#this was the only one worn only by actors who were in the show

[dribs-and-drabbles]

The Thai Communal Wardrobe item #63

The Eclipse ep 12:

Only Friends ep 9:

for @thegalwhorants 💙 Happy Birthday!

[saijspellhart]

Things I liked about the Netflix ATLA and some critiques:

Before you read. Please go watch the series, take off your blinders and keep an open mind. It’s surprisingly good. This review has spoilers.

They reordered some scenes so that emotional moments would have a larger pay off. Like getting to see and experience Aang’s relationship with Monk Gyatsu, and seeing his tribe before it was destroyed. So when he has his breakdown in the air temple with Sokka and Katara later, you really feel and understand his agony.

Azula is introduced earlier, with a story running simultaneously with the Aang’s journey but not involved with his. So she has a chance to be more fleshed out and explored before she becomes a major threat. Only time will tell if this more complicated Azula comes close to the animated one. Big shoes to fill, but not a bad start.

Fire Lord Ozai plays a more sinister and oppressive role. Not a faceless boogeyman anymore. You get to see his machinations and the cruel games he’s playing with his family, and see the emotional abuse that warps them.

Appa is adorable as fuck, and so is Momo. So well animated, such gorgeous care put into them.

Kyoshi, Kuruk, and Roku make more of an appearance. With Kyoshi narrating the prologue. And if you loved the novels you’ll see they incorporated more of Kyoshi and Kuruk’s backstory from the novels than what we saw in the animated cartoon.

The acting was competent, even if a little wonky at times. I found Sokka very endearing, I loved the kid they cast as Aang and you can tell they really tried to find a balance between serious and playful. They didn’t always hit it, but the effort was there.

Zuko was great. I think they nailed him and he had great chemistry with the actor playing Iroh.

King Bumi was great, I love how they made his internal struggles more complex. He wasn’t just a crazy old man anymore. He was a crazy old man who was weary and worn down by the horrors of loss and war. A crazy old man who struggled to reconcile that the best friend he lost is the avatar and wasn’t there for him.

I loved the costume and set design. It was like stepping into the actual world of ATLA. Cities were complex and well constructed. Every setting was incredible and the attention to detail was intense.

Zuko’s boat is full of artifacts he pilfered from the Air Nomads while hunting for the avatar.

They changed how Aang got the bison whistle so it makes more sense and fits more seamlessly into the story. It never made sense why a random peddler would be selling a bison whistle if air nomads and bison have been gone for 100 years. Not impossible for a peddler to do, but not probable. The Netflix series actually gave more meaning for the artifact and changed how Aang received it.

Emotional points in the show are now more intense and brought me to tears.

Commander Zhao is more competent and conniving, and his presence felt more dangerous and less comedic.

Sokka’s outright sexism was changed from putting girls down, to just manly machismo, talking himself up. Not gone, but not degrading. They decided to let the sexism message shine more prominently with the northern water tribe, rather than tackle it twice with Sokka too. (Sokka’s sexism being solved in one episode was never well written to begin with. And the animated series quickly forgot about it and moved on to him tackling more important issues, like his being a non bender inadequacy, his leadership journey, his physical combat journey, and him finding himself as more than just the funny sarcastic guy.) For time constraints, it was better the Netflix series did not to tackle the same problem twice, especially when you might not have the resources to give both sexism issues the gravity it deserves. By focusing the sexism problem to the northern water tribe they were able to give Katara more attention.

We got to see Katara’s water-bending go from being ultra sloppy and weak to badass. It feels like they are spending more time focusing on her developing into a warrior rather than being the mom of the group. I’m honestly not sad about it. She’s still the hope ridden, emotional glue, but now it feels like she explores that warrior side a little deeper. It felt so earned when she got the title of master at the northern water tribe finale.

The actor playing uncle Iroh nailed the role. I couldn’t think of a better live action adaptation of Iroh. I love him so much.

The shirshu looks fucking phemonal.

Koh was scary as fuck and I love it. They really nailed his horror elements. Even if I’m a little sad that they changed some things about his face stealing. (He eats faces now to steal them, rather than stealing when someone shows emotion.)

The three actresses who play Mei, Azula and Tailee actually look appropriate for their age. Since they are introduced earlier, they are clearly younger, and since this show is intended to get more seasons, the casting choice made sense as we are intended to watch these girls grow up over the course of the entire show. These actors will get older, and the characters will get more menacing and sharper. It’s great. It’s thoughtful. I love it.

We get to see Zuko’s dynamics with his crew more. And find out that he did more than just speak out against his father at that meeting. His outburst at that meeting saved an entire squad of soldiers, and they don’t even know it. Zuko feels such disdain and bitterness because of the situation, and his crew doesn’t even know why. It’s so complex, you can see how the abuse Zuko endured causes him to take out his anger on his crew, and in turn they are bitter back. And it’s this cycle, that festers. But the crew also grows with Zuko, they change and evolve as he evolves. And it’s such a delight to watch.

They could have cut the Secret Tunnel minstrels altogether, given the time constraints and that the episode was mostly fluff in season two. A fun romp, but not necessary. But the creators knew people loved the minstrels so they found a way to use them anyway. Because they knew they were special. I am thankful for that, even if they show up waaay earlier than they should.

I was honestly more sold on Sokka and Suki’s relationship in the live action. It’s was so adorkable. Do I wish it had more time to develop? Yeah, of course I love a good slow burn. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t fun as hell watching the two flirt so badly with each other. Sokka being a buffoon, and Suki overstepping and being too rough, before realizing she was being too hard.

Some Critiques:

They reordered some episode storylines to happen at the same time, and while it does bloat some episodes. it’s understandable due the episode and budget limitations. In the cartoon, during the inventor episode Katara didn’t have a lot to do, and during the freedom fighters episode Sokka didn’t have a lot to do. So they ended up combining both stories into one hour long episode in the live action, so that both Katara and Sokka would be involved in something. Is it the best? No. But it makes sense. I get it.

Katara starts off bland in the first episode and it takes a bit for her to grow into the character.

The past avatars can be a bit strong with the doom and gloom, and I wish they’d toned that back.

Koh and Heibei (I dunno how to spell the panda spirit’s name) got combined to the same episode, and Koh stole Heibei’s spotlight. Again, I understand why these got combined, but I think it could have been handled a little better and Heibei should have gotten more closure.

There should have been a ninth episode, placed between the two episode Koh storyline, and the Northern Water Tribe storyline. Why? Because the Koh storyline was really heavy and intense. And it leads right into the season finale. An extra ninth episode should have been added with a more lighthearted tone. Something to ease the tension between the two very intense storylines.

Aang should have been using a glider to flit about the temples in the first episode. But it’s not something that ruins the whole show. It was a dumb that only happens in a single episode in the season.

I really missed Momo and Appa’s presence. They appeared atleast once in every episode, but it was still sad they weren’t more of a presence. Again I understand why. They were so beautifully animated that everytime they were on screen it (without a doubt) cost the production thousands of dollars. They were generous including as many of the unique animals and creatures as they had.

I still don’t think Sokka had enough time to develop a relationship with Yue at the northern water tribe. It was rushed and contrived in the animated version, and it was rushed and contrived in this Netflix version. There also wasn’t any of the chemistry like Sokka had with Suki to make the whirlwind romance work. I never liked the romance from the original, and I wasn’t a fan of it here. But that’s ok, because it’s such a small and insignificant thing.

In conclusion most of the changes I can see made were due to budget, and episode limitations. The creators were clearly trying to bring theater-cinematic quality to what was essentially an eight hour long film. And you cannot deny that this show is stunning. Absolutely breathtaking. Most of the episodes cut were filler, and while hilarious and mostly loved by fans, were stories not as necessary in the grand scope. You could feel the love and appreciation the creators included in this series. It wasn’t soulless, it wasn’t a heartless cash grab, it wasn’t a shot for shot (thank god) but it also didn’t butcher the source material.

I understand that the animated show creators had creative differences with the live action Netflix adaptation creators. But that doesn’t mean that the Netflix series completely failed. As every fanfic writer out there knows, the original authors are not going to love what you create based on their works. Tolkien hated every adaptation of his works, HATED them. But no one is going about saying that the Lord of the Rings trilogy movies were hot garbage. A creator doesn’t have to endorse a project for it to be good.

Netflix ATLA is good, it’s not perfect. And it never was going to be perfect. The cartoon it was based on wasn’t perfect either. But the ATLA cartoon was definitely some huge shoes to fill that set a bar very high. Any adaptation was going to struggle to be just as good.

I think the Netflix adaptation was a treat and a pleasure to watch. I think people should go into it with an open mind and see that it’s not trying to replace the cartoon. It’s a love letter to the cartoon.

PS: According to behind the scenes commentary on the Nickelodeon ATLA cartoon, the reason we didn’t get a season 4 was because the creators wanted a live action film. Nickelodeon offered the original cartoon creators the option to make season 4 or to spend the budget meant for season four on a live action ATLA film. The original creators chose the live action film directed by M. Night Shamalan. They wanted a live action for their show over a 4th season. They had no idea M. night would butcher their baby with his pathetic film all those years ago.

This show was a second chance after the M. night abomination. And you know what? It’s a pretty decent adaptation. And guess what? With a resurgence of interest in the series, we are getting more animated content for the original animated series. There’s definitely something for everyone on the horizon if this succeeds.

[the-last-dillpickle]

DS9 trivia from IMDB - Part 1

- Colm Meaney was initially reluctant about signing onto the series. Meaney was comfortable playing O'Brien on an episode by episode basis for Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), and at the time, was unsure if he wanted to play a full time television role.  

- Although we only rarely see it, there is an ATM in Quark's bar. It dispenses the various types of currency used by major races visiting the station: Federation credits, Bajoran litas, Cardassian leks, and Ferengi latinum.  

- Constable Odo was originally envisioned as a young Clint Eastwood type. When Rene Auberjonois was called in for his audition, the casting director told him that none of the previous actors had been "grouchy enough". So Auberjonois improvised his lines using his most gravelly voice, and secured the role. Odo's scoff eventually became such a character trademark that the screenwriters would often script it into his lines (as "harrumph!"), much to Auberjonois' annoyance.  

- Michael Dorn did not want to reprise his role as Worf, since the daily make-up application was exhausting, and he was relieved to be able to move on. Dorn said that the salary he was offered made him reconsider.  

- The Dominion storyline was originally only meant to span two episodes. Ronald D. Moore and Ira Steven Behr lobbied to make the storyline on-going, but met with resistance from Executive Producer Rick Berman, who wanted to maintain an episodic format to the series. After Berman left production to oversee the launch of Star Trek: Voyager (1995), Moore and Behr were given more creative control over this series, making the Dominion War the main plot of the show, and adopting a serialized format.   

- Wolf 359, mentioned as the battle site between the Borg and the Federation where Sisko lost his wife, is a real star that is seven and a half light-years from Earth.  

- In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Trials and Tribble-ations (1996) when Sisko and Dax see Kirk and Spock, Dax has the hots for Spock. In August 2017, Terry Farrell (Jadzia Dax) got engaged to Adam Nimoy, son of Leonard Nimoy (Spock).  

- The jars of "pills" in Dr. Bashir's office were filled with M&Ms. In many instances during the early episodes, the level of the pills would change between shots because crew members kept stealing them. The problem was solved by epoxying the lids in place.   

- When Colm Meaney was fitted for his Deep Space Nine uniform, he made two requests of the costume designers. He explained that unlike the officers, the non-commissioned Chief O'Brien was a working man. So he needed to be able to roll up his sleeves, and he needed pockets for his tools. The costume department altered his uniform accordingly.  

- The character of Morn (Mark Allen Shepherd), the Lurian bar patron who is always seen sitting at Quark's bar, was written as a nod to the character of Norm Peterson, played by George Wendt on Cheers (1982). Morn is an anagram of Norm. The mask worn by Shepherd originally had no opening for the mouth, so make-up artist Michael Westmore gave him lips over the course of the series, in case the character needed to speak. Several lines for Morn were scripted over the years, but unfortunately for Shepherd, these were always written out at the last moment. So Morn never said one word during the entire run of the show, leading to a running gag where bar patrons, station crew members and civilian residents often mention that Morn is excessively talkative off-screen, and "never shuts up."  

[mamas-ethereal-gun]

𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𐙚🧸ྀི

Actor!Kento Nanami x Fashion Designer!Black fem reader

‘10 things Nanami Kento can’t Live without ┃GQ’ was the title of the video that blew everything off. It started fairly normal, with Kento showing things such as his glasses and his favourite tie. But all things went out of proportion when he showed his wedding ring.

“This is.” He points to his ring. “My wedding ring. As of now I’ve been married for…” he thinks for a moment. “Almost 4 years now.” A small smile and a pinkish blush begins to take over his face. In the background you can hear someone ask if Kentos wife is also pretty popular, which he replied “I would say so, she’s a pretty famous Designer, in fact almost all of the suits I have worn to events were made by her.”

This specific clip took the internet by storm trying to figure out who this mystery woman is. Even looking at some of Nanamis old “Get ready with me to go to the Met Gala” videos. Once they Finally found out that it was you, it could’ve made anyone slap their heads because the only fashion shows Nanami would be seen at were yours. There’s clips of you and him talking after shows yet, no one could’ve guessed that you were married to the famous actor.

. You didn’t necessarily pay much attention towards your and Kentos little “outing”. You had other things to focus on, such as your new fashion line. This line to months to make and you’d be damned if you let Kentos littles fans distract you.

“Darling..?” Kento called out. It was so silent. Unusually silent. Right about now, youd probably be running into his arms. Placing soft kisses all of his face. And yet you were no were to be found. Your shoes were at the door so you could’ve gone out right? He walked around stepping over left over fabrics and lace. Until he finally found you laying on your shared bed, manikins stood tall next to you. They were filled with beautiful suits and gowns.

“Ken…?” You called out, lifting your head up to check who was at the door. “Angel are you alright?” He asks, walking towards the bed. You grown. “Okay sit up” He pulls you onto his lap and places kisses all over your face. “Yeah I’m okay.” You say bluntly, rubbing your head. It was obvious that you were in fact, not okay. “It doesn’t seem like it.” He mumbles. He turns to your designs. “They’re beautiful Darling.” “No they’re not. That one.” You point to one of the suits. “Looks obnoxiously plain and the other…” you point to another suit. “That one is just ugly.”

“Are we looking at the same thing?” Kento chuckles. “They are amazing (y/n), I personally think they are your best ones yet. ” “I just feel-“ Kento places his figure on your mouth, shushing you. “They’re amazing, you’re amazing”He pulls you into a passionate kiss. He smiles. “I love you Angel.”

➽─────────❥ ➽─────────❥

A/n 𐙚🧸ྀི: sorry I’ve been gone for so long, sorry has lowkey been so hectic and I’ve just been exhausted😭 this was really rushed but I have a x reader thingy coming guys 😼😼😼

[harmonictechnicality]

model!steve and voice actor!Eddie (part 3)

part 1 here | part 2 here | ao3 link here | the temp is up on this one so like... dni if under 18 pls

Eddie is a superstitious person, always has been. Avoids cracks in the sidewalk, refuses to walk under ladders. Says ‘bless you’ despite his lack of goddamn faith (well… scratch the god, keep the damn). That’s why, when Eddie wakes up at 11:11 that morning, he takes it as a sign. A good one too.

Okay yeah, it’s a little gross that he didn’t wake up until now. But he spent most of the night tossing and turning. A thirstfest visual loop of Steve Harrington jerking it to him. Or just his voice. Maybe both, but Eddie would be a conceited fuck if he were to ask for clarity on Steve’s preferred fantasies.

Look, he makes a lot of digs about his appearance because it’s harmless fun. In reality, Eddie is aware that he’s not an un-attractive person. Could he put a little more effort into his skincare routine so that it doesn’t peel off of him anytime he’s in direct sunlight? Sure. But his features are decent enough to get him matches on that dating app he used for exactly four days before deleting. 

Steve, though… Steve is something conjured up by a young adult novelist - creating the dreamiest boytoy for the angsty yet endearing protagonist. Steve is that. He’s something from a fictional world of hotness. And somehow, he exists beyond coffee-stained manuscripts and bestseller lists.

He’s real. And Eddie Munson has a fucking date with him in exactly eight hours.

Holy shit.

It takes two hours for Eddie to decide on an outfit. He facetimes his audio engineer/closest friend after the first hour, because his room is starting to look like an M. Night Shyamalan adaptation of Grey Gardens. 

“Show me the jean options again.” Chrissy’s tone is all business, staring intently on the other side of the phone screen. 

They met at an escape room right outside of the city. After setting a record-breaking time at that location, they got to chatting and quickly discovered they were both in the audio production business. 

Each of them lives the freelance lifestyle now. Highly ideal for their competitive escape room fixation.

Eddie holds up the three pairs of jeans. One pair is his favorite, well-worn and loose around his thighs, just how he likes them. The other two, are pairs that Chrissy bought for him last Christmas.

Lets just say… he only wears those when she’s offering to pay for dinner on their weekly hangouts. 

She hums for a while, twisting her mouth side to side before speaking again. “The dark blue with the gray crew neck. Final answer.”

“These?” Eddie holds the skinny jeans up to his hip bones. He tugs on the waistband to show how very little movement will be possible in these pants. “My dick cannot breathe in these, Chris. It’s like you want me to embarrass myself on this date.”

“I’m doing you a favor.” She shrugs, concealing a smirk behind her water bottle as she takes a sip. “Those pants are so snug, he’ll have no choice but to get you out of them as soon as possible.”

“Are you insinuating that I put out on the first date?

“Absolutely not.”

“Good.”

“I’m insinuating you put it in on the first date.”

“How dare you.” Eddie points at his phone screen. Sucks in his laughter because yeah. Props. That was a good one. He can’t admit that though because no part of him wants to wear these boa constrictor jeans.

“You were just telling me how you fucked him with your words last night.”

“Fair. But I also explained that I was clearly possessed by the spirit of Blanche Devereaux.” Eddie slips out of his lounge tee, pulls over the one Chrissy picked out for him instead. “I swear, that woman had quite the knack for dirty lingo.”

Chrissy rolls her eyes and gives Eddie a halfhearted salute. “And that’s my exit cue.”

“What? Why?”

“Because anytime you bring up Golden Girls, we start arguing over who would play them in the gender-swapped remake.”

Wrong. Totally false. There’s absolutely no argument to be had. Eddie knows exactly who he’d cast right off the top of his head. Joe Pesci, Michael Caine…

Chrissy must see the gears turning in Eddie’s head because she hangs up before he can launch into his well-rehearsed presentation. Which isn’t a joke, he has a PowerPoint on this particular topic (with cited sources and fancy transitions).

Eddie does one last glance in the mirror before heading out. The pants make his waist look slender, nice. His skin is being squeezed in too many areas, but that’s kind of the point. At least the shirt is loose, albeit a little short. Reveals a patch of his lower tattoos every time he lifts his shoulders.

Okay damn, Chrissy probably knew that too. Maybe she’s the one possessed by the horny spirit of Blanche Devereaux. 

Spiritual possession or not, Eddie ruffles out his bangs one last time. Heads out feeling much more confident than he did after his initial interaction with Steve Harrington.

Eddie agrees to pick Steve up at his last photoshoot of the day. It’s close to his side of town, which means he doesn’t have to fight his way through LA traffic. 

A good sign sent from his lucky wake-up time, no doubt.

He doesn’t expect the photoshoot to be at an amphitheater, but it is. A small one, probably only used for local productions. There’re cameras lining the outer rim of the stage, shuttering and flashing like headlights on a highway. Eddie can hear the director and photographers spewing directions from his car. There’s an audience of producers and crew members, seems like a big fucking deal by the looks of it.

The set is, well, breathtaking - way better than that knockoff fantasy shit from the cologne ad. It’s full of greenery. Trees swaying with the breeze and ivy carpeting the stage floor. A forest that’s almost too beautiful to be synthetic. Eddie wonders if any of the plants are real or if the props department was just that damn good at finding fake ones.

After a few minutes, he checks the time. The shoot is running long. No biggie - Eddie is enjoying the view anyways. Especially, when he finally spots Steve. The view is exceptionally priceless now.

Steve perched on top of a tree trunk, feeding some other model grapes. The dark and stupidly jealous part of Eddie hopes they choke on those grapes. 

His costume almost blends in with the backdrop, dark hues of green. Subtle shades of browns. Perfectly camouflaged by nature. There are vines wrapped around his bare arms, leaves tucked into his tousled hair. 

Honestly, he looks a lot like a wood nymph that Eddie would selfishly design for a DnD campaign. Better, actually. Eddie should take notes. Steal the designer's sketches when nobody's looking.

He’s positively itching to get out of his car, get a closer look at Steve in all his botanical glory. But that might come across as too impatient. Or worse, too presumptuous. So Eddie picks one of his lengthier playlists and settles into his seat.

There’s a tap on Eddie’s window, startling him out of his nap. He must’ve dozed off about twenty minutes ago because the last song he remembers listening to was from the mid-90s section of the playlist. Now, they’ve moved into early 2000s territory.

Seriously, math is way easier when music is leading the equation.

Steve is right there, peering in, still tapping incessantly. His eyes are wide, concerned maybe. Which, yeah. Concern makes sense, considering his date is yawning before the date has even started. Fucking yikes.

Eddie rolls down the window, gives Steve a toothy grin as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes. “Heya, FernGully.”

Steve doesn’t acknowledge Eddie’s costuming reference. Probably missed out on that era of cult classic cartoons. “Up late?” He leans against the car and smiles, far more dazzling than the sun setting behind him.

“You would know.”

Oh, and that earns Eddie a wink from Steve. The nun-converting wink he saw months ago and still thinks about.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Steve reaches into the empty space, pushes the latch down to unlock the front door. “Come on.”

“Uh-”

“I’ve gotta change before we head out.” Steve swings the door open before Eddie can protest.  “Unless you want to have dinner with me dressed like this.”

Eddie raises an eyebrow. “Don’t give me any ideas.”

If there were a Renaissance Festival in town or a Medieval Dinner Show still in business, Eddie would definitely trick his way into getting Steve to go dressed like that. But he tucks the idea away for now, walks down the hill with Steve to the amphitheater. Does his best impression of a civilized human.

“So… what are you supposed to be exactly?”

Steve points to the body glitter on his cheeks. “A fairy.”

Yup. A new file of woodland fantasies starring Steve Fairyington have downloaded into Eddie’s mind. If voice acting didn’t pay so well, he could make an impressive career out of his whimsical porn concepts.

So he deflects. Humor is the only solution to keep the conversation PG-rated. “Just because you’re into guys doesn’t mean you’ve gotta use outdated terms like that.”

“You know what I mean.” Steve knocks an elbow into Eddie’s arm. “I’m a literal fairy.”

“Are you implying that literal fairies exist?” Eddie teases.

“No.”

“Seems like it.”

“Jesus, you’re a piece of work.”

“I can tone it down.”

Steve stops walking, places a hand in the center of Eddie’s chest to stop him too. His playful energy fucking warps into something new. Savory and seductive. Bewitching.

“Don’t even think about it.” He answers, slipping his hand down a little, almost between Eddie’s ribs. The motion sends static through Eddie’s core, up his spine. Raises the hairs on his arm and the back of his neck.

It shouldn’t be alarming that Steve’s touch is powerful. Look at him. 

Eddie has a hard time focusing on the conversation after that. Luckily, the timing works out for him to get his shit together, as Steve heads into the trailer that's parked next to the stage.

He tells Eddie he can take a closer look at the set that he suddenly can’t seem to shut up about. It really is stunning. The size, the details, the color choices. Eddie is fairly certain this is the closest he’ll ever be to experiencing Endor in real life.

Most of the crew members are gone, a few still packing up equipment while Eddie observes a variety of plants used for decorating the wooden platforms. Learns that some plants are real and some are fake, which is actually genius. The mixture of the two distract from the plastic-y finish on some of the vines.

“This is for a special-edition cover of some Shakespeare script.” Steve says, joining Eddie at his side. His outfit is rather colorful. It checks out that he's one of the few people that can pull off a purposeful athleisure aesthetic (Eddie hates that he knows what that style looks like, ugh). “Hence the fairies and forests and shit.”

“Wait.” A lightbulb goes off in Eddie’s head. “Is this for A Midsummer Night’s Dream?”

“That’s the one.”

Eddie does a sharp turn, starts shaking Steve by his shoulders. Absolutely bursting with excitement. “Steve literal fairy Harrington, this is ridiculously cool! Like… the history-making kind of cool!”

“If you say so.” Steve agrees calmly.

“How the hell are you not more jazzed about this?”

“You sound just like my manager.” Steve mumbles. “Truth be told, the only Shakespeare play I’ve ever read is Macbeth.”

Eddie gasps, sucks in enough air to fill an inflatable kiddie pool. “We’re on a stage, you can’t just blurt out the Scottish Play like that.”

This is not good. Horrible, even. Not a damn chance that Eddie can be mellow about this. Superstitious person, believer of traditions, blah blah blah. 

And while hiding that piece of his personality should be a simple task, he cannot blatantly ignore such a major fuckup on Steve’s part. No matter how accidental of a fuckup it might have been.

“Okay, what are you talking about?” Steve asks. Still calm. 

“It’s bad luck.” Eddie explains. “The closest thing to cursing a theatrical production.”

“Well, good thing this isn’t a theatrical production then.”

And as Steve laughs off the thoughtless joke, a loud thud is heard at the back of the stage. 

There it is. A warning of impending doom in the form of a loose stage light, hanging by a few loose wires. 

Almost everyone is gone, only two crew members remain on the sidelines. One of them gets on their walkie talkie, mumbles something about a safety hazard incident.

Pfft, not just an incident. A fucking threat from the ghost of theater, that’s what it is.

“See?” Eddie waves both arms at the light structure swinging upstage. “You’ve pissed off Thespis with your loose lips.”

“Who?”

“Oh my god, you’re so-” 

A high-pitched scream cries out from a nearby street. Both Steve and Eddie jump at the sound. It’s a long, frightening scream. Something straight out of a slasher film, which is a likely possibility, for sure. Things are filmed out on the streets of Los Angeles quite a bit.

But the fear ringing out from this particular scream sounds real. Gritty and hoarse.

Fucking terrifying. 

Once the screaming stops, no sign of returning, they share a look. It’s not an ‘I’m gonna jump your bones’ look either. It’s awkward. A fine line between guilt and ‘I told you so.’

“That was just a coincidence.” Steve waves off the scream like it’s just a daily occurrence. Nothing out of the ordinary. “Curses aren’t real.”

Eddie doesn’t want to shout ‘you’re wrong’ from his metaphorical megaphone. Not on a first date, at least. Outright dogmatic behavior shouldn’t come into play until like… the end of the third date.

