped out of the main house's genkan, where Yohan waited in the running car.  

Cradled in the heart of Yokohama was the headquarters of Mieux Folie Productions, one of the city's top talent agencies known for producing the most popular personalities of this time, one of which is the Tall Idol Takada-chan. Since Rose Gold's inception nearly ten years ago and the debut of its second generation, Mieux Folie has maintained its stellar reputation as a star-making machine, eventually branching out to produce more talent on platforms like YouTube. 

But Rose Gold remained the agency's pride and joy and ultimate money-making machine, so the departure of one of its prized idols was met with a lot of disappointment.

"Otome! You're here!" You were greeted by Sana, whom Yuuta recognised as your manager. The older woman had a cordial smile on her face, though her eyes were a little red and puffy. As she moved to embrace you, you returned her hold and beckoned your bodyguard to approach. 

"Oh, could this be the rumoured husband-to-be?" Sana asked in a hushed voice as she released you from her embrace.

"Oh, no, I…" You replied with a small laugh. "Sa-chan, this is Okkotsu Yuuta-san. My family hired him as an additional, uh, bodyguard of sorts. He's from the, uh… And he's tasked with the, hmm… Yeah, that's pretty much it!"

"I see, I see!" Sana nodded at you, completely understanding your fragmented statements. "It's a pleasure, Okkotsu-san! I will leave my dear Otome in your capable hands, then."

"Y-Yes, of course, Kagomura-san."

Yuuta could tell from a single look that Sana had nothing but deep affection for you which you happily reciprocated, so she couldn't possibly be the root of that malicious cursed spirit from last night.

"Ah! Kagomura-san has Otome-chan!" Came a voice from one of your agency's many conference rooms. 

"They've been waiting for you, Otome," Sana nodded at you with a smile. "You should say your goodbyes since—"

The door finally burst open, followed by two girls running in your direction. "Otome-chan!" 

"O-Oh! Maho-chan! Nina-chan!" You exclaimed as the pair trapped you in their embrace. 

"Nooo! We can't believe it's finally happening! You're really retiring now!" The blonde girl with pigtails sobbed as she buried her face in your chest. 

"We're going to miss you so much!" The black-haired girl cried, trying to squeeze herself in your chest as well.

"I, uh…" You said with a defeated smile as you returned their embrace. "I'll miss you guys a lot, too."

"Maho, Nina, that's enough from you two," said another girl in a chic bob haircut. "We've prepared for this for a long time now, so don't make Otome sad with all the waterworks."

"Th-That's right! We p-promised Otome-chan not to cry, s-so…" A girl in braids stammered as she shyly hid behind the one whom Yuuta could only assume was the older sister of the group.

As the five of them regained their composure, they got into their respective positions and flashed their audience with one of their killer poses and catchphrases. "Rose Gold shines too! Kira Kira!"

Mieux Folie's staff clapped in wonder and amusement, pausing from their daily tasks to feast their eyes on their company's highest-acclaimed idol group. You stepped forward with the warmest smile on your face and gave everyone on the floor a deep bow of gratitude eternal.

"Thank you very much for all your support and for taking good care of me for the last five years, everyone! I am truly grateful to have been managed by such kind and steadfast people."

Yuuta could only blend into the background and observe. At some point in their lives, your brilliance has touched the people in this company, evident by how fondly they looked at you as you said your farewells to them. Some of them were even crying to themselves as you continued your appreciation spiel. 

"…most importantly, I'd like to thank my manager, Kagomura Sana-san. She has done a wonderful job of keeping me on track and step with my fellow idols…"

And then it hits him like whiplash— the distinct malicious energy so similar to the one from last night. He tried to move unnoticed so he could investigate further, but he couldn't stop his eyes from being drawn to the middle of the room where you stood.

"…fellow idols, my co-stars, girls whom I consider as good as sisters, Goda Karin onee-san, Kondou Shinju-chan, Tateyama Maho-chan, and Onodera Nina-chan… I hope you continue to support Rose Gold as they are now. My absence from the group doesn't make them any less spectacular, of course. They will continue doing their best…"

His trail ends in an inconspicuous corner of the room where a slightly older bespectacled woman stood, and though she had a warm smile on her face, she radiated the same dim energy that only seemed to rebound in the area. His approach was halted by the sound of applause and cheering from the centre of the floor, where the agency's idols were gathered, along with another figure he easily recognised as the Tall Idol Takada-chan, his colleague Toudou Aoi's one true love.

"Oh! Look at this! It's Rose Gold, in the flesh!" Takada happily spoke into the screen of her mobile phone, where she seemed to be live on her YouTube account. "Rose Gold shines too!"

To which you and the four other girls replied with the same cordial smiles on your faces. "Kira Kira!"

"Now, word on the street is that my good friend Otome-chan has retired from her idol duties! I'm sure many of your fans are wondering…" 

"I have family duties to attend to," you replied to her question with warmth and cheer despite being put on the spot. "I cannot thank my family enough for allowing me to pursue my dreams and meeting everyone in the process, but now it's time for me to return home. I hope everyone continues to support Rose Gold and Takada-chan, too!"

"I'm going to miss our silly little chats, Otome-chan, but we idols will know how and where to find you just in case!" Takada happily declared. "Oh, manager-san! Would you be so kind as to hold my live for us?!"

Sana stepped up as Takada motioned for someone to hold her mobile phone for them. Dutiful as ever, she made sure that all members of Rose Gold and the Tall Idol were perfectly framed onscreen. 

"Since it's your final day here, you wouldn't mind doing one last dance with me, would you, Otome-chan?" 

Karin, Shinju, Maho, and Nina nodded at you in unison, while you threw a sure thumbs-up at Takada. "Let's go! Rose Gold!"

One of Rose Gold's oldest upbeat songs filled the air, and even though the agency's staff had seen your group perform countless times now, each one of them was simply bewitched as you took to the impromptu stage, your blocking and choreography as seamless as always.

"I wanna be a viral star on a shiny stage somewhere! It may be sad— But I still a dream in the darkness of my mind!"

And Yuuta was just as bewitched as he followed your every hop and sway, completely drawn to your electric energy.

"A larger stage suits her better, wouldn't you agree?" 

His daydream was cut short when the bespectacled woman posed a question that was clearly directed at him. 

"We don't need a special future! I don't care if it's just fake— Whatever happens, I just want to grab that light!"

"There's no need to be so suspicious of me, jujutsu-shi. You caught me, and I admit my mistake," Izuna stated. "It's true that I was responsible for that… thing, but I didn't expect it to grow out of proportion…"

"Who are you?" Yuuta questioned, the gleam in his eyes replaced by a bloodlust not many people can sense. Upon hearing how she addressed him, he concluded that she must be a part of jujutsu society herself. 

"Who I am isn't important. I want to know what's going to happen to Otome-san from here on out," she answered him. "I suppose you could call me a fan…"

"Walkin' the streets between the junk, but it's a path I chose myself…"

"When she first walked in here five years ago as an idol trainee, I recognised from the very start that she was from a sorcerer family. I suppose it takes one to know one. She was incredibly empathic, after all… But how she managed to convince her family that she wanted to be an idol, I'll probably never know…" She said with a rueful smile on her face. "Her mere presence here was a sign of upheaval for women of our kind. It meant that she was subverting everyone's expectations of her. Because where else should she be if she wasn't going to be a sorcerer from the start?"

Yuuta could only listen, the excitement of the moment drowned out by the older woman's statement. 

"Girls from sorcerer families are only as valuable as the cursed techniques and the blood that runs in their veins. And I thought that she managed to escape that very fate. That's not the case, unfortunately, since I know she'll be married off to a son of one of the Great Three Sorcerer Clans," Izuna continued, her eyes not at all swayed by the other girls dancing alongside you. "I must have unknowingly cursed her… for not even going against her family's wishes for her. For giving up so quickly on her dreams. But who am I to assume such things when she could be doing all of this on her own accord? Who am I to curse her when I'm just a coward myself…"

He didn't know about that detail. Perhaps his superior found it irrelevant to his investigation that he didn't even bother mentioning it at all. Still, for his sensei to miss out on such a vital piece of information… 

Yuuta raised his dark gaze to rest on your dazzling figure. "She has a warmth that soothes a mind so close to jumping off the edge…"

"Right?! I knew I wasn't the only one who felt that way," the older woman replied before eventually bowing down deep before him. "Please… know that I meant her no harm. Like everyone else in this building, I adore Otome-san and the rest of Rose Gold. I didn't mean for it to grow like that. I didn't mean for it to terrify her."

That's a case closed, he thought to himself. Izuna no longer radiated that stark sinister energy but instead now cried tears of regret, her sobs drowned out by the resounding cheers and applause from the floor as the idols flashed their audience with Takada's signature Taka-tan Beam. 

"There in the window in the reflection, I see my uneasy smile— Wait for the day when sunshine puts the spot on me!"

"Otome-chan, your new bodyguard's pretty good-looking!"

You looked up from your strawberry and mango crepe as Maho and Nina made doe eyes at Yuuta, who was seated further away from the group with a cup of black coffee in hand as you shared desserts with the other girls in a cute little cafe neatly tucked away in a corner of the city. 

"What happened to Yo-chan?" Karin asked rather curiously as she stirred the ornate plastic straw around her iced caramel macchiato. For some reason, Yohan was incredibly popular with your friends despite his age.

"Yo-chan is still around! He's been busy is all, with Kazu nii-san ordering him around and stuff…" You replied to the older girl's question. "A-As for Yuuta-san, he's only going to be my bodyguard for a short while…"

"Ooh, is that right?! I suppose you won't mind us helping ourselves to him once he's done with his work, then!" Maho said teasingly, the slightly younger girl amused by your rather panicked reaction. 

"M-Maho-chan! Y-Yuuta-san is—"

You had to admit that Yuuta was pretty handsome, even when you first saw him so exhausted— standing next to that old man Satoru, too. There was something charming about his reserved nature; refreshing, even, compared to the other men around you who always wanted to have their best foot forward and impress you with just that.

"Oh, right! While we're still here, I wanted to talk to you about something, Otome-chan," Nina fished out her mobile phone from her purse. "Noah onii-chan called me earlier this week and said that he wants you to model for one last photobook."

"Really?!" You remarked excitedly. "I'd love to, of course! Noah-san takes the most gorgeous photos of us…"

"Onii-chan said that it's just you, though, Otome-chan. He even has a theme and a date ready and all…" Nina stated as she browsed through her texts with her older brother. 

Onodera Noah and Nina are the children of a famous actor from the 80s to 90s who married a foreign socialite and made a home in Japan. The siblings were no strangers to the entertainment industry, though the paths they chose couldn't be any different. Nina enjoyed her stardom as one of your generation's favourite idols, while her older brother Noah preferred working as a magic maker behind the camera.

The blonde handed her phone to you to read the details of her brother's planned photoshoot— a punk and grunge theme that stepped away from Rose Gold's usual cute style.

[ O. Noah お兄ちゃん 📷: It's a perfect theme for Otome-chan since she's moving away from Rose Gold's immaculately cute and pristine image. It's something that screams— ]

"…Cool…" Was all you could say after seeing Noah's mood board, which was composed of several images of Osaki Nana, the highly acclaimed vocalist of BLAST, a popular rock band from the early 2000s. Her dusky eye makeup, crimson lips, edgy accessories and husky voice were iconic, almost legendary, and to think that a talented photographer wanted to frame you as such… "O-Of course I'll do it! Noah-san has such great taste!"

"Thanks, Otome-chan! I'm sure onii-chan will be pleased. I'll send you the details on LINE," Nina said with a smile as she proceeded to message her brother. "I'll ask him if I come along too, just to assist you guys and all."

"Tell him I can do it tomorrow," you said, surprising the other girls at the table. "I… have to be in Kyoto first thing next week and I don't know when I'll be back, so…"

Ping! Came the sound of the notification from Nina's phone. "Onii-chan says… Oh, would you look at that? He asked if you were available tomorrow. Sounds like he's super excited for this."

"I'm looking forward to it, too," you concluded before happily digging into your creamy fruit crepe once more. 

"Aww! I want to go, too!" Maho exclaimed. "With Rose Gold on break at the moment, my manager loaded me up with so many solo photoshoots and product endorsement shoots that I hardly have any time to slack off…"

"Y-You're lucky, Maho-chan… My manager's having s-such a hard time booking me for anything…" Shinju quietly replied as she lifted her matcha latte to her lips. 

"We'll find you something worthwhile to do, Shinju," Karin stated with a sure smile on her lips. "Best of luck on your final photobook, Otome. Don't forget to send us a copy when it comes out."

"Of course! Thank you, Karin onee-san!"

