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smashhed · 13 days

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|| The King's Gambit ||

🔞 Sukuna x Y/N Minors DNI| TRIGGER WARNING 🔞

Plot: Sukuna in a human world as a mafia boss so things will surely get steamy . Can you handle it ?

Tags- Breast sucking ,killing, mafia ,lust ,revenge ,sex ,plot , fights , gun , gore, action

NOTE : Hey readers,

I just wanted to drop a quick note to let you know that I’m new to the smut genre. Previously, I’ve been writing action fiction novels on other platforms, and now I’m trying to blend some of that action-packed excitement into my new work here. I hope you enjoy the mix of intense action and steamy scenes!

For the love of all things holy, if you're a minor reading this, stop right now. This content is meant for adults only, and I swear to god, if I find out you're reading this, and complaining and crying about it , I'm gonna beat your ass. Stay safe and read responsibly! Divider Credit : @cafekitsune

The city was like a giant maze of metal and glass, full of dark corners and secrets. In the middle of all this, Sukuna, a feared mafia boss, was in charge. His name alone was enough to scare people, and he had a reputation for being tough and powerful.

Tonight, though, things were going to get interesting.

Y/N loved adventure. Her job as a reporter had taken her to some risky places, and this city was no exception. She had heard rumors about Sukuna, the mysterious mafia leader, and she was curious. Wanting to find out more and hoping for a big story, she followed clues that seemed to lead to where he was.

As Y/N navigated the dimly lit streets, her heart pounded with a mix of fear and excitement. She knew this was dangerous, but the potential reward was too tempting to ignore.

Sukuna was sitting in his fancy office high up in a skyscraper, far above the busy, dirty streets of the city. The office was decorated with expensive furniture, making it look very different from the rough streets below. He was looking through some reports when one of his guys came in, looking nervous.

"Boss, we found someone snooping around the warehouse area. What should we do?" the man asked, his voice shaking a bit.

Sukuna's expression turned serious. "Who's brave enough to mess around in my area?" "It's a woman, boss. She seems determined, like some sort of journalist," the man replied, a hint of uncertainty in his tone.

Sukuna's interest was piqued. "Bring her to me. But make sure she's unharmed."

Y/N didn’t expect to be caught so quickly. Suddenly, a few well-dressed but scary-looking men surrounded her. Before she knew it, they grabbed her.

"Let me go!" she demanded, trying to break free.

"The boss wants to see you," one of them told her without any emotion.

They brought her to Sukuna's office. As she was pushed inside, her breath caught in her throat. The man behind the desk was as intimidating as the stories said. His presence filled the room, and his eyes seemed to see right through her.. His penetrating gaze seemed to strip away her defenses, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here ?" Sukuna's voice was smooth as silk, yet laced with a subtle threat. "A journalist, nosing around where she shouldn't be."

Y/N squared her shoulders, meeting Sukuna's intense stare with defiance. "I'm Y/N. And I'm here for a story."

Sukuna leaned back, a small smirk appearing on his face. "A story, is it? You must be quite brave or quite foolish to come here for that."

"Perhaps," Y/N replied, her tone unwavering despite the flutter of nerves in her stomach.

Sukuna's eyes gleamed with amusement. He admired her courage, even as he contemplated the implications of her intrusion. "Very well, Y/N. I'll entertain your request for a story. But know that it comes with a price."

Y/N frowned, her curiosity piqued. "What sort of price are we talking about?"

Sukuna leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "You want a story? Then you'll have to play by my rules. You'll have exclusive access to my world, but in return, you'll owe me a debt—one that I will call upon when the time is right."

Y/N hesitated, weighing the risks against the potential reward. But in the end, her thirst for a groundbreaking story outweighed her apprehension. With a nod, she accepted Sukuna's terms, knowing that delving into his world would be a dangerous game—one where the stakes were higher than she could have ever imagined.

Y/N hesitated. It was a dangerous proposition, but the opportunity was too good to pass up. " Fine. I agree."

Sukuna's smile widened. "Good. Let the games begin."

That night, Y/N was given a room in Sukuna's mansion. It was luxurious, but she couldn't shake the feeling of being a prisoner. She lay in bed, thinking about the man she had just met. There was something magnetic about him, something that drew her in despite the danger.

Meanwhile, Sukuna sat in his study, thinking about Y/N. She was different from anyone he had ever met. Fearless, determined, and undeniably attractive. He was intrigued by her, and that was a feeling he wasn't used to.

The next few days were a whirlwind. Y/N followed Sukuna as he conducted his business. She saw the darker side of his world, but also moments of unexpected kindness. He was a complex man, and the more she learned about him, the more fascinated she became.

One evening, after a particularly tense meeting with a rival gang, Sukuna and Y/N found themselves alone in his office.

"You handled that well," Y/N said, breaking the silence.

Sukuna looked at her, his eyes intense. "You surprise me, Y/N. Most people would be terrified in your position."

"I'm not most people," she replied, meeting his gaze.

Sukuna stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "No, you're not."

There was a charged silence between them. Y/N's heart raced as Sukuna reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

" You should be careful," he murmured, his voice low. "Playing with fire can get you burned."

Y/N's breath hitched. "Maybe I like the heat."

Sukuna's eyes darkened with desire. "You're playing a dangerous game, Y/N."

"And you're enjoying every minute of it," she shot back.

Sukuna's lips curved into a predatory smile. "Maybe I am."

Over the next few days, the tension between Sukuna and Y/N grew. They were like two magnets, drawn together despite the danger. Sukuna was captivated by Y/N's spirit, and she was drawn to his raw power.

One night, Sukuna took Y/N to a high-end club. It was a place where deals were made and alliances formed. As they entered, all eyes were on them. Y/N felt a thrill of excitement and danger.

They danced, the music pulsing around them. Sukuna's hands were possessive on her waist, and Y/N felt a shiver of anticipation. She looked up at him, their faces inches apart.

"This is your world," she said softly. "But it feels like we're in our own little universe."

Sukuna's grip tightened. "As long as you're with me, you're part of it."

Y/N leaned in, her lips brushing his ear. "Then let's make it ours."

Sukuna pulled her closer, their bodies moving in perfect sync. The heat between them was undeniable, and Y/N felt like she was on fire.

Just as they were lost in each other, chaos erupted. Gunshots rang out, and the crowd panicked. Sukuna immediately shielded Y/N, his eyes scanning the room for threats.

"Stay close to me," he ordered, his voice deadly calm.

Y/N nodded, her heart pounding with fear and adrenaline. They moved through the chaos, Sukuna taking down attackers with ruthless efficiency.

When a man with a gun emerged from the shadows, aiming directly at them, Sukuna's response was lightning-fast. He quickly pushed Y/N behind a pillar for safety, then charged the gunman. As he closed the distance, he ducked under a sloppy shot, rolled forward, and sprang up right in front of the attacker. Using his forearm, he blocked another attempted shot and twisted the gunman's arm sharply, forcing him to drop the weapon. With a swift uppercut, Sukuna knocked the gunman out cold.

Another attacker charged at Sukuna, wielding a knife. Sukuna sidestepped, grabbing the attacker's wrist, and delivered a low kick to the assailant’s knee, destabilizing him. As the man stumbled, Sukuna used his grip on the wrist to flip the attacker over his shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground. The knife skittered across the floor, and Sukuna quickly kicked it into a corner.

Y/N, from behind the pillar, watched Sukuna with a mix of fear and awe. His movements were precise and calculated, his expression focused and unyielding.

More attackers rushed towards Sukuna, but he was ready. He swiftly picked up the dropped gun and switched to defensive stance. He fired several controlled shots, each aimed with deadly precision, incapacitating his assailants one by one. The sharp reports of the gun echoed through the club, overshadowing the chaotic screams around them.

Sukuna’s agility and combat prowess were on full display as he ducked a wild swing from another attacker, countered with a jab to the throat, followed by a knee to the stomach, and a powerful palm strike to the chest that sent the man flying backward.

As the last of the attackers fell, the intensity in Sukuna’s eyes faded slightly. He turned back to Y/N, his posture relaxing as he walked over to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently, his tone shifting from the commanding fierceness of battle to concerned softness.

Y/N nodded, her voice shaky from adrenaline. " Yes, I’m okay, thanks to you. That was… incredible."

Sukuna cracked a small, confident smile. "Glad to hear that. Stay close to me, it’s not over until we’re out of here."

Back at the mansion, Sukuna and Y/N tended to their wounds. The danger they had just faced brought them even closer.

"Sukuna," Y/N said quietly, breaking the silence. "Why did you bring me into your world?"

Sukuna looked at her, his expression unreadable. "At first, it was curiosity. But now... it's more than that."

Y/N's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

Sukuna took a deep breath. "I've never met anyone like you, Y/N. You challenge me, make me feel things I haven't felt in a long time."

Y/N's eyes softened. " I feel the same way, Sukuna. "

He reached out, taking her hand in his. "This is dangerous, you know that, right?"

Y/N nodded. "I don't care. I'm not afraid."

As their conversation simmered with tension, Sukuna's gaze darkened with desire. "You want to play with danger, Y/N?" he murmured huskily, his voice dripping with seduction. Y/N's pulse quickened as she met his gaze head-on. " I'm not afraid to explore every inch of you," she whispered, her words a challenge. Sukuna smirked, his dominant aura filling the room.

