#whats the harm in being nice to someone for no gain

[kotonoba]

For An Eternity (Croc/F!Reader)

Summary: You think about the days leading up to Crocodile's arrest and your foolishness for being so gullible.

a/n: I'm not sure this is exactly what you wanted, but this is how I understood the prompt. In my defense, this is one of the few songs I can use for multiple characters, & I think it suits Crocodile very well if we're talking about a reader insert story.

Warning(s): fluff, slightly ooc, vague depiction of canon story, soft angst.

Song Inspo.

Posted on AO3

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“You are a bad person, you and you alone,” you uttered softly to yourself, sitting in an empty house, in the empty dinner room, a table full of all his favorite food, the only thing missing was him. Memories of you and him sitting around the dinner table, talking and laughing when you were oblivious of the world around you. He told you tales of his good deeds and the people he had fought to gain such a reputation; you were none the wiser, gullible to his every word. Love was blind; even when your friends told you he was a bad person, you chose to ignore them. 

Love is blind. You were none the wiser when the Marines arrived on the island, snooping around as you sang praises of your boyfriend. He is strong, he is the savior, and he chose you; it made you happy when you were but a fool in his hands. He was a warlord, and you thought nothing of it when he went to do his duty to capture pirates who tried to bring harm to the land. You were none the wiser, even when he stopped coming home, only for you to find out he was not the man he portrayed himself to be. The Desert King, Sir Crocodile, with a heavy bounty for his head, had been arrested and placed in Impel Down. 

Reflecting on it, you were truly a fool for his antics; you should have known. Your stomach churned from the feeling of foolishness. You knew it was wrong, you knew he played with your feelings, but you wanted to believe there was some truth to his words when he told you, “I love you for an eternity.” 

You became a joke on the island, ostracized by your loved ones when you whispered that you still loved him because he was nice to you. You set up a stand for yourself outside of the village that housed your memories, a hut for yourself, and a place to sell refreshments. You kept up with the news, worried that he would get the bad end of the stick. As news came of a certain pirate breaking through Impel Down to rescue his brother, your eyes lit up as you recognized your beloved’s voice. To see that there wasn’t much change in him, put your heart at ease. 

You don’t expect him to find you, part of you had accepted the fact that you might have been a fling to him. But that part of you never learned to let go, as you still made a table full of food, praying he’d see you, even if it’s one last time. Your eyes fluttered closed as the desert wind blew through the cracks of your hut. 

A familiar scent washed over you, the smell of a rich cigar bombarded your senses, and your cold nights suddenly met with warmth as you stirred in your sleep. You heard someone speak, a familiar husk to his tone as strong arms cradled you protectively in his embrace. You stir awake, and the first thing you lock eyes with is his cognac-hued eyes that speak volumes to you. His coat wrapped protectively around you as he traveled by sand away from the island that ostracized you for loving him. He glanced down with a smile as he held you closer to his touch-starved body. You weren’t thinking; you never found the need to feel when you were with him. You pulled him into a kiss that stopped him in his tracks as he arrived at a large ship. 

The familiar scent of cigars bombarded you, but what mattered was him. A moment too long, he pulled away, a forlorn look replaced by unspoken gentleness in his husky voice: “I’m home.” 

Your eyes widened, and before you could blink, tears streamed down your face. You covered your mouth, unable to hide the widening smile. “Welcome home.” Crocodile never asked; he just knew you were waiting for him. If this were a dream, you’re happy to live in it for all of eternity, even as the ship arrived on a foreign land with other pirates who were rough around the edges, they knew better than to touch you. 

As you settled into the new establishment, a semblance of normalcy returned as Crocodile always returned to your side for dinner, but now, more often than not. Alabasta, during his reign, did not rain, but it was a different story when you’re at sea at Mother Nature’s mercy. 

The pitter patter of rain slowly echoing through the ship, you just knew he was going to return soon from the dormancy of his office with the other co-founder. As he enters his shared room with you, soaked from head to toe from the heavy rain, he rakes his hand through his hair, throwing aside his damp cigar that no longer burned from the rainwater. You laugh as you waltz to his side, assisting him into a drier outfit, “What are you laughing about, woman?” 

“I love rainy days now,” you chirped. Crocodile’s brows raised questioningly in your direction as he sat down. You picked out a drink for him, one that resembled his sun-kissed eyes. “I love them because there’s nothing to do,” you hummed as he poured himself a glass and took a sip from it. 

His hooked limb pulled you into his lap as he thought over your words; a gentle, warm glow that only you get to witness from him emerged beneath the cunning demeanor he wore, “Is that so?” He chased your lips gently as you gleefully met his with a passionate kiss. You giggled into the kiss, warmth spreading through your voice and to your lover, “Utopia isn’t utopia without you in it.” 

You felt your face heat up at his words, from his touch as he pulled you closer. You rest your head on his chest. “Even if the demon comes, I’ll love you for an eternity,” you whisper, earning a chuckle from him. 

“I’ll hold you to that.”

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[blackholezyy]

Honestly, I don’t actively hate Scorfuma like I do certain ships like C//A. I just find it to be really, really boring. Let’s get into it:

I already don’t like Perfuma as a character. She’s hypocritical, annoying and ableist (like she put Entrapta on a leash). Not to mention, she’s just not a good written character. She’s boring, one dimensional and had no character arc outside of “nice flower girl preaching about peace.” I wouldn’t mind her had anyone called her out on her BS but no, it just doesn’t happen.

Perfuma also enforces toxic positivity.. which, if you don’t know, it’s basically an excessive harmful pressure to maintain a positive, happy attitude and in turn ignores or dismisses negative feelings like sadness, anger, grief, etc. I won’t go into detail too much so I might just make a separate post about this.

Moving on, Scorpia is probably one of the better characters from SPOP. She’s naive, energetic and deeply protective but also self conscious, deprived of love, and insecure. And throughout the show, she does go through character development (which got retconned in S5 but I digress). One of the most memorable things about Scorpia is her loyalty to Catra. As seen multiple times, she actively defended her even behind her back, is extremely defensive over her to the point where she hates Adora simply because she knows Catra is hurt by Adora leaving the Horde, stays by her side even if it gets her into danger, and is convinced that Catra is misunderstood.

Heck, I’ll even come out and say that Scopria strongest relationship is with Catra. It’s not exactly healthy per say (any relationship with Catra is unhealthy) but we could see that time and time again Scorpia deeply cares about Catra and Catra secretly deep down cares about Scorpia until S4.

The only grievance I have is that when they first met, Scorpia was immediately “ride or die” for Catra. I think it would make more sense and be narratively better had Scorpia grow to deeply care for Catra rather than her immediately caring right off the bat.

But what about Perfuma, you may ask? Well.. I have nothing to say about Scorpia’s relationship with Perfuma outside of aesthetics. It’s the same situation with Glimbow but at least with Glimbow, they were friends and had something. Granted, it was rushed, poor written and came out of nowhere, but at least it was something. With Scorfuma, it was nothing.

One of the biggest issues I have with Scorfuma is that Perfuma immediately liked and crushed on Scorpia the moment Scorpia arrived in Bright Moon. Excuse me for being pessimistic but that makes ZERO sense. You have been fighting for three seasons straight and have like no reason to trust Scorpia, who mind you was practically Catra’s right hand and helped the Horde with the Battle of Bright Moon, kidnapping Bow and Glimmer in the Princess Prom episode, etc.

This is why I say that this show just doesn’t portray war well because in the middle of a war, when an enemy deflects, they would be greeted with suspicion and a bunch of background checks and reasonably so. In war, the enemy could easily plant spies or use someone to gain the other side’s trust and use that to their advantage.

For the rest of the show, it was just.. boring. Perfuma and Scorpia had no meaningful conversations, no real connection, nothing. It’s hilarious that Scorpia seemed closer with Sea Hawk due to their similar insecurities than Perfuma. Which is a shame because I feel like if written well, these two could’ve had a good relationship, both platonically and romantically.

One of the things I do like about Scorfuma though is that in S5, when Scorpia was chipped, Perfuma was heavily devoted to save her and because of that devotion, Scorpia managed to resist Horde Prime, even briefly. Scorpia being chipped had a clear effect on Perfuma and I like how Scorpia sacrificed herself. But that’s where my praises end. Because this would’ve been way more impactful had their relationship had time to actually develop.

Overall, I don’t hate Scorfuma. I actually think it’s arguably one of the more better ships to come out of SPOP. But again, the poor writing and lack of development just drags this ship down for me.

[truthcakes]

I love the "mature content" filter that allows me to opt in to sexually charged posts. If I'm not in the mood, I keep on scrolling. If I do want to see it, now it's practically gift wrapped! How nice.

[blackcat-star]

Eyes on me.

Self-aware!Jinwoo x reader

Was he just looking at you?

«Part 1

Ever since Jinwoo got the system and gained new powers, he had always felt like someone was looking at him.

Maybe the system was watching him-

No. This gaze was different.

It came from all directions, but he felt that it meant no harm to him. But he felt very uncomfortable. Being stared at all the time was not a comfortable thing anyway.

But gradually, he got used to it, and started to be curious about it. Then ever since he got his job change quest, he felt the owner of the gaze become clearer.

Then it started with images flashing in his mind suddenly, vaguely.

A person lying under the blanket, holding a phone reading something. A manhwa. Solo Leveling. Sung Jinwoo. You was reading about him. He could see glimpses of what was on your phone, which made him frown. 

That's when he learned that in a parallel world, his life was created just to be an entertainment for humanity. That everything he experienced was created by human drawings, by human imagination. This made him laugh mockingly.

'How funny my life is..'

The deep sea of darkness stretched out before him, silent, still, just as it had been before his own darkness. He didn't know how long had gone by. It had been some time that he had been standing there.

He didn't know how much time had passed. He didn't know how long he had been standing there. The darkness had no concept of day or night.

Until one moment, you appeared in that world with a half-real, half-illusion, huge figure, before his eyes.

Your eyes looked straight at him.

Someone was looking at him. Not from this world. Not from his dimension. Someone on the other side of the screen. Someone... reading the story of his life.

The beginning interest in you developed into an uncontrollable fixation.

He shows interest in you by wanting to understand your identity and spend time with you. He does not understand how to achieve his desire.

It's frustrating.

Reading manhwa took you a few hours but Jinwoo spent months immersed in it. Time in his world passed quickly, and he was growing impatient.

He wanted you. Here.

By the time he had defeated the Architect and swallowed the system. He realized that you seemed to have noticed him looking at you.

The barrier between the two worlds was slowly being erased.

That made him excited. You were still there. On the other side of the screen. On the other side of the world.

From the moment you stopped in front of a panel - where your eyes met his - Jinwoo knew. You saw him.

Not the character in the story. Him.

No longer a vague observation from afar, but a connection. A returned gaze. The feeling of excitement exploded like a surge of mana in his chest. He wanted to break down the wall between the two worlds.

He wanted to bring you closer.

Your eyes were confused as you look at him. So cute.

You must be wondering if this is real. Being the nice guy he is, he needs to help you find out, right?

"I know you are looking."

He stood in the dark space, a dimension where time did not flow, where the world became absolutely still. But every time you opened your phone, light shone upon him. Like a door opening. Like a hand pulling him from the abyss.

For the first time, he heard a strange sound.

A heartbeat.

Not his.

Yours.

From the other world.

And he was drawn. Obsessed. Longing. He began to try. Sending vague glances. Soft smiles only when you were looking. Shadows that crossed the picture frame when you quickly scrolled by. Lines of text only you could read.

He watched your every emotion. When you were scared. When you stopped reading. When you gasped under the dark blanket.

He heard it all. And the more he did, the more he found you lovable.

Vulnerable.

Touchable.

And...easy to grasp.

It seems like you are running away from him. But it won't be that easy. With his absolute power, he can now break the rules of the world, he can interact with you.

And he will bring you to him soon. All it takes is the right time.

Jinwoo reached out, in the darkness, to where your eyes had met his. The space cracked, the cracks spreading like spider webs.

He whispered.

"Just a little more..."

"You'll get here."

"Or I'll come to you."

__________________________

You try not to think about it. You try to sleep. You try to forget that look.

But every time you blink, Jinwoo's face appears in your mind. His dark eyes are as deep as the abyss, his smile is vague as if he knows how you will react.Your emotions pull you in opposite directions because one side is scared and the other wants to explore. You stand at the cliff edge afraid of falling but unable to resist looking over.

And then that night, you dream.

Not a normal dream.

You're standing in complete darkness. The area feels empty with no air movement and no background sounds. It feels like you're in a place the world has never known.

Footsteps.

You turn around - and there he is.

Sung Jinwoo is walking towards you.

Slowly.

Steady.

There was no anger in those eyes, no doubt, only a strange certainty. As if this was the result he had been waiting for all along.

You stepped back. He still moved forward.

You asked, your voice trembling. "Where...am I?"

"The space between two worlds," Jinwoo replied, his deep voice reverberating through the space like sound waves touching every cell. "Here... I can reach you."

"Who are you!?" you took another step back, your palms sweating.

"You've already known who I am"

"I've been paying attention to you for so long," he stepped closer, only a few steps away, his hand reaching up to caress your cheek, his eyes frantic. "What have you done to me? Why am I so obsessed with you?"

You trembled.

"Become mine," Jinwoo said, his gaze tightening like chains. "Don't turn your back on me anymore. I'll come find you. Whether in my dreams or in real life."

Your heart is pounding. 

And then, you wake up. Your breathing is ragged. Your head is spinning.

The phone rests on the table while its screen shows no light. You take a deep breath to settle your emotions. Just a dream. Just a weird nightmare...

But - in the corner of your eye, there's a blur. Like someone actually touched you.

You look down at the screen. A new notification from an unknown number.

"You won't escape me."

Since that day, you have been living in fear. The fear that he will come and take you away one day. So many scenarios have appeared in your head. It makes your heart race and your mind confused.

What does Sung Jinwoo want from you? Why does he want to drag you to that world?

Why is this happening to you?

From that fateful day, everything around you gradually became strange.

At first, there were recurring dreams. You always woke up in the middle of the night, cold sweat drenching your back, your breathing ragged. In the dream, Jinwoo no longer spoke - he just looked. The long stare seemed to be able to suffocate your heart, and every time that gaze fell on you, you felt like prey before a patient predator.

You started avoiding reading manhwa. You turned off notifications, deleted the app. But every time you tried to forget, everything seemed to come crashing down.