From across the small cafe, Yuuta could hardly focus on anything other than following your every move. This place is what he would call your natural habitat. The staff there knew your group and, surprisingly, respected your privacy. Rose Gold weren't idols at that moment, but just regular cute girls doing regular cute girl things. You were laughing about something this time, your eyes lighting up in mirth as the blonde girl, Nina, poked your side. Maho, the brunette, stole a bite from your crepe, while the older sister figure Karin was busy fixing one of Shinju's braids. 

He lowered his eyes to his half-empty cup of coffee, feeling somewhat embarrassed at intruding on such a sacred time reserved for you and your friends whom you'll have to part with soon. The feeling was short-lived, however, when he caught Maho and Nina smiling and waving at him while you attempted to pull them back down to their seats. Their giggling filled the cafe even further when he decided to smile and wave back at them. 

Huh. It was his turn to be embarrassed. Maybe he was getting a little too ahead of himself.

A few moments passed before you finally decided to take your leave, giving each of your friends a long and warm hug. The cafe staff politely asked for your autograph and if you could kindly pose for photos, too, which you happily obliged to. 

Yuuta downed the rest of his coffee as he watched the small crowd around you, all smiles as you flashed Rose Gold's signature pose for the photo. They all gratefully bowed deep before you and you gladly reflected their movement, equally grateful for this little corner of peace and quiet in your ever-changing world as an idol. 

By the time the crowd died out and the rest of the girls left the cafe, you finally approached your bodyguard's table with an apologetic expression. "Yuuta-san, I'm so sorry you had to wait…"

"It's not a problem, Otome-san. It's my job to keep you safe," said Yuuta as he rose from his seat. "But don't your friends think it's strange that you have a bodyguard?"

"Oh, no, they don't think it's weird at all since they believe my backstory," you said with a small dismissive wave of your hand. "That I'm from a rich family. That's partly true when you think about it. They don't know about… the other thing, though."

The other thing being your sorcerer origins. 

"Of course. I suppose not everyone can understand that side of you and that side of things. I'll do my best to make sure you can continue on with your life as normal," he replied with a nod of understanding before eventually standing up. "Shall we go, then?" 

"Y-Yuuta-san, I… Well…" 

Oh, shoot. You stammered at him without even thinking about what you were about to ask. His full attention was on you. "Yes?"

This is all Maho's fault, you couldn't help but think to yourself. It was completely normal for idols to sign autographs for their fans if they could, but Yuuta didn't seem like the kind of guy who liked Takada-chan.

"M-my friends and I were… Well, uh, they were asking why you asked… Takada-chan for an autograph," you said quietly before pursing your lips. 

"Oh, that was for my colleague Toudou. He's a massive Takada-chan fan. Here, let me show you his Instagram," he replied with a smile on his face before pulling out his mobile phone from his pocket and scrolling through his apps. "Here we are. Toudou's always present at her fan meets, but due to the time constraints, he's never gotten her autograph before."

You're presented with the Instagram profile of Toudou, @aoisboogiewoogie— and most of his grid showed him and his fanboying over your agency's madly popular Tall Idol Takada-chan. He has photos of him beside her standees, photos of him outside her fan meet venues, photos of him with products labelled with her face, photos of him Takada-chan merchandise— you name it, he must have a photo of it. 

"Oh, wow. I've never seen such a dedicated fan before," you said as you slowly scrolled through more of Toudou's uploads. 

"I'm sure you must have a lot of fans, Otome-san."

"I suppose…" 

When you clicked on Yuuta's Instagram profile, @okkopi, it was just as you expected, perhaps even more neat and curated than you thought. There were very few posts, some with his friends and colleagues, you can only assume, some photos of his meals, and upon scrolling even deeper, you found a photo of a girl. 

Pretty. She had long dark hair and a distinct mole on the corner of her smiling lips while holding up what seemed to be a half-eaten strawberry doughnut with sprinkles. 

This must be his fiancée, Rika. 

"O-Oh, I'm so sorry for going through your photos, I…" Realising your actions, you could only hand him back his mobile phone without even looking him in the eye. You turned away from him, cheeks hot with embarrassment and something you couldn't quite put your finger on. "I'll call Yo-chan so he can pick us up now."

To which Yuuta could only conclude with… "Ah… Did she see that I was already following her on Insta? Was it weird?" 

It was only later that night when you were doomscrolling through your Instagram in the confines of your bedroom that you realised Yuuta was already following your account. "Oh, man, what have I been posting about lately? Nothing silly, I hope."

You couldn't follow back his account without anyone noticing and you didn't want him to be on the receiving end of any questioning messages, especially as to why the recently-retired centre of Rose Gold was following a private citizen.

You switched from your main account, @yn_rosegoldmfp, to another one. "He'll recognise this profile, I think?"

As he was drying his hair after his bath, Yuuta's mobile phone lit up with a single notification— 

[ Instagram: @daysofyn_ requested to follow you. ]

—

Your photoshoot the next day wasn't until the afternoon when the sun's calmed down a little, so you were afforded a slow-paced morning you spent lazing around in the kitchen while Marin was preparing your breakfast. 

"You should wait in the dining hall, ojou-sama. Okkotsu-san must be there already and you normally have breakfast with him before everything else," Marin told you with a hand on her waist. She moved to adjust the crooked collar of your pale blue yukata. 

"Mmmnnggh…"

"Ojou-sama!"

Marin couldn't believe the unpleasant groan that left your mouth as you sat at the servants' table with your head in your hands. You fought the urge to yawn since you knew she would scold you for staying up too late. Her warm hand brushed over the hair on your forehead and you heard her breathe a sigh of relief since you weren't unwell. 

A small knock on the kitchen's wide wooden door frame alerted your attendant, but you couldn't be bothered to lift your head from your oddly depressive state. 

"Good morning, Marin-san. Have you seen Otome-san this morning? She wasn't in her room when I passed by…"

It was Yuuta with the same refreshed and rested look on his face. He walked into the kitchen in a plain white shirt that seemed to hug his incredibly sturdy form. He didn't have his familiar grey jacket on yet, his blade nowhere in sight, too. Around his neck hung a silver chain that glinted in the morning light, the pendant concealed underneath his shirt.

Marin furrowed her eyebrows at him before opening her mouth to speak but then decided against it when your eyes met, prompting the outsider to turn around and face the figure seated at the servants' table.

"Ah, good morning," he greeted you with a polite bow, but you could see his expression slowly change into a look of complete surprise as you rose your head to greet him back. 

"Good morning, Yuuta-san."

"O-Otome-san?!" 

Oh, you got that a lot. Your work as an idol required you to put on a sweet kind of makeup for all of your gigs meant to accentuate your features and make them a bit sharper. Meanwhile, your bare face made you look younger than usual. Plainer, too, probably.

"My apologies… I, uh…" Yuuta said with a nervous smile on his face, a hand on his nape as though embarrassed by his reaction. "I almost didn't recognise you…"

"Don't worry, I—"

You were surprised when he got down on his knee so your eyes would meet, your face heated up once again as he held your gaze with his eyes that were a deep shade of ocean blue. "You must hear this all the time, but I think you're really pretty."

"Ahem!" 

Marin's feigned cough prompted both of you to straighten up. 

"Good morning, Okkotsu-san! Ojou-sama will be with you shortly," she stated with a warm smile on her face. "Please wait for her in the dining hall."

"Of… Of course."

The young sorcerer left as quietly as he arrived, though he was unable to remove his gaze from your already evident embarrassment. He stepped out of the kitchen with a small smile on his face which he covered with one of his hands. 

"Ojou-sama, that's no good. You know by now what your responsibility entails."

"I know," you shot right back at your attendant, trying not to let your disappointment in yourself show any more later on. "I am set to be married off to the Kamo Clan's heir. Otou-sama went through a painstaking ordeal to see that this marriage would push through because we minor sorcerer clans are always at the mercy of the Great Three Sorcerer Clans."

There was a reason why it was always older jujutsu sorcerers who handled missions related to you. They would go about their day without so much as having to talk to you because they had absolutely nothing in common with you. Older jujutsu-shi would accomplish their missions neatly, like walking in and out of a room without having to touch anything inside it. 

Marin, whom you grew up beside, knew every ebb and glow of your face like the back of her hand. She was sure of one thing right now— You were smitten with this young jujutsu-shi assigned to be your bodyguard in the meantime. 

"Besides, it's not like Yuuta-san would truly look my way," you said with a crooked smile and another dismissive wave of your hand. "I… I'm sure he was just being nice."

And that his heart still belonged to a girl already far beyond his reach.

—

When the afternoon rolled in, you and Yuuta were dropped off by Yohan at the Shibuya photo studio Nina sent you through LINE. It was a chic place that made sense given Noah's known straightforward personality. From the way the studio staff warmly greeted you, it was clear that the Onodera siblings Noah and Nina were no strangers to the place. 

"Ah! They're here!" Nina happily exclaimed as you were led to the main studio. Her older brother, who was busy setting up his gear, was equally elated to see you. Noah followed his sister's trail and enveloped the hugging girls in his arms. 

"Otome-chan! Welcome! I'm so glad you agreed to this!" 

"Oh, the honour is all mine, being the subject of the highly-skilled and highly acclaimed celebrity photographer Onodera Noah," you chuckled at him as he smothered you and his sister into an even bigger embrace. 

"Ah, and who is this?" Noah asked, his curiosity piqued as Yuuta dutifully stood a few paces behind you. "Don't tell me you got a boyfriend so soon after you retired from idol work."

"Of course not, Noah-san! This is Okkotsu Yuuta-san. He's my temporary bodyguard…"

Yuuta could only stand and watch as you introduced him once more as your bodyguard in the meantime. He could be called back to headquarters anytime now that the mystery of the cursed spirits hounding you has been solved. 

One of the studio's staff offered him a chair seeing as he won't be part of the shoot, but he insisted on remaining on his feet so he could act much quicker if needed. 

And now that he's thinking about it, bodyguard work is much tamer compared to most of the missions he is always being assigned to. This was something even a Second Grade sorcerer could handle, but his superior specifically chose him for this job. Why that is, he will probably never know. It was impossible to get a read on how his teacher's mind worked. 

As he had always done for the last couple of days, Yuuta followed your every movement as attentive as he could, watching from the corner as Nina carefully applied a shimmery dusky purple shadow over your closed eyes, lined your waterline with a heated eyeliner pencil, and swiped a striking shade of crimson over your lips. 

"Oh! Good job, Nini! Her makeup is spot on!" Noah ruffled his younger sister's hair as he praised her. 

"Naturally! I studied Osaki Nana-san's makeup last night and…"

The makeup was darker than your usual look and made even heavier by the way you lowered your eyelashes, giving you a more mysterious and gloomy yet haughty appearance. 

For Yuuta, however, there was no masking your radiance, even more so when you broke character and laughed at Nina's glitter-tinged fingertips. 

"Noah onii-chan really pulled out all the stops for this photoshoot, Otome-chan. He even reached out to some of Papa's costume designer friends and colleagues to ask for their advice… Though we all know that BLAST's Osaki Nana is such an icon," the blonde girl said as she ran a comb through your hair, parting it in the middle. "I think one of the older costume designers even lent him a few pieces of clothing for today."

True enough, Noah wheeled out a rack filled with various plaid and leather articles, along with imitation black leather boots your size. "I wish we could have brought in some real Vivienne Westwood stuff, though. Our old man's friend was pretty stingy, but we're thankful, still!"

Nina accompanied you behind the special partition assembled so you could change your clothes and get into character. Meanwhile, Noah did some empty test shots while ensuring the lights were all placed correctly. "All right, looks like everything's set."

Yuuta deduced that Noah could be around his age, or maybe a bit older. He was surprised when the blonde boy approached him with his DSLR camera around his neck. 

"So have you been doing this bodyguard gig for how long?" 

"Oh, uh… I've been doing it for quite some time now."

Not really, he thought to himself as he tried to throw off the photographer from his case. 

"I gotta say, you're younger than Otome-chan's usual bodyguards. I know her family's the richy rich kind, but it's so strange seeing one so close to her age," Noah chuckled. "Ah, but I didn't mean to underestimate you! I just thought it was kinda refreshing to see a younger guy accompanying her."

"No offence taken," Yuuta replied with a kind smile. He knew that those weren't bodyguards, though, but sorcerers handling her cases. 

The two young men exchanged a few more words before turning their attention to you, who stepped back out of the studio barefoot. You were like a different person in the leather jacket, plaid red skirt, dark stockings and spiked accessories, along with your styled hair and edgy makeup…

"Noah-san! Th-the laces of the boots are—!"

But as Yuuta said, there was no masking your radiance and your sweetness. 

"Oh, they're still undone from top to bottom, huh? What a drag. Let me…" Noah moved to assist you, only for him to pause in his tracks when Yuuta stepped up.

"I can help you, Otome-san. Please have a seat first." 

The blonde siblings exchanged knowing looks as they watched your bodyguard place a hand on the small of your back and gesture to the seat that was presented to him earlier. 