"I want to possess every inch of you, Y/N," he murmured, his voice laced with desire.

Y/N's breath hitched at his words, her body already craving his touch. "Then take me, Sukuna," she whispered, her voice thick with longing. With a growl, Sukuna claimed her lips in a fierce kiss,

Sukuna's eyes darkened with raw desire as he pinned Y/N against the wall, his body pressed flush against hers. " You're mine, Y/N, " he growled, his voice dripping with possessiveness. Y/N gasped at the intensity in his gaze, feeling a rush of heat pooling between her legs. "Claim me, Sukuna," she pleaded, her voice barely a whisper. With a predatory smirk, Sukuna trailed kisses along her neck, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. "I'll make you mine in every way," he vowed, his hands exploring her body with a hunger that sent shivers down her spine .

Sukuna's lips trailed along Y/N's neck, his tongue flicking out to taste her like a predator savoring its prey. Y/N's breath caught in her throat as she surrendered to his dominance, her body arching against his with a desperate need. "You're mine, Y/N," Sukuna growled possessively, his voice sending shivers down her spine. "And tonight, I'm going to show you just how much you belong to me." With a hungry moan, Y/N nodded, her desire burning like wildfire

With a wicked grin, Sukuna's fingers trailed down Y/N's body until they reached her throbbing clit. "You like it when I tease you, don't you, Y/N?" he purred, his voice laced with dominance. Y/N whimpered in response, her hips instinctively pressing against his hand, craving more of his touch. "Please, Sukuna," she begged, her voice thick with desire. Sukuna's smirk widened as he circled her clit with expert precision, driving her to the edge of madness with each teasing touch. " You're so beautiful when you're desperate for me," he whispered, his breath hot against her skin.

Sukuna suddenly stopped, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he looked at Y/N teasingly. "Do you want more, Y/N?" he taunted, his voice dripping with dominance. Y/N's breath hitched as she stared up at him, her body throbbing with need. "Please, Sukuna," she begged, her voice a desperate plea. Sukuna smirked, reveling in her desperation before resuming his ministrations with renewed vigor. "You have to earn it, Y/N," he murmured, his voice low and commanding.

Sukuna's smirk widened as he gazed down at Y/N, his dominance radiating from every inch of his being. " If you want more, Y/N, you'll have to show me how much you want it," he teased, his voice thick with desire. Y/N's heart raced at his command, her need for him burning hotter than ever. "I'll show you, Sukuna," she whispered, her voice trembling with anticipation. With a wicked grin, Sukuna leaned back, his cock throbbing with anticipation as Y/N eagerly took him into her mouth, sucking him like she meant it

Sukuna watched with smug satisfaction as Y/N took him into her mouth like a hungry prey, her lips wrapping around him with eager determination. "That's it, Y/N," he groaned, his voice thick with pleasure. "Show me how much you crave me." Y/N moaned around him, the vibrations sending waves of ecstasy coursing through Sukuna's body. "You're mine to devour, Y/N," he growled, his hands tangling in her hair as he guided her movements.

Sukuna's eyes widened with surprise as Y/N suddenly deepthroated him, her mouth engulfing him with a hunger that left him breathless. "Fuck, Y/N," he gasped, his voice strained with pleasure. "You're even more skilled than I thought." Y/N's eyes sparkled with mischief as she continued, her movements relentless as she took him deeper and deeper. "You like that, Sukuna?" she teased, her voice husky with desire. Sukuna could only nod in response, his mind consumed by the overwhelming sensation of her mouth around him

Sukuna's fingers found their way to Y/N's throbbing clit as she deepthroated him, his touch sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through her body. "You like it when I take control, don't you, Y/N?" he murmured, his voice thick with dominance. Y/N moaned around him, her hips bucking against his hand as she surrendered to his touch. "Yes, Sukuna," she gasped, her voice muffled by his length. Sukuna smirked, relishing in the power he held over her as he continued to pleasure her without mercy

With a primal growl, Sukuna seized control, flipping Y/N onto her back as he positioned himself between her thighs. "You're mine to claim, Y/N," he declared, his voice dripping with dominance. Y/N's breath hitched with anticipation as she felt him enter her, his length filling her like never before. "Yes, Sukuna," she moaned, her voice a mix of pleasure and surrender Sukuna's throbbing cock plunged into Y/N's wet pussy, each thrust sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. "Oh, Sukuna," she moaned, her voice a symphony of ecstasy as he pounded her relentlessly. Sukuna's primal growls filled the room as he claimed her as his own, their bodies moving in perfect harmony. "You like it when I fuck you like this, don't you, Y/N?" he grunted, his voice thick with desire. Y/N could only nod in response, her senses overwhelmed by the intensity of their passion.

Sukuna's hands eagerly seized Y/N's breasts, and with a swift, decisive motion, he tore apart her top, revealing her pert nipples to his hungry gaze. Y/N's breath caught in her throat as he took her sensitive peaks into his mouth, his lips and tongue working wonders on her flesh, sending electrifying waves of pleasure coursing through her entire being. With each suck and nibble, she felt herself unraveling under his skilled ministrations, her body responding instinctively to his every touch.

"Oh, Sukuna," Y/N moaned, her back arching in pleasure as she surrendered herself to the overwhelming sensations washing over her. Her fingers clawed at his back, urging him closer as she sought to immerse herself fully in the ecstasy of their shared passion. Sukuna groaned in satisfaction, his hunger for her growing with each passing moment, his dominance radiating from every fiber of his being.

"You're mine, Y/N," Sukuna declared, his voice thick with possessiveness as he claimed her with each fervent kiss and caress. Y/N could do nothing but whimper in response, completely lost in the intensity of their connection.

Sukuna shifted Y/N onto her back, his eyes ablaze with desire. "You ready for more, baby?" he growled, his voice thick with lust. Y/N nodded eagerly, her breath coming in short gasps as she braced herself for his next move.

With a primal grunt, Sukuna thrust into her once again, his cock filling her completely. "Oh god, yes!" Y/N cried out, her voice filled with ecstasy as she surrendered to the pleasure of his powerful thrusts. Sukuna's lips crashed down on hers, his kisses hot and urgent as they lost themselves in the heat of the moment.

Their bodies moved together in a frenzied rhythm, each thrust driving them both closer to the edge. "You feel so good, Y/N," Sukuna moaned, his voice rough with desire. Y/N's nails dug into his back, her cries of pleasure mingling with his

Sukuna's voice was a low, husky whisper against Y/N's ear as he spoke, "I want to make you cum, baby. Let me feel you unravel around me." Y/N's breath hitched at his words, her body quivering with anticipation.

"Please, Sukuna," she begged, her voice dripping with need. "Make me cum hard."

With a predatory grin, Sukuna increased the pace of his thrusts, driving her closer to the edge with each powerful movement. "You're so close, Y/N," he murmured, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine. "Let go for me."

Y/N's fingers clenched the sheets as she surrendered to the pleasure building inside her, her cries of ecstasy filling the room as she finally reached the peak of her pleasure. "Yes, Sukuna, yes!" she screamed, her body convulsing with the force of her release.

Sukuna's cock throbbed with anticipation as Y/N reached the pinnacle of her pleasure, her walls gripping him tightly as she came hard. "Fuck, baby, you're so tight," he groaned, feeling her hot juices coating his dick. With a primal roar, he released himself deep inside her, filling her pussy with his hot, sticky cum.

But Sukuna wasn't satisfied yet. His hunger for her was insatiable, and with a predatory gleam in his eyes, he continued to pound into her relentlessly. "You like that, don't you, Y/N? You want more of my cock?" he growled, his voice dripping with lust.

Y/N could only whimper in response, her body writhing beneath him as she begged for more. With each powerful thrust, Sukuna felt himself getting closer and closer to the edge once again. "I'm gonna cum inside you again, baby," he grunted, his voice thick with desire.

And with one final, powerful thrust, Sukuna emptied himself inside her for a second time, their combined moans filling the room as they surrendered to the overwhelming pleasure of their shared climax.

With a satisfied smirk, Sukuna leaned down to kiss Y/N passionately, his lips claiming hers with a possessiveness that sent shivers down her spine. "You're mine now, Y/N," he murmured against her lips, his voice thick with dominance. "I've claimed you as mine, and there's no going back."

Y/N's heart raced with a mixture of excitement and anticipation as she surrendered herself completely to him. "Yes, Sukuna," she whispered, her voice a breathless affirmation of her submission to him.

Their night was a whirlwind of passion, each moment hotter than the last. They fucked again and again, their bodies moving in perfect harmony as they sought to quench their insatiable desire for each other.

With every thrust, Sukuna claimed Y/N as his own, their moans of pleasure echoing in the darkness as they surrendered themselves completely to the fire of their passion. They explored every inch of each other's bodies, leaving no part untouched as they reveled in the ecstasy of their shared pleasure.

As the first light of dawn began to filter through the window, they finally collapsed in each other's arms, sated and spent from their night of passion. With a contented sigh, Sukuna pulled Y/N close, holding her tightly against him as they drifted off to sleep, their bodies entwined in a blissful embrace.

