#the crush on shadow isn’t as big a part of the musician’s character as the roller-skater’s ‘friendship’ with shadow is

[pacifistcowboy]

I have to know: are cowboy, rollerskating and wandering musician in some kind of trio together? you cant just list those three things like this, its too close to a walks into the bar joke!

LMAO unfortunately they weren’t even intended on ever meeting!!! they were the first three sonic ocs i ever made which was like only in may, n that was before i suddenly got obsessed with makin’ the sol dimension ocs. so now i just have three random-ass ocs that have no connection to anything

now i wish they were a trio tho sjfjwjfje the roller-skater n wandering musician would probably get along ‘cause they’re both just there to have a good time n can’t fight, but the cowboy isn’t a fan of kids n they fight bad guys/whoever they get paid to fight for a living, so they’d probably hate the other two lmaodjsjf

[tired-biscuit]

Forgiveness

This is part two to Crush.

Pairing: Kiba Inuzuka/fem!reader

Warnings: 18+ content [minors dni!!] modern au, age gap, daddy kink, unprotected sex, slight size kink, oral [f!receiving], risk of getting caught, slight angst. dilf!kiba.

Word count: 7.6k

YOU have trouble focusing.

As you stare into the screen of Jun’s laptop with somewhat of an absent mind, you find it difficult to follow along and understand the plot of the popular Netflix series your best friend has decided to put on for the two of you on the particularly lazy evening you’re once again wasting away at her house.

The room isn’t completely dark, but dusk still falls rapidly through the big, glass-panelled windows. The space is filled with so much clutter that it’s dangerously reaching the brink of normalcy; throwing shadows over the countless band posters of classic rock musicians and their respective vinyl records to adorn the walls. 

Ever since you’ve gotten to know her better back in your senior year, you’ve come to learn that Jun has been a particularly big fan of the genre, having grown up being surrounded by it. Her - self-proclaimed amazing - taste in music is something she shares with her father.

And as for you, well… You tend to share other things with him.

“Ugh… Eddie is so hot, am I right?”

Jun’s sigh is dreamy as it brushes your cheek and pulls you out of your thoughts from the way it abruptly breaks the comfortable quiet. You force yourself to let out a grunt of somewhat disinterested approval at the Munson character as you turn your head to the side, so that you can look at her better.

Jun Inuzuka is good-looking in her own peculiar, brash ways. Her skin is like molten caramel: tan and sun-kissed, despite that she so far hasn’t gotten the chance to go to the beach this summer. Freckles adorn the bridge of her button nose and dust the apples of her red cheeks that are framed by wild, shoulder-length hair that is nearly the exact same shade of chestnut as that of her father’s. It has streaks of red weaved in-between the pretty brown when the sun hits it just right, and is so thick that she has to tie it up during hot summer months, in fear that she'll risk getting heatstroke otherwise.

But since the room is fairly cool from the fan that’s running on the highest setting in the corner of her bedroom, Jun has allowed herself the rare pleasure of letting her hair down. The curls tickle your shoulder as you both lie in her bed; with your legs tightly intertwined and bodies smushed together whilst your fight to take as much space on the single pillow she owns ensues with every minute you spend watching the episode.

Staring at her like this, you see that Jun is definitely Kiba’s kid. Both appearance-wise and with the impulsive, bold personality - there is no mistaking that she is the spitting image of her father, albeit one that is just the tiniest fraction mellower. After all, her facial features are rounder and softer around the edges than his own are, and her eyes aren’t nearly as ferocious, which you now know fairly well, having seen both pairs up-close. 

On the other hand, Jun also tends to be a little bit less pushy and firm with every year she becomes older, but the fire of hot-headedness her father’s genes had sparked within her the moment she was old enough to fathom who she was, still burns and courses her veins as strong as ever underneath that signature golden complexion.

“So, what’d you do while I was at my mom’s place?”

The sudden question makes cold sweat rush over your entire body. In a meek attempt of hiding the way your skin is pulling taught over your now-bewildered face, you quickly avert your gaze back towards the laptop again. “Nothing much… Just, uh… Kind of chilled back at home.”

“I heard that you didn’t really feel like partying,” she drawls boredly, absent-mindedly playing with the string of her gym shorts. “‘Cause Ren said he barely saw you around the usual spots. And apparently you told him no, whenever he asked to go clubbing.”

“I was just busy,” you mumble, brows knitting tightly together for a split of a second before you force yourself to smooth them back up, “doin’ my own thing, and all that...” Doing your dad, for instance.

“Yeah, I get that.” She chuckles now, twirling the string around her index finger. “Missed me far too much to be partying your mind out, huh?”

“Yeah…” All you can do is grin as sweetly as you’re able and hope for the best as you nuzzle your cheek into her shoulder to hide yourself from her vision. You feel bad for lying to your best friend through your teeth like this, but what are you supposed to do? Admit that you’re having an affair with her goddamn father?

To be fair, it isn’t exactly an affair, since he isn’t married anymore, but still… He’s a line you definitely shouldn’t have crossed that drunken night you’ve spent at the same house you're currently in. She’d be upset if she found out that you had betrayed her trust in such a terrible, gruesome way. Even worse: that you’ve been continuing to do so, without any sign of stopping as well.

You truly are a terrible friend.

The thought makes your stomach twist with uncomfortable guilt. “I’m just gonna go get something to drink real quick, okay?”

Jun’s eyes are still glued to the laptop as she watches the preppy cheerleader slam against the ceiling just as her bones begin to crack. She gives you a dismissive nod. “Yeah, sure. Want me to pause?”

“No, no, it’s fine. You can fill me in later.” You sigh, picking yourself up from the bed before you dust off your skirt from imaginary dust to straighten it better. “Do you need anything?”

Jun flicks a curious glance at you as you bend over to fix your white thigh highs back into place. Two faint snapping noises resonate throughout the room as your fingers slip from underneath the upper bands that are now biting into your thighs and causing them to pinch the plush flesh slightly. 

She flicks her eyes back towards her newly-discovered favourite character in Stranger Things. “Nah.”

You’re already making your way towards the door, your heart heavy inside your chest as you murmur: “All right.”

And so, you go.

—

Kiba lets out a small gasp of startlement at the sudden pair of arms to wrap around his waist all of a sudden.

“Woah, easy! Don't wanna burn myself on the goddamn stove, hah.” Standing in front of it, the forty-one-year-old quickly inspects the pot of boiling water before he turns his head over his shoulder to look down at the mystery person who’s hugging him so fervently.

A small chuckle slips past his lips at the sight of the pouty expression you display when you look up at him. Your bottom lip is jutting out in childish annoyance. It makes the amber within his golden eyes shimmer with something mischievous. “Everything okay, kiddo? You seem kind of down.”

“Can you not call me that, please?” A small grunt of disapproval leaves your mouth before it muffles out from the way you hide your face into his light grey t-shirt. He smells good and sharply fresh; like he’s just showered. You can’t help but inhale the earthy, musky scent as deep as you can. 

It nearly tastes sweet as it fills up your throat and lungs. Like you’ve been chewing on wood and moss - inhaling the pure essence of a great forest. It’s so masculine that it turns your brain fuzzy. Simply intoxicating.

“What,” Kiba drawls with a tricksy grin, “kiddo?”

“Yes,” you grumble further as your hands tighten their hold around his waist. It’s hard to keep them from slipping underneath the light cotton so that you can freely roam his toned abs, but you somehow manage to do it. You suppose that he can tell from the way he snorts quietly.

“What’s wrong with kiddo?” he asks you now.

You roll your eyes, despite that he can’t see it. “It just makes me feel incompetent. Kind of immature.”

Your heart begins to race and jump around your ribcage when he loosens up your hold around him just enough that he can turn to see you better. Your face meets his chest for a brief moment with the movement; chin resting against the middle of his torso before his arms are wrapping around your middle and his big hands find purchase on your hips.

Kiba lifts you up swiftly, placing you to sit on top of the marble counter with zero effort whatsoever, right next to the stove. It’s a struggle not to melt into a puddle of flustered, confused feelings at the way he fits so nicely between your legs; at how close he is to you that you can smell the spearmint chewing gum on his breath.

He looks you in the eye as he says, “I never said you were incompetent.”

Your sigh is somewhat shaky because of the close proximity as you reply with a bashful mumble: “I know you didn’t.”

“Besides,” he says as he gives you a light shrug of shoulders, “you can cook a really mean plate of spaghetti.”

The deadpan expression that falls upon your face is comically amusing. “What's pasta got anything to do with this?”

“Ah, darlin',” he grins real big, flicking the tip of your nose with a calloused finger, “it makes you less incompetent, you see.”

Your brows shoot up in faux disbelief. “I thought you just said I wasn’t incompetent at all.”

Kiba pauses for a moment. “Well… I did, yeah. But-”

“You can’t get any less incompetent than zero, Kiba.”

“Can we please stop saying incompetent, already? Damn.” The small ‘v’ that appears in-between his dark brows makes you want to giggle from how fussy he seems to look in that exact moment. You’ve clearly provoked and irked a nerve because now he sighs as you allow yourself a chuckle, “You’re a piece of work, you know that? Too smart for your own good. Gonna bite ya in the ass one day, you'll see.”

“You don’t seem to mind me being a piece of work when I’m sucking your dick,” you retaliate with a feline-like smirk.

“That’s because you’re quiet during it,” he bites back, the corners of his lips twitching upwards faintly at the jabs you keep throwing back and forth at each other.

“Well, at least I’m quiet,” you sigh dramatically, shrugging as if you don't have a care in the world, when in reality you have many. “Unlike your moaning self.”

Kiba shakes his head with a hushed laugh as he leans in and presses his forehead against your shoulder. You can feel the warmth of his palm as he places it on top of your thigh; no nudge of a ring present as his fingers trace the band of one of your thigh highs.

It’s become a routine of sorts. Throughout the entirety of last week - which you’ve spent at his house, while Jun has spent it at her mother’s - you’ve been doing nothing but exchanging witty comebacks, fucking like animals and slowly, albeit surely, catching feelings for each other.

You’re falling in love with your best friend’s father. A man that’s twice your age, and could as well be your own dad. How pitiful.

At least this one takes you out for ice cream and tells you you're pretty.

“I like these socks on you,” he mumbles against your neck after a brief moment of comforting silence.

Your fingers are eager to stroke his tousled hair. It’s still damp at the nape from the shower. “Really?”

“Mhmm,” he replies tiredly, “though I think they made me stare for a little too long earlier.”

“You gotta fix that, you know,” you fuss as you feel his lips latch to your throat hungrily, “Jun might get suspicious if you keep ogling at me like that.”

“I know, I know.” He grunts as his fingers dig into the fat of your thigh; right at the spot where the white cotton is pinching it inwards. You’re hardly able to suppress a whine at how harshly he manhandles you now. He's certainly no gentleman, but you like it nonetheless. “But I’ve missed you! It’s been, what… Four days since the kid came back? And you barely swing by anymore… I don't like not having you in my bed anymore.”

“Don’t be silly.” Your exhale is one of exasperation. “You know darn well that I can’t hang out with you while Jun’s around.”

“Yeah,” he says, despite the fact that he pouts as he grazes your pulse point with his teeth, “but that doesn’t mean that it makes me feel any better.”

“Please stop being jealous of your own daughter,” you scold him gently, stifling back a little giggle, “you’re forty-one years old.”

“Don’t remind me,” he grumbles, kissing up your jaw. “Are you staying over tonight?”

“If I am,” you say as your fingers dig into his hair and tug at the roots, “I’ll be sleeping in Jun’s bed, not yours.”

Kiba releases a small groan at the lewd touch as your manicured nails trace his scalp in loving brushes. It’s a sound you haven’t heard in the four days since his daughter has come back home from her mother’s. It’d be a lie if you said you didn’t miss it. It only urges you to repeat the action.

He grows needier now as his hand squeezes your thigh again, the tips of his fingers just barely slipping underneath the hem of your pretty skirt. Your legs are tightly wrapped around his waist as you push yourself towards the edge of the counter so that you can feel him better. It’s just a little comfort. Both of you need it.

You’ve promised yourself that you weren’t going to allow things to escalate before you’ve even set foot inside the kitchen, and yet the way his breath hitches in the back of his throat when the bulge in his sweatpants grazes your clothed pussy, dulls out the firmness of your determination in mere seconds. 

He’s already rock hard underneath the thick cotton; nudging your sopping entrance and nearly grinding himself against you. Everything is quick-paced and rushed from the excitement you're both buzzing with. The thrill and the tension to fill the room are making you suffocate on your own inhales.

“Kiba,” you whisper, heart hammering when his hands find your hips, “we shouldn’t-”

“Just a lil’ bit, sweetheart,” he mumbles dazedly in answer, spreading open-mouthed kisses across your entire jawline. You can hear how quickly he’s panting, now. “Haven’t had you in four days… Kept thinkin’ ‘bout you during work. Late at night, too.”

“That’s nice and all, but you still can’t fuck me on the kitchen counter, while your daughter is watching Netflix upstairs! Besides, I’ve already been gone for way longer than I should have.” You try to push him away, but he won’t budge. His big hand wraps around your smaller one before he moves it and places it onto his shoulder. Your eyes are practically glazed over with a thick film of lust as you watch him press a tender kiss to your knuckles.

Kiba turns to look at you expectantly as soon as he finishes placing the chivalrous affection on your skin. It takes you a while to realize that he’s waiting for you to give him a reward - the absolute bastard.

“Your pasta is gonna be overcooked,” you try to upset him lamely.

“It’s not as good as yours, anyway,” he shoots back in an instant. You can see him turn off the stove. He's clearly made his decision on what's more important.

You stare at him for a long moment, trying to ignore the way his fingers are stroking your hips the entire time. He nearly has to give you the puppy eyes before you’re rolling your own at him, ignoring the low snicker of triumph he lets out as soon as you drawl an absolutely fed-up: “Oh, fine.”

