#so no more people would have to suffer the same

[formulawolff]

ii. "think about my offer" - t.w.

pairing: female driver! x toto wolff

word count: 2.8k

warnings: cursing, eventual smut, drug & alcohol usage, power imbalances, age gap relationships, flirting, banter, yearning, use of fic tropes, yadayadayada the works

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sypnosis: with the second grand prix of the season well on its way, there is a lot at stake. not only with the race, but other matters as well.

darkness creeps into the motorhome, the lights of the team motorhomes and paddocks illuminating the space. all around you, everything was brushed with a soft white glow. 

his fingers remain under your chin, forcing you to maintain eye contact. in the dim light, you can barely make out the glint swimming in his depths. what was it? desperation? anticipation? you weren’t sure. 

toto was a complex man. you were well aware of that. 

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧˖⁺‧₊˚♡

there were days where you would see him glowering around the mercedes paddock, engaged in heated exchanges with engineers. there were moments where you would watch a glimpse of his radiant grin, dimples and all, as mercedes would successfully place or land a podium. of course you had heard the stories about him and his outbursts. his mood seemed to change in a matter of seconds, especially these days. 

well, could you really blame him? 

mercedes had dominated the world of formula one for so long. with lewis hamilton earning eight world championships, breaking barriers and records along the way, mercedes was the top team. it was a team many drivers dreamed of racing for. when you entered the world of formula one, you could barely get one foot in without hearing the word mercedes or the name lewis hamilton. 

that was until redbull had entered the picture in 2022. 

now, they were struggling to even maintain second place. hell, there were some races where the team would barely make finish without crashing a car. or suffering from a malfunction. 

mercedes was no longer the team. they were on the same level to ferrari and mclaren, fighting tooth and nail for those second and third spots on the podiums. 

additionally, you couldn’t help but face the glaring facts. lewis hamilton was leaving mercedes once the 2024 season was complete. their integral driver, the one who had earned them their reputation, their titles, was making an exit. 

was there something behind that? something more than the speculations and gossip?

however, you squeeze your eyes shut, sucking in a shaky breath. 

“why do you want me on mercedes? these days i feel more like a liability to my team than an asset. i’m sure you just saw the spectacle in the press room.”

“because you’re an inspiration,” the notes in his tone are gentle, “you have inspired so many women to pursue their passions in the world of formula one. not just in terms of racing, but for mechanics, engineers, journalists. you have encouraged so many people to do what they love. you are confident. you know your talents and you utilize them. you have so much fucking potential and it makes me so irrationally angry that james does not see that.”

brows furrowing, your hand grasps toto’s wrist, pulling it away from your face, “does this have something to do with james? it’s common knowledge that you like to hold grudges, toto.”

the principal coughs slightly, “that may have something to do with it.”

“then my answer is no,” venom oozes out of your words, “i’m not some pawn to be used as a ‘fuck you’ to james for leaving mercedes. i’m not taking any part in that. i’m going to need you to leave.”

“that’s fine,” toto nods, responding coolly, “i figured you’d react this way. you are extremely close with james.”

“well no shit,” you mutter, pointing towards the door, “mr. wolff, i am going to ask you kindly once again. please leave.”

“i will,” placing a hand on your shoulder, toto locks eyes with you once more, “think about my deal, little dove. in the meantime, i’ll be waiting.”

“waiting for what?”

“if you’ll accept my deal,” his thumb massages along your collarbone, “you didn’t say yes, but you didn’t say no. i can tell you’re considering it.”

“you’re stubborn,” you retaliate, yet the pressure along your collarbone is relieving, the sore muscles relaxing, “they weren’t wrong about that.”

“i am quite the stubborn man, schatz,” toto can sense your exterior crumbling as his hand glides towards your shoulder blade, massaging gently. 

“i know you’re manipulating me with your extremely good looks and nice hands.”

“and yet,” toto’s voice is low and he leans in, mouth hovering by your ear, “you’re falling for it.”

“are you flirting with me, toto wolff?”

“maybe i am,” his breath fans against your ear as his hand delves lower, fingertips brushing along your ribcage, “it seems to be working. look at you, nearly crumpling to your knees at my touch. how long has it been since a man has touched you like this, schatz?”

it takes everything in you not to let out a groan as his hand rests on the small of your back, “y-you need to leave.”

“i will this time,” he murmurs, “but consider my offer, little dove.”

a vibration on the countertop interrupts the principal. snapping out of your trance, you pluck your phone, the illuminated screen notifying you that you had a couple of missed calls, and numerous text messages. 

one particularly caught your eye. 

it was daniel. 

i’m going to be on my way in five. i hope you’re okay. i know you probably don’t want to talk about the press conference very much, but we can just cuddle or something. 

“oh fuck.”

toto towers over you, eyes scanning over your phone, “i take it that is my cue to leave.”

“your cue to leave was fifteen minutes ago,” your tone is dry, yet he cracks a smile. 

“i hope you know i’m going to keep pestering you until you give me an answer. have a good night, little dove. i’ll see you around, yeah?”

“sure,” you respond. placing two hands on his back, you give him a small push, “you need to go before daniel thinks something weird is going on.” 

“is he your boyfriend or something?” toto obliges to your action, the austrian beginning to stroll towards the door of the motorhome. 

for him, the exit was merely a few strides. but fuck, was he sticking around. daniel was going to be there in a matter of seconds. who knew what would happen if they happened to cross paths. 

similar to toto, daniel was not one to let things go. 

“no!” you snap, “leaaaavveee!”

“fine, fine,” toto huffs, “think about my offer, schatz. i will see you around.”

as the principal slides out of the door, you bring a hand to your temple, massaging it. 

what the actual fuck just happened?

seconds later, a series of knocks breaks the silence. 

“come in!”

daniel peeks his head in, concern painting his features as he notices your state, “why are you still in your suit?”

shrugging you point to your phone, “i was in the middle of an intense phone call when you texted.”

“ah,” he opens the door, a bottle of wine in one hand, a bag in the other, “i brought food, if that’s all right? i figured you would need some after that prick grilled you in the press room.”

“can we talk about something else?” you groan, crossing over to the couch. you flop on it dramatically, earning a laugh from daniel. 

“we could talk about how max adores you. i think kelly has some competition.”

“i wouldn’t say that,” you lift your head up, fighting a smile as daniel pulls a series of parcels from the bag, “what did you get?”

“something i knew the american would like,” he teases, ripping open a few wrappers, “a classic cheeseburger with fries. i hope they’re not soggy. i ordered it plain since i know how you are about condiments.” 

“no shake with that?” you giggle, sitting up. wrapping your arms around daniel, you bury your head into his shoulder, “it’s a been a fucking day, let me tell you.”

“yeah?” he stuffs a fry in his mouth, “tell me about it.”

“well,” you’re tempted to spill every single detail about what just occurred merely minutes ago. however, as daniel’s gaze meets yours, you hesitate, “i’m concerned about my future with williams.”

“why do you say that?” his eyes narrow, brow furrowing, “you’ve never said anything like that till now. did something happen on the way back from the press conference?”

“no, no, no,” you respond a little too quickly, “i just – i don’t know. you of all people know how quickly things change in this environment and–”

“hey,” daniel lays a hand on your thigh, “i think you need some rest. you’ve had a real fucking busy day. we can talk about your future plans in the morning.”

“but what if i want to talk about them now?” 

“you of all people know that i am not one to tell people what to do or how to live their lives,” daniel’s eyes harden, the words stern, “but you need to decompress. take your mind off racing for a minute. your life is not all about racing. you need to take care of yourself too.”

“i know,” you allow him to wrap an arm around your shoulders, bringing you in close, “it’s too much to think about sometimes.”

“tell me about it,” daniel places a peck on your temple as you nestle your head into his collarbone, “how about we eat, and maybe we can talk about it later?”

“sounds like a plan to me,” you nod, “hey, i have a question for you.”

“and that is?” 

reaching for a box of fries, you fiddle with it, “are there speculations that we’re dating?”

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧˖⁺‧₊˚♡

“how do you think that went?”

james is to your right, tablet in hand. absentmindedly, you fiddle with the visor on your helmet, “all right.”

“just all right?” james queries, “you have pole position for tomorrow and you think that went just all right?”

“well,” you shrug, “we all know that max is going to overtake me, so i can’t be too hopeful.”

“such a pessimist,” james chuckles, placing a tender hand on your shoulder, “you don’t seem like you’re quite here today. i don’t want to press, but is something on your mind? you know you can tell me, right?”

there was quite a lot on your mind, actually. 

in the days following the bahrain grand prix, it was almost as if your mind was a torrent of anxiety, fear, and numerous emotions. there were too many to decipher, constantly overwhelming you, distracting you from the matter at hand. 

although you felt like you weren’t quite on this planet, you somehow managed to breeze past max in qualifying. it was only by hundredths of seconds, but it was a victory nonetheless. charles leclerc was behind max in the third position on the grid. alex was twelfth, which was not great but not terrible. 

the encounter with toto was ever-present, consuming your thoughts whole. part of you wanted to confess the entire situation to james, but you knew that you had to keep it to yourself. this was no time to stir up any drama or rivalry between the two principals. 

you couldn’t stop thinking about the way his hand drifted, how his voice shifted when he spoke to you. it was a far contrast from the way he spoke in interviews or to his drivers. it was rich yet husky, brimming with lust. there were gentle notes inflected in it as well, almost if he was admiring you. it was reminiscent of how one would speak of their favorite piece of artwork, or their most prized possession. 

from his point of view, were you really a prize to be won? were you really that important? or were you the latter?

were you simply a pawn in his game?

the way he looked at you told you a different story. 

there was no calculation. no coldness. there was no trace of the hardened, steely gaze he usually presented to his peers, to journalists, and to the general public. 

there was simply a softness. as if you were one of his weak spots. you could remember him looking at you hungrily, as if he was taking in every single detail of the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

since the encounter in your motorhome, you had only bumped into the principal twice. once was on your entrance to the paddocks with james, where you exchanged formal greetings. the other was after the last practice session, where he congratulated you for your time, wishing you luck in qualifying. 

the most odd aspect of it all was that you could count the number of exchanges you had with the principal on your fingers. most of it was formalities, either with the press lurking around, or when you attended events. there were no personal meetings before. it was all business or related to racing. 

so he truly meant it when he had mentioned he had his eye on you for a while. 

the only thing you could remember was an afterparty after the monaco grand prix in 2023. although max had won the race, both lewis and george had placed fourth and fifth. those were significant placements, especially on a track like monaco. you had placed eleventh, which was pretty monumental at the time. 

around four a.m. at the afterparty, toto approached you. his face was flushed, cheeks tinged nearly crimson from the alcohol. the scent lingered on his breath, his hair was tousled, and a sheen of sweat clung to his skin. yet he was still utterly gorgeous, offering you a brilliant smile. 

“i didn’t think the golden girl of formula one would make an appearance!”

“golden girl?” 

“well of course,” he nodded fervently, the words slurred ever so slightly, “you shine like the sun. so that means you’re a golden girl!”

“mr. wolff,” your laughter was like bells, ringing so beautifully in the principals’ ears, “i think you’re pretty drunk.”

“let’s get a drink or two together. then you can really see that i’m not the big bad wolf.” 

you ended up declining his offer, but he didn’t persist, leaving you to join daniel, lando, and oscar on the dancefloor. your heart was racing, and you were sure it had nothing to do with the pounding bass or alcohol consumption. 

it was due to the fact that you had a tiny crush on the principal. 

ever since you had sat behind the wheel of a race car, you were attracted to the principal. in your teenage years, you had dreamed of racing for mercedes, under the wing of toto. you swooned whenever you logged onto tumblr and read fanfics. you were nearly breathless every time you saw him pop up on your youtube feed. 

fuck, even when you watched drive to survive on netflix, you couldn’t help but catch yourself rewinding back to the interviews with toto. 

so when he offered to buy you a drink or two in monaco, you had to bite your tongue to say yes. when he entered your motorhome and had you pinned against the counter, you were a little weak in the knees. when he used little dove or schatz, it did leave your heart skipping a beat. 

since that moment in monaco, things had been strictly professional. now, that line was starting to blur thanks to the motorhome incident. every time you noticed the principal, you could sense the tension in the air. it clouded nearly everything, thick and electric, sending a shiver down your spine every time the two of you locked eyes. 

there was no doubt that the team principal was breathtaking. yet, he was almost thirty years older than you. additionally, you couldn’t help but think about the way the entire formula one world would react the moment they caught wind of mr. wolff and the american girl. the horrible treatment from the media would only skyrocket. 

there was also the other elephant in the room. 

after you asked daniel whether or not there were speculations the two of you were dating, he distanced himself. although he had said no, you couldn’t help but wonder if he wanted the world to think the two of you were together. 

before, the two of you were almost inseparable. after alex, he was the first driver to welcome you to the world of formula one with open arms, often encouraging you, offering advice, and defending your name tirelessly. he was constantly reposting videos of you all over his social media, captioning them along the lines of, “look at my american girl go!” or “go best friend, that’s my best friend!” 

of course, there were little rumors swirling around on social media that the two of you were an item. fans often made edits of the two of you, saying things like, “they’ll never tell us they’re dating but in my head they’re together” or “that aussie boy loves his american girl <3” 

now, you found yourself distracted. too distracted. between the whole toto debacle, questioning your loyalty to williams,  the benefits of joining mercedes, and daniel leaving you out high and dry, you were a mess. 

 a hot mess, at the very least. 

to make matters worse, tomorrow was the biggest race of your season. if not, the biggest race of your life. 

and god only knew what tomorrow was going to bring.

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧˖⁺‧₊˚♡

thank you so much for reading! let me know if you would like to be tagged! <3 this is going to be a multi-chapter series so buckle up y'all. it's about to get juicy!