The next few days were a blur of action and emotion. Sukuna and Y/N grew closer, their bond deepening with each passing moment. They were a formidable team, each pushing the other to new heights.

But the danger was always lurking, and they both knew it was only a matter of time before it caught up to them.

The inevitable showdown arrived with the fury of a storm. A rival gang, determined to dethrone Sukuna, launched a full-scale attack on his mansion under the cover of night. Bullets rained and explosions lit up the dark sky, signaling the start of a merciless battle.

Sukuna and Y/N stood back to back, their resolve steeling them against the onslaught. Sukuna's eyes were ice-cold with focus, his gun firing with the precision of a seasoned warrior, each shot synchronized with his breathing. Beside him, Y/N matched his rhythm, her own gun spitting fire at any figure that dared advance.

One thug tried to look menacing but slipped on his own shoelaces and went flying past them. Sukuna couldn't help but snort.

"Watch this," Sukuna whispered to Y/N as he spotted another group trying to flank them. He waited until they were awkwardly clustered together, then lobbed a smoke grenade. The gang members stumbled around, bumping into each other like characters in a silent film.

Y/N giggled, covering her mouth. "They're like penguins on ice!"

"Cover me," Sukuna said, diving into the fray with a bit more flair than necessary. He rolled, not because he needed to, but because it looked cool. When he came up, his hair was perfectly tousled—somehow it always was, even in a gunfight.

A large, burly thug swung a crowbar at Sukuna, who dodged and quipped, "You need to hit the gym, mate!" before delivering a punch

A thug lunged at him with a knife, slashing wildly. Sukuna dodged to the side, his arm whipping out to catch the man's wrist, twisting it viciously until the knife clattered to the ground. With a swift uppercut, he sent the attacker sprawling.

"Y/N, watch out!" Sukuna yelled as he saw another assailant sneaking behind her. Y/N spun around just in time, her fist connecting with the attacker's jaw in a satisfying crunch.

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood. Amidst the chaos, a burly figure emerged— the leader of the rival gang. He was flanked by his best men, who moved with lethal intent towards Sukuna and Y/N.

Sukuna met the gang leader's gaze, his expression grim. "This ends tonight," he growled.

The leader smirked, cracking his knuckles. " You're in over your head, Sukuna. "

With a roar, Sukuna charged, ducking as the leader swung a heavy pipe. He countered with a jab to the abdomen, followed by a sharp hook to the face, staggering the larger man.

Meanwhile, Y/N battled two assailants. She ducked a wild swing, pivoting to deliver a kick that knocked the wind out of her opponent. As the second man raised his gun, Y/N grabbed his arm, twisting and using his own body to shield herself as she disarmed him, throwing him over her shoulder onto the ground.

"Y/N!" Sukuna shouted, distracted for a split second as he saw her struggle. That moment was all the leader needed. He landed a heavy blow to Sukuna's side, a knife slicing through his shirt and skin.

"Stay with me, Sukuna," Y/N cried out, dispatching another attacker before rushing to his side. Blood was beginning to stain his shirt, but his eyes burned with an unquenchable fire.

"I'm not going anywhere," Sukuna gritted out, pushing past the pain. With a fierce yell, he launched himself at the gang leader. They traded blows, the sound of flesh and bone meeting echoing above the gunfire. Sukuna's movements were a blur, a ballet of violence, as he parried, dodged, and struck with ruthless efficiency.

Finally, with a powerful combination of strikes, Sukuna landed a devastating blow to the leader’s temple, sending him crashing to the ground, unconscious.

The remaining attackers, seeing their leader defeated, began to falter. Sukuna and Y/N seized the momentum, pushing back with renewed vigor until the last of the attackers fled into the night.

With the last of the attackers gone, the mansion was left in ruins. Smoke and dust hung in the air, and the once luxurious rooms were now a battlefield.

Y/N rushed to Sukuna's side, her heart pounding with fear. "Sukuna, you're hurt."

He smiled, though it was strained. "It's just a scratch."

Y/N's eyes filled with tears as she looked at him, her voice trembling. "Stay with me, Sukuna. Don't you dare leave me."

Sukuna reached out, cupping her face in his blood-stained hand. "I'm not going anywhere," he said softly, his eyes filled with determination.

With a final, desperate push, they managed to defeat the attackers. The mansion was in ruins, but they had survived.

As they stood amidst the wreckage, Y/N looked at Sukuna, her eyes filled with love and determination.

"We did it," she said softly.

Sukuna pulled her into his arms, his lips brushing her ear. "Yes, we did. And as long as we have each other, nothing can stop us."

In the aftermath of the battle, Sukuna and Y/N began to rebuild. Their love had been tested and had emerged stronger than ever. They knew their future would be filled with challenges, but they were ready to face them together.

As they stood on the balcony of their new home, looking out over the city, Sukuna took Y/N's hand in his.

"This is just the beginning," he said, his voice filled with promise.

Y/N smiled, leaning into him. "And I can't wait to see what the future holds."

With their hearts intertwined and their love burning bright, they were ready to take on the world.

Together. THE END { or is it <3 ? }

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powerpuffobsession · 12 days

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The whole Eden Lucifer-Adam-Lilith-Eve situation is kinda creepy. I see serious groomer undertones in it, given the difference in Lucifer's and humans' life experience (and to extent, maturity) at the moment

Imagine that you are an adult experienced angel who is present during the making of Eden and the birth of first humans. You also apparently want a wife. And to be a part in creation of Eden. What do you do? Find some female angel to marry and live your life with? Find an actually helpful way of working alongside elder angels?

Nope, instead you meddle with the lives of newborn and inexperienced humans in the most destructive way possible.

You could have helped them sort out their disagreements and actually taught them proper ways to behave. But you don't. You groom the naive female human into trusting you and then you encourage her cheating on the male human, causing trauma and insecurities to corrupt his personality in his first few years of living (the most influential in shaping a person's mentality). Thus you become partly responsible for the vengeful monster he will become in the future

More than that, you take away the female human's chance to live safely in paradise or on earth. Because of aiding you in your not-so-well-thought-out-plan (she didnt have any other choice, you and the male human were the only company she had), she is doomed to be allowed to only live in hell the rest of her life. And you knew that no one in heaven was going to give her the benefit of the doubt

As icing on the cake, you don't stop just on grooming and encouraging cheating, you don't leave the male human alone after you've already did him dirty and abandoned him... you come back and corrupt his new wife for some unclear reason (because your "whimsical" ideas of how you'd do a project elder angels know better how to carry out, are never even elaborated upon).

As a result, you doom not only these three babies in adult bodies but also the entire humanity to a terrifying life of fighting sinful outbursts, suffering, surviving, dying and risking ending up in hell where they'll be suffering for an eternity

I'm not sure if writers will ever hold Lucifer accountable for all this in a proper way. Probably not. But thinking about how much he fucked over first three humans makes me wish more depression on him

At this point, Lilith leaving Lucifer is not surprising. Imagine if after maturing and gaining life experience (and already giving birth to Charlie) she realized how her husband was practically using her. That could be why she left after doing her job of raising Charlie until she became an adult that can survive on her own

(I mean, it could be true if hazbin hotel was good at having the characters live through consequences of their actions and not just making Adam a scapegoat who is supposedly like Stella v 2.0 - evil ever since he was born and already inventing patriarchy with his very first breath. Like, all humans are selfish jerks when they are newborn - that's what parenting is for, shaping something more pleasant out of all that selfishness) (notice how the writing only focuses on how Adam was "bad" back in Eden)

(That also gives me a reason to judge angels in general - just a few narrative details really show how little they cared about the first humans' wellbeing and future. It's their fault too that Lilith ended up in hell and had to make some sort of deal to get a chance to visit her home/ Adam became an immature mentally unstable murderer/ and Eve... dunno, we haven't seen her yet)

#hazbin hotel critical #hazbin hotel lucifer #hazbin hotel adam #hazbin hotel lilith #hazbin hotel eve #hazbin hotel

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enassbraid · 10 months

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𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 - 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐪𝐢𝐧𝐠

-> In which it takes a talking and diagnosis for Yanqing to realize he was more than capable of having a crush. (1.1k words) (req by @xx-yanqing-anonymous-xx )

Cw) oblivious dork yanqing and guiding father figure jing yuan agenda

18+ DNI! Yanqing is explicitly stated to be around 14-16 in his character story, and I am not comfortable with adults reading romantic content with a minor.

"General, I think I need to see a healer."

Jing Yuan halted in his movements, carefully turning his head towards the young lieutenant. Besides the stern expression plastered on his face, Yanqing looked like his usual self. There wasn't a sign of illness in sight.

"Is there something wrong? You aren't pale..." The General gently brushed the younger's bangs upwards, placing the back of his hand on the blonde's forehead. "And you're body temperature is perfectly fine."

"It's not noticeable on the outside, General!" Yanqing blurted, the same stern expression displayed on his features. "I think I'm cursed..."

Jing Yuan only stared at the boy. Cursed? While it's not a common occurrence on the Luofu in the slightest, he wouldn't be all that surprised. Higher ranking Cloud Knights are always more widely known, and therefore more sought offer with more malicious intentions by criminals.

And Yanqing was a lieutenant, after all.

