#which even on it's own is a WILD first thought to have upon discovering someone just coming back to consciousness but likeee

[yappacadaver]

two separate endings where raymond's like 'lol glad it was you not me' just straight up to your face, he's the worst, i desire him carnally

[maple-the-awesome]

When Another Finds Out About His Crush Part 3/3

Part 1 || Part 2

Pairings: Warrior, Wild, & Wind x GN Reader

Overview: What happens when someone else in the Chain finds out about his feelings towards you?

Zelda Masterlist 💙Fandom Masterlist

This...is starting to get annoying.

As a captain who has overseen dozens of soldiers and fought in enough battles to last a lifetime (not that they’ll stop coming anytime soon), Warrior likes to believe he's developed tough skin over the years. While the occasional expression of irritation might slip through sometimes, he prides himself on his ability to usually roll with the punches by remaining both calm and patient, although there are certain...'situations' that truly test this inner strength.

"Quit being such a suck up."

"Hylia, is it possible for you to stop making goo-goo eyes for five seconds?"

"We all get it: you're completely whipped. Just shut up about it already."

"Oh, keep it in your pants, pretty boy.”

Ah yes. There is no situation that tests Warrior more than that annoying sour strawberry who's very keen on getting under his skin whenever possible, but lately it seems he really has no better hobbies to occupy his time.

If guessing, Warrior would say it only started a mere week ago when the two were patrolling around camp with you as an added member. There was nothing particularly strange about Legend's character that day, in fact he remained delightfully quiet (as third wheels should be) until a moment when your trio had to cross a small stream. Warrior, naturally, didn't think twice about putting his own life and dry clothes at risk by balancing on top of those slippery rocks himself where he could then help you across with a steady hand.

"What a gentleman!" You had awed, your smile making it completely worth that small leap his heart gave when he almost lost his footing seconds before, although Legend apparently thought there was a more fitting title to bestow upon the blonde which he did so with a roll of his eyes:

"...What a kiss ass…"

Warrior had rolled his eyes as well, figuring the insult was no different from all the others Legend tends to throw his way, but then they continued with an alarming pattern behind them, too. Always around you and always linked back to Warrior's very private feelings towards you.

How Legend came to discover them is anyone's guess. He could have noticed that your always Warrior's first choice in company or perhaps he's simply grown sick of the way you live entirely rent-free in Warrior's mind, your name somehow being woven into every conversation or the cause for that dreamy look in his eyes as his thoughts wander off...Actually, it might not be such a surprise that Legend found out after all, but Warrior really wishes it could've been literally anyone else (minus you, of course). There's no way Time or Twilight or even mischievous Wild would be as cruel as to wave his feelings in front of his face at every given chance the way Legend is hellbent on doing.

"Whatcha writing, Wars?" Finally a voice he loves to hear and a face his heart soars at seeing.

He's been on his own in the corner of camp for a while now, purposefully secluding himself in hopes of catching a break, however he doesn't mind your presence as you practically hang over his shoulder, a grin on your lips as you try to catch a peek at the paper in his hands.

He instantly smiles to himself and opens his mouth to answer that he's currently making a list of supplies, but another beats him to a far more smug response, "He's probably writing you a love poem."

Warrior snarls at Legend whose life is apparently so boring he can't not listen into any of your conversations even when relaxing by the campfire himself with his back turned to you both. Facing you or not, Warrior knows the idiot has a smirk playing at his face as he pats himself on the back for another ‘amazing’ jab.

"Legend just likes to tease. Don't take it to heart," You place a hand on Warrior's shoulder as soon as you notice his growing irritation which you haven't been blind to at all this week. You've long gotten used to Legend's nagging and teasing, not seeing it as anything personal, although you can understand why it might make others upset, "I'm sure deep down he's just jealous that you're my favorite."

Warrior is so busy being huffy that he almost misses your comment, but when it processes in his mind, he's quick to swallow the lump in his throat and mumble, "I'm your favorite, eh?"

You smile sweetly, "...Well, second favorite. First place goes to Wolfie, I'm afraid."

Warrior blinks, his brain almost malfunctioning now, although it manages to catch up with your words which snaps his head towards you with slight offense over your now teasing smirk, "Wait, how could I be robbed of first place by a dog -"

"- A wolf -"

"- An animal! Why him?" Warrior practically whines, yet you can spare him no sympathy, simply shrugging.

"cause he's cute."

"I'm not?"

"You are, but not like 'cuddly-cute'...Unless…" You lean closer, your whispered voice fanning Warrior's face as he licks his chapped lips nervously, "You're willingly to throw in some cuddles? That scarf of yours looks mighty comfy, Captain."

"...W-While I have no real objections, you are aware that Legend will never cut either of us a break then, right?”

You almost look innocent when gazing up at him through your eyelashes, however the way you play with his scarf is anything but, "It's just an offer. If you're too intimidated by little ol' me, simply say so. I must warn, though, if you can’t step up to the challenge, Wolfie might forever hold the spot of being my favorite...Can’t have that, can we?”

Warrior sucks in a breath before responding in an equal whisper, "Hmm. That would be less than ideal..."

"OH MY HYLIA! GET A ROOM!"

"You know, he's found a normal life - despite everything he's been through..."

"Sounds like that's what you want, too."

Wild becomes a bit bashful when Warrior hits the nail on the head, although he isn’t ashamed enough to avoid the topic, instead pursuing it in quiet wonder, “Well, I-I don’t really know, but I did buy a house. It’s in a nice area and I’ve done repairs to it recently…”

Cheek resting against his palm, he dares himself to glance across the wooden table to the person sitting directly in front of him. It’s unclear whether you’re listening or not since your eyes remain focused in awe on Malon and Time who’s relationship anyone could admire. Nevertheless, a part of Wild hopes you did hear him because his curiosity is itching to know your opinion. Does settling down somewhere sound pleasant to you or do you plan for a life on the road like Legend’s insistant on? Honestly, the latter might not be a terrible preference if you allow for the idea of someone special joining you on your journey. Wild isn’t picky.

Despite dying to know your outlook on the future, Wild doesn’t plan on asking you up front. He’s perfectly content relying on his imagination right now as he enjoys the peaceful fluttering in his chest which is often fueled by the mental image of the two of you in Hateno, cooking dinner together then eating outside under the sunset before retiring for the night, asleep in each other’s arms rested in a comfortable bed where everything just feels right with the world -

"- What about you, (Y/n)? I personally think Wild has a point. A life like this would be wonderful, don't you think? Living somewhere quiet, with someone special." 

The Champion is ripped away from his fictitious domestic bliss to rejoin reality with a slight jump to his heart rate after he hears Sky casually ask the very question he’s been too afraid to even whisper to himself. It’s as if the Skylofian has been reading his mind, although his attention is solely on you at this moment as he smiles sweetly while awaiting your answer.

Even you look a bit taken back, having finally turned away from the couple to face those you sit at the table with. Still, you give some actual thought over the topic before answering, proving that you have, in fact, been listening at least partly this entire time, “...Yeah, I guess something like this could be nice. Nothing busy, just peaceful livin’ compared to everything else we’ve all been through. It could be a good change of pace - with the right person, of course.”

Wild swears he can feel his heartbeat in his cheeks, tinting them in red heat he worries someone else might notice if he draws too much attention to himself, thus he adds no comment, merely bowing his head in silence. He does wear a rather dreamy smile, though. Does this mean that, in theory, his fantasies don’t have to necessarily stay just that? He wonders if you have a specific area in mind. Sure, Hateno’s great, but if you don’t care for the atmosphere and perhaps favor something a little more rural, he’d be happy to find a nice patch of land for that. Maybe even ask Twilight and Time for some pointers on how to get a ranch started. Honestly, that makes the image all the better. Living off the land, no close neighbors to judge, plenty of space for the kids to play -

“- Any idea who that would be to you?” Wild didn’t expect Sky to keep asking questions, and apparently you weren’t either. Unlike before where you were simply caught off guard for a second, you feel truly thrown off your feet now. Sky awaits your second answer eagerly, his eyes watching you in a way that almost makes you feel like he already knows the truth and is just waiting for you to admit it. Weird. 

Foolishly, Wild was stupid enough to believe even for a second that your eyes crossed his then, but just like that, they darted away as a blush coated your own face, “I, um…no i-idea. You know, not all of us are as lucky as to find our soulmate right off the bat. I, for one, have been a little too busy protecting my Hyrule than to worry about what guy I want to grow old with.”

“Well, I do consider myself very lucky to have Zelda,” Fortunately, Sky isn’t bothered by your defensive reply, merely shrugging and giving you a supportive smile, “Don’t worry, though, (Y/n). Love can find you at the strangest of times. I’m sure your own soulmate could be a lot closer than you think.”

“Uh, thanks?” This time, Wild knows he doesn’t imagine the way you look at him, giving a smile that pretty much translates to ‘what is he on about’. He shrugs in silent response, returning a similar grin that answers ‘no idea’.

The topic of future life fades into another conversation soon after that, allowing Wild’s poor heart a break as he becomes lost in the laughter he shares with you over dinner as everyone places their own bets on Time’s real age. Only once does he think back to earlier and that’s when he happens to glance towards Sky after making a joke that leaves you snorting for air.

The Skylofian watches with the same look you had when observing Time and Malon’s dynamic - a look of admiration and support. It’s then that Wild realizes just why Sky had specifically chosen you for those specific questions. Honestly, Wild doesn’t know if he should be mad or thankful…Maybe he’ll decide to let it pass so long as Sky doesn’t do anything else to put his feelings on the front line or starts trying to plan your marriage. Seriously, one step at a time, for Hylia's sake.

Wind's home is pretty relaxing compared to the creepy forests or standoffish villages the boys have passed through in recent days. The few inhabitants are very welcoming to their young pirate's friends, happy to allow them sanctuary until they can figure out a proper plan on how to continue onwards seeing as they're kinda stuck on a small island at the moment. Nevertheless, it's a peaceful place, as said. The air is fresh and the waves provide a calm melody that washes away one's stresses. 

Four is particularly keen on spending his time on shore, collecting tiny seashells he can find hidden in the sand which, at least in his opinion, is a far better pass time than drowning in the freezing ocean like some of the others (Sky) seem to be doing.

He's by his lonesome, that is, until Wind himself comes sauntering over. This wouldn't be strange nor would his championship be found annoying seeing as Four actually gets along fairly well with the younger boy, but there's something about his behavior that strikes the Smith as odd. 

He's fiddling with the edges of his tunic in a nervous, impatient fashion, stopping a few feet away in silence yet carrying a certain air to himself that practically screams that he's waiting to say something, however he keeps his mouth shut with pressed lips until Four decides to break the silence himself while standing straight out of the sand, asking for good measure, "Something wrong?"

"Umm…Do you have any good present ideas in mind?”

That wasn't exactly what Four expected the Pirate to say, although it does intrigue him. Confused, but hooked to find out more, "'Present ideas'?"

"Yeah!" In a second, Wind goes from nervous to excited, his face glowing in delight as if by merely echoing his own words, Four had somehow managed to give him exactly the answer he’s been desperately searching for, "You said that your Minish friends leave 'little gifts' in the grass for people, right? I was just curious what those gifts usually are."

Four gives Wind a skeptical look. Perhaps he shouldn’t give him the benefit of the doubt and instead question his motives further considering the trouble some of the Links on his trip tend to get into, yet he ultimately doesn’t think too much about the rather random topic choice. Young kids do typically have strange attention spans and interests, after all. Having been a young kid himself once, Four decides to humor Wind with a shrug as he begins to count the seashells he holds in hand, "Normally they leave hearts and rupees, although it isn't unheard of for them to leave rarer items or little trinkets."

"Trinkets, huh?" Wind gives it some thought, "...Do you think it's possible for them to leave something like this?"

Four looks up from his seashells, noticing that Wind is holding a butterfly necklace proudly in the air - one very similar to what he currently wears around his neck. Notably, it looks newer than his; less worn from years of use.

"I've found a lot of these hidden in different areas when I was traveling the seven seas," Wind explains boastfully, holding the glittery necklace to the light with a hand on his hip. Four shares his smile, reaching the conclusion that he must be asking to confirm where said necklaces had come from.

"It's entirely possible."

Wind's smile then fades into a softer look as he studies the necklace a bit closer. He scratches some of the dust off with his fingernail, making sure it looks good-as-new before glancing over to where the rest of their group hangs out across the beach, "...And do you think if a, um…Minish left something like this in the grass for (Y/n) to find, do you - do you think they'd like that?"

Four blinks...Ooh...Now Wind's random questioning begins to make a lot more sense. Sure, he's noticed the way you both get on well, which has never been a surprise seeing as you seem good with kids and all, but it's honestly really adorable to see the young pirate wanting to do a sweet gesture for you and to be so shy doing so. It reminds Four of a simpler time when he used to do something similar by leaving flowers around for Zelda to find. It didn't necessarily have anything to do with romance, he just liked seeing her smile when she found them. He assumes that feeling is about the same for Wind towards you.

"...Yeah, I'm sure (Y/n) would really like that actually - if 'a Minish' left them a necklace," Four agrees, biting back his smirk when Wind lights up again. Just like that, the Pirate is turning on his heel, his smile going from ear to ear as he grips said necklace in hand excitedly.

"I better go find a good place to hide it then - Uh, I-I mean…You know, for the Minish to find? S-So that they can hide it for (Y/n), of course!"

"Of course. If I see any Minish, I’ll tell them about the plan. Who knows, maybe they’ll hide it in that long grass across the bridge? I know (Y/n) was wanting to explore that area later,” Four has to turn around to hide his expression when Wind glances back at him in consideration. Just as predicted, his course is quick to change, hurrying across the island which gives Four time to go back to collecting his seashells in peace once more, a smirk still playing on his face. Ah, young love…

[oddygaul]

Godzilla Minus One

I’ve been going through something of a Godzilla crash course for the past year or so. When I was pretty little, I think I once rented a VHS of the original Godzilla from my local library. I don’t remember almost anything, but I think the themes and talking went over my head and I was mostly disappointed he wasn’t punching another monster. Then, I got a McDonald’s toy of the 1998 Godzilla, which was in my regular school backpack rotation for a while, and... that was about the extent of my experience with the guy.

Two of my best friends, though, are huge Godzilla stans who grew up watching just about every movie that’s ever released. After discovering my innocence, they’ve taken it upon themselves to educate me in his big scaly ways.

Most of these screenings were well before I started keeping this journal, so I don’t have deep thoughts on them. We started with Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla - wasn’t impressed by the robotic human characters, but Kiryu is sick as fuck, no getting around it. Next was Anno’s Shin Godzilla - as a lifelong Evangelion fan, I was really tickled by how much the entire movie felt like an extended, live-action Operation Yashima sequence, and the half dozen remixes of Decisive Battle were the icing on the cake. Final Wars, despite clearly being made by some folks who had just seen The Matrix and wanted in on that action, was exactly my kind of schlock and I honestly can’t wait to rewatch it. Tokyo SOS was kind of forgettable? …outside of the scene where the rival punches a fly out of the air one inch from someone’s face, which I now do weekly. And finally, All Monsters Attack was a wild fever dream of a movie; the plot is about a child vividly hallucinating Godzilla fighting giant crabs and shit in order to deal with his own growth and confidence issues, and that all works… exactly as well as it sounds like it would work. Overall, I’ve certainly enjoyed my time with the franchise, but it’s certainly in a more, I dunno, popcorny way.

So color me surprised having seen Minus One and being genuinely impressed on all fronts!

This is easily the most compelling human storytelling out of all the Zils I’ve watched. To be honest, during the long gap between Godzilla’s introduction and his reappearance in the plot, I got so fully invested in the characters and the story that was unfolding, it was a little jarring having a big monster show up. The emotional core of the story, based around a found family trying to find meaning in their lives in a devastated, post-war Japan, was genuinely engaging, well-acted, and absorbing. I guess Godzilla being there is what got my butt into the seat, but I honestly wouldn’t have minded a more grounded take on this scenario/era either.

I quite liked that Godzilla’s design in this movie felt focused around his aquatic habitat - he felt very lithe, crocodilian and deadly in the water.

Similarly, after spending so much time digging into the hopelessness felt at large by the citizens we see, and the widespread devastation of Tokyo after the firebombing, Godzilla coming in and attacking Ginza felt like a gut punch. Typically, in the Godzillas I’ve watched, at least, the moment where Godzilla finally shows up and wrecks shop is a moment for the audience to cheer. You recognize that the horror and destruction he’s wreaking is bad, of course, but for one reason or another the blow is usually softened tonally. In Shin Godzilla, for example, we watch plenty of montages of Japan’s well-oiled, calm evacuation plans being carried out, so we’re not worried as much about the human toll. In the more creature feature entries, like Tokyo SOS, these type of scenes are more WWE throwdown than human catastrophe - the city’s really just backdrop, and it’s time to get hype. Minus One even has some moments like this, in my opinion - the scene when Godzilla first engages the battleship and they cut off his iconic roar has strong “real done with your shit” vibes that make the film’s debut atomic breath a real crowd-pleaser.

But man, the Ginza scene? Absolutely devastating. Panicked, weary crowds, scores of people visibly trampled underfoot, the black rain calling back to Japan’s nuclear strikes… the entire scene is designed to be a nightmare, and I thought it was a powerful decision in a franchise movie to make the viewer squirm and wish the titular character hadn’t shown up at all.

“Godzilla, bro, look. My job? The job I’m working to feed this orphan who showed up on the doorstep of my dead parents' house? That job is shooting active mines out of the ravaged coasts of my country on a fishing boat at great personal risk to myself and my only friends. Did we really need this? Was this warranted? Could you just like, fuck off?”

Overall, I just can’t get over how strong the character work and theming was. There’s a lot of musing on the value of a life, survivor’s guilt, and people grappling with the aftermath of a lost war while figuring out how they can still make a difference in their community. In the opening scene, you can already tell from the conversation between the main character and the engineer that they both understand the war is over, and yet Shikishima carries guilt with him the entire movie about not committing the meaningless sacrifice his country asked of him. He’s absolutely wracked with guilt, feeling that he’ll be rejected by society for failing - and to a degree he is, especially in the first act. After that, though, time and time again, the movie shows a community coming together, refusing to let each other give in and succumb to guilt, and finding ways to rebuild their home and move forward on their own terms, rather than under the direction of a government that's abandoned them.

The standout scene for me was Shikishima’s trauma coming to a peak when he wakes up at night and questions if he’s been dead all along, wondering if his current life is just a hallucination. I feel like I’ve seen that exact scene or moment in other media before, but it always felt like empty words, unconvincing; here, the buildup and acting was just so stellar that I fully resonated with this broken man and bought every word.

[pancake-breakfast]

Trigun Book Club! Trigun Book Club! (@trigunbookclub)

Way back in the mid-2000's, a young Pancake Ray was working their first job out of college at a local Giant Chain Bookstore and discovered that no one else working the store cared if they spent their breaks sitting on the floor in front of our rather impressive two and a half bays of manga we had and just... read them right there. Much manga was read, and among the titles read were both Trigun and what was available at that time of Trigun Maximum.

I remember very little from that initial read aside from 1) confusing fight scenes, and 2) enough deviation from the anime (which I had recently watched) that I didn't really have a place for at that time. The anime had wormed itself into a very special place in my heart, so between the differences and just not being in a good place spiritually to handle some of its more religious themes, I wasn't really sure what to do with it. It probably didn't help that, back then, the manga was nowhere near finished.

I still read every volume we had, because gods, I read anything that looked even remotely interesting on the manga shelves at that time.

Now, an older and (debatably) wiser Ray is going to be reading these along with the rest of the Trigun Book Club Denizens. But first, I want to start of with a quote from the notes in The New Oxford Annotated Bible (3rd Ed.) in their prelude to I Kings, which is what I'm currently studying:

There is, on the other hand, no neat correlation between sin and judgment in Kings, largely because of the compassionate character of the Judge who accepts the repentant sinner, who does not desire final judgment to fall upon his creatures, and who is always ready to find cause why such judgment should be delayed or mitigated.

It just seemed like something to keep in mind when thinking about the character of Vash... but YMMV.

Onward!

Stream-of consciousness thoughts for Trigun Vol. 1, Chapters 1-3 below. (More detailed thoughts will be their own posts.)

Trigun Volume 1 Covers

Ok, first off... I love the alternate covers Nightow did. The stark contrast between the serious cleanliness of the covers and the crazy tongue-in-cheek alternate version really sets the tone.

LOL, "Deep Space Planet Future Gun Action!!" Yep, that's it. That's all it is.

How have I never seen Meryl as Luke Skywalker before??

Chapter 1: The $$60,000,000,000 Man

This poster says "Appearance: Unclear," but it also has a picture of him. I'm not sure what to make of that.

Vash's face is so goofy. It's like if his world isn't ACTIVELY ON FIRE, he doesn't know how to be serious. I do like the belts. When watching S1 of Stampede, I missed the belts. I hope S2 has more belts. Something something fetish gear.

I love that there's actually a tally of all this on a wall somewhere. SEVENTY FREAKING TWO MURDER CASES.

Kid: "Mom, I want a gun." Mom: "You already have a gun at home." The Gun At Home: *only shoots toy darts when you, a child no older than 8, are living in the Space Wild Wild West and think you need real bullets*

I love how quickly Vash goes from "OMG FOOD" face to SERIOUS EATING FACE.

And it's immediately followed by this CLOSE-UP ASS SHOT. WHYYYYYY???

I don't know who this cloaked guy who's cocking his shotgun by shaking it vertically is, but I love his stupid hair.

Yeah, you don't get to kill the protagonist THAT fast....

WW isn't even here yet and Nightow's already filling panels with man-tiddies...

LOL, he counted ALL the bullets in that page that was... just... it was just bullet fire. Somehow he counted them all. For every gun. And now everyone else has to leave stripped down to their boxers.

I love that someone, somewhere decided they needed to have a pinball machine all the way out here in nowheresville.

Ah there are the girls. Milly looks so worried about the catcalls, but Meryl? Meryl looks bored.

Chapter 2: Looney Tunes

Ok, first off, this chapter title just makes me think of ep 12 of Stampede when So-and-So starfishes his way out a window before floundering in the air for a second of hangtime and then falling.

Exposition! Huzzah!

Population decline slowing = humans adapting to the new environment. Resilient little buggers.... I know someone who probably HATES that statistic.

So, basically... before July, Vash was small beans. Or going by another name.