The lewd excitement to ghost over his sharp features makes you narrow your eyes at him. He’s nearly exclaiming a childish ‘Yay!’ as he slips underneath your skirt and tugs your panties down your legs when you lift your hips slightly to help him out.

He fingers the maroon lace as he places a soft kiss to your calf and stands up to his full height again. “Can I keep these, too? Red is my favourite colour.”

“I’m surprised you actually asked this time,” you bite back, teeth sinking into your bottom lip when his other hand slips underneath your skirt once more. You watch as he stuffs your panties into the pocket of his sweatpants, despite that you’ve never fully agreed to him taking a second pair. 

You’ve never asked him about what he does with them. Honestly, some part of you doesn’t even want to know.

The thought is quickly whisked away from how his thick fingers trace your drenched hole now; making it tighten around the tip of his digit as soon as he prods at it to test how wet you are. The mewl you let out in response to the touch is kittenish, even though your hand is wrapping around his wrist in an attempt to push him away. 

“What,” he asks stupidly, eyes still glued to your glistening cunt. He doubts he’ll ever get over how young pussy feels like. How adorably puffy it looks; especially wrapped around a cock. His cock, specifically.

You frown from how mesmerized he seems to be. “We don’t have time for foreplay.”

This, however, does make him look up at you. You can see the worried furrow of his brow as he licks his lips. “But, it’ll hurt if I don’t-”

“It’ll hurt either way,” you retaliate, attempting to cool down the heat that sears your face, “to my misfortune, I’ve gotten myself a man who’s cursed with a monster cock.”

He muses as he fondles the subject of the matter right over his sweatpants, the action seemingly prideful. In reality, he’s trying to steady himself from nearly just busting a nut just from the way you’ve called him yours. “You say that like you don’t like it.”

“It tries to crawl up my throat whenever you fuck me and it makes my pussy hurt,” you oblige in stroking his ego further, the corners of your lips curling upwards, “what is there to like about that?”

“Well, if you hate it so much,” he mutters lowly, the tone dark and raspy as he pushes the front waistband of his sweatpants and black boxer briefs lower in one go to free himself, “then wanna tell me why are you even here?”

Kiba can see how big your pupils turn at the sight of his fat cock. How you smile and eagerly shimmy towards the edge of the counter at the thick veins and throbbing girth, as well as the way pre-cum is already leaking out of the tip when he strokes it once with his rough palm. Your short, pleated skirt is already hiked up to your waist. All signs seem to point to green from your end.

He’s hot and bothered from missing you so much, and you’re nearly pushing him into you with the help of your legs, which you still have safely wrapped around his waist. Kiba still isn’t entirely sure if the lack of foreplay is a good idea, but you seem to be fucking buzzing with immoral impatience. Besides what’s going to become of your sweet pussy, he’s also worried that you might just throw a hissy fit if he doesn’t slam you soon.

“Kiba,” you warn as if you’re able to read his mind.

“On it! Christ… Needy little girl.” The poor man nearly growls at the way your head tips back gently when he rubs the sensitive tip along your heat and covers it in gooey slick. The way he hooks it to your clit makes your insides twist from delight.

“I thought you liked how eager I am to get it, daddy,” you tease him with the title, tracing the tip of your tongue along your front teeth. However, the pearly whites are quick to sink into the inside of your cheek as soon as he pushes the first inch inside you.

The stretch burns hot from lack of stimulation, exactly how he’s warned you it would. You fight back a prolonged whine as his breathing turns shallow from the wet warmth to wrap around him.

He looks up; the warm amber shining wicked inside those honey irises of his. “I told you so.”

“Just shut up and fuck me already, Mr. Inuzuka,” you snarl at him angrily. “I’ve gotta get back to watching Stranger Things with your daughter before she starts wondering where the fuck I am.”

He chuckles as he places your hand on his shoulder once more, “Then make sure to hold on tight, sweetheart. It’s gonna be a rough ride.”

Kiba’s words ring true.

The moment your fingers find hold on his defined shoulder, they’re already clawing at the thin t-shirt from how roughly he sheathes himself inside you right to the hilt. Your walls are clenching and refusing to let him in no matter how wet you are, but he insists on making space inside the narrow capacity. Outright forces it to happen.

“Holy fuck,” he grunts, panting quietly, “I’ve missed you so much, my sweet girl.”

“Missed daddy, t-too…! Ugh…!” Your eyes are nearly crossing from the pain and how he keeps throbbing inside your lower belly. “You-... Fuck, you gotta move, Kiba. ‘s too much.”

“Right, yeah,” he mutters, scrambling to get his thoughts back in order. That first, initial push was so good that it’s making him feel light-headed in a way, but it’s the way he watches his cock disappear inside your cute cunt that really takes the cake. Your pussy is practically sucking him in. Milking him already. “Gonna… Mm, gonna start movin’ now, sweetheart. Gonna fuck you so good.”

“You better,” you say, a faint squeak bubbling up your throat when he pulls back and slams right back in to bottom out within you for a second time, “and you better do it quick… Jun’s gonna-... Nnh, god.”

His eyes are so glazed over that they remind you of maple syrup as you look up at him from underneath your lashes. He’s staring at the spot you connect, face red and dazed, lips parting in a series of unsteady inhales and exhales. His broad chest is heaving from how much air he’s trying to bring into his lungs.

Kiba can’t stop looking at how his dick glimmers with your sweet arousal. How the milky slick drips onto the fucking counter as he starts to thrust; nice and deep. It feels like he’s stuck in a wet dream, even though he hasn't had one of those for about thirty years.

You’re still holding onto his shoulder for dear life; nearly tearing apart the fabric of his t-shirt with your fingernails as he stretches you out and bullies your womb. He can see how badly you’re trying to fight back the moans; to swallow down the breathless curses and grunts that are attempting to erupt from your mouth every time he swings. It’s almost angelic in a way.

Your velvety walls are beginning to clench around him with the laggard ministrations he’s giving you. His palm slams flat against the counter right next to you; bicep flexing as he leans in and keeps rutting his hips nice and slow into you over and over again. It’s enough to make your toes curl. To make you grit your teeth and clench your jaw as the first waves of an upcoming orgasm start to tremble over you.

“You gonna cum already,” he taunts you with a lopsided smirk, “I’ve barely put it in, honey.”

“I’m not your honey,” you bite out, glaring at him and at the way he pulls back one band of your thigh highs and makes it snap so harshly that the plush flesh jiggles right afterwards.

“Ow.” You pout. “Kiba…”

Kiba pauses for a second at the softly hurt expression you portray, now. Something snaps within him, making his heart swell up as he looks down at you with warm eyes; at the way your body writhes on the counter from the sheer pleasure he’s giving you. He's not sure if you want it quick and rough, or a bit more intimate this time around. “Do you-… Do you wanna be my honey?”

Your gaze turns even more doe-eyed. You can’t believe the nerve of him. Is he really asking you such a thing whilst he’s balls deep inside you? What the fuck! “Are you serious right now? Fuck-…! Be gentle!”

“‘m sorry,” he mumbles bashfully, easing the fervour of his thrusting, “I just get really into it when you’re like this.”

“Like what?” Sweat is starting to coat your brow from how he’s straining your limits. It still hurts whenever he slams in, but the pain is good. It makes you feel alive. Present.

“Spread wide apart and takin’ my cock,” he says as he leans in to press a kiss onto your sweet mouth. He chuckles at how quickly you angle your head to kiss him better and tangle your tongue with his own. 

Your hand rests on the crook of his neck. You can feel how riddled his skin is with salt right underneath the tips of your fingers. Gods, he looks so delicious that you want to lick him all over. “What’s so funny about that?”

“Nothing, I just-...” He snickers again, shaking his head lightly with a sigh, “I should take you with me to work sometime… Make my co-workers jealous.” Ah, there it is: the arrogance you’re familiar with.

“It’d be like I’m a trophy wife of yours, kind of, huh?” Your grin is going to be the death of him. What a little brat you are.

“Yeah,” he mumbles quietly, staring into your eyes with a look you haven’t seen him give you before, “my lil’ trophy wife.”

You feel like there’s more to his tone and look than meets the eye, but resist the urge of asking him about it. Instead, you just push him towards you and kiss him so hard that both of your mouths are beginning to hurt from the fever to resonate within each kiss.

It calms down his thoughts and makes his pace and rhythm turn somewhat natural as you caress his face and stroke your palms over the stubble on his cheeks. It’s as if he knows exactly what you both need.

“Oh, daddy,” you whine quietly, eyes rolling upwards into the ceiling of the kitchen, “s'good…!”

“Yeah,” Kiba whispers, “good?”

“Always so-... So good, my lovely Kiba.”

You speak the words so softly; so gently, as if you - yourself, aren’t aware that you’ve spoken them. Like you’re a little fawn he’s just stumbled upon in the middle of a clearing of pretty flowers: resting its delicate head on top of his heavy, grubby boots. And even though he’s supposed to be the big bad wolf, you don’t seem to be frightened at all by his sharp teeth and claws.

“Sweetheart…” Kiba doesn’t know what he’s done to deserve all of this; to be worthy of such a blessing that keeps on tugging on his heartstrings, but he needs to make it stay. You make him happy and glow from within. He simply needs to cling onto that light from the sheer reason of how good it’s making him feel; of how hard he’s fighting tooth and nail to make it stay just as bright in return. “Do you maybe wanna-”

A voice resonates from upstairs all of a sudden, accompanied with a thud of a door and equally as hurried footsteps: “Daaad!”

Well, crap.

The next few seconds are a blur. All Kiba can remember is the startled little whimper you voice before he harshly pulls out of you and practically jams his still rock hard cock back inside his sweatpants. The way you part produces the lewdest sound imaginable as you scramble on top of the counter to cover yourself with your skirt. 

The new strain his own clothes provide practically hurts. Kiba feels like he’s going to burst underneath the cotton.

“Shh, shh, shh. Shit, don’t cry, hey, shh,” he tries to soothe you hurriedly as you grimace and quietly whine again, but it’s too late. Before you can even fully push away from each other and before you can even hop off the counter and wipe the sudden tears from your heated cheeks; Jun is right there in the kitchen with you.

“Yo, dad. Have you seen y/n anywhere? She’s been gone for a-...” The brunette lifts her gaze from her phone just as you’re about to unhook your legs from her father’s waist. You can see how she freezes now. How she attempts to process the sight of you sitting on the kitchen counter, with her father positioned in-between your legs.

Her mouth is still open as she slowly utters, “A… A while.”

You’re all frozen, like you’ve just fucking sprouted roots underneath the soles of your goddamn feet as you keep staring at each other completely wide-eyed. The silence is deafening. You’re just about ready to kill yourself. To kill him. And her. To spare all three of you the dread that’s currently seeping its way into all of your guts.

Kiba is the first to spring into action. The way he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand nearly makes you want to cry, because it makes Jun look sick to her stomach. You don’t even feel his touch from how numb you are as he slips from your hold and slowly starts to turn towards his daughter. 

“Hey... Hey, kid.”

His voice sounds weird. Out of breath and slightly high-pitched - just enough to crack mid-sentence and to force him to clear his throat.

You can see your best friend’s eyes flick towards the bit of maroon lace that’s peeking out of his pocket. The way Jun takes a cautious step back makes him make a face you’ve never seen before. He’s literally cringing like he’s in pain, just like she is beginning to. 

“What the fuck,” is all Jun lets out before she looks over his shoulder to look at you. You can’t even look her in the eye. The shame is too strong as you slowly slide off the counter with a petrified little bounce.

“Kiddo, c’mon.” Kiba takes another step towards her to draw attention to himself, instead. She copies him by taking one backwards. “It’s not… It’s not what it looks like. Really.”

“And what do you mean by it, dad?” The piercing sound of the confused, gasp-like laugh that climbs out of her throat makes you both visibly wince.

“Jun,” you finally dare to say, fingers flinching as you intertwine them tightly together in front of yourself, “we-we didn’t…” You can't say it. Can't finish the sentence.

“Are you fucking my dad, y/n?”

The question feels sharp like a blade; outright venomous. It’s like the exact knife you’ve just stabbed into your best friend’s back, and it makes your thoughts sizzle out. You literally feel brain-dead from the stress as you let out an idiotic: “What…?”

“You are, aren’t you,” Jun says, her initially empty stare turning into the most vicious glare you’ve ever seen another human execute, “you’re fucking my… My dad. It’s written all over your face. Both of your faces.”

“Jun,” Kiba is the one to speak her name this time around. He runs a frustrated hand over his face, ridding himself of the salt the lust had invoked earlier. “Lemme explain, okay?”

“Explain? You… You want to explain?”

“Yes. How 'bout we just take a breather, and then we can-”

“Do you even hear yourself?!” The shrill laugh she lets out now is somehow worse than the silence as she finally snaps. “What is there even to explain, old man? How-... How in the flying fuck, are you gonna explain to me that you’re slamming someone, who’s twenty years younger than you? That you’re fucking my best friend? Fucking! My fucking best friend! Oh, my god, you’re old enough to be her father. Are you two insane?! Legitimately insane?”

And with that, Jun is out of the kitchen; running back up the stairs, with her father chasing right behind her. You don’t really feel entirely present in your body as you listen to him shouting at her to 'open the fucking door' of her room, nor the banging of his fist as it nearly shakes the entire house down from how harshly he’s pounding it against the wood.

It feels like an eternity before you slowly drag yourself up the stairs, trying not to pay mind to how intensely your feet are refusing to budge. Before you can even acquire enough courage to stand in front of him, you’re already there, much to your misfortune.

His shouting had died down. How long had it been? An hour? Two?

You can't even remember taking the steps. He seems to be on the verge of tears from how broken his breathing sounds and how glossy his eyes are as you come to a stop right beside him.

“Hey.”

Kiba doesn’t say anything. 