"And just what makes you believe that, Yanqing?" The elder inquired. He always believed Yanqing, but in this case, he wondered if the boy was exaggerating a personal feeling. It wouldn't be entirely out of character.

"It's (Name)! Whenever I'm near them, my heart rate increases and my face gets real hot! It's uncomfortable, and I can only imagine it being some sort of curse, right?"

The General deadpanned.

"What's with that face! General, you've gotta believe me!" Yanqing blatted, stern expression replaced with a comical irritated face.

"Oh Yanqing, have you ever heard of the phrase 'having a crush'?"

'Having a crush? Having a... crush?' He thought to himself curiously. It was a phrase he's heard of. Many times, in fact. On nearly every patrol he'd pass different groups of teenage girls talking amongst themselves, the words "your crush?" or "the one I like" getting thrown around once or twice.

But weren't 'crushes' meant for non Cloud Knights? Not once has he heard a single knight discuss their love life. At least, not on the job. The lieutenant simply chucked simple matters such as love aside.

Maybe if love came in the shape of a sword he'd pay more mind to it.

"I think this 'curse' of yours are merely romantic feelings for (Name). That's not something to be ashamed of, no?" Jing Yuan reasoned with the boy, only making the young lieutenant scoff in response.

"And just what would you know about love, General?" Yanqing interrogated teasingly. To no avail, Jing Yuan only brushed his inquires off. "Why don't you go visit (Name)? See if that 'curse' of yours is still intact." The General teased back, something Yanqing didn't brush off.

"You know what? I will! Thanks for the help, General. But I'm sure I'm not experiencing a crush." The Cloud Knight Lieutenant muttered the last part under his breath, feeling a tad bit rude for telling the General he was wrong. Jing Yuan waved him off, resuming his paperwork.

"The General told me it was a 'crush...' but I'm still sure this is a curse. Bailu, is there anything you can do about this?"

The small healer never experienced a patient like this.

Most of her patients came to her for a diagnosis of something they didn't know of. If the diagnosis was something serious, it wasn't out of the ordinary for a patient to be in denial for a moment. But with time, they come to accept their condition.

Yet this boy was a whole other story.

Yanqing would prefer hearing he was cursed rather than the (much better) alternative; having a crush.

"I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do for you." Bailu declared, ready to send the blonde out and call in her next patient.

"But wait! Are you sure? My heart beating that fast can't be normal, right? Aren't there any prescriptions for that?" Question after question... Bailu was getting quite fed up. "Well, there's nothing I can do... but..."

"But?" Yanqing asked enthusiastically

"There's something you could do."

Yanqing didn't know who to blame for his current situation.

One of the Luofu's greatest healers, or the Cloud Knight General. Whosever's fault it is, he knew they were only partially to blame. No matter how much he refutes any blame, he knew deep down this was partially his own fault.

Yes, it was Yanqing's own fault he stood dressed in his finest attire, with a bouquet of roses in hand.

Who was the bouquet meant for?

"Yanqing?" Your familiar voice called out. He didn't have to turn to know it was you, not anymore, at least.

The blood that rushed to his face, his heartbeat gradually speeding up, there was only one person on the entire Luofu that had that kind affect on him.

"Make sure to let them know how you feel while your at it!"

"You want a diagnosis so badly? I'll give you one. I diagnosis you with the fattest crush known to The Xianzhou Luofu. Will that do?"

The words the lieutenant previously deafened replayed in his mind, now louder than ever.

He'd resort to calling these feelings a 'curse' just to run from his feelings. He's not sure why he was so adamant about avoiding these feelings. Because now that you're mere feet away from him, he finally began to appreciate the fuzzy feeling you gave him.

Because while he can run from his feelings all he wants, he could never run from you.

"I- well... I have something I wanna tell you." He started slowly, trying to find the right words. You stood there patiently, and Yanqing could feel his face growing warmer and warmer and his heartbeat faster and faster. "You see, I..."

"I really like you, (Name)! I really really like you. Will you go out with me?" He held his head low and pushed the bouquet of roses forward, in front of you. Your lack of response was worrisome, so worrisome in fact that the blonde considered running again.

"I'll answer you if you look at me, Yanqing." You calmly requested, seemingly unbothered. The lieutenant slowly lifted his head, locking eyes with you after a few seconds. "If you're gonna say that kind of thing, at least look a little more confident."

You carefully took the bouquet from his hands, holding it gently to your torso. "I like you too, Yanqing. I really really like you too, actually." Your imitation of him made him chuckle.

He looked ethereal under the beaming sun, the light highlighting his features was almost too perfect.

It was so perfect in fact, you couldn't help but place a sweet kiss on his cheek.

"So, who put you up to this, boyfriend." You teased, gesturing to the almost fancy attire he wore. He was still in shock from the kiss, of course. Calling him your boyfriend on top of that was certainly not helping his situation.

"Ah- well, it's a long story... lover?"

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sierrrraaawwwwwcgtcvh · 4 months

Note

Childhood friends reunite carmilla

You internally groaned as your boss told you to go pick up weapon shipments. He gave you the address, but not the company name. So, that sucked.

You kinda needed the company's name but it was already too late. He walked away to deal with some other business so it was just you and your thoughts. You grumbled out curses as you took a truck and drove to the address.

As you neared the address of the weapons, you couldn't help but feel nervous. It was only you getting the shipments and the place was.. heavily deserted. Maybe because they wanted to make sure you were the right person..?

You chuckled nervously as you pulled up to the address a warehouse quickly coming into view as you parked the truck near the warehouse and got out. Oh! You quickly entered your truck again for the paperwork and then finally exited the truck and shut the door behind you.

You walked towards the warehouse as you saw two men hellhounds guarding a door, talking to each other.

Oh what the hell. You thought to yourself as you walked up to the men and cursed yourself out in your mind. You really should've brought other people with you.

The two men quickly turned to look at you with serious expressions on their faces.

"Who are you?" One grunted as he walked towards you.

"Uhm.. I'm just here to collect weapon shipments?.. do you want the paperwork?" The man raised an eyebrow at you before holding out his hand.

You quickly handed over the paperwork and he looked it over, sparing a glance at you every so often.

He then turned and nodded to the other that was still guarding the door.

The one guarding the door turned around and opened it as he gestured for you to head inside.

As you walked inside, you noticed angelic weapons everywhere. Most in boxes, others out in the open. The man with the paperwork followed after you before guiding you to an office.

You entered the office with the man as a person sat at a desk, the chair turned around so you couldn't see them. "What is it now? This better not be a waste of my time." The person, you quickly realized was a woman, spoke as the man cleared his throat before speaking.

"There is someone here to collect weapon shipments, ma'am."

"Who?" She spoke as the man walked over to her and handed the paperwork.

"Hmm." She hummed as you awkwardly stood in front of her desk.

Who is this woman? Why does she sound so familiar? You pondered as you heard the chair make a noise.

The woman had turned the chair around and her eyes widened in surprise. You supposed she wasn't expecting you to be there.

You glanced at the woman, then the man. Wait what? You did a double-take as the woman reminded you of someone you met prior to your adult-life. Some you met during childhood perhaps?

"Carmilla?" Her name spilled from your lips before you even registered that it was her.

The man raised a brow at you as Carmilla waved him off. The man opened his mouth to protest but Carmilla quickly shut him down. "Go, now. Don't make me repeat myself." She sneered as the man nodded and left the office, shutting the door behind himself.

Carmilla, you met her when you were little. Granted.. you were only friends for a couple years until she left but you still remembered her.

She said your name as you quickly snapped out of your thoughts. "What're you doing?" She asked as her gaze towards you softened.

"Um.. my job?" You awkwardly chuckled as she made a gesture towards one of the seats in-front of her desk.

"Well, this is quite a surprise. I wasn't expecting to see you. Not that it was bad or anything, just.. it's been awhile."

You nodded in response, "It really has been awhile." You agreed with her as she nodded.

"How come you're working for a small company? I figured someone like you would be having a well-paying job." She chuckled as she leaned her head against her hand.

"Well, I haven't really.. made an effort I suppose. But hey! Look at you, you've got yourself a good job!" You smiled at her.

"Yes, I suppose I do have a good job."

"What's your position? If you don't mind me asking." You watched as her eyes widened.

"Oh my, well. I thought you knew.." she laughed as you stared at her, confused.

"Knew what?" You asked as she smiled in response.

"That I'm an overlord, and the CEO of the company."

Word count: 785

Platonic :)

#carmilla carmine x reader #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel x reader #carmilla carmine

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dairy-farmer · 6 months

Note

So I'm pretty sure you have a story that's basically Red Robin only fucks on missions. But have you considered the opposite? Tim is a consummate professional at all times during missions or his WE work. He does not flirt, make bedroom eyes, or even make suggestive comments at all, and will in fact tear to anyone who does: such as one memorable occasion when he came across Batman and Catwoman getting frisky on a roof.

This is lead to the Justice League assuming he's a prude and/or of virgin. Except any time they try to bring that up to the bats or the core four They tend to clam up and look shifty. This is because Tim is a complete slut when he's not working. It's like that joke about so-and-so cry is during sex and then the responses no they cry before sex and after sex but during sex they have a goddamn mission to do. But the opposite: Tim fucks before missions and after missions, but during missions he's got a goddamn job to do.