[shuttershocky]

Shiki Ryougi for ask

(The original ask game is too far back, but basically it said "send a topic and the person has to post what they like about it)

I've said this before, but if Aoko—Nasu's first protagonist—feels like she was directly based off a real person with her incredibly specific character traits and quirks, then Ryougi—his second protagonist— is the exact opposite.

If Kara No Kyoukai was even slightly self-aware, Ryougi Shiki would be more than a little embarrassing. She's a magic–cyborg ninja with special eyes that allow her to kill anything and survives a fatal accident because she was born with a second male self that took the death for her. She's targeted by evil wizards, because she's the rarest and specialest girl in the whole world and her boyfriend has the exact something wrong with him that makes him easily forgive her for attempted murder by stab wounds.

It's so unabashedly chuuni that it's truly incredible that Kara No Kyoukai was actually structured as a love story first and urban fantasy second, to the point where the big bad is beaten 5/7 novels and the last villain gets oneshot instantly because he just finished serving his literary purpose of inserting drama into the main romantic relationship.

Anyway, because Ryougi comes from the same school of thought that genuinely believes guys like Sephiroth and Shadow the Hedgehog are the coolest fucking dudes ever made, Ryougi ends up as one of the coolest characters Nasu has ever made. So cool in fact, that Tohno Shiki ended up being an asthmatic (actually anemic, but come on Nasu wrote it like asthma) suffering from Gaslight 2: The Gaslightening, just to be able to have the same special eyes without completely overpowering the horror vibe.

Also, while I still firmly believe actually placing Ryougi in an action series and letting her go wild with her death powers tramples on the themes of Kara No Kyoukai, I still kinda wanna see her go full Raiden Metal Gear on people, you know? Maybe in some non-canon thing.

Like imagine if they made an action game where she could just slice a weakpoint to instakill everything in her way like this

I just think it would look really cool.

[vegance]

I do agree that as vegans we need to be compassionate in our activism, that aggression and rudeness rarely work in convincing people to change a deeply ingrained cultural habit. People deserve kindness, we are all complex creatures. And I mostly abide by that. But sometimes I really wish that vegan friendly Omnis would extend that same compassion to us vegans and just try to imagine what it is like for a second.

Vegan activism does not only take place in specific contexts, in specific planned situations. You always have to be „on“. Every time you have a meal with someone new, everytime someone asks why you don’t want a hot dog, why you won’t join your colleagues on the zoo trip.

Every time someone asks you why you are vegan, you have to jump to activism mode. Be kind. Be factual. Don’t push, but don’t be a pushover. And I manage that, mostly! But when Omnis compliment vegans for being so kind and calm, I do wonder if they know that those vegans only manage because they have pushed their emotions into a box and nailed it shut. These emotions still exist!! I am actively pushing them down to be a functioning member of society and an effective advocate for the animals.

But sometimes they do come to the surface. I think most vegans had the experience of learning about a specific aspect of animal exploitation that surprised them. For me, it was the deliberate cruelty that takes place on farms and slaughter houses every day. Not cruelty for the sake of profit. Or cruelty out of indifference. Cruelty for the sake of being cruel to animals.

There is a specific video that I saw and I cannot forget. It’s not even that graphic. Some calves were being herded into another pen. But a few of them didn’t understand what was happening, where confused and frightened. This frustrated the man who was doing the job. Finally, he got the last calf to go through the gate. But this was not enough for him, because he was angry and frustrated. So he pulled that calf back into the gate, and slammed his body against the door a few times, crushing the calf in the gate.

I don’t think he even severely injured the calf. But I just can’t stop imagining what that must be like. To be a baby animal, confused and frightened. And this large creature pulls you back and hurts you. You don’t understand why this is happening. How terrifying it must be. How painful. To be so utterly under that persons dominion. The thought of someone doing that to their pet would turn most people’s stomachs.

And then I am talking to some kind, left wing person. Who donates to charity. And voted against sexiest politicians. And they say they will never be vegan, because they don’t want to.

And I just imagine myself saying to the little calf:“I’m sorry. You and your kind will have to keep going through that. Because Tim here just doesn’t want to give up this specific kind of burger.“ Sorry to the pigs screaming in the gas chambers. Sorry to the chickens dying agonizing deaths in ventilation shutdown. Sorry to all the marine animals dying of divers sickness as they are pulled out of the water way to fast. „You will have to keep enduring this. Because, you see, Tim cares more about having a specific type of pizza topping. So the unfathomable suffering you are all going through? That’s just too bad“.

And I know it’s not effective!! It’s not helpful!! But sometimes that little calf squeezes it’s way out of the bix in the back of my mind. And it’s really hard to put it back in.

[jjkamochoso]

Lovesick… Emphasis on the “Sick”

Fluff

You have a really bad cold and Levi, of course, takes care of you :)

Levi Ackerman x sick!gn!reader

Warnings: mentions of mucus, runny noses, general cold/flu symptoms, cussing

A/N: hi everyone i am currently Sick as Shit so i really hope this fic flows okay and makes sense!! if it doesn't... yes it does

You had never felt so terrible in your entire life as you did that morning. Your whole body ached like you had gotten thrown into a tree by a titan and your head was throbbing with an intensity akin to thunder and lightning in your brain. Your stomach was getting sore from all the coughing you had been doing the previous night and your nose was completely plugged up in both nostrils. When you finally rolled out of bed, begrudgingly getting ready for work, you could barely stand up. You had no idea how you were going to complete your duties today in the state of exhaustion you were feeling. As a captain in the Survey Corps, you had lots of responsibility riding on your shoulders and you couldn’t let anyone down by taking a sick day. You bent over to pull up your pants which led you straight into a long lasting coughing fit, leaving you gasping for breath like you had sprinted a marathon. You let out an anguished groan as your jacket sleeves were yanked onto your arms to the best of your ability. Looking in the small mirror that sat on your bedroom dresser, your head fell forward in despair. If you thought you felt bad, you looked a million times worse. You were completely disheveled; your skin was taking on a sickly hue and your eyelids were barely staying open. You turned away from the grisly sight as quickly as possible without falling over or bringing on another bout of nausea, opting to pretend you noticed nothing different in the way you looked today if anyone dared ask. You grabbed a few stray papers from your desk that needed to be signed by the commander, choosing that as your first task to be finished this morning. As you closed the door to your room, you winced at the loud noise it made in the echoing hallways, doing absolutely nothing to help your headache. You soldiered on toward Erwin’s office, each step draining more and more energy from your frail body. You were one hallway away from where you needed to be when you felt a cough attack come out of nowhere, your body racking as spit and germs angrily shot out of your mouth and into the arm of your uniform.

“Who is making that disgusting racket?” a firm voice called from opposite of where you were standing. Captain Levi then entered your view, lips pressed firmly together and eyebrows furrowed in a state of repulsion.

“Captain Y/n. I’m not surprised those sounds were from you, you look like shit.”

“Always the charmer, aren’t you, Levi?” you said, sniffling and sneezing into your handkerchief.

“Tch. Why didn’t you take a sick day? I don’t want your nasty germs spreading around the Scouts,” he said, eyeing you from a safe distance.

Another coughing fit.

“Because,” you sputtered out, “I have work to do. I can’t slack off because of a little cold.”

“Looking like you’ve approached death’s door isn’t what I would call a little cold,” said Levi, now sporting a frown. Levi was no stranger to sickness—he’d been surrounded by it since his birth, and especially now while living in barracks with all these people, but it didn’t make seeing you come down with an illness any easier. You were one of his closest comrades and, as childish as it sounds, seeing people he cared for catch a sickness made anxiety bubble in his stomach as his thoughts roamed to the corpse of his beloved mother, staring at him with those lifeless eyes as disease slowly consumed her before she perished. He’d be damned if he let anyone else suffer that same fate so he certainly wasn’t going to let you run yourself ragged.

“I’m fine. I-”

“Go back to your room. That’s an order.”

“We’re the same rank, you can’t boss me around” you said, crossing your arms.

“Does it look like I care?”

Judging by his deadly serious expression, he truly did not.

“I have to get these to Erwin. It’s important,” you told him, waving around the papers you held. Levi crossed the gap between you in quick strides, the papers slipping from your grasp with ease into his own.

“Fine. I’ll take them. Go to bed, brat.”

You weren’t in the mood or right mental state to argue so you began to take your leave. Everything was going fine until you got superbly dizzy, your shoes barely able to grip the ground and keep you upright. You stumbled back toward your bedroom’s corridor but your boots could no longer make purchase on the slippery stone floor. Before you could fall to the ground, though, you felt two strong arms wrap around your middle, steadying you. You immediately knew it to be Levi and you were grateful as he helped you into your room, guiding you to your bed and setting you down as gently as could be.

“You have to be careful. I don’t want to clean up the remains of your cracked skull off the floor,” he reprimanded. You sighed, feeling a bit of guilt creeping up for distressing him. You knew this was his way of letting you know he was worried about you. Sure, he was gruff and used kind words sparingly, but his actions did all the necessary talking for him. And what he was saying right now, as he untied your boots and ODM straps, was that he was there to take care of you.

“Change out of your uniform and into something less presentable. I don’t want you getting any funny ideas of sneaking back to work after I leave.”

“Yes, Captain,” you joked, saluting him lamely and sending yourself into yet another coughing fit. Levi’s steel gaze softened as he observed you in your weakened state. It pained him to see you like this and he’d do everything in his power to nurse you back to health.

When Levi returned to your room a half hour later, signed papers in one hand and a piping hot cup of tea in the other, he wasn’t prepared for the absolute mess he was greeted with. There were used handkerchiefs littering the floor and you were preoccupied with hacking up mucous from your lungs. The sound of the wet cough made Levi cringe to the deepest extent, but he wasn’t deterred; in fact, it made him more determined to get you healthy again in no time. He never backed down from a challenge and this situation was no different to him that solving a problem within the Scouts—with a little bit of luck and a whole lot of strength and courage, he’d get you through this with as little hang-ups as possible. The raven haired man placed the papers from Erwin neatly on your desk, the tea finding a temporary spot next to them for a moment as he procured a mask from his pocket, covering his mouth with the fabric and tying the strings behind his head. He then picked the tea back up and walked to where you were coughing up a storm. He placed his free hand upon your back in an attempt to calm you. It seemed to work as you gained control over your breathing and stopped convulsing. He silently held out the teacup and you took it, a voice cracking “thanks” leaving your chapped lips. His eyes nervously scanned over your figure as you sipped on the warm drink he brought you, intensely looking for any sign of discomfort. As you swallowed down the delightful leaf water, you felt an extreme chill blast through your body. Levi noticed the goosebumps spreading across your skin and, without hesitation, rested the back of his hand against your forehead.

“You have a fever,” he stated plainly, trying to keep his racing thoughts at bay the best he could. Could he make you more comfortable in any way? Should you be under a blanket since you were cold or have a cold compress since you were also hot? How could he help you break the fever?

“Levi,” you whimpered, freeing him from the endless vast of questions he pondered on his mind, “can I h-have an extra blanket, pl-please? I’m f-freezing.”

“Of course.” He responded unnaturally fast, eager to fulfill any requests you gave him. The person taking care of you was still the awkward, almost socially inept, sarcastic man you knew, but the way he so lovingly tucked you in under the soft blanket he draped over your body had you wondering if you died, went to heaven, and were now under the care of an actual angel. When Levi put a cold washcloth to your hot-to-the-touch head, you let out a gasp of relief. Soon enough your eyes were closed and you were asleep, Levi keeping a close watch on how your chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm and making sure you weren’t having any difficulties breathing. He could hear that you were still stuffed up and had plenty of mucus build up in the way you were wheezing in your slumber, but he was happy you were at least able to get some good rest for now. He didn’t want to leave your side but he knew you needed medicine so he quickly departed, making a beeline for the infirmary.

"Captain!" the doctor saluted him, "how can I help today?"

"I need your strongest medicine for cold symptoms," requested Levi.

"I'll work on that right away," said the doctor, already preparing the ingredients. "Feeling under the weather?"

"It's not for me. Captain y/n is sick."

"I'm sorry to hear that, I hope they feel better soon. That's awfully kind of you to pick this up for them especially since I know how much you hate coming in here. They're lucky to have you around."

Levi just grunted in acknowledgement and hoped the doctor would end the torment of her making small talk with him. By some miracle, it was like she read the man's mind, making no indication of wanting to continue the conversation. The next few minutes in the infirmary were filled only with the sounds of glass clinking as your medicine was being made. The doctor eventually finished, handing Levi the elixir.

"Thank you," he told the doctor, wasting no time getting out of there. Like the doctor mentioned, he despised setting foot in the infirmary. All the germs and suffering that went on in there was nothing he wanted to willingly subject himself to unless it was a dire emergency. Getting you some medicine was absolutely worth every second in that repulsive place and he'd gladly go in as many times as needed if it meant he could see you well again. Moving through the hallways at top speed, he decided to grab you some snacks from the dining hall since he knew you hadn't eaten all day. Relief washed over him when he saw you were still soundly asleep as he opened the familiar wood door. Picking up the used handkerchiefs and placing them in the pile of used laundry in the corner, he was pleased with how quickly your room looked better. Now out of things to keep him busy, he left you alone one last time to retrieve a pile of his own work papers so he wouldn't fall too far behind. As he took a seat at your desk, he felt his attention roam to you once more. Seeing you lying there, finally so peaceful after experiencing such awful cold symptoms, stirred up an emotion in Levi he couldn't quite place. Sure, you two were close friends, on the same level of trust and respect that he held for his squad and even Hange, but had he ever gone this far out of his way to help them when they were sick like he was doing now for you? He couldn't recall. He disliked watching any of his friends fight sicknesses of any kind but when he witnessed the horrid display of your illness earlier that morning, it felt like his world was about to crumble if he didn't help you that instant. Never in his life had he felt the urge to abandon his duties in favor of doing something else--until today. He'd much rather forgo paperwork and meetings to help you back on your feet, or at least to make you realize you didn't have to struggle alone. He didn't know what was coming over him as he took notice of the strong desire to place a hand on your cheek and tell you everything was going to be okay when you woke up. Levi felt his face get hot with embarrassment at the mere thought of touching you so delicately like that. Was he getting sick too? What was with his heart pounding at the idea of getting close to you like that? He got ahold of himself quickly, deciding to sort through his frazzled thoughts later. Right now, he had more pressing matters to attend to: the work in front of him and keeping you as satisfied as possible. You were squared away for now so the only thing left for him to do was work. He glanced at you one last time, burying the lingering feeling of wanting to hold your hand in a comforting manner deep into the darkest corner of his mind where it could no longer torment him, then he turned away and began reading.