You try placing your hand onto his shoulder, but he flinches back like you’ve just burned his skin off with the touch; like you’ve just set him on fire right through the cotton of his t-shirt. His blatant rejection makes you pull your hand back in an instant. It’s as if he’s disgusted by you: the way he takes this big, wide step away from you to cause some distance.

“Kiba…?” The waver of hurt inside your voice is prominent.

“I think it’s better if you just leave, y/n.” This is the first thing he tells you after the entire ordeal. He looks so fucking lost and defeated - as if he’s not even really there. He can’t even look you in the eyes. Can’t even bring himself to touch you.

What a coward.

“Lea-... Leave?” The little stammer makes his heart tighten, but he keeps his face passive. He can’t afford to show that he cares. Not when his daughter is on the other side of that door.

“Yeah,” Kiba grits out finally like it pains him to say the words, but he says them firmer this time around, “it’s gonna be a long night for me and my kid, so it’s better if you just went home... Get some sleep, ya know? It’s late and you’re probably tired.”

You're choking back tears again. “But my backpack-”

“I’ll swing by to bring it to ya as soon as Jun unlocks the door, okay?”

He’s trying so hard to get rid of you without telling it directly to your face, and you don’t even have to be awfully clever to see it.

The pause you give him is excruciatingly long before you finally nod, head hanging down to hide the tears, despite that he can clearly see them drip onto the carpet. On the bright side, at least you have your phone, some change and keys in the pocket of your jacket downstairs.

On the down side, it also means that there’s nothing keeping you here anymore.

So, you go.

—

Months pass and they’re tough as shit. You don’t hear anything from Jun, nor are you in contact with her father ever since that dreadful night.

Your best friend - well, ex best friend - never replied to the texts you’ve sent her, nor did she answer your calls. After the third week of constantly spamming her inbox, you finally gave up trying to reach her. She never bothered either. In a way, you’ve expected it.

As for her father: he had swung by your apartment at nearly half past one in the morning that night, exactly like he’d promised he would, whilst looking completely stone-faced and slightly pale. 

Barely a few words were exchanged before he told you that it’d be better if you broke off whatever had managed to weave itself between you - that that dreadful, morally-wrong, disgusting thing needed to go. That it was better to forget about it, and just pretend like it had never even happened at all.

Before you could have even opened your mouth to give him an answer, he was already turning away, making his way down the staircase with stiff, long footsteps, and never once glancing back to look at you.

Standing by your door, holding the backpack he had just tossed into your cold hands and attempting to collect the million little pieces of your broken heart; you’ve come to realize that in a way, you’ve expected that to happen, too.

And because of it, it’s so much harder to act normal when you stumble into him in the local grocery store nearly half a year later.

You try to do as he had told you all those months ago. Try to hang your head low and pass by him like nothing ever happened at all, but it’s him, who extends his arm and rests his hand on the shelf beside you, so that he blocks your path. Him, who stops you from walking away, exactly like he should have done the first time. Him, who seems to be ready to initiate something again.

Seconds pass as the silence between you fills with chatter of other customers and the steady beeping noise that comes from one of the busy cashier stations. Truth be told, you are beginning to feel nauseous.

“Hey.” It’s all that he says. After six sucky months: Hey.

“Evening, Mr. Inuzuka.”

You can’t look him in the eye as you inwardly cringe at how formal and small you sound. The best you can do is his chest. The winter jacket he’s wearing looks thick and is dark grey in colour, but definitely does not look like it’d be a part of his police uniform. It seems that he’s not on the job. Just your luck.

You watch as his fingers tap against the shelf. The same fingers that had been in your mouth; inside your fucking cunt. The same fingers that had stroked your cheek and booped the tip of your nose. “How have you been?”

“Huh?” Your eyes are nearly ready to pop out of their sockets. “Sorry, what?”

Kiba chuckles awkwardly. “I asked how you’ve been?”

“Uh,” you just can’t stop blinking profusely - what the fuck, “I’ve-... I’ve been doin’ okay, Sir.”

“Nice.” He sounds like a fucking android.

“Yeah,” you say thickly. You aren’t any better.

Silence. “How’s college been treating ya?”

You offer a light shrug. “Eh… Same old, same old. I’m only here for the winter holidays, since my brother is in town as well.”

“Ah, fun.” He’s smiling down at you faintly, despite that you aren't brave enough to see it.

“Yeah.” Every second of silence seems to become an aeon of its own. Until: “Hey, uh… What about… What about Jun? Is she home for the winter holidays?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Kiba says, and now his voice seems to be just a little bit tenser; a little bit more honed than it was before. “The kid’s been, uh… She’s been staying with her mother as of late.”

For half a fucking year?

“Oh.” You force yourself to look at him now. To make eye contact. “I see.” 

“Yep.” The way he pops the ‘p’ is so childish and animated. So stupid. “Been thinkin' about getting a dog… To make the place feel less lonely.”

“Good idea.”

“You think so?” Why does he even ask for your opinion?

“Mhmm... You look like you'd be a dog person.” And why do you offer it, nonetheless?

You stare at each other, studying every facial feature the other owns. Dressed in big, bulky winter clothes; he seems even bigger than you remember him being. You try to fight the way it makes your mouth dry. The way it makes you yearn to unzip that jacket and just hide underneath it as he holds you close and conceals you from the big, bad world.

You can nearly bring back his scent to memory, even. Nearly taste the gloomy forest on the tip of your tongue and experience it filling up your lungs.

“Well,” you mumble at long last, holding your basket closer to your middle like a makeshift barrier of sorts, “I should probably get going.”

He doesn’t say anything as he watches you step to the side, shoulders pushing inwards to appear even smaller in your cute little coat and winter hat. The colourful gloves are making him want to grin so broadly that his face would start to hurt.

“Nice seeing you, Mr. Inuzuka.” Wasn’t he your daddy just a few months ago?

“Yeah… You too.” And you his sweet little girl?

Kiba had planned to let you go. To let you walk away after just that same, initial hey that he’s been mentally preparing himself to send you over text for the last two months, had been executed in person instead. To go home and stroke his dick with your panties and the memory of you, like he's some sad, pathetic loser. 

He seriously planned to do it. All of it.

But as he watches your doe-like eyes fall to the ground bashfully, and the way the corners of your lips tremble into that fucking pouty frown, he just can’t stop himself. Can’t stop himself from asking:

“Hey… Do you need a ride, perhaps?”

—

God fucking damn it. You’re back inside his home again.

But you can’t bring yourself to think about the consequences. Not when his head is between your legs just as it had been half a year ago, and his chestnut curls are tickling your inner thighs as he keeps eating you out like a man gone starved. 

You’ve came into his mouth twice already. Slick and drool dribbles down his chin, but all he does is keep swiping his tongue and sucking the very soul out of your body. He’s fucking your tiny hole with his mouth, as if he’ll never get to touch a woman again. It’s making you entirely lose the composure you’ve portrayed back inside the store. Better yet, the stupid thing flew right out the window, and up into the icy night sky the moment he had placed his hand on your thigh back in the car.

And only when you’re whining his name into that same, thick darkness of his bedroom; only when your legs are physically beginning to shake from the overstimulation as you’re begging him that enough is enough, does he finally stop.

However, he only stops for long enough to pick himself up and flip you onto your stomach. Because as soon as your face ends up sinking into the same pillow you’ve slept on half a year ago, and that cute, plump ass of yours pushes high into the air; he’s on you.

You’re nearly crying a high-pitched, pitiful sort of whimper as he fills up every fucking inch of that narrow space between your walls again; nearly losing brain cells at how harshly he starts to pound into you - nice and slow and fucking hard. 

His hand finds your own on top of the crumpled, sweat-soaked bed sheet. He squeezes it so intensely that your knuckles are ready to crack from the tenacious grip. It’s as if he’s making sure that you’re really there - moaning and cussing profanities underneath him.

He’s worse than an animal. And you’re barely keeping yourself together from how fast he’s tearing you apart. He just cares for you so much and this is his own peculiar way of showing it.

Neither of you says anything. You just let your bodies speak for themselves as you moan, and grunt, and groan, and pant. As you change so many positions that every inch of your skin is drowning in sweat and every muscle is hurting from being so stretched out and pulled taut.

And as you’re cumming for a third time, completely exhausted and absolutely demolished; watching him as he palms his dick in quick, fast-paced strokes of hand just above your stomach, you smile up at him - all bright and warm.

And it makes him want to fucking burst from joy.

Before you know it, his nose crinkles as he lets out that finishing, guttural groan of absolute, devoted pleasure just a moment before his eyes roll back in the same lazy manner his head tips backwards. And as he cums all over your belly, adorning you with his seed, only then do you realize what you’ve done.

Again.

He falls on top of you, pressing his weight against you and smearing the thick ropes of cum in-between your middles. You can hear him panting, can see his broad shoulders rise and fall as you run your fingers through his hair gently. It’s completely damp from sweat.

The silence between you is so heavy, but the tension eases when you feel him kissing up your throat carefully. Staring into the ceiling of his bedroom, counting your breaths before messing up and starting all over again; you start to wonder if Jun will ever forgive you.

Knowing her for so long; you doubt she will.

“Please don’t go,” Kiba’s whisper fills your ear as his hand finds your cheek, “I’m so sorry. I made a mistake all those months ago.”

But at least her father came around.

[omg-im-such-a-masochist]

💎💍TO CATCH A THIEF💍💎

Prompt: Inspired by the song: To Catch A Thief by Lovage

Word Count: Really Long, girl 😩

Pairings: 1930’s Mob! Roman Reigns x Reader

Warnings: Cursing, smut (implied), murder, manipulation.

Tagging: @ziasaph , @marlananicole , @akiko-tanaka , @nicolewoo , @saccreigns , @mindofasagittaruis , @reigns-5sos , @auawdo , @lustyromantic , @babydee17 , @yungbludjazz360

Notes: As cliche as it sounds, I’m a truly lover of music and love different genres. I love to be able to show different types of bands/ projects/ music that sometimes people might not even know exists. So this little fic is inspired by one of my favorite music projects EVER: LOVAGE (it has Mike Patton on it, so of course I would love it! The man has been my musician crush since I was 9 years old! And he’s amazing, so). Y’all know the drill loves,sorry for misspellings,english isn’t my first language (bla bla bla),check out my other stories if you’d like to(it would make your girl here very happy 😊) You can check them out on my Masterlist. Okay,now let’s get to the fun part, shall we? Hope you’ll enjoy 😉

Of course I’ve heard of them and of course they’ve caught my interest! The Reigns’s and Uso’s were one of the biggest gangsters families among the USA, who were responsible for the biggest robberies across the country.

The current rumors spreading around the neighborhood swore they were here, hiding from the authorities, in our small little town.

And I would give anything to meet one of them. As the daughter of a prostitute, my only fate was to follow my mother’s footsteps but I am more ambitious than that! The only way to prosper in life is to be completely feared. Be feared not respected as Machiavelli himself taught. And I know, for a fact that, that is completely true! Growing up in the red light neighborhood had proved to be quite the life lesson, actually. ‘Don’t trust the police’, ‘Make alliances with criminals’, ‘Trust no one’, ‘Don’t snitch’, ‘You never hear or see anything’, ‘Mind your own business’, ‘Don’t allow people to mind YOUR business’, ‘Show no emotions’, ‘Always be smarter than your enemies’, were a few of those rules. People think that, for a woman to be perfectly successful in the 1930’s she needs to be a trophy wife, nothing more than a beautiful face with zero brains and a pair of open legs to a rich husband. But they are wrong! You see, any woman can use her beauty and charm to manipulate and conquer whatever she wants, but she can only maintain that manipulation power if she’s smart enough. I’ve had the town mayor, Mr. Heyman, gift me a beautiful diamond crown (that originally was meant to be his wife’s birthday present) just with some charm and sweet nothings whispered to him. I didn’t needed to warm his bed for it, I just had to be smart enough to understand his weaknesses and say the right words! I know what I want, so I get it, and believe me when I say: I will have Roman Reigns all to myself.

Things were disappearing in my neighborhood

Once again somebody was up to no good

I saw that you were wanted, but not like I wanted you

And that's when I knew I had to be with you

And that's when I knew if I didn't, I'd be through

To end my grief I'd have to catch a thief

Your love was my relief my love is your release.

Ah! Mayor Heyman’s high society ‘charity gala balls’ (aka meet your husband’s new mistress), were the most futile yet amusing events of this town. I wasn’t a high society woman, economically speaking but again I’m good at saying the right things to the right people. So it’s no surprise to see my name in the mayor’s guest list.

I entry the big doors of the city hall wearing my most recently acquisition: an emerald green velvet dress (gifted by the Senator John), my high heels (Another gift from Mr. Smith, the banker) and my hand purse (from the all so lovely Mayor Heyman)...Speak of the Devil.

“Y/N” He greeted

“Oh, Mayor Heyman. What an honor” I smiled sweetly

“Believe me, it’s my honor, dear” He kisses my hand in an flirtatious way. And it’s a good thing I’m great at keeping my gag reflex in control.

“Oh please, I’m the one who has to thank you for always reminding little old me for your tremendously chic events. I can’t express my gratitude enough for you always having so much compassion in your heart!” I scoot closer to him, slightly fixing his tie “It is such a shame that you’re a married man, mayor Heyman, I would have loved to be your wife” I whispered softly

He gulped “I can change that” He smirked

“Oh please, mayor!” I stepped back with a offended look on my face “As a Christian woman, I cannot support divorce! That is some type of thinking that will lead us directly back to sodom and gomorrah! I can’t believe you just said that to me” I make the sign of the cross

“I am so sorry, Y/N it was not my intention-“

“I am not a prostitute or a home wrecker, mayor Heyman! I am a woman devoted to the Lord and I will not accept or tolerate that type of language or insinuations towards me!”

“I am deeply sorry Y/N, I truly am! Let me make it up to you. Here” He fastly signed a blank check “Please take this”

“I can’t” I whisper, pretending embarrassment

“Please, Y/N! It’s the least I can do. You can use it for whatever you want, no matter the price. I could never offend you! You’re such an amazing woman. Please accept it!” His pleading eyes let me know I had him hooked.