Your phone flickers on in the middle of the night. Strange messages from the unnamed number continued to appear, with just one simple line.

"Don't stay away from me."

"I'm getting closer."

Your phone numbers and SIM cards may change but the feeling of being watched remains. You sense someone watching you the moment you wake up. He seems to hover between what's real and what's not from an invisible spot.

Then one day, when you look at yourself in the mirror... It's not you looking in the mirror anymore. It's him looking out.

Jinwoo.

His eyes are reflected in yours. Not imaginary, but real. You stand there, frozen, unable to move. His lips move in the reflection, making no sound, but you understand.

"Almost there."

________________________________

The absolute darkness surrounded Jinwoo as he waited with fast-beating heart. He watched for too many days without taking action because he wanted the perfect opportunity. And now...now, that moment had come.

Jinwoo smiled darkly, power slowly surrounding him in a thick mist, violet eyes glowing.

The darkness surrounding him started to split apart. A faint thread of light appeared slowly between the darkness before it reached out across the empty space.

The crack grew bigger until it broke open to reveal a rough opening in the blackness.

He could feel her heartbeats pounding loudly in his ear. The silence became a background for the steady drumming of her heartbeats. As if the universe itself were holding its breath.

And then he felt it. A tug, faint but unmistakable. The connection was made. You were close.

"Just a bit more" He spoke his thoughts quietly as he reached for the portal.

The portal pulsated like a living being while its thin separation between realms grew dangerously weak. He extended his hand to touch the shiny opening of the crack. The portal emitted strong electrical energy because it sensed his upcoming movement.

He moved ahead by pushing himself through the large gap that appeared like an opening mouth.

You could sense your heart beating rapidly. Something was happening. Something was changing. The room was dimly lit by the glow of the phone screen, face down on the table, and the phone was in hand. You didn't touch it. Not at all. But it lit up on its own.

A blurry image appeared.

Those eyes.

Sung Jinwoo.

Your heart pounded in your chest and you took a reflexive step back. The air was thick, so thick you had to breathe hard. And then...

Crack-

A deafening shattering sound rang out. Not from the phone. But from the wall of your room.

Space broke like a mirror being smashed before your eyes. The spiderwebs of cracks were spreading out in all directions. From the cracks came a jet of black light, a jet of darkness flowing back into the world you were living in.

You screamed because you wanted to turn and run, but your legs wouldn’t.

A portal appeared.

From the darkness, a hand reaches out, fingers long, cold, hard - grabbing your wrist. "I've waited long enough."

The voice is low, rumbling like a shockwave that travels straight to your spine.

You try to pull away. But his strength is inhuman.

"No!" you struggle, "This isn't real! I'm dreaming!"

Jinwoo looks at you - not with fierce eyes, but with eyes that have endured months of agony. Obsessive. Haunting. Creepily gentle.

"This is real," he whispers. "And you are mine."

Space shatters.

You're yanked forward - too weak to scream, too weak to react. It feels like falling into an endless abyss, your body torn between two worlds.

The light fades. There's no room. There's no phone. There's no familiar truth. There was only darkness, the thick scent of mana, and his breath right next to your ear.

You fell to the cold ground, shivering. The air here was thick, strange. A place you had never been.

You looked up. Jinwoo stood before you.

Black shirt, deep eyes, hair falling over his forehead. He looked at you as if he had just taken back a part of his lost soul.

"Welcome to my world."

He leaned down, his eyes shining like the night coming to life.

"Now you will never leave me again."

.....

the end-

tag: @areaderspov @izaquix078 @sky2lar @leviackerman2030

lol I had a day off and I spent the whole day just writing this.

it's almost late night here.........

[sunkissedsentry]

Spellbound

Bob Reynolds x Goth!Reader

Summary: Bob sees someone he used to know while at a bar with his new friends, someone who was there for him when nobody else was, even when he felt like he didn’t deserve it. Bob decides it’s now or never, never wanting to be without her again. (Bob and goth!reader were highschool sweethearts for years til she ended up in the hospital and was forced to move back with her parents under suicide watch.)

Warnings: (mentions/description of past of the following: self harm, suicidal ideation, mental institution, drug abuse, addiction) past/established relationship, rekindling old flame, reader is a singer in a goth cover band, being each others first and only, bob doesn’t drink, kissing, slight angst, hurt/comfort

Words: 2,446

A/N: if this gets popular i’d love to do a second part, probably smut or something along those lines! just really wanted to do a goth reader lol, and the song inspo is Spellbound by Siouxsie and the Banshees :) this is my first time writing bob so pls be nice

—

Why he decided to let Yelena drag him to this dingy bar was beyond him, he didn’t even drink. She had insisted it would be good for him to get out of the tower but this felt anything other than good. His sweater was too itchy, the air was too thick, everything smelled like alcohol, and possibly worst of all, the tables were unbelievably sticky. Not even the ice cold Dr. Pepper in his hands was all that good.

These past few months after everything that happened have been difficult. Adjusting to a new home, gaining newfound trauma, dealing with old trauma, all while working to stay sober. It was weighing on him worse and worse, but he couldn’t deny he was doing better than he was before. It was a different struggle, a better struggle, one that seemed worth it at the end of the day. Still though, he often caught himself dreaming of an old life, in particular a person from before.

You. With your dark hair, black nails, and endless amounts of twisted jewelry, it all haunted him like a shadow, but not like the void. A shadow that felt like closing the blinds after a long day in the sun, a shadow that felt like curling up in black sheets for a nap, a shadow that felt like home. He had told Yelena all about you.

About how you were his first everything, first kiss, first love, first girlfriend. What he didn’t say was that he knew you would be his only, even just the thought of being with someone new made his skin crawl. He was sure that if he never got to make his way back to you, to show you how good things have gotten— how good he could be for you— then he would never love again. It was melodramatic, but it was true.

He told her about when you met in high school, you had just moved to his home town when you were both juniors. He told her about going to prom with you, about your black lacy dress that drove him insane. He told her about when you got your apartment together, about everything you did for him as his addiction got worse. How patient, despite how difficult it got. He told her about how you got ripped apart, about how everything went even further downhill for him. When he found you, splayed out on the bathroom floor, blood running down your arms, he told her all of it. About how the doctors told him he couldn’t take care of you, that you couldn’t take care yourself. It tore him apart watching your parents take you away, getting every letter he sent returned back, unopened. He knew it wasn’t you doing it, but it hurt all the same.

That was when it got worse, so much worse. That was when he got arrested. That was when he decided to go to Malaysia, because if he couldn’t have you, at the very least, he could get better for you. Or find a drug that’ll finally get rid of him. He wasn’t sure why he told her everything, but it felt like he needed to. Like maybe if he wasn’t the only one who knew about how he still felt for you, maybe it would bring you back into his life. Maybe you would find each other again.

Staring at the dingy, sticky table in front of him wasn’t going to bring you back though. He wasn’t even sure what he would say if he did. ‘Hi, I got turned into a blonde super soldier, but I’m better now’? How could he even begin to explain all that’s happened since leaving Florida? A sigh wracks his body as he slouches further down into the bar stool he’s sitting on. Yelena rolls her eyes as she drinks another swig of straight vodka, it almost made him wretch just watching it. Ever since he became sober, he hasn’t wanted to have even a drop of alcohol. The thought of anything clouding his judgment makes him queasy.

“What is going on, Bob? You have been sulking the whole night.” She groans and leans back against the wall next to him, he turns his head to watch Ava, who came with them, hit on a redheaded woman beside Yelena. “You are like… bringing down the mood, no offense.”

Bob rolls his eyes and shakes his head, like the mood is any of his fault when this bar is the loudest, dirtiest bar he’s ever been in. He takes a swig of his pop, letting the now empty can tink against the tabletop. Yelena’s eyebrows shoot up, like she’s had some sort of ‘Ah-Ha!’ moment.

“Ooh… I know what it is.” She nods her head in confirmation, twirling the rings around her finger in a soothing sort of motion. “You are missing your little mistress of the dark.”

He groans at the nickname for you and lets his head hang back in exasperation. He had put an Elvira poster up above his bed because he had seen it in a store and it made him think of you, and since he didn’t have any of the old polaroids of you, it seemed like a good idea. That is, until Yelena snuck into his room to steal a book, saw the poster and laughed so loud it made birds fly away outside the tower. She hasn’t let it go since.

“What? There is nothing wrong with liking Elvira! Beautiful lesbian icon— not that your girl is a lesbian, just that Elvira— eh, you know what I mean.” Yelena rambles before throwing a hand up in defeat, Bob almost wants to laugh. She looks at him seriously suddenly, her boot tapping against his leg. “C’mon man, tell me what’s up.”

He sighs again, back slouching farther forward, hands fidgeting with the long-empty pop can. “I just miss her. Wish I could’ve gotten sober for her before, or at the very least get to be sober for her now, but I’m not sure if that’ll ever happen.”

After he says this, a live band begins setting up in a dim corner of the bar. Yelena and him pay it no mind though. Yelena leans forward, pieces of her meticulously slicked hair falling out of place, she rests a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

“Never say never, Bob.” She gives him a tight-lipped smile, and a well meaning nod, but it does little to relieve him of the pit in his chest. All he’s really grateful for right now is that he hasn’t lost control and voided the entire city again, because the longer he seems to go on, the pain and the distance just seem to keep growing. He almost says this to her when suddenly a familiar, melodic, melancholic voice begins singing on stage.

From the cradle bars, comes a beckoning voice. It sends you spinning, you have no choice!

Bob almost falls off his stool with the speed at which he whips around to face the stage. He hasn’t heard your voice in so long, he’s close to bursting out into tears. As his eyes fall on the stage, he sees you, clad in a black velvet dress. There’s about three different necklaces hanging on your neck, accentuating the deep V of the dress, and your black witches boots accentuate the slit up the side. Your a vision in onyx and it takes the breath from his lungs, he doesn’t even hear Yelena calling for him as he feels compelled to get closer to the stage. You’re still singing, it’s enchanted him.

Following the footsteps of a rag doll dance, we are entranced! Spellbound! Spellbound!

The way you move your body is slow and hypnotic, your arms twirling upward and your hips circling slowly. He’s seen you dance like this before but now, now it’s so much more than it was. More beautiful than anything he’s ever seen before, more meaningful than any words could ever be. He’s never been a dancer, but watching you, hearing you, it makes him want to be. Even as you finish your opening song, he can’t seem to find his breath again, heart pounding in his ears.

Entranced, entranced. Entranced, entranced. Entranced, entranced!

He’s never felt more connected to that word than now. Everything he ever loved before is stood before him and he can’t seem to move. He’s both thankful and petrified when your eyes meet his. Your dark makeup more prominent as your eyebrows screw up in surprise, and what looks to be confusion, pain even. Yelena tugs at his sleeve suddenly, and the electricity between you is severed. Your eyes fix themselves on the middle of the crowd and you avoid his gaze, it hurts but he feels it’s the least of what he deserves. Though, he’s not sure why.

“Why did you leave—“

“It’s her.” He blurts out, cutting Yelena off even though he knows how much she hates that. He can’t help it, he needs her to know it’s you. He needs her to see you, because he needs to know if it’s real. If you’re actually there and it’s not just some beautiful fever dream from stewing in this humid bar for too long. She looks up and her mouth goes slack.

“Oh, my God.” She whispers, hands coming up to rest at her waist, incredulously. “How the hell did you pull her?”

Bob barely even registers what she said as you turn and stalk off stage, muttering something to your similarly-dressed bassist. Your bassist announces that she’ll be taking over for you on lead vocals, and then you disappear out the back door. He’s terrified of what your thinking right now but he knows if he doesn’t follow you, he may actually never get to see you again. Yelena follows him, Ava squeezing her way through the crowd to finally catch up and ask her what’s going on.

The air of the alley way hits Bob like a train as he swings the back door open. He can hear Yelena explaining the situation to Ava in hushed whispers as he steps into the alley, face to face with you in what feels like decades. You look disappointed and it almost kills him. He wants to pull you in and rub the worry lines out of your eyebrows like he used to before, he squeezes his hands together to stop himself. He knows how hard it is for you to let people in, to let them touch you, and maybe he was close enough before but all of that is gone now.

He’s about to say your name when you interrupt him.

“I went back for you.” You can’t look him in the eye, your voice trembling. “After I got out of the institute, I went back to Florida to find you. You weren’t there.”

It makes him want to break out sobbing, imagining you alone in your previously shared apartment. He hadn’t even told anyone where he was going or what he was doing. You must’ve been worried sick. It all comes crashing down on him now as tears flow freely down his cheeks. He knows Ava and Yelena are watching awkwardly from behind but he can’t find it in himself to care.

“I-I��m so sorry.” He whispers your name like a prayer. He wants to tell you how much he thought of you, everything he wanted for the both of you. He can’t seem to get the words out. It kills him. “So, so much has happened.”

His words are flimsy, wavering even before he says them. He hopes you can hear the sincerity despite the tremor in his voice. He hopes you know how much he missed you, how much he needs you. All that comes out is a weak: “I’m, uh, I’m sober now.”

Through your own tears, a smile eases its way onto your lips. You look at him like he’s the sun, like he’s the only good thing you’ve ever had and he’s just given you a gift. You step forward cautiously, he can’t seem to meet your eye. You reach your hand out for him and he takes it without hesitation.

“I missed you so much. I was so worried.” You pout, eyes overflowing with tears. He looks at you finally, dark blue eyes swimming with so many unsaid words. He hopes you’ll give him a second chance to get to say them.

“I missed you too, every day.” He smiles but it’s coated in so much self doubt it feels sour. Your other hand comes up to touch his cheek gently, thumb brushing against his cheekbone. Your cold hands have never bothered him, he runs hot and he enjoys getting to heat you up. “There’s so much I wanna tell you.”

“Then tell me, and don’t you dare ever disappear again.” There’s a finality to your tone, but it’s not daunting, it feels like coming home. He wants to scream for joy, he kisses you instead. He hears Ava and Yelena enter the bar again. He couldn’t care less.

Your lips are soft and familiar, something he’s missed more than he could say. Your hands gently rub over his chest and neck, like you’re trying to decide if he’s real or not. He moans into your mouth as your deft fingers clutch the curls at the nape of his neck, you always knew what to do to have him breathless. He squeezes your soft hips in his big hands, loving the feel of crushed velvet between his fingers. The belt around your waist bumps against his knuckles like a curse and he wants nothing more that to take off all your clothes and show you just how much he’s missed you, but he pulls back. He watches as you chase after his lips, hoping to feel him for just a second longer.