"Let's put them on and lace them at once," Yuuta stated as he knelt down before you, gently taking the boots in your hands and slipping your stockinged feet in them. From your vantage point, you could see how dark his eyes and lashes were as he tenderly worked the laces through their hooks. "Not too tight, I hope."

"Just right," you replied to him with a small smile. The boots fit you well, even more so with the laces now tied. "Thanks, Yuuta-san."

Nina approached her older brother with a glint of mischief in her blue eyes. "Onii, you don't suppose…" 

"…Yeah, I see it. I see a vision!" Noah nodded. "What's your bodyguard's name again, Otome-chan?"

You slowly rose from your seat while Yuuta got up from the floor. "O-Oh, his name is Okkotsu Yuuta-san."

"Okkotsu-san, yeah? Listen, can you do us a favour?" 

"Sure. Anything I can help you with?"

Noah lifted one of the larger leather jackets in Yuuta's direction. "Put this on."

Yuuta blinked at him in surprise. "M-Me?" 

"Yes, you. Has anyone ever told you that you have such a fine frame?"

"Noah-san means to say your build is… is good," you told him rather nervously. After seeing him in his form-hugging shirt this morning, you concluded that he wasn't just built well. He was built just like his teacher— the finest of their kind.

"Nini, his hair."

"Got it," Nina nodded at her brother before turning to the dark-haired boy with a sweet smile. "If I may, Okkotsu-san? We'll just change your style a bit, nothing too drastic, I promise."

"O-Okay."

"Let's take some test shots, Otome-chan. And don't worry, Nini won't do anything strange to him, not while I'm around," Noah said with a laugh as he pointed at the spot where you should stand, all the lights shining in your direction now. "The stage is yours."

You took a deep breath before getting into character once more, shrugging off a sleeve from your shoulder to expose a bit of your skin. 

"Good, good! Here, I brought these as props. We don't have to light them," the young photographer fished out a box of cigarettes from his pocket and tossed it in your direction. You caught it deftly, only for it to be taken from your hands by Yuuta, who was now sporting a similar leather jacket and a rather large but stylish chain around his neck. His hair was styled with a bit of wax and his gaze was smouldering. 

"Y—"

"I-I'm sorry. I'm a little nervous," he finally spoke, breaking out of his supposed character. "Nina-san said that Honjo Ren was cool and collected, but I'm not…" 

"Y-You were doing well, actually!" You reassured him. "He doesn't smile that much, so…"

"Osaki Nana's story is one of beauty and tragedy, but that's not what I want to capture here," Noah stated as he slowly raised his camera viewfinder to his eye. "In this story, she reunites with her one true love, Honjo Ren, so that is what I want you to do: hold each other as though you're about to lose each other."

A look of perplexion and despondency washed over Yuuta's features— And you realised why.

Wasn't he able to hold her in her final moments?

"Yuuta-san, look at me."

He does so upon your urging, his darkened gaze meeting your sparkling eyes. You placed your hand on his nape, your fingers tenderly grazing the ends of his jet-black hair, pulling him down much closer to you so your faces were but a breath apart. You took his hand and strategically placed it on your back, feeling the warmth of his hold even through your fashionable clothes.

"Yes, that's what I'm talking about," the photographer stated with a rumble of excitement in his voice as he finally started taking photos. The flashing lights didn't faze you one bit, but you could tell that Yuuta was tense.

"It's okay. I'll be the one to hold you," you whispered to him. "Let me take care of you while we're here."

"You can relax, Okkotsu-san! If you're worried about your face showing, don't. Otome-chan is still the focal point here, so your face won't really be seen. Maybe some bits, but not the whole thing." 

"What a relief," he sighed to himself. "I can't imagine the trouble I'll be in if Gojo-sensei finds out about this."

"I'll beat him up for you if he scolds you," you said with a laugh, to which he could only reply with the same low chuckle. 

"Stop smiling, you two!" 

"S-Sorry!" 

Fortunately, Yuuta only had to stand in for a few photographs. You spent the rest of the photoshoot shuffling in and out of the different outfits the siblings planned and styled for you. As Noah signalled Nina to bring in another of his props, this time a microphone stand, you couldn't help but hum to yourself while trying to stay in character.

"Oh, that song! That's one of BLAST's hits, right? Don't be shy now, just sing!"

"Wh-What?! Don't make me sing!"

"You do know that your face is more honest than your words, don't you, Otome-san?"

You shook your head and tried to stay in character, but as instructed by her brother once more, Nina played the song for you to sing along to.

"I could have seen the other side, taking a step into the sky… Ah, I'm always late! I could've done the same routine, showing the old and golden scene— Ah, I'm lying again to make them go!" 

It was cheesy having to do it, but the song evoked so many emotions in you that you couldn't help but try to picture yourself in the vocalist's shoes. In her position. Didn't she go through the same painstaking road of starting as nobodies before skyrocketing to fame?

"Wearing again my rocking shoes over the puddles made of tears— Flashback, I know you're clever! I remember…" 

Oh, you kind of wanted to cry right now. Your idol journey has come to an end, you still couldn't believe it. It wasn't like your path to becoming an idol was easy, yet you knew deep inside that you were born for something else entirely. 

That must have been the reason why Izuna-san didn't bother saying goodbye to you at all. Because you were a coward. A slave to your destiny just like she was. Being cursed was the least of your concerns.

"I know we could cross over rainbows! I wish that we could aim for the sun again. I know we could dream for tomorrow… To share the long-forgotten glamorous days!"

Yohan nearly had to carry you out of the studio with how tuckered out you were. You could tell from his sharp yet gentle gaze that he was admiring this new look on you, nodding at you in approval. 

"Yo-chan!" Nina excitedly hovered around the older man as he arrived at the studio in his usual pressed haori and hakama. "You're still so dapper as always!"

"Good evening, Nina-san," he gave her a short bow before patting her head. "And you are just as lovely."

"Ooh, I cannot wait to tell this to the girls! Karin-nee is going to smack me!"

You groaned in exhaustion as you approached your guardian, your makeup still immaculately in place as you handed him your things. "Ah, I'm beat! I'm so glad you're here, Yo-chan. Noah-san's asking for more photos, but I'm spent!"

Yuuta followed closely behind you with more of your belongings in his hands. The older man furrowed his brows and gave him a quizzical look. 

"Yuuta-kun."

"Y-Yes, Yohan-san?"

"…I like what they did to your hair."

"Oh! Nina-san fixed it for me earlier…"

You bid your farewells to the good-looking siblings, who were still settling their accounts with the photo studio. Nina gave you one last good look before engulfing you in another tight embrace. "Make sure to still call me and message me whenever you can, Otome-chan."

"Of course, Nina-chan."

"Otome-chan, I can't thank you enough for making this dream photoshoot a reality," Noah proceeded to embrace the two girls once more. "The photobook will be ready in a month or so. I'll be sure to send you your copy ASAP."

"Thank you as well for all your trust in me, Noah-san. You two should come visit me in Kyoto every once in a while."

"Just say the word, then. We'll be there."

—

As the car passed by the more familiar corridors of Shibuya, your after-work craving reared its head once more. It was unreasonable of you to ask if you could stop by a convenience store given anyone could recognise you then and there…

"Yo-chan, you think we can stop by a convenience store? I want some Yakult…"

You were ready to be dismissed from your request like he always does, but your heart was thrilled to bits when he decided to park his car in a corner next to a Lawson Store. 

"I'll wait here, then. Yuuta-san will accompany you. Do you have money?"

Oh, crap. 

"I—" 

I didn't think I'd get this far!

Your pause made Yuuta gently tap your hand. "I have some money here. Let's go grab your Yakult, Otome-san."

The two of you shuffled out of the car and into the streets, your face unable to contain your excitement as you entered the convenience store with your bodyguard close behind you, the chilly air making you sneeze all of a sudden. 

"Ot— Ah…" He knew it would be unwise to call you by your name in a public place, so he stepped into your space to gently grab hold of your hand instead. "Don't go where I can't see you, sweetheart."

"?!" 

Your eyes widened in surprise at his chosen remark, which was the quickest thing he could think of at that moment without saying your name out loud so you wouldn't get separated. 

"Excuse me, onee-san? Is this man bothering you?" A young girl in a high school uniform approached you, looking at your bodyguard rather apprehensively. "I-It's just that you looked a bit…"

"O-Oh! Oh, no, I-I'm all right!" You stammered at her before raising your other hand in defence. You instinctively clung onto his arm this time. "M-My boyfriend was just making sure he can see where I'm going. Thank you for your concern!"

Yuuta was struggling to stifle his own laughter and embarrassment at the situation you got yourselves in. He was thankful that a stranger was concerned for others, but you two really should have come up with a plan for such instances. He gave the stranger a small nod of affirmation before leading the way to the refrigerators, leaning down against you to whisper an apology. "I'm so sorry, Otome-san."

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart," you whispered back at him, only to burst into laughter not long after. He gently elbowed you as he hid his face in his hand, trying to quell the amusement bubbling in his throat.

How could you laugh so warmly, sweetly and carelessly in the midst of almost being recognised by someone? It was crazy of you.

"Mmm, maybe I should grab some canned coffee, too? Oh, wait, I'm broke!"

But he savoured the sound of your tender laughter, the softness of your voice that did not suit your moody makeup, and the light in your eyes that seemed to say, things are going to be okay. 

— Chasing a dream.

Yuuta's week-long assignment as your bodyguard finally came to an end. While you contemplated asking your brother to pull some strings for you so he could remain in your service for a while longer, you figured you couldn't hold him at home when there were more important missions for him to accomplish. 

The estate clamoured in activity as they prepared a little send off for the Special Grade sorcerer who solved their lady's predicament. The male servants in particular were grateful for his service. You only found out now that Yuuta not only trained with them every early morning, but even helped out with some of the heavy lifting they had to do throughout the estate. 

"Thank you very much for your hospitality. I felt more like a guest than a bodyguard, if I'm being honest…" 

You were prepared to bid him farewell as well as he thanked your family for their kindness during his stay. As you both waited for the vehicle from Jujutsu Headquarters to arrive, you decided to muster up the courage to ask for his contact details even though you were set to be married soon. 

No, that's no good. You need to gracefully let go of this fleeting infatuation before it gets out of hand. It would be unfair to both him and your future husband if you—

A familiar black car rolled into your driveway, followed by the entrance of a familiar silver-haired sorcerer into your home. "Yo, Yuuta-kun! Ojou-chan!"

"Satoru nii-san!"

The Koganei servants were quick to assemble at the genkan when they heard of Gojo Satoru's arrival, and even the masters of the house made their presence known by greeting him at the doorstep, most especially your older brother Kazuya, who looked both annoyed and pleased by his visit.

"Satoru."

"Kazuya! Long time no see!"

It was a jest, of course, for the two older men only met a few days back to discuss the curse that previously hung over your head. Satoru's nonchalance irked your older brother, the crooked smile on his face slowly straightening out as the silver-haired man walked over to him for a quick handshake. 

"Now that you're here, Kazuya, I'd like to let you know that your request for an escort to Kyoto has been approved," Satoru stated with a smile before eventually turning to his pupil. "That also happens to be your next mission, Yuuta-kun."

You blinked at Kazuya, not at all believing what you were hearing at the moment. "Kazu nii-san, you mean to say—?"

Your brother nodded at you. "Yes, I petitioned for Okkotsu-san to escort you and Marin-chan to the Kamo estate in Kyoto."

"B-But I have Yo-chan with me, too!"

"Sensei, if I may…" Yuuta started. "I'm not disagreeing with this, but if Otome-san is as important as her family says, why is it just Yohan-san and I escorting her to Kyoto?"

The older men exchanged looks, with Satoru nodding at Kazuya to explain the decision. 

"Because my sister will have one of this generation's finest Special Grade sorcerers with her, plus a First Grade sorcerer worth at least 20 men in terms of martial prowess and cursed energy output. I'd accompany her to Kyoto myself if I could, but I have duties I can't leave, and I think any more than you and Yo-san would already be overkill."

Yuuta couldn't believe his ears when he heard of Yohan's capabilities. He never thought that the unassuming old man was that terrifying. If your brother was right, Yohan's cursed energy output would put him on par with the elite himself, Nanami. Or Toudou, too. 

You sighed to yourself. "Well, it's not like there's gonna be a fuss or anything… It doesn't really matter who takes me to Kyoto as long as I get there."

Kazuya furrowed his eyebrows at your statement. He opened his mouth to say something but eventually decided against it. You noticed how Satoru lightly nudged your older brother with his elbow, to which the latter replied with a small shake of his head.

"Shall I have the servants prepare tea and sweets for you, big brothers?" You smiled at the older men. "Surely you must have other things to discuss…"

"Not really. In fact, Satoru was just about to get going," your older brother smiled back at you, a hand now clamped onto the outsider's shoulder to lead him out and away from the crowd. 