I ‘reluctantly’ accepted “Well, thank you, so much” I murmur with tears upon my eyes

“No, I’m the one who has to thank you, for dismissing my ogre behavior” He smiled “I’ll leave you now, so you can fix your makeup”

“Thank you, mayor Heyman”

Once he’s out of my sight, I can drop the naïve girl routine.

“Impressive” A deep male voice spoke from behind me

When I turn around, my knees almost failed me... it was him.

“I beg your pardon?” I ask

“The little stunt you just did with the mayor, was truly impressive. I swear that if I didn’t saw you get out of your naïve christian woman character I would have one hundred percent believed too” He smirked

“Mr. Reigns. That’s a compliment coming from you”

“You know who I am”

I shrugged “I’ve heard a few things here and there”

He gets closer to me, until our faces almost touched

“Yeah? Tell me, Y/N. That’s your name right?” He asked and I nodded

“What have you heard, Y/N?”

“How your the head of the table on your family’s business” I mumbled

“How does a woman like you, know about my family’s business, Y/N?” He walks forward, making me step back until I my back reached a closed door.

“I was raised on the streets”

Roman’s eyebrows raise in surprise “Really? You don’t seem like the streets type” He said, caressing my cheek.

“I had to learn how to be more polished if I didn’t wanted to become a hooker”

“I see” He buried his nose on my neck, inhaling deeply my perfume as his hands rested on my waist “And I imagine your perfume is also a result from a similar scene with the mayor” Roman whispered in my ear

“The senator not the mayor” I cackled

He amusingly laughs on my ear “You have friends in high places, huh?” His hands moved up, cupping my breasts through the dress

“People use what they have, Mr. Reigns” I look into his eyes “You use you intimidating strength” I squeeze his biceps “And I use my womanly charm” I batted my lashes “They’re both means to an end”

Come into my window

It's open every night

That's where I'll be waiting

I'll keep off all the lights

I'm lying on my bed

Crown jewels on my head

The loud knocks on my front door made me quickly get up. Going down the stairs I can see a tall manly figure waiting for me to come and answer. I grab my Colt 1908 Pocket Hammerless gun from the little drawer on my cupboard.

Placing my finger on the trigger I opened the door.

“Yes?” I ask harmlessly

“Mrs. Y/N?” The tall Samoan man asked

I nodded once

“My name is Jey and I’m here in behalf of Mr. Reigns”

I nodded again

“Why don’t you come and take a ride with me?” Jey coldly smiled

I'd never give you up

So come in from the cold, let your guard down

I'd hide you from the cops

Don't be frightened now my love

I'll take the life of crime, all to make you mine

The hotel room is big, fancy and very expensive by the looks of it. If I had to take a lucky guess, I would say that he’s not paying for anything in here, it is all a curtesy from the mayor.

“I’m glad you came” Roman smiles

“Did I had a choice?” I tilted my head

“No, you didn’t” He chuckled “Can I offer you anything to drink?”

“Are you going to drug me if I say yes?” I joke

“Depends on your answer to my proposal” He smirked

“Proposal?”

“Yes” Roman got up from his chair coming to stand in front of me

“You see, Y/N. You’re a very, very interesting woman. Ambitious, smart, charming, intelligent and gorgeous. You’re not easily scared, in fact, it looks like you enjoy danger” He pulled me closer to him, until our bodies were pressed together “I could use a woman like you in my business. At the gala ball you told me about your goals in life and I could see with my own eyes you successfully work your magic on every men in that room. So, what I propose to you is: come with me, I’m leaving town tomorrow and I would like for you to come with me, be a part of my team, use your looks and your brain to our favor.”

“And what’s in it for me?” I asked

“Money, power, jewels...Anything you want” He sincerely said

“What if I would like to add you to that package?” I whispered

Come in off that roof top

You're so handsome dressed in black

See you in the shadows

I'd like to see you on your back

Take this precious treasure

And I will treasure you

Roman smirked “So be it! If you want me too, then you can have me”

He leaned down, capturing my lips in a famished kiss. Pushing me down on the bed, his broad body hovering over mine, grinding, kissing, biting, panting, pounding and moaning until the first rays of sunshine from the next day peaked through the curtains...

6 MONTHS LATER

“What do you say about we take a drink, Mrs. Reigns?” Tony, my husband’s arch enemy and Capo of the Italian Mob asked

“I would love to” I smile sweetly as I hook my arm in his. Going to the back alley.

“I figured it was already time for you to leave that husband of yours for a real man, you know? And I knew you would come to me, sugar” Tony winked

“You’re right, Tony. I do need a real man” I smirked to the shadows when the gun fired.

Tony’s body fell down by my side on the dirty alley street

“But you didn’t thought you were that man, right?” I cackled

Roman’s arm circle around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

“Hello Tony” He smiled “Did you really thought you could have her?” Roman chuckled “C’mon, we both know she’s too much of a woman for you! You can’t handle it! I bet you’re regretting to have thought with your dick now, don’t you?”

“She will leave you eventually Reigns. Just wait for it!” Tony spat

I pressed my high heel on his chest wound, pressing it down and making Tony scream in agony

“You watch your mouth, you fucking fat pig! You know nothing, you ARE NOTHING! I would never leave Roman for you” I laugh “I will never leave him for anyone” I smile at him, aiming to his head and pressing the trigger right afterwards.

We'll run away my dear

Some place special have no fear

We'll even change our names

We'll be kinky, we'll be strange

I'll take the life of crime, all to make you mine

All to catch a thief

Your love is my relief, my love is your release

Your love is my relief, my love is your release

All to catch a thief

“You are perfect” Roman whispered, kissing me vigorously in front of Tony’s dead body. “C’mon. Let’s get out of here” He opened the passenger door of his Rolls Royce and I enter it.

Once we’re driving through the highway he says

“I can’t wait for us to get to the hotel” Roman kisses my hand, intertwining our fingers “I’m going to fuck you senseless” He growls

And I can’t help the happiness smile that spreads on my lips..

[quietya]

YA Books You May Have Missed: April-June Edition

I did this for January-March releases (which you can see here) and I’m doing it again! I’m rounding up some YA releases that have come out between April and June. These are all books that are on my personal radar, so it’s not a fully filled out list of ALL the books, but it’s a lot of them. And as usual, I’m avoiding bestsellers and really buzzy books as much as possible.

We Rule the Night by Claire Eliza Bartlett Release: April 2

Seventeen-year-old Revna is a factory worker, manufacturing war machines for the Union of the North. When she’s caught using illegal magic, she fears being branded a traitor and imprisoned. Meanwhile, on the front lines, Linné defied her father, a Union general, and disguised herself as a boy to join the army. They’re both offered a reprieve from punishment if they use their magic in a special women’s military flight unit and undertake terrifying, deadly missions under cover of darkness. Revna and Linné can hardly stand to be in the same cockpit, but if they can’t fly together, and if they can’t find a way to fly well, the enemy’s superior firepower will destroy them–if they don’t destroy each other first.

You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn Release: April 2

Annie Mathers is America’s sweetheart and heir to a country music legacy full of all the things her Gran warned her about. Superstar Clay Coolidge is most definitely going to end up one of those things. But unfortunately for Clay, if he can’t convince Annie to join his summer tour, his music label is going to drop him. That’s what happens when your bad boy image turns into bad boy reality. Annie has been avoiding the spotlight after her parents’ tragic death, except on her skyrocketing YouTube channel. Clay’s label wants to land Annie, and Clay has to make it happen. Swayed by Clay’s undeniable charm and good looks, Annie and her band agree to join the tour. From the start fans want them to be more than just tour mates, and Annie and Clay can’t help but wonder if the fans are right. But if there’s one part of fame Annie wants nothing to do with, it’s a high-profile relationship.

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He Release: April 2

Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father’s killer, Hesina does something desperate: she engages the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death... because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago. Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman Release: April 2

Uprooted from the city, Violet Saunders doesn’t have much hope of fitting in at her new school in Four Paths, a town almost buried in the woodlands of rural New York. The fact that she’s descended from one of the town’s founders doesn’t help much, either—her new neighbors treat her with distant respect, and something very like fear. When she meets Justin, May, Isaac, and Harper, all children of founder families, and sees the otherworldly destruction they can wreak, she starts to wonder if the townsfolk are right to be afraid. When bodies start to appear in the woods, the locals become downright hostile. Can the teenagers solve the mystery of Four Paths, and their own part in it, before another calamity strikes?

The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston Release: April 2

Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: save her favorite character, Princess Amara, from being killed off from her favorite franchise, Starfield. The problem is, Jessica Stone—the actress who plays Princess Amara—wants nothing more than to leave the intense scrutiny of the fandom behind. If this year's ExcelsiCon isn't her last, she'll consider her career derailed. When a case of mistaken identity throws look-a-likes Imogen and Jess together, they quickly become enemies. But when the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, and all signs point to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. That's easier said than done when the girls step into each other's shoes and discover new romantic possibilities, as well as the other side of intense fandom.

White Rose by Kip Wilson Release: April 2

Disillusioned by the propaganda of Nazi Germany, Sophie Scholl, her brother, and his fellow soldiers formed the White Rose, a group that wrote and distributed anonymous letters criticizing the Nazi regime and calling for action from their fellow German citizens. The following year, Sophie and her brother were arrested for treason and interrogated for information about their collaborators.

In the Neighborhood of True by Susan Kaplan Carlton Release: April 9

After her father’s death, Ruth Robb and her family transplant themselves in the summer of 1958 from New York City to Atlanta—the land of debutantes, sweet tea, and the Ku Klux Klan. In her new hometown, Ruth quickly figures out she can be Jewish or she can be popular, but she can’t be both. Eager to fit in with the blond girls in the “pastel posse,” Ruth decides to hide her religion. Before she knows it, she is falling for the handsome and charming Davis and sipping Cokes with him and his friends at the all-white, all-Christian Club. But at temple Ruth meets Max, who is serious and intense about the fight for social justice, and now she is caught between two worlds, two religions, and two boys. But when a violent hate crime brings the different parts of Ruth’s life into sharp conflict, she will have to choose between all she’s come to love about her new life and standing up for what she believes.

In the Key of Nira Ghani by Natasha Deen Release: April 9

Nira Ghani has always dreamed of becoming a musician. Her Guyanese parents, however, have big plans for her to become a scientist or doctor. Nira's grandmother and her best friend, Emily, are the only people who seem to truly understand her desire to establish an identity outside of the one imposed on Nira by her parents. When auditions for jazz band are announced, Nira realizes it's now or never to convince her parents that she deserves a chance to pursue her passion. As if fighting with her parents weren't bad enough, Nira finds herself navigating a new friendship dynamic when her crush, Noah, and notorious mean-girl, McKenzie "Mac," take a sudden interest in her and Emily, inserting themselves into the fold. So, too, does Nira's much cooler (and very competitive) cousin Farah. As Farah and Noah grow closer and Emily begins to pull away, Nira's trusted trumpet "George" remains her constant, offering her an escape from family and school drama. But it isn't until Nira takes a step back that she realizes she's not the only one struggling to find her place in the world.

Last Girl Lied To by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn Release: April 16

Fiona claims she doesn’t remember anything about the night her best friend left a party early and walked into the ocean. But the truth is, she wishes she could forget. Trixie’s disappearance is ruled a suicide, but Fiona starts to believe that Trixie isn’t really dead. Piecing together the trail of a girl who doesn't want to be found leads her to Jasper, Trixie’s former friend with benefits, and Beau—the boy who turned Fiona down, who loved someone else, who might be happy Trixie is gone. The closer Fiona gets to finding out what happened, and the closer she gets to Jasper and Beau, the more she realizes that the girl she knew better than anyone may have been a carefully constructed lie—and she might have been waiting to disappear the entire time.

The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala Release: April 23

Esha is a legend, but no one knows. It’s only in the shadows that she moonlights as the Viper, the rebels’ highly skilled assassin. She’s devoted her life to avenging what she lost in the royal coup, and now she’s been tasked with her most important mission to date: taking down the ruthless General Hotha. Kunal has been a soldier since childhood, training morning and night to uphold the power of King Vardaan. His uncle, the general, has ensured that Kunal never strays from the path—even as a part of Kunal longs to join the outside world, which has been growing only more volatile. Then Esha’s and Kunal’s paths cross—and an unimaginable chain of events unfolds. Both the Viper and the soldier think they’re calling the shots, but they’re not the only players moving the pieces. As the bonds that hold their land in order break down and the sins of the past meet the promise of a new future, both rebel and soldier must make unforgivable choices.

Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali Release: April 30

Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad. She’s angry. When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break. Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, “nicer” version of herself in a place where no one knows her. Then her path crosses with Adam’s. Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam’s stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister. Adam’s also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father. Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals. Until a marvel and an oddity occurs…

Belly Up by Eva Darrows Release: April 30

I’d planned to spend senior year with my bestie-slash-wifey, Devi Abrams, graduating at the top of my class and getting into an Ivy League college. Instead, Mom and I are moving in with my battle-ax of a grandmother and I’m about to start a new school and a whole new life. Know what’s more fun than being the new girl for your senior year? Being the pregnant new girl. It isn’t awesome. There is one upside, though—a boy named Leaf Leon. He’s cute, an amazing cook and he’s flirting me up, hard-core. Too bad I’m knocked up with a stranger’s baby. I should probably mention that to him at some point.