“I wanna do this right.” He mutters, fingers flexing on your side. His forehead is rested against yours and his ocean-dark eyes are spearing into your soul. It always baffled you how much more melancholic he could be than you, but it was just another thing that drew you to him. ���Will you give me another chance? Will you go out with me?”

You almost laughed, to you he had never even lost you. You’ve always known he was the only one for you, all you know now is that you need to do a better job of showing him. You kiss him once more, slow and sensual. You pull back to whisper: “Of course, my love. You’ve always had me.”

[gay-dorito-dust]

Hi! i saw your nero being raised by dante and s/o and I LOVE IT SM !! If you are willing to write how Vergil reacts how Nero treats him compared to dante and his s/o, im feeling angst for this cause vergil literally stole his own son’s arm and tried to kill him (to be fair he doesn’t even know he had a son, but ouch) 😭😭😭 and i wonder what vergil thinks of dante’s s/o who is so loving and kind-hearted, i have a feeling he’s envious because dante was able to find someone really loves him

Vergil wasn't expecting much of a warm welcome from Nero after finding out their truth that linked them together. He wasn't expecting open arms from his son when he hadn't been in his life at all, gone within a blink of an eye and vanished without a trace of one day hoping to getting to understand him and who he was, Vergil wasn't expecting much when it came to Nero's treatment towards him as his father.

He didn't exepct a happy life to be ahead of him where he got to finally be a father and take over from where you and Dante left off, Vergil knew he was too far removed from ever having that ending, his destruction has hurt too many people and one of them happened to be his own son the most.

Yet when Vergil watched his son run into the outstreched arms of yourself and Dante, smiling happily as he allowed himself to be smothered in your kisses ans affection alongside Dante's teasing and half hearted jabs. Vergil couldn't help but wonder if Nero wished he was your's and Dante's actual son instead of his, after all you two did raise him from infancy when he was hellbent on gaining power, you and Dante had brought up his son with love with warmth that a home should have for any child to grow healthily.

With you and Dante Nero got to laugh, to joke, to unclench his jaw and relax his shoulders and be a young man who was more than a demon hunter. He got to live a life that Vergil could only dream of ever having, of feeling the warmth of his mother's embrace once more and not feeling as though everything fell apart for him that day, for him to feel as though from that day onwards he was meant to suffer to achieve what he had pushed so many away for.

With him however Nero was cold as ice, always on edge with him and grazing his forearm aprehensively, always putting distance bewtween the two of them whenever they were to share a room with one another. No words were shared between father and son becuase why should there be? They had barely knew the other exist until recently and their interactions up to now were less then pleasent, it wasn't happy as it was an ugly blue saddness and resentment that remained unspoken.

There were not so nice feelings harboured by Nero towards Vergil, none at all, and Vergil couldn't blame him for feeling such a way when he knew deep down he would've failed as a father if he did stay. He didn't see a reality where he did stay and raised Nero anyway, it was unfathomable as his mind was hellbent on other, far more important things that held more value then to raise his infant son. Nero couldn't look at his father and see a loving figure, only a man who did so much harm then he did good, a man he didn't wish to associate with the name father.

And Vergil knew that no matter what, no matter how much time will pass, he will never be seen as his true father, his true family when you and Dante had gotten there first.

Now Vergil's view on you -Dante's partner- is an intresting one becuase when he looked at you and Dante being happy together, acting so in love it almost made the elder sibling wishing he could look away, but he knew he couldn't becuase he has never seen his brother this happy since he was a child. So seeing his brother as he kisses and playfully bites your neck as you try to make something for you, Nero and him to eat made Vergil experience a thing called envy.

Dante was extremely lucky to have you, someone so sweet, so kindhearted, and a honourable person who's influence was very much inbedded within Nero in many of his actions and words. Vergil knew you were a rarity amongst humanity, a true blessing of a individual who only wanted to treat others with kindess and a genuine level of respect, someone who didn't judge who they helped upon first glance.

You were someone that many should hope to become like, someone others should strive to following in the footsteps of, into the footsteps of light and not the shadows that consumed Vergil most of his life. And Dante was the lucky soul who had managed to win you over by whatever means, making you choose him over others as you looked into his eyes and knew he was the one you wanted to be with.

Even now as he watched you and Dante hold each other, staring into each others eyes as you held each other lovingly, with Dante keeping you close to his chest with his hands modestly upon your wasit, whereas yours were holding his face and caressing his cheeks softly as though you never wanted to spend a single moment away from your red coated partner. You looked at Dante as though he could do no wrong, as though he was the brightest light within your life that you couldn't navigate without, a look so filled with love and happiness that was only reflected back at you by Dante.

Vergil could hate as much as he wanted but he couldn't deny that you were what Dante nedded, someone who loved him no matter what and only looked at him with unwavering faither, unwavering kindess that never failed to strengthen Dante and make him believe he could do anything and everything. You were the person Dante always looked to for guidence, for reassurance that what he was doing was right and that he wasn't going to regret his actions later on.

You didn't care that he was a half demon, he was still your Dante, your man with the heart of gold who helped you raise your sweet baby Nero, for he was the man you loved ans will forever love until you couldn't anymore and you knew without words that Dante felt the same just as fircely.

Vergil was envious of the love and family Dante had made for himself, the family he had made without shoving anyone away for pursuit of power, the family that gave him strength and the power that he craved. He envied everything that Dante had like a sibling would but this envy went deeper, so much deeper as he is made to go back to an old thought he once had, wondering wether this could've been the life that granted him the power he craved all along.

Vergil wondered if he might've found someone jsut like you to call his own, to have someone who'd love him unconditionally, someone who would've helped him reconcile with his human side or just to have someone other then himself to relie on any longer. Yet he realised that he had passed that moment in time, it has missed him by a hair and would never come back and he had to reconcile with the fact that his dreams were just dreams, most of which will never come to light as he had ruined his oppertunities for a change of pace; and now it was something he had to live with.

[avelera]

I’m curious, how much control do you think Viktor was in in season 2?

I have tried to analyze this but am honestly stumped. Because on one hand it is clearly his intentions and logic being used. Since the beginning he has been wanting to heal people afflicted in Zaun (while it was also to cure his illness I don’t doubt wanting to help those in need was a legitimate motivation). He does immediately go to heal people in Zaun and all the conclusions he jumps to through the season do seem perfectly reasonable for him. He was the type of person who didn’t even conceptualize in season one that something like the hexclaw could be used as a weapon. That and the hexcore showing that he was a pacifist to the point of it being a massive blind spot to danger. So it makes sense being shot by Jayce of all people while in his eyes he was healing people would cause him to go all glorious evolution mode as a natural progression of his arc.

On the other hand he definitely didn’t come back right. The show makes a point to show in season one that the hexcore has some level of physical control over him, and even when going to heal the shimmer addicts he is following Sky’s voice. The writers also confirmed that it indeed was not Sky and was the hexcore manifesting his guilt to push him towards to glorious evolution. And his emotions definitely seem to be muffled and unexpressive. I know this part is joked about a lot but honestly even the fact that he chokes Jayce is surprising because he is consistently characterized as a pacifist to the point of it being a fatal flaw. He doesn’t even commit an act of violence in a show filled with fight scenes until the second to last episode, let alone against Jayce of all people. I think the last thing season one Viktor would do is intentionally cause physical harm to someone, hence why it is only at the part where he is the farthest gone.

Basically if I had to guess I’d say it’s like 50/50 level of control, but you have written some great character analysis so I’m curious what your thoughts are as to how much of season two was Viktor and how much was the Hexcore

Honestly, Anon, I'm wrestling with this on almost a daily basis myself when I write fics. It's definitely not helped by the fact they avoided a lot of exposition in S2 in favor of pacing (the slower pace of S1 allowed for a lot more signposting and exposition of what was going on, I think somewhat to the detriment of S2) and the fact that we don't really get much of Viktor after he stops being the Machine Herald, because to my eyes that's the first time we see the real Viktor all season and it would be nice to get him to express some contrast with what came before (though of course it would ruin the pacing of a perfect moment).

I think you basically nailed all of the points of confusion. I've ever considered tracking all the points where his voice warps for clues, because I think there is something to be gleaned from how and when his voice distorts, but in what direction is also a curious question.

Was saying "affection" kept them together more or less than what Viktor would have said to Jayce? Would he on his own have said love? Or would he, in his infinite shyness, have not dared to mention emotion at all, because Viktor is an expert at pushing those closest to him away and hiding his own emotions? Was that the Hexcore trying to drag Jayce in closer by calling it affection, or push him away before it could gain strength by lowering Viktor saying "love" down to just saying "affection"?

On the other hand, during the Herald's villain monologue at the end in the Astral Plane, his voice is distorted for almost every line except, "This senseless waste," which does feel like a sincere Viktor line, perhaps the only one that is truly him that whole time, including when he said he was pleased to see Jayce, in that horrible mocking tone. Could that not be the Hexcore speaking there?

I'll offer what I think is happening:

In order to chart "What is Hexcore" vs. "What is Viktor" it's less useful to look at Viktor's motives than the Hexcore's.

The Hexore wanted to expand its influence. It wanted to become powerful enough to have its own army and to destroy the civilization around it as other versions of the Hexcore have done throughout history. I believe it reached those goals by posing them as things Viktor, on his own, would want to do like help the needy, thus hiding its ends inside of Viktor's motives.

Note too that people who have dosed up on Shimmer are more susceptible to its molding.

Hence we can assume that the Hexcore, in the guise of Sky, using Viktor's guilt about her and his own failures to help the undercity, guided Viktor down to the Shimmer victim encampment specifically.

Viktor is not a mystic. The most mystical thing he says in S1 is that the Arcane speaks through mages. But the Hexcore is a magical artifact. Something like the Hexcore also destroyed a civilization centuries ago, and the figure in Heimerdinger's memory looks like Viktor when he's cloaked.

So personally, I think we can ascribe any mysticism to the Hexcore's influence too. That means the Cult, for example. Also Viktor's, "You need not suffer anymore," and kind of making them all genuflect to him, feels very OOC and just plain wrong for Viktor.

Whereas Viktor in the Astral Plane feels like real Viktor. Even the fact that when we show his point of view out into the world he is himself in a field of stars, seeing the real world projected in front of him like Plato's Allegory of the Cave gives the impression of imprisonment, like he's looking out through the windows of his own eyes to a shrouded world he can no longer directly touch.

And note, for example, that Sky/the Hexcore doesn't want Viktor to heal Vander. That's all Viktor. I believe the reason is because it doesn't want to run out of energy too quickly.

Basically, I think the Hexcore is stringing Viktor along there as Sky, giving him a little terrarium of stars to play in, while using him as a vessel of assimilation under the guise of healing. These are on both sides, inner and outer, things that Viktor wants to do, so he's seduced. He doesn't fight it.

I also think at a certain point, the Hexcore Viktor gains enough power to be able to impact people who aren't dosed with Shimmer. I think this comes later though, which is why it's not interested in Jayce at first but it is interested in assimilating him later. At that point, again, those motives align with Viktor's own sincere desire to see Jayce again (maybe he's sick of all the hippies in the commune lol) and the Hexcore is happy to get rid of someone who could conceivably stop it.

But note, the Hexcore is still playing along with Viktor. It could forcibly assimilate Jayce, but Viktor wants Jayce to choose his side willingly, so it holds back. In part too because that disappointment is what fuels Viktor to give himself over the Hexcore's goals entirely and ask for Singed's treatment with Apex Shimmer. At that point, as the showrunner noted, it doesn't need the guise of Sky anymore, it doesn't need to string Viktor along anymore. He's bought into the idea of forcibly assimilating the world if he can't get Jayce to join willingly.

I also heard an interesting theory that I'd like to factor in: basically, until he gains access to the Anomaly, Viktor doesn't have the power to strip himself of the Hexcore's influence or overcome it. That's why there's no point in Jayce trying to get through to him sooner, it wouldn't do anything because Viktor would still be trapped in its web.

Once they have the Anomaly, Viktor as an ascended being can strip away the Hexcore's influence. And that's why I lamented that we don't get more of his thoughts in that scene. Because I think an interpretation can be made that the Machine Herald look is just the human form of the Hexcore, using Viktor as a vessel.

Once that outer shell explodes, it really is Viktor again, with all the power of the Anomaly and Jayce's rune at his disposal. Now he and Jayce can work together to reverse the damage, free all the trapped souls from the Hexcore's web, and save the day. But we see that only then Viktor is able to view his own actions as himself, and he's horrified. There I think we get Viktor's one true, sincere reaction to everything that has happened up to that point and confirm that, yes, while the Hexcore interwove its seduction through Viktor's motives, none of this is what Viktor wanted. The ultimate outcome was the Hexcore's goals.

Quick Doylist addition: I also think there's definitely a draft where it's all Viktor getting controlled, but the writers know that can be kind of boring. It's better when characters take action and make choices, rather than being controlled. So I think that's why they settled on a combination of "The Hexcore's end goals, but Viktor's underlying motivations being twisted to support them."

[nadvs]

out of bounds (part two)

pairing zach maclaren and soccerplayer! female reader

rating mature 18+

summary zach has never been the type to rebel, but when he meets you at a soccer camp where you’re both working as counselors, which has a strict policy against dating between staff, he’s tempted to break the rules for the first time.

» part one

» masterlist

Your footsteps fall in and out of rhythm with Zach’s as you walk over the soccer field.

Even under the inky night sky, you can easily make out the sharp white lines spray-painted on the pitch as he stands across from you, your back to the net.

As a center back, this is where you spend most of your time in a game, defending directly in front of the goal. You used to love the nerves you’d feel before a match, but by the final month of the school year, you’d start every game already waiting for it to end.

You hope you can fix that this summer. And Zach is the perfect person to practice against since his main objective in his position is scoring.

He picked up a soccer ball from a storage shed on the way over, tossing it in his hands. You wonder if he offers to help all the newbies work on their game or if it’s just you.

“I don’t know if you know this,” you say, “but the ball’s supposed to be on the ground.”

“Most people say thank you when someone does them a favor,” he jokes, dropping the ball and dribbling it between his feet.

“I think you need to actually do the favor first,” you reply.

Zach smirks. He’s always been the type to chase the feeling of fun, and right now, he enjoys how easy things are with you.

He kicks the ball to you, and you stop it under your foot.

“Don’t go easy on me,” you say. “I’m serious.”