All he can do is shrug, swallow back the urge to correct this beautiful person standing beside him.

He’s so rigid now, almost timid from the lingering anxiety that more freaky shit is about to happen. 

“Come here.” Steve motions his head to the side, peering softly at Eddie’s expression. His shoulders are relaxed, arms reaching out for Eddie to follow. Join him.

Which he does. Can’t help it. Fully dazed by Steve’s patience, legs moving without a chance to reconsider.

“Wanna get out of here?” Steve thumbs over Eddie’s cheek, skims his nail against the scratchy bits of stubble along Eddie’s jaw. His movements are slow, precise. Only a smidge of pity in his smile. 

Yup. That’s what this must be - Steve probably thinks Eddie is being dramatic. Must assume he can smooth over Eddie’s knotted nerves by just touching him. Tracing hypnotic patterns over his skin.

Eddie is mildly irritated that it’s working. If he can’t find the strength to look away from Steve’s sunny-tinted eyes soon, he’ll float away. Slip through the air as particles. Dust. Nothing but his slutty wishes will remain.

“Not yet.” Eddie gulps.

“No?”

He can’t in good conscience let this theater stay plagued by Steve’s words. This place is on verge of being the location for a Final Destination sequel.

So Eddie removes Steve's hand from his face, squeezes once before returning it back to Steve’s side. “Gotta reverse the fuck out this bad omen first.”

“There’s no such thing as-”

“Don’t.” He pleads. “Put my superstitious mind at ease. Can you do that for me?”

Steve at least has the decency to look away while he rolls his eyes. Pretty and considerate. “Fine. How do I break the curse?”

Eddie has spent enough time in theaters to know there’s a few variations on this process. Changes from director to director. The most common one is going outside and spinning in a circle three times, then knocking on the door till someone lets you back inside.

But that’s where the problem comes in. They’re already outside and there’s no door to knock on, while pleading for forgiveness.

Hmm…

It’s a good thing Eddie remembers a few adjustments to the protocol. It’s an even better thing that he was captain of his improv troupe for three years back in college. Thinking of solutions on the spur of the moment? Adapting for the sake of the scene? Eddie lives for that shit. Comedy fucking chameleon, that’s him.

And what’s better than all of that? His leftover luck from waking up at 11:11am.

Guess it pays off to be a superstitious person. Sometimes.

Eddie clears his throat, delivers the instructions with a southern drawl. Fucks around with it because he can. “So first, you have to walk around the theater three times.”

“Okay.”

“Backwards.” That’s definitely not part of the procedure, but oh well. Steve doesn’t have to know that.

Steve scoffs, shaking his head. “Yeah, fuck that.”

“Sorry. I don’t make the rules, gorgeous.”

Except he does make the rules. Currently having way too much fun watching Steve squirm at the stupidity of it all. He’s quickly learning how easy it is to push Steve’s buttons. That shouldn’t be so thrilling for him but whoops. It is.

“Whatever.” Steve kicks a piece of gravel off the stage and sighs. “Then what?”

So he wants more? Eddie can do that. “You have spit on the ground to show your remorse.” 

“This is a bunch of shit.”

“I said spit, not shit.” Eddie leans into Steve’s ear, uses his studio voice, watches as Steve turns pink all over. He lowers the volume down to a whisper. “Try to keep up.”

“Asshole.” But there’s a grin plastered all over Steve’s face as he grumbles. Eddie’s chest is fizzing, total carbonated joy inside him knowing that Steve is a vicious little monster, just like him.

He shoos Steve off to complete the reversal process. Sits on the edge of the stage, legs dangling over the rim, fingers fidgeting with a thread on his jeans.

He’s so smug, watching the prettiest boy on the planet become the grumpiest goofball. Steve might look like an angel, but he has the aura of a full-bred Pomeranian left in the rain.

“I’m making a new rule!” Steve shouts from the back of the theater. 

“How ambitious of you!”

Eddie swears he can hear Steve growling in response, which fuck, that shouldn’t be such an adorably hot combo. But Eddie pictures the curve of Steve’s upper lip as he snarls and the zigzag of his arched eyebrows, and that’s exactly what it is. Hot. Adorable. Sensational.

Steve Harrington is a game of Mad Libs. Every adjective, every word that invokes head rushes and heart flutters, they’re all about him.

“As I was saying before you rudely mocked me,” Steve is in Eddie’s peripherals now, still stepping backwards. Toe to heel, hands loosely in his pants pockets. Not fair that he can make walking backwards look slick and cool. The nerve, the gall. “My new rule is that I get to ask you a question each time I get to the front.”

Eddie pulls one knee up to his chest, lets his chin rest over top of it. “Well then... ask away, o’ cursed one.”

Steve stops at the front of the stage. He doesn’t turn all the way around or start walking forward again. He turns just enough to look at Eddie. Focusing on him.

The sudden attention to Eddie’s face gets him all stuffy. He tries to hide the color that’s surely settled on his cheeks by digging one side of his face into his kneecap. It’s a dopey move. Too bashful, even for him.

“Alright.” Steve says. “How do you know so much about theater?”

An easy question with an easy answer. Relief surges through Eddie. “Most voice actors start out as stage actors. Not always, but a lot of us do. Gotta start somewhere, ya know?”

“Yeah. I know.” Steve nods, and continues with his second lap.

Once his footsteps are far away enough for Eddie to think properly, it dawns on him - they’re getting to know each other. Like authentic people would do.

Like… an actual date.

Shit, it’s been so long since someone in this artificial fucktown has wanted to know things about Eddie beyond hookups and screenames. A genuine moment was right in front of him, and he almost missed it.

That sobers him up. Eddie shoves away his need to Cause Chaos and accepts the sincerity. Gives it right back to Steve. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“How did the modeling gig start?”

“Agents found my instagram again.” Steve replies. “Liked my pictures enough to offer me some shitty jobs to build up my resume. The usual story these days.”

“Right.” 

Eddie can’t fathom being that attractive. So attractive that people seek him out. 

Different worlds is an understatement. Different realms is more like it.

“Next question.” Steve says, arriving to the front again. “Would you rather visit the beach or the mountains?”

Eddie has to think about that one for a minute. He doesn’t take many vacations, can’t afford to on a single artist’s income.

But he remembers a trip to Colorado that he took as a teenager. Vaguely recalls not appreciating any of the landscapes because he was too busy texting his new girlfriend during the whole damn trip.

“The mountains.” Eddie answers, just as Steve begins to walk again. “The Rockies and I have some… unfinished business, if you will.”

Steve chuckles. “Sounds like there’s a story behind that.”

“Definitely.”

“Maybe I’ll get to hear it sometime.”

“If you want.” Eddie says, beaming at the implication. 

Steve’s footsteps stop. “Like I said on the phone, Eddie. Hearing you talk is...” The Earth feels silent. But the tension in Eddie’s ears is audible. “Well… I'm into it, I guess.”

Eddie has to switch knees to ease the thump in his dick. “And is Steve Harrington a mountain man or a beach bum?” 

“Depends on the season.”

“Such a diplomatic answer.” Such a vague answer too, Eddie thinks. 

“Okay. Last question.” Steve arrives at the front, shorter of breath than he was the first two laps. He hesitates for a second, then takes a couple of steps towards Eddie. “All those tattoos you have… did getting them done hurt?”

“Like a bitch.” Eddie bunches up his shirt to show off the sleeve of ink he has on his left arm. Took years for it to look this intricate. This complete. He’ll never get tired of staring at it. “Why? Itching to get one or something?”

“Nah. Never got the appeal of putting yourself through hours of pain or whatever.”

“It’s all about the art. The memories. The stories.” Eddie stretches out his bent knee. Lets it drop back down, relaxing into his explanation. “All of those things stitched into designs that I get to admire every damn day for the rest of my life.”

“Art, huh?” Steve takes a few steps closer, close enough to touch.

“What can I say?” Eddie is shamelessly studying the specks in Steve’s eyes. How all the colors blend and separate the closer he gets. Can hear himself grinning as he speaks. “I’m a big fan of gazing at pretty things.”

He’s so tempted to reach out, pull Steve in. Have him straddle his waist while they taste each other for hours.

But he’s still mooning over those eyes - the ones that deserve myths and legends to be told about them for ages. Centuries. Whichever is longer.

“Um.” Steve’s voice snaps Eddie out of his spell. “So… spit?”

“Sorry what?”

“The curse.” Steve says. “I’m supposed to spit on the ground, yeah?”

“Right, yeah. Uh huh.”  Eddie rambles, still internally choking on the fact that Steve just said spit to him. In public.

Steve backs away, puts some space between them. He begins making this nasty, gravelly side with his mouth. His jaw sags slightly as he does it, the lump in his throat bobbing the whole time. 

Eddie gawks, fully unable to look away while Steve swishes the spit around. Filling one cheek, then the other. He’s getting harder with every noise, every swish.

All at once, Steve forcefully hocks the stream of spit onto the ground. It goes diagonally, lands way closer to Eddie than he was expecting. Gets some goddamn distance, which makes Eddie’s eyes roll back. He’s pretty sure he lets out a wobbly ‘fuck’ at how obscene it all looks.

Steve wanders back over, avoids stepping in the wet mess he made on the ground. He places a hand on Eddie’s knee, works his way up the rough edges of denim.

Eddie’s vision is still spotty from what he just witnessed, so he decides to talk until everything clears up. Steve is into that right? The talking bullshit?

“There’s one more step to complete this.” Eddie watches the blurry outline of Steve’s hand rubbing his thigh, slowly blinking the image into full focus.

“And what’s that?” Steve’s voice is low, eyes fixed on Eddie’s mouth.

“You gotta…” Eddie licks his lip. Places a hand over top of Steve’s. Moving where it moves. Going where it goes. Buys himself some time to get the words straightened out. “You gotta kiss the nearest sewer rat loser.”

“And if I don’t do that?” Steve leans in till their noses touch. “Then what? The curse won’t be broken?”

Eddie nods. Only able to give a thin ‘mhmm’ in reply. He wraps two fingers around Steve’s wrist, the hand that's still trailing heat along his thigh. Needs to press against the pulse there, feel it jump. Spike.

Steve is so quiet. So controlled compared to his pulse. “Can’t have that then, can we?”

His lips part, hovering over Eddie’s mouth. The kiss starts out like that. Lips treading, only meeting between breaths. Neither of them pushing for more than seconds of warm contact, brief and sweet. 

That is until Steve’s free hand starts twisting into Eddie’s shirt, tugging him along by the soft fabric. Eddie sinks forward, dives fully into the kiss. He holds his breath or maybe it just gets caught in his lungs from how good it all feels. How Steve touches him like he's captured. How Steve kisses him like he’s dessert.

Eddie can't help but smush their lips together, forcing their faces closer than faces can scientifically be. He hears the wet smack of their tongues echoing underneath the amphitheater, waking his lungs the fuck up. Lets out the weakest sigh, hopes most of the sound gets trapped between Steve’s lips. 

Oh god, his lips. They’re fuller than Eddie’s, puffier now from kissing this hard. He wants to squish them around with his fingers, push them into pout so he can suck on them. Turn them nice and red. Eddie gets his hands tangled in Steve’s hair, knots them up enough to resist the lip-squishing temptation that’s burning him up inside.

“Here.” Steve exhales, hooks one of Eddie’s legs around his waist. 

That… okay, fuck. That’s so hot, so unexpectedly assertive and right. Eddie takes the hint, wraps his other leg around Steve. The heel of his scuffed boots is digging into Steve’s ass, not too hard, but enough to earn a dirty whine out of Steve. He pushes them together, clothes rubbing back and forth, scratching loudly. Muffles their mouth noises though.

“Can we…” Eddie wants to move this elsewhere, anywhere less public. He’s so fucking selfish for that. Needs to swallow every sound Steve makes, secure every expression with a lock. Nobody else should be allowed to see Steve like this besides Eddie.

He lets one hand unravel from Steve’s hair, glides down to the collar of Steve’s tank top. He yanks the material lower, presses his lips against the new area of exposed skin. Sips and sucks over that spot, claims it like he could extract a piece of Steve’s soul if he sucks hard enough.

“Yeah, fuck yeah.” Steve responds, whimpering into the top of Eddie’s hair. Not entirely clear if he’s saying that out of pleasure, or agreeing with Eddie that they should relocate, but whatever. It's all too good to overthink the meaning.

Eddie unhooks his legs and kisses the deep purple mark he just made. Too fucking proud how easily the color spreads into reddish tones around the edges. 

His vision goes fuzzy again as he stands upright, has to blink away all the white specks of dizzy lust. Eddie offers a hand to Steve, but there’s no damn point for that. Steve is already hopping up onto the stage, makes it look effortless. Cool as shit.

“Follow me.” Steve grabs the crook of Eddie’s forearm, pulling him into the forested scenery.

As if there were any need for Steve to request that. Eddie Munson would follow Steve into the sketchiest alleyway of Hell, if it meant they could kiss like that some more.

They duck underneath a few tree limbs, weave through the maze of green. A few leaves get into Eddie’s mouth, but he hardly notices anything besides the dent that Steve’s fingernail is leaving in his arm. It would make the sickest crescent moon tattoo, inked and perfectly shaped. 

Damnit, Eddie’s thoughts are getting more fucked the deeper they hide. Steve slams Eddie against the trunk of a large tree. He realizes with the thud on his back that it’s plywood, not tree bark. Doesn’t care one bit if his shirt tears from the nails jutting out. Cares even less if he gets splinters from the slow grinding of their hips, hitching his shirt up further with every thrust.

“These are sexy.” Steve tugs at Eddie’s empty belt loop. Didn’t need an actual belt with how suffocating they are. “But they’ve gotta go. If that’s cool.”

“Get them the hell out of here.” Eddie is subconsciously thanking Chrissy for suggesting these stupid pants. She’ll be insufferable when he tells her about the jean's success rate. But right now? Worth it.

Anything seems worth it to have Steve popping the button out, ripping the zipper down. He’s so focused on getting these pants off that his forehead wrinkles, little beads of sweat gathering on his temples. 

Eddie can’t resist any longer, not after seeing Steve equally covered in desperation. He palms the front of Steve’s pants, wants to give him some relief for this valiant jean-removing effort.

“Steve.” Eddie huffs, brushes his lips over Steve’s ear. “You have no idea how much I’ve thought about this.” He bites over the skin, nibbling carefully with the tip of his teeth.

It must tickle because Steve laughs while shrugging the jeans lower, boxers going with them. 

“So tell me then.” He kisses Eddie. It’s harsh, mostly panting into his mouth. Steve sinks to the floor and looks up. “Keep talking.”

This. This goddamn view. Eddie wasn’t expecting to get a view of Steve on his knees tonight. Wasn’t expecting his head to go limp, looking up at Eddie the way he eyefucked the camera on the day they first met. 

Only difference is, Steve’s not acting - not pretending to be needy.

He just is. He’s all of those coy and sinful things, exclusively for Eddie this time.

“Spit in my hand.” Steve stretches his hand up towards Eddie’s chin - gives him those big, midnight eyes that could make dormant volcanoes erupt instantly. Defy physics, end climate change. 

Eddie doesn’t use brain cells anymore, just does what he’s told. He gathers enough spit in his mouth, then watches it trickle out. Pooling in the center of Steve’s hand. It’s gross, sure. But also, it’s the hottest thing he’s ever done. 

Gross and hot. Those sensations are fucking synonymous right now.

“Tell me, Eddie.” Steve gets his fingers around Eddie’s cock, the warm wetness makes it twitch in his hold. Apparently, no part of Eddie’s anatomy can believe this is really happening, not even his dick.

“Uh-”

“You said you’ve thought about it.”

“Lots.”

“So tell me while I get you off.”

“Oh.. god, okay.” And Eddie is good at that. Talking nonstop. Revealing all of his filthy secrets when asked so politely. He did it last night, slipped into his darker persona with ease so Steve could feel good.

But that’s just it, isn’t it? Eddie would say a flurry of fuckery for Steve Harrington’s approval. Get him to come until he shakes because Eddie wants that. Wants Steve to feel like liquid gold dripping between his fingers. Wants Steve to bend and break under his words and touch.

Talking dirty to get himself off is new territory. Eddie is a perpetual giver, loves being that way most of the time. Especially for someone as spectacular as Steve.

“Go ahead, babe.” Steve urges, licks the muscle of Eddie’s inner thigh till it tightens.

Right, he can do this. Even if he is short of breath. Eddie can be as confident as he was last night while Steve strokes him. “Thought about you since the commercial production.”

It’s a start. He bites his lip and keeps going. “All I could think about was… fuck. Opening you up. Leaving my fingerprints on your hips.”

“What else?” Steve purrs, working Eddie roughly with his spit-slick fingers. Sounds just as ruined as Eddie does.

“Wanted to fuck you in my lap.” Eddie pauses to moan, chest falling hard. He gets another glimpse of Steve’s hand on him, picking up the pace. A tempo so delicious that it shuts off Eddie’s judgment skills. His mouth running wild. “Let you ride me just like that. Use me till your legs go weak.”

Steve huffs out a laugh. His grip gets a little firmer, loosening up between strokes. Makes a fucking pattern out of it, has Eddie craving it. Needs more.

“And what if I wanted to fuck you, huh?” Steve’s question hits his ears like a whip. Cracking every nerve in Eddie’s body.

“I’d let you.” And it’s true, so very true. Eddie’s mouth is still going rogue, uttering truths like he’s on trial. Ready to testify all his desires to Steve. Sign his name on the dotted fucking line. “You could wreck me any way you want, sweetheart.”

Eddie seems to have found the secret words to Steve’s wild side. He’s taking Eddie down his throat, almost too fast. So fast that drool forms at the corners of his stretched lips, mouth gurgling already.

Eddie is swearing, not even real words half the time - just moans that sound explicit enough to get bleeped out on public access television. One hand goes over his own mouth while the other keeps combing through Steve’s hair.

It’s so damp now, sticking out erratically at the sides. Eddie curls a few strands over his thumb, watches the color drain from his finger. So demented, so good.

Steve is taking his cock so damn well, so Eddie tells him. Truly, all that he’s capable of is sex-drunk praise. Letting Steve know how gorgeous he is, how bruised his throat will be from sucking this much cock, how swollen and sore his lips look at this angle.

Eddie can’t stop because every phrase makes Steve get messier. Whining and whimpering each time he pulls off. Looking up at Eddie before taking him in again. Getting louder. Loud enough that sidewalk pedestrians definitely could hear him if they linger nearby for too long.

Eddie's knees buckle as he gets close. Doesn't have the energy to straighten back out, let alone warn Steve that he’s about to come. None of that seems to matter though. Steve nods twice, still bobbing around Eddie, like he just knows. Knows Eddie is there and is fucking willing to work him through it.

“Holy fuck, Steve.” Which yeah, Eddie gets it. Uttering someone’s name while he comes in their mouth is a little tacky and cliche. But saying it is involuntary, totally out of his control. Truthfully, Eddie relinquished all control to Steve hours ago.

Steve swallows, cleans Eddie with a few swipes of his overworked tongue like it’s nothing. No problamo. Like that’s the only way to handle the aftermath of an orgasm. In the most delightful way, or whatever musical shit Mary Poppins sings about. 

He gives the laziest, dreamiest grin as Eddie collapses down to his level. Both of them heaving, kissing with aching lungs. 

“Fucking fantastic.” Eddie whispers, brushes his knuckles over Steve’s pink-stained cheeks. Hopes his rings don’t hurt too much, absently forgetting how chunky they are.

Steve leans into the small touch. “Glad to hear it.”

“You’re fantastic.” Eddie clarifies. Means it more than any superstition he’s ever heard in his life.

He’s more than ready to get his hands all over Steve, make him come until he faints. But Steve is adamant that he’s chills with waiting. Says he actually enjoys the buildup from staying horny for hours and hours. Mentions something about that being a new discovery that he wants to explore. 

With Eddie. 

Steve fucking Harrington wants to explore new sides of himself with Eddie. That sends him reeling. Smitten and spiraling.

“Are sure?” Eddie paws at Steve’s hard-on, ready to jump in and save the day via orgasm.

“Very sure.” He lifts Eddie's hand away, snickering as he lays a quick kiss on each finger.  “I like being around you. That’s not gonna change overnight.”

“Like being around you too, Steve.” He takes Steve’s face into his hands, smushes it back and forth until Steve smiles. “Crazy about it, actually.”

The sun is low, barely any light left in the sky. But as Eddie holds Steve’s face, watching him smile, he notices that Steve is glowing. Not beaming, actually glowing. Even through the dimness of sky and the shadows formed by tree limbs, Eddie can see all of Steve’s features.

How is that possible?

They each look up and see it. Taking it in, this mysterious glow.

“Wow.” They say in unison, almost matching pitch. Matching levels of disbelief too.

Between the branches and leaves, they are tiny lights. Floating, orb-like lights. The brightness shining off of them is warm, soft on the eyes. They’re scattered high over the forested backdrop, orange and yellow hues twinkling against rich greens. 

Enchanting is the only word to describe this new addition. Incredibly and unbelievably enchanting.

“Set designer really popped off with this cover shoot, I guess.” Steve throws the theory out there, barely sounds like he believes it himself.

Eddie rubs his eyes. His voice comes out hushed, doesn’t really mean for it to but it does anyways. “Steve… those aren’t attached to anything. No strings, no wires. They’re just-”

“Floating?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Be serious, dude.”

And Eddie is. Completely serious. No jokes or snarky replies in his system right now. He points to the nearest light, then back at Steve. “You broke the curse, right?”

“Apparently.” Steve shrugs.

“So maybe Thespis is showing his forgiveness.”

“Who the hell is Thespis?” Steve pinches the skin between his eyes and groans - acting like Eddie’s hypothesis is giving him a migraine. Honestly, it might be. Wouldn’t be the first time Eddie worked someone up to the point of desperately needing tylenol.

He switches tactics, nuzzles into Steve’s shoulder with his nose. Attempts to lighten the mood with at least one joke in these trying times of bad luck and headaches. “Or he’s giving us his blessing for copulating on his holy grounds.”

The lights answer, flaring out all around them. They pulsate for a minute, maybe two, before returning back to their normal glow. Eddie tucks in a grin because Steve’s gorgeous little head looks like it’s about to detonate off of his gorgeous little body. So if he smiles right now, Steve will undoubtedly explode on this very flammable set piece.

Which would be a wicked awesome way to die. Post-orgasm, then up in flames. But alas, they have dinner reservations. It would be rude not to show up.

Really, it’s no surprise to Eddie that the ghost of theater is into partial voyeurism, signaling his approval with twinkling lights. Semi-public sex probably classifies as its own unique strand of performing art in Ancient Greece.

Or the dead dude is just into taboo stuff. 

If so, good for him. You do you, Thespis.

“Look.” Steve says, standing up. “Maybe it’s… an optical illusion.”

“Or magic.”

Steve lets out a deep sigh and offers his hand to Eddie. Pulls him up in one swift motion. Doesn’t let go of his hand afterward either. “How about we drop it and go get some dinner?”

Typically, Eddie is all about a verbal bloodbath. But Steve laces their fingers together, connects them in a way that has Eddie forgetting all about his need to be right. 

“Consider it dropped.”

The lights flicker out as they walk further away from the stage. And as they get into Eddie’s car, they go out entirely. Steve flicks on the radio, defaults to the classic rock station, which is playing “Magic” by The Cars.

“It’s a sign.” Eddie sings to the tune, poking a finger at Steve.

“Just drive, you big dork.” Steve swats him away, placing a hand on Eddie’s thigh while he drives. He turns up the volume, surprisingly knows every lyric by heart. Belts them out. Full on screams the parts he likes best.

Which Eddie totally can relate to. He wants to scream about all the parts he likes best about Steve. About their date that’s not even finished yet.

On their way to dinner, Eddie avoids the cracks on the sidewalk. On the drive home, he taps the roof of his car whenever he makes it through a yellow light at an intersection.

And when he drops Steve off at his apartment precisely at 11:11pm, he doesn’t say a damn word. Keeps his mouth shut, only opens it to kiss Steve goodbye (with tongue, obviously).

Sure, it’s just a dumb superstition, Eddie can admit that to himself.

But tonight… it feels like more than that.

More than a coincidence.

More than a good omen.

He sends a ‘got home safely’ text to Steve as he pulls into his designated parking spot. Totally obsessed with how fast Steve texts him back, it’s too fucking cute.

Steve: glad :) had a great time btw

Eddie: really?

Steve: yes *really*

Eddie: i had a great time too

He quickly taps the voice-record button before Steve can respond:

“Actually,” Eddie sneers. Uses the voice that Steve goes crazy for. “I had a magical time.”

Steve: ugh

Eddie: ;)

[mirai-e-jump]

Uchusen Vol. 182 (Autumn 2023) Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger | Detail of Super Sentai Main Cast Member Interviews (translations below)

Publication: October 2, 2023

Taisei Sakai x Watanabe Aoto x Kaku So x Masashi Ikeda Interview

The story has entered a new chapter! The actors who play the kings have grown just as much as their characters through more than half a year of filming. In this issue, we asked Taisei Sakai, Watanabe Aoto, Kaku So, and Masashi Ikeda about stories from filming and their enthusiasm for the new chapter.

"First, we'd like to talk about the battle against the Earth Empire, Bugnarak, which was depicted in episode 26. While filming, did you notice any growth in your characters?"

Ikeda: Jeramie has grown significantly. Gradually, he's become more human, and has shown new sides and changes in his feelings, which gave off the feeling that he was being "updated" as I played the role.

Sakai: Gira hasn't changed much in terms of his character, but I felt that the feelings he has for his people have changed greatly since becoming king.

Watanabe: The impact of Yanma's first appearance was strong, so I think the way he's depicted is to show the various sides of him. As an actor, it was fun to see developments continue, allowing me to play new aspects of his character.

Kaku: There was a big change in Kaguragi with the absence of Racules……I enjoyed acting and having conversations with (Masato) Yano-chan, who plays the role of Racules, and many people complimented us on our performance by saying, "It's like something out of a Taiga drama,* only more profound." However, I get the strong impression that Kaguragi remains the same, and is as relaxed as ever. Perhaps more impressive than the change in character, is the growing friendship between the cast members over the past six months. We even go out to eat after filming finishes….. (*annual historical drama by NHK)

Watanabe: With the exception of our days off, we're always together.

"Looking back, please tell us about any episodes that left a particularly strong impression on you."

Kaku: It would have to be episode 26. It's the last episode of the first chapter, and I was moved by the scene where Gira and the others resolve things with the Bugnarak. The one that was most fun to play was episode 24, which was the summer festival episode. Wearing a yukata in that worldview was also fun.

Ikeda: Episode 26 is definitely memorable, but if I had to choose the best one, I'd say it's episode 11. I think that the scene where Jeramie made his first appearance, taking off the spider mask he's worn for 2,000 years, was the first step in his new life. I'll never forget that scene.