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Release: May 7

Kira Bennett’s earliest memories are of living alone and wild in the woods. She remembers the moment that Cady Bennett and one of her search-and-rescue dogs found her perfectly. Adopted into the Bennett family, Kira still struggles with human interaction years later, but she excels at the family business: search-and-rescue. Along with Cady’s son, Jude, and their neighbor, Free, Kira works to train the world’s most elite search-and-rescue dogs. Someday, all three teenagers hope to put their skills to use, finding the lost and bringing them home. But when Cady’s estranged father, the enigmatic Bales Bennett, tracks his daughter down and asks for her help in locating a missing child—one of several visitors who has disappeared in the Sierra Glades National Park in the past twelve months—the teens find themselves on the frontlines sooner than they could have ever expected. As the search through 750,000 acres of unbridled wilderness intensifies, Kira becomes obsessed with finding the missing child. She knows all too well what it’s like to be lost in the wilderness, fighting for survival, alone. But this case isn’t simple. There is more afoot than a single, missing girl, and Kira’s memories threaten to overwhelm her at every turn. As the danger mounts and long-held family secrets come to light, Kira is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her adopted family, her true nature, and her past.

Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen Release: May 7

Teriana is the second mate of the Quincense and heir to the Maarin Triumvirate. Her people are born of the seas and the keepers of its secrets, but when her closest friend is forced into an unwanted betrothal, Teriana breaks her people’s mandate so her friend might escape—a choice with devastating consequences. Marcus is the commander of the Thirty-Seventh, the notorious legion that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East. The legion is his family, but even they don’t know the truth he’s been hiding since childhood. It’s a secret he’ll do anything to protect, no matter how much it costs him – and the world. When an Empire senator discovers the existence of the Dark Shores, he captures Teriana’s crew and threatens to reveal Marcus’s secret unless they sail in pursuit of conquest, forcing the two into an unlikely—and unwilling—alliance. They unite for the sake of their families, but both must decide how far they are willing to go, and how much they are willing to sacrifice.

Nocturna by Maya Motayne Release: May 7

To Finn Voy, magic is two things: a knife to hold under the chin of anyone who crosses her…and a disguise she shrugs on as easily as others pull on cloaks. As a talented faceshifter, it’s been years since Finn has seen her own face, and that’s exactly how she likes it. But when Finn gets caught by a powerful mobster, she’s forced into an impossible mission: steal a legendary treasure from Castallan’s royal palace or be stripped of her magic forever. After the murder of his older brother, Prince Alfehr is first in line for the Castallan throne. But Alfie can’t help but feel that he will never live up to his brother’s legacy. Riddled with grief, Alfie is obsessed with finding a way to bring his brother back, even if it means dabbling in forbidden magic. But when Finn and Alfie’s fates collide, they accidentally unlock a terrible, ancient power—which, if not contained, will devour the world. And with Castallan’s fate in their hands, Alfie and Finn must race to vanquish what they have unleashed, even if it means facing the deepest darkness in their pasts.

The Candle and the Flame by Nafiza Azad Release: May 14

Fatima lives in the city of Noor, a thriving stop along the Silk Road. There the music of myriad languages fills the air, and people of all faiths weave their lives together. However, the city bears scars of its recent past, when the chaotic tribe of Shayateen djinn slaughtered its entire population -- except for Fatima and two other humans. Now ruled by a new maharajah, Noor is protected from the Shayateen by the Ifrit, djinn of order and reason, and by their commander, Zulfikar. But when one of the most potent of the Ifrit dies, Fatima is changed in ways she cannot fathom, ways that scare even those who love her. Oud in hand, Fatima is drawn into the intrigues of the maharajah and his sister, the affairs of Zulfikar and the djinn, and the dangers of a magical battlefield.

The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta Release: May 14

Danny didn't know what she was looking for when she and her mother spread out a map of the United States and Danny put her finger down on Tempest, California. What she finds are the Grays: a group of friends who throw around terms like queer and witch like they're ordinary and everyday, though they feel like an earthquake to Danny. But Danny didn't just find the Grays. They cast a spell that calls her halfway across the country, because she has something they need: she can bring back Imogen, the most powerful of the Grays, missing since the summer night she wandered into the woods alone. But before Danny can find Imogen, she finds a dead boy with a redwood branch through his heart. Something is very wrong amid the trees and fog of the Lost Coast, and whatever it is, it can kill.

The Things She’s Seen by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina Release: May 14

Nothing's been the same for Beth Teller since the day she died. Her dad is drowning in grief. He's also the only one who has been able to see and hear her since the accident. But now she's got a mystery to solve, a mystery that will hopefully remind her detective father that he is still alive, that there is a life after Beth that is still worth living. Who is Isobel Catching, and why is she able to see Beth, too? What is her connection to the crime Beth's father has been sent to investigate--a gruesome fire at a home for troubled youth that left an unidentifiable body behind? What happened to the people who haven't been seen since the fire? As Beth and her father unravel the mystery, they find a shocking and heartbreaking story lurking beneath the surface of a small town, and a friendship that lasts beyond one life and into another...

Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno Release: May 14

Rosa Santos is cursed by the sea-at least, that's what they say. Dating her is bad news, especially if you're a boy with a boat. But Rosa feels more caught than cursed. Caught between cultures and choices. Between her abuela, a beloved healer and pillar of their community, and her mother, an artist who crashes in and out of her life like a hurricane. Between Port Coral, the quirky South Florida town they call home, and Cuba, the island her abuela refuses to talk about. As her college decision looms, Rosa collides - literally - with Alex Aquino, the mysterious boy with tattoos of the ocean whose family owns the marina. With her heart, her family, and her future on the line, can Rosa break a curse and find her place beyond the horizon?

Birthday by Meredith Russo Release: May 21

Two kids, Morgan and Eric, are bonded for life after being born on the same day at the same time. We meet them once a year on their shared birthday as they grow and change: as Eric figures out who he is and how he fits into the world, and as Morgan makes the difficult choice to live as her true self. Over the years, they will drift apart, come together, fight, make up, and break up—and ultimately, realize how inextricably they are a part of each other. 

I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn Release: May 28

Kimi Nakamura loves a good fashion statement. She's obsessed with transforming everyday ephemera into Kimi Originals: bold outfits that make her and her friends feel like the Ultimate versions of themselves. But her mother disapproves, and when they get into an explosive fight, Kimi's entire future seems on the verge of falling apart. So when a surprise letter comes in the mail from Kimi's estranged grandparents, inviting her to Kyoto for spring break, she seizes the opportunity to get away from the disaster of her life. When she arrives in Japan, she's met with a culture both familiar and completely foreign to her. She loses herself in the city's outdoor markets, art installations, and cherry blossom festival -- and meets Akira, a cute aspiring med student who moonlights as a costumed mochi mascot. And what begins as a trip to escape her problems quickly becomes a way for Kimi to learn more about the mother she left behind, and to figure out where her own heart lies.

The Wise and the Wicked by Rebecca Podos Release: May 28

Ruby Chernyavsky has been told the stories since she was a child: The women in her family, once possessed of great magical abilities to remake lives and stave off death itself, were forced to flee their Russian home for America in order to escape the fearful men who sought to destroy them. Today, these stories seem no more real to Ruby than folktales, except for the smallest bit of power left in their blood: when each of them comes of age, she will have a vision of who she will be when she dies—a destiny as inescapable as it is inevitable. Ruby is no exception, and neither is her mother, although she ran from her fate years ago, abandoning Ruby and her sisters. It’s a fool’s errand, because they all know the truth: there is no escaping one’s Time. Until Ruby’s great-aunt Polina passes away, and, for the first time, a Chernyavsky’s death does not match her vision. Suddenly, things Ruby never thought she’d be allowed to hope for—life, love, time—seem possible. But as she and her cousin Cece begin to dig into the family’s history to find out whether they, too, can change their fates, they learn that nothing comes without a cost. Especially not hope.

The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg Release: May 28

Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species--formerly extinct--roam free. Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful "princesses" engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time... love. But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana's memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty--and what it truly means to be human.

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling Release: May 28

Hannah's a witch, but not the kind you're thinking of. She's the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If she's ever caught using it in front of a Reg, she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans. But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah's concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem, and Hannah's sure it's the work of a deadly Blood Witch. The issue is, her coven is less than convinced, forcing Hannah to team up with the last person she wants to see: Veronica. While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch at a house party, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis is easier said than done, and Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if she's going to save her coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salem's witches become deadlier by the day.

The Beholder by Anna Bright Release: June 4

Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come. But after an excruciatingly public rejection from her closest childhood friend, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.

Five Midnights by Ann Davila Cardinal Release: June 4

If Lupe Dávila and Javier Utierre can survive each other’s company, together they can solve a series of grisly murders sweeping though Puerto Rico. But the clues lead them out of the real world and into the realm of myths and legends. And if they want to catch the killer, they'll have to step into the shadows to see what's lurking there—murderer, or monster?

If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann Release: June 4

High school finally behind her, Winnie is all set to attend college in the fall. But first she's spending her summer days working at her granny’s diner and begins spending her midnights with Dallas—the boy she loves to hate and hates that she likes. Winnie lives in Misty Haven, a small town where secrets are impossible to keep—like when Winnie allegedly snaps on Dr. Skinner, which results in everyone feeling compelled to give her weight loss advice for her own good. Because they care that’s she’s “too fat.” Winnie dreams of someday inheriting the diner—but it'll go away if they can't make money, and fast. Winnie has a solution—win a televised cooking competition and make bank. But Granny doesn't want her to enter—so Winnie has to find a way around her formidable grandmother. Can she come out on top?

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian Release: June 4

It's 1989 in New York City, and for three teens, the world is changing. Reza is an Iranian boy who has just moved to the city with his mother to live with his stepfather and stepbrother. He's terrified that someone will guess the truth he can barely acknowledge about himself. Reza knows he's gay, but all he knows of gay life are the media's images of men dying of AIDS. Judy is an aspiring fashion designer who worships her uncle Stephen, a gay man with AIDS who devotes his time to activism as a member of ACT UP. Judy has never imagined finding romance...until she falls for Reza and they start dating. Art is Judy's best friend, their school's only out and proud teen. He'll never be who his conservative parents want him to be, so he rebels by documenting the AIDS crisis through his photographs. As Reza and Art grow closer, Reza struggles to find a way out of his deception that won't break Judy's heart--and destroy the most meaningful friendship he's ever known.

When the Ground is Hard by Malla Nunn Release: June 4

Adele Joubert loves being one of the popular girls at Keziah Christian Academy. She knows the upcoming semester at school is going to be great with her best friend Delia at her side. Then Delia dumps her for a new girl with more money, and Adele is forced to share a room with Lottie, the school pariah, who doesn't pray and defies teachers' orders. But as they share a copy of Jane Eyre, Lottie's gruff exterior and honesty grow on Adele, and Lottie learns to be a little sweeter. Together, they take on bullies and protect each other from the vindictive and prejudiced teachers. Then a boy goes missing on campus and Adele and Lottie must rely on each other to solve the mystery and maybe learn the true meaning of friendship.

Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan Release: June 11

When a powerful viceroy arrives with a fleet of mechanical dragons and stops an attack on Anlei’s village, the villagers see him as a godsend. They agree to give him their sacred, enchanted River Pearl in exchange for permanent protection—if he’ll marry one of the village girls to solidify the alliance. Anlei is appalled when the viceroy selects her as a bride, but with the fate of her people at stake, she sees no choice but to consent. Anlei’s noble plans are sent into a tailspin, however, when a young thief steals the River Pearl for himself. Knowing the viceroy won’t protect her village without the jewel, she takes matters into her own hands. But once she catches the thief, she discovers he needs the pearl just as much as she does. The two embark on an epic quest across the land and into the Courts of Hell, taking Anlei on a journey that reveals more is at stake than she could have ever imagined.

The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante Release: June 11

Seventeen-year-old Marisol has always dreamed of being American, learning what Americans and the US are like from television and Mrs. Rosen, an elderly expat who had employed Marisol's mother as a maid. She never pictured fleeing her home in El Salvador under threat of death and stealing across the US border as "an illegal", but after her brother is murdered and her younger sister, Gabi's, life is also placed in equal jeopardy, she has no choice, especially because she knows everything is her fault. If she had never fallen for the charms of a beautiful girl named Liliana, Pablo might still be alive, her mother wouldn't be in hiding and she and Gabi wouldn't have been caught crossing the border. But they have been caught and their asylum request will most certainly be denied. With truly no options remaining, Marisol jumps at an unusual opportunity to stay in the United States. She's asked to become a grief keeper, taking the grief of another into her own body to save a life. It's a risky, experimental study, but if it means Marisol can keep her sister safe, she will risk anything. She just never imagined one of the risks would be falling in love, a love that may even be powerful enough to finally help her face her own crushing grief.

All of Us with Wings by Michelle Ruiz Kiel Release: June 18

Seventeen-year-old Xochi is alone in San Francisco, running from her painful past: the mother who abandoned her, the man who betrayed her. Then one day, she meets Pallas, a precocious twelve-year-old who lives with her rockstar family in one of the city’s storybook Victorians. Xochi accepts a position as Pallas’s live-in governess and quickly finds her place in their household, which is relaxed and happy despite the band's larger-than-life fame. But on the night of the Vernal Equinox, as a concert afterparty rages in the house below, Xochi and Pallas accidentally summon a pair of ancient creatures devoted to avenging the wrongs of Xochi’s adolescence. She would do anything to preserve her new life, but with the creatures determined to exact vengeance on those who’ve hurt her, no one is safe—not the family she’s chosen, nor the one she left behind.

Patron Saint of Nobody by Randy Ribay Release: June 18

Jay Reguero plans to spend the last semester of his senior year playing video games before heading to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story. Hoping to uncover more about Jun and the events that led to his death, Jay is forced to reckon with the many sides of his cousin before he can face the whole horrible truth -- and the part he played in it.

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi Release: June 18

Sana Khan is a cheerleader and a straight A student. She's the classic (somewhat obnoxious) overachiever determined to win. Rachel Recht is a wannabe director who's obsesssed with movies and ready to make her own masterpiece. As she's casting her senior film project, she knows she's found the perfect lead - Sana. There's only one problem. Rachel hates Sana. Rachel was the first girl Sana ever asked out, but Rachel thought it was a cruel prank and has detested Sana ever since.