One time with Young Justice, Kon tries flirting with Tim and gets shot down and yelled at immediately. Later on he goes to Tim's room to apologize while Tim is finishing up the mission report. He says he's sorry for flirting during the mission, and Tim tells him not to do it again and submits the report... Before pouncing on Kon and suggesting they fuck right now immediately.

The Bats are always trying to figure out a way to be the one around as soon as he finishes up a mission / mission report / gets home from WE, because Tim is insatiable outside work.

Unfortunately, that also means a lot of people getting blue balls whenever a mission comes up unexpectedly, because Tim will hop off whatever dick he's on and immediately get to work, and refuses any advances until the job is done and no amount of begging or bargaining will change his mind.

ooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 YESSSSSSSSSS!!!! i love tim being SO good at separation of his private life and his professional life. he takes his job VERY seriously. he puts the utmost effort and attention to it and that petty 'relationship' bullshit does not have a place on the field because while he was training as robin dick would tell him about all the drama and gossip. he'd talk about it like they were two highschoolers at a lunch table and tim felt...disapproval.

he understood that some capes had been doing their job for years, they had experience under their belt and so maybe they had a better handle on the situation than they let on and it allowed them to flirt and make charged comments while in a serious situation. other capes had powers, super speed, super strength, etc, etc.

tim didn't. tim was a greenhorn through and through. he had no powers and he was small. he had to work 10, 20, 30 times harder.

tim would hold the lives of people in his hands. the difference between someone living or dying could be seconds, inches. tim had to be faster, smarter. he had to take his job seriously. some people were going to be experiencing the worst day of their life and tim had to be able to give them all his attention.

tim imagined what he would feel. if he'd just gotten mugged and thoroughly beaten and found out that batman was too slow to save him because he was too busy making the moves on catwoman six blocks away. tim, in that moment, can't imagine it. but he figures out very quickly that he would've been fucking furious.

bruce is an adult. he can have adult relationships. he's been doing his job for longer than tim has been alive. tim knows that. he respects that.

but he's picking up slack. he knows batman is meeting catwoman for info and it's just bad luck that tim ends up caught between stopping a thief that tripped a silent alarm and some drunk kid on a joy ride who almost crushed a pedestrian under his wheels. but tim handles it. he's been trained to. but with those two things going on he's almost too late to stop the monster that pulls a girl into an alley a few streets away and starts undressing her.

she's mute. tim sees it on her medical bracelet. it's why he couldn't hear screams or cries. but the alley was right over his and batman's patrol route and...he got lucky. he got there in time. she's horribly shaken but not as badly as she would've been if he'd been moments too late. moments. seconds. tim could've been too late. he would've been there sooner if he'd had a second set of hands.

tim really hoped the info batman got was worth it.

tim is angry. he's clenching his jaw in anger because some of the things he sees in gotham aren't easy to shake off. he reassures himself that the girl is safe now. that the paramedics will make sure she's stabilized and the hospital will call her parents.

tim lands on a nearby roof and sees batman and catwoman straightening their suits, sees catwoman fixing her lipstick in a mirror compact, sees bruce subtly adjust his crotch plate and....tim stops.

tim is not stupid. so he holds his tongue until catwoman is gone. she's not a hero. she's never claimed to be so he has no place to yell at her. tim also can't let her see him fighting with bruce. it pokes a hole in their teamwork dynamic. tim waits until she's several blocks away and bruce is gruffly talking about patrol and looking into a few things.

he's walking towards the edge of a roof and tim is silent and tense by his side. he waits until bruce is done talking to speak.

"did you get your dick sucked?"

bruce doesn't make a sound. he doesn't stumble. but he does stop.

"i hope you did. i hope the thirty minutes it took you to wrap up whatever bullshit you were doing with her was worth the girl i almost didn't save!"

tim's voice grows in volume and anger at how fucking reckless bruce was. this was not batman's fucking job. to sit on his ass and get fellatio on a rooftop while the people of gotham were brutalized.

what the fuck was he thinking? tim has been mad at batman before. he's vocalized his displeasure, whined about him being unfair but he has never been. this. upset. before.

bruce turns to face him. his lips are pursed and curved down in that silently dissatisfied way he always does when he's about to lecture tim but tim won't let him. he is not the one who is wrong this time. and tim won't let him go on thinking that what he was doing was okay.

tim steps closer, stepping nearly toe to toe with bruce and sharply poking bruce's chest armor with his finger.

" if you want to get your dick wet that's fine, i don't give a shit." tim is on his toes. bruce has to tilt his head down and their noses are almost touching. if someone was watching them they'd probably look ridiculous but tim's not worried about that. "i swear to god you better not pull this 'cat and bat' routine on patrol again, do you understand me?"

tim's voice is at a near growl, his teeth are grinding and he's almost certain his vision is going red.

"you do that shit when you're off the fucking clock or next time i won't be so nice to you or her."

catwoman gets a pass. this time. this one time.

but they're grown fucking adults and they should know better. tim's still a kid and HE knows better. HE has the self control to keep his pussy tucked away while on the job. it's not like tim is chaste or a prude. tim hasn't been a virgin since summer camp when he was twelve and he...gets around.

tim is stone silent to bruce for the rest of patrol. he's angry and frustrated and he works his anger out on the scum of the night.

when they return to the cave bruce is tensed and quiet. tim knows he doesn't like scoldings. he doesn't like reprimands. and he doesn't like being yelled at.

normally tim would be the one to apologize in their fights. he'd be the one to try and keep the peace but not this time. not for this. tim won't apologize for being right.

he might be young and he might be new to the 'business' but his gut tells him that bruce's actions that night and likely every night that he did that were utterly unacceptable.

tim never apologizes for his words and bruce is tense, quiet, and awkward for a few more days before he approaches tim.

by that point tim's anger has faded. he's checked up on the girl from the alley. she wasn't badly hurt. tim left some pamphlets for free counseling services offered by W.E in the mailbox of her parent's house and he watched as her father drove and picked her up each night from her night school.

he's not as angry anymore but he is sticking to his guns. they got lucky this time. tim got there in time. but if they'd been working together as they should've been, it never would've gone as far as it did.

when bruce approaches tim's bench he's towering and glowering like usual. his jaw is tight and his body language speaks of discomfort which is a rare sight. he tries to start the conversation about how sex is natural for adults, that bruce hadn't meant what he and catwoman did to make tim uncomfortable and that-

tim cuts him off pretty quickly because bruce is clearly misunderstanding something. bruce could fuck tim's mother in front of him and he still probably wouldn't give a shit. that's not tim's problem. tim's not squeamish about sex, he does it all the time. but tim's problem was with bruce doing it in the suit. his problem was bruce neglecting his job and duty in favor of a quickie.

that pissed tim off. that was what tim yelled at him for.

bruce's expression does a little shift at tim's words before looking away from him.

he doesn't wander off but he doesn't say anything more about it so tim goes back to work. either bruce will say something or he won't. either way tim still has preparations to make with his gear for patrol. tim is fiddling with his utility belt when bruce's deep voice pipes up again.

"you feel very strongly about this."

it doesn't sound like a question but tim nods and makes a sound of assent.

tim is holding a precision screwdriver and tightening a few of the smaller bolts when bruce lets out a breath and puts a firm hand on tim's shoulder. he tightens it slightly to catch tim's eye and tim looks up at him.

bruce is still looking away, avoiding his gaze slightly but those eyes are dragged to meet his. there is some resolve in them.

"i won't do it again tim. i promise. i'm sorry that i put you into a tight spot and i'm sorry that i neglected my duties. i'll make sure to keep that confined to my private life, you won't have to worry about that again."

bruce doesn't do lip service and he doesn't apologize for nothing.

so tim believes him. bruce is not a bad person and he didn't know about that girl. it was wrong of tim to have blamed him for it when the only one who had any responsibility for it was that piece of crap that was sitting in a cell nursing some bruises and a broken tooth.

tim tells him as such. he apologizes, he tells bruce that it really wasn't his fault, that he couldn't have known.

bruce thanks him and the two of them are back. the air is a little awkward for a little longer but the two of them are awkward in general so it's not a big deal. bruce decides to break the remaining tension by offering to help tim with his belt modifications. bruce has a magnifying light shining down on a stubborn screw and tim is holding it still while bruce has the tool. tim is so engrossed in counting the number of clockwise rotations that he almost misses bruce's next question.

"what did you mean when you said you 'did it all the time'?"

the ice breaker following tim and bruce's first actual fight is bruce slowly nodding at learning that his third robin was a slut.

it's not the last fight bruce and tim have. but it is the last one they have as batman and robin. bruce and tim's other fights mostly consist of bruce criticizing tim's choice in partners and tim telling bruce that he didn't care about the person, all he wanted was their dick in his pussy.

eventually, it leads to dick similarly joining in when he witnesses a fierce argument in the car between bruce and tim and how tim was just 'being petty' by 'sliding in the dms' of old classmates from bruce's graduating class.