Levi's attention was pulled from his work when he heard you begin to cough and blow your nose a few hours later. He was next to you in a flash to help you sit up in bed, fluffing the pillows you had flattened in your slumber. He leaned over your side table to grab a small glass jar with oddly colored liquid sloshing inside.

"Medicine," he explained, taking the cap off and holding the jar out to you. You took it gratefully, chugging the contents. The bitter concoction was unpleasant on your tongue but you knew it would do you good so you didn't complain. You sat in silence for a bit after that, watching birds flit around outside your window, Levi having opened the curtains some to let in natural light. You tried to see what he was doing but his back was turned toward you. All of a sudden, the bright smell of citrus assaulted the one nostril of yours that had temporarily cleared up.

"Am I going crazy or do I smell an orange?" you asked. You were presented with a handkerchief filled with meticulously peeled orange segments, each looking as tantalizing as you'd ever seen.

"I never guessed fruit was going to be the tipping point of you questioning your sanity."

"Making fun of the sick isn't a good look," you grumbled, chewing up the juicy snack as Levi swallowed the chuckle about to escape his throat.

"Eat as much as you can tolerate. It helps your body fight the illness."

You hummed in agreement and the captain went back to filling out his never ending work papers.

"Hey, uh... Levi? Can I ask you something real quick?" You broke the comfortable silence but thankfully Levi didn't seem bothered.

"Sure."

"I'm beyond appreciative for all of your help today and I'm really grateful that you've been here with me... but... " You faltered.

He raised an unenthused eyebrow. "But what?"

"Why?"

When he didn't answer right away, you tried to do some damage control in between your sneezing and coughing.

"I just meant, I know you're always helping where you can and I've seen you bring tea and food to our comrades when they're sick, but I've never known you to be this attentive, or-or nice, as you've been to me and--"

"I like you the best."

His simple reply was astonishingly profound for such generic words. If anyone else had said it, you would still be happy, but for Levi to be as vulnerable as that, you knew you truly meant a lot to the man. You were aware that it certainly wasn't easy for him to admit anything about the matters of his heart and you were considering just how lucky of a person you were to hear any kind of confession from him, let alone such a personal one. However, as you looked at him, there wasn't a hint of stress or uncertainty present whatsoever like you thought there might've been. He spoke of his feelings for you as if they were plain, obvious facts like grass is green or the sky is blue.

"That's good to hear because you were always my favorite, too," you told him, a knowing smile blossoming as your hand slid over the blanket in his direction like you were the arrow in a compass and he was north. Levi understood the deeper intent of your words, the underlying meanings that matched his own. The unbreakable bond you two forged over countless years working and fighting together was something he had cherished for a long time and he was relieved to know you came to the same conclusion he had--you were going to be by each others' side for the rest of time. There was something about you that brought out his most loving, doting side, and though the softer facets of life were foreign to him, he wasn't necessarily against exploring them with you in the future, especially if he and the rest of the Scouts eradicated the titans and established a world free of that ever present danger. With you being as sick as you currently were, though, he didn't want to somehow take any sort of advantage of the situation since he knew some people latched onto their caretakers while in the throes of a fever, desperate for any sort of human contact to ground them. That's why he resisted the call of your warm skin, beckoning him to experience what it felt like to be under your touch, instead opting to rest his hand on the bed near your leg in an attempt to show that he was still there for you. He was content being with you in the same capacity as he previously was--except now, the promise of a care free life with you was another addition to the long list of reasons to fight so aggressively for a better tomorrow.

"I'll look after you until you're healthy. Someone has to make sure you're not infecting the rest of the soldiers with your piss poor cough covering technique."

"Can I request a different nurse? Your bedside manner is leaving much to be desired."

Levi handed you another snack, this time being a big chunk of bread.

"At least you didn't have the stomach flu. I wasn't in the mood to clean up your actual shit."

"Levi, please, I'm trying to eat."

He felt the slight tug of his mouth go upwards into an imperceptible grin. If this was a glimpse into what a future alongside you would be like, he'd do anything to keep you both alive long enough to see it, no matter if his foe was a titan or a viral infection.

[starogeorgina]

𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬

Pairing: Harwin Strong × Targ oc

Warning: Childbirth, mentions of violence, swearing, blood, character death

3.09

“If he wasn’t my kin, I’d have his head on a fucking spike!”

Harwin gently tilts your chin up so you’re facing him. His fingers are coated in your blood from your nose, but it seems insignificant in comparison to what your son has suffered. “You need to have a maester check you over, Vaella.”

“And take them away from our sons?” Feeling overwhelmed with his hand on you, you brush it off and start pacing again, using the movements as a way to not only cope with the adrenaline of anger bubbling inside you but also the pain slowly seeping across your body. You felt as if a sudden fever was coming on, but you refused to let up. “I don’t understand why he would do such a thing to his own flesh and blood.”

“Some people are just inherently bad.”

“But he’s my brother,” you weep. “That should mean something.”

Tears sting your eyes as you look at your sons through the doorway as they speak with the maesters. Aerion's eyes were red and puffy from crying, and when you excused yourself to go clean up your nose, which had started bleeding again, distressing Aerion further Harwin asked Elinda, your sister's handmaiden, to stay by your side. The young woman was coddling him as if your eldest son were her own. Vaegon was lying flat on his stomach in a deep slumber due to the high volume of milk from the poppy he had consumed, with maesters surrounding him. Each of them is trying to figure out the best way to treat injuries to his lower back.

“Oh, my baby, my baby.”

Harwin chokes back a sob. You had expected him to be full of rage, but instead he looked defeated. Exhausted from the worry and frustrated from not being able to help. The palms of Harwin’s hands had small crescent-shaped cuts on them from him clenching his hand so tight.

When you feel your nosebleed has stopped, you go and sit beside Aerion again, holding him close to you as he sobs, “It’s my fault. I couldn’t stop him; I couldn’t protect my brother.”

“Shh, none of this is your fault.”

“He called us bastards,” Aerion sobs. “And Jace, Luke, and Joff. He said I was the only one who didn’t know.”

You look up at Harwin; his eyes are glimmering with what you suspect is fear. Harwin crouched down to be level with him and spoke softly, “Listen, lad, I will tell you the truth. This isn’t about bastardy, the greens... They don’t want a woman sitting on the throne. They will say anything to discreet princess Rhaenyra and her sons, so the king's firstborn son sits on the throne.”

Aerion looks from Harwin to you, confused. “But if anything happened to Princess Rhaenyra and her sons, the throne would go to my mother before it did to my uncle; she’s the second-born child of the king.”

The sweet innocence in his voice breaks your heart.

“They would just do the same to your mother, lad. The Hightowers want the firstborn of Alicent to rule.”

“Will they kill us so Aegon will be the heir?"

You kiss the crown of his head multiple times and say, “No, SweetPea, it won’t come to that.”

—

You let out a sharp breath as the maester explained the extent of damage your son was suffering. Vaegon had snuck out to confront his uncle after overhearing Aemond say Aegon would be king one day. When Vaegon told him he was wrong, Aemond called your son’s bastards, then pushed Vaegon down the concrete steps.

Aerion squeezed your hand; your poor boy blamed himself. He saw his brother leaving and chased after him, but Vaegon inherited your stubbornness and refused to go back to their rooms.

“Unfortunately, it’s too early to tell if the price will ever walk again.”

Tears sting your eyes, making your vision slightly blurred. “Is he able to travel, or will it cause him more pain?”

“I’d advise a high dose of milk from the poppy for the boat ride back to avoid any distress... but in truth, Princess Prince has lost feeling below the waist.”

You grip tightly onto Harwin’s arm; none of it seems real. You glance at the door when Elinda enters the room; she reminds you of a frightened mouse with how she trembles as she walks over to you. The handmaiden had been sent to bring your daughter and to inform your sister and father that they needed to come as a matter of urgency.

“Where is Ada?” Harwin is alarmed.

“Ser Harwin, Princess... She is with Princess Rhaenyra in the great hall. There has been another incident involving Prince Aemond.”

—

All eyes are on you when you burst through the Great Hall’s main door. The handmaiden who informed you of the incident was running not far behind; she had briefly filled you and Harwin in on the conflict that transpired between the children and the adults. The first thing you notice are the drops of blood on the floor and Rhaenyra holding her bleeding arm while your father's dagger lies by Alicent’s feet. There was a clear divide in the room, with your family standing on one side and Greens standing on the other.

“Ada?” You call for your daughter, and panic sets in when you can’t see her among the various bodies in the room. “Ada!”

“I’m sorry!” She comes out from behind Lord Lyonel and runs to you, her cheeks flushed from crying. She clings to your growl and sobs, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

You brush her hair out of her face and say, “It’s alright, my sweet, it’s alright.”

You clap your hand over hers, keeping her firmly by your side; she grabs ahold of Harwin’s hand as well. You look to your father for any kind of indication of what he was planning to do, but he seems lost in his own thoughts, so you turn to Alicent.

“Did he tell you what he did to—”

“The king already knows about the slander hurled towards my sons,” Rhaenyra says.

You feel blood dribble from your nose onto your lip as you stare at Rhaenyra, speechless. You quickly wipe it away with the sleeve of your dress. An insult was the least of your worries. But she didn’t know; none of them did. One son suffers in agony, while the other's heart fills with guilt. All the while, your brother went off and happily claimed a dragon. You glance at your Aemond, feeling void of sympathy that he’d lost an eye. He was smiling beneath his bandage; he was proud of what he’d done.

“Do you have any remorse for what you did to my son?”

Your father finally finds his voice. “Vaella, what happened to my grandson?”

Aemond looks down at his feet, the smugness on his face fading, which only infuriates you further. Your voice cracks as you speak, “I’ll give you one last chance; tell them what you did.”

Alicent looks at you stunned; it’s clear she has no idea what you’re referring to. She waits a beat, then speaks thickly, “My son was attacked by Prince Lucerys. He lost an eye.”

“An eye? Prince Aemond said the Hightowers were planning to usurp my sister's throne, and then he almost killed my son. ” You turn to face your father and say, "Your grace, your grandson has been maimed and may never walk again! And his brother is traumatized from witnessing such a horrendous act.”

Madness and rage were spreading inside you like poison; perhaps you should have listened to your husband and stayed with your sons.

“Vaella…”

Harwin tries to say something to you, but you storm over to the king, who looks just as defeated as the rest of you. “Father,” you speak in High Valyrian. “This is them; this is the greens. I’ve told you again and again about the agenda that they have been pushing. That a woman isn’t fit to rule and your grandsons are bastards, and now the lies have run so deep that her son thinks it’s okay to physically attack mine and Rhaenyra’s children.”

“Vaella,” he sighs. “I cannot change what has been done; I cannot mend the wounded.”

“Do something.” Tears roll down your cheek. “Aemond is just a boy repeating what his mother and grandsire said. Alicent has just assaulted the heir to the throne and attempted to harm Lucerys. Arrest her, and I’ll feed that traitor who dare calls himself your hand to Varos!”

“Alicent is my wife.”

“Your wife?” You scoff. “The Hightowers are parasites feeding off dragon's blood. My love for her children is the only reason I’m not bringing fire and blood down upon their entire house.”

Harwin places his hand over your chest, urging you to step back. Harwin wasn’t fluent in High Valyrian, but he knew it well enough to recognise the threats you were making. “The king wishes to do nothing.” He picks Ada up with one arm and takes your hand with the other. “The best thing we can do is get our family back to Dragonstone.”

“I’ll have a ship prepared immediately,” Lord Corlys says. “It will be ready within the hour.”

Harwin nods and says, “Thank you.”

You felt your heat tearing itself apart; not only were your sons suffering, but your father had become so weak he was no longer able to defend your house. Shaking your head, you go to leave the great hall with your daughter and husband but stop when you reach the doorway. You thought you could handle the pain in your lower abdomen, but a sudden sharpness causes you to claw at the fabric of your dress. You sway on your feet slightly, and Harwin wraps his arm around you, keeping you up right.

“Send for a maester!” Daemon calls out.

“Fuck,” you grit your teeth and squeeze his arm tightly, feeling blood trickling down your thighs. “The babe is coming.”

—

“You need to push, princess.”

“I am fucking pushing!” You bark. “This shouldn’t be happening; it’s too soon.”

You grit your teeth and try to focus on the warmth of your sister's hand on your back, grounding you in the present moment. Harwin was waiting in the next room with your children; you were glad. You couldn’t bear to look at him, not when this was your fault. You should have made sure the knights posted outside the room your children were supposed to be sleeping in were capable of stopping them from sneaking out. You shouldn’t have allowed yourself to become so upset. If anything happened to your baby, it was your fault.

Rhaenyra’s eyes were focused on the bloodstained sheets below. You had been pushing for hours with no results. “Don’t let them do it to me,” you sob. “I don’t want to die like our mother.”