Aaaand straight into his goofy poses. This man is made of rubber, I swear.

LOL, why is he talking in French?! I guess a guy's gotta have his hobbies....

But Meryl... I'm with Milly here. Is it really that dangerous??

Ah, yes. The ol' "they'll understand me better if I just speak louder" trick. A favorite of Americans traveling in non-English-speaking countries when said American hasn't bothered to learn even the tiniest bit of the local language.

Current favorite Vash Chaos Pose:

LOL, "MY DEEPEST APOLOGIES FOR INTERRUPTING THIS CONFUSION." This feels like such a Japanese thing to say. It's like, "I know you're all engaged in frantic chaos right now, and because you're engaged in it, it must be very important to you, so I, the intruder, must offer my sincere regret for interrupting it."

I wonder how this version of Milly will merge with a Milly who was crazy enough to volunteer for the position of Meryl's partner in Stampede.

This Vash is definitely not so keen on being caught, even in the face of suffering women and children.

But here he is, protecting the very people who had guns in his face a second ago.

Chapter 3: Hard Puncher

Current favorite Vash Serious Pose:

Ok, I have thoughts here.

Sooooo many shonen speed lines....

Current favorite Vash Action Pose (That intense side eye is *chef's kiss*.)

Man, poor Gosef. But Vash standing over his prone form looks badass.

LOL, the Insurance Girls finally have everyone's attention, and.. they look like they don't want it anymore.

Hahahahaha, there goes the bounty. Can't put a bounty on a natural disaster. The federal government has officially labeled him "not human." *pats Vash*

Actually, he looks kinda happy about this. I guess not having a bounty on your head anymore might do that.

He can still have the head-pats.

The difference in his expression when greeting Meryl versus greeting Milly....

For as terrible as Mr. Nebraska himself is, I always appreciated how much he seems to genuinely care about his son in his own weird way.

Gods, I'm glad every other version got rid of his gun legs, though. That's... a Thing, and I don't like this Thing.

And just like that, Vash goes from "concerned about these girls constantly being around him" to "mildly intimidated by them." Beautiful.

(Thanks to @trigun-manga-overhaul for their translations and making this series accessible!)

[kinkandkreep]

Another Doramai Blurb (this time featuring angst because the brainrot never stops 🫠)

Doramai angst! Doramai angst!

I had started working on this concept as a full story to post on my ao3 (which is GoddessLegendary if anyone was interested) but as I've decided to focus on other pursuits for now, I will instead be sharing the general idea as a blurb here.

So basically, we boutta combine essentially all of my favorite tropes and themes into one story, and feature one of my favorite ships at the center of it.

Draken has developed Hanahaki disease.

No one knows, and if someone were to discover this, they would be incredibly confused because he and Mikey are married, and seem to be more in love than they ever have been.

At least, that's the image they maintain.

The truth is, Mikey has been cheating on Draken with some random guy (or make it one of the cast for extra angst) for upwards of 6 months, and for as much as Ken can tell, has subsequently fallen out of love with him.

That's the only explanation for the red and yellow carnations, aloe and honeysuckle that erupts from his lungs with every coughing fit, each petal stained with the dull crimson of blood.

Ken's not sure Mikey knows he's fallen out of love with him though- the little blonde probably thinks it's just fun and games; a little excitement to liven up his increasingly mundane life.

As his condition worsens, it becomes difficult for Ken to hide his ailment, so he confides in Mitsuya, who, upon hearing of Manjiro's infidelity, has to be physically restrained from going and starting a fight.

Long story short, Takashi's eventually able to convince Ken to get the surgery to remove the roots which have taken up residence in his lungs before they kill him. (In my au, the surgery doesn't remove the memory entirely of the other person, just any and all romantic feelings for them. Depending on how deep the feelings were initially and the constitution of the sufferer, it is possible for those feelings to return.)

When Manjiro finds out about the whole situation, it's far too late.

Ken's had the surgery, and his romantic feelings for Mikey have entirely disappeared.

Now, this is where things take a turn.

Manjiro, having realized the error of his ways, had broken things off with whoever he was having his affair with, and had decided to turn a new leaf and devote himself entirely to Ken.

But now, Ken is explaining to him that he's fallen out of love and is serving him divorce papers.

Mitsuya being present for the exchange doesn't help, and Manjiro, in his desperation, assumes Ken had also been cheating on him with Takashi as retaliation for his cheating.

He becomes hysterical, desperately trying, and ultimately failing, to convince Ken to give them another chance. Ken then explains the situation of his Hanahaki, and Manjiro is driven to shocked and guilt stricken tears.

Anyway, time passes, and Ken and Takashi begin to pursue each other, whereas Manjiro is left to stew in his own increasing darkness, bitterness and envy.

As you probably could have expected if you know anything about my writing, this takes a yandere turn.

Mikey was always obsessed with Draken, and through some convoluted mental gymnastics, he convinced himself that Ken was too good for him, and would eventually step out on him once he became bored and/or overwhelmed with Mikey.

So, he stepped out first, and simply got caught up.

But now that's he taken a step back and lost Ken, he realizes how stupid and immature that train of thought was, and is.

Now he's desperate to get Ken back, by any means necessary.

Cue the stalking/manipulation/potential murder.

And hey, if you're feelin' particularly wild, you could even fashion this into an ABO au somehow.

Anywho, das what I got fa y'all this time round. Hope y'all enjoyed! And feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or my askbox. 👋🏾

[undercityrezident]

My Thoughts on Tears of the Kingdom

Disclaimer: Please note there are many, many, many spoilers about the world, gameplay, and story of Tears of the Kingdom here. Don��t read any further if you want to avoid them.

Let me get this out of the way right off the bat. I went into this game with a lot of mixed feelings. I’ve been hyped up about this game for years now. From the moment it was labelled the “Sequel to Breath of the Wild” in a Nintendo Direct, I was intrigued. The last time we’d seen something like this was with A Link Between Worlds, which is largely a sequel or spiritual successor to A Link to the Past. Both A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds are games I hold dear to me. The former was the first Zelda game I first played and was a formative game that would go on to define my expectations for video games at large for the rest of my life. Suffice it to say, when A Link Between Worlds knocked my expectations out of the park, I was more than pleased and relieved.

It's this precedent that drew a lot of expectations from me when it came time to play Breath of the Wild’s eventually titled sequel, Tears of the Kingdom.

But where my mixed feelings come in is with how Nintendo has been acting as a company over the past few years (and perhaps longer if I deigned to look further back). As much hype as I had for Tears of the Kingdom, I found these feelings drained by my reservations about supporting a company that seems antagonistic towards its most passionate fans.

But I resolved to look at the game a different way, perhaps somewhat selfishly, to rationalize wanting to play it. I decided I wanted to support the hard-working and passionate developers who likely have no say in the company’s decisions versus the management who are responsible for all the legal decision-making that’s been making me eye Nintendo more stringently.

So, with those thoughts and some health problems hampering me as the game’s launch finally came upon us, I picked up the game and tried to go into it with even expectations. When it comes to pieces of media, I try to evaluate them independently of their publishers or even authors/contributors/developers, judging the piece on its own merits. Sometimes, that’s impossible, but I hope I’ve done that here. In any case, take this as a declaration of my biases toward the game before we dive into my thoughts on it.

So, without further ado, let’s talk about the actual game and my experience with it.

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Approaching Tears

In playing this, I took in the expanded world Tears of the Kingdom offered. I closed myself off from anything Zelda-related on the internet to avoid spoilers for over three weeks because I truly wanted to experience this game at my own pace and not have to rush through it. Through this, I managed to complete all the main quests, all but two side adventures (one I hadn’t discovered, and the other being the compendium), all the shrines and shrine quests, and only missed 30 or so of the 139 side quests. I collected all but 12 Bubbulfrogs, collected just over 300 Korok Seeds, and fully mapped out all three layers of the world map. All this, from the moment I first turned on the game until I stood triumphant at the end, took me a little over 150 hours. Perhaps a little obscene of an investment within three or so weeks, but I wanted to push through in my weird, exploratory form of gaming while still managing to get through the game unspoiled.

From the perspective of someone who did all this, let me break down each aspect of the game and how I felt about it.

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A World of Tears

A big point of debate online was the idea of this game being a glorified expansion or DLC for Breath of the Wild. Yes, it is set in the same world, but that world has changed in ways both subtle and substantial, making for a fresh experience on a map that’ll still bring a twinge of nostalgia to Breath of the Wild veterans. Many surprises await players new and old to this franchise, including caves that take you beneath familiar landscapes and connect places in ways that make you say, “Oh wow. That makes a lot of sense, actually.” For example, I’d always headcanoned that an underground river connected the Lanaryu Wetlands to a river south of Kakariko Village. And guess what: there is one now!

The general landscape of Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule will appear very familiar at a distance, barring a few major landmark changes. Of course, Hyrule Castle is one of the easiest to spot, as is Death Mountain. But the changes stack up as you travel around Hyrule and see it up close. Some of the physical landscape has changed due to the event in the game known as the “Upheaval,” something we’ll come back to later when I discuss the game’s story. But there are also changes thanks to continuing development of Hyrule’s populace, both its citizens and the monsters threatening it.

On the side of Hyrule’s citizenry, one of the biggest landmarks is the newly established outpost of Lookout Landing just south of Hyrule Castle. It’s nice to see that there’s been some attempt at re-establishing a foothold in central Hyrule. That said, this seems to be only a first step, as there hasn’t been much else done around the rest of Hyrule in terms of trying to resettle formerly held territories. It’s hard for me to critique this because the timeline for the gap between this game and the last is vague at best. It could’ve been a single year, or it could’ve been a few. What’s more, there’s another theoretical time gap between the game’s prologue and when you actually get into the meat of the game. And I’m not talking about the meat you shoot when fusing your arrows to items in your inventory.

I was hoping for a little more development of Hyrule from the kingdom’s population. Breath of the Wild was great for fostering a post-apocalyptic world for you to wander through and discover. In Tears of the Kingdom, I was hoping for more evidence that people were trying to reclaim these wilds. We certainly see the first steps of it, but it didn’t quite meet my expectations on that front.

With the Upheaval came the return of monsters in Hyrule who established new outposts throughout the land. To my recollection, they haven’t reoccupied any old ones, though you can certainly find remains of them here and there. Some have vanished entirely though, strangely enough. An example is the Bottomless Swamp in eastern Hyrule Field, once a pit of quicksand-esque muck, giant bones, and a plethora of monsters. Now it’s a simple pond atop a hill, one that you’ll likely fall into without realizing it after falling from the tutorial sky islands. I know I shouldn’t be asking too many questions about why certain things happen in a world ruled by magic and magical machines, but I still wouldn’t mind an explanation of why they vanished.

But on the note of magical machines… the biggest question and criticism I have is regarding the notable absence of the guardian wreckage present all over Hyrule. Once strewn from corner to corner of Hyrule’s map in Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom doesn’t seem to boast a single piece of the Sheikah’s ancient technology, despite how prominently it featured in the game’s prequel. Towers, shrines, wrecked guardians, and even the Divine Beasts have vanished without a trace and, as far as I saw, without an explanation.

This feels strange to me, as though the developers simply decided to ignore the presence of these very important pieces of Hyrule’s history. It’s likely for the sake of avoiding confusion between Sheikah tech and Zonai tech, especially for players new to the franchise (or at least for those who skipped playing Breath of the Wild), but some acknowledgement would be appreciated. All we truly get in the sense of Sheikah technology is their modern adaptations. In the place of the Sheikah Slate, we get the Purah Pad (co-developed with Robbie, as the name might have you forget) and the new Skyview Towers which seem to be modern Sheikah takes on the old Sheikah Towers present in Breath of the Wild. And when referring to Breath of the Wild’s old plot, there are only a few cursory mentions in the early game, the character profiles, and in some odd side quests here and there. At this point, it feels somewhat like Breath of the Wild erasure, which doesn’t sit well with me.

But on the note of things forgotten—in-game that is—are the two other layers of the map that you’ll have the chance to explore: the Sky Islands and the Depths.

The Sky Islands are a smattering of Zonai-enchanted landmasses that dot the Hyrulean sky. I can only imagine these islands evaded detection by people for so long because they might’ve been up even higher in the sky or obscured by Zonai magic of some kind. The upheaval not only affected the land but also began to bring parts of these islands down too. I imagine they all descended somewhat during this, with a great many pieces of them falling, and continuing to fall, to the earth. The landed sky island pieces have done their part in effecting changes in the surface landscape, giving the familiar Hyrule some new variety. But travelling up to those still aloft gives you not only some interesting traversal conundrums using ancient Zonai tech and some classic Zelda puzzle-solving wit but also some fantastic vistas. Some of the best sequences in the game’s main quest also involve climbing to absurd heights on these sky islands, leaving you with an amazing sense of accomplishment when you realize that few, if any other living beings—even winged ones like the Rito, have been as far up as you have. And the best part is that these, along with the Skyview Towers that shoot you up to a fair altitude, give you the chance to skydive and paraglide all over Hyrule for easy mobility.

On the other end of the altitude spectrum are the anxiety-inducing Depths.

These aren’t your usual pithy little caves that you can go into, spend ten or twenty minutes plundering, and then return to the light of day without batting an eye. The depths are reached through noxious chasms that have opened up all around Hyrule that you have to skydive down through until you reach a massive underground that sprawls in all directions, spanning the entire map of Hyrule in a dark, horrific inverse. Yes, this is Tears of the Kingdom’s take on a Dark World that’s been seen in other games, though a bit less literal.

Swathed in patches of a nasty substance called Gloom, something that you and the populace of Hyrule cannot endure for long, traversing the Depths is a challenge in and of itself. You’ll have to use your resources to not only make your way but also light your way through it. Thankfully, you’ll find inert landmarks in the Depths called Lightroots that you can activate to create beacons to light this dismal landscape. And as you light more and more, you’ll come to recognize that the Depths really are an inverted reflection of the Hyrule you know and love above. Its topography is a reflection of Hyrule’s. Mountains on the surface are treacherously deep ravines in the Depths, often containing abandoned Zonai mining facilities. Landmarks such as towns have formerly occupied Zonai forges beneath them in the Depths, and even the Lightroots connect back up to shrine locations above (and even the names of the Lightroots are inverted from the names of their surface-world counterparts). A skilled navigator will either be able to use the surface map to guide them to new light beacons below based on shrines they visited or find hidden shrines on the surface thanks to Lightroots they’ve already seen below. The connection between the Depths and the surface is amazing and adds so much more to it.

That said, I felt like I often went point-to-point through the Depths because I didn’t feel there was much to it besides a few notable landmarks. Aside from some bosses hanging around in designated places, a few Yiga Clan bases, some mines where I could farm Zonaite ore, and a few story-driven locations, the Depths lost a lot of its charm to me in the latter half of the game since I could easily tell from revealed maps whether a place had anything of note or not. While this and the sky nearly tripled the space you could explore in-game, most of the Depth’s appeal came from your initial, blind, bewildered, and terrified explorations of it. Once this veil was lifted, the Depths began to feel a lot emptier, with its only trials being its many difficult-to-traverse cliffs and Gloom-filled expanses. The sky avoided this pitfall by having only sparse landmasses above Hyrule, leaving each sporadic encounter up there segmented between portions of the game as I travelled about and left me looking forward to each time I’d ascend to those heights.

But one thing that all three layers of this map do is make Hyrule feel like a cohesive whole, despite being three separate sections. The borders between the sky and Hyrule is only limited by your tools and what assets you have on the surface (i.e. the Skyview Towers or fallen islands you can recall back upward), and your passage to the Depths is facilitated by many chasms available to you. Despite the very contrasting tones between the sky islands, the surface, and the Depths, they all still feel very much linked, giving variety to a massive world that I enjoyed exploring every corner of.

Thank the goddesses there aren’t Koroks in the Depths though…

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Playing with Tears

One of Tears of the Kingdom’s main accomplishments is expanding on gameplay already found in Breath of the Wild and making it fresh and new once again. The Sheikah runes are gone with the Sheikah slate (save for the camera and teleportation functionality in the new Purah Pad… and amiibos if you want to use them), replaced with your strange new arm’s powers of Recall, Ultrahand, Fuse, and Ascend. It’s not an exaggeration to say that these things turn how you approach challenges in this world on their head.

The world encourages you to take interesting or unique approaches to tackle challenges. How were you going to scale a mountain? How are you going to raid that Bokoblin camp? Do you want to send a Korok to space? Now you can answer all of these questions that plagued you in Breath of the Wild—maybe not that last one, but the internet seems to have latched on that last one with this sequel—in entirely new ways in Tears of the Kingdom.

In quick summation, the Recall power turns back time for objects you target. Ultrahand allows you to pick up, move, and attach anything to just about anything, letting folks make those ridiculous mechas that you’ve probably seen online. Fuse lets you fuse weapons with various things in your inventory or in the world to good, great, or comical effect. And Ascend is the godsend to those who wanted to climb mountains in the rain by letting you travel upward through objects to their peaks in a fraction of the time.

Me? I preferred breaking puzzles in shrines and elsewhere by combinations of Ultrahand and Recall. I also found it particularly helpful for getting a decent launch for my flying machines when I didn’t have a nice runway: just Ultrahand the plane into the air, hold it there for a moment, bring it back down, get on board, recall it up into the air, start your machine, end the recall, and presto, you’re already flying!

I’ve heard and seen so many more ways people have been creatively using—and abusing—these abilities. The fact the game fosters so much creativity through these abilities is fantastic, and the fact they’re so often used in conjunction for puzzle solving, conventional or otherwise, is very satisfying. At least, until one puzzle comes along that makes me feel like a complete dumbass. But that’s usually followed up by another puzzle I completely break that makes me feel like a genius. This game continuously bounced back and forth along that spectrum.

I do have a couple of complaints about these abilities. The first of these is that, compounded with other new and existing abilities and actions, there are so many features and actions you perform that you must learn the button combinations for. Maybe it’s a combination of the facts that I played Breath of the Wild on the WiiU or that I’m getting old, but I felt like it nearly took me twenty hours to finally master the controls. All that time leading up to it, I felt like I was becoming inordinately frustrated with accessing Link’s abilities, especially in tense combat or tightly timed scenarios. My other complaints are far more minor: I felt like the range of Ultrahand was woefully short on the vertical axis compared to the horizontal axes, and I often felt like Ascend’s targeting was very touchy and had its range deliberately altered in certain places to keep it from working in certain shrines and the like. That last complaint is a bit iffy and might just be a matter of biased perspective on my part though.

Combat and conventional travel (i.e. climbing, running, etc.) is effectively the same as Breath of the Wild’s, though you’ll certainly be doing a lot more flying and skydiving thanks to the aforementioned Sheikah towers, which is quite convenient. The other main differences in travel came through the use of vehicles (which were fun, but I still tended to prefer exploring on foot or on horseback when possible to avoid missing features and secrets) and a few special low-gravity areas in the sky—places where I, even having finished the game, still cannot estimate proper jump distance if my life depended on it.

Comparatively, the main differences in combat come from how you fuse weapons and how you use them in combat. As well, weapons now have classes that come with certain special bonuses or features (improved flurry rushes, quicker spin attacks, extra damage at low durability, etc.). While I never made much use of these weapon class features, I’m sure those much more resourceful and into the combat side of the game will be much better at manipulating these concepts to great effect. It’s an addition of depth that didn’t benefit me, but it’s good that something was added in that sense.

Just as I did in Breath of the Wild, I found early-game combat difficult with how enemies could easily one-shot me. While I know enemies scale depending on how many you kill, there appeared (at least to my reckoning) to be areas where higher-scaled enemies appeared. This was most apparent to me when was when I was dealing with Red and Blue Bokoblins on Hyrule Field, only to find hordes of Black Bokoblins waiting for me on the Great Plateau. I found myself having to rush the Great Fairy quests so I could upgrade my armour sooner rather than later. Nothing is more frustrating to me than having to fight enemies perfectly, or else suffer one attack that puts me down for good. Sure, I could stick to the game’s encouraged path with easier enemies, but this game is designed to be an open world to encourage exploring. I love doing just that, but I felt like I was being punished for doing so.

Of course, I could’ve avoided that by building a mecha or an orbital death laser with the new Zonai tech, but I didn’t get around to that in my playthrough. It’s something I look forward to experimenting with in the future.

Regarding the foes you face, one of my biggest complaints about Breath of the Wild was a lack of enemy diversity. Thankfully, that’s been improved upon in Tears of the Kingdom with the addition of monsters like Like Likes, Gibdos, and Gleeoks. I still think it’s a bit of a thin roster compared to many other Zelda games, but I appreciate that we get to see new takes on classic Zelda enemies. Like Likes fixing themselves on walls waiting for prey to come nearby, and being so damn animated about it when they do, was a great touch—even they are a bit gross. Gibdos’ new format as walking corpses meshed with a vaguely insectoid nature was highly unnerving, especially when they start skittering on the ground—or goddesses forbid, gain wings. (As a side note, I found out about the existence of Winged Gibdos before meeting any Gibdos by upgrading my armour at a Great Fairy when I saw “Gibdo Wings” as a required item. Suffice it to say, not only was foreshadowing of one of my most feared enemies being in the game enough to unsettle me, but the fact they were implied to have wings also had me wondering what actual hell was awaiting me later in the game.) Gleeoks were always intense fights in this game, especially in the last phase whenever they decided to ascend high into the sky and do their massive area-of-effect attacks. Fights like those will be among the most memorable parts of Tears of the Kingdom for me.

Fuck Horriblins, though. They’re weird, annoying, I hate the noises they make, and they fucked me up with rocks when I was doing an early-game exploration of Hyrule Castle’s lower ruins. That said, I’m totally going to use them against my Zelda D&D group when I DM. Also, the Gloom Hands jumpscared me the first time I saw them. And my stomach dropped when I defeated them for the first time, only to find out they turned into Phantom Ganon.

Temples made a return in this game, but not quite in the way I expected. The sections leading up to them, especially the ones in the Gerudo and Hebra regions, were fantastic. And those same two temples, the Lightning and Wind Temples respectively, were stellar dungeons. The Fire Temple boasted some brain-breaking puzzles for me, but I managed to figure them out after some pondering. Conversely, the Water Temple was fairly simple, and perhaps the weakest of the set for me.