"but timmy, that guy is too old for you!"

dick's comment leads to him begging tim on the outside of his locked bedroom door to be "reasonable" and that all the guys dick graduated were rich pricks!

turns out tim can be petty. vindictively petty. and he also can and will sleep with anyone they know if they don't keep their comments to themselves.

so clearly they have to do something. they have to save tim from making bad choices in his youth.

they figure out that tim's sex drive stems almost entirely from the stress of his job as robin. within the hour of finishing patrol tim will have some guy willingly making the drive from gotham to his dad's house next door to fuck him.

words about 'high risk behavior' fall on deaf ears because tim is young and he 'needs' some way to be able to unwind from being robin because if he doesn't he might have a stroke.

dick worries that one of those guys will be a serial killer and so he keeps a close eye on tim. he's pacing and stressed while telling bruce about how half those guys don't even use condoms! what if tim gets pregnant, what if they give him something!!!

bruce is similarly upset.

really...they're pushed to do it.

they won't pretend like they don't also have needs. both he and dick agree with tim's words about not being distracted on patrol.

bruce keeps things professional with catwoman but selina doesn't seem all that receptive to bruce's approaches.

dick usually flirts with barbara in person but on comms she's been distant and terse after he turned her down or told her to 'keep the line professional'.

dick and bruce don't have a great track record with interpersonal relationships and so they've clearly fucked up somewhere along the line.

naturally that meant no more pussy for them.

sure they could just go out and find someone like tim but...well...tim was someone people would do anything to sleep with.

bruce and dick are attractive but women aren't about to get-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-and-drive-to-the-manor-to-fuck-them attractive.

so their solution is born more from a place of need and a desire to protect tim.

the only problem is figuring out how they're going to share tim.

bruce will arrive at the manor first and be cleaned and ready in his bedroom for tim only to find out that tim started riding dick in the shower, frantically fucking and slamming his tight little pussy down on dick's cock.

dick will arrive to the manor, eager, only for tim to stumble out of the batmobile because bruce tugged him onto his cock as soon as they were parked in the cave.

sometimes tim will push away their advances and immediately start for the batcomputer because he has a lead he wants to follow up on. it will be minutes to hours before tim will turn around and crawling into their laps while grinding his sweet baby cunt on their covered cocks.

it's a struggle. sometimes bruce will get to fuck tim three nights in a row and other times dick will get him for a whole week.

they figure out that tim is willing to fuck before patrol and it's only during patrol that is off limits.

but...tim is so much hornier and his pussy is so much tighter directly after patrol because he's fucking his frustration out by roughly riding their cocks.

tim is their little secret until the family expands.

on other teams, with other capes tim is strictly chaste and professional which they're quietly grateful for because the last thing they want is more competition for tim pussy.

capes all tend to know each other and following tim joining bruce on a justice league operation tim's reputation as a very professional and 'has-a-larger-stick-than-batman's-up-his-butt' personality spread.

it's not...quite a mean moniker. but some of the more flirtatious capes like to bee line to tim and whisper pick up lines and make implications about tim maybe coming over to their place after the mission. they do it to see tim's deep frown and tense rejections as well as occasional reprimands.

tim doesn't hesitate to correct other vigilantes if they're wrong or if they cross the line but mostly tim holds his tongue with capes higher on the pecking order.

tim's yj team pick up on it but don't seem to realize that tim won't hesitate to rip them a new asshole if they try to pull the same shit.

while yj like to joke around they do take their job seriously. they want to be taken seriously so they don't often joke in front of the bigger capes or their mentors.

but then superboy makes a mistake. it happens sometimes and tim corrects him and lectures him. but this time the justice league is in hearing distance and...and kon flirts when he's nervous and trying to hide it. he hasn't done it in a while and he...he really doesn't mean to make robin mad.

at first robin is just scolding him, telling him not to deviate from the plan again, that he knows better and that they're a team.

and usually superboy will roll his eyes and take it. but he swears he can feel superman side eyeing him... it's probably in his head because superman doesn't give a shit about him but kon can't shake the feeling so he...propositions tim to get him to ease up.

he calls robin 'sweetheart' and he talks about how he can tell tim's panties are all in a bunch and that kon is very good with his hands and can fix that for him. he adds a wink and...

tim is not a yeller. but when he's pissed everyone in a ten mile radius can feel it.

his words are low and biting. his frown is cutting and his eyes are cold and angry as he leans in close to tell kon what he thinks of his words.

kon fills with shame when tim tells him how utterly inappropriate he's being and that this wasn't how he should speak to people who were his friends. this wasn't how he should speak to teammates and this wasn't how he should speak to strangers. tim asked what part of tim's lecture invited kon to make those comments? what part of tim's demeanor or frustration with the situation and unhappiness that kon had deviated from the plan told him that tim would at all be entertained by his proposition?

if nobody in the justice league was paying attention before well they certainly were now. kon fucked himself by opening his stupid mouth.

someone, green lantern it sounds like, calls out in a slightly joking tone for robin to ease up on kon and kon wishes he could've shook his head and made an 'X' with his hands to signal that no one should interfere when robin is (rightly) angry.

robin is just as cold and biting when he turns and in a tight voice says that he's just doing his job and he'd appreciate it if people could learn that their 'cute' little words about fucking him weren't welcome when he was trying to do his fucking job.

kon flinches at that because robin doesn't curse. ever.

kon takes the verbal lashing. it's humiliating. but nowhere near humiliating at knowing that he might have just broken something between him and robin.

at the base. cassie retreats somewhere with bart who keeps glancing back at kon who is shifting back and forth between feet outside tim's room where tim is typing his mission report for batman. batman had wanted tim to follow him back to gotham in the batplane but tim has insisted on finishing some work with yj.

kon needs to apologize. not just because he was wrong but also because tim was his friend and the last thing kon ever wanted was to make him uncomfortable with his comments.

so he does.

he hangs his head and sincerely apologizes to tim about his words, that he won't ever do it again, that he feels ashamed and that he hopes tim will forgive him. that he doesn't know why he said such stupid shit but that clark had been there and clark being there always leads to kon making an ass of himself and he's so sorry that he'd said those things to tim.

tim stares at him and softly accepts his apology and that he shouldn't do that again while they're working. that kon is one of his closest friends and he's happy that he came to tim's room...

a moment later tim makes a click with the mouse of his computer and closes it before setting it to a side table.

kon is fiddling with his hands in front of him only a few inches from where tim is sitting. as soon as the laptop is away kon has a few seconds before he's on his back on tim's bed with a lapful of squirming robin who is working off his suit and belt.

kon is SO confused and staring up at tim who is pawing at kon's suit.

"want to fuck now?"

oh kon must be having a stroke because there is NO way this is happening. he manages to mumble something about professionalism and how hadn't tim just been saying something like that-?

tim tilts his head like a confused puppy and stares down at kon.

"yeah. but i'm not working now."

and that's all the permission kon needs.

he'd always internally thought about how tim would secretly be a freak in the sheets given how quiet and serious he was.

he's right. tim is.

kon can barely feel his cock the next morning. he hadn't even known balls could be sore but they are.

kon is hoping for a repeat but batman arrives and skirts tim away. something about gotham business and so kon is left just staring into space knowing that he now knows how tight tim goes when he's cumming on kon's cock.

tim gets shared occasionally by non-bats. if they're lucky enough to be around when tim's out of work mode and horny (which is almost always).

when tim becomes CEO his open slots for hot, sloppy sex doubles overnight. the family couldn't be happier even if it is a challenge to get to tim before someone else. and also the fact that when they're fucking tim they have to cross their fingers that no one will call his emergency beacon during sex because tim will immediately go from sweetly panting and moaning on their cocks to pulling his sweet baby cunt up and off to respond to an immediate call for his assistance.

the first time it happens to dick he follows tim all the way down the hall in just a sheet while begging tim to come back, that they were both so close. if tim didn't want to finish that was alright but could he at least just bend over slightly for a few moments because dick swore he could cum in just a few pumps- please timmy!

bruce once makes the mistake of tightening his grip on tim's hips, refusing to let him go and speeding up because he's so close-

he ends up with a black eye and nursing an icepack while tim sits at the end of the bed, curled over on his laptop and searching out some evidence that barbara requested of him. it's hours before tim is done and riding him again. bruce gets to cum but he's also stuck with a sore eye and having to wear makeup for two weeks.

it's a careful balance. but a worthwhile one.