Tears roll down her cheeks, but she forces a smile. “You will have a baby in your arms soon, and the pain will be over.”

The contractions come hard and fast now, like waves crashing against rocks. Sweat trickles down your forehead; the pain intensifies, but you know it's nature's way of telling you to start pushing again. You bear down with each passing moment, feeling the muscles in your abdomen tense and release as if they were being pulled apart.

A few more moments of agonizing pain pass, and then the room is filled with a baby’s cries. The midwife cuts the cord and then places the baby on your chest. “It’s a girl.”

“Cassandra, her name is Cassandra.” Tears of happiness streamed from your eyes. Your beautiful girl had thick, dark hair and eyes to match her fathers. “She’s perfect—oh fuck, I think another one is coming.”

One of the midwives pushes your legs open and says, “The princess is crowning.”

The room fills with the sound of people rushing around, and blood starts spilling onto the ground. The bleeding was heavier than before. One of the handmaids gives you an apologetic look as she lifts the baby from your chest and says, “I’ll clean her up, princess.”

“Take her to Harwin.”

Rhaenyra wipes a cloth over your forehead. “Sister, are you sure?”

“I don’t want her in the room when I die.” You let out an agonizing scream. “Just take her and go!”

Your eyes become heavy, and your vision fades as you watch the handmaid wrap your daughter in a blanket. Rhaenyra shakes your shoulder, yelling for you to stay awake, but your sight is locked firmly on your newborn. Before she disappears from sight, your vision goes black.

—

Feeling his wife’s absence, Harwin opens his eyes and sits up in the bed, squinting. He looks around the room, hoping to see her, but Vaella is nowhere to be seen. He looks down into the crib next to him and sees Cassandra scrunching her face up while sleeping. His little girl was smaller and sickly-looking, but she has fed well from the wet nurse and is now sleeping soundly. Getting to his feet, Harwin goes straight to the door and is about to order the knights on the opposite side to search for her, but hearing a humming noise, he stops.

He follows the noise to the balcony and finds Vaella sitting on the ground, rocking, and Rhea in her arms, as if the dead baby would take comfort in being in her mother's arms. When the handmaid brought Cassandra through to the other room, he knew something was wrong and went to be beside his wife. The maester and midwife tried to force him out of the room, insisting it was no place for a man to be.

“And which one of you is going to make me leave my wife’s side?”

Rhaenyra interjects before anyone else can respond, “Ser Harwin will be staying by my sisters side.”

Harwin had felt so helpless when he first saw her laying on the birthing bed, with him unable to do anything to help his wife, who no longer had the energy to scream. Aerion, Vaegon, and Ada needed their mother's strength and courage, something no amount of love from him could provide them. Vaella was covered in sweat and blood; he was so sure he’d lose her. But his princess was a fighter and pulled through, yet the second girl she gave birth to did not.

Harwin was conflicted; he didn’t want to disturb her, but he didn’t want his wife to feel alone.

His decision is made when Vaella looks up at the sky, watching the dragons flying above, and begins talking out loud. “The golden dragon is Sunfyre; he’s bonded with your uncle Aegon. The blue one flying beside him is Dreamfyre, your auntie Helaena’s dragon. The largest one is your brother Vaegon’s dragon, Nightmare.”

Harwin fights back at Sob when Vaella’s voice breaks when she mentions Vaegon. He backs off slowly. She needed the time with Rhea as their daughter's funeral would be held once they arrived on Dragston. Ser Laenor and Rhaenyra had left on Dragonback, so arrangements would be made for their arrival. The maesters advised waiting until Vaella was fully healed before traveling home due to her blood loss, but she was desperate to return home. So did he. Harwin didn’t doubt the masters of Driftmark’s capabilities since they worked miracles to save his wife, but he also didn’t trust any maesters he didn’t know to care for his children.

Hearing a soft knock at the door, Harwin goes over and answers. His mouth goes dry. “Brother.”

“I hope I haven’t woken the princess.”

Harwin steps into the hallway, closing the door behind him. Without being asked, the knight on duty goes and stands at the bottom of the hallway, giving them privacy. From the way the sun peeked through the clouds, Harwin guessed it was roughly five in the morning. “Is this an urgent matter?”

“Yes.” Larys puts his weight against his stick and whispers, “My bees have been busy. And I’ve heard whispers.”

“I’m not interested in gossip.”

Hints of a smirk appear on the clubfoot’s face. “It involves Princess Vaella and the unfortunate events that took place last night.”

Rage burns inside of him, and Harwin fits a clench at his side. “What do you know?”

“Do you remember what type of tea the princess was drinking?”

The question throws him off. “It was red and had a horrid smell to it. Vaella said it was her first time tasting it.”

“Hmm, that’s what I feared. One of the ladies cleaning the room said the smell reminded her of barberry.”

“A fruit tea?”

Larys nods, as if the answer were obvious. “For you and me, it’s perfectly safe, but not for pregnant women, as it can trigger miscarriages. Tell me, did the princess suffer from any vomiting or nosebleeds prior to going into labor?”

Harwin gulps down. “She spat the tea out.”

“But she may have ingested it in small doses without knowing,” Larys leans in again. “Between us, brother, I find it rather particular that princess Vaella was perfectly fine on Dragonstone, but as soon as she arrived on Driftmark, she’s poisoned.”

“My daughter is dead. We will speak of this another time.”

Harwin enters the room and presses his back against the door. If what Larys said was true, then this was... He couldn’t even begin to process what it all meant. Not now, not when he needed to grieve.

[isa-ghost]

Yea, undying duo if phil and foolish! Because phil is mr hardcore survival minecraft and foolish is a totem of undying :D

basically, both cubitos have a wack relationship with death (and, I think, aversion to using totems? I know phil for sure but I'm a bit unsure about foolish)

I've done some qFoolish ones before!

qPhil headcanons masterlist

Phil would take another "vacation" with Foolish any time. Especially since the second time around, he actually got to know him really well. He'd like to see him again the next time they're in the same realm. :')

If he wasn't so Fuck The Feds he would consider doing some kind of huge cool build like the kids wanted them to so badly. Maybe in the next realm they'll do it because they won't have some kind of government hovering around. It's just too bad the kids won't see it.

He wishes he could've actually had time to actually enjoy having the titan by the wall but the Feds relocated them all like right after. After the way Foolish and his builds were disrespected last time they shared a realm, Phil is PISSED the Feds had the audacity to basically do the same. Especially when Foolish (kind of) worked for them!!!

Of everyone he got close to on the island, Foolish is one of the ones he wishes he had more time with. He feels like they were weirdly in different worlds despite them both being present so often. That's,, probably kind of Ender King's fault, honestly. He feels like he fell away from multiple people when things got bad.

Tbh he kinda wanted to ask Foolish about wtf he was up to in the last realm they were both in (aside from building) but decided against it bc a majority of his memories from that one are awful. So either Foolish was suffering too, or Phil wouldn't trust himself not to envy him for not having a horrid time.

Insert "MCC is some kinda canon interdimensional death games" hc here. Phil has SEEN Foolish kick ASS in a way that wasn't hysteria-driven Bolas rabies.

I'd like to think there's been at least one event or something where they just sat together and gave each other building tips.

The historian part of Phil's brain wants to talk to Foolish about what his Literally Undying ass has seen and lived through. How long has he been alive?? As long as Phil? Longer? He needs to know.

He's not sure where the eternal banana came from and at this point he's too afraid to ask.

Phil thrives on being a bystander of Foolish and Bad's find each other in every universe curse. He's not sure if the last realm before QI started it or if they've crossed paths even More before QI, but boy does he love getting to watch their beef.

See, Foolhalo might find each other in every universe (derogatory), but Phil knows the REAL one is Foolish and Tina finding each other in every universe (affectionate).

Something something Foolish totem something something Phil refusing to use totems when he's home in Hardcore. Is this anything. Someone cook for me I'm too stupid.

Phil is never gonna understand when or how Foolish became "King of the Capys" or why they chose him specifically. He assumes Foolish just hung out with them the most or something.

He barely got to know Vegetta but he just KNOWS he was Foolish's type. Which is wild bc prior to getting government assigned spouses, Phil didn't even think Foolish was fruity. Somehow. Looking back, it actually kinda makes sense to him. From what little he knew of Foolish before QI.

Inversely, Foolish was absolutely STUNNED to know Phil is some flavor of poly let alone fruity at all. Which is hilarious bc Phil is too tunnel-visioned on other things to try hiding that fact. But no, shark man beyond baffled that Phil lowkey adjusted to having a government assigned husband almost instantly. AND became possessive of said husband over time.

[penkura]

knowing [8/8]

Summary: Sanji knew you were the one the moment he met you.

Pairing: Sanji x Reader

Warnings: None really. Normal One Piece stuff I guess.

Note: I changed my mind, I'm posting this today because I loved this and just can't wait any longer. Thank you all for reading this little fanfic!! I wrote this before I fully finished reading Wano, so it's not 100% accurate at first, but that's fine, this is a fanfic of course. I hope you all enjoy, and I do have another two one-shots connected to this series!

Taglist:

@jzkeisuke | @arcanumlaw

[Ch. 1] ● [Ch. 2] ● [Ch. 3] ● [Ch. 4] ● [Ch. 5] ● [Ch. 6] ● [Ch. 7]

With Big Mom and Kaido defeated, Wano freed from the Animal Kingdom Pirates reign, you were beyond relieved when you'd heard you could all rest. Luffy and Zoro seemed near death, both had just woken up when you'd snuck out with Sanji to another area. He still needed rest more than you, and Chopper had followed along to make sure neither of you did anything to upset your wounds. You'd made it out with a few small burns, some scrapes and cuts, a slightly deeper wound on your abdomen, but Chopper had taken great care of you and gotten you as close to 100% as he could. Sanji too of course, he suffered slightly worse wounds than you did, but the geishas had taken great care of him and he had nowhere near the same battle damage as the other two members of your monster trio. Chopper had instructed him to lay down and rest, which Sanji did, trusting your doctor that he knew what was best, despite his wanting to join in whatever party was being started in the other room. You knew there was no way the people of Wano would let you leave without a large celebration, Sanji would just have to wait for that.

After Chopper left the infirmary you'd walked off to, you gave Sanji a smile while saying something about changing your own bandages real quick. Despite your insistence that it was fine, he looked away while you stripped off your shirt to change your bandages, instead quietly pulling something small out of his pocket to occupy his eyes, wondering if now was the best time or if he should wait.

"What's that you've got there, Sanji?"

Your voice brought him out of his millions of thoughts, making him decide that yes now's the time, before he smiled softly and held it up, making your eyes widen and your mouth open just a bit.

There's no way…no way, right?

"I picked this up in Dressrosa."

"Sanji, you did not."

Sanji grinned at you, nodding happily. "I did! I saw it and…I thought of you instantly."

It was a small ring he held in his hand, a thin silver band with some blue gem on it, perhaps a small sapphire, you weren't sure, but it was very pretty to you anyway. You didn't care for gaudy, showy jewelry anyway, so if this really was an engagement ring, you were all too ready to accept.

Even without a ring you'd accept. You loved Sanji, more than anything. If he had shown up to the women's bunks in his pajamas without a ring at 3am and asked you to marry him, you would accept even then. The middle of battle, though not his style, you'd say yes. An evening after dinner where you'd both drank a little too much and were giggly messes, if he said 'marry me' you'd accept instantly, whether you remembered it the next morning or not.

It didn't matter. You'd marry Sanji no matter how he proposed.

"Maybe I'm crazy, or all that wedding talk because of them got to me, or even us playing husband and wife for the time we did here, but…I'm certain of this." His voice was quiet, even though it was just the two of you at the moment, and it made you start to tear up.

It definitely was crazy. The fight with Kaido and Big Mom had ended just two days ago, you were still surprised Sanji was even capable of walking and sitting up right after his fight against Queen. You half wondered if he suffered a blow to the head that knocked something loose that was making him do this right now.

But really, you knew he hadn't. He was mentally sound, he knew what he was doing.

"Sanji…"

"I'm probably the worst mess of a man you've ever met, I'm worthless really, but I know I love you," Sanji smiled softly while you cried and gladly held your hand out for him to take when he reached out for it, "I don't want to ever again look at another woman the way I look at you. I can't imagine myself with anyone else, married to anyone else, becoming a parent with anyone else, if we're so blessed. Everything that's happened recently just made me more aware of that."

Sanji moved more towards the edge of the bed while gently pulling you closer to him. You couldn't have cared less if he was on one knee or not, it didn't matter to you.

What mattered was that it was Sanji.

You wished you weren't crying, especially when he pulled you down beside him, just to place his forehead against yours and wipe your happy tears away.

"I love you so much, [Y/N]. You mean the world to me and I just want to be with you forever. I wanted to ask you weeks ago now, even when we all met up again in Sabaody…but now feels like the perfect time. Please, [Y/N], will you marry me?"

Trying your hardest to stop crying, you nodded and kissed him, hoping he didn't mind your salty, teary kisses.

"Yes! Yes, a million times yes, my dear!"

Sanji pulled you into a tight hug that you returned, telling you again that he loved you and you responded in kind. You took a few minutes to fully calm down, and once you did, you let Sanji put the ring he'd bought all the way back in Dressrosa on your finger, not at all surprised it was a perfect fit. Of course he knew your ring size, either that or he borrowed one of your rings you wore for fun and took it with him to get the right size.

"A perfect fit."

"Just like us." You smiled brightly at Sanji, which he returned before kissing you again.

Your sweet moment was interrupted when the door to the infirmary almost flew open, and you jumped back up a bit, only to be relieved when you saw it was Zoro, who looked like he didn't know what he was even doing there.

"What do you want, moss head??"