Aesthetically, however, all the temples were unique and well-defined, making them all memorable. It should be noted that you also travel into each one with a companion, each of which is essential for you to traverse and complete the dungeon in some way. Ever since the introduction of companion dungeons in Wind Waker, I’ve always found have always them to be a great twist on the dungeon formula, and I’m glad they were prominent in this game. However, one part of the formula present in these dungeons that I didn’t care for was carried over from the Divine Beasts of Breath of the Wild: objective points. Having to find and access all these different terminals made sense in the Divine Beasts, given their mechanical nature.

Some of these temples managed to integrate this concept better than others. The Wind Temple was essentially a ship with a massive door on its deck that you needed to align gears to open. Activating all the objective points made sense there. Since it was the first dungeon I completed, I didn’t pay this much mind. But as soon as I saw the gongs and the gate in the Fire Temple, I knew this was going to be a trend, and I found myself groaning because this meant the gameplay was going to become predictable in dungeons.

One of the things I love about Zelda dungeons, historically, is that each one had its own niche or feature that made it unique from the others. The Forest Temple in Ocarina of Time had the poe sisters stealing the fire from torches you needed to reach the boss. The Temple of Time in Twilight Princess had you controlling a statue to navigate a route you already traversed, completely recontextualizing an otherwise linear dungeon. Eagle’s Tower in Link’s Awakening had you crush an entire floor with another floor by knocking out its supports. Dungeons with unique features and progression give great variety within the games and even the dungeons themselves.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t help but feel like each dungeon in Tears of the Kingdom began with the same “hit x objectives” concept and was built from there. Certainly, the puzzles you solved, the bosses you fought, and the aesthetics of all the dungeons are unique between each, but the experience of unfurling the logic of a dungeon is one of the biggest appeals to me in Zelda games. If all it boils down to is activating X number of switches and then heading to the boss, then I feel that takes away a lot from the dungeon-delving experience. I think part of it—and this is something of a recurring theme that I’ll also touch on in the story-section of this reflection—is due to the fact this is an open-world game that allows you to tackle the dungeons in any order. Thus, some level of uniformity in terms of both execution and difficulty is expected. This means the open-world model takes away from the potential the dungeons have to offer.

Even with all of that, some dungeons did scratch itches that I found lacking in the last game. The biggest example for me is the Lightning Temple, my clear favourite of all four major dungeons. It had that amazing Indiana Jones/The Mummy vibe associated with a desert dungeon that I absolutely loved. While the objective-based gameplay was on full display here, I liked how there was a sort of “prologue” to the dungeon through a first encounter with the boss before we even set foot inside, followed up by traversing a dark, trap-filled basement, before finally ascending to a tall central chamber where our exploration went from linear to open. It was a very well-narrated dungeon in that sense, especially with it concluding with a rematch with the dungeon’s boss who we couldn’t finish off at the beginning.

Beyond the game’s main dungeons, the game re-used the concept of shrines to fill in the gap left by the game’s fewer number of dungeons compared to other games in the series, much like Breath of the Wild did. While I didn’t mind shrines in either this game or Breath of the Wild, this felt to me like another re-used concept from Breath of the Wild that had me wondering if the developers could’ve taken a different direction to challenge players when providing them opportunities to upgrade their health/stamina. Could we have gotten additional full dungeons, even if they were optional ones not in line with the game’s plot, or could the caves introduced into this game world have been expanded into more complex, developed dungeons themselves with similar puzzles and rewards? Could the Depths have been filled with their own dungeons (aside from the Spirit Temple that was essentially just a boss fight room)? I feel like there were possibilities that could’ve been explored but weren’t since they decided to default back to shrines. While I didn’t necessarily tire of shrines, I feel like I could’ve easily, were it not for the great decision to make a lot more shrines of the “blessing” variety simply for completing a challenge to either reveal or reach it. I appreciated the unique challenges the world put before you for shrines that were the reward rather than the challenge. This was especially satisfying in how the many crystal shrine quests rewarded you by having the crystal turn into the shrine—a brilliant touch, honestly.

In terms of the game’s technical performance, I did witness a few framerate slowdowns and witnessed some distant moving objects moving at slow framerates. However, these issues were generally few and far between, confirming for me my suspicions for critiques I made on other open-world games like Legends Arceus and Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: that the Switch can render such vast games beautifully and with decent framerates if the devs are given ample time to properly polish and optimize their games. Further, I never encountered a single glitch, contrasting the few I did see in the two aforementioned games.

Overall, Tears of the Kingdom’s gameplay soared high overhead of Breath of the Wild’s. It’s not perfect, but it’s a great accomplishment overall. It took me some time to get used to the abilities (and the controls), but once it went smoothly and I got some upgrades to my armour, I felt I could very expertly navigate and fight my way through Hyrule. That late-game feeling where you are armed and armoured to the teeth and ready to go mess up Ganondorf and his toughest minions is definitely one I enjoyed in Tears of the Kingdom. Not to mention the fact you can accrue companions to fight alongside you in regular gameplay. It wasn’t until this game that I realized I wanted a Zelda party RPG.

But for all the innovations that came with this game, is letting us pet the dogs at the stables so difficult?

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The Kingdom’s Tearful Music

Tears of the Kingdom follows faithfully in the footsteps of its predecessor when it comes to its musical style. Considering it’s a sequel with many of the same themes and expands on the already existing world, it makes sense the music follows suit too. This means that, until you get yourself into some intense situations and story-driven sections, you’ll be soothed with familiar tunes as you explore this still very untamed iteration of Hyrule. However, when the stakes are high, the music drives that tension up even further, making for some catchy compositions and enhancing those memorable moments in the game.

I will say, at the onset, that I was a bit disappointed that the general world themes are exactly as they were in Hyrule. Just as I critiqued the lack of Hyrule’s reclamation by its people, the world’s ambient music hasn’t advanced much, if at all. Your foot and horseback travel music in regions of comfortable climates is that same, pause-filled, broken-up sets of piano notes that, while evocative of the setting, don’t drive a lot of excitement. Similarly, the music pieces for areas of extreme heat and cold use the same music as Breath of the Wild, which I’ve always found to be a bit understated and repetitive.

That isn’t to say that having musical connections back to Breath of the Wild isn’t always a bad thing, music-wise. In fact, some of the best compositions in Tears of the Kingdom are best served with little doses of musical nostalgia. In the game, for each major settlement threatened by some variation of Ganondorf’s corruption, there’s a subdued, off-putting, downtrodden variation of its theme. The frozen Rito Village is tinged by echoing, icy sounds. Zora’s Domain’s pristine, elegant piano song fades in and out discordantly between the ambient sounds of muck. Goron City’s percussive tune is downplayed with worried notes left as unresolved as their plight. Gerudo Town’s catchy, desert tunes are lost to sombre tones between the sandy winds like the ghost town it’s become. Once you resolve these region’s dilemmas, you’ll find yourself returning to the familiar, reassuring musical suites of these settings that you know well from Breath of the Wild. I could critique it for not having these old compositions be iterated upon further in this game to differentiate it from their Breath of the Wild counterparts, but I think the goal was a restoration of the status quo that you managed to attain in Breath of the Wild. If that was the developers’ goal, they suitably accomplished it.

Returning from Breath of the Wild is its evolving, dynamic soundtrack as you progress through its dungeons. While I might’ve complained earlier about the objective-based gameplay of the dungeons, the music serves the heighten feelings of accomplishment as you progress from point to point. The dungeons’ music, as far as I can tell, have wholly original themes at the start, but soon bring in tones and musical phrases that will have you recognizing themes affiliated with the people of the region, your dungeon companion treading its dangers alongside you, and even the divine beasts of Breath of the Wild. These nostalgia hits, twined with new musical ideas, are one of the most potent parts of Tears of the Kingdom’s musical arsenal.

And, as Zelda games are no stranger to doing, the game’s music sets the mood of the scenes extraordinarily well. A haunting, droning sting as you descend into Depths through a chasm, truly prepares you for the terrifying experience of making your way through a dark, hostile domain. But if you want to talk about the cyclical connection of mood and setting in this game, one needs look no further than the game’s prologue to feel the dread the music intones as you descend into the lair of the imprisoned Ganondorf. Compare that to the end of the game when you find yourself returning to that same place while a haunting reprise of that song fills the air, confirming that you’ve found that dreadful place once again. And that same tone only evolves further and more intensely as you proceed beyond that chamber to find Ganondorf awaiting you.

But most unnerving and haunting are those strange, musical notes and phrases that almost feel like they’re vocalizations being played backwards (though I can’t confirm this as a fact, it just might be some sort of synthesized sound made to sound unnerving in that way), most of which are affiliated with the depths beneath the castle and with minions particularly connected to Ganondorf (namely the Gloom Hands, Phantom Ganon, and some small references in some of the major boss themes). I’m still wondering if it’s referring more to Ganondorf, to the Zonai because of the secret stone that Ganondorf stole, or to Rauru since that music first began playing when Rauru sealed Ganondorf with that fateful strike of his arm.

While not all the music in the game embodies the musical evolution I spoke of earlier, the overall soundtrack of this game is stellar and memorable. I love the connections it forges with Breath of the Wild through its music, though it certainly makes me wish the same parallel held in the setting regarding references to Sheikah tech, divine beasts, and other staples from the last game. Even so, Tears of the Kingdom’s haunting soundtrack will be one I’ll be revisiting often, perhaps more so than the game itself.

By the way, the Wind Temple has the best theme, hands down. And the music playing while you climb up the ascending sky islands toward it serves as the perfect intro. But for mood, nothing hits like the Descending into Gloom’s Lair track just before you fight an army Ganondorf sends at you before finally getting a crack at the man himself.

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A Tear-Wrenching Story

Don’t let this section’s title fool you: I mean this in the best way possible. Tears of the Kingdom’s story will not just tug at your heartstrings but strum them like an acoustic guitar.

While I certainly hoped and dreamed this game would let us play with Link and Zelda as a team (or even just as Zelda, if only for a bit), I knew not to expect anything so wonderful. Even so, I didn’t expect how strongly I would resonate with Zelda’s epic. In a way, I think hers was the more prominent plot in the story over the one you played with Link, despite them being entwined quite gracefully at the beginning and the end.

We began the story with Link and Zelda exploring the depths beneath Hyrule Castle, only to stumble upon an awakening Ganondorf who already seemed to know them. Only moments later, he unleashed his power, destroying the Master Sword, grievously wounding Link’s arm, and sending Zelda plummeting into the darkness along with him. Link makes a desperate bid to grab her with his corrupted arm, but can’t quite make it in time before she vanishes with the new stone she’s attained from the arm that was previously holding Ganondorf at bay. Said arm is the only reason Link doesn’t fall to his own death, leaving us to wake up an unspecified amount of time later with that new arm replacing our old, corrupted one. Meanwhile, on the world below, the Upheaval has taken place, leaving Hyrule changed yet again and opening routes to the Depths and the sky islands.

On these first sky islands, we’re guided by Rauru, a Zonai and the apparent first King of Hyrule, on our tutorial sky islands after a fantastic opening cut of the title. My immediate response to this was to comment on the parallels between this scenario and the Great Plateau tutorial in Breath of the Wild. We’re even guided by a king of old through it all. This initially led me to worry if the game would simply be retreading the steps of Breath of the Wild and wouldn’t break any new ground. In some ways, my fears were validated by how we were directed to four regions of the map to address problems, just as we had to address the matters of the divine beasts in Breath of the Wild. To further those concerns, we also found out about the geoglyphs and had to collect memories for those, just as we had to visit certain locations for memories in Breath of the Wild. While I was confident the gameplay was evolving at this early point in the game, I was worried the formula of storytelling was going to be delivering a rehash of what we’d seen in the prequel to Tears of the Kingdom.

While the method of story delivery turned out to be similar, I was glad to find out the story itself was anything but.

What we got was a heartbreaking vision into the distant past of the fledgling kingdom of Hyrule in its infancy and the origin of the Ganondorf threat through Zelda’s memories. After being flung back into the past, Zelda found herself in the care of Rauru and Sonia, the first King and Queen of Hyrule respectively. While a stranger in time, Princess Zelda found, what I believe, to be a new father and mother figure in them, as they were both kind and nurturing while taking Zelda into their care. They did everything they could to help her find a way home, but that effort fell by the wayside as Ganondorf treacherously slew Sonia and stole her secret stone, a Zonai relic capable of amplifying a person’s existing power. From there, Ganondorf became a menacing, world-ending threat. It was only by Rauru’s sacrifice after the collaboration of six sages that Ganondorf was sealed away. I couldn’t help but feel for Zelda in both these losses she suffered, as it felt much like her losing yet another set of parental figures.

But of course, even that sacrifice wouldn’t be enough, as Zelda knew well that Ganondorf would awaken, having seen it before she was cast back into the past. She gleaned her purpose once she received the broken Master Sword Link sent her from the future near the beginning of the game, and realized that she had to capitalize on its potential to absorb her holy power through the millennia. And for that, she had to make a sacrifice that likely broke the heart of every Zelda fan far and wide: she had to swallow her secret stone, cast away her very sense of self, and become an immortal dragon.

This is where we connect back to the story in the present. Now, here’s the part where things get tricky because of the open-world nature of the game. The pacing of the storytelling, and the order in which you learn parts of the story, are determined by the player. Make no mistake, this story is intricately and beautifully told. But if you find the glyphs in the wrong order as I did, it betrays some of the plot earlier than it should and lessens the impact somewhat. I still had my heart crushed, thankfully—weird to say, but yes, I am thankful about it—by the scene where Zelda made her sacrifice, but I found out about it far sooner than I should’ve, in my opinion, because I was collecting glyphs faster than I needed to and out of chronological order. Moreover, I had only completed three of the four regional phenomena by the time I finished the glyph-based memories (only the Gerudo left to go). It feels like, based on dialogue from Mineru (the Spirit Sage and the fifth you find), that the revelation of the Master Sword, and its reclamation, should’ve come after you helped her. I certainly think that learning about Zelda’s sacrifice at that moment would’ve had the best impact from a storytelling perspective. Don’t get me wrong, climbing, step by step, up Zelda’s long, draconic back to find the Master Sword completely revitalized atop her head was a stunning moment. But I feel like it could’ve happened at a better time in my playthrough for the best potential catharsis.

But that’s the pitfall that comes with open-world games trying to tell a compelling story. And, to return to my earlier critique about this game’s recycled story delivery method, this is why the plot is divided between what we do in the present and what Zelda does in the past. This is why the game has us search around for memories and why these regional phenomena are delivered to us in the same way as before Breath of the Wild’s divine beast quests. Don’t get me wrong, they adapt this method of telling Zelda’s story very well. Creating a compelling story with a time loop without making it convoluted or confusing is a difficult task at best and a foolhardy one at worst. But they executed it beautifully. Unfortunately, the developers have to rely on the player to see it in a particular way for the best impact.

This also impacts the story and gameplay of Link’s journey in the present too. We’re encouraged to go to Hebra first, Eldin second, Zora’s Domain third, and the Gerudo Desert last. This doesn’t necessarily affect any major storytelling issues, but the enemy scaling issues I mentioned earlier in this reflection end up coming into play, potentially hindering player experience if they choose to go to another of the regions first, and especially if they wanted to do the Gerudo first. What’s more, the biggest flaw in storytelling in this regional-phenomena, open-world approach is that each cutscene after a dungeon with your companion essentially retold the same story over and over, making it feel much less impactful after the first sage you empowered. If the game were more linear, each sage could add a new detail that slowly unveils the true nature of that battle with Ganondorf, or potentially other moments in the past with Zelda.

Further, while I think splitting the journeys of Zelda and Link works well for this game’s story since it was explicitly built around the concept of time travel, the split between perspectives of Zelda and Link in the past and future respectively does create a feeling of non-involvement for the player—or it did for me at least. This is only a minor issue for me in Tears of the Kingdom because of how the story is framed, but I felt this in Breath of the Wild too, since it felt like all the major, exciting events took place in the past, while I was cleaning up after it in the future. I do wonder if I would have these reservations in Tears of the Kingdom if we didn’t already have to do that in Breath of the Wild. It would feel like a fresher, novel experience that the story was curated around in this newer game. While the story does feel curated around it now, I’m still dealing with the lingering sense of repetition due to Tears of the Kingdom’s story delivery matching that of Breath of the Wild.

But these are minor complaints in an otherwise fantastically told story. It just leaves me wondering how much more involved in the story I would be if it were a more linearly-oriented game. How much harder would Zelda’s sacrifice hit me if I didn’t see a particular memory first that tipped me off on what was happening? I’ll never truly know. All I know is that, while Breath of the Wild’s open-world gameplay is wonderful, it does have an impact on how these stories are told. After two of these games, I feel like I may want to go back to a more traditional method of experiencing a Zelda story: one where Link is more directly involved with events with Zelda and where the story unfolds at a set pace with events in order.

There are a few gaps in the story I wished were filled in too. The time gap between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom remains unclear, as does the time gap between when the Upheaval starts on Ganondorf’s release and when we awaken with our new arm and begin the game properly. I would also love to know more about the ancient sages who help us awaken their counterparts in our time. They each wear a helmet resembling one of the divine beasts—again, why this connection to the previous game without any evidence of the divine beasts or guardians in the sequel’s world—and not much is told about them beyond their duty. Considering the King is named Rauru, I wonder if their names would line up with the names of other sages to match the divine beasts’ names: Medli for Vah Medoh, Darunia for Vah Rudania, Ruto for Vah Ruta, and Nabooru for Vah Naboris. I also wonder if this decision to keep them shrouded in mystery was to keep the focus on the modern sages since I feel like the new champions were overshadowed by their predecessors in Breath of the Wild (tell me how many of you think of Revali or Teba first, for example). Or maybe there will be DLC to expand on these sages in the future. There are plenty of other small questions I wished were answered, but that’s me being detailed-oriented and fussy, so I can’t complain too much about it.

But even with all my reservations and concerns, I still have to say, this story was one of the most compelling Zelda stories to date. And, to be perfectly honest, its ending dethroned my longstanding favourite from The Wind Waker. I thought that nothing would be able to upstage Link driving the Master Sword into Ganondorf’s head and sealing him beneath an ocean while the King of Red Lions decides to die with his kingdom once and for all, leaving Link and Zelda to make their own kingdom free of the past.

But…

The cyclical ending of Tears of the Kingdom cannot be ignored. Zelda being flung to the past, enduring the ages to bring us the revitalized Master Sword. Ganondorf eating his own stone in a desperate bid to defeat Link, whereas Zelda ate hers in devotion to Link and their cause to defeat Ganondorf ages before. The battle of dragons in the skies above Hyrule after our duel with him in the deepest reaches of the earth. Crawling up the back of Ganondorf’s demonic dragon form to strike him down in contrast to the tender nature with which Link strode up Zelda’s draconic back to find the Master Sword on her head. And then finally, once he’s defeated, Link skydiving to catch the now undraconified Zelda falling to earth—all while the game’s main theme plays, transitioning to a triumphant reprise of Zelda’s lullaby—before catching and saving her after we failed to at the beginning of the game. And at last, seeing Zelda’s sweet smile, reminiscent of the one she gave at the end of Breath of the Wild, as she tells us she’s home. The cycle is complete. The ouroboros of the title logo is fulfilled. I even got my wish, in a small sense, for Link and Zelda to work as a team during this game, thanks to that final fight.

I haven’t yelled at a video game in such excitement in a long time as I did when I was desperately diving toward Zelda to catch her. It was an iconic moment in gaming for me that I won’t forget for a long, long time.

--

A Reflection on Tears

So, given the good, the bad, and the confusing, what did I think of Tears of the Kingdom overall?

Well, its good facets certainly outweigh any critiques I can make about it. I explained at the beginning of this reflection that I may have some feelings towards Nintendo now that may lead me to be more critical of their products, even though I try to divorce those feelings from the work of art that is this game. It’s not something that I can do easily or perfectly. I wonder if I’d be able to overlook the game’s issues otherwise, or if these criticisms are a result of the person I am now compared to how I once looked at games like A Link to the Past back when I first played them as a starry-eyed child.

Regardless, no matter what I can say about it, there’s no denying that so much love and hard work went into Tears of the Kingdom. It was built on the foundation that Breath of the Wild lay first, but it undoubtedly surpassed and expanded on it in ways that cannot be quantified. I had my frustrations with it, sure, but there was so much more that sucked me into it, made me smile, made me gasp, made me hold my breath, made me shout, and made me laugh.

This world you see, the way you travel through it, the way you hear it through its sounds and music, and the story it tells, are nothing short of astonishing. Not perfect but astonishing all the same.

I look forward to continuing my journey in Tears of the Kingdom, discovering those last 12 Bubbulfrogs—hell no to the Koroks though—and their elusive caves, finding the last few bits of armour I’m missing, and wishing I could put a roof on my house near Tarrey Town.

And yes, this game did make me shed a tear or two. It would’ve been a travesty if Tears of the Kingdom didn’t live up to its name.

[luciddreamingstuff]

Niche Under the Magnifying Glass Lamp

If there is one thing I can take away from being in some smaller fandoms, or niche hobbies: You take what you can get and There are people out there who need their medical bills paid for carrying the fandom on their backs.

My two babies are the Lego Monkie Kid:

If you loved Lego Ninjago as a kid and still do to this day, I highly recommend this show. You can find the first couple of seasons on Amazon Prime. Seasons 3 and 4 are gonna be a bit more difficult, and this is what I mean by some needing their medical bills paid. Because the only reason I was able to keep up with the show with it being poorly marketed and dubbing is slow, folks came together to not only find the episodes, but also do their damnedest to fan sub these. I've already written a post about this show and why you need to watch it somewhere on this blog. Anyways, my next baby, and the one I have sunk so much money into already, is Zoids:

Most would be familiar with Chaotic Century or New Century Zero, as the Liger Zero (not depicted here) is the poster boy of the franchise. And with the 40th anniversary upon us, I'm glad I get to experience this niche franchise/hobby in general (My wallet not so much). I say that as I have a few kits that are sadly yet to be built. Right, Zoids if you don't know, started out as a sort of model kit toy line-up with a whole story between two warring factions and the mechanical beings known as Zoids. Most of it takes place on Planet Zi, with the exception being Zoids Wild Zero (and I swear to the gods above, I have been trying to watch this series for years now but finding episodes has been extremely tricky. That or I have just been extremely unlucky.)