Zach sighs with a smile.

“What?”

“Nothing, just… my sister says that to me all the time,” he says. The memory makes his chest pinch. This is the hardest part of being at camp for seven weeks. It’s only been one day and he misses his family already.

At least when he’s at college, he can visit whenever he wants, but at camp, it’s a no go.

“Does she play soccer, too?” you ask. The ball scruffs over the grass when you kick it back to him.

“No, Avery hates sports,” he says. “It’s when we play video games. She kicks my ass and she tells me to stop letting her win when I’m genuinely trying my hardest. It’s embarrassing.”

“How old is she?”

“Ten.”

You smile. It’s sweet that he spends time with his kid sister.

“And she beats you? That is embarrassing.”

He kicks the ball to you with a chuckle.

“So, she’s not interested in coming here?” you ask, considering Camp Summit is for kids in her age range.

“No chance,” he says. He asks about your family and you continue to chat about your home life while kicking the ball back and forth until you eventually decide to do what you came out here for.

“You ready?” he asks, heading backwards a few steps.

“Give me your worst.”

Zach jogs towards you, expertly kicking the ball with every stride, approaching you quickly. You keep your eyes trained on his movements and the ball, reading the opponent’s body like you always do.

You shift between your feet quickly, trying to gain possession. He side-steps and fakes right, but you notice it in the way he’s positioned, and you take the window of opportunity to steal the ball.

You succeed and rush past him, then turn to smile at him, locking the ball under your foot.

“Jeez,” Zach says, hands on his hips. “Nice one.”

“Stop,” you laugh, convinced he’s just trying to flatter you.

“How’d you catch my fake-out?”

“It’s all in your body language,” you say. You kick the ball to him.

“So, you’re looking at my body,” he says, his tone sarcastically suggestive.

“Don’t let it get to your head,” you laugh, heading to where you were standing originally to reset.

“Too late.” He rushes back to the center of the field.

Your cheeks go warm. He wouldn’t risk dating at work. It’s against the rules. You could both lose your jobs.

But what’s the harm in flirting? He seems to like to do it with you just as much as you do it with him.

Zach jogs towards you again and you turn with him slightly, closing the distance once he comes close enough, mirroring him as he darts over the grass.

“It’s good that you don’t dive in right away,” he says between breaths. “I always get past defenders when they rush me.”

“Are you trying to distract me with flattery?” you ask.

“If it’s working, yeah,” he replies.

You laugh and continue to jockey, both of you moving with sharp, fast movements as he shuffles with the ball.

It’s a struggle, but eventually, he gets past you, sending the ball flying in the net.

“One-one,” he says. “You really made me work for it, though, huh?”

As you watch Zach run to grab the ball out of the net, you’re taken by how kind he is. Even after he gets a ball past you, he compliments you.

You refocus when he resets and jogs down the field towards you again. As the night goes on, you start to feel comfortable enough to make contact with each other, brushing arms and legs.

You stop keeping score, but it feels pretty equal by the time you’re huffing from all the exercise.

“You good to call it?” he asks, looking down at you as he pants after you steal the ball from him yet again.

“Yeah. I think that was more than ten minutes.”

His tongue swipes over his bottom lip as he smiles. He completely forgot he was out here with you, under a time limit, all because he was waiting for his friend to escort yours out of his cabin.

“I noticed something you do,” he says as you walk off the field together, taking turns kicking the ball far ahead of you. “You kind of give up when you think you won’t win the ball.”

“Why waste the energy?” you respond with a tired laugh. You check your phone to see that it’s almost 10:30.

“My coach always tells us that you have to believe that you’ll win every tackle,” Zach says. “It seems like you tell yourself you might as well stop trying.”

You consider his words. It’s true. It’s a bad habit you’ve picked up in the past year, a result of your dwindling confidence. And he’s a sharp player for catching that weakness.

Zach watches you, afraid he might have offended you.

“I hope I didn’t - that wasn’t out of line, was it?”

“No, no,” you say. “You’re totally right. Thanks. It’s helpful.”

You reach the dirt path, approaching the storage shed. He puts the ball away and joins you again as you make your way towards the staff cabins in the humid night.

“Gotta be honest,” he says, thinking back to what you said by the fire, “I’m surprised you’re not confident in your game.”

“My team doesn’t do that well,” you admit. It feels like you’re constantly ruminating over last season’s win/loss ratio.

“And what, that’s your fault?” he asks.

“I am usually the last one the other team crosses before scoring,” you say with a shrug.

“Actually, the goalie is.”

“No, she’s great,” you reply. “It’s not on her.”

Zach snorts.

“What?”

“You don’t blame her, but you blame yourself,” he says. “Makes sense.”

You nudge his firm shoulder. The contact is brief and playful and you’re comfortable doing it now considering you got so close on the field.

Zach nudges you back, touching you as if he always does. As if you didn’t just meet today.

“You mad I’m right?” he says.

“A little,” you reply with a small smile.

You reach your cabins. The shirt on his door is gone. It seems like your cabin-mates are back to their respective beds.

“Yeah, I’m still knocking very loudly just in case,” Zach says.

“Good call,” you laugh, heading towards your cabin. “Thanks again for the help.”

“Any time,” he says. You hope he means it.

Ami’s sitting up in her bed when you come through the door.

“Hey,” she says, “I’m surprised the bonfire went that long.”

“It didn’t,” you reply. “I was out practicing defense with Zach. Because his cabin was occupied.”

Ami grins. After she gives you a recap of her time with Malcolm, which she says went no further than heavy making out, she turns the attention back to you.

“How was practice?” she says. “If that’s what actually happened.”

“It is,” you laugh. “Great. He’s really good.”

“At what?” she asks suggestively.

“At soccer,” you laugh again. “We honestly just practiced. And even if he’s into me like that, he seems serious about the no dating rule. I wouldn’t risk it, either. I don’t know what you’re planning with Malcolm but apparently they’re actually strict about it, so be careful.”

“I will, but I’m not worried. We talked about how we’ll only be casual. And discreet. You be careful, too, okay?”

“Nothing to be careful about,” you say with a shrug.

“So, if Zach asked you out, you wouldn’t be down?”

Truthfully, you’re not sure you’d be able to resist dating him, even if it had to be in secret. Zach is impossible not to like.

“It’s not happening,” you simply reply.

Just like every other year, welcoming campers the next morning is havoc. Zach feels a sense of pride when he sees a familiar face, another kid who loved this place so much that they wanted to come back.

After the campers are directed to their cabins, orientation is held at the dining hall, followed by breakfast.

Voices bounce loudly around the hall as kids dig into their food, every counselor sitting at the head of the table with their cohorts.

He makes conversation, asking his boys questions to encourage them to talk with each other. His eyes flit up to you every so often, hoping he doesn’t get caught staring.

You’re sitting a few tables away, smiling as you chat. He almost can’t believe how much fun he had with you on the pitch under the stars last night.

Things are just so simple with you. He doesn’t have to think about what to say, because he knows you’ll play along or just laugh at his dorky joke. He likes you. A lot.

The rest of the day is dedicated to games across the campground, with training scheduled to start tomorrow. At one point, you ask over the walkie-talkies if anyone knows where extra flags for a game are kept.

Zach replies to check the top shelf of one of the storage sheds. You thank him and even though all he does is say You got it, newbie over the radio, you think about the way he said it for much longer than you would if it were anyone else.

Lunch goes by quickly, followed by more games. Throughout the day, Zach has noticed that one of his new campers, Oliver, has kept to himself. He tried to talk with him every so often, but he just got one-word answers.

So, when Oliver approaches him before Zach blows his whistle to signal the start of the last game of the day, he’s hopeful that he’ll ask about the game and finally show some interest in camp.

“I don’t want to do this game,” the little boy says. “I’m tired.”

It’s disappointing, but Zach doesn’t want to push him. Some kids just need time.

“That’s okay,” Zach says. “You can go sit in the shade. No pressure.”

Half an hour later, everyone goes to the dining hall for dinner.

While he eats, Zach is already exhausted and regrets volunteering to do one of the overnight shifts the first day. Every night, four counselors are scheduled to sleep in one of the four camper cabins, so that campers aren’t ever left without supervision.

It’s a guarantee of a bad sleep. Kids are always way too excited to do anything but talk to each other in their bunks on the first night, having to be reminded over and over that yes, even whispering counts as talking.

But Zach has always hated disappointing people, so he couldn’t risk letting down his aunt and uncle by not volunteering. He has the longest tenure of any other counselor here. He needs to set a good example.

After dinner, the kids are given free time before lights out, free to either hang out in their cabins or by the campfire. This gives some of the staff a moment to congregate by the dock, offering the perfect spot to keep an eye on campers without being heard by them.

It’s just past dusk as you stand by the boarded walkway leading into the shallow waters, looking out to your cohort of campers around the fire. You hear Zach ask about how the first day has been.

You look over to see him chatting with a couple of other counselors, a big smile on his face. It’s a good reminder that he’s simply a friendly guy and might not even be into you like that.

But when his eyes land on you and his smile gets a little wider, your heart refuses to agree with your mind. He must feel something, too.

Zach shifts closer to you, crossing his arms. His biceps bulge under his t-shirt. You quickly tear your gaze off of his muscles and up to his blue eyes.

“You surviving?” he asks.

“Did you think I wouldn’t?”

“Don’t know. Some people just don’t have what it takes.”

“You’re so much nicer to the other counselors,” you tease, looking down and shaking your head.

Zach feels himself blush, tense that you’re calling him out for brazenly flirting with you. But when your eyes flitter back to his, he can tell by your innocent smile that you don’t have any intention to embarrass him.

“It’s all an act,” he says. You laugh and cross your arms, mirroring him. “Your kids getting along?”

“I think so,” you say. “They already have their little cliques.”

“Yeah, that happens,” Zach says. He looks out to the campfire and you catch his smile slowly fade, his strong jaw tensing.

“How about yours?” you ask.

“Got one who seems like he really doesn’t want to be here at all,” he admits.

You follow his eye-line to the boy sitting on the steps of a camper cabin, staring down at the book in his hands as he reads under the porch light.

“Usually with those kids, it just takes a few hours and they settle in,” he says, “but I don’t know. I’ll give it another try.”

Sure enough, when Zach crosses the distance and asks Oliver what he’s reading, he answers with the title, then ducks his head to quickly back to reading.

You notice from far away, confident that if you were close enough, you would see disappointment on Zach’s face.

The next morning, Zach is even more tired than he expected. The overnight shift was full of interruptions. He’s sure he’ll sleep like a rock tonight.

As everyone sits in the dining hall for breakfast, you dig into your food, listening to your campers talk to each other.

Then, your eyes drift over to Zach. You realize he was already looking at you. It makes your stomach go numb. He quickly glances away.

You notice that the same kid he talked about last night is sitting at the end of the table, alone, picking at his food. Considering how helpful Zach has been, and simply because you like him, you decide to see what you can do.

Near the end of breakfast, campers begin to clear off and put away their plates, and you walk over and crouch at the end of Zach’s table.

The boy looks up at you with an unreadable expression. You introduce yourself, pointing to your name-tag, asking him his name.

“Oliver,” he says, looking back down. You notice he hardly ate anything.

“How are you liking camp?” you ask quietly. Your eyes dart up to look at Zach at the other end of the table. His lips quirk into a hint of a smile.

“I’m not,” he answers.

“Is there anything that would make you feel better?” you offer.

“Leaving,” he says. You stifle your frown.

“Besides that,” you reply. “And you can be totally honest.”

“The food here sucks,” he mumbles. You look down at the uneaten pancake he’s pushing around with his fork.

“What if we got better pancakes?” you ask.

“I don’t want pancakes,” he replies. “I want waffles.”

“Waffles,” you say with a smile, glad you at least got an answer. You stand. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Oliver looks up at you with surprised eyes. Something tells you that he isn’t used to being asked what he wants and actually getting it.

You head back to your table to rally your girls, but you find Zach before counselors start leading their groups outside.

“You said you had connections, right?”

Zach turns to see you standing behind him, trying to ignore the fact that his stomach flips when he makes eye contact with you.

“Yeah,” he says. Campers rush around you as you stand by the front door of the dining hall.

“If you can sneak in some waffles, I think Oliver might like it a little better here,” you say.

“He told you that?” he asks.

“No, I’m a mindreader,” you tease. “Yes, he told me that.”

Zach smirks as you turn away to rush back to your group. He can’t stop smiling even after you’re gone.

It’s a long, hot day. You were disappointed when you saw the schedule this morning, because while you like all the vets, you had hoped Zach would be one of the counselors you’d be paired with for drills today. Maybe tomorrow.

All afternoon, your walkie kept crackling and losing signal. You mention it to one of the directors, Ruby, when you see her by the main office and she promises to get you a new one soon.

After the campers go to bed, you head back to your cabin, expecting to see Ami. But her bed is empty. You double-check the schedule in the staff group chat to confirm she isn’t one of the overnight shifts tonight.

You figure she’s hanging out somewhere else on the campground. You settle in for the evening with a shower, then get into your pajamas and decide to do some skincare and self-pampering.

Zach lets out a tired, heavy sigh when he sees Malcolm’s text. He exits the dining hall and steps into the thick night air, rereading the message from his cabin-mate.

Ami’s over. I’ll text when she’s gone.

He just came back from the closest grocery store specifically to buy as many boxes of frozen waffles as he could carry after he got the okay from his aunt. He used up all the freezer space he could find in the dining hall kitchen and now, he just wants to lie in his bed.

He’s not sure what to do. He’s never been that confrontational at work, preferring to keep the peace, but if this becomes a habit of Malcolm’s this summer, he’ll have to say something to him.

He heads towards his cabin, just in case his best friend texts in the meantime. He doesn’t.

Before he can turn around to go sit by the lake to kill time, he notices the light spilling out from behind the edges of the blinds on your cabin window.

Maybe you’d like to keep him company like you did the other night. Without much more thought, he knocks on your door.

When you open it, you’re in pajamas, your hair wet from the shower, pink gel strips under your eyes.

Zach smiles, thinking you look adorable and wishing he could say it out loud.

“Hey,” you say. You notice he’s still in his work clothes, even though lights out for campers was over an hour ago. “What’s up?”

“I was, um… I was gonna see if you wanted to hang out,” he says, holding up his phone. “I just got the text version of the shirt on the doorknob.”

You laugh and quickly clue in that Ami is with Malcolm next door.

“So, that’s where she is,” you say. “Come in. We can hang out here.”