"I-I was?" The silver-haired sorcerer could only stammer in response to Kazuya's urging, a confused expression undoubtedly impressed upon his blindfolded eyes. "O-Oi! Kazu—"

You blinked in confusion as your older brother and older brother figure both stepped out of the house, a soundless struggle ensuing between them as you watched them pass nudges and pinches at each other. Sometimes you forget that they are just that close— very much so that your brother manages to bypass Satoru's Infinity. Or was it Satoru who lets his guard down? 

"I see. Safe travels then, Satoru nii-san!"

The tall man was shoved back into the vehicle from which he came from and was unceremoniously sent off with a single wave by Kazuya. "Good riddance. I'm sorry you had to see that, Otome. Okkotsu-san."

"I-It's all right, Koganei-san. If I remember right, you're the second person I've seen capable of manhandling Gojo-sensei like that," Yuuta chuckled. 

"Suguru, I assume. Then again, he has the patience of a saint…" Kazuya uncharacteristically rolled his eyes before composing himself once more. "With all of that said, I owe you an apology for not disclosing our family's plans to extend your… service as a bodyguard of sorts, Okkotsu-san." 

"It's not a problem. I live to take orders from my superiors, after all." 

"That's a pretty grim outlook on life," the older man stated before posing a question about the Kamo heir. "Are you familiar with him? Kamo Noritoshi-kun, I mean."

"Noritoshi-kun is the husband candidate closest to my age. We only met briefly once and he was pleasant to talk to. For that, I'm actually rather relieved," you said with a smile that didn't really reach your eyes. "I'm surprised the Kamo Clan even bothered to respond to my father's request all the while the Zenin Clan had been sending out messages to him, too." 

"We've only worked together briefly, but I can tell you that he's an all-around good guy. Responsible and honest to a fault," Yuuta replied with the same smile that seemed more synthetic than convincing. "You'll be in safe hands, Otome-san." 

"That's… reassuring to hear," you said with a nod, allowing the uncomfortable conversation to fizzle out in order to escape. "Well, I… Marin-chan and I ought to continue our preparations."

That was a lie, since Marin had already prepared everything you needed ahead of time. Yet she understood the look you threw at her the moment your eyes met, and you both bowed before the men in unison before disappearing into the main house. 

Kazuya watched as his younger sister faded into the backdrop of the estate before he eventually turned to the younger man left wondering as well. "Okkotsu-san, if you don't mind me asking, how have the past few days been for you? I trust your needs have been met…" 

"Ah, yes, Koganei-san! I really have no words for how well your family has treated me…" 

"That's heartening to hear. Rest assured that you'll be compensated accordingly for this mission as well," Kazuya continued. "And my sister… I trust she hasn't been troublesome to deal with."

"N-No! Not at all," Yuuta raised his hands in defence. "Otome-san has been nothing but kind and pleasant to me. It's a pleasure to be of service to someone like her."

Kazuya was surprised to hear that from the young sorcerer. Most of the older sorcerers previously tasked with looking after you found you a little bit too demanding for their age and liking— but they all agreed that you were a kind young woman. He expected you to make a bit of mischief with someone around your age handling you, but you were on your best behaviour now. 

Or was it because of the demands your father imposed on you that you're finally taking things more seriously now? Either way, the entire thing was an anomaly to Kazuya.

"That's good to hear. You must have your own preparations to make as well, Okkotsu-san. We'll leave you to it," he said as he casually slid his hands into the sleeves of his hakama. "I can have one of my men drive you to your home."

"Thank you, but there's really no need for that, Koganei-san. Your home is located in one of the most scenic places in the city, so I might just take a walk around the area before I head home."

"I see. I suppose a walk around town would be nice," the older man said, only for him to impose a subtle question. "But you must have a girlfriend to hurry home to."

"Uh, no. Not really," Yuuta said with a more sincere yet sheepish smile this time. "I've been… Well…"

"You don't have to answer that question, Okkotsu-san. I apologise for being nosy," Kazuya chuckled at him. 

"If you don't mind me asking, Koganei-san…"

"Yes?"

Kazuya was told that Yuuta could be a bit inquisitive if something piques his attention, and something about this mission must have set him off. 

"What does Otome-san think about this arrangement?"

The young clan heir fought the urge in his lips to crack into a crooked smile that could let on more than what he intended. 

"Well, you can expect a biassed comment from me, but she has all the time in the world to answer your question once you're on your way to Kyoto."

—

Though Yuuta made several attempts to talk to you throughout the day, all have been rebuffed by Marin, who simply said that her mistress needed her rest, for many days of celebration await her when she arrives at Kyoto. You were thankful for her presence and always counted on her to help set you on the right track, but sometimes you wished she wasn't so attentive. 

Nightfall marked your final evening with your family in your home— in the meantime, at least. If you and Noritoshi come to a mutual understanding in your short homestay, you will have to inform your family that you agree to the marriage. They will head to Kyoto, with your marriage and union the final seal to the deal.

The meeting was just a pretence, for you truly had no say in this matter at all. Same goes for Noritoshi, who has no choice but to accept you as his bride as decreed by his family. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement for both your families, but it didn't put much thought into your compatibility. All you knew is that the Kamo Clan wanted another heir to secure their foothold in Jujutsu society and they needed new blood for that to happen. 

Did your father not at all consider that you might be unhappy with the decision? Perhaps not. You were expected to conduct yourself as a lady of the house would, not a spoiled daughter like you already were. More importantly, he somewhat underestimated the gravity of your gift— your cursed technique— so much that he even ignored the advances of the more cutthroat Zenin Clan. 

It was clear that your father did not account for reprisal. It made you think if the trouble and violence that comes with making a choice and choosing the lesser evil was worth it. 

Kazuya selected Yuuta from a line of capable sorcerers as your second guard because a whole retinue of sorcerers from your family will only invite unwanted attention. Though Marin was raised and trained to be an attendant, she knew the basics of having to defend her master. 

It was only when you were fast asleep and already halfway to Kyoto when your single vehicle was ambushed by sorcerers with a distinct cursed energy that raised so many alarm bells in your head. The sedan screeched to a stop with your path barred and a shadowy curtain laid above your position. 

"Looks like the Zenin are trying to bargain," Yohan sighed as he unbuckled his seatbelt. 

"Y-Yo-chan! Where are you going?!" You asked nervously as Marin prepared to spirit you away from the scene. 

"To bargain, ojou-san," the older man stated. He took a deep breath and removed his aviator sunglasses, carefully dispensing it in your hands. "No need to worry. I'll be back."

"Yohan-san, I can—" Yuuta started, unbuckling his seatbelt as he watched the older sorcerer turn off the car's ignition. He was swiftly cut off, however.

"Your task is to keep Otome ojou-san safe, Yuuta-kun. I trust you can do that while I'm occupied with these—" Yohan clicked his tongue in obvious annoyance. "—uninvited guests."

"But they're—"

"A trifle in our trip, so I'll be quick."

"No! Yo-chan! We're not—" You cried out anxiously, only for you to be hastily pulled out of the car by Marin, who was ready to make a run for it.  "Marin-chan!"

"I am charged to keep you safe, ojou-sama. If Otou-san says he'll handle it—"

Yohan and Yuuta were finished conversing, the tired look in the young sorcerer's eyes replaced with a glint of tenacity. 

"Otome-san, Yohan-san needs the area. We'll come back for him," Yuuta tried to coax you out of the car willingly. "It's a terrible turn of events, but this is why we're here. Why I'm here. Just as you have faith in me, have faith in him, too."

The anxiety in your heart boiled over ever since you left your home. It did not bubble down even as you slept soundly moments ago. You were gripped with the fear of losing those precious to you when you're finally married off, but this panic you felt right now was something else. 

"He's right, ojou-san. Have a little faith in this old man," Yohan chuckled at you. "I promise you I'll be quick."

Yohan was just as much of a father to you as he was to Marin. He was the kind of man who was married to his duties, thus his current unmarried status. He once said that he'll retire when the time is right, and it's never too late for him to get married since he's quite the looker, or so he once joked. 

"Hear me and obey, Yo-chan," you stated, feigning bravery as you stepped out of the car. "Return to me!"

"Of course, ojou-san."

You slipped his sunglasses over your eyes before running off with Marin and Yuuta, his blade unsheathed as he watched your back for any attackers. Those who dared to follow you were swiftly dealt with by Yuuta, whom the Zenin did not take into account when planning this ambush. 

It was only when you were running that you completely gauged the situation. The Zenin sent out a unit of sorcerers that were plenty in number but were short in cursed energy. So much so that Yohan's cursed technique, Gold Smoke, eclipsed their barrage of attacks. 

From the distance and hidden in the bush, you saw how the ambushers fell to the ground like flies dropping dead as the curtain was dispersed.

"You know, ojou-sama, it's unlike you to worry so much about otou-san," Marin remarked as she crouched down next to you. "He's dealt with more dangerous situations than this before."

"You're right. I somehow forgot that he's a First Grade sorcerer," you replied with a sigh, deciding against speaking about your irrational fear of losing those you love. "Even if Yo-chan finishes soon, we've already been derailed from our appointment."

"I already informed Kazuya-san about this, Otome-san. He will get in touch with the Kamo Clan and inform them about this incident," Yuuta stated rather calmly. He didn't want to spook you any further by talking about details and the chances of your circumstances turning into a serious crisis. After securing your safety, he was just about ready to jump into the scene to assist the older sorcerer, but his intentions were unnecessary when you spotted your car's bright red tail lights blinking in the distance. 

The signal, he thought to himself, nearly in disbelief. He really did them in. 

True enough, there was nary a hint of the other party's presence in the area, the blow of the gentle evening breeze the only thing you could feel apart from the rush of blood in your ears. 

"Stay close to me," Yuuta told you as he straightened his back and angled his blade in defence. Marin nodded at you to follow his lead as he walked out of the bush and back onto the main road. Your guardians sandwiched you between themselves, an air of caution and aversion as you all approached Yohan, his favourite cigarette lighted between his lips as he stood by the driver's side of the car. 

A wave of relief washed over you as you three stood before him, all the adrenaline leaving your body as you fell on your knees, much to Marin's surprise. "Y-Yo-chan…"

The older sorcerer grinned at you as he caught you by your arm. "I told you I'd be quick, didn't I, ojou-san?"

"And you nearly gave me a heart attack, too!" You retorted, tears pricking your eyes as you broke into weak laughter. "I can't do that again, Yo-chan… The next time this happens, I—"

"No, that is enough. After all of this, I simply cannot, in good faith, send you to the Kamo House," Yohan stated firmly. While he was known to be fiercely loyal to the Koganei Clan, he wasn't above showing his masters the error of their ways. He shook his head with what seemed to be a look of disappointment. "I warned the master against this, that your gift is both a blessing and a curse and should be nurtured… But instead he chose to sell you off— The decision itself is inconceivable!"

Marin was taken aback by this sudden outburst. "Otou-san! What are you saying?! You shouldn't speak against our master—" 

"Marin, my child, this is madness! Sending our young mistress to one of the Great Three Sorcerer Clans as though she is nothing but a breeding mare," he spat out the stubbed out cigarette. "They're making a mistake sending her there. To the Kamo House. To the Zenin House. Fortunately Gojo-san is sensible enough to—"

Yohan was visibly disturbed and angered by the turn of events. His fingers shook as he raised another of his cigarettes to his mouth, unable to spark a flame with his gilded lighter. It was only when you gripped his wrists that he steadied himself once more. "Ojou-san, please… Just say the word. Say it and I will gladly take you back."

"I…"

I want to go home.

"I'll take whatever punishment the master has for me if it means you'll be safe back home."

But there is no going back from this. 

"No, Yo-chan. This is my duty. To our family, first and foremost. I can live a lifetime of unhappiness and displeasure if it means I can secure the clan's future. They've drilled it into me for so long that it was impossible to avoid, even when I became an idol." 

So that's what she thinks about this, Yuuta thought to himself as he watched you purse your lips. However, there was simply no concealing the shine of your tears that soaked your lashes even underneath Yohan's aviator sunglasses. You would subject yourself to a lifetime of unhappiness and live with it if it meant your own family could live comfortably undetected and protected by one of the Great Three Sorcerer Clans.

But still, why would someone willingly walk to their own undoing? Why curse yourself to a lifetime of unhappiness? He couldn't wrap his mind around it. 

"We'll take a detour tonight, ojou-san. If the Kamo Clan truly values their ties with our family, they will agree to meet us at a rendezvous point first thing tomorrow morning," Yohan finally stated as he urged the three of you to get in the car once more. "I will take responsibility for this excursion, so please take this opportunity to take it easy and rest up after all that's happened."