"...looking for Chopper." Zoro's eye wandered over to you, noticing you'd been crying and he looked almost ready to cut down Sanji, until he took in the fact you now had a ring on your finger.

That same ring he'd watched Sanji pick out in Dressrosa.

"Oh!" You nodded, giving a smile. "He left a while ago, said he was going to go check on the Samurai and Luffy!"

Zoro nodded, turning to leave before he stopped and looked over his shoulder at you. "Congrats. If he hurts you, let me know and I'll kill him."

"Zoro!"

"As if you could, moss head!!"

"Sanji, stay in bed!" You pushed him back down when he went to get up, a scowl on his face while Zoro left and closed the door behind him. Sanji started complaining to you about the "stupid moss head" and how he couldn't touch him, but it made you laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh…it's just…it's like a little brother protecting his big sister…that's all Zoro means by it."

Somehow, Sanji understood what you meant when you said that. If his family had been different, he probably would have been the same with Reiju, protective of her when any potential boyfriends or suitors would come to see her, if they ever did considering how their father was. If your lives were different, if you had met under different circumstances, he was sure your biological brothers would be the same.

While he was thinking about it, Sanji barely realized you had crawled into bed with him, until you wrapped your arms around him and hugged him close. He did the same, kissing the top of your head as well.

"I love you, Sanji."

"I love you too."

I can't wait to marry you.

+!+

Once the Thousand Sunny had taken off from Wano, your next destination decided by the log pose, you were determined to be married with your found family as the witnesses. While in Wano, you and Sanji had slipped away to find something like a courthouse, whatever their equivalent was, to get a marriage certificate so you could have a small ceremony on the Sunny. It took a bit of time, but you found a place that processed marriage certificates and got one printed immediately, knowing that technically, as soon as you signed and dated it, you'd be husband and wife.

You hadn't told anyone yet, Zoro would never, you knew that, but you had told Sanji you wanted everyone there and to be married on the ship you called home. He quickly agreed, telling you that he'd do whatever you wanted for the wedding, while thinking it was the best place for you two to get married. You were both absolutely sure your crewmates would be happy for you, they'd all be glad to participate in the wedding and help you two tie the knot.

You also made Sanji promise not to spend so much time on the cake or to make it too big, though you had to give some leeway there due to Luffy. But he promised he wouldn't work on it so much that he was doing last minute touches when he was supposed to be saying his vows to you. You didn't want the wedding to be an extravagant, fancy affair. Just something small and simple with everyone you loved there.

Sanji didn't tell you, though, that he'd talked to Nami and told her you two were engaged and wanting to get married as soon as possible. She was so happy for the two of you that she burst into tears and hugged him, about to run off to find you when he stopped her. He wanted to surprise you with your parents and siblings at the ceremony, and knew your home was an island in the New World, so Nami put the ship on a detour there in the middle of the night when Sanji had a night watch, so no one would have any idea. There were no questions about where the ship was heading the next morning, and Nami was constantly talking about romance and things like that to you, trying to get you to spill your engagement to her. Anything she said you related back to Sanji with a smile, annoying her that you were acting so dense.

It was about two days before your unknown arrival to your home island that Sanji convinced you to tell everyone. You had gone over it multiple times in your head, wondering if it was a good time, before he told you that you'd probably never be ready to tell them, so might as well do so now. When he said that, you ended up agreeing and when everyone was on the deck that night, Sanji told them all you two had an announcement to make.

"You guys aren't gonna leave, are you??" Luffy was so terribly concerned that you and Sanji had chosen to leave the crew, but you quickly reassured him it wasn't anything like that.

"No, no, not at all! We," you took a breath and smiled at Sanji, taking his hand, "We've decided to get married."

"Ahh!"

"And we want the ceremony to be on Sunny in a few days."

"AHH!!"

Everyone was so excited for the two of you! Nami immediately ran over and hugged you, Robin joining her after a moment and both asking to see your ring, where Sanji got it, and what you were going to wear. Luffy laughed a bit and threw himself on Sanji, saying he was glad for the two of you. Brook said something weird about marriage; Franky was crying but patting Sanji on the back; Usopp wanted to know when and how you'd be married without a priest; Chopper said he was very excited for the two of you; Jimbei also gave his congratulations, saying he may not have known you both very long, but you seemed like quite the loving couple, and Zoro, who still viewed you as his sister, reiterated his previous statement of being willing to kill Sanji if he ever hurt you. Before Sanji could argue back at him, Zoro put a hand on his shoulder and congratulated him, causing everyone that heard him to be shocked, and then even more surprised when Sanji thanked him.

The Straw Hats threw a celebration party for the two of you the rest of the night, almost like an engagement party. There was a point where Sanji had slipped away, knowing you were in good hands with Nami and Robin, who were trying to help you decide on a few things for the wedding. He went back to your shared room, picking up the transponder snail you'd bought a while back, and made a call to the Baratie. He didn't let whoever picked up know it was him, requesting to speak to Zeff personally.

"Hey, old man, it's me."

"Sanji? What's this about, calling after heading off two years ago?"

"I…I had some news I wanted to tell you, that's all."

He couldn't see him, but Zeff was a slight bit concerned with how calm Sanji sounded, to the point he made him hold on while he transferred the call over to his personal snail.

"Sanji, you in here?" You had gone searching for your fiance once you noticed he was missing and found him in your room, he waved you over to sit beside him on the bed while he waited for Zeff to get back on the phone. "Who'd you call?"

"Zeff."

"Ooooh." You nodded and took his free hand in yours, Sanji gripping it tightly, nervously waiting.

"All right, what'd you wanna tell me, kid?"

"I'm…getting married in a few days. I just…I wanted you to know."

It was quiet for a bit, and you worried that maybe Zeff was angry that this was the first thing he'd heard from Sanji in over two years, but then heard laughter.

"So! You finally found a girl willing to put up with you, huh?"

You giggled and Sanji smiled.

"I found a girl that's done more than just put up with me."

The two of you stayed on the line with Zeff for a while longer, Sanji's tight grip on your hand loosening after he realized Zeff was truly happy for him. Eventually you decided to let him have his privacy with his true father, kissing his cheek and returning to the party your crewmates were still throwing.

You finally decided you'd get married four days later, the two of you were ready for this step and didn't want anything to interfere, not the Marines or another pirate, nothing.

However, when Nami had said you'd all reached an island to dock at, your breath caught in your throat and you started to tear up when you recognized the pier, despite it being nearly seven years since you'd last been there.

"This…this is my home."

"Yeah," Sanji held your hand and gave you a smile, "I…figured you'd want your family there when we got married, so I asked Nami if we could take a detour. Is…is this okay?"

You looked up at him and smiled brightly, despite the tears threatening to fall down your face. "Of course!!"

Once the Sunny was fully docked, you didn't bother waiting for your allowance from Nami, grabbing Sanji by the arm and dragging him in the direction of your childhood home. None of your crewmates bothered to stop you, they did stop Luffy from following and getting in the way of you introducing your fiance to your family.

To your surprise, your family already knew you were on the way, you figured Sanji had something to do with that as well (you'd be correct if you asked him). Your mom was the first to hug you, telling you how much she missed you and how beautiful you'd become in the last few years. Your dad told you the same, before he and your mom introduced themselves to Sanji, you weren't at all surprised at how easily he won them over despite not being able to ask their permission to marry you.

All your siblings ended up running at you when they knew you were there, and it made you beyond happy to see you had a new sister after all. She was a little more shy around you, but Sanji speaking to her convinced her that everything was all right. Everyone ended up mentioning how they had copies of your wanted poster, your brothers would brag to their friends that their big sister was a badass pirate while your sisters would use that as leverage against the boys in town they didn't like, and it all made you blush and become flustered.

Your parents insisted the two of you and the rest of your crewmates join them for dinner, which you happily accepted and so did Luffy when he heard. Your family gladly accepted your found family, sharing stories and having a lovely time with everyone around.

It got to be a little much for you, you had to step out on the porch for a bit so you didn't get too overwhelmed, Sanji following you a moment later to make sure you were okay.

"You know, sometimes, I wonder what would've happened if I hadn't left."

"Oh yeah?"  Sanji smiled a bit while lighting a cigarette and watching you.

You nodded, sitting down with your legs dangling off the edge of the porch, your youngest sister having followed you and Sanji out the door and now cuddling next to you. She'd opened up quickly and became attached to you and Sanji.

"I wonder if we ever would have met."

"I still would've found you."

"You're sure about that?" You laughed a bit, but Sanji sat down beside you, putting his arm around your shoulders.

"Luffy still would have come to the Baratie and convinced me to join him. We'd still have all the same adventures, and eventually end up here…where I'd find you. And I'd still be attracted to you, and try to get you to come with us, and we'd still end up together."

Humming a bit, you nodded.

"I know you'd still find me."

+!+

The next day was your wedding. You'd woken up early with a bit of happy anxiety, Nami and Robin were already up and ready to help you get dressed and do your hair. You'd ended up buying a white sundress with a [f/c] colored sash around the waist and white flats to make it simple, you never really wanted a fancy wedding dress anyway. Nami took a curling iron to your hair and added some soft curls, while Robin brought you a flower crown your sisters had made overnight for you to wear in place of a veil. Both girls were still beyond excited for you, and Nami kept giving you hugs through the morning. You and her were like sisters at this point, she'd already called being aunt to any kids you and Sanji may have in the future. Having her and Robin with you helped calm your nerves, and you were more than ready to get married to the love of your life.

Sanji, though, was almost a nervous wreck. He'd already gone through half a pack of cigarettes, before he even got dressed for your wedding. You'd told him during the events at Whole Cake Island that you really preferred black suits on him, so he gladly got one specifically for your wedding, choosing a [f/c] colored tie to match with you. He didn't know why he was so nervous, probably the fears that he wasn't good enough for you and wouldn't be able to make you happy were the cause, but he couldn't stop his racing mind. He tried everything but went back to smoking as his stress reliever, worried you'd change your mind at the last second and leave him.

"She's not gonna leave you."

Surprisingly, Zoro was the one to get Sanji to calm down.

"And what if she does?"

"She won't. She wouldn't have agreed to marry you and plan a wedding so quickly if she wasn't sure about it. If she didn't want to be with you she would've rejected your ass all the way back at Alabasta."

"What. How do you know about that?! I thought you didn’t know until Skypiea!"

Zoro rolled his visible eye and smirked.

"You guys weren't exactly subtle back then. Freaking weirdos making out in the kitchen."

Despite Zoro being amused, Sanji knew he was right. If you really didn't love him and were going to leave, you probably would have done so after everything that happened with his family and that attempted arranged marriage. Instead you had stuck by him, giving him a smile and hug when he first told you how much he loved you, repeating it to him every day since you all had left Thriller Bark, telling him even more so after you'd retrieved him from his screwed up family, giving him the time he needed before showering him in hugs, kisses, and constant 'I love you's so he knew you'd never leave him or let him go again, and that you understood what he was doing when he fought with Luffy and 'broke up' with you in front of his brothers and sister. When he told you everything about his childhood, despite your crying and wishing you'd been born in the North Blue so you could have been his friend, you accepted every bit of it, telling him how much his mother must have loved him and you would have loved to have met her. He'd never felt more relieved than when you said his past didn't matter, the things his father said didn't matter. What mattered was that he was Sanji and you loved him. That was the first time he'd cried to you, hugging you and letting you stroke his hair, while he thanked you for loving a “failure” like him.

"You're not a failure. You're Sanji, and you're perfect as you are."

Sanji knew Zoro was right, you'd never leave him. If you did he'd fight to get you back, but he was sure that wouldn't be necessary.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks."

"No problem. …don't tell anyone about this."

"Wouldn't dare."

+!+

Your wedding ceremony went off without a hitch, several hours ago now, and you and Sanji were finally married. While you were being wed, you couldn't stop smiling and crying lightly, Sanji giving you soft sweet smiles while he held your hands. Your mother, Nami, Franky, and Brook were all blubbering messes, you wondered if they'd actually heard anything the whole time. Your dad was slightly teary, but he'd never fully admit that to you. All your siblings were excited, more so that they were on a pirate ship but your wedding was a nice excuse to be on the ship. Luffy couldn't stop grinning, he was beyond happy for the two of you. Usopp was also slightly teary, mostly because he couldn't believe you two were actually getting married. Chopper was anxiously waiting for when he could have cake, but he had told you when he saw you earlier that day that he thought you looked pretty. Robin smiled, looking at you like you were her baby sister who was getting married and she couldn't have been happier for you both. Jimbei acted as your priest, after you learned he actually could legally perform marriages, you practically begged him to be the one to marry you. He agreed quickly and you were grateful for it. Zoro, always the quiet one, watched without much emotion visible on his face, but those of you who knew him well enough could see he was happy for you.

Of course, you and Sanji were the happiest ones there. Your ceremony wasn't long, it didn't need to be really, just something small to show you were committed to each other, now and forever. When Jimbei pronounced you husband and wife, and said Sanji could kiss you, you had to keep yourself from almost bouncing out of your shoes in excitement. Once he did kiss you, everyone cheered for you, which made you giggle after breaking the kiss and giving Sanji a smile that he returned.

"We're married!"

He couldn't help it, Sanji picked you up and spun you around, he was so happy! You two had gone from awkwardly facing your feelings for each other, to now being deeply in love, and married finally. He set you back down, only to kiss you again, laying his forehead against yours afterwards.

"I love you, ma femme."

"I love you too, my husband!"

"Come on you lovebirds, let's start the reception!"

The reception, which was really just a normal Straw Hat party, went on for several hours. You had to step away at one point to bid farewell to your family, none of whom wanted to see you go but they understood you couldn't stay on your island for more than a few days, and the Sunny would be taking off in the morning.