Watanabe: The first film shoot I had was together with Gira. From there, everyone came together in episode 5, and after Legend King-Ohger arrived, Jeramie joined us…..When I think back on the process, the most memorable moment was when all 6 of us were together for the shoot. In particular, I was moved by episode 19, when it was announced that we were, "The Five Kingdom Unusual Incident Countermeasure Lifesaving Force," abbreviated as, "Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger!"

Sakai: The 6 of us transforming together in episode 19 left a deep impression on me as well. I was amazed when I saw the finished video for the first time. I was impressed by the wonderful effects of the screen cracking at the moments of impact.

Ikeda: It was fun to see everyone fighting together, and gave off an atmosphere unique to the Sentai series.

"We'd also like to ask about the retainers who support the kings. What are everyone's impressions of Douga, Shiokara, Kuroda, and Gerojim?"

Kaku: Despite the fact that he hides his face, I'm glad that Kuroda is very popular. I discussed with (Hajime) Kanzaki-san, who plays Kuroda, that the relationship between Kaguragi and Kuroda is that of a lord and a spy, but Kuroda's personality became alot more prominent, and he's since come to the forefront. Before I knew it, he became an essential part of King-Ohger.

Ikeda: Gerojim is so cute! When I watch the broadcasts, I can't help but laugh when Tomokazu Seki-san (Gerojim's voice actor) interjects between my lines. I never thought I'd have a retainer, or that he'd even ride in God King-Ohger. I did alot of acting with monsters, especially scenes with (Riichi) Seike-san, who plays Desnarak VIII. Seike-san is a really passionate actor, and before we performed the farewell scene between Desnarak VIII and Jeramie in episode 26, Seike-san encouraged me with, "Come at me with everything you've got!" In the beginning, I wasn't used to acting with Suit Actors, but thanks to Seike-san and the others, I was able to act naturally, which made me very happy.

Watanabe: Shiokara and the others are a good group of friends who react to every single thing Yanma does. On our days off, Chiwata Yuhei-kun, who plays the role of Shiokara, takes the initiative in arranging dinner parties for the N'Kosopa team. I'm very grateful that communication is connected through Chiwata-kun, and I'm also happy that just like in the show, Shiokara plays the role of connecting me with our citizens.

Sakai: Episodes between Douga and Gira haven't really been depicted, but it seems like a strong relationship was formed over the 2 years between episodes 26 and 27. They must have thought of ways to ensure that food would reach the children, and how to run the country while coming up with ideas together on how to better serve the people.

"Did the staff tell you about any changes that occurred during the span of those 2 years?"

Sakai: I haven't been told the specifics, but Director Kazuya Kamihoriuchi told me that he wanted Gira to be the same as before, but to show a casual composure when performing final attacks.

Ikeda: Although Jeramie's 2,000 years old, on the inside, he's as innocent as a child and is inspired by every single thing that happens to him. So, I think he's taken in alot during those 2 years. Especially in the new chapter, we can see his growth as he tries to express his feelings to the other kings in a straightforward manner. The biggest change was that Jeramie became king, so he must've been busy building a nation for the past 2 years, right? That's what I think atleast. Personally, I'm happy that my country is finally being projected on the LED wall.

Kaku: Kaguragi was arrested for using an underground cultivator called "Arijigoku," which could also be used as a weapon, but he was probably conscious of the fight against Racules, so was making agricultural machines that could be converted into weapons. However, even after 2 years, I still don't know what he's thinking. I wonder what forms of communication he'll start to use……Now that Racules is gone, it seems easy to deceive anyone, so I'm looking forward to seeing what he'll do (laughs).

Watanabe: Not only Kaguragi, but Yanma was also arrested for monopolizing electricity to create the Ultra PC called, "Under Heaven and Earth, I'm the only one." This just shows that even 2 years later, the kings can't sit still.

"The imprisonment of the kings was a surprise, but at the same time, the new chapter has brought changes in hairstyles and costumes."

Watanabe: I was told that the visuals would change when we started depicting what was happening 2 years later. So, I suggested a more mature haircut, thinking it’ll help Yanma settle down, but Director Kamihoriuchi immediately rejected it. Then came the blonde pompadour, and I thought that he was far from settling down, and that his "peak" was yet to come. I actually had the opportunity to suggest a new visual to the Director, and as it was also one of the choices for Yanma's original costume, the short gakuran was chosen

Kaku: Kaguragi has black hair, but I thought it would've been better if he had brown hair….but, that didn't work out (laughs). I'm looking forward to letting my hair down and seeing how the viewers react.

Ikeda: Jeramie now wears a cloak, which makes him look more dignified as a king. Also, the fact that he can now proudly show his Bugnarak hand is a sign that humans and Bugnarak have become closer over the past 2 years, and that the world has become more peaceful. This also seems to have had a significant change in his personality.

Sakai: My changes were left up to the make up artists (laughs). My hair is longer and parted down the middle, and I'm wearing the same clothes as Racules…..I've made a bunch of suggestions myself, but nothing's been approved (laughs). I wonder, will the reason for why he's wearing Racules's clothes and his hairstyle change be revealed in future episodes…..? That's what I imagine.

"By the way, when was everyone made aware of the new chapter?"

Kaku: I think it was right after the dubbing for "Adventure Heaven." The costumes were going to change from episode 27, and there were discussions of, "What are we going to do about it?"

Watanabe: It was about 2 weeks before we started filming, so we didn't have alot of time.

Ikeda: When they said it took place 2 years later, I had the image of a new development in an anime, so it made me very motivated.

"Episode 28 featured a difficult episode of switching roles. Gira and Jeramie, Yanma and Rita, Kaguragi and Hymeno switched, how did you like each of the roles you played?"

Watanabe: I tried to play the role in my own way without asking Yuzuki-chan too many questions. I tried to exaggerate Rita's image by keeping my distance from them except for the physical part, and I wonder, did it come out good? On the other hand, Yuzuki-chan asked me various questions, but since we didn't have many scenes where we talked to each other, I didn't know what was going on until I watched the broadcast.

Kaku: I was also looking forward to seeing how Marie (Erika-san) would play Kaguragi. In my case, I discussed this with Marie, and we began to imitate each other, starting with our finger movements one by one. However, at the start of filming, Director Kamioriuchi told me that it, "Wasn't interesting." I panicked when I heard his comments. The Director wanted her to play the role as if she were an exaggerated imitation of "Hollywood Zakoshisyoh,*" and from there, he expanded on the image he had for Hymeno. But, was I really becoming Hymeno? I was worried at first. Marie's performance as Kaguragi was so far out there, that it was almost too much. She would say, "Ro~Yal~Arms~!!" and I would respond with, "I've never said it like that!," and so she had to try again (laughs). (*Japanese comedian)

Sakai: It’s really difficult for one person to come up with a performance that took about six months to create. Ikeda-kun taught me in detail about Jeramie's gestures, the way he walked, and even the tone of his voice, and I studied and consulted with him alot during filming.

Ikeda: I could tell that we were thinking about the various elements of each other. I kept in mind that we should try to respect each other and exaggerate the other person's character to make it just right.

"We'd also like to ask you about the "Kingdom Dance Competition" that became a hot topic when it was released over the summer. What’s the story behind that video of you dancing "Zenryoku King" in a decisive competition?”

Kaku: It was difficult in many ways! (laughs). I thought I only had to do the scenes where I appeared, but then I realized that I had to dance to all of them. It was very hard, partly because we were filming the movie at the same time.

Sakai: But, that was the first time all the cast members got together for filming. King-Ohger had alot of filming done in the different countries, so it was rare for everyone to gather together, including the entourage. That's why filming it was lively and fun.

Ikeda: I personally have something to say about the distributed video! I was told that since it was being done in one take, even if we made a mistake, it would still be used. However, the other members mistakes weren't included, and only my mistakes were picked up......(laughs). This is to the staff! Couldn't you have just changed the order of the shots?!

Watanabe: But, the Bugnarak team's dancing was wonderful.

Ikeda: That's because Seike-san gathered the team's Suit Actors and even held a strategy meeting.

Kaku: The sexy poses of Rita and Morfonia in Gokkan were ordered by Director Kamihoriuchi. It was interesting to see that Morfonia didn't seem too happy about it (laughs).

"Finally, can you tell us about the development of the new chapter and its highlights?"

Kaku: I think that the pasts of Kaguragi and Suzume will be further explored, which will deepen your love for the characters. I'm looking forward to the future of this story, not only as an actor, but also as a viewer.

Ikeda: I think that not only the pasts of each king and their retainers, but also the mysteries of the world of King-Ohger will continue to be revealed. I want to know the ending as soon as possible, so I can't wait to receive the next script!

Watanabe: Not just Yanma, but past stories related to N'Kosopa will also be depicted, so I hope you'll continue to watch King-Ohger every week!

Sakai: Gira is especially mysterious. He was born into a royal family, and yet he ended up in an orphanage, and we don't know why he knows about the Wrath of God. Even I don't know the truth behind it, but I've been imagining alot of different things as I play the role. I hope that from now on, you'll continue to support King-Ohger! _

Murakami Erika x Yuzuki Hirakawa Interview

Following the male cast members, we asked Murakami Erika, who plays the role of Hymeno Ran, and Yuzuki Hirakawa, who plays the role of Rita Kaniska, to talk to us. The two of them will talk about everything, from the changes they went through during the six months of filming, the costume changes that accompanied the start of the second chapter, and even the untold story of the body swapping episode depicted in episode 28.

"With episode 26, the battle against the Earth Empire, Bugnarak, has come to an end. Having played Hymeno and Rita for six months since the first episode, how do you feel your characters have changed?"

Murakami: Hymeno was the type of queen who wasn't suited for collective actions, having led people according to her own selfishness. But, when the Bugnarak attacked, she decided to join forces with the other kings to save Chikyu. In episode 7, there's a scene where Hymeno couldn't respond immediately to Gira saying the words, "Let's be friends!" After that, I think she gradually developed a mutual relationship with Gira and the others, and was able to grow toward her goal of saving Chikyu.

Hirakawa: Rita has slowly begun to depend on others. I think that they're gradually becoming able to express their honest feelings. In the beginning, Rita was building walls against others on their own, but as the story progressed, their barrier against the other kings gradually grew smaller. As a result, their self control to suppress their feelings have weakened, which is why they've started to sometimes scream in front of others.

"Hymeno has her retainer Sebastian, and Rita has their retainer Morfonia. As Hymeno and Rita, were there many scenes where you interacted with those two characters?"

Murakami: Sebastian is the one who listens to Hymeno's every request and spoils her. But, when taking God King-Ohger into battle in episode 25, although she was afraid that she might get them killed in battle, she asked Sebastian and the others, "It's incredibly selfish, but will you hear me out?," as if begging them to fight with her. It really was a lovely moment where I felt the relationship of trust between the king of Ishabana and her entourage.

Hirakawa: Originally, Rita and Morfonia had a professional relationship only. Then, during episode 10, Morfonia approached Rita, and the distance between them changed. In episode 25, Rita asked Morfonia for a favor outside of work, and I think this showed that the relationship between the two of them has grown even deeper.

"How is your relationship with Hiroto Yoshimitsu-san, who plays Sebastian, and Kasumi Hasegawa-san, who plays Morfonia?"

Murakami: Yoshimitsu-san is really sweet to me (laughs). He's always buying me something tasty.

Hirakawa: It was daifuku the other day (laughs).

Murakami: It was delicious~ (laughs). Also, when I would raise my voice during a scene, (Mizushima) Marina-san, who plays Elegance Moun, would become worried and give me throat lozenges…..Since the members of Ishabana's entourage are all older than me, they spoil me as if I were their daughter.

Hirakawa: Kasumin (Hasegawa-san) is like a kind big sister who's always looking out for me. Possibly due to both of us being from Kyushu, we became good friends the more we started hanging out in our private lives. Recently, we've been doing live streams together, and have become closer than ever.

"Looking back up to episode 26, what were the most memorable scenes?"

Hirakawa: Rita's past being portrayed in episode 16 was the most memorable for me. Rita's past was hard to imagine and rather mysterious. Although not everything was explained, I think that episode 16, which explained why they became king and what happened to them in the past, was the episode that impacted me the most in the past six months.

Murakami: We've been filming for six months, but the most memorable was episode 3. Hymeno's selfish, but she's also a king, so she has her beliefs. I'm most attached to episode 3 in the sense that it depicts Hymeno's inner self. But, after learning in episode 7 that her parents deaths were caused by scorpion poison, she can no longer hold back her feelings…..This development was also important for Hymeno. Although she expresses her own strength, she also feels resentment toward the unsolved case, and I acted while thinking about Hymeno's inner thoughts.

"Has anything changed in the relationship between the cast members?"

Murakami: After about four or five months, everyone would laugh at me no matter what I said. I can now speak my mind without worrying (laughs). I'm not really good at expressing my opinions in front of other people, but I've become able to do so with confidence. My mother, who watched "King-chan" (TTFC talk show), even said to me, "I think you've become more comfortable with the other cast members, and your sense of humor has improved, hasn't it?"

Hirakawa: You really make us laugh over trivial things. I was surprised at first, because Marie's wasn't the comedic type. Now, I'm also in the mood to play along.

Murakami: Recently, Kaku-san, Aoto-kun and I went out for dinner, and we ended up going to 4 different places. We were having so much fun, that I didn't realize we were moving from one restaurant to another. I've come to trust them both with all my heart, and I even surprised myself at how well I could get along with people.

Hirakawa: I may not have changed in any way, but……What do you think? Have you noticed anything?

Murakami: In the beginning, Yuzuki didn't complain at all, right? But lately, she's started mumbling things like, "It's painful," and, "I'm tired."

Hirakawa: I'm not good at telling people that I'm having a hard time. I'm mindful of not saying anything because I'm concerned about worrying or bothering others. But, I think I've gotten too close to Marie and the others, so it comes out unconsciously. Because we're together every day, I feel like I don't have to care anymore, as we share the same physically and mentally demanding times.

Murakami: That being said, the stage greeting held in Fukuoka for "Adventure Heaven" was like a field trip. Even though it was work, everyone was having fun and it felt like being on vacation.

Hirakawa: Marie joined us on a different plane, but she was wearing big sunglasses and looked like a celebrity going overseas. I took a bunch of pictures of Marie and sent them in the group chat…..

Murakami: I suddenly noticed that there were alot of hidden photos taken of me in the group chat (laughs). As revenge, next time, I'll take lots of cool photos of everyone…..It was really fun. The cast of King-Ohger is friendly regardless of gender, so it really makes you feel like you're back in high school. Until now, I haven't had the opportunity to work with so many colleagues who are aiming for the same goal, so it's very refreshing,

"Episode 27 onward will be the second chapter, and will depict the battle against the Uchu Five Jesters in the world 2 years later. What was your impression when you first heard about the new chapter?"

Murakami: We know what happens next when we receive the scripts, so I was really surprised when I read the scripts for episodes 27-29. It's 2 years later, but worst of all, we're out of the picture (laughs). As I read on, I realized that we were imprisoned! I thought that was an interesting angle.

Hirakawa: I've never heard of time skips in the middle of a story within the Super Sentai series, have you? I was also told that the visuals would be changing. I felt very honored to be able to participate in a production that provided such a rare experience.

Murakami: I'm really happy because there are so many new things happening within King-Ohger, including filming with an LED wall.

"We'd like to hear more about when you learned about the new costumes."

Murakami: If I'm remembering right, I was having a review meeting with Director Kamihoriuchi at a yakiniku restaurant, when he casually said to me, "Think about what kind of visuals you want." At the time, I thought it would be for a one time episode, so I thought, "Gira with a shaved head?" or something…..I was thinking things like that, but then I heard that they were asking about new visuals to be used from episode 27 onward. In Hymeno's case, up until now it's always been about cute things, but I talked about how it'd be cooler to express herself with natural elements, rather than to dress her up. As a result, I ended up with a costume like that of a female knight. The hairstyle, which used to change each episode, was shifted to include more hair extensions and different colors

Hirakawa: Rita's costume has changed only in that the length of their jacket has become shorter, but their hairstyle has changed alot. Actually, I've been saying that I wanted to cut my hair since the beginning of filming. However, this wasn't allowed in the beginning, and filming proceeded with my long hair. Director Kamihoriuchi remembered this and suggested that, "Rita should cut their hair after two years." Rita was given a short hair cut and was able to turn their visuals in a cooler direction.

"Does this mean that the costumes were made lighter to accommodate the summer shoot?"

Murakami: I don't think so. It was still hot (laughs).

Hirakawa: It was hot……(laughs).

"2 years later, Hymeno was charged with arson, and Rita was imprisoned in Gokkan for violating the Labor Standards Law. How have Hymeno and Rita changed during the span of 2 years, and how will you interpret these changes through your performance?"

Murakami: I felt that we were able to fight while being aware of our respective roles. In the beginning, the kings weren't well organized, but over the past 2 years, they seem to have developed a sense of camaraderie.

Hirakawa: Their resolve as a king has become stronger, and I think it shows in their visuals. However, Rita has grown in their ability to talk with the others as friends, while also taking their feelings into consideration.

"Episode 28, the most recently aired episode, depicted the body swapping of the kings. Murakami-san plays Kaguragi and Hirakawa-san plays Yanma. How was the filming for that?"

Murakami: I'm so tired! In all my time in the entertainment industry, I've never acted in such a disorganized manner, so I'm worried that everyone will be turned off by my performance. Kaku-san is very kind, so he said, "It was fun!," but I was still worried about it! (laughs). I think the most obvious way to express Kaguragi's performance is through his eyes, so I tried my best to open my eyes while spreading my legs, but I overdid it and we had to reshoot. However, the reason I was able to do such a disorganized performance may be because I get along so well with everyone and am able to tell jokes and make funny faces.

Hirakawa: I didn't really prepare for the role of Yanma that much. That's because I'm abit like Yanma in some aspects of my everyday life (laughs). I studied yankii like postures, but other than that, I tried not to think about anything other than playing a passionate guy named Yanma. More than that, when I was playing the role of Yanma, I was showing my entire face, so I was very conscious of that. I've been performing with my face hidden for more than half a year, so I was surprised at how embarrassed I felt showing my face (laughs). While checking the monitor, I thought to myself, "This is what I look like……"

"What did you think of Hymeno being played by Kaku-san, and Rita being played by Watanabe-san?"

Murakami: I was surprised to realize that this is what Hymeno looks like from other people's perspective. When Hymeno couldn't accept Kaguragi's body, I think I would've wanted to say, "I can't take it!," and run away. However, Kaku acting all depressed was very cute. I was very happy that he opened up a side of Hymeno that I didn't have.

Hirakawa: Aoto just did whatever he wanted (laughs). Even though I thought to myself, "They wouldn't open their eyes that wide, would they?," I felt that Yuzuki Hirakawa's performance broadened the range of Rita's character. Due to the stress of having their body swapped, Rita's emotions are more tense than usual. It made me realize that I could show these kinds of facial expressions. It made it easier for me to do my future performances.

Murakami: Now that I think about it, during filming for episode 27, Director Kamihoriuchi was laughing while watching the monitor the whole time (laughs).

Hirakawa: Before I knew it, I became more determined to make the Director laugh.

"It was because of that determination that it turned into such an outrageous episode. Now, we're anxious to see what'll happen next, but what would you two like the fans to pay attention to when watching the show?"

Murakami: The foreshadowing from previous episodes are gradually being revealed, and there are episodes in which each character's pasts are explored in depth. For example, Sebastian's real name, which hasn't currently been revealed, may be mentioned, and even if you haven't watched it up to this point, I'd like you to watch King-Ohger, even if you start from the new chapter!

Hirakawa: Also, there's an all out action episode by Director Sakamoto Hiroshi. Although filming hasn't started yet (at the time of this interview), I've heard that there'll be lots of action, so I'm really looking forward to doing the performance. It'd make me happy if you could continue to watch every week!

_

Shinichiro Miki (Kamejim Voice Actor)

Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger has entered its second chapter, but there's only one enemy leader that's survived from the first chapter. His name, is Kamejim Unka! He was the one behind the 2,000 year battle between humans and Bugnarak, and is one of the Uchu Five Jesters who serve under the Uchu King, Dagded Dujardin. The voice is provided by veteran voice actor Shinichiro Miki, making this his first performance in the Super Sentai series. Miki is a big fan of King-Ohger himself, so how does he approach the role of Kamejim Unka?

"Miki-san is also known for his role as Sieg in "Kamen Rider Den-O," but this is his first performance in the Super Sentai series. What are your impressions of the series?"

Miki: I love tokusatsu productions, and have been watching them since "Himitsu Sentai Goranger," which is from my generation. But, after I started working as a voice actor, whenever I heard the voice of someone I knew who was appearing in those shows, I stopped watching them out of jealousy (laughs). It was only after I started working on Den-O that those feelings toned down abit, and I was able to watch them again. These days, I listen to the voices of my juniors and think to myself, "(Yuki) Kaji-kun is really doing his best~." Even so, I still get jealous (laughs).

"What was your impression when you first heard about the setting of King-Ohger, and the role of Kamejim that Miki-san plays?"

Miki: I felt that there were alot of new elements, and thought, "This is interesting and different from previous Super Sentai!" When I first saw Kamejim's design, my impression was, "It's really cool!" I was told that he was a, "Sharp intellectual, and a faithful subordinate of King Desnarak VIII," although, I expected him to have something happening behind the scenes (laughs). I got the impression that he was polite with his words, but I couldn't understand his true feelings, and during the audition, I was conscious of trying to convey the nuances of that part well.

"There seems to have been various decisions made as recording progressed, so were there any changes in the way you created the role compared to the beginning?"

Miki: As the story progresses, we're learning more about his character, and there are alot more parts of him that, "Dare to say the opposite of what he means, but still holds true." Along with this, the range of my speaking style has expanded, and I try to be aware of the thought behind the dialogue as I go into recording.

"You said that you expected, "Something to be happening behind the scenes," and we have the impression that Kamejim evolved into a character with one or two quirks as a result of Miki-san's performance."

Miki: Thank you so much. Well, things just turned out that way (laughs). That being said, I think the result is from a good mix of not only my voice acting, but the performance of Suit Actor (Masato) Tsutamune-san acting out my character. Even though the meaning of the dialogue doesn't change, we're recording while focusing on the way he speaks during the action scenes. For this reason, during dubbing scenes, I try to pick up on the movements of Tsutamune-san's hands and fingers as much as possible from the footage.

"Capturing the theatrical elements from a Suit Actor's performance requires a different skill set from that of an anime."

Miki: In the sense that Tsutamune-san plays the role and adds his voice to the finished video, it's more similar to dubbing a foreign film than to an anime. However, being able to go and observe filming and talk with Tsutamune-san, and being able to work with the actors to create the show, is what makes it different from foreign films. I believe that communicating in this way is one of the most important aspects of perfecting a character.

"What kinds of conversations did you have at the recording studio with Shimura Tomoyuki-san, Desnarak VIII's voice actor, who Kamejim served until episode 26?"

Miki: I call him "Shimu-nii," as we've known each other for over 20 years. So, from the first recording session, we said to each other, "This is reassuring!" However, Shimu-nii is a "doer." When the Director asks him to do something on set, he does so many things that it becomes too much. Because of his personality, he brings smiles to everyone on set. The true character of Desnarak VIII……Although he's not a person, I think the kindness towards his fellow comrades is linked to Shimu-nii's kindness.

"Also, speaking of characters played by actors rather than voice actors, don't you have alot of interactions with Jeramie?"

Miki: We've never done the recording together. Kamejim doesn't have much to do with Jeramie, so there weren't many scenes where we had direct conversations. It's like we just talked to ourselves…..Jeramie has lived for 2,000 years, but he has a more child like side to him compared to Gira. From Kamejim's point of view, I think he thought that part of him is adorable.

"From episode 27, the story enters the second chapter, where the King-Ohgers confront Kamejim Unka and those from the Uchu Five Jesters. When did Miki-san learn of these developments?"

Miki: I had heard beforehand that, "There's an even more powerful enemy in the universe, and that Kamejim was a spy sent by that enemy," but when he was defeated by God King-Ohger and exploded in episode 26, I was worried that he wouldn't be coming back (laughs). In order to prepare for the role, I was given alittle more information than the viewers, and was shocked by the scripts around episode 27. After receiving a new script at the office, I often look them over while having a drink, and there were many moving developments, including the scene where Desnarak VIII defends Jeramie. I cry every time I read it. If I hadn't been able to participate after episode 27 though, I might've cried in a different way. I survived, so at that time, my tears were that of relief (laughs). The storytelling in King-Ohger has a wonderful way of creating a story that can also resonate with the hearts of adults.

"Now that Kamejim Unka has been revealed as one of the Uchu Five Jesters, how did you react to his change in position?"

Miki: I think he's most comfortable in a position like that, as a second in command. I think he's the type of person who leaves the big things to someone else and enjoys doing what he wants to do. The way he reappears in episode 27 is also typical of him. Objectively, I think of him with, "He always looks like he's having fun," and, "I wish I could live like that."

"Since your position changed, did your role change in any way?"

Miki: There were basically no changes. There's a change when the person he supports is nearby and when they’re not, but up until episode 26 and from episode 27 onwards, there's no change in personality, just a change in the person he serves. However, since his comrades of the Uchu Five Jesters have appeared and are in the same position as him, I think there’ll be new aspects in the interactions with them that have never been seen before.

"Characters in the same position consist of Goma Rosalia, Hilbil Leech, and Minongan Moth. What kind of conversations did you have with the cast members who play them?"

Miki: The Uchu Five Jesters cast has a great lineup, with (Kazuhiro) Yamaji-san and (Miyuki) Sawashiro-san. I don't have much of an opportunity to talk with them, but I talked to Tomokazu Seki the other day, and he said, "It seems like they picked me since Minongan Moth is a character who doesn't talk much" (laughs). Then I remember telling (Ishida) Akira-kun, "I'm happy we're working on the same program again."

"On the other hand, you were in charge of the narration for “The Secret of King Racules,” which is available on the Toei's Tokusatsu Official YouTube Channel."

Miki: In the main show, Jeramie narrates the story, but since "The Secret of King Racules" is the story of the "Worst King," it was decided that since I'm on the evil side, I would be in charge of the narration. However, if I did it as Kamejim, it would be too obvious, so I tried to do it in a calm manner, keeping the narration style in mind.

"What do you think about the story in "The Secret of King Racules?"

Miki: I cried. It's alittle more mature than the main story, and the final scene was especially emotional. I also liked the screen composition, where the faces of King Racules and Vedalia are alternately shown in close ups in the background. It was also very emotional that Kofuki, who appeared in that work, rode the 20 person combined God King-Ohger in episode 25 of the main story.