"All right, then…"

"And if by tomorrow morning, you've had a change of heart, we can always return to Tokyo," Yohan reassured you once more as he started the car and drove off as though nothing happened, even though the incident stirred so much unrest in your heart. 

It took about an hour of driving before Yohan took an unexpected turn and another 20 minutes of untraceable road before the vehicle eventually ground to a halt outside a well-maintained ryokan concealed deep in the woods edging Kyoto. It didn't take long for you to notice that there was a curtain around the area. 

"This place is owned by a good friend of mine," Yohan started as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "They've maintained this place for as long as I can remember."

Soon enough, an older woman around his age stepped out of the ryokan to welcome your group. She had an elegant, cordial smile on her face that suited the muted orange kimono she wore. 

"It's good to see you well, Yohan," the elderly woman said with a warm smile as she rested her gaze on you. "Ah, and you must be the lady of the Koganei House. You truly are as lovely as he recounted. Your guardian has told me much about you… And this one must be your Marin. How pretty you are as well!"

As for Yuuta, she only had a quick nod when she recognised him as one of jujutsu society's Special Grade sorcerers. 

"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am the proprietor of this inn. My name is Irino Izana. My husband and I are long-time friends with your Yohan."

"Irino?" You asked curiously. "Do you happen to know an Irino Izuna-san?…"

"Why, yes. She's my daughter. I— Oh, it's you. You must be the one… The idol she so adores dressing up in elaborate clothes and costumes. I couldn't believe it at first when she said you were…" Izana stated with a rueful smile. "Just like her, she said— a girl from a sorcerer family who found her way to stardom."

It clicks in your head all of a sudden. The reason why Izuna adored you so even when you were just an idol trainee, why she favoured you over everyone else in the group. You were just like her. 

"Izuna-san has since retired from her idol work and from her costume designing. Has she… been well?"

Izana averted her gaze from your face. "Yohan said that you are to be the bride of the Kamo heir. Your family must be overjoyed that you're fulfilling your duties…"

"Um, yes, I suppose," you replied with a small smile. "If… If Izuna-san is here, I would love to see her…"

Izana raised her eyes to meet yours, a subtle sharpness in her gaze that seemed more like a look of regret. "My apologies, ojou-san, but Izuna isn't here. You must have heard from your agency… the reason she retired from her job."

"Oh. They said she was going to get married, but…"

You and Yuuta exchanged glances, to which he said, "Thank you for your hospitality, Irino-san. If it's alright with you, Otome-san would like to get some rest."

"Ah, of course. How silly of us to be standing here when I should have welcomed you inside. Please, please come in! I will have our attendants carry your belongings to your lodging," the elderly woman said, her demeanour back to that of a hotelier.

As your group was ushered inside the quaint traditional inn, you quietly caught Yuuta by his sleeve, prompting him to slow his steps so that you were side by side. 

"Ojou—" Marin attempted to pull you back next to her, only for her to be stopped by Yohan. "O-Otou-san?"

"Leave them be. He is capable of protecting her, but I doubt anyone would find us here."

"But—"

"Otome knows what she is doing, Marin."

"She is disregarding her obligation to the masters of—"

The older man shook his head. "She is simply deciding for herself." 

The spacious ryokan allowed for your small group to each have their own room. While the quiet night was perfect for resting, too many thoughts raced through your mind for you to even lie down on the futon carefully laid out in the middle of the room. 

Was Yohan serious about returning home if you said you wanted to? More importantly, he was ready to accept whatever punishment your father would give him, all for your sake. 

The pearly white moon hung perfectly in the middle of your window like an exquisite painting. It was hard to tear your eyes from its beauty, so you beheld it even more by resting your head on the window sill. 

"Izuna-san must have been married off, too."

She did not have someone who would intercede on her behalf. Perhaps you may have been more spoiled than the other daughters of sorcerer families… Because how fortunate were you to have someone like that in your life? Yohan did not want you to live a lifetime of unhappiness. He did not want you to curse yourself to a lifetime of displeasure. 

And happiness for you was so simple. Being able to continue the work you love. Receiving the adoration of your friends and many fans. Drinking Yakult after a long day at work. Dressing up in all of Izuna's finely crafted costumes. 

"Mm…" You hummed to yourself as you recalled those precious moments that are now just memories meant to be cherished. 

—

Yuuta couldn't sleep either. But neither could Yohan, and they were equally surprised to find each other downstairs at the common area. While the older sorcerer made use of the yukata provided by their lodging, the younger one was still in his clothes from earlier that day.

"Are you having trouble sleeping, Yohan-san?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Yohan replied with a chuckle. "I used to work with the owners of this inn back when they were still sorcerers. Surprisingly, they got together one day and the rest was history."

"Ah, so that's what Irino-san meant when she said that you were good friends."

"Yes. Her husband was mad jealous of me back then, too, but I never understood why he felt that way," Yohan stated as he fished out his lighter and pack of cigarettes. 

"He must have thought you were a rival for, uh…"

"Izana? What a joke," the older man snorted, bringing a cigarette to his lips. "I would have accepted him being more jealous of my skills rather than being interested in the same girl. After all, Yoshitaka despised how I went about my work since I had very little regard for it. He came from an esteemed sorcerer clan while I was an outsider to jujutsu society with no significant ties to any family. It was only when Seito— Otome's father— commissioned me to be his guard that I found myself an anchor in this society."

"I see…" 

"Izana is a good friend, but I never liked her that way," Yohan said as he blew a puff of smoke away from Yuuta's direction. 

For Yuuta, it almost seemed like the more experienced sorcerer was basking in his nostalgia— wistful, even. 

"It was good that Seito-sama offered me this position when we met off the bat. He is a good master— he pays well and is an attentive clan leader, but he's not exactly the wisest when it comes to reading people, especially his children," the older man said with a small laugh. "If he had taken the time to get to know his children better, he would have known that ojou-san loves her work as an idol and that she makes so many people happy. That Kazuya-kun only has eyes for one person and one person alone and he could never have him— not in this lifetime, at least… If Seito-sama had grown to understand her, he'd know for certain that he would be cursing his daughter to a lifetime of unhappiness."

Yohan adjusted his aviator sunglasses, but Yuuta couldn't miss how red his nose had become. 

"Yoshitaka made an offer before Seito-sama did, but I rejected it because I'd be cursing myself to a lifetime of unhappiness too, had I accepted it. He despised how modern I was compared to his more antiquated ways. If I had accepted his offer, I wouldn't be the person I am now. I would have been tied to his outdated beliefs, too," he continued with the same rueful smile on his now-evidently tired face. "I might have loved him, but I valued my freedom of being more than anything." 

Loved? 

"What? Yohan-san, you—"

"Cursing yourself to a lifetime of unhappiness… What bullshit," Yohan shook his head. "If ojou-san decides to return home, I will show her father the error of his ways. That is if she does decide to… But if she insists on pressing forward with the rendezvous, then I have no choice but to heed her orders." 

Unhappiness was the very same thing Yuuta cursed himself with. He tormented himself with a life of contentment without wanting anything— anything at all— because why on earth was he free to live his life while she— Rika— had to die? Yet it wasn't like he was the cause of all of it. Why did he blame himself for something that was far beyond his control?

Wanting always leads to loss, after all, he told himself. But what if it didn't have to?

"You know Otome happens to be very fond of you," Yohan stated with a smile. "Somehow it always felt like her family knew this would happen. That's why they always hired older sorcerers for these kinds of jobs. Still, Gojo-san himself insisted that you take this job." 

"I didn't think much of it, either," Yuuta replied with a small chuckle. "Otome-san has been pleasant to work with…"

"And what do you think of her?"

"I-I'm sorry?"

"What do you think of her?" Yohan repeated his question. "Especially since you know that she looks upon you with fondness."

"W-Well, she's… She's beautiful, kind, and warm… I, uh…"

"Does she make you nervous?" 

Yohan noticed how the younger sorcerer went bright red at his queries. He couldn't help but laugh all of a sudden.

"Y-You know you shouldn't make fun of your juniors, Yohan-san," Yuuta managed a weak rebuttal. "O-Otome-san is a wonderful woman, but— But I know where I should stand in this—"

"This circus? This sham of an engagement?" The older sorcerer replied as he stubbed out his cigarette. "I know you aren't as gutless as you make yourself out to be, Yuuta-kun. I think it's about time you started using that status of yours to your advantage. It's not just for display, is it?"

"But… But what if it's just me?" Yuuta said with a slight quiver in his voice. "Rika will never forgive me…"

"But what if it isn't just you?" Yohan shot back at him. "The dead can neither forgive nor dictate what it is the living can still do. And I mean no disrespect to her, but what you're doing to yourself is tantamount to emotional suicide."

"I'm afraid that if I want her too badly, she… She might—"

"Listen, kid. The worst thing that could happen is her wanting you just as much."

—

For once in a long time, Yuuta had a grasp of what he wanted— For himself, more than anything. He could still hear Yohan's voice in his head apart from the blood rushing in his ears as he hastily made his way to your room. He had no idea if you were already asleep, but he needed you to know something. 

So when you slid open the door for him after he asked if you were still awake, you were both equally surprised. And equally at a loss. And equally waiting, anticipating, the thumping in your chests seeming unheard, but you could— You could feel your heart in your throat now. What the hell was going on?

And Yuuta couldn't tear his eyes off you. He meant it when he said that you were beautiful even in this state of undoneness— your hair unkempt, your yukata slightly left open, the twinkle of wonder and confusion in your gaze that made him want to answer your every question.  

"It crossed my mind," he told you, finally breaking the silence. "Taking you away. We can go wherever you want to go."

"Y-Yuuta-san? Wh-Whatever do you mean?…"

"I hope you don't find it strange that I… want to be at your beck and call. And… And I know it won't be much work at all because you want so little—"

You stepped into his space and carefully brought a hand to his cheek. He was shaking in his spot, but he sank into your palm so comfortably and contentedly and the sigh of relief he breathed out was just so warm. 

"Do you even know what you're doing to me now?" You quietly asked him. He held your wrist in place when you tried to pull away from him.

"Without a doubt, I like you more than you think…" He chuckled. "I wish you'd trust me to be honest, even for just a little bit…"

What? 

"You… like me?"

"Is it a terrible idea for you?"

"No, no, not at all," you shook your head at him. "But why… Where is this all coming from?"

"I… had a little help," Yuuta stated with a nervous smile as he raised a hand to rub the back of his neck. "And I know I'm wanting something— someone way above my paygrade—"

"You're silly," you cut him off with a laugh. "You're a Special Grade sorcerer. You can have anything you want…"

"So long as I work for it."

"Then work for it," you said, taking his free hand into yours to finally pull him into your room. "You said that you didn't mind being at my beck and call, so does that mean you'll do whatever it is I tell you?"

Yuuta visibly swallowed at your question, but he allowed himself to be pulled in by your tender hold. He resisted so little when you pulled him down to your futon, his eyes now wide with surprise and wonder. 

"Are you… holding back?" Your voice was hushed to a whisper. The ghost of a smile danced on your lips as you gently drew him closer to you. 

Yuuta was a master of self-control, but the hardened warrior in him was rendered absolutely malleable in your hands as you pleaded to him with that look you gave him— that gaze so full of stars and a slightly crimson smile. Pretty girls with pretty smiles have always been his weakness. Not that he'd ever admit it, but it was already a given fact. 

Rika. The girl in the picture had the most mischievous smile that was still so endearing to him, after all. 

"You don't have to hold back at all." 

His resolve crumbled bit by bit the lower your yukata fell off your shoulders. 

"The work you do is hard. If… If there's any way I canmmf—"

He closed the distance between the two of you with one swift kiss, one so chaste that it pulled at your heart and made you think twice about seducing him further. 

"I think you do plenty," he murmured, his warm forehead resting against your own. "I'm no stranger to being adored, yet it does feel quite different coming from a living, breathing heart." 

You were done appeasing ghosts from the past, but that didn't mean you would disrespect their memory. 

"Because I'm certain Rika-san would want me to cherish you." 

No, you weren't, but did any of that matter at all now? You adored him now. And now is all you have. 

"You're not sure, are you?" He chuckled, the tiny smile on his obviously tired face slowly melting into a thin line. "You should know that I… I've never been with anyone at all, so I may be lack—"

"What? And you think I'm some expert at this?" You said with a small smile, warm hands on his even warmer face. "Oh, Yuuta. I've never wanted anyone as terribly as I want you. I—"

His fingers gently dug into the skin of your thighs as he lifted you onto his lap, lips on lips as you coaxed him to soften his tense shoulders. 

You didn't need the light to know that he was flushed all over. 

"I am yours," he breathed the words against your cheek. "If you'll have me." 

"I most certainly will." 

Something about the way he spoke to you made you tear up. How you wish you could kiss away the hurt that was so evident on his face. 