Sanji noticed quickly you'd disappeared from his side while he was fighting to keep Luffy from finishing off your piece of cake, and when he saw where you were, he put Zoro in charge of keeping Luffy at bay so he could go stay with you.

Your family had already walked off the dock and back into town when you felt Sanji wrap his arms around your waist and place his chin on the top of your head.

"We'll come back someday."

"I know we will."

"And you can always call or write."

You nod, looking up at Sanji with a smile. "This was a wonderful surprise, thank you. It meant a lot to have them here."

Sanji returned your smile, kissing your forehead. "Anything for you, mon amour."

You were about to suggest the two of you slip out and go off to bed, before Luffy shouted your names.

"Come oooonnnn!! The party's for you guys!" Really he just wanted more cake, but Sanji and Zoro had stopped him from having anything more until you had what you wanted.

Grumbling a bit, Sanji pulled away but still held your waist, causing you to giggle a bit and turn around in his hold, putting your arms around his shoulders.

"A bit longer, then we'll go to bed." You whispered before kissing him with a smile.

He sighed but still nodded. "Fine, fine."

Your reception continued well into the night, you avoided drinking too much so you'd remember it not only in the morning but in years to come. Eventually everyone had either passed out or was calmed down enough to start cleaning, refusing any help from you or Sanji and telling you to both go on to bed, with a kind a smile from Robin or Nami but a sly smirk from Franky.

Once you did, you both simply admired each other's ring and how right it felt to have them now. Within a few more minutes your exhaustion was taking over and you took Sanji's hand in yours, snuggling right up next to him, causing him to do the same with you. You'd consummate your marriage another night, but for tonight, all you wanted was to bask in the fact you were married to the love of your life, and enjoy the warmth that came from knowing that you were his and he was yours. Sanji had tried to say something to you at one point, but you were so near sleep you didn't hear him, except for when he chuckled lightly and kissed the top of your head.

"I love you, [Y/N]...in every lifetime and every universe, I'll always love you."

[yetiwang2000]

Vrelnir's QA about Bailey & Eden

2024.5.28

Is Eden's rifle a Lee-Enfield? Did they ask Bailey for it, or did Bailey offer it to them?

——Aye. They asked Bailey for a gun, but Bailey decided the specifics.

Eden betrayed Bailey, and Bailey understands. Eden doesn’t see it as a betrayal and seems somewhat uninvolved. Does this mean Bailey is the one who suffered more?

——Aye.

When the PC asked about the old fishing magazine, Eden only said it came from “an old friend”. Also, Eden doesn’t want to run into Bailey at the orphanage. Is Eden hiding their connection with Bailey from the PC?

——Aye.

Bailey's crush describes Eden as a "fox." Does this mean they always knew Eden was somewhat dangerous?

——Aye. This was insightful, as Eden came across as rather shy and stoic to most people.

Bailey's crush has a gentle personality despite facing pressure, which sounds a lot like Robin. Does Robin share similar characteristics with Bailey's crush?

——They do.

How many years have Eden and Bailey known each other?

——I think I'll leave that unstated in-game, though I'm not certain. It's a secret for now at least!

Are Bailey and Eden around the same age?

——Bailey and Eden are around the same age, aye.

Have Bailey and Eden ever had a physical fight?

——Yup.

We know Bailey and Eden used to go fishing together. Who is the better fisherman?

——Bailey was, though Eden is better now.

Bailey seems to somewhat understand Eden's betrayal but still feels distant (not wanting Eden to talk about the past and feeling conflicted about Eden). Is it possible for them to be open with each other again in the future?

——It's possible, but might take a similarly impactful event.

You mentioned that if Eden saw Bailey and the PC having sex, they would be surprised and leave immediately. Eden is very jealous, so why wouldn’t they be angry and stay to stop Bailey and the PC?

——They'd wish they had after, but in the moment they would be too shocked. That's not the sort of thing Bailey does.

If the bouquet at Eden and PC’s wedding accidentally gets tossed to Bailey, what would their reaction be?

——They'd smile and play along.

We know Eden doesn’t like Bailey’s cooking. Would Bailey like Eden’s cooking?

——Aye.

Considering Eden’s betrayal and the effect it likely had on their lives (probably negative), has Bailey ever hated Eden?

——No.

Has Eden ever hated Bailey?

——Nope.

Has Bailey ever hired Eden?

——Aye.

Has Bailey ever killed anyone?

——I shan't say!

Has Eden ever killed anyone?

——I shan't say!

Besides "Pride and Prejudice," does Eden have other favorite books?

——Aye, though I’m not well-read enough to know specifics!

Bailey has an active sex life, and Eden and the PC have frequent sex. Who has a stronger sex drive?

——Eden.

Can Bailey climb trees?

——Aye.

Can Eden climb trees?

——Aye.

 I love the song "Yesterday Once More" because it reminds me of old friends. If there was a song that could remind you of Bailey and Eden’s experiences, what would it be?

——That's a good question! Nothing comes to mind immediately, but I'll keep it in mind in case that changes.

[garagepaperback]

thrall Even the moan is serrated, ripped clean out instead of offered up.

Harry’s always wanted to hurt Malfoy and also not, and here, with his fist tightening around the pearled dash of his throat, he can. Malfoy writhes under him and the line of his body is the same wrong symmetry - weak, strong. Fighting off, giving in.

Because he’s always been mostly racket, Malfoy moans again, low and strangled and Harry covers his mouth. The hot trap of his voice seethes against Harry's palm; he pushes down harder. He's got a vicious grip on Malfoy’s wrist with his other hand and pulls it, an odd bend and another caught sound. Along the crooked stretch of Malfoy's neck, he isn’t kissing, it just involves the same desiccated parts - a love bite with the douse of affection permanently removed. It's the same for the covetous hands and the greedy hips and being inside him without the slightest semblance of union. They're parallel lines, more so, connected only at a splintering, where something’s knocked someone off course or one of them is otherwise fractured.

Even under Harry’s hands Malfoy won’t stop moving, won’t stop trying to claim up the air with noise. He's so fucking greedy; there's another guttered gasp like a boot-press to the chest. It's been at least ten minutes since he opened his eyes, so, still a loud coward, too.

Skimming his teeth over the wildest point of the arch, Harry moves down Malfoy's neck and Malfoy keeps begging, wet on Harry’s palm with a whimper, a leaked cry made in the lowest hollow of his chest. Maybe lungs, maybe not made at all but definitely taken. Stolen, Malfoy would say, if Harry would let him talk.

“Shh," And then when he doesn't, "shut the fuck up." Harry tightens his grip, fingernails biting into Malfoy's cheek. He doesn’t want to risk the bare spill of vowels eventually finding each other, coming out a whole word. Talking isn't part of it.

That’s how the whole thing started. They worked together, they were older, it should have been settled, but speaking to him brought everything back. Harry understands that isn't exactly fair and then that makes him furious, because he was fair and it took the particular gittishness of Malfoy and Malfoy only to drag Harry out of resolution.

The clamor of feeling showed up heavy and constant: in the lifts, at meetings, Malfoy across a pub laughing, Malfoy fussy with his tea, lofty shoulders hunched over the low counter in the break room. Mostly, he didn't deserve to have moved on. Harry wanted to loot the propagation and find everything that hadn't, to catalogue the flourish and failure. He needs the war to not only have meant something but to mean everything; Malfoy holds the equation and the problem solved. If Malfoy could come out of it changed and be truly moral, with either the virtue dug out from some deep well or built brand new, then it could all have been worth it. Be worth something.

And, the antithetical: he shouldn't be allowed the priviledge of progress. A visceral reminder that the world is riddled with pain, suffering, cruelty, that people inflict that on each other - Malfoy stands for that, because he had stood for it. Harry wanted him punished, redeemed, good all along, evil all along. A symbol and a flawed, living thing. It doesn't make sense, but with Malfoy below him, it almost - like this, it lives on the chasm of a knife, nearly both, almost real.

for day 29 of @microficmay

[judasgot-it]

Early Sunsets Over Yokohama

Early Sunsets Over Monroeville - My Chemical Romance

What Once Was - Her's

Part 1

Scenario: He found you.

1.2 k words

Dazai was terrified for once in his life.

The comforting thought of death was something that he had used to protect himself - he could imagine everyone in his life dying because he knew that when they did, he didn't want to cry.

It helped when he had lost people in other ways. He had lost them through breakups, drifting apart...

They were all natural.

So he would imagine that they would die in horrific and disgusting ways, far too vile to speak of. He would kill them in his head in order to protect himself.

But he didn't know where to start if he had ever lost you.

You were the only exception to this rule.

Dazai tried so many times to imagine your death - to kill you in his head, to destroy your image, to distance himself. Just to gain some control over his own self.

It never worked. He would lose himself if you died.

He was living for you, and he couldn't even tell it to you.

The one person who knew everything.

If he couldn't find you, protect you, and know you were alive - he wouldn't survive. His heart might not make it past that heartbreak.

But he forced himself to push that human fear, to find you and know that you were alive.

The ADA wanted you alive as well.

It had been days of searching, after the disaster of what had happened at the airport.

Maybe it was weeks. It was impossible to know the time anymore, as he hadn't moved the calendar from the last date you had marked down.

Your life seemed to have ended since he had been arrested. The day he had proposed to you.

That was when you stopped marking down the dates so meticulously, and instead filled your shared apartment with work and caffeine.

Up until the day of the event, you had been working tirelessly. And then you had disappeared - leaving behind an unfinished bottle of whiskey, a spoiled convenience store bento box, and a letter of encouragement from Kenji.

As much as you tried, it seemed Dazai had rubbed off too much on you. He wanted to laugh at the thought.

Dazai didn't sleep unless his body shut down. The man couldn't even walk, but all he did was force his weak body to think and listen to reports and read documents from all over Japan.

You both had become the same when the other was absent - although Dazai found that instead of one bottle of whiskey, it was three. And you had never bothered to touch the suspicious pills he kept.

He was running on those more than food. Dazai couldn't ever finish his meals before they went stale or bad, so he stuck with a single can of food a day, or half of whatever he was forced to eat in the office.

Life was bleakest in that period - however long it was.

Maybe a month? The weather had changed very little, but time felt like it had passed for an eternity.

He would end up finding you in a small abandoned bus station, like a pawn that was thrown across the board. A very random place to end up, in his opinion.

There was nothing valuable there.

It was impossible to understand how you ended up there - no buses even went there, and the walk to that station was nearly impossible.

But actually thinking about the logistics of your reappearance was something Dazai wanted to not care about for once in his life. Even if you were looking at him, terrified that you weren't the same person as before.

No one understood how it happened. Not even you.

You were suffering from severe memory loss, but it might have been a good thing - you had shown up in that spot with injuries and severe fatigue. It was possible you had crawled your way to that spot, but it didn't seem like you had left a trail there for very long.

The ADA wanted to know what had happened - day and night they would question you, driving through the same points to figure out where you had been, and what could have been done to you.

But Dazai didn't care. He didn't think.

You were here.

All he would do is hold you in his arms, ever since he saw you - dirty from trekking in the mud of the wet woods, and smelling from the days without showering, and he would simply kiss you with abandon.

You tasted terrible, with fuzzy teeth and oily hair. And he fucking loved it.

It was you. All you, here, in that moment, with him.

Since then, he only ever saw you.

In your shared apartment, Dazai couldn't bring himself to ask you:

'What happened?'

All he would do is swaddle you in blankets and hold you in his lap. His arms would wrap around your sides and he would cradle you between his thighs, as if trying to trap you in a cacoon made entirely of his limbs.

Not once did you ask him a question:

'How was prison? How was defeating Fyodor?'

It was as if all of that didn't exist to either of you anymore.

There was no war between the two of you. No abilities, no missing time - the calendar wasn't missing any X's and it didn't have a distinct lack of your handwriting across it.

Everything was the same. The air smelt like alcohol and mold; dirty hair and mud. But it smelt like home.

Dazai could smell you underneath everything, and he could still taste you despite the whiskey on his breath. Everything was familiar, despite the changes.

Even if you lost your face, he was sure he was going to remember what you looked like - the way you were looking up at him was something that had been burned into his mind, something that chased him in his dreams.

There was a small feeling Dazai had, where he wanted to lock you in this room and never let you go. To handcuff your wrist to his, and keep you by his side so he could never let you go.

The best he could do was pull you closer, feeling your ribs contract against his hold as you struggled to breathe in his hold, giggling as if he were being playful.

He would let you think that. Your hands were pulling at his greasy hair, and he played along - hiding his face in your neck so you didn't know that if he let go right now, he just might have to eat you so you never left him again.

Fyodor almost won.

"Dazai, are you alright?" You were pulled at the back of his hair by the handful, your knuckles the first thing to touch his scalp in weeks. God, he needed a shower.

Simply sighing, he brushed his nose against the back of your neck, kissing your spine and smiling as your breath stuttered. You were like a virgin underneath him, even when you were both a disgusting mess like this.

"Just thinking about how much I wanna marry you." If he could, he would wear your skin and die in his grave like that - there would be no other way to be closer.

But the ring on your finger was close enough. He thought a lot about that when you were gone. He knew you did too.

"We should do it soon."

"It?"

Your hand pulled harder, making Dazai wince a little. Of course, you were going to be mean about it.

"Get married, asshole." There's an ending to that - 'because we almost lost each other.' But neither of you were brave enough to talk about it now.

Maybe not ever. This already was a big statement.

There wasn't much of a conversation to be had about it. Not now, at least.

Dazai was sure he was going crazy a little bit, trying to choke you in his arms while still running on nothing but the takeout he had in the car - a meal he only ate half of, given he shared it with you.

His skin was disgusting, and the apartment was disgusting. For once, the dirt he usually surrounded himself with was bothering him.

Maybe he needed to be better for you now.