Anyways, all that aside, insert here how even small fandoms have their problems and blah blah blah. But in general, I found the hardest part of being in smaller communities is mainly finding the content for them. Again, Zoids just isn't a big thing here in the States, so finding kits can be a little hit or miss. I say this as someone who fell into the pit trap of knockoffs (three to be exact.) and yeah, still new to all of this, only started building the kits recently. And as for Lego Monkie Kid, thankfully the internet exists, and the dedicated fans who work their asses off to find episodes and get them translated? Hats off to you my friends and thank you for all you do. It's always so exciting when you find someone out in the wild, so to speak, who knows about some of these smaller properties. And again, just being in these smaller fandoms, you have a slightly different perspective on Things you wouldn't think about being in bigger fandoms. I never thought I would be building model kits because of my horrible coordination and the fact that a disability I have makes it a little difficult to handle the tiny pieces. But then I discovered Zoids: New Century Zero on youtube some odd years ago and then learned about the model kits. Liger Zero was the first kit I got. Sadly him and my knockoff Mugen Liger took a tumble and are now in Model kit hospital trying to fix the broken parts. And even now, I still hunt for new kits, droll over some I could never hope to own. And I've rewatched Zoids Genesis at least 4 or 5 times now. And before anyone says anything, Yes I have seen Chaotic Century, and I do love it, don't get me wrong. But my favorite Zoid happens to be the Murasame Liger and its evolts. So you can imagine why I would watch Genesis a few more times than the others. And then there's Lego Monkie Kid. See, I loved Lego Ninjago as a kid, always diving into each episode and recording them on the VCR to see anything I missed. And then one day, scrolling through TikTok, I came across some clips of this new Lego animation that was essentially a sequel (I'm not calling it a fanfiction, I swear to the gods I refuse) Of Journey to the West. Which I learned about through Overly Sarcastic Productions. And doing my usual thing, now that I know how to surf the um . . . Okay let's be real here, pirating sites for cartoons and then Amazon Prime for this show. It was so easy to catch up on and the animation was eye candy, the characters and story were amazing, sound design and all.

Anyways, if you made it this far into my rambles, I applaud you and hope I convinced you to go searching around the deeper waters a bit. After all, you never know what you're going to find. Whether it be a gold mine, okay but still a guilty pleasure, the downright bad, or just the strange of the strange. Either way, happy exploring and I'll see you on the other side.

[i-did-not-mean-to]

The Diary of Jane Doe - Part IV

@melkors-big-tits Your wish is my command, friend...

So here's the shopping trip and Jane's consequent meltdown.

-> Part III

Words: 1,4k

Warnings: blood, vomit, paint, tortured children, theft...the usual chaos

October 20th - Part II

In the end, she nursed her mug despondently while her guests got a literal thimble full of the watery, disgusting brew each.

Melkor had promised that he’d make her life more interesting and – before the day had even started – she had skipped work, gotten dressed without wearing undergarments, and had extinguished the beginning of a housefire; this was not at all what she had had in mind, but it was better than nothing.

“Your flat is horrendous,” the sharp-tongued poppet hissed. “Let me take care of that.”

Apparently, she had gotten herself a tiny interior designer on top of the off-brand devil, Jane thought vaguely but nodded to keep the peace. 

Getting a still awfully naked Melkor and his haunted doll lieutenant to get into her formless purse was another fight she’d never thought she’d ever have but – after a few minutes of screaming and stomping – she finally left her flat, the bat still snuggling against her throat and the uncomfortably hot lizard draped over her shoulder.

As she caught a glimpse of herself in the large mirror in the foyer of her building, she had to admit that she looked 100% more interesting and edgier now than she had upon returning from work the previous afternoon.

“That one!” Melkor cried excitedly and pointed at a very large – incredibly expensive – dollhouse on a small dais; Jane – who had hitherto been a very easily recognisable spinster – felt somewhat uncomfortable sneaking through a toy shop, talking to her purse, as if she was out on a stroll through a park after dark.

No doubt, the shopkeeper was on the verge of calling the cops on the crazy lady who either wanted to steal a wild array of doll clothes and accessories or was about to have an epic meltdown.

“We’d have to redecorate though,” Thuri opined from her shoulder and Jane looked around frantically; it would not help her case if someone heard her talk to herself in different voices on top of slinking around as if she was about to rob the First National Bank.

Hence, after fleeing the shop as if she had indeed stuffed a garish pink Barbie bed down her shockingly absent panties, Jane took her resident plagues to the crafting supplies where they chose paints, fabrics, and an alarming amount of sharp or pointy items that she should have refused to buy.

Jane was notoriously bad at denying anyone anything though – which made it such a lucky coincidence that people seldom wanted anything from her – and she found that she was terrified of the distressingly pretty doll-like creature who didn’t stop glaring at her.

Finally, she stuffed all of them into her bag and closed it before trying to look as inconspicuous as possible upon entering the pet shop to purchase a terrarium for what she still surmised was some kind of reptile and an aviary cage for her cuddly bat.

“Do you have pets?” the pimply youngster at the register asked incredulously.

“I would not exactly call them pets,” Jane replied evasively, hiding her bag at the foot of the counter as it had started writhing and seething with indignation. “They’re unholy demons who have come into my life quite unexpectedly.”

“Ah yes,” he laughed, “that’s what we hear from a lot of customers. Just make sure they’re well-fed and are kept in circumstances as close to their natural habitat as possible.”

She shrugged. “Hell?” 

He chuckled again and gave her some live insects as a treat to feed her demons.

“I’m pretty sure they eat souls,” Jane sighed, “raw and unseasoned, but thanks anyway.” 

Jane had never hastened home – a cold, empty, and impersonal place even in her own assessment – as quickly and desperately before.

When she turned out her bag though, she discovered that they had somehow managed to actually swipe quite a few things, for which nobody had any use, just for the fun of it.

Exhausted and still suffering from the consequences of her inebriation, Jane crumbled onto her sofa and closed her eyes; maybe, she deserved to be mangled and devoured whole by the accursed powers she had allowed to enter her world. 

It was either that or prison if she didn’t manage to lock them up safely.

“Lady,” Melkor called, “can you come help?”

When she looked up, she saw that he was gnawing on the cap of a pot of paint and so she rushed back to the table to set up the supplies so they could immediately disfigure and ruin the pristine dollhouse she had gutted her savings for.

“My name is Jane, by the way,” she informed them weakly. “Jane Doe, the destroyer of worlds.”

“Can I have some of those snacks they gave you?” Thuri asked in a seductive purr, flitting up to nestle on her shoulder once more and rubbing her fuzzy head against her neck.

Despite her exhaustion, she set up the heat lamp for Gothmog and got the box of insects. They promptly ripped it open, and a feeding frenzy ensued in which one lamp, two cushions, and a number of knickknacks were knocked over and destroyed.

Finally, all the wily prey was caught and consumed messily while Jane picked up shards and feathers wearily. 

Just as she thought that it could not get worse and that she had to at least try to throw them out of the window, the ear-rending screeching of her neighbour’s hellions started like the alarm sirens of hell come to earth.

Jane groaned.

“Is this a problem you’d seek the Dark Lord’s assistance for?” Melkor asked suavely, having seen her eyes stray to the window more than once in the last few minutes. 

She shrugged; she had almost forgotten that they were supposed to help her and not ruin her life beyond repair.

“Let’s earn our keep,” Melkor called and let his twinkling gaze wander around the room until it settled on the vent Jane shared with the next unit. “Jane, would you be so kind to give us a boost?”

She knew it was wrong, deep within her miserable heart she was aware of it, but she did as she was told and – within a single heartbeat – they were gone.

Getting a tub of ice cream out of the freezer, she rolled up on the couch again and waited for the wailing and screeching to rise to a deafening crescendo.

She did not have to hold her breath for long; soon, a deafening cry arose and panicked howling poured like a physical deluge from the dark opening through which she had just sent her personal curse.

“Ewwwww, are those live bugs?” someone screamed. Apparently, Thuri could regurgitate her dinner on command, of course she could, Jane thought and buried her face into a ripped-up pillow.

“Something bit me!” another voice complained. “Catch it! What was that?”

“Get it out of my hair!” – “My pearls!” – “Shoo, shoo!”

Jane frowned; they had been on their best behaviour for her, it seemed to her now as she heard what chaos and destruction they could unleash within a few short moments if they truly let loose.

As the seconds ticked by, she started to worry about her strange guests and shoved a chair to the vent to peer into it carefully.

After what seemed like an eternity but couldn’t have been more than a few minutes, she saw them reappear and shimmy through the vent to drop into her waiting palms; they were covered in dust, hair, and a sticky fluid that smelled suspiciously like blood.

“Look what Mairon found,” Melkor cried happily and pointed at the jewels slung around the slender creature like ropes.

“Found?” Jane inquired severely.

“Yes, found, in a box, on a table, in a locked room. What of it?” Mairon snapped threateningly.

“What is this?” Gothmog had made his way to the couch and was sniffing at her ice cream before plunging his whole head into it; it turned out that a fire-demon-lizard and frozen cream were incompatible and his desperate tries to get to the cold treat before it could melt and evaporate was unsettling but endearing to witness.

“I guess,” Jane sighed, accepting that the dessert had also fallen prey to their unbridled chaos, “it’s bath time for you.”

All of them hissed and protested and Jane actually considered googling “How to bathe a fire demon” for a second before she decided that attracting the attention of the Secret Service would probably not be the best decision in her present situation. Would this day ever end?

Jane is a pitiful follower and a coward...She knows she should have called a priest, an exorcist, or the ghost busters but what does she do? She takes them shopping...

Oh...the poor woman; I expect more pity for her! She's never wanted any of that misery and she doesn't deserve to be tortured so!!!

Lots of love from me

-> Part V

[aspoonfuloffiction]

if they did adapt otwttw, would you want them to stick to the book or change anything? idk how well the water closet scene would be received lol

Well they did adapt the book—just with Anthony🙃😂

In actuality, if they adapted OTWTTW, I think they’d stray a bit from the book because lbr the book is wild and there’s way too much happening at all times lol. And also S8 would be the last season of the show which means it has to wrap up the other characters as well and send off the show cleanly.

And thats a lot for 8 episodes.

So I could see them cutting the Gregory/Hermione of it all-keeping the “triangle” strictly Gregory/Lucy/Arthur.

I kind of see them needing to fix Haselby’s character in general. Once upon a time someone asked me if I thought he was good queer representation I can’t find that ask but I don’t think it works for a modern audience-the idea of Haselby’s queerness being the reason for all this strife is kinda not great especially because its only in service of another hetero story. So I could see them reworking his story so its less passive and make him a bigger character.

Maybe Haselby plays the Hermione role and he’s at the dinner party already as Lucy’s fiancé and not so secretly in love with her brother.

The water closet scene I don’t think they have to change😬 and maybe this says more about what I’m ok with than what is objectively ok. But like tbh when I first read OTWTTW I didn’t find anything wrong with scene and was floored to discover people really dig into Gregory for it. Lucy was going to fall on the sword, Gregory asked for an hour to stop her from doing so. But he knew that Lucy was too selfless for her own good and would not selfishly wait an hour for even the possibility that she could be happy if there was any risk she mess this up for all involved parties. So he tied her to a water closet. But also after asking her if she did actually want this marriage and if she did telling her he’d leave.

Sooooo to answer your question I don’t really have a problem with this plot point and I don’t think its like Anthony’s marital coercion bit where it really needed to be changed. But if they wanted to clean it up anyway I think all Lucy has to do is agree to give Gregory an hour.

[frantzenandresen34]

One Will - Follow Up Of Man Has Only Love Will

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[its-deputy-caleb]

Hiii, could i have a request for how the gang members would react to meeting a historian or explorer in the wild?? thank you! I love your blogs sm!!

anon ily <3333 i went wayy overboard with these but i regret nothing bc this was soo cute and fun to write. I hope u enjoy and i made it gn for everyone. I only did the VDL boys for this but if enough ppl like it i might do the girls with something similar idk yet?

Dutch Van Der Linde

Dutch first laid eyes on you when you were hanging off the edge of a cliff after slipping when you got too close to the edge. He immediately ran over to you, helping you off the cliff and getting you settled back on your feet.

He seemed genuinely concerned and agreed to help you safely record the rock carving that was on the side of the cliff face, keeping you from falling.

You were a historian and had been studying these mysterious rock carvings after meeting an equally mysterious man, Francis Sinclair.

You didn’t see much of Dutch Van Der Linde after that until you ran into him again in Saint Denis in the saloon. He remembered who you were instantly and started up a conversation about your work where you chatted away for hours.

You became very close after that and he often accompanied you to Museums and fancy fundraisers that you were invited to.

He’d always get dressed up and complimented your finer outfits which was such a difference to the field gear you’d have on. You’d spend all night chatting away over nice champagne and dancing together before actually engaging with other guests but you didn’t have a care in the world with Dutch in your life.

Arthur Morgan

Arthur finds you standing in the middle of a field, flipping over rocks and staring numbly at what appeared to be a map in your hands.

When he approached you he soon learnt you were a young amateur explorer about to get your big break with a treasure hunt but you couldn’t find the gold bars for the life of you.

Arthur gave you a heart warming smile and held up a gold bar after retrieving it from his satchel having felt a little bad that he’d discovered it not a week before you.

The two of you laughed about it, calling yourself a fool for trying to find it for so long when it was clearly missing— the thought that someone took it clearly never crossed your mind.

Arthur was always a gentleman however and promised to make it up to you. After taking you to dinner and getting to know him better, you spent the next few days camping out and finding a new treasure together.

You travelled through caves and through valleys of flowers to find this treasure. Sometimes it was so beautiful that the two of you just stopped by a stream to let your horses rest and enjoy the scenery.

When you finally found the treasure you gave Arthur a big hug in excitement which caught him by surprised but he happily returned. He let you keep the treasure and wished you luck with more exploring but of course that wasn’t the last time you saw Arthur again.

Charles Smith

Charles meets you one day while you’re out surveying wildlife. You specialised in conservation, wanting to study and protect animal species.

Fresh out of the university from Saint Denis you’d been dying to get out of the confining city and explore the heartlands. That’s where a kind gentleman named Charles Smith had offered to protect you and show you around the herds of bison you’d taken to studying.

You spent days together riding the over the hills and following the herd as they travelled. While you were Charles told you all about his family and the respect and love they have for the beautiful creatures.

It was amazing the array of knowledge Charles knew about bison and you couldn’t stop the smile on your face as he told you about the characteristics of the bison. You rushed to take notes in your journal, knowing that all that he told you would help you study and protect these animals.

“Do you think it’ll actually do any good? The work you’re doing?”

“One can only hope Mr.Smith but I will do everything in my ability to protect such beautiful creatures.”

Even when you had to return to the city for study you constantly wrote to Charles, staying in touch and keeping him updated with all your work. It was hard to say goodbye to someone you’d grown close to but you made regular visits to each other long after that.

John Marston

You first found John in the saloon after a long day at work, in desperate need of a drink. Being a zoologist you instantly noticed the scars on his face and would’ve guessed a wolf was the animal that caused the damage.

The two of you instantly started up a conversation and shared all kinds of stories. He told you about being up on the mountain while you showed him the scar on your arm from your run in with a cougar.

You were collecting a compendium of all the animals across the heartlands and during the months you worked on it, you ran into John more than once.

He was always curious about your work and you often spent time together in the afternoon sun, showing him the animals you’d found so far.

“What about the stray dogs in town or do you only deal with cougars and wolves?”

“Well they’re animals too aren’t they not?”

Even though you couldn’t see John all the time, he often came along with you to see the wildlife and covered you when you were around particularly dangerous animals and you enjoyed every second you had with him.

Micah Bell

When Micah met you he had absolutely no idea what you were on about. In his mind the whole idea of a palaeontologist is ridiculous and made up, much less the fact that you chose to read books and study in your spare time.

At first he doesn’t do anything but mock your work but after running into you time and time again he finally started to come around.

He grew more and more curious when he saw the drawings in your sketch books of dinosaurs and even more so when he laid eyes on the fossils. But knowing Micah, he’s still incredibly stubborn.

“Ain’t no way that thing is real.”

“One needs an open mind to comprehend what’s prehistoric Mr.Bell. It requires a certain practice.”

Every so often on your work you’d run into Micah who’d be riding around on his horse, just passing by. By now you’d consider him a friend and your face lit up as he pulled a small ammonite fossil from his bag.

It wasn’t really your area of expertise but you could tell he wanted to impress you and seemed almost nervous as you examined the fossil. Nonetheless you could tell it was real and you let him keep the small fossil as a reminder of you until the next time you saw him.

Javier Escuella

Javier meets you when you’re down my the docks, trying to capture the sunlight and noticed him fishing.

Not wanting to disturb him you kept out of his hair until you heard him cheer loudly at a catch he managed to pull in. In your particular interest in animals, you couldn’t help but ask if you could take a photo of the fish he’d caught.

From then on the two of you became friends, often running into each other as you tried to capture landscapes and wildlife.

You’d always spend the day together and you’d show him how to use a camera while he showed you how to fish and play the guitar.

When you spent time apart you’d often write to each other to fill the gap. You’d always send pictures with little writing on the back of them while he sent you poems and songs that he wrote for you, promising to play them for you next time you’d meet.

In your personal journal you have the first picture you ever took of Javier, kept safe between the pages. He’s standing along the docks, facing the away from the water as he holds up a large sturgeon and a large smile.

You and Javier always stay in touch and after he told you of his chaotic and dangerous time in guarma he made light of it by telling you about all the different wildlife he saw while he was there.

Bill Williamson

Bill stumbles upon you in the wild by accident. He’s out scouting a lead when he ended up getting lost through the shrubbery and found you examining flowers closely.

When you told him you were a botanist he looked as if you’d just spoken a different language to him because he didn’t have a clue as to what that meant. Bill always made you laugh fondly at the confused look when you told him all the scientific names of flowers.

In Bill’s mind, a flower was a flower. There was purple flowers and blue flowers and even red ones but they didn’t have their own names.

The next time Bill ran into you he brought you what he thought was a bouquet of white flowers. Instead they were actually a species of weed that was poisonous when eaten but it didn’t stop you from smiling and hugging him which was the intended purpose.

In light of that incident Bill was actually curious about some plants, trying to learn about them more. When Bill went exploring with you he pointed out some of his favourites and you picked a few to put them in the brim of his hat for him to take him back to camp.

When you run into him again Bill tries to give you another flower, this time actually understanding the plant he’d picked was a Vanilla Flower Orchid or the Vanilla planifolia but he never learnt how to pronounce it unlike you.

With a high blush Bill placed the flower behind your ear and you pulled him into a hug, being careful not to crush the beautiful flower.

[sorryimanon]

Pairings: Bakugou x fem!Reader

Tags: 18+, dirty talk, explicit scenes, mutual masturbation, penetration, bakugou being a switch, reader is a dom, lots of back and forth between characters, slow burn

A/N: this was supposed to be divided into two parts but surprise, surprise! i got lazy :) i had so much writing this. this might be my favorite fic ive written so far! this is a loooong one. enjoy! 

P.S this is the unedited ver. I will posting the final on my AO3 account (sorryimanon)

-

Katsuki disliked her. No, he absolutely loathed her. Ever since she stepped foot into the classroom, it was destined for there to be a hostile barrier between the two of them. Granted, all she did was sweetly greet him like the rest of her fellow classmates, but Katsuki completely saw through her fading facade and ignored the kind gesture with a threatening showcase of his quirk.

"Being nice won't get you anywhere, baka," he snarled, glaring intensely at her all the while everyone watched the whole scene unfold.

He treated her like a foolish peasant after that initial encounter, disregarding her in any way shape or form as disgust shone through his eyes.

Y/N persevered the oncoming school years despite the blonde breathing down her neck consistently everyday. Katsuki's aggressive nature towards her subsided once graduation commenced, alluding to the blossoming maturity each student should have endured before branching off into hero work.

Not long after the celebratory succession, y/n bounced to several agencies that offered the same beneficial agreements for her. None caught her attention. Until one day she received a recommendation from Endeavor himself to work full time at his agency. Of course she accepted it and immediately wrote her sloppy signature down on the contract. Unbeknownst to her excitement, a separate copy of the contract was sent to another uprising hero around her age group.

So when she strutted in that morning of orientation, she never expected to see the very infamous Katsuki Bakugou slouched on one of the many chairs in the meeting room. Her throat tightened as she took a seat next to him, his height still freakishly tall even when they were just sitting. Staring straight forward to prevent from any means of eye contact with him, he lowered his head at her eye level and crooked a half smile.

"I'm gonna make you regret for even considering joining here, extra." A fleck of his spit hit the side of her face. Learning from her past encounters with Katsuki, y/n held her tongue in hopes for him to feel satisfied enough to leave her alone.

Thankfully their office hours were inconsistent to where they didn't intervene with each other, neither of them awkwardly meeting in the lobby or an elevator. However, sometimes y/n and Bakugou would desire the same craving for a caffeinated beverage and find themselves standing shoulder to shoulder by the coffee machine.

Bakugou likes his coffee black, she mentally jotted down as she intently watched his usual routine of preparing the beverage.

Like the asshole he is, Bakugou would purposely tip the mug and let a few trickles of the hot liquid burn her hand. He's done this every single time before he leaves y/n alone in the break room. Deep down, he relishes in the strained expression on her face when he inflicts the pain upon her. Thoughts danced across his head. Some involving him blasting y/n into the stratosphere to her kissing the tips of his boots for mercy. Either way, her being so submissive and, dare he say, a pussy to stand her ground sufficed him enough for the time being. But sometimes it pissed him off.

The constant harassment by the angry blonde went unnoticed by their other colleagues, including Endeavor, leaving y/n to prepare every morning to face the wrath of Katsuki Bakugou. His verbal abuse never wavered, occasionally whispering under his breath "weakling" or "stupid girl" whenever the pair were in the same room together. One time he sent her on a wild goose chase to find a missing case file that miraculously disappeared from her desk while she was copying something in the other room. Hours later, she soon discovers the said file tucked behind Katsuki's arm, snatching it from his grip and not once reprimanding him for wasting her time. Y/N eventually got used to it. Adapting to the annual insults of her work ethics and anything he could muster up from his sleeve. Both finally accepted their twisted dynamic, and became accustomed to the work lifestyle.