Wicked Fox by Kat Cho Release: June 25

Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret--she's a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt. But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead--her gumiho soul--in the process. Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl--he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to humans. He's drawn to her anyway. With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous . . . forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon's.

Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson Release: June 25

When a guy named Martin Nathaniel Munroe II texts you, it should be obvious who you're talking to. Except there's two of them (it's a long story), and Haley thinks she's talking to the one she doesn't hate. A question about a class project rapidly evolves into an all-consuming conversation. Haley finds that Martin is actually willing to listen to her weird facts and unusual obsessions, and Martin feels like Haley is the first person to really see who he is. Haley and Martin might be too awkward to hang out in real life, but over text, they're becoming addicted to each other. There's just one problem: Haley doesn't know who Martin is. And Martin doesn't know that Haley doesn't know. But they better figure it out fast before their meet-cute becomes an epic meet-disaster . . .

The Virtue of Sin by Shannon Schuren Release: June 25

Miriam lives in New Jerusalem, a haven in the desert far away from the sins and depravity of the outside world. Within the gates of New Jerusalem, and under the eye of its founder and leader, Daniel, Miriam knows she is safe. Cared for. Even if she’s forced, as a girl, to quiet her tongue when she has thoughts she wants to share, Miriam knows that New Jerusalem is a far better life than any alternative. So when God calls for a Matrimony, she’s thrilled; she knows that Caleb, the boy she loves, will choose her to be his wife and they can finally start their life together.  But when the ceremony goes wrong and Miriam winds up with someone else, she can no longer keep quiet. For the first time, Miriam begins to question not only the rules that Daniel has set in place, but also what it is she believes in, and where she truly belongs.

[beefybuffybucky]

✨masterlist✨

(** = NSFW)

BUCKY BARNES

Imagines

The Chain - Summary: Based off of Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain, the reader relives painful memories of the last night they saw Bucky. But can he fix what has been done, or will they separate forever? (Warnings: Angst, Language) // PART ONE // PART TWO // COMPLETED

The Light Behind Your Eyes - Summary: It’s your first mission with Bucky, and things take an unexpected twist. When your life is changed forever, will the rest of the Avengers be able to accept you for who you now are? (Warnings: Angst, Violence, Language) // PART ONE // PART TWO // PART THREE // PART FOUR// PART FIVE // PART SIX // COMPLETED

On, Wisconsin! - Summary: It’s been a few months since you’ve joined the Avengers. After a successful mission in Wisconsin, you plan a short trip to the northern part of the state and bring Bucky and Steve with you. Ever since you’ve joined the team, you and Bucky had gradually become friends, but something in you aches to be more. He doesn’t know anything about your past, and you’d rather keep it that way. But how long can you actually keep your secrets from him? (Warnings: Some Angst, Language, Fluffy) Part One // Part Two // Part Three // Part Four // Part Five // COMPLETED

Book Store Findings - Summary: You run a small bookstore you inherited from your grandparents in Bucharest and one day before you’re about to close, a new customer comes in, but little did you know that he’ll change your life forever. (Warnings: None!!) Part One // ONGOING

Ghosts of Winters Passed - Summary: Y/N is a member of the Avengers, and is a well-known assassin who has unique tactical and combat abilities, as well as the ability to read minds. But when Y/N and Bucky are assigned to go on a mission to extract some files, painful ghosts of the past resurface in ways Y/N never thought they would again. (Warnings: Mention of Parental Death, Some Sexual Reference, Language) Part One // Part Two // ONGOING

One Shots

Apples at the Market - Request: Bucky comes back and realizes he will never be able to see you again since he married you in the 40s. He tries to make a recipe he remembers you cooking him, but can’t make it like you did. In the end, the two of you meet again, since you went through a similar process as he did in preserving his youth. (Warnings: Angst, Language, Fluff)

The Lone Wolf - Request: Bucky is dating a really shy girl who has a hard time talking to people she doesn’t know very well, and the Avengers tease her for it without thinking about how much it would upset her, and Bucky tries to comfort her. (Warnings: Language, Angst, Fluff)

The Recital - Request: It’s the night of your big recital as a classical musician, and it’s Bucky’s job to make sure the rest of the Avengers behave themselves. (Warnings: Language)

Bathroom Mishaps - Prompts: “This isn’t what it looks like” & “I really wish you’d told me your mother was in town”. (Warning: Language)

Rosemary and Headaches - Request: You wake up from a nightmare with a pounding migraine, only to be comforted by Bucky.

**A Tease and a Movie - Request: Reader has invisible powers, and uses them during a movie to mess with Bucky, which ends in smut. (Warnings: NSFW, Fingering, Unprotected Sex, Language)**

**Sinful Tickles - Request: You’re Bucky’s shy girlfriend, and one day, he takes you to the compound to meet the team. Later on, you two end up cuddling, and Bucky begins to tickle you. Soon after, things get heated. (Warnings: NSFW, Virgin Reader, Unprotected Sex, Language, Fluff)**

**The Bedroom Mentor - Request: You’re a S.H.I.E.L.D. recruit and have Bucky assigned as a mentor. As training goes by, you two become closer, and you fear getting in trouble over your feelings for him. But, Bucky has other ideas, instead. (Warnings: NSFW. Unprotected Sex, Language, Fluff, Some Oral (Male Receiving))**

The Surprise Visit - Request: You’re engaged to Bucky Barnes, and one day, he stops by to pay you a surprise visit at your office. He gains a lot of attention from your co-workers, and you prove to them that he’s yours. (Warnings: Some Sexual References, Some Language)

**The Reunion - Request: You were married to Bucky in the 40′s and suffer the same fate as he does through HYDRA. Now, 70 years later, he worries about you not feeling the same way you did about him back in the 40′s. (Warnings:Fingering and Oral (Female Receiving), Some Language, A Wee Bit o’ Angst)**

Baby Drama - Prompt: “I’m gonna show you who’s your real daddy.” (Warnings: Use of “Daddy” in an Innocent Way - Some Sexual Reference - Jealous Dad!Bucky)

**Blue Bucharest - Request: You’re Bucky’s girlfriend who lives with him in Bucharest, and one day when he feels down, you remind each other of just how strong your love is. (Warnings: Smut/NSFW, Unprotected Sex, Angst, Fluff)**

**40s Bad Boy - Request: Reader always teases Bucky by calling him a ‘40s Bad Boy’, and eventually, it gets her in a situation she never thought she’d be in. (Warnings: Smut/NSFW, Unprotected Sex, Language, dom!Bucky)

Daisy, Daisy - Request: A fic based on the song Daisy by Zedd. (Warnings: Angst, Fluff)

Being Human - Request: Reader shows Bucky she truly loves him, even when he thinks he’s a monster. (Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Language)

**Bathroom Adventures - Summary: Going clubbing with Bucky ends in just the way you want it to. (Warnings: Smut/NSFW, Language, dom!Bucky, Breath Play, Spanking) 

Metallic Scars - Request: Reader joins the Avengers, and has more in common with Bucky than she could’ve ever imagined. (Warnings: Angst, Fluff)

I Miss You. - Summary: Three little words have always held so much importance for you and Bucky, and in the end, you’ll miss him more than you could’ve ever imagined. (Warnings: Angst, Character Death, Mention of Blood, Language)

**It’s in the Cards - Request: When the Avengers decide to play strip poker, Bucky takes it upon himself to get to undress Reader. (Warnings: Smut/NSFW, Daddy Kink, Metal Arm Kink, Choking, Edging, Unprotected Sex, Language, Oral (Female Receiving), dom!Bucky, Kinda Public Sex)

Missing the World - Request: Reader has always felt like she can never be good enough, and Bucky tries to tell her differently. (Warnings: Angst, Body Image Issues, Mention of Self-Harm Scars, Fluff)

BUCKY BARNES & STEVE ROGERS

Imagines

The Fallen and the Guardian - Summary: Your life has been pretty normal up until a mysterious, unfamiliar face comes into your life. From that point on, everything tumbles into a downward spiral of love, heartbreak, and destruction. (Warnings: Language, Angst) Part One // Part Two // Part Three // Part Four ONGOING

DAYTON WHITE

One Shots

A Day at the Races - Summary: You’re dating Dayton White, one of the best up-and-coming NASCAR drivers in the business, and all it takes is one race to put everything on the line. (Warnings: Angst)

SEBASTIAN STAN

One Shots

Laps and Naps - Request: You’re one of Sebastian’s co-workers on the Infinity War set, and he has a secret crush on you. You tend to take naps, using other peoples’ laps as pillows, but Sebastian notices that you’ve never used his. (Warnings: Fluff)

Star Struck - Request: Reader runs into Sebastian Stan at a red carpet event, and playful flirting ensues. (Warnings: None)

**What Happens Under the Desk... - Request: While Sebastian is on an important phone call, you decide to have a little bit of fun. (Warnings: Smut/NSFW, Oral (Male Receiving), Language, dom!Bucky)

Snow Days - Request: Cuddly, snowy morning with Sebastian and a dog. (Warnings: Fluff)

Brooklyn and the Benevolent - Request: You’re a photographer living in Brooklyn, and one day, you bump into a handsome man on the street. (Warnings: Fluff)

FRANK CASTLE

One Shots

Shadow Sinner - Summary: When Frank Castle returns from a mission, his emotions get the better of him. (Warnings: Angst, Mention of Blood/Injury, Language)

TONY STARK

One Shots

Ladybug - Request: Reader is Tony Stark’s young daughter during the Avengers era, and her curiosity on the aircraft gets the better of her. (Warnings: Angst, Language, Mention of Death)

STEVE ROGERS

One Shots

Cruel Intentions - Request: Steve takes Reader to meet the team for the first time but it’s nothing like she could’ve ever expected. (Warnings: Angst, Language)

[drink-n-watch]

I’ve been promising this post for a while now. I did a voice actor version some time ago and it was one of my favourite lists to put together. I think you guys enjoyed it too.

As we all know, an actor’s performance can really drag down an anime. There’s something heartbreaking about a painfully wooden performance in the middle of a wonderful story that rips you right out of the fantasy. On the bright side, I’ve seen more than a few characters go from boring to endearing on the strength of an actor’s charisma. Voice actors don’t have as much to work with as conventional actors. They can’t rely on body movements or smouldering looks to get their message across. So it’s doubly impressive when they manage to convey subtle emotion and complex feelings though inflection and tone alone.

And for me, these ladies do just that.

Today let us celebrate the artistry that goes into bringing some of our favourite characters to life. In no real order we have!

5. Aoi Yuuki

I don’t care how petty it sounds, I’m just going to put this right here. This young woman is shorter than me!!! A musician and traditional actress, Aoi unique voice has made her quite successful in the field. Here are a few selected roles out of the tons she has had:

Hana – Ben-To

Tsuyu – My Hero Academia

Mina – Vampire Bund

The Energetic Ringo – Daily Lives of HighSchool Boys

Sosuke – Free!! (surprised? – I was)

Victorique – Gosick

Mihoshi – Gundam

Russia – Hetalia

Kino – Kino’s journey

Futaba – Persona 5

Iris – Pokemon

Mélie – Radiant

Shinra – Durarara!!

Sunako – Shiki

Borr – SSSS.Gridman

Tanya – Saga of Tanya the Evil

Oh yeah – she’s also Madoka in some magical girl show…

She’s set to play Touka and Boogiepop in the upcoming remake and I am psyched for this!

Not to mention roles in March Comes In Like a Lion, ACCA 13, Asobi Asobase, Welcome to the Ballroom, Gangsta, Gintama, Goblin Slayer, Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens, Hyakka, Hyouka, Your Name, last exile, One Punch Man, Seraph of the End, Sword Art Online II, Tanaka-kun, Tokyo Ghoul, Snafu, Yuru Yuri, and I seriously skipped over most of them. This lady works!

The surprisingly raspy quality of her vocals, and the counterintuitive depth of her tone makes her suitable for a wide range of diverse characters. A small actress with a big voice! Irresistible.

4. Chiwa Saito

Miss Saito has been acting for some time which means she’s had the chance to amass a pretty impressive portfolio. One of my favourite random facts out there, is that she is part of a voice acting groups called “MORE PEACH SUMMER SNOW”. That’s the best name ever. I’m going to rname Buddy that. (His actional name if Sir Buddy Livingston Master Chief Brown). Sadly, she is taller than me.

Yona – Yona of the Dawn

Aika – Aria

Hitagi – Monogatari series

Sigyn – Break Blade

Yuki – Vampire Bund

Chloe – Fate/Kaelid series

Natsumi – Keroro

the fantastic Riko – Kuroko’s Basketball

Louise- Gudam 00

Anita – R.O.D. TV

Kotori – rewrite

Meru – Zetsoubu Sensei

Nadeshiko – Yuru Yuri

She’s also Homura in some magical girl show…I swear I didn’t know this before researching for this post. I never realized how much I liked the Madoka casting before!

Of course there’s like a billion more titles but I’m going to name these ones because, reasons: Amanchu, Arakawa Under the Bridge, Boccano, Berserk, Dog & Scissors, D-Frag, Daily Lives of HighSchool Boys, Gintama, Girls Bravo, Kino’s journey, Last Exile, Log Horizon, Lyrica Nanoha, Murder Princess (I just like this title) One Piece, Sward Art Online, I’m just going to stop now.

You can actually hear her sing in some roles and she truly has a beautiful singing voice. It has a rich timber and she obviously has a great ear for melody. If ever she chose to switch career paths to the musical instead, I’m sure she’d have a great future. We would miss her as an actress though so let’s not encourage that!

3. Megumi Hayashibara

A more classical voice actress and one of the best known in Japan, Megumi almost became a nurse instead. There’s a certain personality that goes along with choosing a career in nursing. Caring but also resilient. You can see that peek through a bit in Megumi’s character and acting choice. Then again, there are so many to pick from I could probably make an argument for any character type.