"Miki-san said he cries as he reads the script, but which scenes in the episodes that have aired so far have been most memorable?"

Miki: There's too many! Like the scene in episode 16 where Rita says, "Thank you," in a small voice after receiving the Moffun from Hymeno, or the scene in episode 25, where the retainers of each country expressing their feelings towards the kings is depicted…..There are really too many to choose from. I watch the broadcasts 3 times every Sunday. First, I watch the reactions on SNS in real time, saying things like, "I can see why people would react this way here," and, "I see!" (laughs). Then, while drinking, I would do it a second and then third time. Afterwards, while reading the script for the next episode, which had already been dubbed, I'd think, "This is what happens after this, huh," and then start to cry (laughs). Even though I didn't appear in it, I went to the theater to see "Adventure Heaven" as a fan.

"You're looking at this from a genuine fan's perspective, rather than from a performer's perspective."

Miki: Of course, there are things I can reflect on about myself, but that's something I can make use of in my next job. While I want to reflect, I also want to have fun with the fans. In all my years as a voice actor, this may be the first work that makes me feel this way.

"Why are you so enthusiastic about King-Ohger?"

Miki: There's one reason for participating in it, but I think there's also many other reasons, such as the story, the wonderful character designs, and the fact that the filming method is different from what we've seen before. Maybe it's the excitement and sense of being with everyone in an era and worldview that's different from usual.

"King-Ohger continues to have unpredictable developments, Miki-san, please tell us what you think we should focus on going forward."

Miki: The development of Gira's involvement with the Kyoryuger's has become an even newer development within the new developments of the second chapter. I'm sure that these developments will continue to go beyond the expectations of the fans who have been watching the show. Although I know the story alittle earlier than you readers, I'd like to look forward to the future developments with a passionate attitude. When I see words related to King-Ohger trending on SNS every Sunday morning, I feel happy as if they were my own, and this show has taught me how to enjoy watching it with the fans. I hope you'll continue to enjoy your time with me!

[darkwolf989]

Outside The Office Part Eleven

Hi all! Enjoy the latest chapter!

Several hours and at least one full video shoot later, I stood between Valentino and Velvette in the elevator as we descended towards Vox’s studio. Valentino had called her up to fix the mess that was my face as soon as he ensured I was physically and emotionally ready to go back out into the studio with him.  

To her credit, Velvette took the destruction of her hard work in stride, dabbing a different concoction of creams and powders on my face. The ibuprofen from the morning had long since worn off, and every inch of my body was back to aching. On the bright side, it hurt less than this earlier in the day, or even last night. Even Velvette commented that the remainder of the blues had turned green, and most of the greens turned yellow, causing her to use a whole different set of makeup. 

“You nervous, babe?” Velvette asked, arms crossed as we headed down. She tilted her head to one side and studied me. 

I shrugged, biting back the nerves that simmered inside my chest. “I mean. My father used to throw me in front of angry reporters and speak when he was too busy, or didn’t care to do it himself. So, how much worse could this be?”

Valentino set his jaw and Velvette scowled. I could have swore I heard her say fucked up angels, but I couldn’t be sure. The door opened and Valentino paused, kissing the top of my head so as to not mess with my makeup. 

“See you tonight, Princessa. Have fun.” He stepped back into the elevator and the door closed. 

I turned to Velvette, and followed her across the studio to Vox’s office. 

“I know my way around Vel, I don’t need an escort. You can go do whatever you need to do.” I told her. 

“This is what I need to do. Your makeup needs to be adjusted based on the lighting, so for the next hour you’re stuck with me.” She pushed open the door to Vox’s main control room and strode in as if she owned the entire studio. “Vox! We’re here!” 

From the center of the control room, Vox spun around in his chair to face us. He grinned when he saw her, his smile literally lighting up the room. “Ah, Velvette. How are you on this hellish morning? Or is it afternoon?” He pulled her to him and planted a kiss on her cheek. 

Velvette rolled her eyes but I saw the pink rise in her cheeks. She definitely wasn’t one to show too much emotion, but when you’re in love…I guess your body has a way of showing it, regardless of what your brain thinks. 

“Cut the shit Vox. She’s here, on time. Ready to go. So…let’s go.” She tapped her foot impatiently. 

“Oh my little…” Vox began. 

She pressed her finger to his lips, effectively cutting him off. “Not here. Not now. Let’s go. There is work to be done!” 

Vox rolled his eyes but looked at me. He picked up his laptop and full coffee mug. “Alright, guess we better get going. Come, come. Follow me.” 

He led us over to what was clearly a broadcast set. Two comfortable looking chairs took up the space, one tucked neatly behind a desk and the other next to it, just off to the side.The careful arrangement to capture only the best view of both occupants was obvious. I looked up and saw the multitude of cameras pointed, capturing every angle of the occupants of the chairs. The nervous feeling buzzed as it settled in my chest. This was much, much more different than the wooden podiums I was used to.

Vox led us behind the stage, pushing open a door. The room behind it was large, with multiple chair and mirror sets lined neatly against the side wall. At the moment, there were no actors or actresses skittering around, frantically trying to get dressed. The room seemed almost too empty with just the three of us. 

“Hey, most people don’t give a shit who sees them naked. But I brought in a divider so you have privacy.” He nodded towards the corner. “But there shouldn’t be anyone in here anyway. I scheduled all my programming earlier this morning.”

“Alright, enough chatter. Or if you need to chatter, at least sit in the chair while I fix that mess of hair,” Velvettle ordered with exasperation. 

I took a seat and she set to work. Vox sat in the empty chair next to us, typing away on his laptop.

“So, how is this going to go down? Can you give me a run through?” I asked as Velvette shuffled around me. 

“Simple really. I host the most popular morning show in the seven rings of hell. You’ll walk out, sit in the guest seat and answer the questions I ask. Don’t worry about looking at the camera, or messing up. I’ll personally edit everything after to make sure it’s perfect.” Vox answered. 

“Oh, personal edits. You’re so special. Usually he pushes that grunt work off on his employees.” Velvette teased as she ran a hand through my hair, separating the long strands. 

“Yeah well, it’s not every day you out the Princess of Hell to all the universe,” Vox muttered as he took a sip of his coffee. 

I thought back to my conversation with Angel Dust. “Yeah, I have questions about that. Like…why am I the Princess of Hell? Doesn’t Lucifer have kids?” I asked. 

“Oh I wish. Maybe then our next ruler would be more like me and less like my sweet sister.” Lucifer’s voice appeared behind us. “Actually, scratch that. That may not be the best idea.” 

Velvette was the only one who didn’t jump, completely unphased by his presence as she continued her work. Lucifer leaned over, putting both his hands on my shoulders. I looked at the reflection of our faces in the mirror. Under the bright light, I could see some of the semblance between him and I. 

“Heard about your little outburst earlier. Wanted to check in, answer any questions and provide a little guidance on what to say before this all goes down.” He gave Vox a meaningful look. 

Vox simply raised an eyebrow and took another sip of his coffee. “Outburst?” 

Well. It was now or never.  “ What the fuck happened earlier and why am I Princess of Hell and not your kids?” I demanded. 

“Settle down,” Velvette mumbled. “I’m trying to work here.” 

Lucifer laughed. “Simple answer to the second.I don’t have any. And don’t plan on it. You’ve been on the roster as the successor to hell since the day you were born, kiddo.” 

“Well, what if that changes and you have kids? Does the title transfer to them?” 

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “I assure you it won’t. But no. I signed the line over to you, your mother and father as my witnesses. Not that you’ll take my place for another twenty or thirty thousand years anyway. Maybe longer if I feel like it. I like my job, and I’m not eager to retire.”

He could have thrown ice cold water over me and that would have shocked less than his words. .“Lucifer, my father knew?”

“Of course. Signature on the title and everything, We all thought it best. I was just content to let the man raise you up living your best life in heaven. Or at least what I thought was happening. If I had known exactly how that man was treating you I would have come and brought you down here with me much, much sooner.” He clasped both of my shoulders and leaned forward.  “Oh well. Nothing we can do about it now.” 

Velvette gave him an irritated look. “Do you mind? You’re in my way and messing up my artwork.”

Lucifer grinned. “Right. Sorry about that.” He let go and took a step back. “Back to your first question. I reviewed the footage Vox sent me and Valentino answered it perfectly. Much like your angelic side, your demonic side gives you certain…abilities. At all levels, demons can manifest and harness energy that surrounds them to use as they please. The more souls they own, the more energy they can harness and the more things they can do with that energy.” He glanced at Vox and Velvette. “You’re sitting next to three of the most powerful beings in hell right now. Neither of them are anywhere close to me, of course. But with the amount of souls they control, the more energy, the more power they can control.”

“So why did I, unintentionally harness and spew uncontrollable energy around Val, but couldn’t fight off the demons a few days ago?” I asked. “Because this newfound ability would have saved me a lot of unnecessary pain.” 

Lucifer raised an eyebrow. “Simple. Your father taught you to shut down your emotions. To not feel pain, to hold in the anger, frustration, happiness, fear, sadness and the plethora of other emotions that make us who we are. Instead of  acknowledging and expressing emotions, Angels teach themselves to ignore the feelings, push them down deep inside, spouting lies that emotions cloud logic. They claim emotions lead to irrational decisions, when in reality logic and emotion balanced together allow us to control ourselves, and in our case, the energy around us. You cannot ignore how you feel. To do so is a disservice, both to yourself and the world around you. If you want to maintain control, and use the power your demon half blessed you wish, you can’t shut your emotions out.  I promise you, with the right blend of logic and emotion, you will be able to manifest that power and wield it as you desire.”

He paused before continuing.  “The night you were injured, when I saw you as battered as you were, I was ready to kill both Vox and Valentino, and anyone else who got in my way. I stopped not only because you begged, but because as soon as you realized what was going on, you unconsciously began to  harness and radiate that energy, and allowed those emotions to slip ever so slightly out of the wall you’ve so tightly built. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make me pause.”

I frowned as I tried to remember. “I didn’t feel anything.” 

“Neutral face.” Velvette reminded me, tilting my chin up towards the light. 

“Of course you didn’t, you were barely able to stand. But it was there, however brief it may have been. And now that you know it exists, and how it works you can start to control it, harness it. Feelings and logic, sweetie pie. You’ll get the hang of it.” Lucifer’s phone pinged and he scowled and checked it before shoving it back into his pocket. 

For a couple of moments, the only sound in the studio came from Velvette’s brushes and Vox’s typing. 

“So what now? What do I do after this?” I asked. “And how do I go about mastering that….logic and emotion?” 

“Well, you could start by communicating when you hurt instead of sitting there biting the inside of your cheek every time a makeup brush touches your face,” he said, as if it was obvious. “Acknowledging the emotions and pain you feel would be a great start. As for the other questions…” Lucifer considered for a moment. “Once word gets out about your existence, we will address that. For now I want you to go out there, be the charming, bright little half angel you are, and then stick closer than close to these two.” He gestured to Vox and Velvette, “and the one upstairs. At least until things settle down. Both heaven and hell will be in an uproar over your position.” 

“In the meantime though, we still go about our daily routines. Once you’re okay enough to go back out with us each night that’s exactly what we’re going to do. You can’t hide- that shows weakness. No, you’ll be out there, a shining, lethal star to the public.” Vox added. 

Lucifer nodded and I heard his phone ping again. He cursed softly. “That’s all the time I have. Text me, kiddo if you need anything.” He leaned forward and lightly kissed the top of my head before vanishing. 

Silence among the three of us. 

“I lowkey hate how he can do that.” I said finally. “Vanish in and out like that. Can all demons do it?” 

“Nah. That privilege is exclusively limited to the Morningstar line. You probably could, if you owned enough souls. And of course, mastered the emotions, logic thing. It isn’t that hard, really.” Velvette said. She reached around and patted my hand. “We’ll get you there. Don’t you worry.” 

Nausea washed over me at the very idea of owning a soul. Or maybe it was from the pain. “I have no desire to have ownership over someone else. My natural born abilities should be more than enough.”

“You might find that someday that changes,” Vox said, looking up from his laptop. “Someday when you see a soul that needs help, and you can offer that help- but need her soul to be bound to you and to hell in order to offer that assistance. Sounds sappy, but all of our first contracts fit that general plot. That’s why they all sucked.”

“Truth. I think Valentino is the only one still bound to his first contract. Mine was ripped apart years ago.” Velvette added.

Vox concurred. “Yeah. I got rid of mine too.”

“Then why is Val still bound to his?” I asked.

“The wording. And before you ask, no. You can’t see it. You don’t want to.” Vox responded, looking down at his screen. He cursed quietly under his breath.

“How do I even write a contract? I’m good, but I’m not a lawyer.” I protested. 

Velvette leaned over. “Babe you’re getting ahead of yourself. That’s probably a long way off. But to answer your question- the three of us are experts. We won’t string you up and leave you like we were.” She squeezed my shoulder in another rare show of comfort. “Now shush. Then I need you to get dressed.” 

With makeup and hair finished, we stepped behind the divider Vox had put up. Velvette helped me out of that morning's outfit, slipping me into a pretty long sleeved, v-neck, knee length white dress with a dainty pearl belt. On my legs, I wore pantyhose that concealed all the cuts and bruises. The V necklace remained, and I stepped into pretty white, low heels.

“My goal here is to make you as angelic as possible. So when I dress you up in real clothes for when we go out, people won’t have that image of you. It’ll keep you a little more hidden, for the time being at least,” Velvette explained as she dabbed coverage around my neck and chest, concealing any marks the dress didn’t. 

“Will people be angry?” I asked as she stepped back to study me.  

She was quiet for a moment before she sighed. “Probably. I mean, Lucifer has literally ruled hell with no heir for all of eternity. But honestly, its the angels I’m more worried about. Sure they can’t survive in hell for more than a day, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try to step in and do some cleaning up on their own. Especially when they see you- an abomination in their eyes-  in such a position of power.” She reached up and adjusted a lock of hair. “There. Perfect. Go see Vox and let’s get this done with. I’m starved and I’m sure you are too.” 

I hadn’t noticed until that point, but she was right. Breakfast had been a while ago. Ignoring the grumblings that appeared the moment I gave recognition to my hunger, I followed her back to the chair. Vox stood up when he saw me, grinning at the both of us. 

“Ah. Perfect. Vel, you have outdone yourself once again. Come on Princess, let’s get this over with.” He leaned over and kissed Velvette on the cheek. “We’ll be upstairs in about an hour. Have lunch ready for us?” 

She rolled her eyes and typed quickly on her phone. “Consider it done. I let Val know too.I’m sure he’ll join us.” 

I watched as she pranced off. A different kind of butterfly joined the rumblings in my belly as nerves sank deeper in. 

“Deep breath kid, you’ll be fine. It’s just me.” Vox said, reaching over and giving my hand a gentle squeeze. “Just pretend we’re having breakfast. Here, this is how it's going to go down. I’m going to take my seat and you’ll hear me introduce you. Music will play and that’s your cue to walk across the stage and take your seat. Feel free to smile, wave, whatever. People will like you just for who you are. So be sure to just be yourself.” He gave my hand a final squeeze before walking across the stage, smiling and waving to an invisible audience as music played around him. 

My heart pounded as I listened for him to call my name. Time seemed to slow and after what felt like forever, I heard his voice loud and clear across the stage. 

“You’ve heard the rumors and we at VoxTech are pleased to be the first one to confirm her existence. Please welcome the newest member of the V’s,  Princess Reader Morningstar! That’s right, you heard me folks. Princess Reader Morningstar live in our studio today!”

The music played and I walked across the stage. I definitely felt a bit silly as I smiled and waved at the empty studio, but did my best to let it roll off.  I took my seat on the other side of Vox and caught his eye.

“Good to see you sweetheart, welcome to the stage! So nice to get you out in the open after all these months together!” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. “Tell me, Princess, how exactly are you related to the big boss himself?”

I continued to smile and crossed my ankles gracefully, folding my hands on my lap. “Well you see, Lucifer is my uncle. My mom was his sister Lilith, who tragically passed at the hands of the angelic military soon not too long after I was born.”

Sad music played behind us and Vox looked grim, taking his elbows off the table as he leaned back in his chair.  “I see. Here in hell we remember that tragic day- a true loss for all demonkind. Tell me, Princess. If Lilith is your mother, who is your father?”

“Who was my father,” I corrected instantly,  “my father was an angel- the former leader of the exorcist division, to be exact.” 

Music swirled behind us. I felt my heart flutter and I wondered if I had said the right thing. Vox didn’t seem to notice, or I didn’t display my concerns. In the moment, I couldn't tell. 

“You heard that right folks. Half angel, half demon, twenty five years in heaven. Tell me honey, how did you end up down here?” He gave me the slightest nod, an encouraging smile. 

I bit back the nervousness as best I could.  “My dad, he knew what I was. Knew what he’d done. He sent me down here right before he was killed.” 

“And who killed him, Princess?” Vox asked, his voice dropping in volume. 

My heart pounded in my chest as I spoke my answer with more confidence than I felt.  “The new leader of the exorcist division. My dad wasn’t the best, but he brokered the deal with heaven that Angels couldn’t simply come down to hell and slaughter demons at will. The culling of demons are- were- controlled by Lucifer. Now that my father is gone, and a new leader has stepped up, I’m not sure how long that deal will hold up.”

Vox leaned forward. “Do you mean to say there could be extermination days? Like there were in the early days of hell?”

I gave the smallest nod. “Unless a similar deal is made between Lucifer and Heaven, I would think that is a very distinct possibility.” 

“Wow. And there you have it folks, out of the mouth of Princess Morningstar herself. Now over to our interview with King Lucifer, coming up after these messages.” 

I heard a snap and Vox beamed at me.  “Good job sweetie, that was excellent!”  He pulled a laptop out from under his desk and began punching the keys. “We’ll play you, and then Lucifer’s interview confirming what you said and volia! We have television.” 

I stared at him in dismay. “Vox, you can’t play that- those were all leading questions. I don’t know if everything I said is true. I was just guessing based on what I know.”

Vox shrugged as he continued to pound on his laptop. “Leading questions written by Lucifer himself. He did tell me you’d connect the dots on camera- I didn’t think it was possible at first, but he was right. Every word you said was directly on point for Lucifer’s script.” He leaned back away from his laptop and stretched. “Honestly I didn’t think we’d get it right in the first shot. You have a natural talent in front of the camera.”

Still uneasy, I took my phone out from the pocket stitched inside the dress, sending him a quick text. Usually so quick to answer, but today he didn’t get back right away.

“He’s probably busy. He does run all of Hell, after all. Come on, let’s go upstairs and get lunch.” Vox suggested standing up as he continued to stretch. “Ah, that was fantastic! I’m so pumped!”  

I ignored his positivity and checked my phone again. No response. Vox put his arm around me and I involuntarily winced at the pressure. He pulled away instantly, a frown replacing his overly cheerful grin. 

“I have medication for you. All you had to do was ask,” he chastised as we walked towards the elevator. 

The exhaustion, the soreness and the overall events of the day caused me to be more snappy than I intended. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not actively dying, so I’m fine.” I replied through gritted teeth. 

He pushed his hand to my forehead as we walked, and pulled away after a moment, brushing the makeup that rubbed off onto his pants. “You’re not warm. Which is good.”

“Right, because I’m fine. Better even than this morning.” I hit the elevator button. “Angels heal quick, and even Vel said my bruises have turned lighter even just in the past few hours.”

“You use the line ‘angels heal quick’ say that like it means something. Doesn’t matter how fast you heal, angels still feel pain.” He stepped inside the elevator and looked at me. “And don’t tell me they don’t, because we both know that’s a lie.”

Was it pity on his face? Annoyance? I couldn’t quite tell. I took the step in, standing next to him as the door closed  in front of us. “I never said angels didn’t feel pain,  I just said I was used to it.”

“Yeah and that’s a problem for all of us. I mean, I’m sure it’s a great asset in battle, and probably great if you’re in a bar fight. But when you’re home, in your safe zone you should be able to freely express when you’re not quite at your best. That’s what Lucifer was saying right?” He chuckled. “Believe me, Velvette is the worst when she’s sick, and she doesn’t hesitate to let us know it. At all. That ability to say how you feel truthfully is just a step into starting to control that emotion, logic balance Lucifer was going on about. It’s tough to maintain, but that’s why the three of us banded together initially. We’re each other's support system. We can tell each other when we’re angry, frustrated, sad, whatever, be it at work, at life, or at each other. Expressing those feelings helps to control them.” 

I could feel my frustration level rise along with the elevator.  I had spent the past twenty five years of my life hiding my feelings, concealing any pain. Did he expect that all of the sudden I would just be able to talk? Be able to say how I felt? Just the thought was enough to make me uncomfortable. 

The door opened and we both stepped out into the flat. I turned to him, the anger inside of me building from the turmoil of the day. 

“You want honesty? I’m sore and I feel like shit. I’m exhausted and would like nothing more than to march back into Valentinos studio and drag him back into our bedroom solely to be cuddled and loved until I absolutely pass out and sleep until I wake up in Val’s arms and then do all of that all over again until it no longer hurts.” I crossed my arms as I let every ounce of frustration show in my voice. They wanted emotion? Fine! They would get emotion! 

A smirk broke out on Vox’s face. “Finally. Let it out. Course it would have been less explosive if you had said something a few hours ago, but it’s a solid start.” 

I felt myself begin to shake from both anger and frustration. Behind me, I felt familiar arms wrap around my waist and pull me back gently. I let out an exhale. Valentino. At his touch, the anger and frustration melted away, replaced with shame. Fuck. Vox didn’t deserve to be yelled at. 

“Is that so, Princessa? I had no idea you had such desires.” Valentino whispered in my ear as my body pressed against his.  “I can make that happen this afternoon if you want it that badly, what do you say mi amor?” 

I felt my cheeks turn red and I looked away. “Val, hi.” I swallowed nervously. “How much of that did you hear?”

“All of it. And I’m so pleased to listen to you verbalize your desires, Princessa. Now I can act on them.” He kissed down my neck softly. “See what happens when you communicate and use your words? Your wish is granted. I can work from home the rest of the day.” He gave me a gentle squeeze and released me. “ But first, mi amor, lunch. Go sit, I’ll bring it to you.” 

I hesitated and turned to Vox. “I’m sorry I shouldn't have….”

Vox held up a hand. “No, no apologies. The whole point of this was for me to literally push you until you broke down and actually acknowledged your anger. Don’t you feel better now? Just like Lucifer talked about.  And you get Val for the rest of the day- I call that a win.” He walked past me and gently tousled my hair. 

A sense of warmness flooded through me and I followed him into the living room. I flopped onto my usual spot on the couch and closed my eyes. Vox was right. I did hurt, I was tired, I was angry about all of it. Not  that yelling at him fixed any of those problems but part of me, somewhere, felt better just having said it, having put into words those feelings that swirled inside of me.

I thought back on what Lucifer had said, taking into account the events of the previous minutes. If it took figuring out how to balance logic and emotions to maintain control over the energy I could now manipulate, undoing years worth of military training was a small price to pay for the control that balance promised me. The more I thought about it, the more I desired that balance- the release and necessity counterparts to emotions and logic. It was the polar opposite of anything and everything I had been taught, but if it meant never losing control like I had earlier in the day, I was willing to give it my best shot. 

After all, Valentino, Vox and Velvette could do it. And if they could do it, I was sure I would be able to as well. 

[imnotjaesblog]

The Night Turns a Shade of Pink

Starring: Jung Jaehyun

Genre: Benefits to Lovers, Fluff & Smut

Warning: Semi Dom Jaehyun, Semi Sub Y/n, Cunnilingus and Praising.

Minors Do Not Read

Designer Y/n sleeping with a man she met at a work event. Since then they’ve been hooking up at night away from public eye. However for Jaehyun these nights mean more than anything to him and he wants Y/n to feel the same way he does and tonight he doesn’t shy away.

Owning the most high-end designer brand in the country was just the first step for you. Owning your billion-dollar designer brand that had become a global success and having all your designs worn by only the most high-end celebrities was just luck.

You were a pristine woman only ever photographed at events that you held or attended in the city. You were rarely ever seen outside of the life you lived with your friends or money. Never hacking a scandal you played your cards safely. Being the independent, successful, and intelligent businesswoman the world adored by day and the hot freak by night.

Tonight you sat by your vanity fixing your pink bralette in the mirror. Satisfied with how your breast sat in the pink straps you took a glance at your skin. Checking for redness or blemishes. You applied some light make to your face giving yourself a heavenly base. You smiled taking in the view of yourself. The doorbell had distracted you from the hour of self-love. You smiled quickly spraying some perfume on yourself as you left to answer your front door.

You quickly adjusted the straps of your bra throwing on a short baby pink night gown and silk robe. You tapped your lips making sure your tint was dry, thankfully it was. You smiled as your opened your door to show the man who had gotten ready to see.

Normally a man’s gaze would mean absolutely nothing to you. Not because you hated men, no you loved men. You loved men who were respectful and kind but were also good at fucking and pleasing you. Many partners in your life had led you to this man at your door. You let him inside helping as he removed the coat. He placed it on the rack behind you and took off his boots.

This man you had met at an event almost a year ago. You had quickly taken a liking to him and to make a king story short. One thing led to another and you were both in a closet hooking up. What was supposed to be a one-time thing turned into a year of one-time things.  He walked inside smiling heading to your couch. He sat down taking the remote in his hands. You raised a brow confused. He never sat down or “hung out” he always went straight to your bedroom and got undressed. You walked over to your couch prettier than ever and stood next to him. He kept his eyes on your flat screen that was mounted to the wall. He chuckled at the joke the actor made on the screen.

“Uh, Jaehyun-“ you began playing with the ends of your robe.

“Y/n come to sit down. Let’s watch a movie,” he said patting the couch. He grabbed a pillow for you and a nearby throw blanket to keep you warm and cozy. You liked Jaehyun, a lot but couldn’t date him. Your job didn’t allow you to. You were always busy whether it was flying across the country to design a dress or staying all day in your office working on clothes and dealing with money. Jaehyun simply helped pass the lonely nights that led into the bright morning.

Jaehyun knew this. You told him after your second time together. He said he understood, you hoped that was still the same. You grabbed the blanket starting to feel exposed in your lingerie. You sat down removing your slippers and getting somewhat comfortable. He had played a comedy and continued to laugh at the jokes the actors told. He glanced over at you as you sat down. “This movie is great. Have you seen it?” He asked manspreading. He became more comfortable on your beige-colored couch. Throwing his arms over the sides of the sofa. You smiled nodding unsure of what to do from here. “How come you don’t want to move this to my room?” You asked biting your lips. He sighed, “If we go there we can’t watch the movie,” he said barely even sparring you a glance. You pouted curling your feet to your side and facing the tv. “I don’t want to watch a movie, Jae. I want to go upstairs” you said crawling over to him. You peeled back the white fluffy blanket and straddled him placing yourself directly on his cock. He hissed feeling your throbbing pussy directly on his slowly hardening dick. You slowly but hard grinded into him blocking his view of the tv. “Y/n please…” he pleaded holding your waist. His hands gripped onto your hips moving your body against his.