Months later, the dynamic soon changed when Endeavor announced an emergency meeting with everyone in the building. Apparently a new wave of villains have been reigning terror over the city, causing major damages and fatalities in a matter of weeks. Rumors started to circulate that the new generation of heroes don't have the capabilities to apprehend this group of evil doers. In the meeting, Endeavor made it clear for everyone to be partnered up before he dismisses them to patrol for the night, suggesting that pairing up with someone who is complimentary to your quirk is efficient for when dealing with these kinds of villains.

That's why y/n didn't voice her complaint when she inevitably got matched with Bakugou. His quirk alone was powerful already. With both of their quirks combined, there's no telling how the mission will go, but she surprisingly feels safe knowing he'll be sticking by her side throughout the rest of the night. It'll be a quick mission, then they'll return back to their previous mundane duties in the office. Back to Katsuki's mental and verbal torment.

"Could you move any slower?" Katsuki barked as both he and y/n were taking a quick stroll through the public park, scoping out for any signs of danger.

She was a step behind him, careful not to bump his shoulder or invade his space. She mumbled out a quick apology and fastened her pace, catching up to the man in gear. Tonight he wore his alternative hero costume, the design made specifically for when the temperature reaches an undesirable degree. The collar touched below the tip of his chin, his chiseled chest covered with the thick black material, and his arms protected from the cold with the addition of sleeves.  

"Fucking weakling..." she heard him mumble once they circled the perimeter again.

Bakugou insisted for them to scout out as many places as possible in hopes for an encounter. He desperately needs any excuse for some action, to use his quirk out of anger. Previously, they patrolled the empty plaza of Tatoone shopping center. Other heroes were there as well, but still no signs of any villains lurking in the dark. For the third time, they met up at the center of the park after making another round, both already tired of the tedious task.

"Just our fucking luck. Still no signs of those stupid villains. I guess we should patrol the outskirts of-."

A bright luminescent beam struck the middle of Bakugou's chest cavity, ricocheting him backwards to slam against the trunk of a large tree, knocking him unconscious instantly. Startled, y/n's eyes frantically searched for the perpetrator, only to meet a pair of glowing green orbs staring right back. She shifted her stance in preparation for their next attack, blocking Bakugou's lifeless body from the villains view. Another beam shot from the darkness, only this time y/n counter balanced the blow by rolling to side, the blast missing her by a couple of feet. Y/N quickly raised to her feet and ran head first towards the dark figure. Without preamble, the figure shot multiple beams at the hero, each one emitting from the void of their chest.

Y/N dodged the bright suffocating strips of light, her feet shuffling and heart racing due to the adrenaline rush. However, she miscalculated her next move which allowed the figure to strike her left shoulder when she was distracted for a split second. Pain shot throughout her shoulder blade. Eyes drawn to a close, her hand shot up to cradle the injury. The intense sensation started to spread from the upper half of her body to below. Everything suddenly became numb, including her sensors. She couldn't feel the tips of her digits nor move any part of her face. The muscles in her legs soon stopped contracting, resulting in her knees giving out. She felt the hard, coarse ground beneath her as the darkness began to swallow up her line of vision. The last thing she saw was a scuffed up Bakugou laying face flat on the drenched grass.

- Y/N stirred awake, lifting one of her half lidded eyes expecting to see the villain looming over her tired body. But all she saw was the popcorn ceiling sheltering her, an overhead fan turned on and the curtains tightly shut. She slowly inclined her body upright and peeled the covers from her clammy figure. Still in the process of waking up, she made her way to the attached bathroom by the bed and located the sink. She splashed the cold water on her face, letting the droplets drench the clothes she was currently wearing. Turning off the facet, she craned her head to view the damage on her shoulder in the mirror. But how come she couldn't recognize herself?

Tuffs of blonde spiked out from her head. Her eyes weren't the same color either. Red crimson irises replaced the ones she had before. The injury from last night on her shoulder wasn't there no more, but she took sight at how broad they became. And she wasn't wearing her typical pajama top and bottoms. This morning she was clad in a black tank top and a pair of soft sweat pants.

No, this can't be true. This has to be some sick nightmare. Jolting backwards on her heel, she let out a terrible shriek. After screaming for a good minute, she calmed down and rested her hands on the bathroom counter, transfixed on the reflection in front of her.

"I-I somehow transformed into Bakugou!" The deep timbre voice of bakugou replaced her own. She tugged on the unkept hair and knitted her eyes shut. "This is only a dream. I'm dreaming right? I can't possibly be in Bakugou's body."

A loud ringing noise alerted y/n to open her eyes again. It was coming from her bedroom. Correction, his bedroom. She glanced at herself in the mirror one more time before retrieving the phone that was stuffed in a green duffel bag. Her eyes widened. She recognized her phone number on the screen. Knowing the circumstances, she pressed answered and awaited for the receiver on the other end to speak.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"

-

"So, we somehow switched bodies because of being struck by that villains quirk the other night. How long did they say this will last then?" Y/N questioned Bakugou the following morning once they agreed to meet up somewhere in private. Right now they were sitting across from each other on a stone bench by the lake, the morning sun peaking through the tall skyscrapers behind them.

Bakugou shrugged his shoulders, technically hers, and said, "Endeavor informed me it'll probably linger for a good week. He also wanted us to not be on duty till we recuperate from this, saying that the side effects will drain our bodies." He couldn't muster up the courage to stare at her, because all he would see is the reflection of himself. "Unfortunately the villain fled the scene before the others arrived to retrieve us. They're still out there causing havoc."

"This is freaking weird."

"Fucking."

Y/N tilted her head in confusion. Across from her, Bakugou pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in frustration.

"If you're gonna be me for a whole week then you might as well not sugar coat my vocabulary-dumbass."

Right, she now has to devote her time and effort into mirroring Bakugou's explosive personality. But that also means he too has to put on a show in order to persuade everyone he was her.

"Oh, okay..." she started but tensed up when realizing Bakugou was gazing expectantly at her. "D-Dumbass?"

Katsuki groaned as he rolled his eyes at her failed attempt of portraying him.

"This is going to be a long ass week."

- Bakugou grunted in disgust as he scavenged through y/n's closet for something to wear. Every piece of clothing so far hasn't met his criteria of approval to put on his body. There was an unnecessary amount of yoga pants and the most ugliest oversized graphic tees he's ever laid his eyes upon stored in her drawer. Growing up in a household of highly praised designers, the influence shifted his taste in fashion over the years. So, he made the rational decision to make a quick trip to the mall and purchase a few outfits for himself. Considering he's going to be in this body for a whole week, maybe even more, he might as well present himself looking ten times better than she ever has.

He tittered around the mall window shopping, entering store after store leaving with a handful of clothes in plastic and paper bags. So far he bought some outfits that edged a little on the fancy side, but paid no mind to his bank account. Bakugou guesstimated y/n's size during the venture, not wanting to pry or see what's underneath these restricting fabrics. He was about to leave when a frilly-pink themed store caught his attention.

It's a lingerie store, Bakugou thought as he neared closer to the entrance.

Posters inside the displays showcased attractive half naked women clad in nothing but the delicate material. Not to mention they were all posing seductively. An involuntary image of y/n flashed across his eyes, her imitating the same lustrous pose as well as wearing the sheer lingerie like the women behind the glass. Steams of heat practically blowed out from his ears, along with the embarrassing shade of pink panting his cheeks. He clamped a hand on his mouth, eyes widen in disbelief.

The fuck did I just imagine? There's no way in hell that just happened!

He must've been loitering there for awhile because a young girl, possibly his age, was standing in the threshold of the store wearing a pastel pink apron, giving him a welcoming smile.

She spoke, "Looking to shop for something, ma'am?"

Remembering back to y/n's distasteful clothing, he noted that she also lacked having any 'pretty' undergarments. It wasn't that he intentionally raided through her underwear, he just so happen to have stumbled upon the almost empty drawer by accident. In retrospect, he's doing her a favor. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Yes actually. Can you show me your most expensive set?" - "To your left! That dudes been camping by that spot since the match. He'll snipe you in the open!" Kirishima informed y/n as they both sat criss cross on the cushioned couch.

They've been playing the same game for hours. Y/N prayed for at least one water break or grab something quick to eat since they haven't moved an inch from their spots. Kirishima promised after this match he'll order some takeout for the both of them, but he said the same thing 8 matches ago. All she could do for now was pretend to be immersed in the game, getting a couple of impressive kills here and there, subsequently ranking her to a bronze level. Her digits were beginning to cramp up due to the repetitive moments of smashing down on the labeled buttons on the wireless controller. The screen across from them suddenly went dark and flashed the scoreboard from the recent match. Another successful victory.

"BOOYAAA!!!!" Kirishima clapped his hands and did a celebratory dance. "Ah, good game Bakugou."

Y/N flinched from hearing the blondes name.

"Kirishima, it's Y/N," she reluctantly reminded him.

Kirishima's whole demeanor went south. He chucked out a dry laugh and nervously started rubbing the back of his neck.

"R-Right sorry. Couldn't help myself. I mean, I am looking at Bakugou. Same face, voice, hair, and scary eyes."

After being battered by the villains quirk, Kirishima and Sun Eater were the ones to retrieve them before law enforcement shortly arrived once the perpetrator fled the scene. They were all under one strict oath to not mention this to the public, or else everyone’s image will tarnished and skew the potential of our future rankings.

"I know. I'm still trying to process this whole thing. I've been avoiding all the mirrors in the apartment since I came back." Y/N stood up from the couch and sauntered over to her designated bedroom for the week. She reached for the door handle but stiffened when a pair of hardened hands rested on her broad shoulders.

"Aye, don't worry so much. I bet you Bakugou is thinking the same thing. This week will be over before you know it," he absentmindedly began massaging the area between your shoulder blades and neck.

Does he always treat Bakugou like this despite that nasty little Pomeranian being a complete asshole to everyone?

"Kirishima?"

"Yeah?"

"What is Bakugou like around you?"

The red head hummed to himself at the random question, thinking of a perfect answer to her curiosity.

"The same how he was in high school except more tamer I guess. But I enjoy his presence none the less."

Then why does he seem to unleash his untamed feelings towards me specifically?

Y/N sighed, obviously not satisfied with that answer.

"Out of everybody, he seems to despise me more and more like it's a game," she said without realizing.

"You know how he is Y/N. He's very abrasive and blunt when it comes to other people's emotions, but deep down I know he only acts like that because he wants to present a strong image in front of everyone," he started. "He's scared of others looking down on him, I know that for sure. But I always looked up to Bakugou from the day I personally got to know him. So, I guess he just stayed by my side because of my admiration for him."

Bakugou is always putting up a front then.

"Interesting...well I'm gonna go to bed now. Thanks for keeping me company," y/n said once again reaching for the knob and opening the door, ignoring the red heads pleas for her not go to sleep on an empty stomach. -

The next day Bakugou found himself inside y/n's bathroom, feet firmly planted on the tiled floor not daring to move an inch. Even though he wasn't in his own body that didn't stop him from paying a visit to the gym this morning. He went extra hard on every machine, not caring about the wandering eyes men gave him while he dead lifted weights. Drenched in nothing but his own glistening sweat, Bakugou entered y/n's small apartment as he dragged his tired feet to the bedroom he was now familiarized with.

Something foul wafted into his nostrils, almost making him teary eyed to the stench. He tried to recall the last time he took a shower. Vaguely he remembers washing his body the morning before he got attack by the powerful quirk. It's been several days since then. This was one thing he didn't want to endure during his experience of switching bodies. He's been neglecting his own hygiene to avoid seeing y/n's exposed body parts. Changing out from her clothes with closed eyes was difficult enough, but taking a fucking shower?! Such a shitty predicament. But he can't smell like this for the remainder of being stuck in this body. He'll die of suffocation.

Ah fuck, that must mean she has to take a shower as well. Or worse, she already has and saw everything.

His eye twitched, lips trembling in fear at what he's about to witness.

Fuck it, I can't go out smelling like shit!

With shaky fingers he began stripping, eyes trained on anything but y/n's figure, the faint sound of the water streaming white noise to him. Her gym clothes piled on the floor, Katsuki slipped into the shower, head titled slightly to view only the shower head. He messed around with the chrome handle, indecisive on what temperature he wanted. Settled onto cold to awaken his sluggish state, he positioned himself under the shower head, goosebumps prickling his skin due to the sudden drop of temperature. Water droplets streamed down and canaled to his lower regions, the sensation relaxing his anxiousness just a smidge. He surveyed the options y/n had laid out for hair care products and grabbed the nearest one. Rubbing the body wash into the palms of his hands, he caught himself, arm mid raised getting ready to wash each crevice of his body.

Shit shit shit shit

The hand in front of him began shaking.

She won't know. It's not like I'm touching her sexually, I'm just keeping her clean for fucks sake!

As gentle as he could, Bakugou washed away the soapy residue, fingers cautiously ghosting over anything perking out. A moment too soon, he accidentally skimmed over her chest a little too fast, the tips of his fingers touching something that was hard and protruding. His breathing hitched.

I just felt her fucking nipple!

But fuck, it strangely felt quite pleasant. Pleasurable even if he had to admit.

He continued on with his previous ministrations, cupping her boobs like a madman and swiping one thumb over the taunt surface to test the waters. A fierce, tingling sensation surged shivers down his spine. An unsolicited low moan spurred out from the blonde.

"Hah!"

What the hell?! Why am I still touching her tits? And why am I enjoying it?

Finishing up his routine quickly, Bakugou snatched a towel from the cabinet and rubbed away all the sinful thoughts desperately from his head, a constant fight between his morals and neediness. Nobody will never know what he committed in the confines of her own apartment. And it'll fucking stay like that till on his death bed.

I practically assaulted her. I'm so fucking disgusting

For the rest of the remaining day, Bakugou planned on meeting up with Kirishima to hangout. He wanted to coerce the red head into talking about anything other than y/n. His mind needs the relief. He needs this spell to be over with.

He can't stand trying to fit into women's jeans any longer - Kirishima woke up that morning to a chorus of shrieks. Girlish shrieks, might he add. He thought maybe the neighbors were selfishly doing not-so-holy-things at the peak of dawn. But him and Katsuki were resided on the highest level of the penthouse, them being the only residents on the empty floor. It clicked once he heard his name through the thin walls.

"Ah! Y/N I'm coming!" He leaped from his bed and reached y/n's, technically Bakugou's, room in a matter of seconds.

Y/N's body twitched to the sound of the door being slammed open, the impact rattling the very few wall decorations in the blondes space. Standing in the threshold was the friendly red head, huffing and puffing air out of his chest like he just got done running a marathon.

"K-Kiri! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to wake you up!" Her words afterwards became a jumbled mess, realizing the predicament she pushed herself into.

"Hey, hey, calm down! Tell me what's wrong. It sounded like you were in pain. Did you hurt yourself anywhere?" The red had to remind himself this was indeed another person inside Bakugou's body, because Bakugou would never apologize repeatedly for the sake of apologizing in his entire life.

Y/N was looking quite pallid now, sheepishly tugging on the black covers of the bed, trying to find the easiest way on how to lay this out to her new roommate.

"Well...I just...I woke up to - ah crap."

Instead of explaining her situation, she pulled back the blanket to show kiri the thing protruding between her uncommonly, muscular legs. Kirishima's eyes widen instantaneously, eating up the pitched tent inside her basketball shorts. Oddly enough, this wasn't his first rodeo upon seeing the blonde with a boner. They were dudes. And dudes living together were bound to witness each other's 'flesh swords', he'd like to put it.

"Oh, morning wood? That's pretty normal. Nothing to fret y/n!" He dismissed her with the wave of his hand. "Bakugou gets them all the time! In fact, I remember he'd get them after sparring sessions back in our U.A days-."

"Okayyyyy, Never mind that! I know I have a boner. Just exactly how do I get rid of it?!"

"You mean, you don't know? Haven't you been taught this in Sex Ed class?" Kiri was actually curious as to why she doesn't know nor remember. He surly does. Learning about the human body by the infamous sultry teacher, Midnight, engraved so much information into his tiny-teenage brain.

"That was considered an extra curricular class. I took a CPR class instead."

"Right well, from what she taught us and from my own personal experience, you gotta rub one out."

Y/N's whole face contorted into a confused mess of disgust.

"Rub a what now?" She asked, although she had a feeling what the euphemism meant.

Kiri's face blotched red, the tint flushing to his chest as well. The man was evidently embarrassed about having this conversation with someone who wasn't Bakugou.

"I essentially mean you gotta masturbate. Ya know, in order to calm down your boner," he paused seeing how distraught y/n became. "It won't hurt I promise you! Don't worry, it feels really good! Like, eating ice cream good! Ah no that's not a good analogy!"

"This is so fucking horrifying..." Y/N poked at the thing, rightfully known as his dick, and kept starring as if it might miraculously subside to its original size.

Kiri coughed, grabbing her attention away from Bakugou's dick.

"He has lotion stashed in his drawer," he started, but malfunctioned seconds later. He revealed something private to someone that bakugou condemned as a 'weakling'. "That is if you need it for lubricant. It's kind of tough to jerk off dry..." his sentence fell off midway.

Y/N mumbled out an "Ok", and retrieved said lotion from the lower bunk of his drawers. She felt a pair of eyes on her. Kiri was still standing awkwardly by the doorway, unsure wether or not if that's his cue to leave.

"Um, thanks Kiri. You can leave now," she plopped back onto Bakugou's king sized bed.

This man sleeps alone. He doesn't need a ginormous bed all to himself.

"R-Right! Well, enjoy jerking off- ah no I meant - I didn't word that correctly! Ah geez, see ya later!" He sprinted out the door like his life depended on it.

Locking the door behind her, y/n forced herself into the attached bathroom, the lotion burning the palms of her hand each second. Once she settled down on the lid of the toilet, she shimmied out from his loose basketball shorts, letting them pool at her ankles.

If there's one thing she learned that morning, it was that being a man had its weird benefits. - "Slow down Bakugou! Let me at least catch up before you black out!" Kirishima was on his third shot while Bakugou just downed his sixth one for the night.

The blonde growled under his breath and tugged the red head by his collar to his mouth.

"Fucking idiot, don't call me that. It's y/n when we're out in public," he loosens his grip and snatches kiri's shot and tips his head back to drain it all down his throat, the burning sensation long gone.

"Ugh, my brain can't keep up with this whole switching body shit. It's been so hard back at the apartment." He internally cringes from the recollection of y/n popping her first boner this morning.

"What do you mean? Has that dumbass been giving you a hard time? If she has, I'll give her a piece of my mind."

"Not at all! She's been a saint while living with me. Which by the way, how come you can't just live at the penthouse while y/n stays at her place?

While Kirishima was talking, Bakugou ordered another round of shots. The bartender shoved a whole bottle of Fireball towards the man, saving him in the future to not ask anymore. The young server gave Bakugou a sly wink and returned back to serving other customers down the line. Cheeks flushed red, Bakugou thinks the man behind the bar was being too nice for his liking. He poured two more shots while keeping an eye on the average looking employee. If kirishima kept babbling, he might as well funnel the entire bottle in one sitting.

"I'm just following endeavors orders. We're not supposed to gain attention from those stupid reporters that camp outside our penthouse," he takes another swing of the warm liquid. "I'd rather fucking be quirkless than mistaken for having any rumored relations with her."

"Can I ask a genuine question? How come you hate y/n so much?"

"I don't hate her, I dislike her. There's a difference."

"I don't know man. Sometimes I mistaken your dislike with love."

"EXCUSE ME? IM NOT IN LOVE OF THAT BITCH?!"

"C'mon dude, I'm sensing a lot of denial from you. Also, shouldn't you be acting like her right now? She's very soft spoken if I'm not mistaken,"

"I'm not in denial idiot. I hate how soft she speaks. I hate how sickeningly kind she is even though nobody deserves it. I hate how she wastes her talented quirk and doesn't see the potential. She's a lost cause Kiri. She won't last for much longer in this field if she keeps this up."

"Wow, for someone who dislikes her as such, you surly sound like you care about heeeerrrrrr," kirshima drawled out in a sing-song voice.

"Shut up and finish your shot, shitty hair."

When the blonde was driving back to her apartment later that night, he slammed his fists against the steering wheel when an afterthought came to him.

His whole reasoning as to why he went out in the first place, and he can't seem to restrict himself from talking about the girl he's trapped in.

Even in this goddamn body I can't seem to steer clear from y/n talk! - Izuku had to do a double take when he entered the small coffee shop. Something about seeing the pensive blonde sitting patiently in a booth by the corner really made him feel like he was sucked into another dimension. Today y/n was wearing a white v-neck with a wool green cardigan and tight black jeans.

Kacchan owns cardigans? He thought, clearly amused.

Upon hearing the ding coming from the door, Y/N raised her head from her phone and waved Izuku over to her table. The poor man seemed like he was going combust right there. It's been awhile since he's spoken to his old classmate.

The green haired hero slid into the booth across from her and immediately started speaking Deku language.

"H-Hey Kacchan! Boy it's been awhile hasn't it? I was a little stunned seeing your message this morning asking to hangout. I'm sorry that I couldn't meet up sooner. I had an early patrol shift from 9 to 5. You might know how that feels, right?! Oh gosh I'm sounding like an adult. Can you believe we're adults-."

"Midor- I mean Deku, I called you up to ask about if you have any leads on the villain with the body switching quirk?" She cut him off.

"Oh yeah, that villain has been spotted a few times since the last attack. Of course most of my team hasn't been able to reprimand them. A few close calls though. But I heard two people from your sector got hit by the quirk! Are they doing okay?"

I hate lying to those big freaking green eyes.

"That's not true. They got hurt, but no one was attacked by their quirk. I just need to know if you have any information on the quirk in particular and what to do in order to reverse it."

Underneath the table, Izuku fumbled inside his pockets in search for his mini notebook. He still obtained the habit of jotting down everything, literally everything, in hopes the information will provide any source of aide. Izuku became all jittery and excited at the thought of sharing anything with Kacchan!

The small, crinkled notebook was slid across the table, hitting the tips of y/n's knuckles.

"Page 124, the first indent I wrote. It's mainly about my own conspiracy on what the villains quirk is. That was before their first debut of course. But now since we know it's a type of body switching quirk, I tried to pin point on what exactly lifts the quirks effect on the victim," Izuku explained casually while y/n skimmed through the notes and passages. "I did a little detective work on my own and contacted the people who were attacked by the villain. From what I gathered, let's just say- it's a bit taboo ."

This piqued her interest.

"What do you mean by, taboo?"

The man began to wave his hands around fervently in attempt to steer the blonde away from prying more. But y/n swatted Izuku's hand and continued reading the sloppy inscriptions.