Pai and IV – 3×3 eyes

Ai – Detective Conan

Haruko – FLCL Progressive

Haruka – Love Hina

Todomatsu – Osomatsu-kun

Paprika and Chiba – Paprika

Musashi – Pokemon

Ranma – Ranma 1/2

Lime – Saber Marionette J

Anna – Shaman King

Lina – Slayers

Ai – Video Girl Ai

Genkai – Yuu Yuu Hakusho

Hello Kitty…this woman is Hello Kitty

The incomparable Faye Valentine – Cowboy Bebop

Probably best known as Rei Ayanami – Evangelion

She can also be heard in Blue Exorcist, Bakuretsu Hunters, Sailor Moon, Blue Seed, Chihayafuru 2, Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor, Macross Plus, Lupin III, Maison Ikkoku, One Piece, Project A-ko, Shadow Skill, the Doreamons, Tenchi Muyou, and obviously a million more shows.

This lady’s body of work speaks for itself. I have to say I was already pretty amazed that spunky, opinionated Faye, with her womanly register and quiet monotone Rei were played by the same person, add in Hell Kitty to the mix and my mind is a little broken…and then you have comedy queen Ranma. This is the type of career you look up to!

2. Romi Park

Did you know that Romi studied Korean in university. I just find that intriguing, obviously she’s always liked languages. Ok I’m beating about the bush so let me just say it, miss Park’s performance was one of the best parts of FMA: Brotherhood for me. I literally caught myself in the middle of scenes just going, OMG the acting is phenomenal. I’ve heard great things about the English language cast but you really are missing ouy if you didn’t catch this performance.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya –  Bleach

Teresa – Claymore

Akane – Danganronpa

Tanaka – Daily Lives of High School Boys

Igarashi – Deadman Wonderland

Kenichi – Cyber Coil

Ken – Digimon

Sena – Eyeshield 21

Natsume – Gakuen Alice

Walter – Hellsing Ultimate

Switzerland – Hetalia

Angelina – Black Butler

Taiga – Major

Falis – Murder Princess (love this title)

Temari – Naruto

My precious, precious Naoto – Persona 4

Jiro – Pokemon

Syrup – Precure

Alma – Radiant

Zoe Hange – Attack on Titan

Everyone’s favourite rocker Nana Osaki – Nana

And of course Edward Elric – Fullmetal Alchemist

And if that wasn’t enough, you can hear her in Air Master, Beelzebub, Blue Dragon , Clannad After story, Detective Conan, Devil May Cry, Garo, Granblue Fantasy, Hunter x Hunter, Kill la Kill, Lupin III, Gundam 00, One Piece (everyone is in this), RahXephon, Sengoku Basara, RDG, Samurai 7, Terra Formars (cause it’s terrible), Aquarion, White Album

Romi Parks has the most devastatingly emotional voice I know. She often plays calm, cool and collected genius type characters (a lot of boys as you can see) but when an emotional contrast is needed, she really knows how to deliver, making her characters feel so real and raw.  One of the greatest performers in my opinion, she tends to make me want to see a show just to hear what she can do with the character.

Honorable Mentions

Ami Koshimizu

C,mon, she Ryuko from Kill la Kill. Always loved that sexy alto voice! Apparently she was also both Hiro and Naomi in the recent Darling and the Franxx. I loved her as Ibuki in Danganronpa. She was Kallen in Code Geass, Holo in Spice and Wolf and Yuiko in Persona. Obviously I’m skipping over st of her work including some very big roles. I suggest you look her up! The only reason she isn’t on the list proper is that I simply haven’t seen that many of her shows even though a lot are very popular.

1. Megumi Ogata

OK fine so this is a subjective choice. Well they all are really, it’s my top 5 list. Fact is, I’ve been a fan of Megumi Ogata for a long long time and I’m just always going to be. She’s the first voice talent I ever learned about and I absolutely love her work. Sure, she might have voiced a few of my anime crushes but surely that did not influence my choice in any way…. She’s much taller than me.

Ayato – Angel Beats

Haruka (Sailor Uranus) – Sailor Moon*

Jun – Captain Tsubasa

Yukito and Yue – Cardcaptor Sakura*

Makoto – Danganronpa

Nagito – Danganronpa***

Shinji – Evangelion*

Izumi Rio – Searching for the Full Moon*

the terrifying Fairies – Humanity has Declined

Cranberry – Raising Project*

Ichigou Fujimoto – Magical girl Ore

Ken – Persona 3

Yukimura – Samurai Deeper Kyo*

Akagi – Slam Dunk

Valkyrie – UFO Princess Valkyrie

Yuugi – Yu Gi Oh!*

Karuma – Yuu Yuu Hakusho*

And just o drive the point home, here are a few more at random. If you want to full list, you’ll have to look it up. I just can’t type that much! Bleach, Detective Conan, et Backers, Great Teacher Onizuka, Kino’s Journey, Magic Knight Rayearth, Tamayura, Tokyo Mew Mew,

Megumi Ogata is a revered veteran in the field. Comparing Nagito to Makoto (purposefully similar characters with a lot of very similar lines) will reveal her mastery on inflection and subtle vocalisation to embody a character way beyond their dialogue. Anyone still under the illusion that voice acting is simply reading your lines, please see master Ogata’s work!

Good list isn’t it!?! I discover new voice talent all the time mind you. I’ll be watching a show and suddenly realize that the actor is doing fantastic work. And I’m always so happy when I discover a new favourite. So please, share yours with me!

that was a lot of pics to find….

  Top Five Voice Actresses in My Harem I've been promising this post for a while now. I did a voice actor version some time ago…

[kittenshift-17]

Hey Kitten! I was wondering if you're majoring in writing? I'm a high school student who's applying to college right now and am also really interested in writing (potentially to the point of considering it as a career), and was wondering if you had any tips ^^

Goodness.... How do I answer this without sounding terribly cynical and crushing your hopes and dreams and ideals about the world?

I’m actually already finished studying, myself. I graduated with a BA majoring in Writing and Publishing 3 years ago. And without blowing holes in all of your plans, I’ve got to be honest as I tell you about how useful I’ve found my degree.... which is to say that it was completely useless and a waste of money. 

Maybe it’s my country’s outlook, but having a BA isn’t really the big deal it used to be and everyone I know who got an Art Degree basically wasted their money. I mean, those in productive arts and theatre and such find them handy due to the practical classes, but a writing degree is..... Well, it’s a lot like high school English/Literature classes. You get given texts and articles and asked to dissect them and write essays about them. It’s.... god, it’s boring. The books are about as interesting in college as there were in high school and the teachers aren’t that much more competent on the grasp of what they want in the essay, and tend to have a biased and ridiculous analysis of the stories. Sometimes the author writes the curtains as being blue just because we like blue, not because the character is depressed, ya know?

When you say you want to consider writing for a career, I assume you mean that you’d like to be an author, and if so then my advice to you would definitely be to forget about majoring in writing for a university level degree. They don’t teach you how to write in those classes. They teach you how to draft essays, and unless you want to take after George Orwell, you don’t want an essay style of writing if you’ve aspirations to be an author. 

If, on the other hand, you mean you want to look at writing as a career option for other fields than fiction or non-fiction writing, then it can definitely be useful. If you wanted to get into writing as someone who drafts up those silly example stories you see in school textbooks (you know the ones, where Sally has five apples and sells Billy three before turning purple) then they come in handy because the classes teach your how to dissect such a story for meaning and the language tool you’re focusing on, and you work backwards (which is why those things rarely makes sense).

The point is, college is expensive. And so you have to weight the options of how much you’ll get out of a degree against how much money goes into paying for it and how much real-world use it will be to you once you’ve graduated. 

Me? I have a Bachelor of Media and Communication, majoring in Writing and Publishing. 

Do you know what I use it for?  Nothing. I don’t use my degree at all. I work as an Administration Manager for a Commercial Laundry and spend my days inputting data and trading polite, yet curt emails with clients regarding their linen hire. The only useful part of my degree is my grasp on the English language that allows me to very professionally tell someone to go fuck themselves without once cursing, or even crossing the line into being rude.

Look, of everyone I know who went to college that got a BA, do you know which ones are doing well? The ones who did a double major, one is business, law, or science, and the other in languages. Seriously, if you can major in languages, do it. Pick a core language and study it like your life depends on it. Two of my friends who studied language (both of them studied Mandarin) now have some super cool jobs. One is a high level special intelligence officer for the military. The other is a financial advisor for a Chinese conglomerate and, I believe, is currently living the high life in China. 

Everyone else I know who got an Art degree, either in writing, music, communication, advertising, history, social studies or anything else pretty much had to go back to uni after they graduated, do a Diploma in education, and use their skills to become school teachers. Seriously, all of them. I know talented musicians, talented writers, history-buffs, and more, and they’re all teachers now. Teachers, or doing what I’m doing and wasting their degree by working in a job where the degree has no meaning beyond showing an ability to commit to something for 3 years. 

At the risk of sounding condescending, and potentially confusing you all the more when you’re already at a place where all of life’s big decisions seem laid at your door, I’m going to give you a list of the things I wish I’d known when I was in high school.

TIPS:

1. Be single. Seriously, if you’re currently in a relationship, I urge you to end it. I don’t care how in love you think you are, or how painful the idea of breaking up might be, you WILL regret being in a relationship when you’re in college. And I don’t just mean because you’ll be meeting new people and could be bouncing into bed with some sexy stranger(s). There are so many things that I didn’t do in college because I was too busy trying to make things work with my boyfriend (whom I dated for 6 years before we broke up, by the way). I mean, I missed out on a bunch of college events because instead of being on campus, I was driving home to my small-town to see him. I missed out on so many life experiences, ranging from skinny dipping with strangers, to wild parties, to experiencing life WITHOUT worrying about someone else and how they would react to my actions. I cannot tell you how much I regret not just ending things with him and figuring out who the hell I was because I was too busy focusing on who WE were. 

2. If you’re going to study something, pick something that will give you practical experience, not just theoretical experience. Pick something that will give you life experiences. Study a language - hell, spend a semester abroad if you can. Study something that has a real-world use. If I could go back to being in high school, do you know what I’d do rather than studying a BA? I’d become a Veterinarian. Or a doctor. Or maybe a scientist of some kind. Hell, I might even forgo college and get an apprenticeship as an electrician or a hairdresser, or maybe even a builder. I reckon I’d have made a kick ass engineer, actually.

3. Push yourself. Don’t rest on your laurels and coast through the course. Go to every class. If you go, and you consistently find it boring, or awful, then you’re probably in the wrong course and should drop it for something else. I mean it. I have a BA. I spent 3 years studying it. Do you know how much actual course-work I engaged with? Roughly 50 hours worth. Total. I never went to class. I holed up in my dorm writing fanfic whenever I wasn’t partying, hungover, or feasting. I literally went to about 5 classes throughout my final year, despite having been enrolled in courses that asked for 10 hours a week minimum face-time in the classroom and living on campus. And I still graduated. It was way too easy and I wish I could go back and pick a different course - one that would make me WANT to go to class every day.

4. Recognize the fact that, no matter how it seems like you’ve got to figure everything out RIGHT NOW, you really don’t. Be decisive, and if you have a career goal in mind, work toward it, but please, PLEASE approach a company that offers that career and ask them if you can observe for the day. They might say no, but they might not. Tell them you’re in high school and you’re thinking about angling toward a career in that field and you’d like to get a look into what that career is like. Ask if you can shadow them for a day, or a week, or even a month. Ask them questions. Don’t just tag along if they let you observe. Ask for their motivations. Ask how it all works. Ask if they’re happy. Find out what the drawbacks of that career are. You’re at the age where you can find out who you are and who you want to be. 

Me? When I first enrolled in college I was training to become a Registered Nurse. I spent a buttload of money on books and uniforms and courses to be a Nurse and then I did a practical-training stint and do you know what happened? I found out I fucking HATED it. I couldn’t deal with all the bodily fluids, and showering old people, and being coughed on and struggled against, and bossed around by doctors. And I quit. I called my parents and I told them how studying it was exciting in theory, and that I enjoyed the course-work for my essays, but I couldn’t stand the practical part. And I told them that it was fucking me up and that I’d stick it out if they wanted me to, because they were paying my accommodation for living on campus. But I found out what it was like, and I hated it. And if I’d gone to my local hospital and volunteered BEFORE applying to be a nurse, I’d have known it wasn’t for me. You haven’t got to get it right the first time, you know? You can make a mistake. But they’re expensive. If you can do things BEFORE money gets involved and figure out what you like and don’t like, do it. Always do it. Go to you local hospital and ask if they need an AIN for the week. Go to your local shelter and volunteer. Volunteer in a soup kitchen, or at your local library or youth centre. Ask companies if you can help them out for a few days and be willing to do it WITHOUT being paid. If you expect money, most will turn you down, but if you paint it as them helping you figure out who the hell you’re going to be and saving you from making potentially the worst mistake of your life if you pick the wrong course, most people are decent enough to give you a go.

5. Travel. I mean it. If you can afford to travel, and it won’t cost you a scholarship, take a year off between high school and college, and travel. See the world. Take a bestie, or go alone, but travel. I would be a completely different person if I’d travelled before college, and gone alone, rather than waiting until the summer between my 2nd and 3rd year and going with a boyfriend. Your perspective on life will change, I guarantee it. Hell, take a working holiday and work bar-jobs or cafe-jobs, or anything to pay the bills while you see the world, but for the love of god, get out of your home-town or your city. Meet new people. See new things. Learn how things work in another country by experiencing it first hand. I can’t stress this one enough because my number one biggest regret in life is that when I was in high school, I was offered a place in an exchange program to live and study in a country of my choice for a year, and I turned it down because I was in a relationship that was “going to last forever”. It didn’t last, and I was an idiot, and I insist that anyone who can travel MUST do so. I don’t care if you’ve got to backpack your way across Europe on $10 a day, if you can do it, PLEASE do it.