“We can’t…” he tried to say big you were persistent. You continued your small threats of abuse on his clothed cock. Pushing yourself further down to feel his tip rub against you through his dark jeans. Her hands fell down his toned stomach to his black belt. You started unbuckling it but were stopped by Jaehyun.

“We can’t,” he said softly removing your hand and placing it at your side. He easily picked you up and placed you back down on the couch. He could feel your stares on him. He played with his fingers in silence pouting his lips. “I just want to chill tonight-“ You stood up in front of him confused.

“You mean to tell me that I’m standing right here practically throwing myself at you and you're saying no?!” You asked placing your arms on your hips. Jaehyun couldn’t help but chuckle at your cuteness. You scoffed crossing your arms over your chest. Looking at him up and down you poked the inside of your mouth with your tongue.

“You think this is funny?” You asked. He sighed shaking his head. “No I think it’s cute,” he said watching your face change. He’s never called you that before, he’s never really called you anything except by your name. He wasn’t your boyfriend or husband so he didn’t have to use pet names with you. But now he was avoiding having sex with you and calling you cute, what’s gotten me to him?

You poured still standing in front of him. He stood up standing tall before you. He leaned down pecking your lips softly. You closed your eyes savoring the kiss. You opened your eyes to Jaehyun’s arms still holding the arms that crossed your body.

“Jae we not supposed to kiss-“ you began before he cut you off with a much longer kiss. He let go staring into your eyes. Your shocked expression makes him chuckle. He pulled you closer sitting on the couch and pulling you into his lap. Your legs swing over the side of his and arms wrapped around his neck.

You didn’t want to look at anything else, just him. Mesmerized by the way his brown eyes glowed in the lowly lightroom. How his plumped pink lips sat so perfectly on his face ready to be kissed and sucked on. His soft brown hair framed his face ever so well. Your hand couldn’t help but find its way to his thick locks. You moved some strands away. He closed his eyes briefly relaxing under your warm touch. “You kissed me,” you said cussing him to wake back up. He nodded holding you close to him.

“Twice,” he said.

“Why?” You asked. “We have a rule-“

“A dumb rule. I don’t like the rule or any of our rules. I want to be with you, I want you to be my girlfriend,” he said staring deeply into your eyes. His confession made your heart flutter. You had always wanted to be his. In your dreams, you’ve seen him and it’s splendid. You both fall in love and get married, have babies. But in reality, this moment here was temporary. You went to move away to hide in your room but Jaehyun held you.

“I will make time for you. I will be able to be with you,” he said reassuring you. You sighed deciding to take a chance and leaned in to kiss him. The kiss was warm and gentle. He placed a hand around your head and you wrapped your arms around his neck. You fixed your position swinging a leg around his bottom half sitting directly on his cock again grinding against him. The kiss becomes hot and needy. He groaned into your mouth as you pushed your hips forward adding to the friction.

“Let me have you. Let me fuck you like your my girlfriend,” he said desperately holding onto you.

His fingers crept up the sides of your body his fingertips grazing your skin. You sighed into his touch and he watched your every movement. Kept his eyes focused on you and only you waiting for your response. You nodded biting your lip not being to control yourself anymore, you needed him right now. You leaned down and kissed him grabbing his face. He complied taking hold of you. “Let me hear you, baby. I want to hear you say it,” he said against your plush lips.

“Yes Jaehyun, I want you,” you said looking deeply into his eyes. He smiled taking his lips with yours. Easily he lifted you both from the couch the movie long forgotten. He carried you to your bedroom opening the door with his feet. He sat down on your bed you still wrapped around his waist. You pushed him down continuing your movements below your waist, your hips rutting against his. He slipped the baby pink silk robe off your skin letting the expensive garment fall to the ground. His fingers slipped the straps down of your dress that barely covered your ass. His hands slid down your body and grabbed hold of your ass molding it in his large hands. You held onto his strong bicep pausing for a moment and looking into his eyes.

“Jae…” your voice just above a whisper. “Yes,” he said deeply drunk off you. Your eyes wandered to his covered chest. You played with the zipper of his hoodie shyly. “I want to feel you. I don’t want you to wear a condom,” you said moving your iris up and looking into his. His face was a mixture of mischief and disbelief. You always made sure he wore a condom, always being hundred percent careful. You made sure you were always on the pill, which you still are. Before he got too excited he sat up holding you close to him. His hand pressed in the small of your back so you wouldn’t slip.

“You sure?” He asked. You nodded biting your lip. “Yes,” you responded. That was the only confirmation he needed from you. He pulled you into a heated kiss poking his tongue at your bottom lip and silently asking for your permission. You allowed him in running your hands through his hair. He flipped you both over hovering on top of you. Pulling the nighty off you and throwing it to the side next to the discarded robe. He removed his sweater beginning to feel hot. His arms are exposed to the room and you from his t-shirt.

He kissed down your neck, down the valley of your breast stopping to pull them out and suck on your nipple. Abusing it with his tongue and using his other hand to mold the flesh. You moaned at the warm feeling he gave you from his tongue sucking and licking your nipple. Your hand ran through his brown locks and even pulled on the hairs causing him to groan against your skin. He continued his assault down your stomach reaching the pretty little pink panties you wore. He smirked, he loved you in pink more than anything.

“So pretty,” he praised kissing your inner thighs and sucking on the thick skin. He inched his lips closer to your spot of desperate need. Placing a kiss over your silk panties wasn’t enough of you. Whining from above silently begging him to rip the panties off you and devour you. He used his tongue to suck and lick you above your panties spreading your legs for him. The panties barely concealing your pussy at this point. His tongue creates circles around your clothed clit. You moaned a mixture of pleasure and frustration. He was taking his absolute most time with you savoring every memory and flavor from your lips to your pussy.

“Baby, do you want my mouth?” He asked teasingly kissing around your pussy lips. You hated begging but had no choice. He loved hearing you fall apart under him making you for a moment feel what he felt when he was around you. Around you he’d do just about anything you say, he beg you for pretty much anything you didn’t allow him. Like when he begged for months to eat your pussy and you finally said yes. You looked so pretty under and above him, he’d happily live the rest of his life that way with those views of you.

You nodded furiously puffing out your lips. He smirked chuckling, “Baby use your words. You have such pretty lips, use them,” he said wiping his thumb over your bottom lip. “Yes,” you said staring down at him. He smirked to himself bringing his hand back down your body. His finger slid over every part of your body including your perked nipple. He yanked the panties off you, pulling them down your legs and throwing them to the side. You didn’t even protest watching the expensive garment fly away. You instead focused on the man who spread you wide and prepped you with small kitten licks on your clit.

“Jaehyun please,” you begged one of your hands finding your breast and the other his hair. He held your legs down with one hand wrapping them around your waist and he used the other to spread you open. Your pussy lips moved to the side he flicked his index finger over your bundle of nerves watching as your face changed with every flick and lick. Your brows furrowed when his fingers began to move faster on your nub rubbing it in circles. His tongue slipped into your tight hole. Slipping his wet and warm tongue in and out of you as his fingers continued to abuse your clit.

His abuse only continued with every moan and hair pull you did. Giving him the green light to keep going he was on a roll. Devouring you like it was his last meal he licked and sucked every inch of your pussy making sure to get every single drop of you. He watched the way your hole clenched around the air and then his finger. The way your wetness dripped out of you drooling out of your pussy. He groaned at the sight humping the mattress below him slowly losing the focus to control. The problem in his pants only growing larger. He removed the hand from your waist and slid it down his body. Removing his jeans with ease since you had undid his belt he pulled out his dick.

He pumped himself letting out a hum in satisfaction as he got off to you. You unaware continued to get off his glorious tongue and fingers. “Jae I’m gonna cum,” you moaned. For the first time in a while, he picked up his mouth from your lips. His finger still rubbing hard and fast circles. You looked down meeting his dark lustful eyes. Your liquids glistened on his lips and chin. His hair was disheveled sticking out on different parts of his beautiful head. You licked your lips at the sight of him letting your head fall back as your elbows supported you. You loved watching him eat you, it always gave you a boost of confidence to see him completely fall apart even though you begged him to touch you.

“Good girl baby,” he said moving his tongue back into you and looking his eyes with yours. You both held the contact until you came messily all over his mouth and tongue. He didn’t even wipe his lips. He licked around them tasting every bit of you and making sure nothing went to waste. He slowly licked every drop from your pussy aware of how sensitive you were. You whined and squealed your clit was too sensitive, even the small gust of air made you squeal. Jaehyun used to mouth to clean you not quite finished with you yet.

Still pumping himself he hovered over you. You leaned up pulling him down to kiss you deeply. He held the back of your head deepening the kiss you shared. When he let go you bit your lip watching as he pumped his hard red cock in his hands. “Did you cum?” You asked keeping your eyes on one of the most gifted parts of his body. He shook his head watching as you watched him. His bottom lip fell from his top mouth slightly open letting out a low groan when you touched him. “Not yet,” he said. You pushed him back taking his cock from his hands. “I want to ride you,” you said sliding on his cock that now lay flat on his stomach. Your pussy sliding again this cock jerking it felt much better than your hand. He liked your hand but he’ll always prefer your pussy.

Groaning his hands placed themselves on your sides helping you gain friction against him. Your clit met his tip with every stroke you made against him. “Let me fuck you, baby, please. Let me feel you,” he begged watching your eyes and then watching where the head of cock disappeared into the shadow of your folds. Your hands removed themselves from his chest moving your body up and hovering yourself over his dick.

Grabbing the base you slid down both of you covered in his precum and your wetness. You slid in easily both of you letting out sighs in relief moaning when you fit all of him inside you.

You began to ride him rutting your hips. His head falls back the sound of skin slapping surrounding your bedroom. He gripped onto your hips holding you steady and flexing himself quickly. You moaned out loud as his dick moved in and out of you. You held onto his shoulders turning your head to see the view below you. His cock slams into you. Your mouth falls open as more curses and moans spilled out of your throat. “Fuck Jae,” you cursed as you turned back to him. His eyes squeezed shut as he focused on the feeling of your tight pussy clenching against him.

“If you keep so that baby I’ll cum,” he groaned warning you. He continued to make beautiful noises underneath you. Grinding your hips against his he bit his lip trying to find a place to lay his eyes. Your breast spilled out of your bralette, your mouth fell open and your pussy sucked up his cock. He had so many places to look and feel. He reached back removing your pink bralette letting it fall on the side of the bed. He flipped you both over spreading your legs. Pumping himself he slid his dick back inside you. Wrapping your legs around him he trusted in hard and fast.

“Fuck Y/n keep squeezing me. I’m gonna cum,” he said rutting his hips his pelvis hitting your clit deliciously. His fingers found your clit rubbing the nub in quick circles. Your back arched off your bed. He leaned forward capturing your lips with his and swallowing your moans. He continued fucking you and circling your clit. Your arms wrapped around him scratching his back. Your nails burned his skin but he could care less. The scars would be great memories for tomorrow. “Fuck Jae I’m cumming,” you whined your pussy tightening around him. “Fuck baby girl come on, cum for me,” he said feeling himself also slowly falling apart being sucked by your velvet walls.  Jaehyun watched your face closely as you came hard for a second time tonight. Jaehyun continued to Fuck you riding out your high and quickly reaching his. You clenched around him tightly and he tried to hold for as long as he couldn’t but you felt so good around him, he couldn’t help it. He came hard inside you painting your walls white. “Fuck,” he cursed under his breath slowly moving his hips in and out of you watching his cum mix with your juices. Some even slip out of your and fall down your leg.

You felt wet and sticky but also tired and satisfied. You lay back on your bed your eyes shut for a moment chest heaving up and down. Jaehyun slowly pulled out of you bending down to suck your pussy. You squirmed still sensitive from your high. You pushed his head away giggling and he chuckled sending you a small. His lips, chin, chest, and dick are wet and covered with your slick. He stood up his side becoming limp as he walked to the bathroom.

He returned with a warm towel bringing it to your pussy to clean you up. He also used a wipe to clean your face and body making sure you didn’t feel sticky anymore. He cleaned himself after he cleaned you. “Y/n…” he began standing before you on the side of your bed. You didn’t move just hummed, too tired to get up. “Yes?” You asked when you heard nothing but his silence.

He sighed, “I was serious about it before. I want to be with you. I want to be your boyfriend,” you sat up on your bed the towel barely covering your body. “Jae…”

“Listen I know you're busy with your designs but I want to be with you,” he said sincerely. You sighed running a hand through your hair. You rubbed your temples shaking your head. “You know what yes. Let’s be together, but if I get cranky from working a long time don’t get mad!” You said. Jaehyun smiled showing his teeth and his dimples on display.

He walked over to you engulfing you in a hug. Taking in his embrace you let him hold you tightly. He placed small kisses on your shoulder and face his smile never fading. You couldn’t hold back your smile either giggling under his touch.

“I promise to make you happy and take care of your needs,” he said kissing you softly. Your lips lingered against his your lashes dusting your cheeks. “Don’t make a promise Jae. Just do what you’ve been doing and don’t stop,” you said kissing him again.

Fin

Hope you enjoyed this imagine. Stay tuned for more work I will continue to create in the future! Also my vampire short is almost done! I’m really excited to post it soon :)

[vxnuslogy]

🍿 lights, camera, action .ᐟ

chapter 3 — drinkin' time

— prev | masterlist | next

“you guys… is this really necessary?” you ask in amusement as emily and azrail went back and forth from your closet to your full body mirror. 

“i mean,” another article of clothing was thrown into your lap. “it’s just a friendly date. i don’t understand why you’re making such a big deal out of it.” the two actors stared at you before pulling you by the arm and shoving you in the bathroom.

“[name], my dear.” azrail said. 

“do not call me ‘my dear’.” you quip back. sighing as you began to undress and change into whatever the two had picked out for you.

“yeah, okay whatever.” you heard the roll of his eyes making you chuckle. “but it is a big deal. first impressions are important!”

“i think you’re forgetting that this isn’t our first meeting.”

“even so!” emily replied, “there’s no harm in dressing to impress, right?”

you could only assume that emily turned to adam, he was dragged by the two into your apartment at precisely 9 am in the morning, so it was safe to assume he wasn’t in the greatest of moods. 

“there isn’t really anything wrong.” you say while pulling up your pants. “but come on,” pulling the red knitted sweater over your head, you try to fix your messy hair. “did you really expect me to wear a dress for today?”

“but you said you liked wearing dresses.”

“emmie, we’re going out for coffee not an award show.”

pulling the bathroom door open, you didn’t even get the chance to breathe as emily pulled you over to your vanity and sat you down. she already had a brush in her hands and started taking out the knots in your hair. 

“can’t lie to you though, judge,” you peeked at adam who was graciously laying down on your bed, “you look nice.” he said with a smirk on his face. you rolled your eyes at him and started doing your skin prep for makeup.

“what can i say,” azrail propped his arm over your head. “our [name] pulls anything off.”

“that’s an overstatement.” you say while patting down your face with some foundation and concealer. “i never would've worn red if you hadn’t crashed my apartment at 9 in the morning.”’

the white haired man let out a laugh. his deft fingers took a handful of your hair and started braiding it; emily doing the same on the other side. you lightly shook your head with a smile, emily scolded you for moving too much, relishing in this domestic bliss inside your own little home in new york city.

when the two finished tying your hair up in a ponytail with two braids, you stood up and took your purse; the other three followed you out the door. you let them chat with one another as you put on a pair of shoes and study yourself in the little mirror in your doorway. 

a natural makeup look with your hair up – a few baby hairs escaping making it look more casual, a red knitted sweater with the front tucked into the light beige pants that you wore. a pair of gold earrings dangled in front of you, when you turned to the side you were met with azrail’s grin. shaking your head you held out the purse for him to hold while you put on the pair of jewelry. 

“alright everyone, out!” you say while ushering everyone out of your apartment. you took your purse from azrail, locked the door, and started walking to your designated meeting spot with the radio demon.

“good luck [name]! be sure to enjoy yourself!”

───── ✦ ─────

“hey there! hope you weren’t waiting for too long.”

the tall man with glasses looked up from his phone and flashed you a smile.

“not at all my dear! i just got here myself.” you return his smile as the both of you made your way to the entrance. “after you.” alastor said, pushing the door open for you with his arm. you let out a chuckle and breathy thank you as your eyes soaked in the cozy cafe.

“quite the hidden gem this place is, if i do say so myself.” he boasted tugging at his coat’s collar. “how about we take a seat first before we chat?” you nod in agreement and scanned the cafe for any vacant seats. your eyes brightened when the waiter in one of the corners left after cleaning a table for two. 

you tug at alastor’s sleeve and gestured to the free seats. he grinned down at you – yes, down, this man was stupidly tall – and started walking towards the table.

“this cafe is famous for their very adventurous drinks.” he said while you sat down. “i’m not a fan of sweet drinks myself, but their lattes are quite the treat after a hard day at work!”

you mutter a small thank you at the waiter that gave you two the menu. you hum in consideration, thinking of taking up alastor’s offer at something sweet.

“a tempting offer,” you say. “but i think i’ll just get a simple hot brew. i’m not feeling quite adventurous today.”

“shame.” alastor hummed. “it seems like i’ll have to take you here when you’re feeling adventurous!”

letting out a breathy chuckle, you set the menu down and stared at the man in front of you. he cleaned up nice, you thought. alastor wore a simple white shirt layered with a burgundy sweater, dark brown slack, and a dark coat that matched his eyes. you can’t help but wonder if emily and azrail purposely make you wear red so you and alastor could match.

“do you come here often?” you start. the man across from you set down his own menu, meeting your gaze as he replied, “of course! i saw dear charlie and vaggie often coming here so i decided to see what it was all about.”

“so you crashed their date site?” you say with a playful smile.

he let out a dramatic sigh, “how it pains me that you think of me that way! just so you know, my dear, i would never dream of crashing their little dates. i simply wanted a cup of coffee and this little cafe just happen to serve my new favorite.”

“oh? i didn’t think you were a coffee person.”

“did you perhaps assume i was a tea person?”

you only nod, fighting the urge to let out a laugh as alastor’s face twisted into a grimace.

he sighs, “a common misconception about me i must say. i still don’t understand how some people drink…” he pauses for a moment, thinking of a way to describe tea. “leaf flavored beverages…”

“well if it makes you feel better, i’m not a fan of tea myself.” you say with a chuckle. “i only drink it as a last resort if there’s no longer any coffee at home.”

“i’m glad we can both agree on this, my dear!”

you chuckle again as a waiter comes to ask for your orders. an americano for you and black coffee for alastor.

“though i must say, i’m a bit surprised you didn’t know of this place sooner my dear.”

“it's probably because i don’t go to cafes often.” you saw alastor tilt his head slightly to the side so you continued. “i make coffee at home with the others.”

“home brewed coffee, that certainly explains it.” he said while putting his chin in between his thumb and index finger and then he grins. “well, i have a feeling that after today you’ll be coming here more often!” he proclaimed.

“we’ll have to see.” you quip back.

you didn’t have to wait long for your drinks to arrive. alastor watched as you picked up your cup and put it to your lips, he was waiting for your reaction.

“well,” putting your cup down, you smile at alastor. “it tastes like coffee.”

his smile twitched and you let out a breathy laugh. 

“i like it, don’t worry.” you assure him. “americanos all taste the same so i’ll just tell you my thoughts when i order the latte you were talking about.”

“well you caught me there, i admit.” he said while taking a sip of his own coffee. “i myself don’t come here for the coffee – though i do enjoy it – it's mostly because of the atmosphere.”

“that i can see.” picking up your glass again and cradle it in your hands, letting the warmth of your drink seep into your hands. “you look relaxed. at home, dare i say.” alastor looked a bit shocked at what you said. his smile loosening up a bit but you didn’t comment on it.

comfortable silence rolled into your table, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. the two of you simply basked in the presence of one another and relished in the peaceful moment.

“i saw your performance the other day.” he suddenly said. your senses spiked, hands starting to sweat and muscles began to tense. “did you now.” you said, trying to act as casual as possible. your mind running a thousand miles a second trying to digest your own performances these last two weeks. 

was your acting not good enough? did he see a loophole in acting? maybe you should’ve been more angry in the last episode. what if he–

“amazing work if i do say so myself!” he complimented.

the weight on your shoulders started to dissolve as your heart finally started to calm down.

“thank you.” was all you could say with a smile. 

the bad habit of thinking of the worst had gotten to you again, but who wouldn’t think that when a famous and very talented actor was sitting across from you! 

you had to admit, you felt rather small and scared if alastor were to scrutinize your own work.

“say,” you snapped out of your thoughts when he spoke. “would you like to go on a walk with me?”

and go out for a walk the two of you did. the leaves of trees were bleeding into orange and red hues. some of them falling to the ground, making piles and piles of little heaps for children and teenagers alike to jump on. the streets were busy, packed with people dressed in scarves and coats, and some of the shops had already started to bring out the christmas decorations.

the two of you glided from one conversation to another, like two leaves swaying with the wind. each taking turns into sharing your own experiences and getting more comfortable with one another. you spoke of your fondness for autumn, how you’re hometown didn’t have the four seasons so you savored the fall and the snow; while he spoke of all the cafes he’s been to, pointing out the ones that were his personal favorites and the others he wouldn’t recommend going to.

you spoke of books, literature, and arts, and alastor soaked it all in like a sponge. “well color me surprised! i never expected you to be a fan of arts.” he had said, making you laugh. “who wouldn’t enjoy a good book and a museum trip every once in a while.” you replied.

and then the two of you stopped by a nearby park bench, overlooking a lake with floating orange and red leaves. the cold swept away your hair, internally thanking azrail and emily for putting your hair up, as you soaked in the scenery.

“so, tell me, my dear, what made you pursue an acting career?” he had asked. you were around 90% sure your little conversations were done, but you guessed wrong.

“from the very beginning, when i was a simple, scrawny little lad, i had been drawn to the magic of the theaters. the beautiful stage that bursted with life with every line the actors delivered. what a performance!” alastor remarked. “so, what about you my dear? what winds from your hometown lead you here, in new york, to pursue acting?”

“being an actor wasn’t my first option for a career. i wanted to be a lawyer, actually.”

“well would you look at that! even as an actor, you still get to be a lawyer with your current role.” he laughed with a big smile on his face. it truly was hard trying to keep a straight face with him around.

“i know right!” you chuckle. “but like you, from a very young age, i’ve been enchanted by the stories in the books my mother and father would give me. it became a very big part of my life growing up. my own little escape to different worlds. acting and living out thousands of different lives in my head.”

“acting and living out a thousand lives…” alastor looked at you straight in the eyes. “how very poetic of you, my dear. it suits you.”

he tilted his head up, chin once again in between his thumb and index finger. in this position, he showed off his sharp jawline and flawless side profile, you can’t help but think that he was showing off.

“theaters and stories are closely intertwined, no? like a dance of emotions on the stage and in pages. the bridge between story and audience.” 

you smile when he turned his head to grin at you. 

“i’m not a very good dancer myself, i think i might have two left feet!” you jest.

“i’d beg to differ.” he said. “i think you’re quite the dancer my dear! you play an aloof character with a mysterious past; someone who abides by the rules but obviously questions them. dancing around the line of rebellion and being duty bound. no dancer could ever expect to dance the way you do on that stage.”

you were left speechless. toeing around the lines of sincerity and acting, you couldn’t help but wonder what was going through alastor’s mind, so you simply looked down at your second cup of coffee and raised it to the air.

“to the dance between theater and stories.”

alastor smiled, raised his own cup and clinked it with his own.

“to the dance we dance together on the stage.”

you bid alastor farewell when you reached your dressing room. after receiving an urgent message from emily and sera, you had to cut your date short, but not without a promise for another.

pushing the door open, you were met with emily running around the room, dragging everyone by the arm and sitting them down at the tiny sofa in the middle. a plastic cup was handed to you by a pale hand, her light violet eyes giving you a sense of comfort. bringing up the cup to your nose and taking a precautionary sniff, your eyes widen when you realize what it is.

“soju?”

“we wanted whiskey, but we had to make do with what we already have.” azrail said. “come on, everyone’s dying to know who the nominees are.” you return his excited grin and follow him to sit down with everyone else. turning back to lilith, she shook her head and stayed where she was so you muttered a soft thank you before sitting down.

the tension and excitement filled the room to the brim as sera stood at the front. her hands holding on to a pristine white envelope with a golden seal. the room slowly fell silent as sera cleared her throat.

“good evening everyone. it is my pleasure to announce the moment you’ve all been waiting for. but first.” everyone groaned and adam stood up from his seat. “hurry it up manager!” everyone laughed as lute tugged the man down and shushed him. “as i was saying, i am very proud of each and everyone of you. your hard work and dedication truly has been recognized, and this envelope here is the proof of it.”

“and the nominees for the best actor and actress awards from hazbin hotel are…”  everyone waited with bated breath as sera’s eyes glazed over everyone that’s been on the edge of their seat.

“azrail!” the man let out a loud scream and pumped his fist in the air. “emily!” the girl’s eyes shone and hugged the nearest person — lute. “pensious!” the snake man let out a laugh, both his hands secured on his hips before pointing a finger at adam who only looked away. “lilith!” you clapped your hands as azrail whistled, the older woman only smiled and nodded. “and last but not least, [name]!”

“congratulations to you all! no words could ever explain how proud i am, so tonight,” sera raised her cup, her eyes scanning everyone in the room with a smile. “we celebrate to our hearts content!”

everyone cheered and hugged. you were dragged to azrail’s side who slowly crushed you in a side hug. adam got up on the couch, his cup raised up his in the room as everyone followed.

“to being the best fucking actors and actresses the world has ever seen!”

“cheers!”

today will be marked as one of the most enjoyable days of your life.

taglist ━ open .ᐟ

@aboveasphodel @itssupernaturalavenger @coldcattale @yoongibabs @reverse-soe @juskonutoh @mei-simp @puredreamagination @justgiulia @xdolls-crownx @hyxcinthus-moss

[vagabond-umlaut]

transmigrator, meet manipulator

Chapter 1 of functio laesa Gojo x Fem!Reader; Geto & Reader [platonic]; Canon Divergent AU; Isekai. Fluff & Angst & Drama & Humor; Reincarnation; Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies; Incredibly Self-Indulgent; Eventual Happy Ending; Eventual Friendships & Romance.

I've jumped on the Isekai bandwagon, y'all. [And I don't regret it one bit.] [Yet.]

Chapter warnings: Mentions of dying, accidents and panicking. Cult leader Geto.