Her eyes popped out from her sockets.

"I have to what?!" A few civilians stared in their direction, obviously gravitated to the familiar gruff voice.

"Calm down Kacchan! Why are you so angry for?"

Y/N rubbed her temple all the while wanting to slowly die than endure anymore of this.

"Nothing. Just- Ugh...Is it alright if I borrow this?"

"Y-Yeah! Kacchan can borrow anything from me as long as he returns it!" There was that gleam again in his eyes.

"Thanks Izuku, I owe you one!" She squeezed the greenettes freckled hand before leaving the booth and the shop all together.

Still in the cafe, Izuku sat frozen as if someone walked in with gun. Internally though, he was screaming. -

Y/N: Please call me. It's urgent

It was a Friday night when Bakugou received the cryptic message from her. He was in the middle of  watching his true crime show when the annoying ding from his phone went off. For once, he just wanted to relax his mind and go on auto pilot without stressing his already strained body. It's the whole principle of Friday's. To fuck off and ignore everyone. What's so fucking important for her to text him out of the blue then?

Another acute ding.

Bakugou peeked over his shoulder to see who disrupted him this time.

Y/N: Bakugou, we need to talk. This isn't something to ignore.

He rolled his eyes and retrained his focus on the tv screen.

Ding Ding Ding

"FOR FUCK SAKE!" He released an animalistic growl from the depths of his throat, scratching his voice box even more. His fingers typed away aggressively, not bothering to read her previous messages.

BK: Leave me the fuck alone. You're to only text me if it involves with the reverse of this stupid quirk 🖕🏼

Three dots appeared immediately after he sent that. Bakugou started losing his patience while waiting for her response. He hated wasting precious time, especially if there was a second party involved. Her message finally delivered. Bakugou's eyes grew larger in size as he read the text.

Y/N: that's why I'm texting you idiot 🙄 I met up with Midoriya today and he may have given me the solution to our problem.

He bit down hard on his bottom lip as he typed out his last text message to her.

BK: fine. come over then. we can talk about it when you get here.

This time he didn't wait for her to respond back and began cleaning her apartment. - Feeling nervous was an understatement. Y/N felt like she was driving herself to her own execution. Bakugou being the one to carry out the death sentence. She didn't doubt the blonde would be elated at the idea of her being put under a torture device.

Okay, maybe he wasn't too malice to actually do it, but he probably entertained the thought.

Thankfully Bakugou's penthouse wasn't far from her own apartment, saving her much needed gas in case he goes ballistic on her.

The door flew open when she arrived shortly after one knock, revealing a very sluggish looking Y/N shooting daggers at her. Well, at least her body wasn't dressed in bruises or burn marks. That's a win. Bakugou paired herself with a cute crop top and silky pajama shorts. He's got taste she'll give him that.

Her apartment remained exactly the same as she left it when they both were ordered to switch residency's.  Only a few traces of Bakugou were found. Mainly in the kitchen, where all his fancy cooking equipment and utensils were laid out. Unlike him, she ate out almost every night due to the red head being incompetent in the kitchen. He almost burnt down the complex last night. He relied upon his friend to do most of the cooking in their household.

The blonde briskly brushed passed her to sit on the couch, slinging his feet on the coffee table to make himself comfortable. Too comfortable, she noted.

"Well, spill it. What did the damn nerd tell you that could help us with this shit?" He inquired without preamble.

Like a hero, she was here on a mission. A mission that needs to be completed as soon as possible, even if the mission itself was ludicrous. She reached into her jacket pocket to retrieve the mini book, and flipped soundlessly to the page Izuku marked for her.

"On here it says that the quirk can last up to a week, maybe even more, depending on the victim(s). The effected will experience dry eyes, nausea, insomnia, painful migraines, and uncontrollable shaking due to being inside another persons body. They must let the quirk take its course then," she read out loud, ignoring Bakugou's groans of annoyance. "But, for rare cases, there have been reports of one's libido being greatly impacted. The victim will be in constant, insurmountable pain unless they relief themselves, then the two bodies will return back to normal."

To her surprise, Bakugou didn't show an ounce of indignation after hearing this piece of information. He seemed almost indifferent.

And there's no denying the truth. Both of their hormones have been off the rails. Ever since the incident in the shower, Bakugou has caught himself numerous times touching Y/N's boobs. Coping a sly feel as he cooked, cleaned, and even while he scrolled through his social media.  Sometimes her ass as well to see if it felt good in his hands. Y/N was no saint either. Sporting boners every hour for no particular reason. All the blood rushing to her lower region became unbearable when she didn't take care of it. Kirishima kept reassuring her that it's natural for a man to get them a lot. But how much was too much?

He threw his hands up in the air and scoffs. "That's it? I just gotta jack off and then we're free from this curse?"

This is the part she dreaded the most. An uncomfortable heat flash roused up her face, a deep shade of red inching across her cheeks and nose.

"No. That's not what it means. We basically have to...ya know...," she paused mid sentence, too bashful to finish, desperately wanting Bakugou to put two and two together.

She shrunk in her position as the blonde narrowed his eyes at her.

"We have to fuck each other?" He profoundly acclaimed.

"Don't put it like that! But yeah, technically, we have to...help relief each other in order to switch back."

"If you wanted to jump my bones so bad you could've just asked." He leans back against the couch, arm draped lazily over the shoulder of the furniture, along with a playful smirk tugging up on the corners of his mouth. Y/N's blood ran cold when she felt the tiniest twitch down below. Her borrowed reproductive organ is betraying her!

"Do you want to be in constant pain till this all wears off? Or do you want to get this over with and never talk to each other again?" Y/N shuffled more towards the abrasive man, a strong tidal wave of anger rising within her.

"It won't matter because you always wound up in my presence anyway. Like a fucking pest that won't leave me alone." Without realizing it, Bakugou got up from his spot on the couch and marched over to Y/N, who at the moment looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel.

Another thing he hated about switching bodies was the fact that everyone towered over him, despite him being on his tippy toes. The woman in front of him acclimated his height, giving her the upperhand if they were to battle it out right now. If anything he could kick her shins at best.

"Whatever...I'm leaving," was all she said before storming off to the front door, grabbing her things along with her as she grew farther from him.

Katsuki's legs were moving on their own. His hand reached out and grabbed Y/N's forearm, halting her movements altogether. She's clearly enraged, thrashing her body back and forth to loosen his grip on her. He eventually grew tired of her stubborness and secured his grip on both of her arms, trapping her between the door and his body, producing a loud 'thump!'. Although he was in her body, he still carried his strength. In a matter of seconds, both Y/N and Bakugou were chest to chest now, their centers tapping aganist each other.  She averted her gaze to the floor, as if their shoes were more interesting than this whole shitshow of a dilema. Bakugou squeezed her shoudlers, a little too much for her liking, to gain her attention again.

"I didn't say no, did I?" he asked hotly, his warm breath hitting her collarbones. An ice cold shiver ran down her spine, causing her breathing to hitch. Bakugou noticed her sudden stiffness and began rubbing gentle circles into the tender flesh of her skin. "Hoho, someone's excited aren't they?"

Confused, Y/N furrowed her brows and backed up further into the wooden door. But her question was soon to be answered as she followed Bakugou's hungry gaze to the prominent bludge taunting from her pants. Betrayed once again by her unstable horniness!

"Guess I'm not the only one," she accuses once spotting the definite wet stain around Bakugou's crotch. He smirked at that.

"Take care of it then," his voice oozed of seduction and want, rewarding him another twitch in your tight pants. The libido was taking full effect now, any animosity they had before was thrown out the window. Past arguments also long forgotten. Their main priority at the moment was to experience the sweet relief of coming undone.

Y/N darted her hand down to the spot Bakugou needed attention from, and cupped his crotch with her abnormally large hand. Bakugou lets out a shaky exhale as her fingers danced around the sensitive area. One of her fingers moved instinctively, feeling how drenched he was in his panties, and rubbed the underside to get a better feel of the sex.

"You're so wet Bakugou," Y/N mused softly. She leaned forward, searching into Bakugou's eyes for any signs of him wanting this to end. But the pool of his irises were blown out, no tint of your original color in them anymore. "Do you want more?"

He nodded quickly, his hair bobbing up and down. Y/N chuckled and removed her hand from its previous position to the hem of Bakugou's shorts, teasingly toying the waistband. She slipped smoothly into his shorts, tickling him in the process, and toyed with the corners of his panties before moving them aside so she could have access to the thing she's been craving to touch. Wetness lathered up her fingers with just one swipe, causing Bakugou to purse his lips and shut his eyes tightly.

"Is Bakugou embarrassed? Are you mad that I have the upper hand now? After all those years of verbally tormenting me, you can't handle my simple touch?" She whispered dangerously close into his ear. During this, she couldn't tell if he was pissed or turned on. Maybe a mixture of both, but she took pride in his strained expression.

"W-Watch your goddamn mouth. Or do I need to shut you up myself, eh?" By shutting her up, he meant mirroring her exact ministrations. The petite hand of Bakugou's latched onto the zipper of her jeans, and impressively dragged it down in one swipe without getting anything caught. He reached into the tight restraints of her boxer briefs and pulled out the hardened dick. He clicked his tongue. "Not to sound like a narcissist, but you gotta admit, my dick looks pretty."

"Just shut up and jerk me off you asshole. I'm starting to see stars," She wasn't lying to speed up the process. Her body felt like it was on fire, including her dick. If Bakugou keeps stalling for the sake of punishing her, then he's going to be seeing white for days on end.

Bakugou tentatively began pumping her, his grip not too tight nor loose on the flesh. Y/N sighed in relief as he swiped his thumb over the slit, covering his fingers in her precum. Seeing that he's giving into her needs, she returned the favor by inserting her index finger inside, not allowing him to adjust once she massaged the velvety walls.

Bakugou arched into Y/N's body, panting harshly against her chest. "H-Hah fuck, slow down. Shit!"

"Take it like a champ, Mr.Dynamight."

"F-Fuck you."

Oh no. Probably shouldn't have patronized him, because Bakugou sped up his languid motions to pure vigorous jerking of the hand. A wave of pleasure shot up through her body, jolting backwards due to the intense sensation. Of course he's a pro at this. What isn't he good at?

Bakugou rested his head onto the crevice of your shoulder since he could only reach so far, and ghosted his lips on the skin, carefully restricting himself to not engage in kissing the area. While doing so, he cupped the underside of your balls, rolling them around in his small hands. They looked so big when being manhandled in her grasp. Y/N stifled her moans as he kept messing with them, all the while stroking her simultaneously. She felt him smile. The cheeky fucker! Two could play it at this game.

Y/N used one of her thumbs that weren't preoccupied inside Bakugou to massage the only place she knew that could make him cum in seconds.  Two fingers inside, one thumb attentively on the clitorous. It was enough to make Bakugou bite down on her shoulder, trying to prevent any moans from escaping his mouth.

"Moan for me Bakugou. I know you want to," she tried to persuade him with more strokes to the clit, occasionally pinching it with her unoccupied fingers. She can feel he was close. So was she. But she needed to coerce him into helping her to finish too. They need to be a team. "Say something Bakugou. Don't you want to cum? If you don't speak your mind I'm going to stop." She couldn't believe the words that were spewing from her mouth. Y/N has never dirty talked before. Nor has she gotten this far with anyone without freezing up. Definitely the libido effect.

Bakugou detached his teeth from her shoulder and stared deeply into her eyes. Pleading.

"Go faster. Please." The want and neediness in his voice said it all.

He indeed felt vulnerable and exposed right then and there when confessing his desire, but he couldn't care less. Her fingers inside him were heavenly. A mantra of ,"yesyesyesyesyesyes", left his throat as her ministrations didn't falter.

"Fuck! Keep going. Just like that- shit - just like that... yesssss." His moans were beautiful. Not because they sounded like hers, but the way how he vocalizes his pleasure made sense in the world. Every whimper or moan puts her closer to the edge.

"Are you- are you about to?" He asked quietly, as though he was afraid you might stop at any rate.

"Yes! So close, just keep stroking," it was difficult to form sentences after that, the build up tension in your stomach tightening like a ticking time bomb, making your pleads indecipherable.

But Bakugou didn't want to hear that. He wanted to her to say those three words of encouragement.

Make. Me. Cum

And then, as if his thoughts were broadcasted live, she snaked her hands into the locks of his hair and pulled him close to where the tips of their noses touched briskly.

In a small voice she whimpers out, "Make me cum, Katsuki."

Listening to her instructions, his grip tightened around the base of her shaft and began teasing the slit, never once averting his glare from her own. Y/N's legs turned into jello. It became harder and harder to stand any longer. She needed to release. She quickened her pace and brutally scissored his pussy, the erotic sounds of their wetness reverberating in the tiny apartment.

"Cum then baby. Cum for me only."

Baby

Next thing she knew a strip of white shot out from below, dirtying the hands of Bakugou's. Her body began to spasm. Katsuki didn't loosen his grip, the stimulation becoming unbearable at this point.

The coil within him loosened, the evidence of his climax coating her fingers, allowing his orgasum to reach its full potential.

The pair blacked out for a split second, but recuperated once the light hit their corneas again.

"Shit." "Fuck." "..." "..."

Silence. Then the realization hit.

"I'm staring at you and not me! It worked! Hallelujah!" Y/N exclaimed, feeling herself to make sure it wasn't a hallucination.

"Gross. You got cum all over my expensive shirt," he said, wiping away the white substance with his sleeve.

Both of them went into the kitchen to clean the after math. Bakugou would grunt occasionally in disgust, sponging away the grime. Y/N throughly washed her hands and towel dried them, thoughts stiffly empty and vexed. She broke the awkward tension.

"Well, I guess we should call Endeavor and inform him that we switched back."

He hummed in agreement.

"And we should probably exchange our things tomorrow or tonight, but preferably soon since we're going to be on duty again."

Another grunt.

"Don't worry about me mentioning this to anyone. We can just keep whatever happened minutes ago between us-

Bakugou cut her off entirely by smashing his lips against hers. Shell shocked by his action, Y/N kept her eyes wide open whilst Bakugou's were knitted shut. She laid her hands on his chest and shoved him away harshly, putting their distance at arms reach.

"Bakugou, what the hell? All of sudden you want to kiss me?" Y/N's face fell, contorting into a mixture of sadness and confusion. "You only kiss people you like. Not hate."

Bakugou moved towards Y/N slowly, a hint of a smile forming as he neared closer.

"And that's exactly why I did it, idiot," he proclaimed confidently, cupping the side of her face. The touch was so tender and gentle she forgot that it was Bakugou at first.

"You're toying with me, aren't you? The libido is probably still lingering. If you really liked me, then tell me the exact moment you did."

Without hesitation he said, "The first day of school. When you walked in."

Y/N slapped the hand from her face, her skin flushing red by his blunt confession.

"Stop lying. You were mean to me the first day of school. And every day after that. I don't think calling people a "weakling" or "stupid" constitutes as liking someone."

All he did was chuckle and continued scooting closer, eventually towering above her. She squirmed underneath him. She secretly missed having his height.

"You're absolutely stupid if you think I really meant any of that crap. I may have gone overboard on the whole berating thing, but that was just my way of pushing my feelings away, in hopes you'd improve better and not take shit from people like me."  

"Ya know, it's kind of hard to detect that when you were practically spitting on my face."

He leaned down and pecked a chaste kiss on the crown of her forehead.

"You can call me all the names you want later. Kick my ass if ya want, but for now let me make it up to you," he whispers before planting his mouth to hers again, only this time she didn't protest.

Heat swirled within her as she watched Katsuki's eyes flutter close, enriched in the moment to open them, and gripped the base of her neck to apply more pressure into the kiss. The man guided her as he moved his plushed lips ontop of hers, consuming the pretty noises she made. And my, were they absoultey rich coming from her.

I want to hear more, the selfish thought banged repeatedly inside his lust filled mind.

Y/N nervosuly closed her eyes shut when Katsuki's wet tongue prodded the entrance of her tight, lipped mouth. Letting him take full control, Katsuki managed to enter the strong muscle into her wet mouth and explored the canvernous place with such eagerness, such tenacity. Like he's been dying to do this for as long as his skillful mind can remember. Y/N found herself moaning as Katsuki grabbed her waist and forcefully collieded their bodies together, her soft breasts pressed up against his hard chest. Her perky tits put him in a trance, remincseing back to the day when first touched them, the guiltiness eating him up from the inside-out. Katsuki slithered one of his hands to the taunt boob and gave it a firm squeeze, causing Y/N to squeak out in embarrasement. They still feel fucking amazing in his hands.

"You're so fucking cute," he drew back from her, already out of breath. Everything was hitting him like a tsunami. He can finally admit to himself that he's been wanting this since they became co-workers. Hell, since the fucking beginning. Younger Katsuki would deem him as a horny loser who lost at his own game, but he wasn't a damn kid anymore.

"K-Katsuki...bedroom?" her hands found their way back into his crisp locks, futher egging him to comply. The small action made him moan.

"Fuck yes," Katsuki growled out and in a haste hooked his arms underneath the back of Y/N's thighs, hoisting her in the air to lead them into the bedroom they're both familair with.

Journeying to her bedroom became a difficult task. If only she'd stop giving his neck, the most sensitve spot out of his entire body, kitten kisses then he'd be plowing her back by now. He grew weaker by the second as the shy, acute kisses trandsitioned into full on sucking and biting. Not that he was complaining.

Katsuki threw her down onto the bed, unable to contain his smile when she hiccuped a chorus of giggles. God, even her giggles are fucking contagious. Strong arms scooped her up momentarily, bringing her to the center of the bed. Grazing her aching spot was Katsuki's growing buldge. Y/N circled her arms around his tiny waist squeezing him closely as Katsuki rolled his hips downwards to meet hers. She seized Katsuki's bicep, whimpering, and rythmically pushed her groin towards his, the tin material of her shorts scraping the surface of his jeans deliciously. His head dragged down to her collarbones, panting softly, wetting the skin from the condesation of his breath.

"I want you so fucking bad, please," he managed to choke out in between the continous grinding.

Gaining a newfound confidence, Y/N mimiced the way how Bakugou unzipped her when they were still in opposite bodies and peeled back his briefs till his inflamed member popped out, smacking his lower belly. He cursed under his breath noticing the immense amount of pre-cum leaking from the head. As much as she wanted to lick it all up, there were other things to tend to. She shimmied out from her skimpy shorts and crop top, not wasting any time for lingering touches. But Y/N caught a menacing glare in his eyes. His attention was focused on something else. Looking down, she saw that she was sporting a sheer laced bra with matching panties. She definitely doesn't remember having these in her personal closet.

"You bought me lingerie?" Y/N tried to sound unfazed at the thought of Katsuki willingly purchasing these pretty undergarments for her. That must mean he's seen her boobs!

"Yeah? So what if I did. Your sense of fashion is nonexistent. I pitied you that much to where I bought you shit with my own money."

His face was stern, scarily resembling the times he'd be bashing someone's head on the concrete during a bloody battle. But his eyes told a different story. She couldn't quite pin point the time or place when she witnessed the same gleaming spark in those vermilion orbs, but she felt safe and wanted all in one.

So she began teasing the straps of her bra, head still in disbelief that the blonde underneath her bought it, and let the material slip off her shoulder seductively. Bakugou's breathing quickened as he watched y/n toy with the next strap. He stopped her midway.

"No," his fingers were ironically cold.

"No?" She questioned him, awkwardly frozen still on his lap. His evident boner pushing up against her sex, making her wet even more.

Numbly, Bakugou pulled up both of the straps to her bra and chuckled lightly to himself.

"I wanna fuck you with this on. It's been on my mind since I bought it," he admitted out loud.

Y/N held back a moan, his words carrying so much weight to them all the while directing it straight to her drenched pussy.

Without saying a word, y/n left acute kisses on Bakugou's neck, trailing it down further and further till she reached the leaking head of his member. He became antsy as she wrapped her petite hand around the base, fingers tracing the topography of his veins. Y/N saw the desperate look on his face and took all of him in her mouth, holding in the breath of oxygen she took before doing so. Bakugou hissed, teeth clamping down on his bottom lip nearly ripping the skin apart. This feels way better and more appropriate. He prefers her wet mouth over her fingers any day of the week.

Y/N sucked in her cheeks, allowing herself to take more of his member. The tip of his head eventually hit the back of her throat, causing her to gag and choke due to the sudden pressure.

"F-Fuck. Holy shit, keep going," Katsuki begged, tears swelling in his ducts already.

The saliva from her open mouth created a natural lubricant, making it easy for her to bob her head up and down. Bakugou's ears picked up the erotic wet squelching sounds coming from her as she kept up the brutal pace, the noise alone making him want to come undone. The sight of y/n slobbering on his dick is now engraved in his head. He let out a wanton moan when she played with his balls, recalling the memory of him performing the same ministration on himself with her beautiful hands.

He can feel the familiar sensation spreading down below, his throat constricting as the stimulation of her sucking and licking becoming too much. Before she could continue, Bakugou reached over and lifted her head by her hair.

"I can't hold it in any longer. I need to be inside you now," his voice was strained to point where it came out as a whisper.

Pushing her back gently, Bakugou latched his mouth onto hers as he spread her legs wide apart. Revealing a canal of her wetness dripping from her panties to the inner thighs. Bakugou licked his lips hungrily. Mentally slapping himself for not tasting her before she gave him head. He'll make sure to explore that endeavor later.

Lips still locked, Bakugou tugged the bottom half of her laced panties aside, strings of her glistening wetness shimmering, and positioned himself at her aching entrance. The tip of his cock teased her folds, coating it even more. He agonizingly went in slow circles, occasionally slapping her clit with it. Y/N's arms were above her head, clutching the linen sheets in anticipation. Katsuki smirked against her lips at her wrecked expression.

"Bakugou please...," y/n pleaded with her full chest. She wants to know how it feels to be wrapped around him. To be one with him. "Don't hold back. Just fuck me."

Bakugou's eyes grew darker after the demand, pure lust taking control over his body now. He sheathed into her quickly without taking his eyes off of her face. A quiet whimper left her throat when he fully bottomed out. He checked for any signs of y/n looking displeased or uncomfortable, but he got his answer when he felt her legs wrap around his torso, pulling him in as close as possible. Bakugou basks in at the sight of y/n sucking him completely, her legs fully bent back in an awkward position. He decides to pull his cock halfway out. y/n whimpers due to loss of friction but gets rewarded seconds later when Katsuki rams his cock inside again, pushing all his weight onto her.