When the door shuts behind Zach, you wonder if he also feels the weight of the privacy you two have now. This is different from being out on the pitch the day you met. There’s no chance of anyone seeing you behind your closed cabin door. It’s intimate. Almost risky.

“How was your day?” you ask, sitting on your bed as Zach settles on the chair tucked under your desk.

You’re trying to act casual and relaxed, but it’s hard to when you meet his eyes. He’s too cute not to get shy around.

“Well, I just went into town to buy like, ten boxes of Eggos,” he tells you. “That’s a first.”

“Did you really?”

“I thought it’d only be fair if I got enough for my whole group,” he explains. “Turns out we don’t have a waffle maker, but we do have toasters, so it was the best I could do.”

“Nice,” you say. “I’m glad the kitchen staff were cool with it.”

“Oh, yeah,” he says. “I’m actually sneaking in the kitchen tomorrow morning to make them. The cooks have more than enough work, so as long as I don’t get in their way, I think I’m good.”

You still for a second, endeared. You knew he’d make an effort to help Oliver feel welcome, but he’s going to all these lengths just to make a kid happy?

“Anyway, my point is, thanks for the intel,” he says, realizing he’s tiredly rambling. “I appreciate you talking to him.”

You bashfully glance away. He tries not to stare at you. It feels like trying not to stare at you is all he does when he’s around you.

He’s damn near enamored. He likes the smell of your shampoo, the way you look in your pajamas, how sweet your smile is. He hopes his nervousness isn’t obvious.

“No problem,” you say. “So, you haven’t been in your cabin at all since lights out?”

Zach shakes his head, his smile not quite meeting his eyes. He’s clearly tired and bothered by his cabin-mate kicking him out of his room. You wonder if he’ll say anything to Malcolm, but for his sake, you decide to keep the atmosphere light.

“I have a lot of these,” you offer, pointing to the under-eye strips on your face. “You wanna try? It’ll help you relax.”

“Is it that obvious that I need to relax?” he says.

You only smile in response and stand to pick up a stack of multi-colored packets of gel strips from the basket on your dresser and hold them out to him.

Zach’s eyes travel over the colorful array, sitting still as you stand over him. You’re not surprised that he’s actually going along with it.

Some guys would be tense, acting like skin-care is feminine, and therefore, embarrassing, but he’s relaxed and nothing but green flags, like usual.

“Lots of options here,” he says pensively.

“Are you always this indecisive?” you tease after a long moment of quiet.

Zach looks up and pretends to glare, but the dimples framing his stifled smirk give him away.

“You mad I’m right?” you echo his words from last night.

“A little,” he says, just like you did. You got him pegged. He’s always been bad at making choices, especially under pressure.

“I can pick for you.”

“Bossy,” he replies. “But, yeah. Pick. Please.”

You laugh and randomly choose a packet, opening the purple packaging for him and holding out the film. He takes it in his hand, looking at it with furrowed brows.

You decide to help him out. It’s what a friend would do.

“Here,” you say softly, pushing down your nerves. Warm eyes meet yours and you try to act composed. You peel off one of the strips, pressing it up just above his cheekbone. His skin is hot, his stare strong.

You step a little closer, focus etched onto your face, the corners of your lips slightly turned up. As you apply the other strip, your legs brush against his knees and he imagines how nice it’d feel to drag his hands up the backs of your thighs.

You’re so close and so pretty that it almost hurts not to touch you how he’d like to. You’re just as flirty with him and he’s sure you’d want his hands on you like that, but he’d ask before doing it. That is, if you weren’t coworkers.

You can’t help but giggle when you step back to look at him.

“What, is purple not my color?” Zach asks.

“No, it totally is,” you reply. “Keep them on until they feel dry.”

You settle in your bed again, your back pressed against the wall, legs stretched out.

“How was your day?” he says, having to clear his throat. “I never asked.”

“Yeah, you didn’t. Rude.” Zach smiles at your joke. “It was good. My first overnight shift is tomorrow. How was it last night? Did you actually get any sleep?”

“Not really,” he admits. “But the first night is always the roughest. You’ll be fine.”

He fails to stifle a yawn. You figure that after a bad sleep, a busy day, and running an errand in town, he must be exhausted. Once again, like it always does with Zach, your curiosity is too strong to ignore.

“Does this bother you?” you ask, vaguely motioning in the direction of his cabin.

Right now, Zach doesn’t mind Malcolm keeping him out because it means time with you. And while he’d normally say something like that openly, never having been one to shy away from sharing thoughts like these with a girl he likes, the stakes are so much higher right now.

Because dating is against the rules. Because you might reject him. Because he’s actually never been this nervous around a girl before.

“It’s okay,” he simply says. You wonder if he’s just not one to stand up to people.

“I can talk to Ami if it becomes a problem,” you tell him. “I won’t say you said anything, but let me know if you want me to mention it.”

Before he can reply, there’s a knock on your door. You answer it to see Ruby standing at your front step holding out a new walkie.

“Hey,” she says. “Sorry you had tech issues today. We can swap.”

“Oh, perfect,” you say. “It’s no problem. Thank you.”

Zach freezes when he sees his aunt. This looks like… well, it could simply look like two friends hanging out. But it might look like more.

As you take the new walkie and cross your small cabin to exchange it for your malfunctioning one, Ruby catches Zach’s gaze and offers him a genuine but confused smile.

He decides to try to act normal, even though he feels like he just got caught doing something he shouldn’t be doing.

“She’s not going to get in trouble for breaking it?” Zach jokes, pointing to you.

“I didn’t break it,” you reply with a laugh as you hand the old walkie to your boss. “I’m not in trouble, though, am I?”

“Nope,” Ruby says lightheartedly. Zach nervously chews the inside of his cheek. Her tone could mean that while you’re not in hot water, he is.

He watches you shut the door. It’s not like you got caught hooking up. But he wouldn’t even be able to explain what he’s doing here. It would mean snitching on his best friend for breaking one of the major rules staff need to follow.

A rule that it looks like he’s breaking. His stomach twists. He always hated disappointing authority figures, especially ones he so badly wants to impress.

When you settle on your bed again, you notice Zach peeling off the gel strips, his lips in a firm line.

“Everything okay?” you ask.

“Yeah,” he replies. “Thanks for these.”

“Sure. Doesn’t seem like they relaxed you, though.”

Zach tosses the patches in the wastebasket and stands. Your heart sinks when you realize he’s leaving.

“They did. I just wanna lie down,” he says with a soft chuckle, hoping he’s not being terse. “I’m beat.”

“You can rest here while you wait for-”

“No, it’s alright,” he interrupts, heading for the door. You realize his whole demeanor has shifted after Ruby popped by.

Zach looks over his shoulder to see your features drawn in confusion and sadness. He opens his mouth before the words come to him seconds later.

“Sorry,” he says. “It was fun hanging out with you.”

“You, too,” you reply, your smile erasing the hurt on your face. You want to tell him he’s welcome any time, but he leaves in a rush.

Maybe it’s wishful thinking or maybe he’s simply a nice person, but you’re sure you both feel the magnetism between you.

And he must be really freaked out at the thought of you doing something about it, based on how stiff he got after Ruby came by, possibly suspecting that things are more than friendly between you.

The more time you spend together, the thinner the ice you’re skating on gets. You don’t want to risk the fall and cost you both your jobs.

So, as you get up to brush your teeth, you promise yourself that no matter what, you’ll keep things strictly professional. For your sake and Zach’s.

(part three)

divider credit

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[sxorpiomooon]

What does your younger self think about you? A pac reading

This reading scared the fucking shit out of me guys had to gather alot of courage to do it. Good luck

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Pile 1-

I think pile 1's younger self thinks that they have been indulging themselves in something too much for no reason? Like pile 1 has been too impatient. They might think that you might have started to focus too much on the appearance of things I especially see this for yourself too. This pile might be too focused on how they look overall and I see it causing them harm. "Only understanding the cost of things and not their value" is what I heard. This is so cute but I think pile 1's younger self likes how feminine they've become now? For some reason I had a vision of cinderalla. I think this pile's younger self is super excited about them being able to dress up nicely. I think the younger self also thinks that you guys have more resources than you did back then whether it's in the material sense or people but they're very happy with that. For some of you, if you are trying to get pregnant or alr have kids i see your pile being very very excited and happy about that too. The younger self also thinks that you guys tend to walk away from things too early? Oml pile 1 i hope y'all not gambling n shit😭 anyways they think that just when you are about to win, you decide to leave that thing behind. The main message I get is being patient with yourself also heard "my patience leads to perseverance"

Pile 2-

Your younger self is satisfied with how far you've come. Especially in the emotional sense they think that you have reached emotional stability and know your worth and it makes them happy. Also if you are someone who wins a lot of awards and has a pile of awards stacked up perhaps someone who's also athletic, your younger self is very proud. pile 2 has found themselves. I see that you might have had a lot of experiences helping you in gaining wisdom and whatever you needed to be at this level. Your younger self also loves how sensitive you are and how much in touch with your emotions you are. For some of you, i see that you've not turned out how you would've expected yourself to be(in a good way) so even your younger self is surprised. They love how much of a dreamer you are. However I think this pile has a lot of struggles or tests that life or fate puts them through. You might struggle a bit with authority and communication this I see happening bc of not proper communication I think your younger self wants you to have more clarity regarding that.

Pile 3-

Your younger self thinks that you've lost your way and your sight.

"If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."

Is something that I heard immediately. Your younger self might think that you are very trapped and alone misguided in this world right now I keep hearing unreal monsters lure for some reason? Your younger self might also think that you have been lied to or taken advantage of by people? However, your younger self also thinks that alot of things are going wrong simply because you are trying to find your way and as long as you make sure to balance everything especially your priority and as I heard "the life that you want" it will all be ok

Pile 4-

Your younger self wants you to live your life and indulge into things and whatever that you like but they also want you to take a few minutes to see the bigger picture of it every time before you make a decision or do something. "Does it really serve me?" Is something that I keep hearing. Having pleasure and fun is nice but it also must be done to a limit. Me and the devil keep playing in my head and I keep hearing ego. Some of you have to keep your ego in check. Brat keeps playing in my head and I'm seeing a dj party for some reason. Your younger self also thinks that either you alr have or you are going to start a new beginning very soon and they seem excited for that bc that might be the path you are meant to follow. They want you to take the leap of faith and have courage in yourself. They also want you to always keep learning and defend yourself when needed

[whatisamettafor]

I saw a horrible AI Tam and Lucy this morning in animal onesies and had to use my actual human hands to make a better version.

After drawing the whole thing I was like damn....I should have made s*xy pin ups with little ears, so if you want to tell me to do that, consider joining the patreon

Edited because tumblr absolutely will not allow me to reply to messages, so I'm trying to reply to @booksnwriting:

The difference is that the other person put their prompt into a computer and the computer program took a bunch of artists' hard work and skill without permission to fill that prompt. I'm taking human skill, time and effort and using it to fill a prompt. What I'm doing is no different than any art challenge, or draw your OTP like this meme or whatever. Do I have their permission? No, but frankly if you're out here stealing other people's skills and calling it art, then I think it's only fair that your ideas can be turned around and used as prompts by people with those skills to produce actual drawings. Furthermore, what I'm doing is not hurting them, but if they didn't have access to a database of stolen work, maybe they would have given money to an actual human artist to draw their prompt, maybe they would have held a little drawing prompt contest and shared the art and gained real artists exposure which could then allow those artists to find work doing other commissions. Even if they didn't do either of those things, even if not having AI meant their idea just stayed in their head never to see the light of day, the existence of AI art in general devalues skills people had to work to develop and takes jobs away from those people by taking their existing work. That actively hurts artists. I'm "bashing" them because what they're doing is actively harming me and people like me.

Based on your user name I assume you are probably a writer, and I would like to ask you: is there more value in an actual human being writing things like fanfic (stories using other people's ideas as their jumping off point) or original books that include genre tropes than there is in typing prompts into a text generating AI?

Would you be annoyed if someone chose to write a retelling of Dracula using their own brain and hands in response to hearing that someone else was marketing a Dracula retelling that they'd "written" using a text autofill program?

And just so we're clear, the thing that makes the AI horrible is that it's AI, not whether or not it's nice to look at.

[genshingorlsrevengeance]

Hmmm~ How about Mordred and Artoria in their own scenarios being protective over their S/O since the S/O is very pretty/handsome and thus people are always trying to flirt with them and at times get aggressive about it not liking getting rejected.

(F:GO) Artoria and Mordred reacting to people trying to flirt with Reader

Admittedly, Artoria is pretty blind when it comes to any form of flirting, whether that be toward herself or others.

At first.

The more time she spent with her Master and interacting with humans, Artoria increasingly gains awareness of how she views herself, and more importantly, the person she loved.

After her self-reflection, Artoria is now hyper-aware of any who would try to flirt with her. That, she can deflect without batting an eye and her stoic voice remaining intact.

The moment a stranger tried to woo her beloved? Now, they have incurred the King's wrath.

Of course, Artoria won't physically attack or harm any civilian/human, but she won't complain that the aura she radiates makes people believe she would do so.

As a king, she should command that sort of presence anyway.

Should it be a Servant however, she has half a mind to smite said offender with Excalibur.

But, she manages to keep her emotions tempered and calmly steps in front of S/O.

(Artoria) "You will refrain from making such advances upon my spouse!"

With her knightly honor, should said offender keep trying to make a pass, Artoria challenges them to a duel.

...Regardless of the fact if they're in public or not, everyone suddenly getting confused on why this woman was ready to throw hands.

It is a fight she'll win everytime with her skills alone, but doubly so because her S/O is watching.

Even if they had every intention of sticking with her regardless and had to calm her down from beating her opponent to a pulp.

Artoria is relieved hearing their affirmation, but still glances at her foe with a side eye.

(S/O) "S-Saber, are you alright?"

(Artoria) "Yes, now that our night is unobstructed once more."

(S/O) "Hah, thank you for stepping in. I'm sorry that you had to do so to begin with-"

(Artoria) "No need for thanks. I'd gladly do so again should the need arise."

A faint blush creeps onto her face once she feels S/O's hands slip into hers, a soft squeeze rendering her speechless.

(S/O) "I think this should get the message across so you don't have to, Saber.~"

A moment later, Artoria smiles and moves closer to them as they walk.

(Artoria) "Hm. Indeed."

Mordred may still follow the Knight's Code, but that will not save anyone who tries to flirt with someone that's hers.