Many ways exist for one to start a story.

They can write a duel. A confession. A query. A mansion. Or even introduce a character if they wanna.

But no.

You don't start your story any of these ways.

You start it by screeching. Then fainting.

If not totally, quite a bit– oh, who are you even kidding– you're totally freaking out, girl.

****

Dying is sad.

Sadder if you're dying with so many dreams unfulfilled.

Saddest if you're dying in one world, only to find yourself in another world, before realising you'll die [again] in this new world.

Sounds like one hell of an overdramatic overreaction, right?

It won't when your eyes open to a person with black eyes and black hair and bangs. Next move to the 2014 in bold on the wall calendar. Then finally fall on the traditional Buddhist monk robes worn by him... Oh, no way in hell—

A terrified shiver racks through your body; you try your best to hide it as you smile politely at the man.

"Um, hey."

Geto looks at you blankly for a while longer, before cracking a genial smile. In another universe, he would have made an excellent actor, you're sure.

"How are you feeling now?" he asks warmly, moving from the sofa to the chair beside your bed; you really wish he didn't, "You sure do look much better than when I found you."

"I'm better now," you reply, still smiling despite not really wanting to. Then add, wanting to continue your tirade of politeness as a survival tactic, "Thanks for bringing me to the hospital, by the way. I'm sure I would've bled out from my injuries if not for you. Thank you, Geto-san."

Whatever response you might have expected, a pair of wide eyes certainly wasn't a part of them. Geto looks at you, baffled, for another moment, before coughing up a visibly startled chuckle.

"Ah, there's no need to thank me, Miss. I was simply doing what I deemed right. Though I must say..." He trails off for a beat, before resuming, a smirk playing on his features, "I'm pleasantly surprised to see you interact with me so freely. I was thinking you might run for the hills on waking up and seeing me the first thing, from the way you screamed at me earlier today."

"Haha, sorry," you say sheepishly, not knowing how to form a seemingly legit reply.

You definitely cannot say you were scared shitless then, seeing a 2D character in the flesh. Even more for it being the genocidal villain from your favourite anime movie. No, you definitely cannot even utter that.

You ultimately decide to settle for something half-truth-y, "I was terribly shocked then, I think. Not in the right mental space after being hit by a vehic–"

A ringtone cuts you off in the middle of your strained apology. For the first time in your life [lives?], you feel happy for being interrupted while speaking. The man plucks his phone out, wrinkles folding his forehead as he glances at the screen. Only to cut the call in the next instant, shooting you a contrite smile as he rises from his seat.

"Sorry to cut short our little talk, Miss," The man sounds genuinely apologetic; you know better though, "But I'm sure we'll meet again. Soon enough. There are many questions I need you to answer, you see."

"Of course, Geto-san," you chuckle, sagging in relief inside when he finally, frigging finally, steps towards the door. And quite possibly– no, definitely out of your life too. 'Cause there's no way in hell you will let him meet you again. New world or not, you know you have to AND YOU WILL get as far as possible from this–

Geto pauses. One hand on the doorknob. Head twisted slightly to show you a closed-eye smile.

"I never introduced myself once tonight," he hums, "nor did I find you on a road. I found you in the middle of a deserted forest."

A second passes. Or maybe ten. Or maybe sixty. You don't know. You're too busy panicking to know.

Your savior's [more like, future slaughterer's] smile grows impossibly wider. The air feels impossibly colder.

"Goodnight Miss," he says, opening the door. The lights from the room spill into the dark corridor outside. "We will meet again."

'Looks-like-a-cinnamon-roll-but-will-kill-you' Geto and 'Looks-like-a-cinnamon-roll-and-is-a-very-jumpy-one' Reader.

What can ever go wrong?

Divider by @benkeibear. Header from Pinterest. I don't own the characters used here.

[cookies-and-music]

The Scam of a Lifetime.

Aleksander was tired.

Centuries of feigned deaths and new identities had worn him down.

Every day, upon waking, his mind chose a reason why existence was no longer bearable, and he spent the day brooding over it.

That day, it was about the King. Each time the king died, Aleksander had to gain the trust of the new one, prove his worth, and bow to people he could crush with a fingertip.

It had to end.

And it would end with her.

He approached her after the show. In centuries, Aleksander had seen many good actors, but none as skilled as the girl before him. Anya was young, around 16, with brown hair and light eyes. The only thing special about her was the uncanny resemblance to the Queen. It seemed that fate had spared him.

'Let's see if I understand, General Krignan.'

'Kirigan,' he corrected.

'Kirigan,' she echoed. 'Are you telling me that there existed a second daughter of the tsars, unknown to anyone, who disappeared right after birth, and the king is looking for her?'

'Correct.'

 'It seems crazy,' she crossed her arms, leaning on the back of the chair. 'But then, why is he looking for her, after all these years?'

'He is very ill,' Aleksander began.

'The tsar is dying?' the girl widened her eyes.

'Remember that everything we say is confidential, Miss Anya,' he said with a slight undertone of threat, and she nodded. 'The tsar claims that the disappearance of the second daughter is his greatest regret, and he cannot die peacefully until he finds her.'

She seemed to reflect on it for a while; Aleksander could see the gears in her brain turning. When she finished, she raised an eyebrow. 'So, I should go there, give him the farewell kiss, and then what?'

'Then you would retire to the quiet life you know and prefer, in a villa located in the countryside far from Os Alta, with more money than you can count, never worring about working ever again.'

Anya sensed it, the smell of bullshit. 'And what do you gain?'

'A peaceful passing for my beloved sovereign.'

The coldness with which he said it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand.

She took a second to think about it, but even if she knew he would gain something, Anya thought she didn't care much, as long as she came out of it alive. And rich. Terribly rich.

[][][]

During the carriage journey to Os Alta, Kirigan instructed Anya on everything she could say and, above all, what she shouldn't say. The lost princess Katarina had grown up in an orphanage on the border of Shu territory, never knowing who her parents were. When she was old enough to leave, she became a seamstress. They met in a shop where she worked and sold him gloves.

'But I don't know how to sew,' Anya had objected.

'You'll learn along the way,' Kirigan had replied without looking up from his lunch.

Anya had raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

Apart from that, the journey was mostly silent and terribly boring. The black carriage they traveled in had dark curtains that prevented them from seeing outside, making it difficult to distinguish morning from evening.

For three days, the General was her only company, as he had forbidden her to talk to anyone else to maintain secrecy.

Just beyond the gates of Os Alta, the terrible silence surrounding the carriage was broken by the chaos from outside. Intrigued by the commotion, Anya reached a hand toward the curtain and pulled it slightly.

Outside, an adoring crowd had gathered around the carriage. They threw flowers and shouted, 'Glory to the tsar, glory to Ravka.'

'I didn't know you were so loved, General,' Anya turned to Kirigan, who, with his dark and heavy clothes and long legs, seemed to take up all the space in front of her.

Kirigan moved a flap of the curtain with a finger.

'They're not cheering for me, Miss Anya.'

The girl looked confused, and he handed her a newspaper he had next to him.

'What am I supposed to do with this?' Anya waved it.

'Usually, people read newspapers, Miss Anya.'

She clenched her jaw, swallowing. 'The. P- Prin-cess. Princess.'

Aleksander furrowed his brow. 'Miss Anya... you can read, right?'

'Of course!' Anya seemed almost offended. 'I just don't like it that much.'

Aleksander almost laughed as he watched her straighten up and furrow her brows as if facing an indecipherable puzzle. 'The princess re-tu-returns ho-me.' Anya tossed the newspaper on the cushion beside her. 'I don't understand,' she sighed, looking at Kirigan.

‘They’re here for you, Princess Katarina.' He gave her a half-smile, and Anya's jaw dropped.

'I had never received applause before the performance.'

Aleksander almost laughed.

Around an hour later, the carriage stopped.

'Well, Miss Anya, the show is about to begin.' Aleksander opened a door and stepped out before reaching his hand inside to help Anya get down. As her eyes adjusted to the outside light, Aleksander took her arm and crossed it with his. For a moment, Anya was surprised by such chivalry until she realized that the proximity was necessary only to ensure that no one heard him when he whispered, 'And know that if you back out, no corner will be dark enough to hide you from me, Miss Anya.'

[dribs-and-drabbles]

Most memorable items of clothing in bl series in 2023

In order of their airing/me watching them:

I'm thankful I've gotten into the habit of noting which shows I watch and when otherwise I wouldn’t be able to remember. As it is, first on my list is Bed Friend, which kind of sets the tone for this post since it features the best and the worst outfit choices for Uea. The waffle robes and cat ears vs the fake sleeves shirt.

Next is a quick shout out to Por in My School President, since the show started in 2022 but did finish in 2023, and basically all of his outfits. The man is a style icon. But this stripy polo shirt takes the biscuit for me. I need to have it.

On to Moonlight Chicken and this one is a combined effort between Heart and Li Ming. @telomeke prompted me to write a little about it, but essentially the two shirts together are saying 'you're my other half'. Urthe / Tomato sauce.

The Gloves! Need I say more? (Alright, for those of you who don't know - how could you not?! - they're from Chains of Heart).

And now not strictly an item of clothing but an accessory, the most straight ankle bracelet you'll ever see in a thai series. Totally platonic, not gay AT ALL. In Midnight Museum.

In July the different Thai production companies took stock of three versions of the same stripy linin shirt – the cream long-sleeved, the brown short-sleeved, and the charcoal short-sleeved - and proceeded to clad every actor they could in one of them within a three and a half month period (six shows*, eight different characters). We had couple-shirts with both Kawi and Pisaeng and Mew and Top wearing them, and Namneua in Wedding Plan wore all three. (*Step by Step, Be My Favourite, Hidden Agenda, Wedding Plan, Love in Translation, and Only Friends).

Staying in July for a while, and speaking of weddings, Kawi rocked on up to Pearmai and Not's wedding in Be My Favourite in this brown houndstooth shirt and black pants outfit - an almost exact replica of Ray's outfit in the original pilot trailer for Only Friends. I waited with baited breath to see if Ray would still wear the outfit in the actual series...and he did! Not only that, I then realised Uea had already worn it in Bed Friend earlier in the year.

In a surprising turn of events, Be My Favourite – and Krist – turned out to actually be Quite Good. Perhaps distracted by Krist's puppy eyes, we weren't entirely ready for the first appearance of the Dudes shirt – itself a wonderful comment on the narrative since Kawi was figuring out his feelings for Pisaeng – but it was a delight to see it again on Nick in Only Friends, and offering a different narrative comment.

This next one may only be notable for me, but when I was doing my dedicated scan through of oh so many shows to collect items for the communal wardrobe, I noticed this sand and grey sweater amongst the many other items of shared clothing which appeared in The Warp Effect and then very briefly on Pisaeng in Be My Favourite. Not long after, the trailer for Last Twilight dropped and I spotted it again immediately. I've also since noticed it in a speed scan of The Shipper. Not only do I think it's a pretty neat sweater, but I loved the effect it gave in Last Twilight, which I wrote about at the end of this post.

This is getting long but I'm going to keep going (this might be the only 2023 wrap up I do so I'ma make it count).

If you've been following me for a while (or since the BBS days), you’ll know how rabid I go when I see a pair of the yellow-soled Mustard brand shoes in a show. The most recent being in Hidden Agenda worn by Zo…but they're not the ones on this list. Oh no, it's Joke's blue-soled shoes which made me sit up and scream this time...meaning even their shoes were colour-coded in this show. Oh how I wish I could buy a pair of each.

There were many fabulous outfits in Laws of Attraction (especially Charn's) but Tanthai's green rope shirt wins out for me. Green seemed to be used in the show to represent the lies and secrets Tanthai was forced to keep because of his father, and he was metaphorically bound and trapped in these lies and his life. Ah perfection!

I've mentioned a lot of brilliant items but there have also been many awful ones, and the one I can't seem to stop thinking about (or horrifying over) is the Droopy Tits shirt (or Nipple Protector, whichever way you want to call it) which first appeared in Dangerous Romance and then The Jungle just three days later. I'm surprised we haven't seen it again to be honest, but I imagine if we get more spoiled rich kids we probably will.

These next two aren't specific items but more of a shout out to the whole wardrobe design of the shows.

First, Only Friends, with Mew and Ray's transformation to Ray and Sand's (respective) wardrobe choices, as well as the inversion of colours to highlight differences in relationships, and the use of colour-groupings to separate characters (<- a post i have yet to write). I wish I could write more about it…but life is just too busy to give it the time it needs.

The second is, of course, Ai Di and Chen Yi in Kiseki: Dear to Me with how they always share a colour in their different outfits. @respectthepetty details this perfectly here, so I don't need to. I am however still feral about these two and can't wait to do a full re-watch of the show.

And lastly, much like Baseball Mom in Bad Buddy two years ago (and to be honest many of Pat's other shirts), Aof recently gifted us another absolutely ridiculous but brilliantly poignant t-shirt slogan in Mhok's Fart Proudly shirt in Last Twilight, which I went into detail about here. Just A+

Thanks for sticking with me through all that! Any others that stood out for you or that I missed?

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Traditionally, I Love You ~ Bakugou Katsuki x Reader ***

Summary: A small, soft and very fluffy story where Katsuki falls in love with a girl from a traditional upbringing who learns about the modern life for the first time when she’s forced to get into U.A. Their relationship develops beautifully, and they take a step further, under the guidance of Katsuki, who shows her that being intimate is for pleasure and connection, not just for heir-making as she was taught.  ( It’s going to be mainly female-pleasure focused, and an extremely soft Katsuki x )

Bakugou always prided himself with being the absolute best at everything, the future #1 Hero, and though he didn’t get in U.A. through recommendation like those privileged extras, he rightfully got the highest score at the entrance exam.  He played it cool all the time, though even he had to admit, his enthusiasm may have gotten the best out of him at times - He wasn’t going to show his happiness though, of course not, he was above fawning over heroes and being in a hero academy - Unlike that dumbass Deku, he was so ridiculous, he couldn’t only laugh in his face. It was humiliating even knowing they were from the same class, let alone that he considered him a ‘friend’. Ha! As if Bakugou would befriend a Quirkless nobody like him.

Still, after a few weeks in U.A., on one morning when Aizawa was supposed to come over for homeroom time and say his good mornings, he brought over a girl around their age. She was dressed in a traditional outfit, and her hair, too, was long, worn and pinned with a pretty flower accessory, and her make up was white, with a little bit of red around her eyes, highlighting an almost cat-like look. She looked like a traditional porcelain doll. Bakugou didn’t even want to look at her - Too soft, he thought. Why was she here anyway? Surely, there was no way she wanted to be a hero, not someone like her.

But Bakugou’s ears perked up, as though he was some kind of animal - She was their new transfer student classmate. This girl who looked like she was being an actor ripped from a movie set in the 16th century sengoku era... She was supposed to be their new student. What a load of bullshit. There was no way she could have a proper Quirk... Unless she had a healing Quirk? Perhaps so - Apart from Recovery Girl, there was no one in U.A., or at least that he knew, who could heal others. Surely, for healers, there must be better schools, aren’t they? So why was she brought here to begin with?

“My name is L/N Y/N. I am going to be your classmate. Please, treat me well.” the girl bowed deeply at them, so soft-spoken that Katsuki couldn’t even hear her. Was she the shy-introvert type, or was this her whole persona, of a pretty, traditional girl? How clichee. Bakugou already hated her, though he couldn’t stand the overly loud and obnoxious kawaii-bullshit girls either; Their forced, high-pitched voices grated his brain to the point of over-bleeding. It didn’t matter though. Bakugou wasn’t in U.A. to get in a relationship. He was there to learn and train to his body’s limits, and far beyond.

Aizawa then informed them that Y/N was from a village with strict, traditional views, and she needed to be integrated in their society, as she doesn’t even know how to use her phone. The school was gracious enough to provide her with a good enough cell-phone, but there was only so far she could go, all by herself.

Of course, all those stupid extras fawned over her like months to the flame, they were talking to her, all at once even, and they all tried to explain to her things, different things, of different topics. Katsuki didn’t want to bother with her, or with all those fuckers, it was far too much of a drag, and he had more important things to be doing; Though, his eyes wondered of their own accord, lingering from the corner at the girl being ganged and chatted up by more than half the class. She looked overwhelmed having so many people around her, but she tried to keep a polite smile on her face. What a weakling. Yes, he could sympathise with being uncomfortable around people like that, but he would retaliate immediately and fuck them up real good, so they’d know never to bother her again like that.

The classroom was so unbelievably loud that Katsuki’s senses found themselves overwhelming - And they weren’t even in his ear! “SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY YOU FUCKING EXTRAS! YOU’RE TOO FUCKING LOUD - TAKE IT THE FUCK OUTSIDE ALREADY!” the boy slammed his fist into his desk so hard that the others thought it was going to break. Though he was glaring at them, the class now deathly silent, he unintentionally spotted a grateful smile, small yet tender, on the girl’s face. It was addressed to him. What, did she think he did it to save her? What an idiot! Stupid, old-school girl! She better not think they’re friends now or something stupid!

Katsuki slumped back down in his chair, and thankfully, as the class was about to begin, Y/N left, as she was to properly start her curriculum at the beginning of the next week.  Of course, the only topic of conversation during the week was the new girl, and how everyone tried to text her, only to get ignored and wonder why. Did those idiots completely forget the new girl was technologically challenged? That she allegedly didn’t even know what a cell-phone was? Maybe that dumbass had no clue how to turn on the damn phone, let alone write and reply to their stupid-ass texts?! What’s so hard to comprehend, for the love of --

Bakugou was so over the whole mess with the new girl, that he hoped she’d never come back to U.A. But no, she did, and now she was wearing their school’s uniform. She had long and slender legs, beautifully sculpted, and the black stockings made them look even prettier, Katsuki noted, and the white shirt with the tie looked good enough on her. Her hair was done just as before, but she wore no makeup anymore, though her nails was rather sharp and painted black, as though she was a cat or some kind of predator animal. Katsuki’s ears widened slightly - Did he really associate ‘pretty’ with this girl? What was wrong with him?  Gah, he had to do an active effort to avoid her now, who knows what other stupid things he’s going to think about without realising.

He spared her a quick glance, watching her take the empty seat two spots to his right - Her gaze was down on the floor, and her cheeks were red as her hands were trying to keep her short skirt down. Was she... Embarrassed with the outfit? Coming from a traditional background and having to wear only dresses that cover you fully, and now, a short skirt and a short sleeved shirt... Yes, that made sense, he realised. How was she supposed to focus on classes if she’s fixated on her insecurities. Even worse, that stupid grape dumbass had to fluster her up even more by flipping her skirt and commenting on her behind. Though she remained silent and got herself seated with no comment, Katsuki noticed small tears forming in her eyes. How annoying - She should have made wine out of Mineta. Why isn’t she defending herself? Why isn’t she beating that fucker up? Was she unable to? Did she really have such a stupidly weak Quirk that she couldn’t even fight that worthless fuckass?

Bakugou, and everyone else; They were all going to be left speechless soon. They were all wrong. They needn’t coddle Y/N, they just needed to help her integrate. She didn’t require pity by all means. She just wanted to be a normal person, around many other normal people. That was made fully understood, or at least, she hoped so, once, out of all the people in 1-A, Y/N chose Bakugou to pair up with for the 1v1 exercise.

“Y/N-chan, you shouldn’t choose Bakugou, he doesn’t hold back!” one of them said. “L/N-chan, don’t fight against Kacchan, he’s very, very strong!” dumbass Deku exclaimed in fear. “Y/N, he’s going to kill you!” another one of those damn extras warned her.

Instead, Y/N, now wearing the U.A. training clothes, the jacket zipped up fully, up to her chin - She walked up to Bakugou and bowed deeply at him. “Will you please be my partner today, Mr. Bakugou Katsuki?” The blond boy couldn’t only look down at her, scarlet eyes wide with confusion - Why the hell was she being so overly polite with him, he wasn’t 40 years old or something, what the fuck? “Yo, extra, stop calling me that. One same is enough, no lame-ass honorifics or something.” he grunted, though everyone seemed surprised that he didn’t yell at her at all. His tone wasn’t even raised, as usual, nor was his voice gruff. It almost felt as though he tried to keep his voice at an acceptable level, as to not overwhelm her senses. Was Bakugou being... Considerate?! “Yeah, sure, we can pair up, whatever. But I’m not about to go easy of you, get it?” “Thank you very much, Mr. Baku... U-Uhm... Katsuki...?” the boy found his cheeks warming up slightly, looking away. She was the first girl who called him by his first name like that, how annoying. Still, it was his fault for being so vague, and he didn’t want to confuse the girl more than all these new things already were - Might as well get used to this and suck it up. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” he muttered, shoving his hands deep in his pants pockets and walked away, to the side of the court, where everyone else was standing.

Aizawa had some pairs fight between each other - First, without Quirks, then, with them. Sero with Mina, Kaminari with Kirishima, Jirou with Yaomomo, Tokoyami with Tsuyu, Koda with Sato, Ojiro with Shoji, Iida with Todoroki, Uraraka with Deku, Aoyama with Hagakure; And no suprise, nobody wanted to fight against Mineta, but eventually, one of the winners would have to volunteer to fight him also. What a drag.

Katsuki’s match against Y/N was the last one, but also, the most anticipated... And feared. He unzipped his jacket and threw it on the ground, doing a little warm up. He liked fighting in a tank top only, gave him the mobility he needed. Y/N, also, though she looked incredibly bashful, took off her jacket. “No weapons, Y/N.” she nodded in acknowledgement at the teacher; Katsuki could only look quizzically at her, though he hadn’t the time to question her supposed proficiency in weapons. Perhaps a conversation for later on. “Have a fair fight. No Quirks in the first round. Go.” as with all the other matches, Aizawa spoke the drill, and the two students stepped away from each other.

Bakugou watched as Y/N’s demure visage turned completely blank and cold, and she was staring him dead in the eyes; She hadn’t taken any pose or stance, instead, her hands were held in her pockets, waiting leisurely. He wasn’t going to wait around until Y/N attacked, he hated waiting at all. Despite the gasps from the other idiots, he rushed in a blitz attack, like a bull at the matador, attempting to ram into the small, frail girl that was pathetically standing there - One punch was going to settle it all, no need for an overkill, he thought. The momentum was catching up, and it was time to strike.

But Bakugou found himself flying away, slamming into the ground and rolling pitifully. What happened, he wondered, looking at the girl who was returning back to her laid-back pose. He had to attack again and see what happened - This little idiot was tricky, and he had to learn her patterns. He needed only grab her, and it was over. No matter how tricky she was, her strength was lesser than his - The laws of physics dictated that truth. What he hated though, was that everyone was cheering her name, praising and encouraging her. How annoying.

He lunged at her from behind, only to get surprised once more, as she threw herself to the ground, backwards, and rolled into his feet, making him stumble and fall to the ground with yet another great thud, and watching with blurry eyes as she nonchalantly stepped away.

This time, he actively engaged in a veritable exchange of jabs - She was flawless in dodging each of his fists; And worse, her accuracy as she punched all of his vital points seemed to affect him; Bakugou grunted, his body instinctually stepped away from her. Y/N leapt forwards, kicking his thigh so hard that it made him kneel with a pained growl - She then used his knee as a stepping stool and used her elbows to hit hard on her opponent’s head, followed by a powerful blow to the temple.

Bakugou Katsuki was on the ground.

“YOU GO, Y/N! YOU’RE THE BEST!” Katsuki wanted to shriek with rage at all the praising and the cheers, none of them addressed to him. It was driving him into an unfocused anger, only to hear Y/N’s voice, washing over him like a cool, soothing river. “Please, do stop your unnecessary cheering. I and Katsuki are in a fight, and it is disrespectful and rather unprofessional to meddle with one’s morale. We are doing our best. Please appreciate our efforts and be considerate.” though her voice was soft, her words seemed to have enough of a harsh edge that it made the others stand up. She then stepped in front of him and crouched to the ground, extending her hand for him to take and get up. “Katsuki, let us continue our honorable match, please. I am truly honoured that you are fighting me with all that you have, and I respect you dearly.” Y/N smiled as she felt the boy roughly grab her hand and helped him up. They shared a few brief seconds of eye contact, and she smiled tenderly at him. It almost felt as though they’ve connected, understood each other perhaps. He didn’t know why he hadn’t felt compelled to yell at her, scold her for taking pity on him or making him feel lesser, weaker - Hell, he didn’t even slap away her hand. Why wasn’t he feeling as angry as before? He truly couldn’t understand it, but he found the fog of anger dissipating slowly, and finding his focus again.

Once back in position, Bakugou ran into her close area circle and engaged in another barrage of jabs, lefts and rights, roundhouse kicks and sickles; Still, she somehow managed to predict the moment he tried to charge at her with a more powerful punch - She blocked it with her arm, so well that she only slightly slid backwards. He was able to notice the exact second her face twisted in agony, for just a split second, though she didn’t even whine or cry from the pain - She was silent as a lake.

Katsuki took a step back and got in another stance, making the girl mimic him. Ever since he was in school, he trained himself, following various routines online - Of course he was familiar with fighting styles. He always thought Aiki, the style Y/N seemed to be an expert in, was for weaklings. In a way, he was right. In another way, he was proven wrong, considering how well she was able to counter him thus far.  Still, he knew a little bit of everything; Surely, he could trick her into thinking he knows Karate just as well. His fists were tightly held in a basic karate stance, whilst she had a similar pose, though her hands were open. It was the perfect example of a Karate vs Aiki fight, a battle of Strength vs Softness. He almost thought it ironic, how well it described even them as people.

Neither of them move, analysing each other, every tweak of their body, every breathing, every blink of their eyes; Y/N’s foot was sliding forward, inch by inch, and he mirrored her move. Seeing as he, too, was approaching, the girl lunged at him, and he did the same. In a split second, Y/N redirected his own move against him, making him fly backwards, once again. “To think you would fall so far away... As expected of the strongest student in class 1-A. There is no one else with such incredible physical prowess.” Y/N praised him; If they weren’t fighting, he was going to blush furiously, but he couldn’t afford that during a fight. Later, perhaps, when he could blame it on the work out he was getting with this fight.

Once again, Y/N maintained no stance, and awaited Katsuki to lunge at her - He threw what seemed to be a hundred thousand hits her way, all of them at such speed that the others could barely differentiate them; Y/N didn’t flinch. She knew they were all fakes. Instead, as Katsuki attempted a real kick her way, she grabbed his shin, making him lose balance - He must have been expecting that though, as he twisted and ended on his feet. Such flexibility, fascinating for someone so tall and buff like himself. Praise-worthy, Y/N thought.

But L/N used her own hand to roll at the back of his ankle whilst he tried another kick, only for her to slam the heel of her foot into his chin, making him stumble backwards with a grunt. Everyone seemed to be greatly enjoying the fight, it was fascinating and far better than any of them was able to manage - Though they were still internally cheering for the underdog to win, they had to agree that they both were doing fantastic.