6. Learn how to take advice and criticism without seeing it as a challenge and without immediately being spiteful and doing the opposite. Listen to people who know better. If I’d listened to my parents, I’d have ditched the boyfriend, travelled, seen the world, and been a whole different person. If I’d listened to my Aunt, I’d have known that nursing was going to be horrible and that I’d hate it and quit. If I’d listened to family friends who ran local businesses in my town, I’d have been able to take them up on offers of things that, at the time, sounded awful, but things I’d have likely really enjoyed. 

7. Don’t listen to your friends. They don’t know what’s best for you, no matter how well they know you or how close you are. If they’re your age, then they’re as clueless as you right now and they don’t have any idea how to offer you actual advice that will help change your life for the better. If you want to try something, and your friends disagree, do it anyway. Learn to be independent of them. One day, all too soon, that bestie you’re so close with will be someone you see or speak to once or twice a year and - here’s the kicker - you’ll be okay with that. You might even PREFER that. The point is, you need to grow as a person and you need to figure out exactly who you are. It’s not as easy as it sounds, and it’s not always as rewarding as you might hope, but it’s important that you do it. And I know that being told to figure out who you are tends to bamboozle teens. Hell, it confused the hell outta me because I was all, “I know exactly who I am.”

I didn’t.

Ask yourself the hard questions. Figure out where you stand politically. Figure out what matters to you. Do you care about religion? Current Events? Does the opinion of your peers matter to you? Does it really? At the end of the day, when you go to bed, do you CARE if you offended someone who deserved it? Do you prefer chicken or beef or vegetarian? What would you look like with a nose ring? A shaved head? A tattoo you can regret later? Do you like boys, or girls, or something in between? Both? Neither? Are you a wool sweaters girl, or velvet jumpsuit girl? Sneakers or scuffs? Dyed hair or natural? Tea of Coffee? Boy or girl? Do you want to help the environment or end world hunger or fix the economy? Do you want to hide under a rock and never talk to anyone again? Do you want to make a name for yourself? It’s all relevant and it sounds silly, but if you’re aspiring to be a writer, find a character questionnaire of all the things you’d want or need to know about a character to write about them in a book. Fill it out about you. You might be shocked by what you learn. 

8. Don’t give terribly long winded answers like this one.

9. Never settle. You’re more than settling. Don’t settle for a partner, don’t settle for a job, don’t settle for a town, or a city, or a friend, or a life that you’re not happy with. If you aren’t happy, figure out why and make changes. You’re allowed. No one is going to stop you, and if they try, direct them to me so I can lecture them on how to be a better person. *winks*

10. Use your imagination. If you want to be an author, you’re not going to learn how in a classroom. You’ll learn by diving into a book and entering a whole new world. Practice your writing. Write fanfiction and share it to see what people make of it. Listen to the suggestions of those offering constructive criticism. PRACTICE. Read. For the love of god, read everything. Push yourself to learn how to write better, not in the classroom, but in the real world. Write whenever you can. Every day. I mean it. Literally, every day. If you don’t write, you won’t improve. You’ve got to do it. Set a goal. Tell yourself you’ll write 100 words a day, build on it from there. Be like me and write thousands of words a day, when you’re up for it. If you don’t keep your imagination alive and trying to think of new ways to tell the same story, you’ll struggle and you’ll fizzle. 

xx-Kitten

[gyakutengagotoku]

GSvsAA - Apollo Justice - Character Profiles

As promised, I shall deliver. The profiles for DD and SoJ will be following shortly, like tomorrow.

Some of these name puns may be familiar to old fans since the days when GS4 hadn’t yet been revealed as “Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney” to the West. Fortunately for us, the following mainstream games (setting aside the incredibly long pause of mainstream games between AJ and DD) have had some quick notice of localization.

*prays hard for DGS* They have a bundle pack now. Come on, Ms. Hsu and crew, I know you guys can pull through...

Please check this post or the master post for more details on this translation project. As usual, spoilers below.

Link to DD profiles.

Main cast

Apollo Justice - Odoroki Housuke (王泥喜 法介) odoroki is Japanese for “surprise”. The hou (法) is “law” and suke, often pronounced “skeh”, is a common ending for boy names. The entire name comes to “Surprise! Here’s a new law boy!” Mr. Takumi designed his name as such since GS4 at the time of its reveal back in TGS 2006 was meant to appear as a surprise for fans who were expecting good ol’ Nick. Trivia: It seems Takumi and the crew had trouble coming up with kanji for his name. They went with “king”, “mud”, and “happiness”. Why mud? Well, not too many kanji avail for the doro part, and splitting it up even more would have been too clunky. (Also, he feels like mud most of the time anyway. >:3c )

Trucy Wright - Naruhodou Minuki (成歩堂 みぬき) naruhodo, as many of us fans know by now, is an expression of understanding like “I see” or “Okay”. minuki comes from the verb minuku, which means “to see through” to the truth. Her original surname, Enigmar, is Nanafushi. More on that below in Zak’s entry. Mr. Hat is Boushi-kun, or “Hat-kun”.

Phoenix Wright - Piani-to (ピアニート) No, that’s not what he’s called in the game, but it’s a fan-favorite name that has pervaded the Japanese fanbase since 2006-7. It’s a mix of the English word “pianist” and the acronym NEET, for “Not in Education, Employment, or Training”. It’s an alternative to “Naruhobo”, which isn’t as widely known among Jap fans, but I still sometimes see it. Ever since he returned to law in DD, though, it’s been a name reserved for his AJ-era self. Regardless, he’s still a terrible piano player and has been procrastinating on practice.

Kristoph Gavin - Garyuu Kirihito (牙琉 霧人) garyuu can mean “dragon’s fang” or “self-taught man”, but it can also refer to a person of (usu. unrecognized) exceptional talent or genius. Interestingly, the ryuu in his name is the kanji in 琉璃, ruri, for the gem lapis lazuli. Blue is a rather symbolic color for this character. Kirihito, with the above kanji, is literally “man of mist” or mystery. Written differently, it can also mean “killer”. As usual, Takumi likes to give his first-case villains some really direct, spoilery names.

Klavier Gavin - Garyuu Kyouya (牙琉 響也) As mentioned above, garyuu can mean “dragon’s fang”. The G-shaped medallion he wears is actually meant to somewhat resemble a dragon’s fang, though it’s also supposed to be a G for “Garyuu Wave”, aka The Gavinners. I believe this name was chosen to parallel everyone’s favorite dragon-boy, aka that spiky blue bird-man-guy-dude. Kyouya is a common boy’s name as well, though the kyou (響) in his name means “echo”, “resonance”, or a distinctive “sound”. Unlike Phoenix, he's a good musician.

Episode 1

Shadi Smith - Urafushi Kagerou (浦伏 影郎) ura, written as 裏, means “back”, as in the background or the back side of something. fushi, from the verb fuseru, means “to hide, conceal, lie in wait”. kage is “shadow”, and rou is a common albeit a bit old-fashioned ending to a boy’s name. More on his actual name down below in Zak’s entry.

Olga Orly - Sakai Masaka (逆居 雅香) The saka in her last name is the kanji in sakarau, which means “to disobey, defy”. (It’s also the first kanji in Gyakuten Saiban, but that’s probably just coincidence for once.) It also comes from her nickname “Ikasama Sakai”, as in “Cheating Sakai”, which is also a palindrome. masaka is an expression of disbelief, like “Impossible!” or “No way!” It also fits well with her last name as a sort of tongue twister. Trivia: Takumi named her after a senior he had in high school who had the nickname “Ikasama Sakai”.

Episode 2

Wocky Kitaki - Kitaki Takita (北木 滝太) His full name is literally three kita, as in the expression “Kita kita kita!”, which I can conveniently describe as “Come at me, bro!” His family name is known in-game as the Kitakitsune Clan, or the Northern Fox Clan, and the first kita in his name (北) is “north”.

Alita Tiala - Namina Minami (並奈 美波) Her name was picked to parallel Takita up above; it’s made of three nami, which by itself means “wave” and isn’t really relevant here, but minami means “south”. Trivia: It seems the staff had a difficult time remembering her name, often mistaking it as “Nami Minami”.

Guy Eldoon - Yatabuki Mugitsura (矢田吹 麦面) yatai is “food stand”. The name of his stand backward so happens to spell yakibutaya, which is a a food stand for ramen noodle served with roast pork. The irony is he only serves miso ramen (localized to salt). The two kanji of his first name, when squished together like 麺, means “noodle”.

Edit: Well, I’ve been informed that this isn’t quite the case, as “Yakibutaya” is more of a brand name of noodle, rather than an actual category of noodle stand. I once saw this joke made in a 4koma comic series from the AJ anthology, but now I’m out of ideas.

Trivia: It’s been implied that this guy’s stand is the usual place where Nick and Maya frequently stop by for her favorite miso ramen. It may even well be the same place where she and her sister used to go, though Eldoon’s gone through a number of these stands. His dog’s name is Renge - “lotus flower”, which the root is sometimes used in noodle broths, but it can also refer to the Chinese-style of spoon. Her name has thus been localized to Spoon.

Plum Kitaki - Kitaki Koume (北木 小梅) Her English name was taken from her Japanese name, which is literally “Little Plum”.

Pal Meraktis - Ukari Teruo (宇狩 輝夫) Ukari comes from the word ukkari, “carelessly”. kari is “debt”, and considering his situation before he was killed, that’s a pretty big debt he carries. Meanwhile, I’m not sure about his first name. It could just be another case of taking someone’s actual name.

Winfred “Big Wins” Kitaki - Kitaki Tsunekatsu (北木 常勝) His name comes from the phrase tsune ni katsu, which means “always wins”. Even the kanji are the same.

The Rivales Family - Katagi (華汰義) Clan katagi refers to non-gangsters, as in the “good citizens”. So, uh, I guess these “Rivales” guys are actually pretty good-natured gangsters? Trivia: Actually, Takumi got this name from a dentist’s office in his neighborhood. I swear he comes up with the oddest places of inspiration.

Wesley Stickler - Kawadzu Kyousaku (河津 京作) kawazu means “frog”, probably referring to the old Chinese legend of a frog who lives in a well and knows nothing about the outside world, but believes it knows all there is to it. In other words, it’s a person who willfully lives in ignorance. (Also, his face is kinda... frog-like? Well, maybe more like a zombie.) kyousaku means “bad harvest”. Well, it’s true he’s been studying hard, but I think it’s clear he isn’t very successful with applying his knowledge.

Episode 3

Romein LeTouse - Romaine Lettuce (ローメイン・レタス) It is what it is. Takumi admitted in an interview that he came up with it just because he happened to see it in a recipe once.

Lamiroir (ラミロア) It’s probably taken from the French word “miroir” (”mirror” in English), in reference to the phrase “mirror image” of a person. It’s actually supposed to be “le miroir” in French, since “la” refers to feminine-group nouns, but in this case, I’m sure “la” works for her. Check Thalassa’s entry below under Episode 4 for more details.

Machi Tobaye - Maki Tobahyu (マキ トバーユ) maki means “curl” or “roll”. He does have some curly hair, doesn’t he? It also can mean “wrapped up [in]” depending on what verb it’s paired with; perhaps like how he’s been wrapped up in something beyond his control? His last name may be from the phrase toraba-yu, meaning "job change”, from the French word “travail”, which actually just means “job”.

Edit: Mr. Takumi strikes again. In his official statement, he forgot where the inspiration for this name came from, so I can’t make any decisive claims. In other words, my hopes and dreams have been crushed.

Daryan Crescend - Mayudzuki Daian (眉月 大庵) His last name sounds like mayu-suki, that is “likes cocoons”. Also, the second kanji in it is tsuki, “moon”. There seems to be a connection there with his localized name. In an interview, Takumi mentioned that Daian came from a list of “cool names” for prosecutors he drafted up back then. As it turns out, daian can also mean “backup plan”.

Episode 4

Valant Gramarye - Arumajiki Varan (或真敷 バラン) arumajiki means “unworthy”. It also sounds like the words “all magic”. Varan is taken from baran, which when paired in zakkubaran, means “frankly”.

Vera Misham - Ese Makoto (絵瀬 まこと) ese is “sham” and makoto is “truth”. The first kanji in her last name is also that for “picture”.

Drew Misham - Ese Doburoku (絵瀬 土武六) doburoku refers to a type of unrefined, cloudy saké; also known as “nigori”, which means “murkiness”. I don’t know if this means he drinks, but it was thanks to a bad cup of coffee that he met his death.

Spark Brushel - Hamigaki Shoutarou (葉見垣 正太郎) hamigaki is literally “brushing teeth”. shoutarou is from... shotacon; that is, the shoutarou complex. Uh... at least he’s got the blush stickers? Trivia: That he shares a similar name to Hami-chan (Pearly) has been the source of a crack pairing with him and Pearl. *shudder* On a lighter note, Hamigaki was originally the name for a rakugo artist who was supposed to appear in the game. By rakugo naming conventions, it would be “something-something-tei Hamigaki”.

Zak Gramarye -  Arumajiki Zakku (或真敷 ザック) See Valant’s entry above. For his real name, Shadi Enigmar, it’s Nanafushi Kagerou. nanafushigi is the “Seven Wonders”; his first name is the same as from the Shadi Smith entry. Trivia: Both nanafushi and kagerou are insects. The former is the stick insect; the latter is the mayfly. One is usually in hiding and the other has a infamously short lifespan. Deep.

Magnifi Gramarye -  Arumajiki Tensai (或真敷 天斎) tensai means “genius”. Being paired with arumajiki sure is ironic, huh?

Thalassa Gramarye - Arumajiki Yuumi (或真敷 優海) I can’t find a particular pun behind her name; it sounds like a common girl’s name. The second kanji umi (海) means “sea”, so perhaps that inspired her localized name. I can’t help but wonder if her name was picked to match with Zak’s real name, Nanafushi (Enigmar), to create the “Seven Wonders” and “Seven Seas”. The Troupe has been known to tour the world, after all. (This is just my speculation, though.)

That’s it for AJ profiles! Time to move onto the 3DS games.