Before he realized it, he was staring at his dark ceiling, illuminated only by his small box TV and your face looking right above him. The lighting was a little scary - making you look more like a creature from a horror film than the angel he knew.

But your matted hair and tired eyes weren't exactly giving an 'angelic glow' either.

"We should sleep"

Dazai only hummed along, his hands feeling your curves and pulling you down towards him, trying to absorb your skin onto his - if he was a little more mental, he would have skinned you and eaten every part of you now.

Never let you get away from him.

But as your hands and body shifted around, trying to make his skinny frame more comfortable, he could feel the ring he gave you catching on his ratty old pajamas. It was going to have to be close enough, he supposed.

For the people who wanted a pt. 2 -> @aquaberrydolphin @skelkitty @queen-of-fanfic, this was so off the tracks but like we yolo this shit

Also no mr beast this time i haven't replaced him yet so here's a random gif i have

[thinking1bee]

You Haven't Failed Part 5

Requested by Anonymous

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Tags: Spidey!Reader, Venom!Reader, So Much Angst, Fluff, Established Relationship, Graphic Depictions of Injuries, Blood, Violence, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Smut

Everything Taglist: @sammy90682 @nobody13 @owloftheshadows @captain-josslett @camslightstories @worldovart @finleyfray @acertainredhead @sammm9068 @reginassecretlover

After ignoring multiple calls from Fury, Peter, and Wanda, you turned off your phone before pocketing the device. You just needed to be alone right now. You needed to think. You went to the one place that grounded you. The, oddly, one place no one seemed to check when you needed to get away.

The Empire State Building.

You sat at the very top of it, your feet attached to the metal while you sat on your haunches. Your elbows rested on your knees while your hand idly held your mask. You stared at it hollowly, shame and guilt eating you alive from what you did. Disbelief filled you to the brim. That couldn’t have been you. Those feelings weren’t you. Yeah, you were angry. Everyone was capable of anger, but murderous rage? That wasn’t normal. If Peter hadn’t intervened, you would have killed that man. There was no doubt in your mind. It scared you to know that excitement and happiness filled you as you punched the life from him. You could still feel the crunch of his bones and cartilage on your knuckles, and you rubbed your hands together to chase away the phantom sensations. Honestly? You didn’t know what came over you. There was pain, then there was surprised intrigue. Then, there was nothing but blind rage and the need to make the one who caused it suffer. Tears trailed down your cheeks and you sniffled as the horizon blurred in front of you. You weren’t a murderer. The thought alone had bile rising to your throat, but you were willing to change all of that in that one moment.

What the hell was wrong with you?

The sounds of New York filled the atmosphere. Even though you were high up in the air, and the wind was gently blowing, you could hear people talking down below. You couldn’t hear the specifics, but it was like you were standing in a crowded room. Nothing but overlapping voices that all chattered about the day-to-day things of life. Horns honked. Music played in the street, and you watched numbly as life passed you by. Even after you watched the sun set, and even as the sky darkened to reveal the moon and stars, you sat there, and you cried.

You didn’t know how much time passed, but eventually, you could feel Wanda’s power searching for you. It didn’t manifest physically. It was more of a gentle caress in your mind. You knew that she was there, and you could sense the anxiety she felt as her power wrapped around you. It filled you with grounding warmth and familiarity. It was like Wanda touched your soul, and you swallowed thickly, wanting nothing more than to be in her arms, but remorse kept you rooted to your spot. Wanda had to know what you did, either from Peter, from Fury, or from the news. The very thought of facing her had more tears falling faster down your cheeks. You couldn’t predict how she was going to react, and because of that uncertainty, you stayed where you were.

<Please, detka. I need you to come home.>

You felt her voice in your mind more so than you heard it. There was desperation laced in it, pleading. Your hands were shaking, your breaths coming out very much the same, and you swallowed before you stood up. She was worried, and you didn’t want to be the reason for why she felt unrest. So, you slipped your mask back on and faced the city. You could do this. With tensed muscles, you jumped off the side of the building, plummeting for a few seconds, before swinging home.

Instead of going to the door of the room, you landed on the balcony. Using the front door meant having to traverse the compound, and you weren’t ready for anyone to confront you just yet. You still couldn’t figure out what happened to you, and right now, you only had strength for Wanda. She heard the moment your feet landed on the cement. She was still up, her legs curled under a blanket as she sat on the couch. The tv played in front of her, and when she heard you arrive, she was on her feet in an instant and sliding the balcony door open. She pulled you inside and closed the door.

“Y/n? Babe? Are you okay?” she immediately asked you.

You couldn’t answer her. You pulled off your mask and faced the tv. On it was a news report. A video recording from the fight you were involved in was played, and it showed you crouched over the man while beating the life out of him. That was you. That was your suit. That was the man, but you didn’t recognize yourself. You could see the spray of blood even in the shaky phone recording. During that moment, you hadn’t heard anything from the crowd, but you could hear them now. They all murmured. They gasped. Someone screamed, and the recording ended right as Peter caught your fist. Suddenly, the nausea that you’d tried to fight for the last couple of hours reared into you and flipped your stomach upside down. Wanda followed your line of sight, your features growing paler as you watched the video. It was only a couple of seconds long, but you saw more than you could bear. She reached for the remote and instantly turned the tv off. You groaned, then you dropped your mask as you made a mad dash to the bathroom. You barely got the toilet seat up before you vomited violently. Nothing but bile and stomach acid filled the bowl, and you retched as tears streamed down your cheeks. Wanda was there every step of the way. She rubbed your back and smoothed your hair from your face as you kept vomiting. You vomited until there was nothing left to throw up. Then, you dissolved into tears. Loud sobs left you as your body folded in on itself, and Wanda watched you in alarm. She had no idea how to help, except to kiss your forehead and to guide your head to her shoulder. You let her, and she angled her body towards yours as she wrapped your arms around you. You cried in her arms as you let the emotions drown you alive. You were terrified, and scared, and ashamed, and guilty. The list kept going, and as all of those emotions morphed from one to another, over and over, repeating like a broken record, only one made itself glaringly clear.

Horror.

You were utterly horrified that you were capable of something like that, and the fact that you acted on it had your body shaking in Wanda’s hold. Tears soaked her shoulder, but she never let you go. She kept rubbing your back and pressing kisses against the skin she could reach. It took a while for you to calm down, but when you did, your breaths coming out jagged and stuffy, Wanda looked at you.

“Can you tell me what happened, baby?”

You gazed into her eyes and saw nothing but safety, love, and concern for you. She didn’t look scared, nor did she judge you. You could tell that all she wanted was to understand. So, you nodded and kept eye contact as you prepared yourself.

“Fury sent Peter and I to check the surrounding area near Oscorp, but we didn’t find anything. Everything was normal and we just got to talking as we kept looking. Peter told me that there was a shootout between the police and escaped prisoners, so I went to go help.”

You paused, your gaze momentarily breaking from hers as your body began to shake.

“What happened?” Wanda asked.

“One of them stabbed me.”

She sat straight up, panic tearing through her. “What?!”

Before you could say anything, her hands were manipulating your body so that she could get a good look at you.

“Oh, god,” she whispered as she covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh, my god.”

She hadn’t noticed the blood when you first arrived, and it still hadn’t clicked as she watched you throw up, but now, under the light of the bathroom, she saw what happened to you. Dried blood covered the majority of your torso, front and back. More thick trails of it had ran down your thighs. You looked like a victim in a horror movie, and Wanda’s eyes took in the slitted hole in your suit. She was about to yank you to your feet, a string of Russian expletives marring the calm atmosphere that she tried to create. She was seconds away from forcing you to the med bay, but her name from your lips stopped her.

“Wanda.”

She looked at you, her eyes full of fear while her hands shook.

“I’m fine. I’m okay.”

She looked at you for a moment more before her hand shakily ran over the area where your wound would have been. Nothing but smooth skin greeted her. She sank back to the ground with you by her side.

“Don’t get me wrong,” she said as her hand continued to feel your stomach. “I’m so happy that you’re okay, but how is this possible?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know.”

You were resilient, not indestructible. You were as susceptible to gunshots and stab wounds just like any other normal person, and while you could heal from something fatal in a matter of days, you never once demonstrated near instantaneous healing like you did today.

“I just healed. There’s no other way for me to describe it, but after, I was so fucking angry.”

“I would be angry too if someone stabbed me.”

You shook your head. “It wasn’t like that. I took one look at him and decided, right as he began to beg for his life, that I wanted to kill him.”

That quieted Wanda for a second, your confession shocking her into a stunned silence. After another moment of hesitation, she looked at you.

“Why?”

The question wasn’t a demand. It wasn’t accusatory. Even as she asked it, you didn’t hear judgment in her voice, only tepid curiosity. It was something that needed an answer but wouldn’t force one from you. You told her the truth.

“Because he tried to kill me, and in my mind, all I could think about was you. I know you’ve been back for a while, Wands, but it’ll always feel like I just got you back. I want to live life with you, and I don’t want anything else separating us. If things didn’t happen the way they did, I could have died. And then what? All of that knowledge flitted through me in a millisecond, and before I could process just how angry I was, he was already in my hold.”

The more you talked, the tighter Wanda held you. She understood completely. Just as you said, it’d been years since the events that occurred in Wakanda, but sometimes, she still had nightmares about it. Something so traumatic was forever etched in your brain and hers. If the roles were reversed, not even she could promise that she would react in grace. She had the power to change reality as she knew it, and she had to remind herself that you and her friends weren’t worth that kind of fallout. Regardless, she understood.

“I’m so sorry, Y/n,” she whispered into your hair.

You shrugged. It wasn’t her fault. She was a victim of something that couldn’t have been controlled by anyone once the power of the gauntlet was activated. It just wasn’t her fault.

“You know that it wasn’t your fault, right?”

It was like she read your mind, and you stared into her eyes. Not once did you see a red glow in them, nor did you feel her in your mind. You must have been really transparent. You gave her a weak nod but that wasn’t what you felt.

It was your fault. You should have been stronger. If you were, it wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

Part 6

[doctor-wonder]

Saw the newest episode of Doctor Who (73 Yards) last night on a whim when I got home from work and holy shit I am going feral with how good this series has been so far. I love weekly releases too I hate binge culture with a passion but since the show is still running on BBC they're essentially forced to keep doing weekly episodes. Anyways spoilers for new episode because I need to rant about it:

I've never seen such an effective and eerie mix of DW and such a supernatural, creepypasta-esque theme. I mentioned this to my long-suffering boyfriend right as I was watching it but it feels like an episode ripped right out of the Magnus Archives and that's so fucking cool.

I had heard that the Doctor was gone in this episode but I was still really impressed with both how they made it happen and how quickly into the episode it happens. The story just... Starts up with jo delay and immediately becomes terrifying. The hints of what's to come when the hiker meets Ruby and ends up running, the misdirection in the pub where RTD got to play on anti-Welsh sentiment that he's seen people experience and also put more questions than answers in our heads, it's such a perfect intro.

And then seeing Ruby lose people, get rejected from places and we never ever get to know what the woman following her is saying, but we just see and feel the absolute grief of the aftermath. Fuck, they brought back UNIT and built up our hope of them being Ruby's eventual saviours just to have the same thing happen again. I definitely said out loud "Girl who waited, eat your heart out" (obviously that's a different situation and I love Amy Pond but still I love the comparison)

Gods then the tension of the scene on the football field where her plan finally comes to fruition, I genuinely thought she might get shot then and there and the episode would go in some other random direction, but I'm so glad it didn't go that way. It's an RTD montage at its finest, and I was floored by it all the way through.

[atinyjules]

Eyes Off You Ft. Park Jisung {ch-4}

A/n: I am back! There's no current again loll, but it's enough for me to write one more chapter! I know that their moments aren't that much yet, but it's starting!

I'll leave the yapping for some other time so!

Here it iss

The mini masterlist for this series can be found here

Tw: The Dreamies being jerks, bullying, misunderstandings.

Jisung's

"Why did she ignore me, though?" Mark said as we all came back to the dorms.

"I don't know... but if that's Johnny's sister... I don't like her." Jeno said in a dark tone, making me feel a little uneasy. Jeno's been in a bad mood ever since lunchtime.

"What exactly did she do?" Mark asked as Jaemin snarled.

"We were just telling off a first year after he carelessly shovedus to the ground, and she came and pretended to be a hero. Slapped us in front of everyone." Jaemin said, making me feel uneasy.

Why would she do that? She was always a good person...

"Lia wouldn't just do that without-" Jeno cut Mark's words by banging on the table.

"Just because her brother is cool doesn't mean she is too. Not everyone is a Saint. I'm gonna make her regret doing that... anyone who tries to stop me will suffer the same consequences as her." Jeno said in a low tone before getting up and going to the bedroom, banging the door behind him.

"What now?" Chenle spoke up as Jaemin sighed.

"We just wait." Jaemin said before leaving for his bedroom.

"They're gonna crush her. Johnny won't be happy." Mark said when I cleared my throat.

"Should've have done that then." I mumbled, making Mark look at me, disappointed.

"We don't even know the full story. For all I know, that's just their part of the story." Mark said as Chenle sighed.

"I was hoping to be good friends with her." Chenle said as I stared outside the window.

"Don't just come to conclusions, Chenle. Those two always act on impulse." Renjun said as his eyes were fixed on his book.

After dinner, I went straight to bed, and I stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep when Chenle's voice brought me back to reality.

"You used to be best friends, right?" Chenle said making me sit up and look at him.

"How do you know that?" I asked as he shrugged.

"I heard what Johnny hyung said to you that day, so I figured you had something to do with his sister. So I asked Mark and he told me everything. You were quite a horrible person." Chenle said, his words piercing through my tough facade.

"I had my reasons." I said as Chenle chuckled.

"Too famous to pay attention to your friend?" He said as I sighed and sat up.