"The moon is exquisitely beautiful tonight, isn't it?" You whispered against his brow. A low hum of agreement that left his lips tickled your neck. 

"You're still prettier," he mumbled back, curling his arms around you to pull you even closer to him. You gently collided with his bare chest, allowing him to hold you tighter. 

"Don't say that," you chided him before running your fingers through his dark hair. "Mm…"

"Is something on your mind?"

"No, nothing at all," you told him, contentedly resting your hand on his nape. 

"Can you sing for me?" 

"Demanding things from me now, are we?" You said with a laugh. 

"I heard you humming something earlier this evening. Can you sing that one?"

"Now that is above my paygrade. But since you asked so nicely, I might just…"

Yuuta released you from his embrace and allowed you to sit up, pulling up the covers with you while he watched you with rapt anticipation despite his sleepy gaze. 

"I'm who I am, as I am; you're who you are, as who you are— The final words you whispered, before you left me with a scar."

"On your familiar silver jacket splattered coffee's left a stain, destined always to remain… And still we're lost inside the habit— Tears reflecting in the pane show our pitiful refrain."

You brought your hand to his cheek once more, but he grasped your fingers to press a tender kiss on your palm.  

"Stay with me… In the dead of night I'm banging on your door. I'm begging you, without you I'm done for. Now the winter arrived, like the tears in our eyes—" 

"Stay with me… While your voice remains an echo of the past, I'm holding on to moments that won't last. I will never forget, I will never regret our love…"

This time, he felt courageous enough to pull you down back next to him and press another kiss on your lips, tasting your sweetness once more along with the saltiness of your tears.

"Are you okay?" He asked you, your face in his warm hands. A look of concern lit his eyes as he surveyed your expression. "Are you cold?"

"I'm fine," you said. It was your turn to grip his wrists in place this time. "There is something I must tell you, though… A-And I can understand if you feel it will be such a huge undertaking for you."

Yuuta sat up and helped you up as well, sensing the seriousness of this conversation. "I'm listening." 

"My family… My cursed technique is called Soul Resonance. A binding vow between a fellow sorcerer and I will allow me to turn into a weapon— any weapon you might desire. I, uh… You must have realised by now why I am so against my arranged marriage. I cannot allow myself or my cursed technique to be used by someone I don't know. Someone who may abuse this power," you stated as you wrung your fingers around the covers over your shoulders. "And this… This binding vow will be for eternity. My power will be yours until the day I die."

It finally dawned on Yuuta why two of the Great Three Sorcerer Clans wanted you into their fold and why your presence stirred so much controversy. You lowered your gaze in shame, your mind now grasping at straws and desperately thinking of ways this revelation could go wrong, and how he could outright reject you… But he stepped up, and you thought to yourself that I should, too. 

"Yuuta… You wanted nothing from me but me. You will neither yearn for nor despise my power because you have no need for it," you said, finally raising your eyes to meet his steady blue gaze. "You want me simply because you adore me."

You couldn't get a read on his expression, but it was soft and somewhat sympathetic. 

"So I feel my power rests safe and well in your hands, while my heart is safe next to yours," you concluded with a small nod. "Only if you'll have me." 

It was a power that ostracised you, much like him when he was just starting as a sorcerer. How could he not understand where you were coming from? And your wisdom— the way you knew full well that it would be a source of conflict if not managed well. His desire to protect you as charged to him flowered into a desire to hold you close simply because he adored you. 

Yuuta smiled at you before eventually taking your hands in his, raising your cold knuckles to his warm lips. "I would want nothing more than for your heart to be safe next to mine."

— Where my heart is safe.

It was a soundless, wordless understanding when you and Yuuta stepped out of the inn hand in hand. Yohan simply nodded at you both and gestured for you to get in the car. You turned to the boy, who gently released your hand so you could bid farewell to the owner of the establishment. 

"I must thank you for accommodating us, Irino-san," you said with a smile as you bowed down before the older woman. "Um, if you have any means of communicating with Izuna-san, I'd like for you to tell her that I… I'm well, I followed my heart, and that I forgive her. And that I hope she finds it in her heart to forgive herself, too."

Izana held your gaze for a moment before smiling back at you. She took your hands in hers and gently squeezed them, as though letting you know that things will be alright from here on out. "Of course. I'll be sure to let her know." 

When Yohan approached the older woman, they simply exchanged a quick but heartfelt embrace. "Be safe, Yohan. I'll let Taka know that you dropped by"

"No need," he replied with a grin. "I'm certain he still despises me to the point of cursing my existence."

"Yohan," Izana stated as she caught him by his hand. "Taka may have resented you a little for rejecting his proposition, but he never hated you." 

Yuuta was quick to notice the change in the older sorcerer's expression, the hint of yearning that flashed across his aged face— 

"We should get going, Yo-chan," You called out to your guardian as you read the notification on your mobile phone. "I just received a text from Kazu nii-san telling me to return home…"

"What? Did he just send that message now?" Yuuta asked. You nodded as you handed over your phone to him. "Yohan-san."

"I hear you, kid. We have to go."

"What? Wait, what's going on?" You asked, evidently confused by Yohan's sudden sense of urgency as he hurriedly urged you to get in the car. 

"We'll explain on the way back."

—

And it was just how Yuuta and Yohan described the whole thing. They were warned beforehand that the Zenin Clan did not take rejection well, so they should be prepared for anything, such as the attack from last night. Kazuya instructed them that he will be their point of contact and he will inform them of the clan's decisions before they made their move. But if he ever reaches out to his sister instead, that is something else. 

It was an emergency. 

Sorcerers from the Zenin Clan surrounded your estate's perimeters, but they allowed you entrance since it was you they were looking for, after all. 

The Zenin Clan sorcerers did not permit Yohan, Marin or Yuuta to accompany you to your family's audience hall, but a single nod was all it took for the three of them to understand. Do what you must. 

In the middle of the estate shoin sat the ever domineering head of the Zenin Clan, and he stank of alcohol even though you were still a metre's length away from him. Your clan's servants were gathered around him like he was the master of the house, while your father and brother sat adjacent to him. 

"Oh, I can see now why Naoya's so upset—" Zenin Naobito stated before taking another swig of sake from his glazed ceramic bottle. "She's as ripe as a peach."

"Zenin-sama," you greeted the older man. You tried to do so warmly, but your expression betrayed you as your lips curled in disgust, a look he didn't miss. 

"You wound me, girl. I would have had you flogged for looking at me that way if you were my daughter."

"Yes, so you see now why I'm trying to avoid that from happening," you shot back at him, much to your father and brother's surprise. You saw Kazuya shake his head at you, his sharp gaze telling you to stop it with your smart mouth.

And yet Naobito responded to your amusing quip with thunderous laughter. "What a quick witted girl you are. Though you'd be dead by now if not for that cursed technique of yours… The blood that flows in your veins. Since you want to be all smart with me, you know by now what will happen if you refuse to acquiesce to our clan's generous offer."

"The only thing that's going to happen is you and your clan leaving my home," you stated. "Or do you want to do this the hard way and be kicked out instead?"

Naobito unceremoniously dropped his bottle of sake on the tatami floor and turned to your father. "Seito! You said she would be an agreeable girl!"

"She—" 

You raised a hand to stop your father from speaking any further. He quieted down, much to your surprise. 

"My father and I will speak later, Zenin-sama," you continued. "But you will leave my family alone after this. You won't find much value in me, after all. Not after I—"

A scuffle by the entrance of the audience hall prompted your house's servants to gather in a single corner while your father and brother rose to their feet to shield them from possible harm. But the smoke was glimmering gold, which only meant one thing— Yohan cleared the way. 

"Otome!" 

From the smoke emerged Yuuta and his unsheathed blade, his arm outstretched toward you as you lunged right at him, meeting his open arms and kissing him then and there. You paid no mind to the gasps from your family's servants, the sounds of the clashing blades and heavy footsteps fading into the distance as you suddenly felt completely weightless.   

Your shared cursed energy easily and effortlessly melded together, allowing you to take the form of a gilded weapon he was most adept at using, your spirit form now perched upon his shoulder.  

"She formed a binding vow… with that lad! Special Grade sorcerer Okkotsu Yuuta!" Naobito slowly rose to his feet, the same look of amusement on his face as the gilded blade was aimed at him. "I should have known this worthless family would pull such a trick!"

"You forget just how fast I am, old man," Yuuta stated point blankly, unfazed by the older sorcerer's tirade. "Perhaps not as fast as you, but I sure as hell can take you in a fight." 

Naobito came here at his youngest son's behest— the spoiled thing— and he expected almost little to no resistance from your family. Seito was a known sycophant and he would have willingly handed over his daughter to keep the peace. The Zenin didn't account for Yuuta at all, and that you had a mind of your own. "Tch."

"Her offer still stands, by the way. Either you take your filth out of their home or I'll do it for her."

And how embarrassing would be it be for the rest of the society to know that he, of all people, attempted to bully a low-ranking clan into submission. 

—

While you and your father were busy ensuring all of your family's staff and servants were accounted for, Yohan and Yuuta were surveying the estate's perimeters. 

Kazuya was making important phone calls to the magic college when the door to the master's den slid open. 

"Kazu nii-san, it's Satoru nii-san. He came to check on us after that thing," you said with a smile. 

Satoru entered the den with an unreadable expression on his face though his blindfold hung around his neck. "Kazuya."

But your older brother had an aggrieved look on his face as compared to his usual annoyed expression. "Where were you, you idiot? I called you as soon as they started raiding our home—"

"I'm sorry. I still came here as soon as I could—"

"Stop apologising, damn it! I'm so tired of it!" 

In a rare moment of weakness, Kazuya dropped to his knees in tears, no longer caring for how his hakama creased and wrinkled up under his weight. Satoru got down on one knee and carefully placed a hand on his friend's quivering shoulder, not at all sure if he would be rebuffed. 

"Hey, ojou-chan. Why don't we catch up later?" Satoru told you, the confusion on your face clear as day. "Your brother and I have to talk for a bit."

"Oh, uh, o-okay then."

You slid the door closed behind you, only to find Yuuta standing right outside the den. 

"I heard that Gojo-sensei just arrived."

"Ah, yeah. He rushed all the way to nii-san, though… He was, well… pretty upset about the situation and how Satoru nii-san didn't come much sooner."

"Oh, I see…" Was all he could say, because while you were bewildered by your older brother's unusual unstable reaction, he knew the reason, perhaps a little bit too well. The sadness in Yohan's voice was so palpable, after all. Kazuya-kun only has eyes for one person and one person alone and he could never have him— not in this lifetime, at least…

Yuuta made a conclusion he couldn't quite share with you yet. He must have felt abandoned by sensei. 

"We should wait for them outside," he told you with a small smile on his face. He took you by the hand and everything was well in the world again, for you, at least. 

"I suppose I have some explaining to do, after all," you replied with a sigh of defeat. "B-But don't worry! My father is an agreeable man a-and we have Yo-chan on our corner, too."

"About that…"

As he gently pulled you out by hand to your estate's sprawling gardens, you found your father Seito and Yohan conversing just under the aged ginkgo tree, its golden foliage akin to a canopy overhead. 

"I think Yohan-san gave your father the scolding he threatened to give," Yuuta chuckled as you stood side by side. "It fills me with confidence that we have someone like him in our corner." 

"Mm…"

"I'm only a little worried. The binding vow we made will tie us to each other for eternity. After having resonated with you, I understand why you wished for this power to end up in the right hands. I'm not saying I am the right choice for this, but I… I'll endeavour to…" 

You squeezed his hand and gave him a reassuring smile. "I know, Yuuta."

He squeezed your hand right back before eventually lifting it to his chest. "And you… might feel obligated to accompany me on missions, but I'll never require you to do so…"

"I'm not really that noble, Yuuta, so I'll be sure not to get in your way. Also, I doubt that HQ will let me join you since I'm technically an ungraded sorcerer— I'm pretty much like a civilian, to say the least." 

It was your turn to chuckle this time. "However, we'll have to register this… newfound relationship that we have, for formality's sake. We are weapon and meister now."

"Ah, of course."

"And you do know the best way to keep our power safe is by marrying into my family, correct?"

"Well, I— w-wait, did you say marry into your family?!"

"Oh, is the thought so disagreeable to you?" You pouted at him this time, only for the corner of your lips to drop to a small frown. "But I understand your apprehension… You were once engaged, after all…"

Padded footsteps from behind you made their approach, another pair closely following. 

"Ojou-chan, you aren't a replacement for what he lost. Yuuta sees you as you are. He understands that you and Rika-chan are two different people, thus he should see you differently."

It was Satoru with a Cheshire Cat grin on his lips. His blue eyes were concealed beneath his dark blindfold once more, the look you and everyone else was more accustomed to. Closely behind him was your older brother, no more tears on his face yet the corner of his eyes remained red from his weeping. 