"Oh, fuck, Katsuki!," she whines, instinctively clutching her walls around him.

"You're so tight for me huh baby? Can't help but to clamp around this dick," Katsuki sneered while pumping tentative thrusts into her.

His hands clasped both of her thighs now, pulling her towards him, urging her to move in a harmonious dance with him. Finding somewhat of a rhythm, y/n fucked Katsuki back by rolling her hips, a synapse of heat exchanging between them. Sweat starts dripping down from the crown of his forehead onto the peaks of her breasts. Lost in thought, he tipped his head forward and lapped up the remains of his salty musk, tongue expertly twirling around the taunt nipple. Y/N mewled, hands searching - reaching - for anything to ground herself, settling on interlocking her fingers with Katsuki's nitroglycerin drenched hands. She titled her head and took a whiff.

Caramel and soap

A popping sound went off in her ears. Katsuki released her swollen tit only to look up with hooded eyes, his infamous smirk on full display.

"Open your mouth," was all he said before raising one of his fingers that she was so embarrassingly fixated on moments ago. When she didn't obey Katsuki grabbed her by the jaw and shoved not one, not two, but three fingers in her mouth. Like with his cock, she couldn't handle the intensified pressure in the back of her throat, gagging instantaneously.

"Atta girl. Just take my fingers like a good bitch. Oh? You like it when I degrade you huh? Don't lie, you tightened instantly when I said that." Katsukis pace sped up rapidly, pumping into her cunt like a madman, fingers still lodge down her throat. Each thrust left her shuddering for more, his hips meeting hers to create a loud song, the noise drowning out her muffled screams.

It became hard to see now, a tunnel vision of just a crimson glow. Soon she feels herself becoming light. Katsuki grew impatient and flipped y/n on her stomach, a tiny oof rocked out from her, and inserted his member back into her stretched out cunt.

Y/N yelps as Katsuki's cock hits the sweet spot - fresh tears flooding down her flushed face, babbling nonsense into her pillow.

She caves, sobbing, "yes, yes, ohgod. you feel so good. you're so fucking good -ah katsuki!"

Looming over her trembling body, the blonde slows his harsh thrusts to a savagely slow grind. He lowly chuckles watching her writhe and wiggle her body in desperation.

"You think you can just come that easy? Beg for me to let you come!"

Smack!

A harsh sting rattled her lower back, causing her to bite down harshly on her lip to avoid showing any pain.

"Such an asshole..." y/n huffed out, oblivious to the way how Katsuki was preparing for her next punishment.

Smack! Smack!

"Not good. Ask nicely for me to fuck this pretty pussy into the mattress."

More whimpers into the tear stained pillow.

"P-Please Katsuki..." she begins, frustration growing exponentially with every word. "Fuck me. I need your cock. I always needed your cock Katsuki. Make me scream out your name when I come!"

She didn't even have time to process what she said before Katsuki enclosed his hand around her throat, forcefully dragging her writhing body to his chest, cranking her head in a 90 degree angle. Cock still warming up her insides.

"That's my girl," he said before kissing her lips again, devouring the sweet noises she made.

Her neighbors were in for a long night. - Both of their bodies the next morning faced more damage than any crusade of a patrol. Bruises painted the outskirts of y/n's body, trailing from her thighs to the divots of her breasts. Katsuki paid no mind to it, seeing how he can make a bloody lip a trailblazer look.

Even though no one wanted speak much about the issue at hand - last night was a pivotal moment for their relationship.

Because y/n wouldn't be making a fresh batch of coffee for the Katsuki Bakugou in her kitchen right now.

Because Bakugou wouldn't be lounging by her washing machine, waiting for the timer to go off so he can put her bed sheets in the dryer.

They found themselves sitting comfortably in silence - the soft whipping of car horns outside her cracked window - Katsuki blowing on his coffee before taking a sip. It all seemed unreal to her. In any other circumstance they'd be at each other's necks by now, screaming nuisances in the air. She considers this whole ordeal a ruse. But it isn't. Thank god it isn't. Because Katsuki never looked calmer or relaxed in his entire life till now. And she wasn't going to bat an eye away from this ground breaking phenomenon.

Intently watching him drink from across the table, she ponders if Katsuki liked her from the get go, and maybe just disguised his feelings with disgust towards her later on. The question will go unanswered, possibly until he confides and tells the story himself, but for now she was content not knowing the what if.

"How did you know I like black coffee?" Katsuki asks, quirking up an eyebrow at her.

Y/N takes a long drag from her mug, indulging in the sweet taste of the caramel creamer.

She smiles and says, "I don't know. Just took a wild guess."

-

[mitsukui]

what you do is secret | f.w.

Pairing: Fred Weasley x female reader.

Summary: Fred is caught red-handed ━ based off this request I got! It was supposed to be a blurb, but I got a bit carried away, heh.

Word Count: 1,8k of pure smut (I FEEL NASTY).

Warnings: smut! Masturbation and oral sex (male receiving both). I imagined it taking place on April 5, 1996, during the Easter holiday, right before Fred and George left Hogwarts, so all characters are 18+!

Disclaimer: none of the pictures used in the edit below belong to me; I simply put them together.

A/N: thank you so much for the request, anon! Please, leave me some feedback if you feel like it! My askbox is open for your opinions, thoughts and requests. Thank you so much for your time and attention ❤

Masterlist!

Your ears perked up as you heard something that sounded quite novel to you. You leaned in closer to the wooden door and pressed your ear against the cold surface, your hand being placed right beside your face.

Loud whines and shaky sighs echoed in one of the Gryffindor dorms - the one that belonged to Fred Weasley and four other boys. You worriedly furrowed your eyebrows together, fearing for the worst. It was impossible for you to know who was on the other side of the door, yet you could not leave someone there, to suffer somehow.

You had gone to Fred's dorm to ask him if he wanted to do something together before the Easter holiday was over, especially because you both had recently turned eighteen, but still had not gotten the chance to celebrate it. However, you now stood with a heavy heart inside your chest.

Until you heard it.

Fred moaned huskily and, if your ears were not playing tricks on you, you could swear your name left his lips, too. A trail of lustful whimpers continued flourishing between the walls of his dorm, and you continued there, behind the door, listening to him.

It was deliciously intoxicating. By now, it was pretty clear what he was doing, but you did not feel bothered by it one bit. In fact, you felt pretty honored to become aware of the fact that you occupied his mind even in moments like that one.

A smirk flashed across your face and you leaned in even further towards the door, trying to destroy the only thing existing between the two of you. Your insides started to tingle, and a feeling that you had never experienced before took shape in your loins.

Closing your eyes, you attempted to imagine what Fred looked like at that moment. You had never seen him completely naked before, which meant you could allow your imagination to run wild and, oh boy!, you did it.

The image of him being shirtless popped into the back of your mind, and a dreamy sigh escaped your lips. That was a sight you were used to, not that you had any complaints about it. His milky skin with a constellation of numerous tiny freckles became vivid in your head, and you could see all of his muscles. His veins were there, too, leading down to the place you wanted to see the most.

Your eyelashes fluttered and you pressed your thighs together, the new sensation sinking in your body. Suddenly, it all became too much for you. You could not stand in silence there and only listen.

The wooden door was gently pushed, scaring Fred being the last item on your list of intended actions, and your curious eyes fell upon the stone eyes first and then, upon him.

He was the only one in the boys’ dormitory, his body spread on his bed. One of his hands was wrapped around his cock while the other held tightly on his sheets. His eyes were closed, his lips were slightly parted and his eyebrows furrowed in pleasure.

Fred Weasley had been dominated by a huge pang of crave for you.

Everything you did was magical to him. He spent many hours wondering how someone could be so seductive without even noticing. The way you licked your fingers after eating something with your own hands, the habit you had of biting down on your lower lip, the breathy sighs that escaped from you every single time his lips brushed against your skin, the urgency you had to dig your nails onto his skin whenever he kissed your neck.

He was unable to look at you and not feel the need to pleasure himself.

Almost like you were in a trance, you stood still and watched him quietly. Your eyes captured every movement he made: his hand moving up and down, his grip on the sheets becoming tighter each second, his chest rising and then falling again, his toes curling, his hips bucking up, his tongue wetting his lips, and his Adam’s apple moving roughly every time he cursed out in lust.

You felt like a new world had been discovered, and you wanted to dive right into it. Your body had been taken by a billion of unprecedented jitters and you ached to do something about it. Nothing had ever happened between you and Fred until that very moment, but you were determined to change that.

Tiptoeing your way to his bed, you fought against the enormous need to immediately touch him. It was not like you knew what to do, but copying his actions seemed to be a good idea, once he was moaning repeatedly now.

“You look so hot right now.” Even though your voice came out as a silky whisper, he still got a tad startled. He opened his eyes to find you approaching him to down on his bed, extremely close to his trembling. Almost choking on his own breath, he tried to cover himself and come up with an explanation for what was happening, but you shushed him with a brief peck.

“Don’t stop.”

He felt as if he had heard incorrectly, but then nodded obediently and his hands started pumping his shaft again. As much as you wanted to continue looking at him and to study his face contorting in pleasure, what was going on down there was so much more interesting.

So you did. You looked at his cock. More precum leaked from his reddish tip, a new desire from being watched appearing in his groins, and was soon spread all over his member by the way his hand traveled all the way up and then down again. He kept a rapid pace, a very light pressure being put on his movements.

“Go slower.” You spat out of nowhere, a little dominant creature coming to life inside you. Perhaps, you were not experienced enough to touch him. You surely knew how to use your words, though. “Go very, very slow and use your other hand to run your fingers across your tip.”

At first, neither of you knew what had gotten into you. But it was obvious you two were enjoying it.

He followed your commands and cried out loud at the sensation of his sensitive being touched. His hips bucked up, and your hands all of a sudden pushed them down. Your warm touched caused him to squirm.

“Yes, just like that, Freddie.” You cooed and let one of your hands to run over his flexed abs. Just then you noticed how tense he was, and how he had been breathing heavily. “You okay? You seem a little bit tense…”

He chuckled at your oblivion for sexual matters, which only turned him on even more, and spoke through weak murmurs. “Yeah, it’s just that I’m close, you know? About to cum.”

“So I want you to stop, Freddie.” You placed your hand over one of his and gave it a light squeeze. He looked confused for one second, a thin layer of sweat covering his forehead. But he did not follow your orders this time; he continued stubbornly moving both of his hands, the fast pace returning to his actions.

“But I’m so close, princess. Just let me cum, please, I’m really close.”

“Stop.” Your voice sounded slightly strict, and he groaned in ecstasy. This side of yours was completely new to you two, but the effect was much bigger on him.

Once his hands were no longer moving according to his pleasure, you took his lips on yours and kissed him slowly. You moved your tongue sloppily, your teeth grazing his lip ever so softly, and your fingers roaming his body.

Your kisses were not exactly the most innocent thing in the universe at that moment, and he still whined from time to time, asking to continue his little game.

“Go on, Freddie, touch yourself for me.”

A moan escaped his lips and, as soon as he wrapped his shaft around his fingers again, you lightly ran over fingers over his tip. He arched his back and murmured for you to continue.

“Do you like that?” Fred panted and tried to form coherent sentences to answer you properly, but he was only able to whimper and nod his head. “Does it feel good?” He repeated his actions from seconds before and you smiled, looking back at him for the first time after a while.

Boldly, you placed your hand over his and mimicked the way he caressed his cock. A pool of arousal was being gathered on your panties, and you pressed your thighs together again, trying to get some relief. His eyes captured your actions and he loved discovering he had some sort of effect on you. The pleasure within him was growing to be too much again.

“Princess, please. I’m close.”

But you stopped again. An utter frustration painted his insides and he groaned loudly. A light pain was felt by him, and Fred pleaded you to let him cum. You shook your head sweetly, and explained to him you were mesmerized by the show.

“Let’s try this one more time, shall we?”

Now you positioned yourself between his legs and, for the first time since it had started, you felt a wave of anxiety playing with your heart. You had never done anything like that before, but there was something about the position that Fred was in that really tempted you.

“Can you guide me through it?”

If he was not so painfully aroused, he would have grabbed your face and littered a ton of kisses on it. But he had other cravings at that moment, and it was high time he acted on them.

“Start by using your tongue, princess.”

It was turn to follow orders and you did it amazingly well. In a very short period of time, he was close to reaching his so postponed orgasm and you wanted to see what it would result in.

After his requests, you did not stop. You kept on using your tongue, hollowing your cheeks and moaning against his cock. But you acted painfully slow, frustration growing inside him again. He felt humiliated, ready to feel his warm tears stinging and staining his cheeks.

And then, it happened. You felt the warm strings of his release exploding in your mouth. You tasted his cum and, even though it was not the most pleasant thing that had laid on your tongue, you enjoyed it enormously.

He needed a minute or two to return from his high and, when he did, his cheeks were flushed and his eyes glistened a bit. As you swallowed his cum, secretly wondering if you had done the right thing, he cleared his throat, and groaned one final time.

“How about I take care of you now, princess?”

[sohin-ace]

Jotaro - Kakyoin's Notebook

I'm sorry, I clickbaited y'all. The pairing in this story is not official.

...unless?

As you were all about to check out of the hotel, You decided to go back to everyone's respective rooms to make sure none of you forgot anything.

The crusaders were downstairs and you came up, checking every room. Everything seemed okay, you only needed to check Kakyoin and Jotaro's room last and then go back down.

You entered their room and looked everywhere. You stumbled onto a little notebook that was halfway underneath one of the pillows right as you were about to leave.

"Huh? Oops, I nearly didn't see that!" You bent down and took the notebook in your hands. It was just about pocket-sized. "Oh I do remember Jotaro having something like that, better get it back to him!"

Out of fateful clumsiness, the notebook slipped out of your hands and fell on the ground, opening on a random page. You crouched to pick it up, but then, your gaze fell upon what was on the page.

Your breath hitched in speechless confusion at what you saw, written at the top, in big font.

'Y/NxJotaro'

Why was your name and Jotaro's on that page? Was that some kind of memo? You knew Jotaro had the habit of taking notes to remember things, but why was your name in there?

Your curiosity got the best of you and you continued to look down the page, swiping through the others. You knew it was terribly wrong and you were invading his privacy but you were just so lost. It concerned you, there was your name on it.

" 'One-shot Draft... WIP', What does that even mean? J-... Jotaro did this?" You mumbled out loud, face scrunching up in confusion and slight fear as you looked through words you couldn't understand.

" 'Soulmate AU', 'Drabble', 'NSFW'? Are those some kind of codes?"

Pages long of stories decorated the sheets, so many you couldn't read everything. There were even some sketches and drawings that you didn't have the heart to look at. You managed to read some pieces of stories that left you even more confused. You read to yourself.

' "W-wait!" Y/N said as tears prickled in her eyes, her face flushed with innocent shyness. "I-It's my first time..."

"Don't worry," Jotaro spoke, hovering above her, his voice deep and soothing. "I'll be gentle." '

...What? You don't remember ever saying anything of the sort? You couldn't comprehend what you were reading. Whatever was written in there never happened and was fictional or somesuch to you.

When it was just too much for you to handle, you closed the notebook, your face still strained with mixed feelings.

Only then did you notice that there was a cherry sticker on the back of the notebook. After looking at the first page, you saw the name of the owner.

Noriaki Kakyoin.

"K-kakyo-... Oh my gosh..."

You were shocked, but somehow relieved. It made more sense than the author being Jotaro, but it still blew you away, the fact that Kakyoin would write such things on your and Jotaro's behalf.

Suddenly, Polnareff walked by and noticed you through the open door. You flinched when he called out to you and entered the room.

"Ah there you are Y/N! We started to worry!" He approached you and he noticed what you were holding. "Oh that's Kakyoin's notebook! He can't live without it, good thing you found it! Okay, let's go now, the others are waiting. Allez, on y va!"

He guided you out of the room and you followed, clutching the notebook. Polnareff didn't have to know the weird things written on it about you and Jotaro. You had to discover what it all meant.

"That's bullshit. You don't make any sense, Y/N." Jotaro scoffed at you, a few hours after the little hotel room occurence.

"I swear on my future husband's life! I'll prove it to you, look." You turned around and looked for your red haired friend. "Kakyoin! Can I doodle something on your notebook please~?"

"Huh?" He looked at you questioningly. "Why all of a sudden?"

"Well, Mr. Joestar will take a while to come back, so might as well kill some time. I'll write a cute message for you to read on the last train home!"

The red head smiled at your goofiness and thought 'why not?'. He took out his notebook along with a pen, but instead of giving it to you, he opened it on a specific empty page.

"Here," He handed you the items. "Only draw on this page. Don't draw on the other pages."

You nodded. "Got it! Thank you Kakyoin~!"

You smiled innocently and as soon as the male turned his back to you, your expression turned dark and you instantly looked for Jotaro who was sitting nearby.

"Jojo! Here, I have it, let's do this!" You stood in front of him with the notebook in your hands and he sighed.

"Yare yare daze, I'm not betraying his trust because of your shadiness."

"It's not like that! There's-..." You cut yourself off to look behind you and check if Kakyoin was looking.

You leaned down, inching towards Jotaro's face and whispered quietly. "There are things about us in here. Last time I saw it on accident, but if Kakyoin writes stuff about us, it's our legitimate right to know!"

"Says who? Are you a lawyer or something?"

"Jojo please!!" You pleaded while gripping on the collar of his gakuran, moving the chains on it and making them clang loudly.

The sudden noise alerted the cherry-haired fellow who turned his head to look at you both from afar. His eyes instantly widened and sparkled with vicious yet happy stars.

He loved to see his two best friends interract and, he knew damn well he took half of your interractions out of context, but that's what made them so good. His imagination started running wild at the scene before him.

The way you desperately held onto Jotaro, your faces, so close to each other, your begging eyes looking at him, yearning for his lips, waiting for one thing only.

'Jojo, please!' Kakyoin muttered what he imagined you would say. 'Say yes... I've been dying to kiss you!'

Back to you two, Jotaro clicked his tongue and looked away, closing his eyes in frustration. He hated the fact that he just couldn't refuse you anything.

"Tch! You're so fucking annoying. Fine, I get it, give it to me." Jotaro grumbled and moved your hands away from him, snatching the notebook from your hand.

'Tch! You know I can't resist you. Fine, don't beg for me to stop when I start messing you up.' Kakyoin continued, imitating his friend's deep voice under his breath and being surprisingly in character, for the inappropriate things he was imagining.

Kakyoin tensed up with anticipation when Jotaro suddenly grabbed your wrists, his big strong hands overpowering your fragile ones easily. You may have made the first move, but he would take the lead.

If it wasn't for the public surrounding you, Kakyoin was sure his friend would have gotten up and slammed you against the wall, pinning your hands at your side while you whimpered his name cutely. But he had to hold back, at least for now, or so Kakyoin daydreamed.

"Hey Kakyoin, what're you looking at? Come here for a bit!"

Before Kakyoin could even see the rest of the scene, which happened to be the most interesting part, he was interrupted by Polnareff who was in dire need for help with a nearby vending machine that seemed to have eaten his money.

Kakyoin sighed a bit annoyed, but joined his French comrade, not even glancing back at you. He'd have to remember to write everything down as soon as you gave him back his notebook.

Kakyoin Noriaki was an average boy that loved action and adventures, but he secretely wasn't immune to a good sweet romance story.

When you joined the crusaders, your interactions with Jotaro seemed as platonic as with the rest of the men. But for some reason, the boy started to feel some kind of connection between you two.

He didn't know when or how it started, but he felt like something was different at a certain point.

Why was it so cute when, one day, you removed Jotaro's hat to fix the pins that were moved out of place after a fight, and he let you put it back on him, even though he never lets anybody touch it?

Or maybe it was that other time in a restaurant where, after Jotaro eyed your dessert for a while, you exchanged your cakes to let him have a taste, stealing a bite from his own in the process.

Or that day when you struggled put your earrings back on and he had to help you out, only to struggle even more, his fingers too big and clumsy to be accurate. He had to call out Star Platinum to do it while he held your hair out of the way.

Even the simplest of gestures seemed romantic and adorable to him. He was sure something was going on between you two, and yet, you were too dense to realize it. All of this fueled his inner fanboy and it prevented him from sleeping at night.

He shipped you two so goddamn much.

He was guilty, but he loved every single bit of it. Of course, no one could know. If someone knew, especially you two, that'd be the end of him.

You were all waiting for the next train to arrive, which was a big 40 minutes. Joseph and Abdul went to buy something to snack on while you waited and Polnareff went to the restroom.

Kakyoin was sitting next to you, his back resting against the wall and his eyes were closed. As you thought he had fallen asleep, you took this moment to turn the other way to talk to your nonchalant friend.

"You see?" You spoke softly, careful to not wake Kakyoin up. "I told you there were stuff about us in that notebook!"

"Shut up, there were only messages on that page, I'm sure the others were the same." He grumbled with the same low intensity as you. "And you know damn well he can be a weirdo sometimes."

"But still, I want to understand... And also, what does 'smut' even mean?"

He pretended to be asleep, but his mind was racing.

Kakyoin who wasn't quite sleeping and very much listening to whatever he could hear through the background noise of the station, flinched and started blushing.

Just, when and where did you heard that term?

" 'Smut'?" Jotaro looked at you with confused furrowed eyebrows. "Hell if I know. You speak better english than I do, shouldn't you know?"

"Well I..."

Before the conversation could go down even further, Kakyoin feigned waking up and got up from his slouched position.

You noticed and turned around, staring at him, scared that he would ask what you were talking about, as you didn't want to confront him about the weird things you saw in his notes. If he ever knew, he would finish you. But something worse happened.

Jotaro nudged you and tilted his head towards Kakyoin, but you quite didn't get the message.

"Oi Kakyoin, do you know what 'smut' means? You know a lot of languages, right?" Jotaro asked like it was nothing and you gasped, secretly wanting to slap Jotaro for his indiscretion.

Kakyoin looked over at him, unfazed as ever. "Smut? Hmmm I guess I can look it up later. Where did you hear that?"

Jotaro innocently signed your death warrant. "Y/N just told me."

"JOTARO!!!" You shot up from your seat and stared at him in pure disbelief and betrayal. "OH MY- ARE YOU SERIOUS?! YOU TRAITOR!!!"