"We were a part of a friend group. Her, me, Haechan, and two other girls. After I started high school, I changed up my style and became popular. But a rumor spread that I was paying people money to support me... it destroyed me, but when she was about to join my high school, my other two friends told me that she was the one who spread the rumor because of jealousy." I said making Chenle sigh.

"Did you confront her?" He asked as I shook my head.

"No, her behavior was enough proof." I said, making Chenle chuckle.

"If you didn't even confront her, how could you believe it so fast?" He said, making me sigh.

"Me, Haechan, and the other two girls, we were all really popular by the time we started high school... except her. So they told me that she herself had said it." I said as we sat silently for a moment.

"Then why are you always so scared if you catch a glimpse of her?" Chenle asked making me sigh.

"She has a certain coldness to her. Makes me shiver when I look at her... just like Johnny hyung... but Johnny hyung is much calmer than her." I say, making Chenle hum in response.

"I haven't met her even once, but I know how Johnny hyung is... if she had a personality like that... he would've known and treated her accordingly. But Johnny hyung speaks so highly of her, so... I don't know whose story to believe." Chenle said as I looked over at him.

"So you'd rather take a strangers side?" I said making Chenle sigh.

"I don't mean it like that. I'm on no one's side. I don't want those two or you to cause a scene. Our reputation is already pretty bad." Chenle said as I looked up at the ceiling.

"It's not bad. People just assume we're bad." I said before turning away to sleep.

Lianna's

"Does it hurt?" I asked Anton, who winced almost immediately after I dabbed the cotton pad on his jaw.

"Of course it does... it's just the first day, and I already got in trouble with the popular kids." He whined as I sighed.

"Hey, don't worry. We'll protect you." Shotaro said to Anton who looked at me.

"Did you have to confront them like that? Now they'll come for you." Anton said as Seunghan helped cover his wound with a bandaid.

"It's fine. They were jerks anyway." I said when Sohee popped out of nowhere.

"Yah! You're in trouble now! I overheard Jeno saying that he's gonna take care of you tomorrow." Sohee said, making Wonbin shiver.

"Who are you? And don't just come and proclaim shit like that to us." Wonbin complained as I shrugged.

"No! Lia, you should escape as fast as you can!" Sohee said making me sigh.

"They're the ones who bullied Anton in the men's washroom for no reason. Why should we run when they picked a fight with Anton in the first place?" I said, feeling annoyed as I looked at the bruises and cuts around Anton's face.

"You're right." Seunghan said while patting Anton's shoulder.

"The urge to complain to the cops is brimming in my veins." Wonbin said while his hands shook.

"Everyone knows you're too scared to do it. Don't say things you can't do." Eunseok said, making Wonbin slap his arm.

"Okay, I admit I'm scared. But at the same time... even if we do complain... it's no use... their families are too strong. The government is really corrupt." Wonbin said as Anton stood up.

"Thank goodness I don't live with my parents. If they found out... I'm dead." Anton said as we began walking home.

"Let's all just go home. We'll discuss what to do over text." Sungchan said, making us all nod in agreement before bidding each other goodbye for the day.

×××

"I'm back." I said in an exhausted tone.

"How was the first day?" Johnny came with a big smile only for me to gasp and step away from him.

"What the hell are you wearing?!" I exclaimed in horror.

"Whatt? It's cute!" He said in a high-pitched tone while posing with his maid outfit.

"Eww! Get it off!" I exclaimed, making him break character and stand like he usually does without the exaggerated poses.

"I can't, I lost a bet against Yuta." He said, making me groan in frustration.

"Sometimes I wonder if you and your friends are high schoolers. This... this! Is not it!" I said, motioning to his face and his outfit. He laughed loudly before ruffling my hair.

"Aren't maid outfits the trend? You didn't answer my question." He said, making me sigh.

"It was exhausting... it should be illegal for that many students to attend at the same time." I said making him laugh.

"It's fun, more fish in the sea, no?" He teased, making me roll my eyes before going upstairs.

"Dinner will be ready by 8." Johnny reminded as I replied with a hum.

"You better not be wearing that when I come downstairs." I said while opening my bedroom door as he chuckled.

"Oh you bet I will!" He exclaimed before I went to my bedroom.

After dressing into my pj's, I did my skincare and sat in front of my computer. I let my head hit the keys of my piano as I sighed in defeat.

"It's only the first day, and I've already lost my peace." I mumbled to myself.

So this is what's become of Park Jisung, huh? A stuck-up popular kid who joined a group of bullies.

"Lianna Jade Suh... focus on class! I don't have time for this kind of drama." I mumbled to myself before slapping my face.

After giving myself a pep talk, I tied up my hair and pushed my glasses up before opening my computer to make some music and study. Due to exhaustion from my crazy first day of uni I dozed off after less than half an hour.

"Oi, didn't you hear me-" Johnny stopped his own words after catching sight of me asleep on my piano.

"This girl." He mumbled to himself before placing me on my bed and pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"I'll let you off from having dinner only for today." He whispered before smiling and letting me sleep.

The next morning, I groaned and let my head rest on Sungchan's shoulder.

"Today is gonna be a long day." I muttered, making Shotaro look at me from behind his seat.

"If we have to fight... we'll fight together!" Shotaro said with a brave face.

"Yeah!" The rest of the boys said in a courageous tone.

.....

"After proclaiming such big things...here we are... going home after bravely avoiding all the members of the Dream Squad today." Sohee said making Wonbin smack his head.

"Shut up! Avoiding those people is a very hard task." Wonbin said as Anton sighed, his hand clutching on to his bag.

"What happened to, 'we'll fight together' ?" Anton said, making me groan.

"I might have saved you, but that doesn't mean I'm some kind of fearless hero." I said, making Anton hum in response while sipping his Boba.

"I can see that." He said, making me hit his arm.

"Child abuse." He said in a monotone voice.

"We're only a year apart." I reminded Anton, who seemed unfazed.

After reaching home, I changed into some comfortable clothes and did my skincare before walking downstairs to the kitchen. I groaned at the thought of having to cook my own dinner since Johnny had a gig tonight and would be back really late.

"What should I eat? Ugh... but I'm too lazy to cook." I asked myself as I looked through the fridge and decided that Ramen and rice balls with some soup will have to do for tonight.

I groggily put on a jacket over the pj's before opening the door to go to the convenience store.

"Oh -" I look up to see Sungchan and Shotaro in the same get-up as me outside their door.

"Where you going?" I ask as they show me their purses.

"Convenience store... you too?" Shotaro asked, making me nod as we decided to go together.

"Where's Johnny hyung?" Sungchan asked as I shrugged.

"He has a gig tonight, and I'm too lazy to cook." I said, making them nod.

"Same." Shotaro said as we headed to the store.

While we searched what we wanted to eat, I got a text from Mark making me sigh in annoyance before replying to his text.

Mark lee: where are you? The door's locked.

Me: I'm out.

I replied and kept my phone in my pocket before searching for some ramen. While searching I bumped into a person.

"I'm so sorry-" I cut my own words the moment I looked at who it was.

Park fucking Jisung

He simply just walked past me and got some stuff before walking away to the next aisle.

Jerk.

I felt my body steam from anger as I tried calming myself down before getting my ramen and rice balls. After looking around and getting some drinks and snacks, I unfortunately met Jisung again at the checkout. Instead of backing up, he paid for his things first, making me boil. After paying he was about to leave when he turned to look at me.

"Stop messing with my hyungs and cause trouble like you did in high school, will you? It doesn't give Johnny hyung a good image." He said making my face go red with anger.

"Yah! You really are a jerk. Your stupid 'hyungs' hurt my friend first without any reason. I didn't do anything in high school as well. You were the one who caused trouble for me." I said in a cold tone.

"Lia, what's wrong-" Sungchan cut his own words as the both of them saw jisung in front of me.

"A stupid girl hanging out with stupid people. Guess you finally learned how to stay with people in your level." He mumbled making Sungchan come forward.

"Yah." Sungchan said in a warning tone, making Jisung chuckle before leaving.

"Who does he think he is?" Shotaro muttered under his breath as we watched his figure disappear into the night.

"A stuck-up asshole." The three of us turned to see Sohee calmly biting and eating his rice cracker as he stared at the place where Jisung walked through.

"What! Are you doing here?" I asked in an exasperated tone as he showed his rice cracker.

"I like the rice crackers from this store...want some?" He showed us his cracker, making me, Sungchan amd Shotaro facepalm.

I like how Sohee suddenly pops up in the most random times 🥹🤍

Well, that's all for this chapter 💖 ✨️

I hope you liked it! Although it seems like some dark shit... I PROMISE! it'll get brighter!

Chapter 5 can be found here

Likes and rebloggs are appreciated 💖 ✨️

[ahamkara-apologist]

Feeling emotional about Eramis again. Feeling emotional specifically about how she's arguably one of the best D2 antagonists we've gotten in terms of being morally grey- even Savathun, for how well-written she is, can fall a little flat sometimes simply bc we know we can never trust her due to her track record of being self-serving, even if our desires can align with hers and she's still very complex. But Eramis is one of the few antagonists we've gotten who have never really been against US specifically- her hatred for the Traveler and the path it took her into the Darkness were all the results of systematic faliures from those outside her control. She WAS right to be hateful to the Traveler- it leaving Riis WAS what caused the Whirlwind, and the total loss of her homeworld. And yes, she DID choose to seize the Darkness to try to eliminate it, but the thing was that she had no idea just what she was getting into at the time. The Witness manipulates and abuses the weak and vulnerable- she thought she'd finally gotten her hands on a means of keeping the Eliksni safe from the Guardians (which she's right about btw!!) and leveling the playing field so she could fight on par with literal godslayers, but she was tricked. It's extremely clear from Plunder onwards that she never desired what the Witness did, but she didn't have a choice bc she was reduced to being just as helpless as she was the day that she fled Riis

But for all her pain, and how much she believes it defines her, it still didn't fully destroy her! She hates what we represent, but she still begs for us to choose what she believes is the path of least suffering. She still asks for us to give her friends the dignity of last deaths, and she grieved with Osiris when he offered her the chance. In Plunder, she warned Eido that if she tampered with her mission that she would kill her, but she still put her own life in danger for the daughter of her enemy- defying the Witness in the process, btw- to save her. And then, in Defiance, she put herself in danger AGAIN by not only betraying the Witness's plans to trap + kill us, but by physically flying into enemy territory to save Misraaks- who nearly killed her just a few months before. She hates what he stands for, but she'll still risk her own life to save him because she always, ALWAYS put the lives of her people over her own- and she knew as soon as the Witness began to turn Salvation into Wrathborn and Scorn that she had lead them into a trap. She's proud, but not so proud as to not recognize when she's done wrong...inwardly, at least

Eramis's heart is fundamentally good and it kills me that she's either ignored or hated by the D2 fanbase (hated more by the widespread audience, really) bc she's outwardly hypocritical and bc of her role in Rasputin's sacrifice (which she didn't even have a choice in, either- she was outright being watched by the Witness). All of her poor decisions are the result of untold centuries of trauma, suffering, animalistic desperation, and then finally being broken down by loss after loss after loss. Nothing she did is something that couldn't have been avoided if she just had the support system to keep her from being driven to the brink, and nothing that she did is not any more terribly monsterous than what we ourselves have done

I sincerely hope that Athrys is somewhere out there for her, and that she and Eido will be that support system for her post-FS. I want to work alongside of her and earn her respect and help her heal so bad, even if she never really comes around to us. It would feel counterproductive to Destiny's theme about grief and healing and learning to move past the unforgivable if we couldn't- because it's not like we didn't do the exact same thing that she did when pressed into the same circumstances (accepting the powers of the Witness to slaughter Salvation en-masse when threatened by them). We just had enough people supporting us to let us know when the devil was whispering in our ear, which is support that she very much did not have when she followed it to Europa

[reginrokkr]

𝐂𝐗. Dáinsleif's journey upon escaping Khaenri'ah.

Considering to write a small in-depth thing about the moment when Dain escapes Khaenri'ah up to the moment where the Realm of Farakhkert and Gavireh Lajavard are restored from the Black Cataclysm. I refuse to think that, knowing how much Khaenri'ahn civilians struggled to even go past the door that separates Khaenri'ah from Sumeru, he would leave with Lumine right after his job was done in this part of Sumeru without even checking if there are people still alive that he can help bring to the now safe surface. Within the sense of being lost and not knowing what his destiny is / what to do with his life now that he's been cursed and left with nothing, one strong reason to help with the purification of Sumeru could've been so the Khaenri'ahn civilians had somewhere safe to arrive after their arduous escape from literally hell.

[jamiesfootball]

Technically the Richmond coaches had two chances to move Jamie to center and then didn’t take it: once when Zava showed up and once when they switched everyone at practice.

Both times they assumed he wouldn’t do it

At the very least we know he was willing to do it the second time (he even asked if they meant to give him the same position), but honestly? The Jamie who came to them worried about the effect of Zava on the team might’ve done it too. He is well on board with being a team player at that point, which he also demonstrated many times in season two. He probably would’ve been hurt by it, but he would’ve agreed to do it

(Then we could’ve had a whole season deconstructing how Jamie conflates scoring with winning with value in a way that really isn’t healthy but I digress)

For the record I don’t think this would have fixed anything. They probably would’ve figured out how effective Jamie is in midfield sooner, but they still would’ve had Zava, and after Zava there would’ve been the tension of whether to keep Jamie where he was or have him step back up to striker, especially since they weren’t doing total football yet. In a lot of ways, having Jamie step up and volunteer for it later really sidesteps a lot of drama

I’m more so lamenting the fact that with Jamie, when it came to ‘be curious not judgmental, they chose to remain judgmental of his past behavior instead of curious about his new ones.