"Yuuta's pretty gutsy going against the wishes of three clans, especially when he doesn't even have a claim on you. Then again, he has his big name and high status to gamble on," Satoru stated with a small shrug. "There's so little to gamble on, anyway. Noritoshi didn't stand a chance and neither did that Zenin brat Naoya."

"Yes, all according to plan, just like you said," Kazuya said with a wave of his hand. "I believe I owe you an apology, my dearest little sister." 

"Did I hear you right? You… you just said Satoru nii-san planned this?"

"Well, not the whole fiasco with the Zenin," the silver-haired man replied. "But yes… I orchestrated the meeting between you and Yuuta. Only because your brother begged me—"

Your brother quickly elbowed his friend. "I asked Satoru to find you a suitable match, one that didn't require you to leave home or sacrifice yourself to a lifetime of unhappiness."

"But—"

"Satoru told me that your first meeting sparked a need within you both, or at least that's how he understood the situation. After all, he said that Okkotsu-san was absolutely bewitched by your presence." 

Yuuta immediately turned red at the very pointed truth your brother had just told you. 

"So you didn't know about this, Yuuta?"

He shook his head at you, a hint of defeat evident in his smile. "Not at all. Though I suppose sensei knew how to use my very weakness to his advantage…"

"Pretty girls with pretty smiles," Satoru stated with another cheeky grin. "But once he sets his eyes on someone, that's the end of the game."

"Did Yo-chan know about this… plan of yours?"

"No, it was just me and Satoru," Kazuya stated as he shook his head. "Though knowing how much that old man adores you, he might have had an inkling… More importantly, you and I have something to talk about. If you'll excuse us for a while, gentlemen…"

Your brother offered his elbow to you which you gladly took, slipping your hands to grip his arm as he led you to where your father and Yohan stood in the middle of your estate's garden. As Yuuta eyed your retreating figure, Satoru clamped a hand on his pupil's shoulder.

"You can always start wanting things again, Yuuta. Her death was beyond your control. None of what happened to her was ever your fault," the older man said. It was a truth so plain and simple yet something Yuuta had such a hard time believing. 

Rika died of an illness, one that plagued her since childhood. Her dreams of becoming a sorcerer by his side were nipped in the bud, for Yuuta wouldn't allow her to die a sorcerer's death, which was such an undignified death… She died a human, her heart full of love and gratitude for those who loved her and cared for her in her final days. 

And the last thing Rika bade him do was to live a life of happiness, because that's what he would have wanted her to do if he were in her position.

How could I have forgotten that? Yuuta shook his head and simply smiled to himself upon remembering.   

"There is a girl who wears her heart on her sleeve who has fallen in love for the very first time in her life," Satoru patted his pupil's back. "What you can control now is how things will move forward from here." 

"I know, sensei. I guess I just feel a little… apprehensive," Yuuta chuckled rather nervously. "I mean, you said it yourself, I went against the agreement of three sorcerer clans and entangled myself with the Koganei Clan's precious daughter— even though I'm just a nobody." 

"A nobody?" His teacher laughed at the incredulous statement that left his lips. "You're Okkotsu Yuuta, one of this generation's finest Special Grade sorcerers. The Koganei should be more than grateful to welcome you into their fold. And if their old man gives you shit, which I doubt he will given how spineless he actually is, you're just going to have to remind him who's protecting his house."

"I-I wouldn't go that far, sensei…"

"Only if he gives you shit."

"I hope he doesn't…" Yuuta muttered to himself. "I-I'll work hard to earn his approval. A-And I'll cherish Otome, so…"

From across the garden, you eyed the anxious smile that lit Yuuta's face as he spoke to his teacher. About what, you'll never truly know. All you know for certain now is that things are about to change in your family's way of life, especially with how they regard you. 

"I'm an old man. I can't keep up with all of this. And after all that's happened, I have enough reason to believe that our family's faith in me has been shaken," Seito stated with a slight raise of his hand. "It's good that you've made your preparations to inherit, Kazuya. I feel… No, I believe that you're better equipped to lead our clan in these ever-changing times…"

Your father admitting his ineptitude came as a surprise to you, but not so much to your brother, who simply nodded in agreement.  

"And what are your plans now, Otome?" Your father asked you, the edge in his voice gone and replaced with genuine concern for your future. "That binding vow you made with that young sorcerer will tie you to him for the rest of your life. Are you ready for that kind of commitment?"

"O-Of course! I-If it's with Yuuta, I'd be more than happy to!" You said, suddenly conscious about the heat rising to your face. "I… I want to get to know him more. And if he'll let me, he and I w-will have all the time in the world to…"

From where he stood, Yuuta could see just how flustered you were while the older men simply chuckled at your enthusiastic response. He knew that you meant well, too. That you would nothing more than for his heart to be safe next to yours, too.

~ ten months later.

Your marriage to Yuuta was conducted in the shadow of your older brother's inheritance ceremony. It was an even more private traditional ceremony that officially welcomed him into the Koganei Clan. Your marriage still took place despite all the apprehension he felt, but not much changed afterwards. Neither of you wore any wedding bands and he never took your name— and you didn't mind that at all since none of those formalities mattered to you, anyway. All that mattered to you was that he would come home to you at the end of every day. While his mandated work from Jujutsu Headquarters still took precedence over clan duties, he still proved to be a capable enforcer when called upon by Kazuya. 

Yuuta owed much to his brother-in-law, after all, especially since he vouched for his merits so he could marry you without so much of a hitch. 

Still, there was more to your brother's relationship with your husband than they let you in on, even more so when Kazuya started persuading you to return to your work in the entertainment industry. 

"No one wants to see a married idol, nii-san," you joked to him, but the look in his eyes was serious. "Do you… actually want me to start working again?"

"Why not? If you can't be an idol anymore, I'm sure there's a demand for you somewhere else. In fact, why don't you ask that smart manager of yours?" He told you from across his office table as he browsed through his usual paperwork. 

"Nii-san, we've arrived," came a most familiar voice from outside his den. 

"Perfect. Come in, Yuuta. I believe you have a surprise for my sister," Kazuya stated as he set down the documents he was reading. As the shoji slid open, you were elated to see your husband come home from running errands for your brother, but an even larger smile lit your face when you saw the person who entered right after him. 

"Sa-chan!"

"Oh! Otome! It does my heart good to see you well!" Sana happily exclaimed as she returned your embrace. "And I'm even more excited to see you return to work!"

"B-But who told you that? I…"

"I… did," Yuuta stated. "I'm sorry for being so presumptuous, but I… can see how much you miss your work every time you watch TV or check out your socials. You should know that I don't want to stop you from what you love. I know how passionate you are about your craft, s-so I—"

"I told Yuuta to get in touch with Kagomura-san," Kazuya finished his sentence. "You should be doing something you love rather than just languishing here at home, Otome."

"R-Right he is, Otome! Oh, Kyou-san will be thrilled to have you back at Mieux Folie, but not as an idol anymore. In fact, when Okkotsu-san reached out to me, the agency was mulling over who to give this certain movie role to, so it's like fate!" Sana squeezed your hands in sheer excitement over the possibility of signing you back in the agency as— "It's your acting debut!"

"And you're okay with this, n-nii-san?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Kazuya answered your question. "I'm not like our old man. I actually see value in your talent as an entertainer."

"Really?" You quirked an eyebrow at his statement. 

"Of course I do," he stated with a thoughtful hand on his chin. "If you become an actress, you'll be invited to all sorts of events and occasions. Maybe you can tell a friend or two that you have an equally good-looking older brother—"

"All right, Sa-chan. Let's do it," You squeezed her hands back with a newfound exhilaration. "I'll sign back on with Mieux Folie, but only if you promise to be my manager." 

"As if I'd say no to that!" Sana stated with a smile on her face. "You know, Otome, Okkotsu-san is a pretty generous husband. Other husbands would want their actress wives to give up their careers to focus on their families instead, but he's here pushing you to pursue your dreams."

"Isn't that thoughtful of him?" You gave your manager a cheeky grin. "I suppose earning a little pocket money before we try for a baby is a great idea."

"O-Otome!" Came Yuuta's nervous interjection. "P-Please don't neglect to tell me if you're feeling strange or under the weather. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you without us knowing if you're actually pregnant…"

His concerns were eased when you took his hand this time and lifted it to your face. Just as your hearts were tied together by your marriage, your souls were tied together by something far greater. "Believe me, sweetheart. You'll know."

~ one year later.

"Is this thing on?"

You spoke into the screen of your mobile phone as you sat on the cushy couch in your spacious living room. After having starred in Onodera Noah's directorial debut film "Ever I Wander", which kickstarted your work as an actress this time around, you and Yuuta moved out of your family's estate to a condominium unit in the city. Your job as an actress demanded much of your time, but always made it a point to reserve days for rest with your husband, who was distant from the living room yet visible onscreen as you went live on your preferred SNS account.

[ Aaaaaa ]

[ It's Otome-san!!! ]

[ I can't believe you're going on live today! ]

[ What a great morning! ]

[ ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ ]

[ wwww such a blessed day!! ]

[ Good morning, Otome-san! ]

[ … ]

[ … ]

Numerous comments and reactions from your adoring fans and followers flashed and rained on your screen as you confirmed that you were indeed livestreaming at the moment. 

"Hello, everyone! I hope you're having a lovely day so far!" You waved to your screen with your megawatt smile. "I'm just hopping on here to give everyone a big thanks for supporting Noah-san's work, 'Ever I Wander', and of course for supporting me in my first-ever acting role as Hinarin." 

[ ❤️❤️❤️ ]

[ You did such a great job with Hinarin!! ]

[ ❤️ ]

"I'm so glad everyone loved the film. Noah-san and I have been good friends for quite a while now and I can attest to his dedication to his craft and the calibre of his work. I'm certain he's still on a high after the film's release. 'Ever I Wander' is such a profound piece of media that tackles so many relevant themes of our time, so please recommend it to your family and friends!" 

Yuuta approached you with a bowl of freshly cut fruit, careful not to appear onscreen but many eagle-eyed viewers saw his arm enter the frame. 

[ Is that your husband??? ]

[ Wow I can tell from his arm that he works out!! ]

[ ❤️❤️ ]

[ … ]

[ He has such a mysterious aura… ]

[ But didn't he accompany her on the film's premiere? ]

[ ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ ]

"Yes, that was my husband. He just handed me a bowl of my favourite fruits. Isn't he just the sweetest?" You couldn't help but gush and beam as you happily showed off the fresh and juicy fruit slices neatly arranged in the bowl. "His job requires him to work out a lot and I suppose it shows even though it isn't his intention to brag about his build. All the better to lift me, I guess!"

[ 😂😂😂 ]

[ 😂 ]

[ He must be the strongest soldier wwwww ]

[ 😂😂😂 ]

[ Can you please show us the photo on your background? ]

"The photo on my background…" You repeated the comment before eventually turning around to point at what the viewer mentioned. "Aha! Another one of Noah-san's works! This was from my last photobook after I retired from my idol work two years ago."

[ It's so risque 😳 ]

[ The theme is kinda sexy?? ]

[ 😳😳😳 ]

[ ❤️❤️ ]

The blown-up photo was one of you and Yuuta, a memento Noah sent you as a wedding gift. Just as he said before, you were the focal point of that photoshoot and Yuuta was just a mere framing device. With his back turned from the camera, he was an alluring mystery that gave the photo an even more charming appeal to the viewer. 

"Noah-san really knows how to make magic, doesn't he? My husband and I were so surprised to receive it, but we figured it had to be displayed somewhere…"

[ Your husband is sooo lucky!! ]

[ I say Otome-san is lucky with her husband he's hot wwwww ]

[ ❤️❤️❤️ ]

[ Will you ever show us your husband?? ]

[ ❤️❤️ ]

[ Let's respect their privacy ]

"You're right. My husband and I like things the way they are and I don't want to spook him by asking him to come on cam with me. He's actually very shy… But I suppose that's what makes him so charming."

Yuuta chuckled at your remark, just enough for your viewers to hear. Your screen erupted with hearts and even more reactions when he reached out to ruffle your hair. 

"He is my home, and I'm so happy that my heart is always safe next to his."

Your coffee table vibrated as your work phone lit up with a call from your manager Sana. You picked it up. "Hello, Sa-chan?… Oh, right! Of course, how could I forget?"

You turned to your ongoing livestream once more and gave your viewers another smile and a kind bow. "I'll have to cut our conversation short because I have some work to do! Thank you all again so much for your support for 'Ever I Wander', and for me in general! Please stay safe and let's talk again soon!" 

[ Livestream ended ]

"I'll drive you," Yuuta stated as he grabbed his black jacket on the couch. "Send me the details on LINE."

"Oh, sweetheart, you don't have to! I know it's your day off and all and you should be resting…" You told him as you fixed your setup and dismantled your little tripod. 