"Oh really?" Kakyoin teased, sending you a knowing look. "What's going on with you two? Are you keeping secrets from me?"

You blushed and flinched as Kakyoin's amethyst eyes stared through your soul. Before Jotaro could say anything else, you slapped a hand over his big mouth and Kakyoin's eye glinted.

"I-I mean... No! Wait. There's something I need to tell Jojo, excuse us for a sec."

You then leaned in and cupped Jotaro's ear as you whispered. Kakyoin looked at you in pure satisfaction, trying his best to not start smiling and giggling like a goofy schoolgirl.

Oh no, he didn't need to hear the sweet nothings you were deliciously breathing on Jotaro's now tingling skin. Imagining it was more than enough.

You leaned back and softly spoke to him. "Don't ruin this for us. I'm trusting you."

"Yare Yare daze. You put me into this in the first place. Don't complain."

Kakyoin's eyes widened and he turned his head around, trying to hide his expression and pretended he totally didn't hear that. Oh how sweet the lack of context was for his little fanboy mind. He wouldn't ask too many questions since you were offering him such a good show.

On the train, you waited until Kakyoin was completely out and asleep to subdue his notebook. That would make a good reading on the 4 hours long travel.

"Yes that's it! Right on the left pocket, yeah that one!"

You guided Jotaro who was hiding not too far from Kakyoin's seat as your delinquent friend used Star Platinum to steal your cherry loving friend's notebook.

When he finally had it, Star Platinum brought it back and both you and Jotaro proceeded to read through the many drafts and stories about you two.

Getting ready for one hell of a joy ride.

Bonus:

Kakyoin stretched and took a deep breath of fresh air as he got off the train.

"Aah~! I slept like a log. Huh? What's wrong, why are you two so red? Did you get motion sick, maybe?"

Kakyoin commented upon seeing your and Jotaro's flushed face as you got off. Your shoulders were slumped in shame and Jotaro was hiding behind his hat like a wanted criminal.

"Uh yeah... Here Kakyoin, you dropped this..." you groaned and handed him his notebook.

He thanked you and took his due. When he was gone, you glanced at Jotaro and you both shared intense empathy and regret.

Don't steal Kakyoin's notebook.

Oh man, wouldn't it be fun and also a bit sad if after Dio was defeated, Y/N and Jotaro became a couple?

You walked by the river, holding hands with Jotaro after a long week of finals. You suddenly stopped in your tracks and looked at the water reflecting the orange sunset.

Jotaro looked at you confused, but followed your gaze, until both of you laid eyes on a young girl painting the scenery on a canvas.

"You know... He would have loved this..." You started softly, a melancholic look cast on the girl as her Stand posed on the grass like a model, thinking herself only could see it. "To see us together, I mean..."

Jotaro inspected the girl, her red curls and green uniform moving messily in the wind. "Did he ever write something about us watching him paint?"

You chuckled sadly. "Why didn't he think of that? His stories were great, but he was in none of them..."

Jotaro noticed you biting your lip as your voice wavered slightly and he squeezed your hand in reassurance. You laid your head on his arm and he responded by bringing you closer to him.

"But now he is."

OKAY AUTHOR OUT

[moon-lixie]

about a letter left to be found and a boy who disappeared into thin air.

word count: 2.046k

genre: slight angst

song: 말할 수 없는 비밀 (Secret Secret) - Stray Kids

I don't think any of you would be able to understand, not even if I sit down and speak all of my truths. Still, I think I owe an explanation.

With trembling hands he gathered his things, the notebooks filled with dreams spilling from the edges of every page, his favourite hoodies, the pair of bright red headphones he had since the beginning of high school.

From the open window a cold breeze came in and ruffled the slightly damp hair of the boy, paying special attention to the ends that were still clamped together due to the dampness.

He wasn't exactly in a hurry, but he still felt nervous and anxious, because even if it was almost impossible, at the back of his mind he was haunted by the idea of someone coming in and stopping him.

Moving quickly he reached down for the towel hanging around his shoulders and ruffled his hair a couple of times more until he felt satisfied.

First of all, I have no idea where I am going but know that I'm fine.

A loud sigh caressed his lips as it escaped, filling the room that he had always called his own, his little world nobody could disrupt because in between the forgotten comics and the piles of clothes sprawled here and there he had felt more at home than he has ever felt anywhere else.

Throwing the towel to the basket of dirty laundry at the end of the hallway, he finally finished everything he had to do, simply being left with staring at himself in the mirror and fixing the wild strands of hair that had been upset by the freshly washed hoodie hugging his torso.

He could barely muster a smile at his reflection, not because he was sad, but because it all felt surreal in a sense that left him wondering if it was still the middle of the night many years ago and the last years had been nothing but the hopeful dreams of his younger self.

Maybe it's a bit selfish of me to simply leave without a warning, but please understand that I want much more than this place could ever offer me.

He closed the front door of his house, locking it with the pair of keys his mother had given him once he turned twelve; they were still held together by the Pororo keychain he had bought one day after school with such an overwhelming excitement that made the memory pull at the corners of his lips.

It felt bizarre to walk away from the entrance of his home knowing that he was never really going to come back, that this was the last time.

Just like the very first time he had arrived there along with a moving truck packed with boxes and furniture, he felt breath leave his lungs at the sight of the white façade. It made him stop for a second and contemplate in utter silence.

Goosebumps coated the length of his arms once he turned around and kept moving forward at a steady pace, leaving his old bike behind as well.

Know that the decision to leave wasn't made in a haste, I've been thinking about it for long and now just seemed like the perfect time.

Mr. Kim lazily waved in his direction, gentle smile and downturned eyes with the familiar brown that reminded Jisung of his grandfather; maybe that's where he would go next, to visit his grandfather.

Without much thought he returned the sweet and familiar greeting, feeling a bit nostalgic when he thought back to all the summers that he had spent working with the man in his garden.

Back then a young Jisung had been happy to make a few bucks while getting to stay out all day in the yard playing with bugs and with the sun kissing the skin of his chubby cheeks and legs that weren't covered by his favourite pair of green shorts.

He couldn't help but wonder where had all that time run to because despite being the one who lived through it, he could barely make sense or when had he ended up where he was.

Time moved too fast and without a warning, it left everyone wondering.

It isn't easy to leave my whole life behind but it feels right, the mere idea makes me feel lighter because who knows who I'll get to be when I get to the end of my journey.

Perhaps I'll be braver, a little bit smarter, more mature, maybe even a couple of centimetres taller.

He could walk the streets with his eyes closed and still know where every bump and crack was in the sidewalk, he could still point where his old school was, where the closest convenience store stepped in his way and as usual tempted him to buy a snack even on those days were his pockets were empty and his tummy full.

From there he knew his way to everywhere else in town, he even knew how long it would take him to get to said places on foot or with his trusty bike.

It all felt too easy and familiar, too comfortable, and those things weren't bad at all but Jisung thought he had had enough of them. He craved discovering himself inside the walls of another place so foreign that every single one of his truths were only known by himself.

Was it silly? That he thought a change of scenery would make him a new person, one much more alike to who he truly was.

Sometimes talking to someone isn't enough, because you don't think they'll understand, you know they won't. That's why I never said anything about the deepest desires looming in my heart or the biggest fears that tied me down for as long as I can remember.

All the interrogations running leaps around his mind made him walk faster, filling him with the same dreadful excitement he felt every first day of school, one that mixed with nervousness and fear.

He wasn't sure if starting fresh would let him be someone whose fears didn't weigh upon his heart so harshly, he wasn't sure if he would get to be the person he had always wished he could be but he could only hope.

Hope had been what drove him this far and today he was giving it full control of where his feet moved to, control over how his next day would look like or where he would wake up the next day.

Never in his life had he felt more ready to wander around by himself.

But I guess, since I'm going, it's only fair that I try to sit down and talk to someone, hoping that they will understand even if my words are scarce and there will be nobody to talk back to at the end of this letter.

On the horizon the sun rushed to slumber, leaving a comforting lilac pooling around the clouds and making them stand out even more.

Night hovered over his shoulders making him breathe with much more ease because if there was something that portrayed hope and tomorrow with an uncanny resemblance and lack of effort, it was the night sky with its endless stars and its shining moon.

In his childhood days he had discovered that there was no better cure for uncertainty and a nostalgic heart than staring up at the night sky; there was something about it that made him feel like time stopped for an instance, that time wasn't quite as unforgiving while the veil of darkness covered everything.

If he could go anywhere he wanted —which he was already doing— he would wish to go to the sky, not the endless and uncertain space, but the idea of the sky that humans have in their ignorance, a canvas that goes no further than our eyes can see.

Ever since I can remember I've felt like there was a place for me somewhere out there, a place I always called home without knowing what it really was.

It wasn't like I didn't feel at home here, there was just a feeling in my chest that told me out there I could feel completely free in the way I've always craved.

For him it had always felt unfair, how everyone got to live and walk around without the things that kept him back. Of course when he grew older he understood that everyone had their own problems but sometimes that was easy to ignore when one's own darkness loomed around their heart.

He had spent many years wishing, praying to whoever was listening, that he could just be himself without the voices in his head and the uncertainties that made every single one of his steps be cautious.

Nobody seemed to have listened as years went by and things got harder, still, he never gave up and even though he could never really say that there was nothing else bothering him he could at least say that he had everything under control.

If time is unforgiving it also is healing, and for him it had healed many wounds that couldn't be seen.

Unknowingly I spent a lot of time wanting to go to that place, craving to find where it was.

Some years ago I understood that it perhaps wasn't a place but a version of myself that could bring such soothing feelings. That's where I'm going to, that's why I have no destination.

He wanted to believe that nothing had been planned, that his savings carefully stuffed at the bottom of his backpack had just been him being responsible about his money and having enough for the impulsiveness that one day had won over reason and had driven him to this adventure.

He wanted to pretend but it was stupid to do now, there was nobody around to judge him or question his motives, so there was no use in not being honest with himself.

Thinking back to all those evenings spent running around the small restaurant in which he had found a job, he could see that perhaps this plan had been many years in the making.

Unconsciously he had always been hoping for a moment like this, a moment of unadulterated freedom.

Hopefully I do get there, hopefully I get to be happy and everyone I left behind does too.

The journey to happiness, to authenticity, to being unapologetically himself, had taken him to the airport, another thing that wasn't as spontaneous as he had tried to make it seem.

Passport in hand and trembling self, the whiteness of the place and the various people walking back and forth made him realise that this was really going on, he was really leaving.

For the first time in his life overthinking had no place in his plans.

I wish to be who I am meant to and disappearing was perhaps the thing I had always been destined to do. A boy who disappeared into thin air, that's who I am, a boy with secrets that weigh down on my heart and that I'm unwilling to carry with me on this journey.

Approaching the desk he was met with a young woman, in her mid twenties or early thirties, sweet but practised smile covering her lips as she recited the words that he must've learned a long time ago when she first started working there.

"I want a ticket for the next flight available," Jisung said, offering a reassuring smile after the confused look the woman gave him.

He looked around as the sounds of typing filled his ears and before he had time to start regretting something the ticket had been placed on his palm and his savings were short by a considerable amount.

I'm afraid that wasn't much of an explanation but it was my truth.

Good luck and see you whenever we're meant to cross paths.

The last thing he saw before falling asleep were the clouds from above and the sky now completely dark like the many nights he had wondered where he belonged.

Now he had an answer, he belonged wherever he felt free and right then in that comfortable plane seat he felt the freest he had ever been.

[cometcaper]

I thought I'd share my playlist for the anniversary of the boathouse kiss. :)

Song translations, MANY thoughts, and timeline under the break.

Noise warning for song 19, Hinahanap-Hanap Kita. 4:23 to the end. Loud high pitched beeps.

YouTube music version to be made soon.

Translations for foreign songs:

Ewan [Dunno] — Apo Hiking Society — Filipino/Tagalog

Amour plastique [Plastic love] — Videoclub — French

Panalangin [Prayer] — Apo Hiking Society/Moonstar88 — Filipino/Tagalog

Hinahanap-Hanap Kita [I'm Looking For You] — Rivermaya — Filipino/Tagalog

This is a collaborative playlist made with my friend.

Thought Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy would be a good starter song. Something about the music. Represents a good start of Alec persuing Maurice, like, hey, I can be yours... Whatcha doin'?

I added Puppy Princess because of the chorus but I know some people don't like that song so... You can skip if you'd like. KISS MEEEEE KIISS ME WITH YIIR EYESSS CLOSED . ALL I WANT IS YOU YEAH YOU. TELL ME I'M NOT FUNNY TELL ME I'M LEGIIIIT

Ewan. OH MY GOD this song is so them. Alec cares for Maurice, and doesn't like not being taken seriously or being treated badly and brushed off.

"I don't know why you're like that, you're difficult to talk to and you're a snob" COME ON IS THAT NOT THEM — Just a smile from you, and I'll be in heaven. Please give me a response, anything but "No idea"... What a perfect representation of Alec's continuous persuit of Maurice, always talking, always trying...

I could go on with every lyric.

Edit: I just realised this song fits so well for Alec's letters and meeting at the museum. Must resist the urge to add the same exact track twice.

So about Touch Me... Some of the lyrics apply better in other versions. Spotify just has this version tho. Touch me, just like that.

All I've Ever Known. Maurice discovered so much that night about touch and sharing and being with someone. He wants to be with Alec. "All I've ever known is how to hold my own, but now I want to hold you too. [Hold you close, I don't wanna ever have to let you go. Hold you tight, I don't wanna to back to the lonely life.]" Alec opened up his eyes and he'll never be the same.

Can't Help Falling in Love With You. 'Did you ever dream you'd a friend, Alec? ... Someone to last your whole life...' 'Alec, you're a dear fellow and we've been very happy.'

I'd Like To Walk Around In Your Mind was added from Maurice's perspective. Perhaps it fits Alec too...

I think Love At First Sight has the double meaning of the literal title, as well as "wouldn't you like to kiss her" perhaps being... Something Maurice would hear.

I Don't Dance. Based on this post/edit. Please watch this video oh my God.

Pink in the Night. Alec yearns for Maurice in the boathouse. He hasn't come. He hears his heart breaking tonight.

Every lyric is perhaps pulled straight from Alec's brain, to be honest. I remember seeing a post with this song in other contexts with them too. So yes, a few meanings.

Amour plastique. Alec reminiscences on the night in the Russet room. Why hasn't he come?

In my mind, everything goes wild. I lose myself in your eyes. I drown myself in the vagueness of your loving gaze.

And at night I cry tears that stream down my cheeks. I think of you only when the days ends, only when my sad demons descend upon my mind, into the bottomless abyss.

Waiting in the boathouse at night, when the day ends.

I ring out in kisses all down your chest. Lost in the avalanche of my heart astray. Who are you? Where are you?

The moments of then repeat in his mind. Where is Maurice?

I suppose Hopelessly Devoted To You and I'm A Fool To Want You are self explanatory. Maurice should really come... Alec really toughed it out, 2 days he spent in the boathouse, really wanted to see Maurice, really knew they had something, and doesn't want to be treated like a dog. Generally, his 1st letter.

Moon Song. My friend said they added it as a general love song. — Why do you treat me like this? Why didn't you come to the boathouse? — Alec's 2nd letter as a whole. Plus bits of 1st.

And you pushed me in, and now my feet can't touch the bottom of you. ... So I will wait for the next time you want me, like a dog with a bird at your door.

Ewan would fit here tbh.

Panalangin. My only prayer in this lifetime: to be beside you, to be together with you, that's my prayer.

"I since cricket match do long to ... place both arms round you and share with you, the above now seems sweeter than words can say."

And this heart won't allow if you will be away from me, my love, please listen.

It also fits the end of museum.

I Want You. Maurice, can you come to the boathouse already? Alec has no power to teleport you there. I hold one card that I can't use.

I found you. I found the door, but when I stepped through, there was no floor. He found Maurice, bit he's not being here for Alec.

You're coming back And it's the end of the world We're starting over And I love you, darling And I am done, dear

Alec wishes this would happen. Also, he does come back later and they love again over, and "it is finished".

Credit for suggesting the next two songs goes to @beatle-capaldi!!! He also wrote was in quotations!

English Summer Rain

The Most Radical Thing To Do

Hinahanap-Hanap Kita. 1st letter, he's looking for Maurice. Thinking about them together.

In my thoughts and dreams, in every turn of destiny, I look for you. Also applies to that hotel/post-hotel feeling. I look for you, even if I try to forget you, saying goodbye, looking back...

Wildest Dreams. They think a lot of each other. They share once more. But they must say goodbye. Alec saw this coming. Maurice hopes that Alec will remember him like this.

I Hear a Symphony. Alec truly opened up Maurice's eyes. Maurice was meant to be with him. He helped Maurice, changed his life. But now Alec is leaving on ship... Or is he? The symphony leads into...

An orchestral sountrack. The Boathouse. Unfortunately the Maurice soundtrack is not on spotify. It's on my personal YouTube music version. I added it because it just captures the boathouse the only way the sountrack itself can.

The Word of Your Body (Reprise). MLM people have moment of romantic tension, which culminates in confessions of love. Just had to add it. "Haven't you heard the word of your body?" perfectly describes Alec gifting and showing Maurice the wonder of truest physical affection and love. He lets Maurice be okay with himself, and again, changes everything. Every lyric is perfect.

Also, sorry JBW, I like other versions more... Too bad Spotify is mean.

I See The Light. Yeah. Every lyric. Maurice is Rapunzel. Movie Blond too. Both the morning at Russet room and the museum. And the world has somehow shifted. All at once everything is different, now that I see you. "By now they were in love with each other consciously."...

Suddenly Seymour. Suddenly see more, yeah? Clive = ass and someone gives him affection for once, wow! Sidenote, I want to sing this with them and their accents... Suddenly SCUDDER...

Helpless. Musical theatre songs seem to be good retellings of their love story. It's why they belong in post boathouse. Summaries and retellings. They're also good at conveying love they'd feel for each other in general, all times ever. Like loving men, retelling a story.

I'll Cover You. Cute love song feat. gays. I like to imagine them dancing around, declaring their love and devotion for each other. Walking and dancing around like in the original scene, sometime post canon. In my own imagination, I thought of Alec as Angel and Maurice (Christopher) as Collins.

Video Games. They must love spending time together. I thought this to be Maurice POV. Only worth living if somebody is loving you I mean, come on.

It's you, it's you, it's all for you. Everything I do. I tell you all the time, heaven is a place on Earth with you.

Un sospiro. I headcanon that Maurice picks up the piano and plays for Alec. Perhaps he picked it up bc of/after Clive, but now can play it for someone who gives a shit.

Something about the melody reminds me of them. And then it gets more intense... A bit like the passions of love, showing up in sharing and touch and more, too.

Liebestraum. I mean, it means love dream/dream of love. I just had to. Also I just like Liszt.

Take Me Up With You, Dearie. This song is just so sweet... So soft... Edwardian to boot... I love how quintessentially 1909 it is. Discovered it in a YT video. The thought of them getting married makes me cry. This song in general makes me want to cry, it's so romantic, tender, and exudes my favourite era...

Let us float, float, float through the clouds, and just have a lot of fun. We'll go up, up, up as two and then come down as one.

Put Your Head on My Shoulder. We Belong Together. I always imagine Maurice and Alec slowdancing to songs that come on the radio together, when the 1950s hits... Alec probably rests his head on his shoulder as this plays and they dance...

I'm using a lot of ellipses, am I secretly Rupert Graves?

Welcome to the 70s and 80s. They love dancing together and being with each other. Now, Panalangin can be a happy song. My only prayer for this lifetime ... To be together with you. And this heart won't allow if you will be away from me.

Just the Two of Us. What a nice, vibey song. Great title, great scenario of them dancing to this...

Tiny Dancer. Your Song. MLM people in the 70s + Radio, being happy and in love with each other. — I just thought I should add some Elton. A different friend, and I, like him. Maurice sings to Alec, "And you can tell everybody this is your song." That I put down in words how wonderful life is with you in the world.

Electric Love. Fun fact: this song got me to share the playlist. Got me thinking about them and their anniversary again. The funky busy instrumental describes well their passionate love. The highs of electric LOOOOOOVE describe the intensity of them.

Alt text continued: themselves together under and the love. And the love. The song has its own tension and it perfectly pictures their own tension. So yeah, this is THEIR song quite literally.

Sorry if my music taste is perhaps basic. I just made it for when I hear songs that are Them.

Falling for Ya. Alec falls for Maurice. "I saw you when you first drove up, Mr Hall..." Something about Maurice, right? Plus really nice vintage vibes with the music. The bit about Into your arms and it's a secure sure sounds like Maurice. Awh, they're falling for *each other*...

Rainbow Connections. Gay and bi people. Marriage. Everything that Maurice and Alec went through to get here, where they were meant to be. Clive. Working for Clive. Leading up to now.

All the things that had to go right, all the things that had to go wrong, that lead us to the place where we were going all along.

On the YT version there's a soft/jazzy cover of Panalangin here. Because they're old and spending time together and being happy. What a throwback, a defined meaning in their lives over time.

Still Into You. After all these decades... Old and grown, together... True soulmates... Two men can defy the world... Maurice and Alec still roam the greenwood. Imagine Maurice meeting Alec's mom in this context. If only.

Postmodern Jukebox cover, because they are a quintessentially 20th century couple. They exude vintage.

Some piano playing for Alec. Soft, tender, romantic, emotional, true. Feels like nighttime. Feels like Maurice and Alec. And a throwback to the pre 1914 world as well. Claire de Lune feels like... A credits of life piece. Time spent in the early 1980s. Nocturne feels like that too, but more romantic. Smidge less nighttime. Ah yes, Gymnopédies. The truest credits feel of them all. None of these actually are credits for Maurice and Alec, but I struggle to find the word for this feeling. But yeah. These all have Them vibes to me. Piano of the time just does I suppose. Glad to be reminded of them at any time.

What a long playlist. Like going through almost their whole lives together. 1:52 hrs. Almost like a movie. Imagine that. A full movie of THEIR lives... But leaving to the imagination was a good thing. Led to this such action. Thank you E.M. Forster.

Timeline:

1. Pendersleigh

4. & 5. Russet Room. Night, then Morning

9. Cricket

10. Boathouse Nights

18. The Museum

20. The Hotel

21. After

23. The Boathouse

24. They Still Roam the Greenwood

I just like to imagine them dancing to songs on the radio, for decades to come...