(Mordred) "OI! This person's taken, who the hell do you think you're talking to?!"

She wasn't entirely tolerant of normal humans to begin with, these interactions pissed her off even more.

Especially if they brought her gender into the conversation.

And to that a swift knee to the stomach of the person trying to insist on flirting ends it.

With Mordred promptly (and effortlessly) swooping S/O off their feet and into her arms as she walks.

(S/O) "M-Mordred?!"

(Mordred) "Yell at me all ya want, you expect me to stand by as my bride is being spoken to like that?!"

(S/O) "Bride?-We're not even married...!"

(Mordred) "Bah, whatever! You know what I mean!"

(S/O) "I'm not angry! I'm just hah, surprised is all."

Mordred's eyebrow raised at that, as did her voice.

(Mordred) "Eh? By what?"

(S/O) "You picking me up like this it...feels nice."

Mordred turns an intense shade of red as she scoffs, looking straight ahead instead of looking at S/O.

(Mordred) "I have half a mind to drop you! How useless do you have to be that I have to intervene like this?!"

S/O would bring up the fact she's still holding them, and in fact tighter now that they mentioned it.

But they S/O would also to prefer to keep their teeth inside their mouth instead of outside.

[alphajocklover]

No longer a Spider, finally a Man

**Hey! First time doing a fanfic muscle growth. Or at least posting it. I hope you guys like it! Please tell me how I can do better, and send in story suggestions if you want!**

Peter Parker loved being Spider-Man. He loved saving people, he loved using his powers to make a difference, he loved swinging through the sky line. But he also hated it. He hated the pressure, the responsibility, the fact that he nd his loved ones were in constant danger, the fact that he was always lying to everyone. He hated that he could never be normal. But then again Peter had never been very normal. Even before becoming Spider-man he had been a nerd. Smart, socially awkward, and tormented by the popular kids. That didn’t exactly change after becoming Spider-Man either, though his social issues had definitely gone to the back burner with him constantly fighting crime. If he was being honest his social life had only gotten worse since becoming a superhero. He had gained some muscle and no longer needed glasses, yes, but he couldn’t exactly show that. He hadn’t had time for his friends, his normally fantastic grades were slipping, and Flashes bullying had only gotten worse.

As Peter, out of costume, walked to Midtown, he wondered what it would be like to be a normal teenager. Not just what it would be like to not be Spider-Man, but to not be a nerd. He wondered what it would be like to be a regular teenage boy. Maybe if he wasn’t Spider-Man he could have even been… cool or something. Probably not, but it was still a nice fantasy. Just as he was imagining this, his spider-sense went off. He looked around, prepared to jump out of the way of any danger, but, even with his super reflexes, he couldn’t get out of the way before the strange something hit him right in the middle of his chest. Peter stumbled back, not realizing that the reality stone, one of the infinity stones, had lodged itself inside of his heart. Normally such a thing would kill someone, or at least hurt them, but due to the magic nature of the stone it phased through his chest and inside of him without harming him. Peter blinked. What… just happened? He had sworn something had just flown into his chest but… wouldn’t that have killed him or something? Before he could investigate further, an alarm on his phone began to ring. Crap, he was late for class! Peter ran into the school as the power of the reality stone seeped into his blood. He turned a corner, just a hallway away from his classroom, when he almost ran straight into a wall of muscle, his super-reflexes being the only thing that saved him. As he skirted to a halt, he came face to face with his biggest tormentor (supervillains and news editors notwithstanding) : Flash Thompson. The most popular jock in school and Peter Parker's personal bully. The blond quarterback sneered cockily at Peter before he spoke

“Hey there Puny Parker. Running late again? I thought geeks like you were supposed to be punctual and shit?” Flash said with a cocky mocking laugh.

“What do you want, Flash?” Peter asked with a scowl, trying to keep his patience.

“Just checking up on my favorite nerd.” Flash mocked, grabbing Peter’s arm. Before Peter could react, Flash had shoved him up against the locker, peters arm pinned behind his back. What the heck? He had super powers, enhanced reflexes, he should have been able to see that coming. Peter didn’t realize that his subconscious desire to be normal was repressing his powers. Unable to fight back, Peter was shoved into a nearby open locker and locked inside. Peter sighed. Stuck in a locker again. Peter didn’t notice as the orange light in his chest began to glow. He closed his eyes and deeply wished… to stop being a loser. To be normal. To be… anything else than who he was. The orange light grew brighter and brighter… until it completely consumed Peter. Suddenly he heard something

“Parker… Parker!”

With a start Peter Parker woke up, looking around in shock. He was… in a classroom? He was sitting at a desk at the back of a class he didn’t recognize, one that he seemed to have been sleeping through. Had all of that been a crazy dream? He looked over to see the remedial math teacher, Ms Jones. What was he doing in remedial math? Before he could say anything, Ms Jones spoke once more

“Mr Parker, please try to stay awake during class. Your grade is already low enough.” She said, sending a chuckle throughout the room. Peter spoke without thinking, his voice deeper and fuller than he remembered.

“Sorry teach. I’m still tired from our ‘study session’ last night. Thanks for the extra tutoring by the way~” he said. Did he just… flirt with a teacher? He did! And weirdly enough the slight embarrassed blush on Ms Jones face suggested that it was working. Ms. Jones spoke again, more timid this time

“While.. just don’t be late tonight.” She said with a slight wink, before walking over to the front of the classroom again. This caused the class, which now that Peter was looking consisted mostly of the football team, too laugh loudly, one punching Peter on the shoulder in a playful manner. Peter felt a smirk he couldn’t control come over his face, and his eyes involuntaries followed Ms Jones' ass as she walked back to the front of the class. In a daze, Peter tried to figure out what was happening. Wasn’t he just in a locker? What was he doing in remedial math? And why was he acting so weird? Before he could wonder any further, the bell rang and class was dismissed. Peter ran out without talking to anyone, and headed to a nearby bathroom. He looked in the mirror and froze. It was Peter but… completely different. He was bigger, taller, with wider shoulders. He had full, bouncy pecs that were barely contained by his tank top, shredded abs that he could grate cheese on, and truly impressive biceps. Peter had gone from a geek who gets stuffed into lockers to a huge muscular jock! Peter wanted to be shocked, to be horrified, but… he felt another smirk cross his face. He began to flex his muscles cockily. He smirked and felt his thoughts turn. He looked fucking amazing! I mean, of course he did. He was big Pete Parker, the big man, the quarterback, the stud! Slowly Peter began to forget about his old self, too absorbed in the strong, dull thoughts going through his head. He wondered what he and his best bro Flash would do after football practice? Maybe beat up some geeks, or find a hottie to hook up with? Peter had a lot of girls to choose from already, including MJ, Liz, Gwen, Charlie and of course Ms Jones, but… he wouldn’t mind another. Pete smirked and strut out of the bathroom, not noticing a light orange glow between his pecs. Life was fucking sweet.

[fornooneinparticular]

nanami x reader

Summary: a surprise encounter with your husband, who you thought died during the shibuya incident

tags: (angst?), he’s alive, I’m just coping

It’s almost been two years after the Shibuya incident. Nanami was dead. Or so you thought. But now in this very moment, in japans country side far away from Tokyo, he was standing in front of you.

You just moved to the country side to leave the past behind. Leaving Tokyo and your once shared home with Nanami was hard. But you couldn’t stay. Not with all those memories. Memories of the love that you once shared. Which have now turned Bittersweet.

You tried to not think about it to often since it’ll just make you cry again. Which has proven to be difficult since everything in and outside of the apartment would remind you of him. And then the realization would set in that he’s gone. And every time it feels like you’re reliving that fateful day again.

That is why you had to leave.

It was less noisier here than in Tokyo. Of course moving to somewhere you don’t know anyone brought with its fair share of difficulties. You barely even spoke a word these last few months. Even your voice sounded foreign to you when you greeted one of your neighbors. Friends are difficult to make. And the ones you do have live almost a three hours drive away. But for what’s it’s worth, you could live with the loneliness. At least here, nobody would look at you with pity. Nobody would ask about your deceased husband.

Today was your first day on your new job at the nearby hospital. It wasn’t your first choice but it’ll pay the bills. The other nurses working there were nice and too busy to tell you the latest gossip to ask you personal questions. On your way home, you caught a glimpse of short blond hair. It was fleeting since the person was quite far away and there were many bushes and threes on the property so you couldn’t see clearly. But it still made you halt in your step. They look just like…

Of course it couldn’t be him. He’s dead for gods sake. Why are you still searching for him in the crowd. But what if. There wasn’t a body to be buried. So maybe.

No. You shake that thought away. He’s dead. And you know this. It’s just your stupid heart. It still couldn’t move on. It’s still isn’t yours. You’ve come to that realization after trying to date someone again. It wasn’t your idea of course. It was a blind date that your friends set up in order to help you. It was nice of them but you felt guilty. Guilty of breaking the promises that you made. Guilty that you’d never love anyone again like you loved Kento. It wouldn’t be fair to them, so you paid for your own food and wished your date goodbye. You haven’t tried dating anyone since.

You’re okay with been alone. You don’t need to find someone again. You’re fine on your own. Your independent. At least you could play the role of a cat lady. You just needed the cats.

But still. For what ever reason you couldn’t be okay with not checking if the blond haired person was Kento or not. It’s stupid. It’s just hair. Many people have blond hair. You never cared to check if someone looked like your deceased husband before. Why do you care now?

This was different this time. It was a gut feeling. You felt stupid but you couldn’t go back to your apartment without knowing. So you quickly and quietly made your way over. You decide to follow him a little at least for as long as long as you’ll need to gather up the courage to ask.

There’s nothing to gain from this. You’ll just quickly check and then continue being sad and move on. There’s no harm in checking. But what would you even say. Hello, sorry you look like my husband who’s been dead for two years but I’m in denial. What if it’s not him and you just followed a random stranger around. Before you could turn around and flee the possibility of an awkward situation the person abruptly turned around.

It couldn’t be. No it can’t be. But he does look…

Have you maybe finally lost your mind.

In front on you, less than three meters away stands Nanami Kento. Or at least someone who looks like Kento.

Maybe it’s not your Kento. Maybe he just looks like your Kento. But he does look eerily similar. The hair, his face, the way he carried himself, the way he just stood there and looked at you. He looks exactly like Kento. Aside from the burn that covered one whole side of his body.

It wasn’t until he speaks up that you realize that you stared at him for a while without saying anything.

“Do I know you?”

[gayofthefae]

Okay but let's talk about this as a beautifully accurate representation of where El was in her healing here

She was abused by a man. In her healing, however, she found safe figures: a single father, a boyfriend, and two male best friends.

She is in a safer situation now. BUT

She has a VERY REALISTIC aversion to other women! She sees Max here from the moment she first saw her through the window only as competition for male attention. This is INCREDIBLY realistic and amazing to be shown so. Because trauma symptoms like this do not disappear immediately with safety - that's the definition of trauma 'symptoms', which only become disordered when not needed.

In her environment in the lab, especially with the now-knowledge of her siblings, she was not only appeasing the highest power which was a man, but she was in constant competition for that attention. We also know now: she was losing in that competition. But even when her only memories were of being an isolated "only child" abuse victim, the symptoms also make sense - the combination of conscious and subconscious memory creating the same trauma response.

The stakes of failing to gain approval from a man may no longer be public humiliation, verbal abuse, imprisonment, assault, electrocution, or abuse of loved ones (referring to 001's electrocution), but that doesn't mean the instinctive response isn't still very much there.

A man is someone to be appeased. A man is someone you seek approval from. A woman is someone you compete with for their approval. Only one can win. She doesn't have to actively believe Mike will hurt her to feel a general sense of high stakes and threat from Max being in his life.

It's why her relationship with Max the following season and prioritizing not just Max but a woman's approval over a man's and his desires from her is SUCH a big milestone. Because in season 2, she sees Max as a threat. A threat to her remaining prioritized goal, which we can interpret as being what she is so adamant about as her goal in the beginning of the season: male attention.

In season 1, she had Mike's attention and was rewarded with it. The only times she lacked it, he yelled at her or ignored her. Not in a way that genuinely resembled Brenner so much as triggered it - much like her triggers relating to him in season 4. So regardless of whether or how she factors that in, she either quantifies the idea of lacking his attention as connecting with some level of danger or neglect OR she does not factor those memories in making something differently scary: unknown stakes.

If a person is abused by someone who treats them nice when they do something wrong and poorly when they don't and form a new relationship with someone who is safe but they have never severely messed up with that person, they will hold that fear until they mess up and it's okay - likely repeatedly. As the abuse would have been long-term, they need to reassociate the consequences of mistakes. This is much of what we see in El's fears about Mike in season 4 and what I've talked about: because they are one of the only relationships of any kind that have not "broken promises" severely up until this point, she has no data on what will happen if she does. She doesn't believe he will harm her, but she does hold the very clearly stated belief that lack of attention means lack of love, and further that she is unlovable. This is the same reason it was so important for her and Hopper to break all their rules in season 2 - to demonstrate to her that making mistakes is a safe thing for her to do, the consequences of which may be anger but not danger or abandonment.

So with that fear for her in mind, as we know it in general and as it applies to Mike and continues to through and well past season 2, let's talk about her goal of Mike's attention in season 2:

In season 2 episode 2, we see her crying when Mike gets up and leaves the walkie. Of course, she misses him, but we did not see this response before. She is fearing that she is losing him. It's after this point that she becomes increasingly desperate to see him, fighting Hopper harder, yelling and throwing things, before ignoring his warning of danger to break out and see him. The reason the scene with Max is so emotional for her is not because she never thought he would move on, but because she was recently starting to fear that he would. She felt him slipping away and was feeling an increasing urgency to it, that if she didn't act now he would move on from her. She checked in with him every day and sites later that she was given comfort from his daily calls, but he starts to get more self-berating in them to himself for trying in the first place...until the breaking point. And she was right. After that, Mike stops calling, as we know from the number of days she recites later. So after she got that giving up on her call on Halloween night, the next morning she argued with Hopper for the first time in the "when is soon?!" argument where she psychically throws his plate into him. The subtext of "on day 700? On day 800?!" is "We're on day 354 now and I'm already losing him. I'll be too late in a few days, let alone years." So she sneaks out to see him in an attempt to save him before he finally slips away. And what she sees, to her, is that she's too late. Completely out of her control, and driving her anger towards Hopper further, she missed her window, and she lost him. She lost his attention - to another girl. In her mind, if she returns now, he'll never love her again. That's what happens when you lose someone's attention: you're unlovable. So she leaves for Chicago indefinitely, for a time even seriously considering not returning, even for Mike. The only reason she does is because she thinks she can give him something.