#answered asks #asks #anonymous #brutim #dicktim

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virgincels · 5 months

Text

tw - sa mention, noncon mention, dark content discussed briefly but not explicitly

hi okay sorry for the unfathomable amount of bullshit clogging the tags the past few days. i keep seeing it labelled as gilfhub drama which is pissing me off as i haven’t said anything at all, i’ve stayed quiet throughout unless you follow me and read my posts. while i haven’t outwardly inserted myself into the situation im the one being witch hunted ig, i’m making one last statement which sounds way too serious for this corny and unserious situation.

anyway, i'm mostly making this for my own benefit, because i would feel more at peace after posting this lmfao. first of all, I’m being called a pedophile which is a fucking insanely serious claim to make with no concrete evidence! i’ve never written underage characters. if you’ve mistaken my ddlg content as pedophillia i beg you to get your brain checked! your skull must be so thick it couldn’t be caved in with a baseball bat. other than that i mainly write about LEGAL age gaps bc I am 19 and leon is fucking 47 as of now he is the creep actually.

i’m being called a rapist and a paedophile and all sorts of shit. im a victim of sa, it’s happened both at the hands of someone i trusted and at the hands of those i didn’t know well. some of my writing is to cope with this, none of my fics have ever romanticised rape and made it seem like something flowery and cute and fun? i don’t know who pulled that out of their ass but my fics that involve this sort of content are usually about toxic codependent relationships, it’s quite literally about trauma bonding.

this moves me onto my next point - people say this content belongs on ao3 and ao3 only. i don’t know if you’re 11 and new to the internet, to re fandom in fact, as dead dove has been a consistent theme within re fics since forever. since i was a kid i saw fics like that and even as a fucking 10 year old i managed to scroll and mind my business. tumblr has always had dead dove, when it rebranded and the guidelines changed they messed up their tagging system. this means that even if you tag tw incest it’ll remove your fic from the TAGS not from tumblr itself but from the tags as a whole. however, if you tag tw noncon your fic will stay up, it’s glitchy and dumb and shouldn’t be seen as a reliable source on why dead dove isn’t allowed on tumblr. that’s never been the case ever.

people who write dead dove don’t have to be victims and they don’t have to be mentally ill, they are also normal people with jobs who pay taxes and have normal fucking lives. because it’s simply fiction. people who read/watch american psycho are not murderers or rapists. people who watch any form slasher horror are not murderers. people who enjoy resident fucking evil and like wesker don’t fucking believe in eugenics. i could go on and on and on and on about so many different examples in extremely popular franchises.

as aforementioned, tumblr’s tagging system fucking sucks, so to combat this i give a warning even AFTER i explicitly tag my fics correctly that says ‘tumblr has started to remove fics that use tw non-con, tw incest and any nsfw tags in general. for this reason, as i’d like my fic to appear in the tags so i can have the same reach as other authors, please understand that this fic contains dark content under the cut. reading this comes at your own risk.’ for some reason I didn’t specify remove from the TAGS not from TUMBLR because tumblr doesn’t care 😭 that was totally my mistake for not checking if that disclaimer made sense but i guess i hoped the following sentence (‘as i’d like my fic to appear in the tags’) made it clear that i was simply speaking about tags. not tumblr removing my content.

if you are genuinely adults on this app, you should know that on the internet sometimes you will see things you don’t like! because it’s the internet and everyone is on here with their own opinions and their own tastes. it is YOUR responsibility to cater to your own needs by blocking content you don’t enjoy. so what another dark content blog pops up? as soon as you see a content warning you don’t like, BLOCK THE AUTHOR? or ignore it! scrolling is very simple. it’s insanely easy to mind your fucking business.

i'm kind of tired of the endless harassment both in the tags and in my inbox! if you are genuinely doing this in the name of victims and in their best interest just know you’re harming other victims in the process 😭 i am not easily triggered but the shit in my inbox is really gross and i got called a racial slur like… is fictional content that’s easy to block so deep to the point where you have to stoop that low? everyone copes how they cope, it’s not wrong and it never will be, psychologists recommend dark content as an outlet, you can literally google this. therapy is not a fix, it can’t fix mental illness. sometimes it doesn’t help. in my case counselling made everything worse. the ‘get help, get therapy’ comment comes from a place of privilege, not all of us have the money, the support system it takes to get therapy. some of us have had experiences where therapists discriminate against us. in my case that has happened, im a woc in britain they don’t care about us not about our psychical or mental health LMFAO.

im sure im missing a lot of what i originally wanted to say here, but overall i honestly wanted to clear my name of the pedo allegations lmfao because i’ve never written anything like that about underage characters or readers. anyway if any of you have a brain you can block dark content creators in a few easy steps! sorry again for yapping in such a formless, inarticulate way but i'm kind of exhausted by all the stupidity 😭

overall, dark content creators shouldn’t be allocated a little hovel in the corner of the internet in which they should privately discuss matters. we’re allowed to post it freely because CONTENT WARNINGS EXIST. dead dove will always be a thing and always has been. just because i post my content doesn’t mean it’s open for harassment and death threats and rape threats or anything? you can be an adult and get on with your day! and if you really need an outlet go talk to friends with the same opinions as you! i see ooc leon fluff all the time everyday and i don’t give a shit, i move on because leon isn’t real.

i pride myself on characterisation and if you have so obsessively read my fics to point out and circle random words in red that don’t correlate like we’re in a fucking crime show, then you would know that half the time i actually flesh out his character, i hate posting smut alone. i simply like exploring topics that are dark both to cope with my own problems and because i think they’re interesting to write about. however, as soon as something is mildly dark and sexual you guys cry mischaracterisation. leon also isn’t lighting candles and throwing rose petals but I don’t fucking judge what people write because if I don’t like I don’t read!

i promise, posting screenshots of my fics untagged with no warning is more harmful as you’re showing it to people who didn’t ask to fucking see it. i promise that harassing me will do nothing for you, you’re literally just sending vile shit to a real person who has struggled with the things she writes about LMFAO sorry again for yapping. i genuinely want to move on and post my regular shit but this has consumed the entire leon tag and i feel like im partly responsible. if you did get through this thank you! it’s mainly just ramblings and not read over so excuse me once again

#leon kennedy x you #leon s kennedy x you #leon s kennedy x reader #leon kennedy imagine #leon s kennedy smut #leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy smut #resident evil x reader #resident evil smut #tw sa mention #tw discourse

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itsclydebitches · 1 year

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We've all rightly been gushing over Trent listening in on the parent-teacher conference and there are a lot of cool interpretations for why he'd eavesdrop: a crush on Ted, a tendency towards gossip (as seen in "International Break"), the fact that you just can't take the journalism out of the boy, Trent is clearly picking up personal tidbits for the book if the group's initial "Don't print that" worries are any indication, etc. So yeah, it's clear why he'd want/be okay with the door staying open.

Meanwhile, I'm slightly feral over Ted letting the door stay open and what that conveys to Trent.

Based on what we've picked up about his personal life and the direction of this season, we have good reason to believe that Trent was a deeply isolated man prior to Ted arriving. His job makes enemies simply by virtue of the profession itself, especially when you "bring the heat" as hard as he did. Roy flipping the press off at the gala in Season 1 and Nate sneaking out at dark this last episode shows us how journalists are treated on the regular: ignored, dismissed, told to "fuck off" as a matter of course. That's often well deserved, as Roy's two personal stories (Trent's article about him + the response to Isaac's attack) attest, but the end result is still a profession that alienates you from anyone other than your peers. When you're a "colossal prick" in your articles, people hate you all the more.

So Trent at least has other journalist buddies, yeah? Well, not that we've seen. I always think back to that chorus of "--The Independent" in the press room when everyone knew what Trent was going to say and how it... wasn't entirely fun ribbing. I think there's a fair bit of mockery there. Even if others disagree, I doubt that was received well by someone who wears their professionalism as an armor, who takes off his glasses as soon as they're complimented, who was, notably, closeted into his 40s. Trent is a man who is deeply aware of how others perceive him (pointing out his "vibe" feels quite calculated now: highlight what you want people to notice rather than waiting for them to find something on their own) and he is likely to read the worst of most interactions. Cue his shocked, "You really mean that, don't you?" when faced with someone like Ted who is not only genuinely nice, but blunt about it in a way that Trent can't misunderstand, or brush off via denial.

What's his home life like? Married to a woman when he's gay and that's putting a serious strain on them both. He tries to come out and isn't believed. The only other family members we know about are a toddler (who, while lovely I'm sure, can't provide Trent with the kind of emotional support an adult needs) and a father who, if we read the series through Lance's headcanons, may not have been very supportive of his son. Who else does Trent know? Uhhh... other subjects who hate him? Owners like Rebecca who want to use him? A random, potential date that he felt so little for he ditched to get a quote?

(EDIT: I can't believe I forgot to mention the strong implications that Ted was bullied in childhood/as a teenager, based on how he reacts to the whole of the club ignoring him -- resigned but unsurprised -- his reaction to Roy telling him to fuck off after he tries to mend that relationship -- disappointedly awkward "I can't believe I even tried that. What was I thinking?" -- and his body language during the locker room scene -- jumping, furtive glances towards Ted, backed up against the shower stall because shit, he's been in this situation before.

So uh, yeah. Trent may not have had a lot of friends growing up either! That was not the response of a social butterfly, but rather someone who is already very used to being ignored/dismissed/cursed out/threatened, not just within his profession, but within the school-like atmosphere of Richmond's family too.)

I'm by no means reinventing the meta wheel here, but Trent has truly undergone a STAGGERING transformation in Season 3 and the result of that is the reframing of his Season 1 and 2 scenes as, frankly, more depressing than they originally seemed. Seeing him now smiling, singing, gossiping, dressing just in t-shirts, casually snacking, making jokes, letting go enough to be a complete, hyperactive "dork" in front of others... it just hammers home how deeply unhappy Trent was before. How closed off. How closeted--in more ways than one.

So what must it mean to someone like Trent for Ted to leave the door open?