"I’ve analysed all your attacks, dumbass. I know your strategy and all your Aiki moves. You need a strong opponent, so you can counter with a move that equals their power, with yours attached to it. You don’t need to be strong yourself. But what would you do if I were no longer an opponent? I'm not going to attack anymore. Let’s see what you do when your weak-ass fighting style gets obliterated." Y/N held her hands in her pockets, watching as Bakugou kept standing tall. She chuckled, stepping around him. "Well! I suppose there's no need to do anything against an opponent who does nothing!" she grinned leisurely. "As a result, there will be no fight! I have nothing to lose, spending the whole match waiting and doing nothing - But you do! You want to win, don’t you? You know, if there is no victory, there is also no defeat. What an idyllic world we live in!" though she spoke, Bakugou had no other word to usher. He wasn’t going to respond to her provoking, especially as he knew she meant none of it. "... However, I suppose this is still a match, in the end. You're trying to come up with a battle of stubbornness. I guess you can say I'm proud that I could make even you come up with such an impertinent strategy, against some weak, inexperienced opponent such as myself. Truly, I'm flattered! Thank you for taking me seriously, despite my physical weakness." she continued. "Your techniques and mine - I'm far too young to say it doesn't matter whose are superior, or that strength doesn't matter." as soon as she found herself behind her opponent, she sprinted at great speed, hoping to reach his spinal cord;

Before she could incapacitate him, however, Y/N felt a pressure in her stomach, strong enough to send her flying a crazy length, and she stumbled over the sand, rolling pitifully on the ground. No amount of damage that she chipped from the boy felt equal to this single punch that connected. She had gasped like a fish on the land, trying desperately to get air back in her lungs. Her hair tie had broken, and her hair cascaded almost gracefully in elegant waves over her body.  

As soon as he stepped by her side, Y/N instantly shot to her feet, long hair dancing beautifully around her, almost bewitching the boy with her natural beauty; though she leisurely managed to catch his wrist and throw him away, sending him off with a temple punch also, watching him slam his head into the ground. The girl was panting with exhaustion already, many minutes having passed indefinitely. “It takes a lot of energy for you to pull off such stunts, huh? Throwing me like that only makes you lose strength and stamina. I must be weighting twice your own.” Bakugou let out an amused breath, smirking, though he himself was sweating and needing some air. “You are correct. I am really exhausted. I have never fought anyone so equally before, especially without a Quirk. It is most fascinating. I doubt I could kill you.” the tired smile was enough to charm the boy, though he was confused at her later statement - What was it about killing she said? No matter, he frequently threatened to kill his classmates, it didn’t matter.

With both opponents standing, both taking their stances, Y/N slowly, but steadily inched forwards towards her opponent until their toes were touching each other; Bakugou readied his fist to punch Y/N's face - She managed to dodge, and with her cleavage, shoulder and arm, she was able to redirect his blow, making him stumble before he was punched down into the ground once more.

“Are you done playing around? I ain’t feeling shit from your kitten punches.” Bakugou scoffed tauntingly, and with a well-aimed punch, Y/N was sent flying across the court painfully hard, looking like a discarded ragdoll. The boy continued walking towards her, watching as she was stumbling and struggling to get up; She had a pained expression on her face, holding her head - She must be feeling very dizzy. “Lost your balance, huh? I’m ending it now. You fought better than those fucking extras.” he praised, readying another strike to finish the match, only to find himself stumbling forward as Y/N threw herself at his feet to trip him once more - In detriment of her feeling the vertigo twisting even faster. “What did you accomplish with that anyway? Are ya afraid of losing or what?” 

Their classmates were yelling at them to stop fighting - Both of them were covered in scrapes, bruises and blood - But when Aizawa asked if they wanted to declare an end match, they both snapped at them all, a negative answer firmly rasped. Neither was going to take away from the respect they held for each other after such a fight.

Y/N was barely able to turn and flex her arm to receive another one of his powerful punches, though she couldn’t take it anymore. Her body felt broken, and she was barely able to get up and stand properly. She was clutching at her arms and hands, she was hurting dearly; Her eyes were glassy also, no doubt, wet from the pain she was enduring. 

Even in that vertigo state however, she was able to dictate the flow of battle, slapping her palms over the opponent’s, and stumbling about, keeping the boy at bay, unable to move further - If he tried, she’d easily evade his move and counter - She even clinged to his wrist, stomping her foot flushed against his own, pushing onto it and making his trip. With the little energy she had left, she used his knee to grapple him, this time, more accurately, with her leg over the back of his neck - She pulled herself up in one move, grabbing a fistful of his hair and jumping behind him, grabbing him down and slamming him into the ground - The boy yelped from the excruciating scalp pain he was feeling, though his body could barely feel any other pain.

Y/N brought him to the edge of his patience, though he couldn’t deny he had been enjoying this fight dearly, but it had to end soon. Even he was feeling exhausted, his muscles aching for some relief.  She lunged at him and tried to hit him at the same time he tried to deliver another powerful punch, only for her to somehow evade the hit - He needed a few seconds to realise how she was able to seemingly disappear for a single blink of an eye - She was smart and shrewd, she managed to evade his monstrous hit, simply by shifting her joints just a little bit, yet fast enough to create the illusion of not having moved. But the second hit, she was unable to parry or dodge, and she was on the ground - Y/N saw spots in front of her, and her vision had gone to shit. She was clutching at her head, her arms visibly trembling as she tried to get up from the ground, only to repeatedly fail and fall down. It looked far more difficult than any plank exercise, Katsuki thought, but she hadn’t given up. He was almost shocked, seeing the beautiful porcelain doll girl being so resilient and unbending, though he hated being the one to get her in this state, be the one to bring her such suffering.

Wait - Why was he pitying his opponent? She was worthy of fighting him, she was above those extras - He was praising her, not pitying her. He was strong. Stronger than most.

Once she was finally on her feet, hoping her head would stop spinning already, and struggling to keep standing; One of her knees was hurting so bad, Katsuki could see her leg repeatedly giving up; Despite all her agony, she found some place to muster up strength, and as Bakugou lunged at her, she got in a low stance, leaping at him, grabbing his wrists and pulling him forward, aiming for a barrage of hits at his vitals - When he was too busy blocking her hits, she side-stepped and tripped him, making him stumble backwards. 

How much longer was she going to drag this on, when she had already fallen off the shelf and shattered? Had she no regard for her body and health? Hell, he could kill her on the spot, yet she was still fighting.  His face must have looked almost demonic to her - He was going to use all of his strength on this last punch; The only way to win this was to knock her out, he realised, her resolve was far too powerful.

Just as they got in each other’s territory however - He stopped, just before his fist touched her face. His eyes were wide and lips parted slightly in shock, as the girl’s body completely gave up, and she fainted in his arms, just as she tried to hit him. She looked so small, so frail, so... Cute? He found himself wiping the dripping blood going down her chin from her busted lip, before picking her up bridal style - His arms were shaking like crazy, though somehow, he still found the strength to carry the flower-like beauty. “Bakugou wins.” Aizawa declared, nodding at the blond to go to the infirmary.

The whole walk to the hospital wing, Katsuki looked down at the peaceful face of the doll-like girl. Who knew she was able to fight so well, resist so long, even faced against someone as strong as him. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what her Quirk was, and he was almost upset he couldn’t fight her properly either. Perhaps another time; Next time they were to go on a 1 on 1, he was going to choose her, the same way she chose him.

“Did I do well, Katsuki?” an almost broken voice, yet surprisingly sweet, called out. “Hella.” his whole body rumbled with a chuckle, earning a lovely smile from the girl. “I am happy.” the boy hummed in agreement; The sentiment was shared.

That evening, when they were done with classes and Y/N was in a good enough shape, Bakugou offered to walk her back home. He wasn’t all that great at socialising, and definitely, neither was Y/N. Though the walk was rather awkward, they still found each other’s company seemingly comforting, and the tender smile she gave him when she said farewell...

Katsuki found his heart beating weirdly fast, and this time, it wasn’t from the cardio workouts he was doing. During their weeks at U.A., Bakugou had the two idiots sitting between himself and Y/N fuck off and change desks, urging the girl to stay next to him, under the pretext that she needed to be showed how to use a phone and what not. Of course, that was just silly, but he had no clue how to get closer to her, without looking pathetic.

It was shocking how with her sweet voice, she was able to sooth his nerves, lessen his rage and frustration, hell, with a simple touch on his arm, she was capable of making him stop yelling at those other extras, especially the dumbass, 1-braincell ‘BakuSquad’ as those idiots liked to call themselves. He hated them so much, it was unreal. He couldn’t understand - Honest to God, he couldn’t - She was just another girl, a classmate, a person just like any other, so why the hell was he always thinking about her? She was his first thought waking up, and his last, falling asleep.

Love, his parents teased him. Love, his friends teased him. Love, his own heart teased him.

Why the hell was everyone making him feel like such a fool, for having feelings for someone? To hell with them all, damn extras. He deserved better than this. Despite all the humiliation he felt whenever someone taunted him with what he felt, despite his mind yelling at him intently to run away and sever any kind of friendship he had with Y/N... He simply couldn’t resist her charm. She was so pretty, blushing as she had to show so much skin in the U.A. uniform, and even her Hero outfit, it resembled that of a priestess, yet instead of hakama, she had a lovely skirt with large splits that allowed for mobility and agility, giving the impression of being covered, yet when she moved, her legs were beautifully on full display. Her blouse also seemed to highlight her most graceful curves, and her sleeves were technically long, and could be used as pockets - Very practical, she loved that feature the most.

The first time Bakugou saw Y/N wearing her Hero outfit was during the USJ incident - She was so beautiful, he was lost for words, but annoyingly enough, so was Mineta, who continued making her uncomfortable - Of course, until he blasted that fucker all the way to the flooded area, hoping he’d drown.

But what was supposed to be a fun activity, playing as heroes, turned to be most worrisome, and Bakugou felt a spike of anxiety being teleported away and forced to wonder where Y/N was, if she was okay, if she could handle the natural tragedy landscape she had to go against, or even the villains. He had to get the hell out of there and search for her, make sure she was alright. Those worries proved ignorant however, as by the time Katsuki was out of the collapsing building, he, Todoroki and Deku were there, watching Y/N unleashing blue flames and... Killing villains with a long spear. She was aiding Aizawa, though not as anyone would expect. Y/N was definitely not the sweet little angel everyone depicted her as. Instead, she looked as though she was wielding the onibi spiritual fire of a fox spirit - And she looked like a malevolent Goddess doing so. She was ruthless, with no mercy. Bakugou felt a shiver down her spine, seeing all that blood - Only villains killed, that’s what they were all told... And seeing the girl he was crush on doing what villains did, it made his mind spin a little.

That worry completely dissipated once a blue haired freak and some huge-ass beast attacked them. His mind was running a thousand times per second, though his body was simply frozen, watching the small flower being crushed with such brutality, that he felt physical ache, as she laid there, in a pool of her own blood, yet still struggling to get up and save frog girl, grape boy and useless Deku from getting decayed by that freak with zombie hands groping him. Perhaps, if it weren’t for All Might coming over and saving everyone, they wouldn’t have made it out alive. It was completely maddening, thinking that, no matter how much they work, they weren’t anywhere close to beating the villains. How incredibly depressing, just like seeing the mummy-like bodies of both Y/N and Aizawa, as they came to school literally the next day, as though nothing had happened. Nothing changed for them - But it did for him. 

How could anyone pretend nothing happened, when they had to be stronger and stronger and even stronger than the strongest, just to get even with those fuckers and ensue the peace of the country. It was pathetic, all of it, and since then, Bakugou began overworking himself to the point of physically collapsing daily.

The occasion to rise up and show how much he improved was given to him when the Sports Festival was announced. He tried to get Y/N not to compete, afraid that her body wouldn’t cope, still damaged - But her dismissive smile managed to convince him without much arguing. He could never say ‘No’ to her, for whatever reason. But he should have. Oh, how he hated himself for being unable to convince her out of it. She pushed herself hard enough with the first task, using the fire boost to get to the finish line, and then, he chose her in his team, to make sure she was fine - They didn’t exactly win, much to his dismay, but they got in the last task of the festival, which was the most important one - The 1v1 fights.

He fought Uraraka and he fought Todoroki, and in the end, he had to fight none other than Y/N, whom he had no idea how was able to get so far. Before the match, he cornered her. “Give up. Your body is failing you.” he trapped her on the wall, but that fox-like smile of hers shattered his resolve. “Don’t worry about me, Katsuki. I want to give you another honorable fight, this time, with out full potential.” he could feel his heart trembling with emotion just by hearing that lovely voice of hers. “What the hell potential, when you can’t even properly stand up straight?!” he protested, only to feel a hand on his face, gently caressing it. “Don’t worry.” that warm smile, and her touch... He couldn’t help but lean into her hand, grunting, his face flushing with love. “I know you will respect me and my strength. Fight me as your equal.” “Don’t go around blaming me if you won’t get up after I defeat you again.” he huffed, pushing her forward toward the fighting court.

Unlike in the match he had with Uraraka, he wasn’t going to be called a villain anymore. Not only Aizawa himself defended him, but even she yelled at the public. She had run on the pitch so shamelessly and started scolding the audience! If Katsuki weren’t so flushed up from the fight, he was going to be from the way his heart was beating at being portrayed as a strong hero. But now, he had to fight for the #1 spot against the girl he was crushing on. It would have been a privilege, were it not for her collapsing body. He hated that he couldn’t properly fight her, and he could see the bitterness she was hiding, hating her own vulnerability. They formed an indestructible bond from that fight - They value fighting, sparring, practicing together, it felt like their hearts connected indefinitely... Alas, there they were, with no choice. Neither of them could disrespect the other and give up, but it was oh so painful, fighting this way.

Still, Y/N fought him with everything she had, no matter how much she was hurting. She fought, and fought, but her mystifying blue flames didn’t even burn the boy - They felt like a warm caress at the sea side; But Bakugou’s explosions were so painful, so destructive, that he blasted the girl into oblivion.

This wasn’t a win. Bakugou didn’t deserve the #1 spot, not in this condition. He didn’t want to see Y/N laying on the grass, motionless.  To hell with the Sports Festival, and to hell with everyone else. He ran to her side, holding her in his arms, brushing away her beautiful locks from her face, and picking her up, for the second time. It seemed to have become a rather amusing pattern for them - Fighting to the point of unconsciousness, and carrying her to the infirmary.  Y/N smiled, nuzzling into his chest so cutely. “You smell like sugary caramel. I love it.” his breath hitched in his throat, unable to respond properly to such a compliment. “Sh-Shut up, stupid.” his face was even redder, and if the girl would see how she was making him feel, no doubt, he’d have said some pointed word to fluster him even more. Though she never said anything hurtful or teasing, she was honest to such a degree that it made him lose his mind with adoration.

The whole year, Bakugou found himself courting the girl - In his own way, of course - Everyone was making fun of him for dating, but he hadn’t the guts to ask her out yet. He got her flowers, and they hung around often; He even cooked for her at some point, and would buy her some pretty accessories - They weren’t expensive by any means, he was just a normal boy with some pocket money - But whenever he’d see a cute hair pin, or a bracelet, he couldn’t resist. Flowers were his favourite accessory on her though. She was very pretty - Pretty beyond imagination - Pretty enough to drive him so crazy that he’s unable to ask her out.

The situation only got worse when they had to move in the dorms, and they were basically together for so long, day and night, they were together. Hell, at some point when watching a movie on the couch, Y/N fell asleep, cuddling into his side, her head lulled on his shoulder, and he was unable to move the whole night. He guided her head to comfortably rest on his thighs and had Kirishima bring over a blanket to make sure she stays warm. He tried staying awake the whole night, playing and caressing her hair - But his sleep schedule didn’t allow him such a luxury, and by the time the clock showed it was 10 PM, he was long asleep also. Of course, the adorable imagery fell prey to their classmates photographing them and using the picture as blackmail material for Bakugou - Y/N seemed completely dismissive, even going as far as to say they look very cute when sleeping - But he couldn’t do it. He just wanted to blast those nasty fuckers to hell and back. 

Katsuki wanted to ask Y/N out, honest to God, he did! He was just so embarrassed out of his wits that, every time he tried, he blurted out something completely random, and gave up. That is, until later in the year when they got attacked by some villains on the street, and Y/N received an almost-fatal wound for shielding him. 

He hated her.

Only Heavens know how much Bakugou hated Y/N.

How DARE she do something like that?! He didn’t ask her to sacrifice herself to him - Can’t she understand what he’s feeling?! If she dies, he’s going to hate himself forever, blame himself for her death - How can he live, knowing that he killed the girl he fell in love with?! It was unfair - SHE was unfair! Stupid! Stupid! INCREDIBLY stupid!

He held her hand the whole day and night as she rested on the infirmary bed, and he shed fat tears, generated from the myriads of overwhelming emotions he was feeling. He was dying inside, and he wanted to rip his hair out; Open his rib cage and tear his heart out; He wanted to screech into the skies blasphemies and other foul words, blaming every living and unliving thing in this world, and any other universe, all for bringing this lovely girl into his life, making him fall in love with her, only to have her taken away from him like that. He couldn’t take all this worry and fear - Not at all.

“Fuck, Y/N - Don’t die... Please, don’t die. I haven’t gotten the chance to make you my girlfriend... To tell you how much I love you... Fuck... Please... Don’t do this to me. I can’t take it - I can’t do it without you.”

For three days, Bakugou was a mess; He couldn’t function properly, he couldn’t think straight. All he wanted was to hold Y/N in his arms and tell her everything that he was unable to before, he had to be strong, mentally, emotionally, physically - She saved him, she was there for him, she always cared and cherished him, helped him with his emotional instability and what not - And what did he do? He wallowed in self-hatred for not being strong enough to defeat Quirkless Deku, and now, to be the hero that Y/N needed. Pathetic, that’s what he was.

“Katsuki? Why are you crying?” Bakugou’s mind went blank, hearing that groggy voice that sounded gorgeous, even in this state. “You are too pretty to cry. Please don’t cry.” Y/N struggled to get in a sitting position, cupping his face and placing a sweet kiss on his forehead. “Your tears are breaking my heart. Please, don’t cry. Not for me.” she tried to comfort him, her thumbs wiping away the tears, only to be startled by his emotional outburst yell. “IF NOT FOR YOU, THAN FOR WHOM?!” he cried out. “I FUCKING LOVE YOU, AND I WAS TOO MUCH OF A FUCKING COWARD TO TELL YOU! YOU ALMOST DIED FOR ME! YOU ALMOST DIED IN MY ARMS! I THOUGHT YOU WERE NEVER GOING TO FUCKING WAKE UP, DAMN IT!” still sitting in the chair besides the bed, his arms wrapped around her waist, crying in her lap; His body was violently shaking with each sob. “SO DON’T TELL ME NOT TO FUCKING CRY! I CAN’T - OKAY, I JUST FUCKING CAN’T! I WAS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT YOU, AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED! IF I CAN’T EVEN PROTECT THE GIRL I LOVE, WHAT THE FUCK CAN I DO RIGHT?!” he wanted to release all the bottled up feelings he kept hidden, but he was unable to. Y/N rose his face up, and kissed him. Y/N kissed him, right on the lips. Fuck, he must taste like salty tears, how pathetic of him, the boy thought. Still, those deprecating thoughts disappeared, as soon as he saw that beautiful yet tired smile of hers. “I am happy that you reciprocate my feelings, Katsuki.” he thought he was flying on clouds. “You can do anything you set your mind to. You are incredibly intelligent and strong - And I have all confidence that you are going to become the strongest hero out there.” with a tug on his arms, Y/N had the boy lay down with her on the bed, pulling his head to rest on her chest as she snuggled and pampered him as though he was a spoiled kitten. He started tearing up pathetically, holding her tightly, forgetting that her body may still be aching, and he cried into her soft chest, completely unaware of how it might be thought of as intimate. He was simply drowning in an ocean of emotions, and he needed to tire himself up by crying to sleep.

From then on, Y/N would tell him things about her - How she was raised up to be the defender of the village, and kill if someone was threatening them; How she had to act like the perfect princess and smile at everyone, no matter how tiring it was. She admitted to being so happy that someone was treating her like a normal human being, not the new student, or some pretty girl, clueless to the world - And fighting was always a common tongue spoken by the strong.

She didn’t care about becoming a hero, she just wanted to be in control of her overwhelming, untamable Quirk, and be strong enough to protect what she held dear to her heart - And Katsuki was included amongst those few things she cherished above life itself.

He, in turn, would admit to feeling inferior to Deku, especially after All Might visibly favoured him so much, and how he hated himself for not being strong enough yet to do everything that he set himself up to. He had such a borderless vision that he often felt too slow to achieve those things, and it was driving him crazy.

With time though, the two love birds learnt how to not only take care of each other, but of themselves also. They knew each other so well, and they were so close to each other, that it would put everyone else to shame. The BakuSquad would take random pics of them in all the cutest states - Be it that they fell asleep cuddling each other, or they were holding pinkies, that they were kissing each other’s cheeks, or fixing an item of clothing - Sometimes, even with sillier things, like using two straw to drink from the same drink, or sharing a cake together and one of them is feeding the other. Everyone loved this new iteration of Bakugou - Easy to get an outburst out of him, but he wasn’t outright threatening everyone anymore, and he wasn’t blasting them to death as often either! It was an amazing win!

Katsuki and Y/N were U.A.’s IT couple all the way to their third year, and they enjoyed continuing to stay in the dorms all the same, to the point that they wanted to move in together after finishing school - Well, money might be an issue at the beginning, but they both wanted to work hard enough to afford a little piece of heaven for themselves only, and no family to bother them anymore.

Until then, however, enough time was going to pass, and there was much Katsuki still had to teach Y/N, including how to play video games, or properly operate a laptop. He had some help in showing her about modern fashion and many other things on the side. There was something, however, that only Katsuki was allowed to teach her - Not that he was an expert by any means, but he was a boy, and even he had some needs; Having a pretty girl like Y/N by his side only served as fuel for his desires, but never once did he try to do anything with her - With a traditional upbringing like her own, he was well aware of how intimacy would be viewed, and he wanted her to get used to it at her own pace.

Still, one evening, she was idly tidying up some things in his room, and a conversation arose after the movie they were absent-mindedly watching; Or rather, just played in the background; Depicted some rather interesting scenes. “Why would one want to have a child with a man she just met? Surely, she would want to get married first - How unrealistic.” she spoke casually, seemingly amused at the scene. “Nobody wants a child.” the boy scoffed blankly, playing around some phone game. “Then why are they sleeping together?” she spoke as though she was challenging his knowledge. “People don’t get intimate just to have children anymore, Y/N. Hasn’t been that way for a while now.” he muttered, his cheeks flushing at having to say such words out loud; His heart was pounding hard against his chest, and he quickly changed the channel to something unrelated, like the weather. “Really, now? Then why?” she looked at him with such a cute, confused face, that made the boy want to smash his lips onto hers. “... Pleasure.” the boy coughed, trying to hide his burning face with his phone. “Pleasure?” Y/N’s surprise was great. “No, that can’t be right. Grandma said only boys feel good. Girls feel pain.” “What?!” Bakugou’s eyes seemed to be wide like hers, the shock making him jolt up. “No, that’s bullshit, what the fuck.” he almost looked startled. “Really? Are you sure? She seemed certain. The other women from the village said the same thing too.” Katsuki wanted to drag his nails across his face at the complete nonsense he was hearing - Instead, he was standing in front of Y/N, so close to her that he could feel her heartbeat. He wrapped an arm around her torso, her back secure, her head resting against his palm; He leaned in to kiss her - But unlike the cute, innocent kisses from before, he deepened the kiss, to the point of forgetting how to breathe. “What do you feel when I kiss you?” his low, raspy voice spoke into her ear. “I-I...” her breathing felt heavy, just from this. “I feel like I want you to kiss me more.” the boy complied - He kissed her until her mind went numb, his free hand picked her chin, his thumb trailing her bottom lip dearly as he leaned away just enough to tease her, but not far enough that he couldn’t feel her picked up breathing anymore. His rough hand went down, holding her supple throat dearly, and went down to her chest, to her abdomen, and down on her thigh, and up her skirt.  “Tell me what you feel now.” he kissed her again, as his fingers found themselves caressing her clothed womanhood, up and down, again and again, across her slit. He could feel her heart beating so fast, and a small whine escaped her throat as he started circling her clit, each time, applying just a little bit more pressure. He had her propped against the wall, his arm holding her supporting her depleting weight as she was quickly succumbing to the unknown feeling overwhelming her. “What are you feeling?” his lips still brushing against her own, the boy teasingly asked, triumphant at seeing his girlfriend with glazed eyes - Her hands gripped painfully tight on his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. “I-I don’t... I don’t know what this is.” her voice sounded to almost morph into a sweet mewl. “I can’t - I can’t name it. I’ve never... Felt like this before.” “Don’t think much. Just say if you want me to continue or not.” unconsciously, she seemed to be pulling him closer to her body. “Yeah... I want you - I want you, ‘Tsuki.” whether or not she knew perfectly well the way she was teasing him with her words, he wasn’t sure, but the effect she had on him was unreal. He kissed her with more fire, drinking in her first climax; Those sounds she let were so cute, he wanted to hear more; He was so greedy for her, for her body, he almost felt ashamed with how much he was in love with her. “Did you like it, Y/N?” the boy asked, his lips trailing down her jaw, and to her neck. Y/N whimpered a positive answer. “Do you want more, my greedy little kitten?” “Tsuki, don’t tease me like that!” she pouted, only to feel that overly adventurous hand pull down her panties, cupping her private part - Gently, he his fingers touched her folds, exploring around her soft, warm skin, and inside her wet cavern - One finger, inside and out, whilst he abused those sweet spots on her neck, earning gasp after gasp, all from how good he was making her feel.