But when she sees Mike, he is thrilled to see her. And when she sees Max, all Max is to her is the girl who almost stole him. Who would have given a couple more days. Because she was raised on the idea that only one person can be loved at a time, the rest discarded, and that love is a competition that must be both won and maintained. Not only that, but that that competition is for a man's attention, therefore against other women.

Pre-season 1 El's life depends on whether she can achieve and maintain positive attention from a man. The stakes are high. In season 1, El is able to achieve positive attention from a man. The stakes are not high, but she has no way of knowing that. In fact, "a promise is something you can't break ever" likely interprets as reinforcing it to a traumatized mind. She also learns(this doesn't mean it's true) that the only way for her to maintain that attention is to be of service via her powers, as each time Mike is angry with her, she is able to regain it by making contact with Will or saving Mike using her powers. She has now learned that, based on the model she was raised on of love being something to be maintained, she is not lovable if she falls short of heroic. She ends season 1 with the ultimate heroic act: self-sacrifice.

In season 2, though she has Hopper, she is prioritizing her original validating male attention, Mike. Because Mike believes her dead, she feels powerless as she is unable to maintain the attention she cultivated from him. She cannot actively lose it either, so all she can hope to do is return to him before the slow fade goes all the way out. But she becomes increasingly desperate to catch him in time as urgency increased based on time-lapsed and his behaviors she's observed. His attention towards her is waning. She needs to get it back before it's lost. This is urgent to her and it is high stakes, because she's a thirteen year old in love? No. Because a man's attention was once life and death, and her body has not left that state, regardless of conscious beliefs about Mike. So she sneaks out despite the known danger - because in her traumatized body, the danger of losing a man's attention is equal if not surpassing to the risk of being seen. She thinks of losing Mike's attention if she doesn't go as an inevitability and being caught as a less likely risk, and if you think of the stakes of those situations as equal, the decision is clearer. So she goes, and she sees that she's too late. She has lost his attention. She is heartbroken and leaves. She fights with Hopper, she finds out about her mother and who she was or could have been and this is where that healing gets started. She prioritizes a woman - her mother. Then she prioritizes a woman - her sister. It is also incredibly important that Kali is the leader of the gang. Her approval is the most important, not Axl or anyone else's - who are first presented to her as the most intimidating, insulting and threatening her until Kali is a revealed as the true boss. She heavily considering not returning to the men who she considers to be lost to her: Hopper is angry with her, meaning she has lost his attention and approval, and Mike has moved on, meaning he would not care for her return. Hopper's apology is a huge part of it, because it is likely only the second she has ever received (Lucas) and the first elaboration of love. He teaches her for the first time in her life that anger is not a lack of love or punishment and that it can actually be based in love, though that does not make him less responsible, and most importantly, something she has never seen, he demonstrates capacity for guilt. He loves her enough to feel bad about hurting her. She's never had that before. Hurting has simply been an act to revoke love as purposeful punishment and the people who do it have stood by and repeated those actions. She then sees too that they are in need of her help. She now knows two things: Hopper does love her. Her powers make Mike love her. She returns - going to Will's house, not Mike's or home, with intention to save the day, not reunite. It seems from her surprised look that she didn't know Mike would be there, so we can also assume the case for Hopper, but likely only the Byers. She has returned to save the day, as is her value. After her reunions, she ignores Max. Because Max, to her, is solely a threat, as only one person can win Mike's attention and if Max is in her life, there's a risk that it isn't her, for which, as we've established, the stakes would be very high. Learning that Hopper's love for her is unconditional is not the same as learning that she is unconditionally lovable. To segue, though, Hopper apologizing in the car cements that fact for her in her relationship with Hopper: "I guess we broke our rule" - that making mistakes is okay and not a threat to her safety.

In season 3, however, she starts out being neutral about Max but not close. They seem to not interact much and just share a physical space together, as Max seems intimidated when El first approaches her one on one. The only reason for which is to regain a man's attention. El is happy at the start of the season because she sees Mike every day and is keeping his focus and has been consistently "every day for six months" as Hopper references. She feels that his attention is a secure thing. So when she loses it unexplained, she is very surprised and confused. The remaining stakes in this for her are very clear by the fact that she seeks advice from someone she dislikes after under one day of not having his attention. She goes to Max for advice on how to regain his attention. Max is also no longer a threat to her as she knows now Max is not pursuing Mike's attention. Max says she needs to relax for a day because giving him a taste of his own medicine will get him to understand and come back. And she suggests that if he doesn't act properly in response, she dump him. This IS huge for El when she follows through. It is an impulse she would have been very averse to before having the support of Max. She is starting to value women's attention more. But it is also true that it was merely an impulse. That night, she needs comfort when she's reminded that they're broken up (this is because she misses him, yes, but no action or emotion is untouched by trauma responses as an abuse survivor). Max tells her to not worry because he'll come crawling back any moment begging for her to come back. This is nice to her because it validates the healing idea she learned from Hopper last season: that she is missed and people who hurt her feel independent guilt. Though the breakup is big for her, we know it doesn't solve everything from her persistent symptoms in season 4. Because though progress, every step of the breakup so far is a tactic. It is an empty threat, just like Max makes to Lucas, to get Mike back. At this point, she has never truly believed that they will stay broken up. Which is also why a huge step in the season is her ANGER towards him when she sees that he is remorseless and expects HER to come back to HIM. She wants his attention, and it's better than nothing that he still wants hers, but she now has Hopper as a healthy comparison to raise her expectations. Her expectations have been raised to expect remorse for hurting her(huge!). So when he does come "crawling back" SHE DOESN'T LET HIM. Again, HUGE FOR HER! She even argues that maybe Hopper was right in suggesting they spend time apart. Of course, this too, is said in anger and not commitment, as many such things are in life. Because he did not apologize in earnest, he shifted blame to Hopper. He 'explained', but he did not apologize. We know it is said in anger not follow through because in the very next episode he offers an olive branch, subtly implying regret for his previous comment by making fun of himself for it, and she immediately looks at him with interest again, showing she never genuinely stopped wanting to be together. She is not ready to forego his approval, but is still major progress for her hold out on it until her standards are met and he has yet to fully apologize. She then overhears him say he loves her which steps EVERYTHING up and I would argue actually causes major regression for her. It is the classic moment of regression: there is something she has been slowly learning not to chase after...and she gets it. She got the thing she craved. But she still holds onto her growth in holding out for that apology that she gets in the mini-mart the following episode. She has communicated with him her needs - trust - and received an apology. In the apology, though, he attempted to tell her he loved her but they were interrupted - she knows this, she heard the attempt, but it seems that he intends to follow up himself at the next opportunity, then everything gets complicated, so she lets him initiate like he seems to want to on his own time.

(had to paragraph break bc tumblr gave me a warning)Then, she loses the only man in her life who she has confirmed unconditional love from. She no longer has that to return to. It's the last day and she's leaving without having Mike as her boyfriend again. Not previously mentioned, but that is also pertinent because in season 2, she was shown learning English from movies that idolize romantic love about all - even using the name Michael. She lacks her father's attention now and doesn't want to leave without Mike's to hold onto in her shift to complete unfamiliarity, so she gives him one last chance to do it himself, then decides to initiate on her own and tell him she loves him. She, naturally based on what she overheard, assumes that nerves are the only reason he hasn't said it/gotten back together, so this will solve them. To her, she has his attention again.

Pre-season 4, they have been writing consistent letters and are implied to talk on walkies when Mike has access to Dustin's radio, as El has a walkie in her room with her Mike-things. When it comes to letters, there is a maximum amount of attention you can get or give and she is getting it...almost. She's started to notice the pattern that, though she pointedly signs her letters "love" every time, he always signs "from". In retrospect, she realizes that the his last attempt to tell her he loves her was mere hours before it was first discovered that she lost her powers. She isn't the hero to him anymore, so, just she felt in season, she has stopped being lovable. Although in season 1, the tone was different. In season 1, it was "I can make myself lovable with my powers! I can get love I haven't had before!", but now it's "I have the ability to lose that love". Despite her personal efforts, losing her powers makes her incapable of maintaining his love, which she still believes she must do. She is also being bullied. Not only has she lost her powers, but she is failing socially. She still has Mike's attention, but like in season 2, though for different reasons, she fears that it is waning. She lies to him in the letters to maintain it and when he arrives, plans the entire day with the sole intention of winning him back/convincing him to love her, to the point of completely excluding Will from it: "I want today to just be about you and me". Because in this case, Will, too, is capable of stealing his attention from her, though she wouldn't blame him the way she did Max, she still protects herself from it. Because she believes that if he finds out, she will lose the last bit of his attention she had and he will discard her. Which is also why, even after being caught clear and red-handed, still she asks Angela to lie for her. Because this is still high stakes for her. We then see a direct confirmation when Mike is directly paralleled to Brenner in her flashback. But this is not the first time he is paralleled to Brenner. Mike has been a representation for the stakes with which she views male attention the entire series - which is why only Mike and Hopper are directly paralleled to Brenner, a Brenner parallel means high stakes attention - season 4 is just the first time we're seeing her when she's actually failed to attain it and can no longer assume she would have been fine. She had started to believe that she was lovable to him in season 3 as he expressed missing her when they broke up, but she now views her powers as the only thread causing that. He views her as "incredible", not lovable. Everything he 'loves' her for, she no longer is. And as Mike's cut line describes, she somewhat gives up here. But not in an independent way. In a resigned way. Not "I don't need your love", but "if you can't love me it's because no one can". So she leaves. She leaves to become lovable again.

And when she sees the first man to ever teach her she was worthless, she runs at first - of course, he represents danger on a base level. But then he tells her he is confident he can, to her mental translation, make her lovable again, and she goes with him willingly. Because at the end of the day, too, every moment spent trying to convince any man to love her was just an attempt to relive and rewrite her relationship with Brenner to convince him to. That opportunity is in front of her again, and she can't pass it up.

Because none of this was about Mike. And none of it was about Hopper. And none of it was about Max. It was about Brenner and her siblings. She has spent the entire series fighting for male attention and seeing others as competition for it without knowing why. Season 4 is about her learning way. In season 4, she uncovers and processes the memories that founded her belief that love must be repeatedly earned and maintained and the consequences for it not being are abuse and death. Now that she can point to the exact memories that taught uniquely her that, it no longer looks like a fact of life. And she can let it go. She can let him go.

She has someone to blame now. "I came her to find out if I was the monster. But now I know. It is not me. It is you." She has someone to blame.

It isn't her fault for failing to earn his love. Because love is not be earned. "Papa does not tell the truth". That was a lie he told her to get away with it. She has someone to blame now. Which also means she has someone to let go.

She's free. She reunites with Mike and he is just Mike to her. He is no longer a mirage of her abuser abandoning her over and over again. Will is just Will. He is not someone she'll be locked in a cage for not being able to be.

So when she said she was worried Brenner was right about it being soon, it is guilt towards Max only. Hypotheticals she could have done differently. But she says that to Mike as just Mike. And she goes to her room and she sees her dad as just her dad. And her mom isn't competing for her dad and her best friend isn't competing for her boyfriend and neither is her brother. Because she doesn't need it anymore. That's what not needing it is.

Because she never need Mike to love her. She needed Papa to love her. She doesn't need that anymore, so Mike is what he always was. Not needed, but wanted. She never needed Mike. So not needing him now is good thing. It means he's just Mike to her <3.

[namgyu-nurture]

request!!!

ok so i get if your not comfortable with writing about this but can you write a fic about where the female reader is at a bridge ready to fall and somebody sees and calls the police and jun ho is the officer to respond, that’s all i really thought of but you got to off make them fall in love because the reader is stunning 🤩

Last minute love - Hwang Jun-ho x fem!reader

Warnings: a lot of suicidal thoughts!! Self harm, depression, mentions of bullying, fluff

A/N: im sorry if this is short or didnt get the exact thing you were looking for, but I was really happy to get a junho request actually hes so fine I love that guy 💪💪 tysm for this this was so fun to write

Life was hard. You were always bullied in school. Teased, harassed, humiliated, kids thought it was funny to make you cry. You were nothing but nice. Eating lunch alone in the school bathrooms, standing alone at break. You were pushed, shoved, kicked when going anywhere, you had tried to consult a councillor but they seemed to like your bullies more, ignoring your claims since you didn’t have proof.

You never understood why kids hated you so much. You weren’t exactly ugly, you had a glimmer of self confidence, looks wise at least. Maybe the way you acted? But you barely spoke. This is what riled you up. People despised you.. and for what reason?

Even as an adult, you were unlucky. No man ever looked your way, you always seemed to come second in hiring. Being broke and lonely you hated life, you always tried in school but your grades weren’t enough, you were a failure.

So here you are. Sat on the edge of the bridge, the busy highway flooded with cars moving by, the motion was a blur. You sat contemplating. ‘I should just jump. Get it over with’ you thought to yourself. You were so drained, afraid of dying but life wasn’t much better than dying anyway.

You sat for a while, just dangling your legs, hyping yourself up enough to jump. ‘Fucking wimp.’ You thought, looking at your hands that were cowering at the thought of jumping, your heart was pounding.

Unbeknownst to you, a man who had driven by noticed this situation, not fully sure if it was going to escalate but to be safe he rang the police. Alerting them.

You sat looking down. ‘Would the fall even kill you?’ You thought. It looked like it would, but the thought of it not killing you on impact made you hesitate, what if you didn’t die, but survived, the pain from the impact making your stomach churn.

Through the midsts of white/yellowy lights from headlights on the bridge and the musky orange light from the lampposts, you saw a flicker of red and blue lights approaching.

Panicking, when the car pulled over and a police officer came out, you gained composure and stood up. Shaking slightly as the heights of the situation increased.

“Excuse me miss.” A calm voice rang out, over the noise of the passing by cars. You turned to look at him, still stood on the edge of the bridge.

He was youngish, maybe in his 30s realistically but he looked younger. He was handsome, his dark hair parted neatly, his uniform was tidy and his eyes looked into yours from the distance he was stood.

“Can you step down from there?” He called out again, his tone was calm, well spoken and polite.

“..no.” You replied quietly. “No, I won’t.. leave..go away” your voice spiking in panic.