"And miss out on seeing you on the job again? You know it's always my pleasure to be at your beck and call," He said with a small laugh. "Plus, I want to make sure you get there safe."

"You're right. What better way to ensure my safety than by driving me there yourself?" You replied to him before planting a tender kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, baby!"

What was once his duty became his very pleasure— standing right next to you as you both pursued your dreams, your hearts safe and content right next to each other. 

✦ Original post (From Sept 2023, updated date to Feb 2024) ✦ Paraselene Playlist ✦ ✦ AO3 Link

[blueberrypancakesworld]

My flower ~ Kappa x fem reader

Warning : fluff, flirting, cult leader, reader is female , implied drug use, kiss

Kappa x fem reader

masterlist

Part.2

Info : So it's finally finished and I'm so glad how it turned out I hope he is not to out off character. But as always have fun reading :)

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

Modernised America in 1969 modernised and one of the most leading. In all its areas : art, buildings, technology and society. The project that most people didn't know about, the two android beings connected to the real two humans, was unimaginable and yet somehow people knew about it.

It was like an open, guarded secret. But the young woman did not want to deal with that in the late hours of the night. Her thoughts were on how she would somehow survive the shift at the local small tool shop on her own.

She needed the extra money not only because her rent had been raised but also because she was saving up for a bigger TV. Which is why the call from her boss an hour ago came in handy.

Humming on the street corner and arriving she already saw her boss standing there smoking a cigarette. ,,Hey Y/n, good you're finally here, thanks for filling in at short notice," he said with a smile and handed her the keys.

The small flower pendant shimmered slightly before she put it in her pocket. ,,Just lock up when you're done and put the key in the mailbox," he said, giving her one last grateful look before he got into his car a few metres away and drove off, honking. ,,He and his car" she mumbled amusedly and went into the shop where she started to change in the back.

Putting on her colourful top against the red shirt with the little tag with her name on it, she grabbed her keys and put them on the key ring around her neck before looking at herself in the small mirror. With a small smile, she stepped out of the back area, stood behind the cash register and began to wait.

What quickly turned out to be boring, however, she began to go through the shelves and turn on the small radio to have a little entertainment. The war is still not over, she muttered, hoping that the troops on all sides would just stop. It needed peace, world peace, not another war. Grabbing a few boxes of items to sort through, she began to work her way through the Reagle.

She heard the small bell on the doorbell ring as a person came in and closed the door behind them and the bell rang again. ,,Good afternoon, do you need some help?" She asked, looking out of one of the racks. She saw a young man with long black hair, bright blue eyes, a small smile on his lips and a brown and red striped shirt slightly open. Her eyes briefly lingered on the necklace with the large red fine-silvered expensive-looking stone.

Even if the dark bell-bottom trousers and the normal shoes were evidence of something else. Kind of…sexy she thought and decided to continue stocking the shelves, but her eyes never left the stranger. He shook his head slightly in disapproval and mumbled, ,,Maybe my flower in a minute" before he started to look through the shelves for something. Peering slightly through the shelves, she watched the man a little, he seemed somehow to be slightly away, as if he were in thought.

He was humming along to the music on the radio and she couldn't get away from him, there was something inviting about him. She heard and saw him pick out a few things and put them away, muttering something slightly before he walked past her shelf and stopped for a moment.

He didn't even hide the fact that he was looking at her face, which turned to her upper body, where she had left the first two buttons of her unifrom exra open because of the temperature. Before he looked over her lower body and his lips twisted into a smirk. ,,Pretty flower," he murmured, looking at her some more and continuing down the last corridor.

Putting the packets of small screws on the shelf, she went behind the cash register to serve her customers. Her fingers played lightly with her name card and she felt slightly nervous about the approaching guy. ,,Did you find everything?" she asked him and saw him put the small basket of things on the counter.

The things she put down included a hammer, a saw, a Bunsen burner and a knife. ,,Almost everything…tell me, do you have any duct tape here?" He asked and she was about to take the first item when he grabbed her wrist. What are you doing? she asked herself, slightly panicked, but he didn't seem angry, he still seemed engaged.

She felt his fingers lightly run over her skin, seeming to check if she was right for something. As if he was checking if he could just chain her hands. Binding them to himself. ,,S-Sure um this way" she murmured and he released her from his grip with a smirk before following her through the corridors.

Seconds later they arrived at the section with the ropes, tape and cable ties. ,,Thanks love" he mumbled and looked around a bit before grabbing some duct tape and grabbing a rope. He turned to her with a smile and took her wrist again, ,,May I? I need to know if what I'm buying is good," he said and she caught a sweet smell of him that absorbed her completely. Almost without a will, she fell for his flirtatious but nebulous manner and held out her wrist to him.

Before he began to wrap the rope around it, her skin tingled where his fingers touched it and something told her that this was not the first time he had done this. ,,Do you do this often?" she dared to ask and he chuckled before his eyes glanced at her lips for a moment.

Before he licked his and pulled her closer with a gentle tug on the rope. A surprised sound came from her as his hand traced the rope and seemed to memorise her image. ,,Occasionally, but only with people who are, well, special…like you," he murmured softly, smiling at her embarrassed, slightly shamed recognition. Then he brushed a strand of hair from his face and let his fingers brush over her wrist. She felt his fingers move to her cheek. Briefly stroking them and running down her neck over her torso.

She felt him tracing her bra and enjoying it. ,,So pretty," he murmured absentmindedly and seemed to take a step back. Goosebumps spread and she barely noticed she was breathing. ,,The rope… it would be so fucking wonderful on you… believe me, you're special," he said, pulling the rope from one wrist to the other.

She felt the slightly rough material cling to her skin. The image of her naked only covered by the rope under his control was something that excited her more than it should. ,,A pretty image, isn't it? Pulling the rope over your body there are many possibilities" he purred and pulled her even closer.

Before he tilted his head slightly ,,Do you like it?" he asked amusedly and let his fingers wander over the rope again before he saw her hesitant nod. She would be lying if she didn't feel the tingling in her body, the way she couldn't take her eyes off him and wanted more of the feeling. She felt him pull the rope tighter. But the thought of gnawing disappeared under him.

She liked it. She liked that he had her in the palm of his hand. ,,Over your legs, spread them apart. The hips to stop you from moving. The back to hang you up and look at you. Your breasts this limited feeling of excitement...believe me my flower you have to try it" he whispered to her and saw her eyes move from his chain to his lips. Kappa saw her bite her lip for a moment to stifle what seemed to be an excited noise. She was beautiful.

She wanted to overcome the last piece and finally get to him, but it didn't happen that way. The seductive drug. But he seemed to want to finish his game and loosened the rope before taking it with him and she stood in the corridor for a moment, puzzled. Completely torn out of her trance. Before she hurried after him and stood behind the cash register again.

He put the things on the counter and she began to scan them and put them in a bag, just as she was looking at the counter she suddenly heard the clink and saw the unknownq mutter ,,Oops" as he knocked the knife to the floor quite accidentally of course. Bending down for the knife, she carefully grasped the handle and came back up when she was suddenly grabbed by the back of the neck. His hand pulled her closer before she felt his lips on hers.

He kissed her, pulling her even closer and wrapping her in a deep, almost rough kiss as if he couldn't get enough. ,,Thank you, sweetheart, for saving our world," he mumbled and gave her one last kiss before he broke away from her and put something in her hand.

But before she could even say anything he had disappeared from the shop. ,,Fuck," she muttered and looked next to the money, which was not only too little, but also a small card. Scribbled on it was not only a number but also a place. Looking at the clock she saw that there were only a few hours left. Enough time to get everything ready here and then go there. Not knowing that his flowers had already fallen for the leader.

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

[mrsshabana]

Canon!Gyutaro x Modern!Reader

♥ CW: Female reader. Pure fluff!

♥ AN: Thank you again for 300 followers! I am posting this in celebration of this milestone. I wrote this months ago, just for fun. And it has been sitting in my drafts ever since. I think the theme is very fitting. And if you all like it, I wouldn't mind making a part two some day!

♥ WC: 1,117

I wonder if Mrs.Shabana posted anything new today?

You think to yourself, pulling out your cellphone as you walk down a dank alleyway. Checking tumblr has become a daily ritual for you ever since your obsession began. Gyutaro from Demon Slayer. Something about him just called out to you, he made his way into your mind and never went away. Slowly spreading until the fictional character consumed every one of your thoughts. You just wish that he was real…

With a sigh, you continue walking. Having just gotten off a long shift, you’re excited to get home and go to sleep. Not before reading a fanfic or two first of course.

As you continue down the alley you stop for a moment, “Yes!” Gyusimp just posted a new oneshot. You’re too excited to wait, so you decide to read and walk at the same time.

So distracted by your phone, that you don’t realize something is stalking you. Something that wastes no time in pinning you to the ground, flipping you over so it can slit your neck with its weapon.

Something you thought was impossible.

“Gyutaro?!” You squeal with a mixture of excitement, shock, and fear.

He’s straddling you with his sickle held up to your neck. Hearing his name come out of your mouth, his eyes widen. Stumbling off of you as you take in his appearance with awe. He looks exactly as he does in the anime, handsome and sexy as all hell.

“You… you’re Gyutaro!” you pinch yourself to make sure that you aren’t dreaming. Even though you are sure that your mental state has finally broken and your obsession is warping your perception of reality, you don’t care because Gyutaro Shabana is sitting right in front of you!

Knowing everything that you do, you should be deathly afraid of him. But your corrupted love for the man blinds you. Crawling forward to get a closer look at him.

When he opens his mouth to ask you a question, you have no idea what he’s trying to say. 

He’s speaking in Japanese.

Oh fuck, this isn’t good. You somehow get the opportunity to meet the love of your life and here you are unable to understand each other. At least his name is universal, which is probably the reason why you aren’t dead right now. 

“Um hold on…” you quickly pull out your phone to use a translator. Typing in what you want to say and letting it speak to him.

You type, “Please don’t kill me, I know who you are.”

Gyutaro cocks his head to the side and frowns, asking you another question in an irritated tone.

“I can’t speak Japanese,” your phone relays your message to him. He starts to scratch his skin but his expression softens a bit. You don’t know what you should do with him, if this is really happening then how the hell did he get here? Who knows, but you love this man so you’re gonna do everything you can to help him out.

“Follow me. I will take you to my home where it is safe.”

You hope that he’ll follow you. Not knowing what his current situation is, maybe he already has a safe place to stay? You assume that he doesn’t, as he begins following you.

You aren’t too far from your apartment, looking back every minute or so to make sure Gyutaro is still there. He follows from a distance, unsure if he can even trust you. You could be a demon slayer for all he knows.

You open the door to your apartment, and he hesitantly follows you inside. Once he’s in, you quickly run around to hide all of the Gyutaro merch you have. It’d be so awkward if he saw the body pillow…

Once everything has been shoved into your closet you bring out the translator again. You want to ask him so many questions but how will you even be able to understand his responses? You have an idea. On your translator app there’s an option for it to listen and translate the spoken words. So maybe you could go back and forth that way.

“This device will let us communicate with each other. Speak into it” you speak into your phone, it spits out your statement in Japanese.

Gyutaro opens his mouth to respond, and you hold the phone in front of him to speak into. 

He speaks in Japanese and after a few seconds your phone gives you a translation, “Who are you and how do you know me?”

“My name is Y/N. I know you from a TV show.”

Gyutaro furrows his brows, “I do not understand what it means…”

The translation isn’t perfect, but it gets the point across. So if he doesn’t know what TV is, then does that mean he’s actually from the past? From the exact same universe as demon slayer? You try to say things in a way that he might be able to understand.

“A lot of people here know you. I like you a lot, so I want to help you.”

Your words seem to be making him even more confused, so you decide to just get to the important questions.

“How did you get here? Do you know where you are?”

Gyutaro shakes his head, opening his mouth to respond but then deciding against it. There’s something that he seems like he doesn’t want to tell you, “Do not know…”

“You aren’t in Japan anymore and it’s the future. You need to be careful here,” you respond to him.

“Can not understand. I have to find my sister.”

“Daki?” you say directly to him. Hearing her name come out of your mouth his eyes widen and he nods.

“I can try to help you find her.”

“How is a weak person like you going to help me?”

For a moment you forgot how mean he was in the anime… “I’m from this world, so I know where things are and how things work. You’ll need a place to stay away from the sun too. You can stay here.”

Gyutaro scowls and looks you up and down before responding, “Fine.”

If he was back in his world he would have killed you already. But he doesn’t know this place, it’s strange to him. So far, he hasn’t encountered any of the other demons either. You seem to be the only person that knows him. He still doesn’t quite understand how or why, but he is desperate right now. Desperate to find his sister and go back home. Even though he despises humans, he will keep you alive in hopes that you really can help him.