The boy couldn’t grasp his mind around how incredibly how she was, or how wet he made her already - He was ecstatic, so proud of himself, he wanted to see the full extent of her reactions, all the sounds and expressions he could make her have. Another digit added, her spine arched suddenly against his arm. “Ts-Tsuki... If you go on... I can’t stand up...” she breathed out so enticingly that it drove the boy crazy. “You can, just a little more.” the boy had to place his lips over hers to cover a whine of his name as he curled his fingers just right - Her sharp fingernails dug into his flesh, desperately trying to keep herself upright, but he felt like a melted puddle in his arms. She felt flask, her wetness leaking down her thigh shamelessly from all her arousal, and another climax, more intense this time. “That’s my good girl.” he smirked down at her, bringing his fingers to his mouth, licking her juices shamelessly that the girl covered her face and looked away. “D-Don’t do that, it’s lewd!” she exclaimed, only to hear him chuckling and guiding her to lay down on the bed. Making sure the door was properly locked and changing the weather channel to some music, he sat down between her legs, leaning his chin on her knee, and looking down at her with those beautiful crimson eyes of his. “I have many other lewd things I want to do to you.” he admitted, his hand over hers, squeezing it with comfort. “If you want me to, I can show you, there is pleasure in love-making.” in a swift move, Bakugou was positioned on top of her, leaning on his forearms, on either side if her head. He kissed her deeply, his teeth gently grazing her lip, pulling on it playfully. “Do you want me to go on, my love?” In spite of her embarrassment, and how it went against everything she was taught, Y/N nodded her head. “I need you to tell me. Say it. Out loud.” “Don’t tease me like that.” she pouted at him. “I want you to love me, ‘Tsuki.” “I will love you any time you want me to, Y/N.” the vibration of his voice sent shivers down her spine, as the boy dripped down to her torso, his hands roaming up and down her body, taking off her blouse and skirt. She was so beautiful, laying down in all her glory, naked, and blushing so hard.

His finger gripped on the plush of her thighs, pulling them apart just enough to get close to her dripping cunt; He placed kiss after kiss on the inner skin of her leg, and in between, to her overly stimulated bundle of nerves that made her body twitch with each flick of his tongue. Y/N had to put a hand over her mouth to stifle an unconscious whine, the weird feeling of his wet tongue licking all the way up her sleeve, and down to her entrance - It was so weird, but she didn’t hate it - It wasn’t a bad kind of weird, it was rather pleasant. Pleasant enough that she was losing her sense of ration over the way he was making her feel. The way his hands were holding her, how his mouth was kissing and sucking and pulling.

With the way Y/N was unable to properly keep her body under control, Katsuki knew she was close again - She was so precious, and he didn’t want to let go of her the whole night - And every other night also. He wanted to see her, to hear her, to kiss her every day and every night, for the rest of their lives. Suddenly, Katsuki stopped, and he quickly took off the tank top he was wearing, making Y/N whimper softly. Though she wanted to protest, her body feeling about to explode, she placed her hands on his chest, trailing down to his abdomen, before quickly pulling him down on her body, his whole weight unsupported - But she loved the proximity, and how intimate it felt, being so close, kissing him, feeling his body like that. Y/N loved his body, she wanted to see him shirtless like this more often, she wanted to hear him go crazy with pleasure, the very same way he made her feel.

But not now - Katsuki had other plans for the night. “Still want to continue? Are you ready?” the boy asked, sucking on her neck. “I don’t know if I’d be able to stop, once I begin. I’m addicted to you. I’m addicted to everything about you.” he sighed, his chest heaving up and down from excitement. “Yes.” she breathed out. “I want you. I don’t want you to stop.” Y/N spoke again. “I want to make you feel as good as you make me feel.” “Another time, angel.” Katsuki chuckled softly, a hand reaching into the drawer and quickly taking a condom, putting it on. “Tonight, it’s all about you, sweetheart.” 

Once again, he hoisted her up with one arm, the other hand holding her own, fingers intertwined. He felt her squeezing him as he entered his tip inside her womanhood, slowly going in. Though the music was loud, Katsuki kissed Y/N deeply, afraid he sweet mewls might be heard from outside; Fully sheathed, he let out an exhale, trying to keep himself composed, but he was failing miserably. The way she felt around him, how tight she felt, clamping down on him, it was killing him in all the best ways possible.

Again, he went pulled out almost fully, before going back in, long strokes, maddening, so full of passion, full of love, hitting and scraping at her sweet spot - His hand felt as though it was being crushed, and his back might as well be bleeding, or at least held the marks of her nails - He loved it. He loved this feeling, it heated him up, it made him feel nirvana approaching fast.

“I love you.” he mumbled, kissing her again; Her body soon started twitching, stiff; He felt his member being lovingly held captive inside of her as he rode her sweet release, and soon, he found his own. He wanted to stay like that inside of her, to be connected to her. “I love you, ‘Tsuki.” her voice was so delicate, so euphoric, that it made the boy bite his lip and pull away, before he’d be tempted to tire her out even more. He knew, however, that next time, he might be teasing her more - It felt too good, seeing her so glazed with pleasure, pleading for him to continue and be good to her. And it felt even better, having her say she loves him. It was the best feeling in the world.

Katsuki grabbed his tank top back, giving Y/N one of his larger Tshirts to sleep in, and brought over a pack of baby wipes, some water and snacks. He got the volume of the music down, and changed again to some movie, as Y/N cuddled dearly into his side, her head resting on his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat. It didn’t take long for him to play with her hair, that she fell asleep, that beautiful smile ever painted on her face. “You have no idea how much I love you, Y/N.”

[drdemonprince]

The red ribbon awareness campaign started in the spring of 1991 when costume designer Marc Happel attended a Manhattan meeting of the Visual AIDS artist caucus. He had an idea for an awareness symbol they’d been searching for. He proposed the red-ribbon design you see above. He said he took inspiration from yellow ribbons he’d seen tied around trees to honor servicemen. The artist caucus loved Happel’s idea and ran with it. Local businesses donated supplies. Cutting, folding, and pinning soon went into overdrive at “ribbon bees” — like quilting bees, only designed to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS. Within a few weeks, the ribbons were often spotted on NYC streets, though few people knew what they meant.

Then Daisy Eagan, the 11-year-old star of The Secret Garden, accepted the show’s first award, best featured actress. And she was wearing a red ribbon! Kevin Spacey also wore a ribbon. So did Penn and Teller. By the end of the show, almost every celebrity who walked onstage had worn a prominent red ribbon, though no one told viewers why — possibly because the network threatened to cut audio if anyone talked about AIDS. That mystery-marketing tactic was probably unintentional, but it couldn’t have been more powerful if professionals had planned it. By the end of the next day, the whole nation was buzzing. Why had all those famous actors worn identical ribbons? Why didn’t they talk about them? What’s going on? Answers came fast as celebrities and AIDS activists gave interviews to local and national media. To paraphrase: “HIV/AIDS is a humanitarian crisis killing our friends and neighbors. We as a nation are not doing nearly enough. We wear the red ribbon to call for greater love and more action. We ask you, all of you watching, to wear the ribbon too.” The nation responded, and not just in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Yes, from the Oscars and People’s Choice Awards to beauty pageants and town halls, red ribbons became de rigueur fashion, but the ribbons weren’t just for celebrities. I flew home to visit family in a conservative state in 1994, surprised to see flight attendants, baggage handlers, bartenders, grocery-store cashiers, and even one cab driver wearing little red ribbons on their chests. I didn’t yet grasp why they were important. Grief had traumatized me. Important activism had focused me. I didn’t look up to see the bigger picture: Americans everywhere were wearing their consciences over their hearts. People who had been members of silent majorities were speaking up in daily public solidarity. Maybe they didn’t know much about HIV/AIDS. Maybe they would never do more than say, “We wear the red ribbon to call for greater love and more action.” But by making that silent daily statement, they normalized support, caring, and hope. They said no to hate and fear.

A wonderful history and a contemporary call to action from my buddy James Finn. Until very recently, I have been cynical about symbolic, sometimes "performative" gestures like these. Like a younger James, I was cynical because I'd seen so many people profess to carry certain values but then not live up to them. That's changing for me now.

[vaspider]

Last night, I turned off ep 4 of Discovery out of disgust and went to watch Fallout.

I put up with a lot, but you don't drydock a fucking starship in atmosphere and Utopia Planitia is on Mars, for fuck's sake. It's not sitting in the fucking hills of San Francisco where you can see the Golden Gate Bridge out the window.

[Below there be spoilers.]

For 4 seasons, I have defended the FUCK out of this show. For 4 seasons, I have genuinely loved most of Discovery, and I've loved it enough to make me keep watching it even when we only found out that one character basically had a full-body prosthetic in the episode where they killed her off, and when the Red Angel turned out to be the hokiest answer ever, and when Disco fell prey to the storywriting trope I tend to call Skywalker Syndrome (you know, the one where there are only like 6 people who matter in an entire galaxy and anybody who matters has to be related to them somehow).

But I can't fucking put up with what they're doing to Discovery.

It started with the decision the writers made - for the sake of POINTLESS DRAMA - to have an Admiral look at two captains about to go on an Extremely Crucial Mission, which they told us over and over again was Extremely Crucial, using a term nobody had ever heard before like we were supposed to know or care what that meant, "why don't you two try to get along" when they asked who was in command of the mission.

Okay, look, first of all, absolutely not, and you're a shitty admiral if that's what your response is. SOMEONE is in command of this mission. And second of all, if you're the admiral and that's what you said, then who is the one in trouble when things go to shit bc there is no clear chain of command? YEAH. IT'S YOU. Holding one of your captains responsible for making a decision that you wouldn't have made, and for "not listening to the better decision," and taking his ship away? That's bullshit. You put two captains at odds and then you hold them responsible and not yourself?

Dude, you fucking suck, and this shit ain't Starfleet. It ain't even acceptable under the "oh no we're post-Burn and getting our shit together." This is basic stuff. There's a chain of command for a reason.

Then you have Saru suggesting that Burnham make her Extremely Recently Ex-boyfriend, a convicted criminal who stole crucial technology from the Federation and tried to break the universe, her Number One bc Saru is resigning his commission to become an ambassador. Her never-been-Starfleet ex-boyfriend. Yeah, sure, I'm sure that's the Very Best Idea that a Federation and Starfleet idealist like Saru would suggest. Let's put this guy who has never worn a uniform and has been very loudly Not A Team Player and has no idea how Starfleet works and hasn't done his Time In Grade one heartbeat away from being in command of the Discovery. I'm sure that will be GREAT for crew cohesion, having this dude who has not put in the time just leapfrog his way past everyone who has been busting their ass for years and who literally left their entire lives behind, centuries in the past, to land in the XO spot because "he works well with you" and "he knows [this season's antagonists] and how they work."

Thankfully that didn't fucking happen, but having Saru even suggest it felt like a profound betrayal of Saru *as a character.* File that under He Would Not Fucking Say That.

I can't even enjoy Leoben's actor, and i can't even enjoy him being from an alien species that somebody dug up from one episode of DS9, because he is not just an asshole but he's an asshole who has no respect for anybody or anything. Star Trek's assholes are always the ones that you can at least understand why they are the way they are, and you can excuse it because they are Federation Idealists or they have such great skills or respect for an ideal that you might not understand but you understand that it's important to them.

No. This guy is just there to be a dick and make Burnham look cool and reasonable and nice by comparison, and he's 90% of the time incompetent as fuck. Like, one time his ideas are good, but when his ideas are good, it's only because he's been disrespecting chain of command so hard for so long that he has info he shouldn't have. They made him suck so much that I can't find ANYTHING about him to like, AND I LIKED LEOBEN.

"But at least we've got our gay relationship-- " Nope! They broke up one of the queer relationships pretty much right away, and the other one gets zero screen time and might as well not exist. They don't even really interact at the one party we've had. It's almost painfully obvious that they're avoiding having the two of them together.

"Maybe I can tough it out to see Tig, I love Commander Reno-- " Nope. We've gotten one scene in which she predicted the breakup of the baby gays.

It really feels like they took away all the writers who know and love Trek and understand what makes it good, and filled the writers room with people who are just standing around and peeing on the show Bible while saying "THIS WILL MAKE GOOD DRAMA."

I'm sad. I hate this season, and after suffering my way through s3 of Picard out of hopes they'd answer the goddamned question finally, I'm not putting myself through this again.

I used to love this show.

[malarkgirlypop]

MEDIC! Part 27 (Donald Malarkey x Fem!OC)

Oh guys this is a hard read for my first post in a hot second. I have been slow at writing this, cause this is super important and I don't want to have it be bad, or tacky. This is obviously horrible what happened to these people, and sometimes that horrific a of an event is hard to put into words. This is in means no way to offend anyone.

Disclaimer: End part of episode 9, if you are not comfortable with this please don't read.

Based on the HBO show and the actors who portray the characters, not hate to anyone involved.

Tag list: @imusicaddict, anyone else please let me know.

We again piled into the trucks, we were making good time, but it still felt like years being in the back of the vehicle. Babe had kept my secret from everyone like I had asked, but I caught him sending me looks throughout the night. The sadness still lingering in his eyes from the conversation we had had previously. All I could do was send him small smiles. 

We passed through the green countryside, chatting amongst ourselves. The rolling plains seemed endless, as they stretched out for miles, further than the eye could see. 

The trucks passed through the outskirts of the small rural town, a decrepit barn sat on the side of the road. Even from over the roar of the engines from all of the vehicles driving by, I could still hear the yells of men. I look to the barn curious about the commotion, everyone else also peering over. The barn door swung open as soldiers tossed men onto the ground, I could see from here the men were wearing German uniforms. I couldn’t look away fast enough as the soldier’s standing behind the men raised their guns, shooting them in the back of the head. I turned my eyes away from the scene, not wanting to witness the brutal killings. 

The other men seemed unfazed.

Except for O’Keefe, who looked around to his fellow comrades with shock on his face. They didn’t return the sorrow that etched his features, only shrugging their shoulders, or smiling at the man for looking so distraught by what he had seen. 

His eyes finally landed on mine. I returned the look of sadness and horror, but mine was worn with memories behind it. O’Keefe eyes shone with new fear and sadness, whereas mine was tattered and old. O’Keefe had not yet known the horrors of war, I guess that’s why the men didn’t reciprocate his concern. We all had seen much worse than a few men being shot in the head. 

What an odd statement to make. To realise. 

O’Keefe’s reaction was only natural, but for us it wasn’t out of the ordinary. It was a sad reality to think we were accustomed to the horrors we had seen.    

We finally pulled into the little town. The men quickly departed the trucks, getting orders from the Lieutenants. We weren’t staying the night, just stopping for a break, before continuing on in our journey. 

“I have to go on a patrol through the woods.” Don said as he approached me. I nodded my head, giving him a smile. There wasn’t much for me to do here, we weren’t unpacking, so I hung around the officers in case they needed me for something.   

“Ok, be safe.” I placed a kiss on his cheek. I watched as he walked away joining the rest of the men he was going with. 

—----------------------------------------------

“Emily! Guys! Hey, have you seen any of the officers?” Frank yelled from behind us. I turned to face Perconte, his normal playful expression filled with urgency. 

“No.” Babe, Lieb and I all stated. 

“Is everything ok, Frank?” I asked the man, my face changing to concern for my friend. He had been on one of the patrols. Everyone else had come back from theirs except for their group. But Frank was by himself, where were the other men? Even Don had come and gone, saying they hadn’t found anything. Frank didn’t answer me though, sprinting from one soldier to the next, asking the same questions. 

I watched him, my brows furrowed and lip caught between my teeth. Babe and Lieb seemed to have brushed off the odd interaction going back to the conversation they were having. 

“Ain’t that right, Em?” Babe nudged me, but my gaze was still fixed on Frank running around frantically. 

“Em?” Lieb asked, clicking his fingers in front of my face. 

“I think something’s wrong.” I told them, my stomach churning. I felt unsettled, something not sitting right in my gut. 

“He’s probably fine.” Lieb said, lighting his smoke, taking a deep drag from the cigarette. “Don’t look so worried, Emmy.” He tried to reassure me, stroking his hand down my back. But I shook my head. I set off after Frank as he ran into one of the buildings. 

“Em, where are ya going?” Babe called after me. But I didn’t turn to explain. I ran after Frank, gaining on him as I sprinted, dodging my way through the crowd.   

Frank found Winters first. The red haired man walked out of the building they had been temporarily occupying. I hung back not wanting to interrupt them, but I was desperate to know why Perco was so frantic. 

“Major Winters, Sir.” Frank started chasing after the officer who walked briskly towards where I stood. 

“Uhh, we found something.” Perco didn’t seem to know how to phrase his words. The pair passed in front of me, I followed behind them closely, eavesdropping in on their conversation. 

“We’re out on patrol and we came across this…” Frank stopped trying to find the right way to describe what he had seen.

“What, what, what, what?” Major Winters prompted Perco trying to get him to spit out what he wanted to say. 

“Frank, Frank, what is it?” Winters seemed just as concerned as I did. Perco stood in front of Dick, mouth agape, trying to think of how he wanted to explain himself. 

“I don’t know, sir.” He uttered, shaking his head. 

At that moment my stomach dropped. I didn’t know why, but something about how flustered, confused and scared Perco looked set me on edge. 

This war wasn’t pretty, hell no war was. But there were horrific things done, so many lives lost. There were a number of explanations as to what their patrol found, each one just as dreadful as the next.  

Winters saw that too. He loaded a couple groups of men into the back of the trucks, myself included. With Frank in the front car with the rest of the officers, he gave directions back to where the patrol waited.

I sat between Don and Lieb, no one seemed to take Frank’s worries seriously. The men in the bed talked and chatted casually to each other. I sat elbows on my knees and head in my hands, I couldn’t stop my leg from jittering and my stomach churning. 

We drove into the dense forest, following the dirt roads and Frank’s directions. I watched as Perco lifted his arm pointing left, my eyes followed. 

My heart dropped as my eyes landed on the gruesome sight. 

There in the thick of the trees, was a clearing. 

Within the open space was a fence, lined with barbed wire. The tall barrier loomed over a muddy field. In the middle sat wooden huts and a bigger building sitting at the edge. Outside of the fence was a tall watch house. 

I knew from the first glance what this was. 

No, I knew from the smell. 

That was the first thing to hit me. The stench of sweet rotting flesh filled my senses, it felt as if it clung to everything, there was no way to escape it. The men around me screwed up their noses and flinched away from the foul scent, their attention finally captured. 

The chatter had died as soon as the camp came into view. From a glance around the bed I could tell a lot of the men were confused, unsure of what they were looking at. Just like Frank; they were unable to put into words exactly what they were seeing.       

Within the confines of the barrier stood people. Well, they didn’t look exactly like people. I could see, even from a distance, their bodies were unfed and unwashed. 

The trucks stopped, the men slowly disembarking. It was silent, as they all tried to understand what exactly they were looking at. 

I jumped out immediately walking closer to the barrier. There were two fences. A perimeter between the two, enough for people to walk in. A body lay between the two barriers, gaunt and lifeless. 

The men inside the gate all wore the same sets of clothes, blue striped pyjamas. I swallowed the lump in my throat, tears already brimming in my eyes. 

It was one thing to learn about in school, but another to see it in real life. It all but consumed me. 

Everyone else still had no idea what this really was. Eyes all filled with questions and horror. 

Winters slowly approached the gate. The men inside stood waiting. I wonder if they knew if we were good or bad, but they didn’t run. They gathered around looking back at us as we looked in on them. 

There were no women, no children, only men inside. But they didn’t look like it. They all appeared pale and lifeless, only skin and bone, barely moving. 

The men opened the gate as everyone gathered in front of the opening. 

“Major, sir?” Christenson questioned, asking if he should proceed in opening the next gate. The gate that would allow these people to be free of their confines, and allow us to enter their decimated prison. 

“Open it up.” Winters commanded. The men nodded their heads, cutting off the chain that secured the compound closed.   

“Stand back, back it up, back, back.” Christenson commanded the prisoners as he tried to swing open the gate. 

They stepped back revealing smoking huts and even more men, ones who didn’t seem strong enough to approach the barrier. 

I couldn’t hold back my tears as they slipped down my face. I looked from person to person I could see the torture they had endured etched into their features, but I’m sure that was only a second. Only a small glimpse into the years of horror they had to live through. 

How many people did they have to watch die, family, friends, peers. Wondering if they were next or secretly praying that someone would just end their pain.

I wonder how long they were kept in these cages like animals waiting for their slaughter? 

How could people be so cruel to their own kind? 

We moved forward slowly as a group, the prisoners watched us, they looked apprehensive for a moment before they all seemed to realise we were not the enemy. 

They moved forwards, hands reaching out grabbing at the soldiers who walked in. I felt the sleeves of my shirt being tugged glancing to the side to find the men holding tightly onto me. 

“I’m sorry.” Was all I could manage, they didn’t even understand what I was saying but I just wanted them to know how awful I felt. 

A man reached for me embracing me in his arms, I held him back. I could feel under the material of his clothes, his thin frame, I could feel every rib and bone as I hugged him. 

He sobbed into my shoulder whispering in German, I didn’t understand what exactly he was saying but it sounded like he was thanking us. 

“Liebgott, Liebgott!” Winters called from the front of the group. My heart stopped. Lieb, my best friend, my rock. He had no idea his own people were one of the main targets in Hitlers regime.

I watched Lipton move back through the crowd yelling Lieb’s name. Joe and Don stood guard just outside the gate, guns in hand. 

Lipton brought him back through the crowd. I couldn’t tear my eyes away, he glanced over to find my gaze. 

Joe tilted his head, without words he was asking me if I was alright. I weakly nodded my head still wrapping my arms around the German man who wept into my shoulder. 

There was no way I could stop Lieb from finding out, and it would break him. All I could do was be there for my friend. 

Lipton spurred the men into action, instructing the men to give these people rations, blankets, food and water anything we could spare. 

The man holding me stepped back collapsing to the floor, I glanced around looking for water. 

“Water, can I get some water over here!” I yelled, Babe moved quickly holding out a canteen for me to take. 

I unscrewed the lid, pouring water into the man’s mouth. He was exhausted, as if he was holding on to the last of his strength until help came. When he knew he was safe he finally let go. 

I moved from person to person, tending to their ailments. But most of them I couldn't do much for, it wasn’t like they were actively bleeding out like all the other injuries I had become adjusted to. They were sick and starving. 

The only thing I could do was offer food and water. But each time I lifted my head the numbers grew, the more that gathered, the more ill they looked.  

A man approached me holding another in his arms. The man in his arms looked so weak, nothing to him but skin and bone, so pale he was almost translucent. 

The prisoner holding the man spoke quickly in German, his eyes pleading with me to help. I held out my arms as he passed over the very ill man. 

I let out a gasp as he was placed in my arms, he weighed almost nothing, I could feel every piece of him under my fingertips. 

I knelt to the ground holding the German man in my lap, trying to figure out what I could do to help him.  

“How can I help you?” I muttered under my breath. 

“Sing bitte für mich.” The man that lay in my arms said. I tilted my head listening to his whispered words. 

“Lieb!” I called, he rushed over kneeling next to me. 

“Sing bitte für mich.” The man repeated himself. 

“He wants you to sing for him.” Lieb said softly. I nodded at the man, if that's what he wanted I would do anything. 

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey.” I sang quietly to the dying man, the song my mother used to sing as a lullaby to me. 

“You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you, please don’t take my sunshine away.” The man reached his hand up cupping my face as I sang for him. A tear slipped down my cheek. Lieb sat close and watched us. His own eyes glistened. 

“The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms.” The man smiled at me, more tears falling down my cheeks as I held him in my arms. 

“When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken, so I hung my head and cried.” The man brushed away my tears, as his hand fell back down to his side. His breathing faded. 

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.” A sob left me as the man stared up at the sky. 

I let go of his hand, resting it by his side. I moved from underneath him, lying him gently on the floor. 

Joe encased me in his arms as I sobbed into his chest. He pulled away, I looked up to find Don standing over us. He opened his arms for me, I stood from my position on the floor and moved into his embrace. His hand ran down my back as I cried. 

We pulled apart, Lieb had gone and gotten a blanket. He gave it to me to lay over the man. I bent down, closing his eyes to make him at peace and gently placed the blanket over his body. 

“I’m so sorry.” I whispered as I stood again. I wiped my tears away.  

Lieb was called away to translate, as Don and I moved around the camp, trying our best to help the men who came to us. 

We stuck close to each other not wanting to stray from the other’s side. 

I kept glancing over my shoulder to find Lieb with the officers and one of the German men. He was translating for them. I was just waiting for the bomb to be dropped, the truth to be revealed. 

“Everything ok?” Don asked, I shook my head. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked, coming closer. 

“Don, this camp. These aren’t prisoners of war.” I started, unsure of how I was going to explain this to him. His brows furrowed as he listened. 

“These people are innocent. They were dragged from their homes, away from their families. The only thing they have in common is that they are different.” There were so many groups here, but anyone who was ‘imperfect’ or ‘different’ was casted out. 

“What do you mean?” Don couldn’t understand that these people did nothing wrong. I’m sure his mind went to why would they lock these people up if they were innocent?

“Jews, Poles, Roma, musicians, people with disabilities, people of colour, this is who they have captured. And this isn’t the only one! There are thousands of these camps, some far worse than this. Don, Hilter wants a superior race, anyone who doesn’t fit that bill he’s exterminating.” Don couldn’t stop the horror in his eyes as he realised my words. 

“You’re saying there are more of these camps? That more people are in this condition?” Don asked, his eyes flicking around our surroundings imaging more of these exact situations. 

“They split up the families, women and children together and then the men together. These camps cover all of Germany and some other countries as well.” I explained the best I could to Don, who didn’t look like he was able to wrap his head around the information spilling from my lips. 

“Wait, how do you know this?” He asked his brows furrowed together as he glanced over at me. 

I bit my tongue, this wasn’t the time to expose my true self, all of this was too much in itself. 

“The nurses have been talking about it, I didn’t quite believe it till now.” I lied through my teeth, but Don didn’t notice, he was too wrapped up in the scene playing before us. 

“What are we going to do?” He asked, his sweet eyes full of sorrow as he looked over each person that walked in front of us.  

“I don’t know?” I answered honestly, as I stared off into the distance.   

I again glanced over to Lieb who was translating for the officers. Each man with their own look of horror and shock on their face. I bit my lip, waiting and watching. 

“Juden, Juden.” The prisoner they were talking to repeated. I didn’t need to be translated, I could see it clearly on Joe’s face what the man had said. 

“They’re Jews.” Lieb uttered, in his own disbelief and rage. Lieb was a loyal man. This camp, this attack, was on his own people, his family. 

“Lieb knows.” I told Don who was giving water to a man. I wanted to run over and hug him, but he was keeping his composure, still translating for the officers. So I turned my back and helped the men who gathered before me.  

The further we walked into the camp the more awful it became. The huts the men were living in were burned down to the foundations, burnt skeletons still resided in the ash and rubble. 

“Jesus Christ!” Don muttered covering his face with a piece of fabric, the smell was so strong it almost made it unbearable to breathe. 

“Look at their arms.” Don pointed out two men who lay still in the ruins. Numbers etched into the flesh on their wrists. 

“Like cattle.” Babe shook his head. We walked in silence through it all.  

We helped as much as we could, going into the huts and bringing people out. Each time I stepped inside, my heart clenched and cracked, it was tearing me up. 

The tears had stopped long ago, there was nothing more left to cry. I just needed to help, I think at some point I switched off, just to maintain some sanity, because before I knew it we were back in the beds of the trucks.