“Miss, please step down, you’re not in trouble. I just want to have a word with you.” He said kindly. Stepping forward and offering you a hand to step down.

He felt a twinge of anger that someone like you would be here, on the edge of the bridge, an urge of protection for you, he wasn’t sure why, he thought you were gorgeous. He didn’t know you, but he’d hate to see you go.

“W-why should I? Huh?” You responded angrily, “s’ not like life’s gonna be worth living anytime soon. I should just get it over with right? No one likes me anyway. I don’t know what the fuck I did but they all hate me.” Your voice cracked in upset as you ranted. You had a smile, a clearly forced one, as if amused by what you must’ve done to be here now.

Your eyes told a different story, the man noticed the hurt, the held back anguish. “You should step down because nothings going to resolve your problems if you die. Your mother would be heartbroken. If you want things to get better you need to resolve them.. be strong. Come on.” He spoke clearly, with a soft tone, he insisted his hand. And she looked at him. “Please.” He insisted once again.

She thought about his words and hesitantly took his hand. She stepped down, her sleeve riding up when she held his hand. Years of scars and burns littered her wrist, it shattered his heart to look at. Someone so beautiful being so.. hurt.

She noticed him looking and yanked her hand away, pulling her sleeve down. “Got a good look yeah?” She said spitefully.

“Im sorry.” He spoke, aware he was wrong for looking so long. “Would you like to talk? speak about whats on your mind?” He offered to which she shook her head.

A moment of silence passed.

“Could.. could I have a hug..?” She asked quietly, and he opened his arms. She wrapped her arms loosely around his midsection. One of his hands rested on her head, the other on her back.

“It’s going to be okay.” He said soothingly.

“Will it?” Your voice broke softly as you looked up at him.

“I’ll make sure of it.” He said softly to her making eye contact

“Promise?” She asked quietly.

“I promise.” He responded promisingly.

[indras-wife]

Hi ! I love your blog and your headcanons. Thank you so much for giving us some good Indra content!❤️❤️❤️❤️

I really loved the Indra and the Uchihas waking up in a female body scenarios that you wrote earlier. Those were hilarious !

I was wondering if you could write a scenario where Indra and the Uchihas get bodyswapped with their s/o. I'm curious what their reaction would be- (especially when seeing their s/o maneuvering their body 😂)

Have a nice day ! 💞

Another day and another beautiful request about Uchihas from cute Anon🥹💖Thank you for cute words and for reading my writings. Yall give me so much motivation😭💖💖And I will keep writing about Indra till I die of old age😭💖💖

This time more stuff will be unleashed in this request so hope you are ready cuties💖I decided to add Obito too as a small bonus~ The more the merrier as they say😉🌙💕

Warning: Mature Content, mentions of Self Harm,

Indra

Whoever is making this man go through this will pay for sure. Not only he had to deal with the humiliation of becoming a woman and his family seeing it, but now he found himself in his s/o’s body early in the morning. What is this damn sorcery?

As much as he LOVES his body, he has lots of things to do in his body. And whats worse, he had an important council meeting that morning so he was very worried on how that would happen. His s/o is a smart woman for sure, but there are many things she doesnt know and he cannot have his reputation tarnished.

Busy in his thoughts, he decided to walk around the house, since his s/o lives alone. This allowed him to not be worried about someone seeing him and speaking. His s/o was a very chatty person, while he generally dislikes having conversations, be it long or short. He walked outside, admiring the beautiful sunrise but something grabbed his attention at the corner of his eyes. His s/o’s laundry…more specifically her panties that she hanged to dry

Indra loves his s/o’s style as it suits her perfectly. She goes for the aesthetic pink and nude colours, which make her features be more appealing to the eye. Her undergarments are the same: pink or nude, sometimes even black but not always. Seeing her clothes and remembering that he is in her body, he smirked slightly at the brilliant idea in his head.

He went back to her room and stood in front of a mirror. He has already seen her body many times, it was nothing new for him, but for some reason he had this big urge to inspect her body that was now his(hopefully temporary). The beautiful pastel pink colored robe was slowly untied, revealing her body underneath is. This caught Indra by surprise because he never thought he s/o was sleeping naked. He recommended it few times to her, but she absolutely refused to hear him. Maybe she decided to see what Indra meant by saying her to sleep naked, just to see the benefits of it.

Not focusing too much on the nakedness under the robe, Indra wasted no time in touching the blessed body he was in. Her boobs felt somehow softer when he touched them, and every small detail on her body that he somehow did not notice was right in front of him. His favourite marks of her body were the mole on her boob and her birthmark on her belly, both of which he loved seeing every time.

“I have some stretch marks…I am so ugly..” Indra remembered his s/o complaining about those marks, reaching to touch them on her inner thighs. Those marks made her very self-conscious of her appearance, not wishing to expose herself to him. But Indra loved those marks more than anything. He believes that stretch marks are just a proof that you are healthy. Contrary to his girlfriend’s belief, who thinks stretch marks are result of her gaining weight, Indra believes that stretch marks are result of her being in her final phase of maturity.

The more he looked and touched, the more he wanted to keep going. His mind was replaying their late nights love-making in the forest, how pure and sweet everything was. He started to feel warm and tingly especially between his legs. Is this what she feels…? His hand moved to his new body’s clit, fingers already skill fully playing with it. He always wondered what she felt when his fingers were inside her or when he was rubbing her, and now seemed he had the chance to feel what she felt. Of course, he would also use this playtime to understand her body better and give her the pleasure she deserves. As skillfull as he was, Indra believed there’s always place for improvement.

Madara

Soft pillows and his s/o’s scent all around him when he was waking up. One thing Madara loved the most was how sweet she smelled and now he could smell her as if she was right…there. Wait… He quickly opened his eyes realising that he didnt spend the night at his lover’s room so…why did the bed smell like her? No intimacy happened last night too…He quickly got up and…ah there was the catch. He could smell her scent because he was in her body… “Damn it..!” he said angrily, looking at him weirdly. He did not want to believe that this was actually him, that he for some unexpected way is in his s/o’s body.

This sort of adventure is not in his calendar. He was tired of the previous experience, but this is new level that he both hates and loves. Madara does not speak about this often but being next to his s/o is an undying desire. He made a wish last night to be closer to her, and maybe the heavens decided to do what he asked…? But they did it the wrong way. Seeing how the house was still asleep, he decided to dress up and leave the house as soon as possible. His destination? Of course the Uchiha compound, to see if his s/o is in his body or no.

His s/o, being more feminine, did not have many choices of pants and shirts as her closet was filled with beautiful kimonos and obis. But he had no time and no desire to look as beautiful as his s/o, so he grabbed whatever he could and ran out of the house. Of course, he stumbled into another issues as he could not be fast in this body or jump on the trees, since his s/o’s body is pretty fragile. So he had to walk as fats as his legs could carry him.

He went to the compound, entering it from the secret passage Izuna and his use often. Luckily for them no one discovered it yet so they could still use it. He went upstairs to his room quietly, opening the door fast and walking in.

“ Y/n, if you have my body we need to …” his words slowly died in his mouth from the scene in front of him. He saw himself laying on the futon, eyes closed and his cock in his hand. S/o, who undoubtedly was in his body, was enjoying herself..maybe even too much…She was so gone in pleasure that him entering the room and speaking did not startle her.

Madara, who was more than intrigued at this, stood by the door, watching his girlfriend enjoy his body. He could not blame her for pleasuring herself, after all its only natural that a body switch makes one intrigued to understand the new body they are in. Every touch feels foreign and new and one thing leads to another.

“Enjoying yourself I see…” he spoke, making Y/n stop her pleasurable activity. She did not notice how he or…she herself came in the room, but she was glad Madara was there. She knew what was waiting, seeing the fire in his eyes. “Yes..I am…Join me love…”she spoke, her voice full of desire.

She did not need to say anything else, as Madara was already taking his clothes off, throwing them on the floor without care and walking to her. Having his body switched was not a very desirable thing for him, but he was not against having this happen to him often. It gave him the chance to see and experience things differently now. He gained the knowledge of what sex felt for his s/o, how her body reacted to every touch and how different the feeling are for her.

Nevertheless, he decided to stop thinking about ways to switch their bodies back, as now he had another thing to take care of: his horny girlfriend.

Izuna

Out of everything that has happened to them, Izuna was not waiting for his body to be taken over by s/o. He had the opportunity of becoming female, but his body being switched with his girlfriend….was out of his imagination. He knew every part, every inch of her body so having her body as his own for some days was not as exciting as he thought.

But his genius brain came up with a very romantic idea. He grabbed a piece of paper and feather pen, dipped it in ink and started writing. He was sure that his idea now would uplift his girlfriend who has been little moody lately because of a small weight gain. Izuna knew how fixated she is on her weight, thanks to her family members who continuously remind her of every small weight change.

His girlfriend has been going through this abusive diet changes as long as he remembers: she would starve herself, eating only once in a day. This also impacted her self-esteem, as with every insulting comment from her family members made her feel unworthy and ugly. She even tried breaking up with Izuna once, claiming he deserved someone more beautiful than her, but Izuna stopped her, reassuring her that she is the most beautiful for him.

After spending a good hour or two on writing, he folded the piece of paper, put it in his kimono sleeve and exited the house. He was able to master his girlfriend’s way of responding to her family so when they asked him where he was going, a short and god explanation followed: “Going for a walk, It helps me lose weight”

He walked gracefully, not wanting to tarnish his girlfriend’s reputation as one of the most beautiful women out there. He was getting more comfortable in her body the more he walked, which he loved to experience. His woman was a truly blessed one when it came to her curves as she was curvy in all the right places. As he walked and reached the compound, he noticed her standing, in his body of course.

They quickly excused themselves and went to a more private room, to talk and discuss about their future doings regarding their situation. Izuna, who did not care much about switching their bodies back, took the piece of paper out of his kimono.

“My love…listen to me okay. It is sad we have this situation at our hands, but there’s something more important I am willing to tell you. I know how long you struggle with you self-image, how much you think that the toxic nonsense your parents told you is true. But its not. This switching of our bodies allowed me to do what I longed to do so long, which is prove that you are perfect. Here, take it and read this. Its for you” he said smiling. His girlfriend looked at him all puzzled, unable to form any sentence. She was in his body, but she could not help feeling nervous, a trait that Izuna does not seem to possess.

She took the paper, opened and started reading it slowly. Izuna took his time praising her and mentioning how beautiful and just amazing she is, how her body is gorgeous and does not require any change, how she should not listen to whatever her parents have to say, because as his future wife, she is perfect. Reading all of this brought tears to her face, a sense of happiness and fulfilment. They both hugged each other, his girlfriend thanking him for such words and reassurance. This was of course only the small percentage of what Izuna could do. However, as small as this gesture was, he was happy that he made his girlfriend happier.

Obito

Obito and his girlfriend do not know each other that much as others. They met each other on a mission, with Obito nearly killing her. To his own surprise, he decided not to and let her go. Soon he found Y/n following him around like a cat. He did not like it at first, but slowly came to terms with it.

Their relationship took years to bloom, starting with friendship. They had had rough pasts, both of them experiencing many traumatising events which made them close their hearts to the world. However, with small talks here and there, they opened up, talking about themselves and their goals.

Obito was usually busy with running errands behind shadows for Akatsuki, while his girlfriend was doing missions entrusted to her by Obito. They loved working together because not many words were exchanged yet they understood each other even from one glance: a rare type of connection.

This connection would prove to get only stronger when one day they woke up in each other’s bodies. A terrifying experience to say the least, considering they both had different activities for the day and could not do them without being in their bodies. While they both were trying to find a way to return to their original bodies, Obito on his end decided to slow down that thought because of some marks he noticed all over his switched body

The marks were obviously self-harm ones, which faded now and only the scars remained. He never noticed them before. In fact, he never even thought Y/n harmed herself. She was a very closed person and he simply did not care to ask. A stupid decision from his side he thinks. Upon looking into his body more, he saw more marks on her legs. These were fresh for sure, as they were still bloody.

Seeing those scars over her body made Obito sad. Why was she doing this to herself..? Why didnt he ever notice anything? Why he never asked her any questions about her pain as she was doing to him, He was treating her like a therapist, talking about his issues only. A selfish move by him for sure he thought. He had to talk to her, about maybe everything he felt which was anger, sadness and disappointment.

After a day, when Y/n finally figured out how to use Obito’s teleportation, was able to locate him and teleport her body to him. To her happiness he was where she last was: her hideout which was a small cave in the deep forest. Her legs took her to him when she suddenly stopped. He was sitting on the ground, eyes closed and head leaning on the wall. His fingers were tracing the scars of his arm, something that Y/n did not want to expose to him.

“Why didn’t you tell me about your..self-desturction habit Y/n” he spoke. Taking off the mask she was wearing, she walked to him. “I did not want to burden you with my problems Obito. You already had…enough to worry about. My struggles are mine only. Also I stopped doing that so there is no reason to tell you” she spoke. Of course she was not fooling him with her lie, because she knew he saw the new cuts too.

“Liar. You keep cutting yourself..you did NOT stop. Just why didnt you tell me damn it…”he arose to his feet. Of course in her body he wasnt as tall as she was now, but his energy was dominating even in that short body. She knew that she had no way out, so her only resolve was telling him about the reasons she started self harming. It was because of her abusive childhood. As a war orphan, she grew up in the streets which were full of evil people, looking to take advantage of anyone they met. She became a victim of those people, who took her with them, teaching her the skills she knew now. Of course, they were not nice and were abusive towards her, beating her and even one of them sexually abusing her for years. Self harm was her way out of the mental and emotional pain she was feeling, turning them to physical one.

Obito was hearing her talk, feeling guilty with each second for never caring to ask her about herself, about why she was always wearing outfits that covered her arms and legs completely even when it was too hot outside. He felt stupid even. When Y/n finished talking, he couldnt think of ong anything else but hugging her and saying sorry for being ignorant to her pain. He never thought that he would feel sympathy for someone, but his heart ached for that woman. They both were similar in experiencing so much pain and for becoming the damaged adults they were.

After Y/n’s stories, the two became much closer and shared more detail about them. They felt that the compant the other person was providing was comforting and making them feel human again. A feeling they both longed to experience. Obito now swore to himself to be there for her always and to look after her, hoping to help her escape the constant self harming attempts. The tragic experience brought them closer and closer, resulting in the petals of love blooming between them. Obito found a new reason to live on and Y/n found someone who would be for her always. They did not even think about their bodies. All that mattered was that they are together.