It's not just an open invitation towards community--sit near me, listen in, quietly participate, there's literally no barrier between us--but a staggeringly personal one too. I don't care if a 10-ish year old failing science is inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, the fact remains that letting anyone hear a parent-teacher conference with your ex is a hell of a show of trust. That would mean a lot to Trent in general, this acknowledgement that someone trusts the ex-prick journalist with that amount of personal information, but Ted in particular? Oh boy. Ted is the one Trent betrayed with that article! And yeah, Ted forgave him the instant he learned of it, but Trent himself was obviously feeling a lot of guilt, hence him burning his source and orchestrating a firing. Toss in the fact that Ted, despite being a VERY open man on the regular (I still laugh at his "I don't mind" to Rebecca when over-sharing about Michelle) has in fact denied Trent information in the past. No, I won't tell you that was a panic attack. Yes, I will continue the lie that it was food poisoning. Perhaps for Ted it was less about Trent knowing and more about anyone getting at the truth, but at the end of the day it amounts to the same: there was a time when Ted did not fully trust him and Trent justified that fear by writing the very article Ted was looking to avoid, even if Trent approached that situation with as much grace as he could.

So this moment, beyond the humor, just makes my brain go !!!!!! for Trent. Ted Lasso, of all people, has left the door open for Trent Crimm, also of all people, to hear the messy details of his, Henry, and Michelle's life. He is not at all afraid that this information will be spun in a bad light--Local Gaffer's Son Suffers While Father Plays at Coach Across the Pond--despite the fact that Trent is actively writing a book about him. Trent himself is so unguarded in this moment, dressed only in a t-shirt, playing around with his orange, making little quips. The Trent of Season 1 would NEVER. I mean, I think we see small glimpses of the real Trent back then, especially when Ted amuses him enough to coax his guard down for half a second (Trent's reaction to “Make like Dunst and Union and bring it on, baby!" comes to mind. That's a gesture we're seeing a lot now that he's comfortable around the club), but on the whole he was still so, so, so isolated. No one knew the real him: gay, funny, dorky, inquisitive, longing for companionship and using the artificial 'closeness' of journalism to cover that ache up.

Now? Trent is fully a part of the Richmond community and he knows he's a part of it because everyone--Ted, Beard, Roy, Colin, Rebecca--are going out of their way to tell him that, notably in very overt ways. Trent strikes me as someone who wouldn't fully believe it when he's told someone enjoys his company; the kind of wounded, anxiety-prone person who, if casually invited to participate, would assume they're just being polite and he'd actually be an annoyance to them. Trent needs overt, obvious, beat-you-over-the-head-with-it reassurance, which is why Ted is so very good for him because Ted is composed of THE most over-the-top positivity you've ever seen. (Compare that need of Trent's to Michelle thinking that Ted is too much...) When faced with a defensive journalist Ted says explicitly that he liked spending time with Trent. When faced with a still unsure writer who thinks of himself only as an observer--never a part of the team himself--Ted literally begs with monkey noises to hear Trent's opinions. He's blunt to the point of absurdity and someone like Trent who has likely spent the majority of his life hiding/being told that his true self is inadequate needs that level of constant, neon-light reassurance.

So Ted leaves the door open to a personal conversation, refusing to literally bar Trent from his life. The best part? Colin re-opens the door because he understands Trent and he knows his coach; of course Ted wants him included. Colin asks permission to CLOSE the door, not open it, and Trent is seeing this openness again and again over the course of several months, with each episode bringing him further out of his shell as he slowly unlearns that self-doubt. Yes, please stay, please tell us what you think, please offer your advice, please join our Diamond Dogs, please ask us questions (they're no longer perceived as a threat), please become an integral part of our lives. We trust you and we like you and we want you here.

Everyone's waiting for Trent to catch the door again because, you know, the rule of three, but what if he doesn't need to? What if he's past slipping a hand or a foot through the crack and scraping by on what that gets him? He caught the door before it could close to get closer to Colin. He caught the door before it could close to get closer to Ted. Now they've both kept the door open for him, his presence welcomed from the get-go.

Trent doesn't need to sprint for that opening anymore.

#Ted Lasso #Trent Crimm #Tedependent #ted x trent #mymetas

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samble-moved · 8 months

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reminder that homura is a middle schooler. she is 13 or 14 years old, depending on source. she is not old enough to drive or have a permit. she is not old enough to live on her own (it's implied her parents are out of the picture in some way — in the US she'd need to be in adoptive or foster care, or at least have a guardian or social worker, but this appears to be handwaved in the series and none are ever shown). she cannot vote. she is not old enough to get a job (earliest i've seen is 14 in the US, and that's usually in not great environments, in summer, and for low pay and short hours). she is only "independent" in the sense that it's forced upon her by lack of any adult support — nobody helps her fill out school transfer forms, she lives alone, she has no shown family or even mentions of relatives, nobody visits her in the hospital, etc.

i say this because a lot of "anti homura" arguments act as if this information doesn't exist, and that homura is "actually an adult" or at the same level as one due to looping. she canonically is not. her brain and physical body are not developing, she is only learning walpurgis tactics and memorizing test answers. her brain is not developing so she's not "mentally 26", like is often claimed by "homura is a predator" truthers. i'm not even going to touch on how weird and borderline creepy it is to say "she's a child but so mature for her age (from extreme, repeated, potentially pre-series trauma), so she must be an adult and can be treated like one".

there is a reason that children are typically tried differently in the US. unless "tried as an adult" for very serious crimes, it is widely accepted that children (and even young adults) are more impulsive, think less rationally, and are generally "less responsible" for their actions due to not having the experiences of a full grown adult. children are less mature, more prone to "overreaction" and panic, and are immature — because they are kids.

homura is a child. she also has extreme trauma, potentially from before the series even began (where are her parents? are they just neglectful? dead? why isn't there even a single adult helping her?) that is never helped or addressed. homura doesn't get help for any issues she has (obvious ptsd and depression, borderline delusions over the past being "just a dream" in wraith arc). she is not some spoiled, rich, mentally stable almost-adult who's never faced a consequence. she is a young and traumatized teenager, young enough to be a middle schooler, and has experienced:

neglectful, absent, missing, or dead family/parents

watching her friends die horrifically almost a hundred times

having zero adult support at all, no caseworker or help

bullying, half being because she's disabled

having her soul ripped from her body without consent and learning if she ever loses her soul gem (or god forbid accidentally drops it somewhere), her body will basically be "dead"

learning she and all her friends turn into eldritch horrors when they die, a process shown in rebellion to be something they are aware for (aka the horror that witches aren't "just" bodies being moved, they are actively and constantly suffering and aware to some degree the whole time)

learning that the witches they fight are girls around their age who fell into despair, and not purposeless monsters

learned of the prospect that witches can potentially "regrow" via familiars, thus if their consciousness transfers, this shows the possibility of literally eternal suffering as the witch is "reborn"

realization that, the more she tries to save madoka, the worse the situation gets

having a full on breakdown with delusions in wraith arc, thinking maybe madoka was all just a hallucination or a dream she had

finding out in rebellion it wasn't a dream, but then thinking she betrayed madoka by not stopping her from contracting

becoming a witch whose whole theme is based around suicide and wanting and waiting to die, but not being able to

being a witch whose familiars are malicious towards her and belittle her

trying to "fix" her believed betrayal of madoka by making a new world, ending up hated by sayaka and isolated from her friends

is still stuck as a witch while the last event happens!!! (her soul gem is never shown purified)

all of this while she is 13-14.

homura is not some cruel adult playing god because she is bored and likes the power trip and wants the world to burn. she is a deeply traumatized and mentally ill child who never got help. she is not a predator — and i honestly don't know if that is more of a "she's a predator because she's the most openly sapphic" or "she's a predator because she's traumatized and thus 'acts weird' due to trauma" belief nowadays in most anti-homura spaces, i've seen both. she is not a murderer or rapist or whatever else i've seen (yes, "homura is a sexual predator" claims exist, despite this never once even being implied). she is not an abuser — you can argue she's cold or rude, but she is not "an abuser".

if a child like homura existed irl (and they do exist), a professional's first thought would not be "this is an evil, irredeemable, abusive predator who can be treated like an adult", it'd likely be a reaction of horror and deep concern of "what happened to this child to make her act this way?". someone being "the perfect victim" — that is, being soft, demure, sweet, docile, flawless — in response to trauma is a harmful myth for a reason. some trauma victims will react with anger. some may be overly happy in an attempt to prevent further abuse. some, like homura, end up acting "cold" to try and avoid being further hurt. it doesn't mean homura doesn't experience emotion, hates her friends and wants them to suffer, is a predator, is "a bad person", etc.

think! when you write posts about how homura is actually an evil, awful, no good, very bad person with no positive traits, remember she is a middle schooler. of course, she's not a "real" child, and thus doesn't exist to have her feelings hurt over it, but consider this: would you say these things to/about a real child? are you aware that "real children" (often victims of trauma themselves) relate to homura due to this? i was one of them at 14ish, and while "homura is evil [for acting like a traumatized child often does]" discourse never left me particularly hurt, i know it does genuinely upset several people i know. and if you had, say, a real life child relative who acted "cold" after seeing their friends die horribly, would you call them an evil and irredeemable abuser as well?

#long post #pmmm #meta #madoka magica #homura akemi #nnnot my best work but 'homura not act like perfect victim of trauma? obviously EVIL PREDATOR ABUSER' takes take decades off my lifespan #abuse m #neglect m #tbh i only remembered the 'familiars can regrow witches' plotline while writing this and Realized. good fridge horror.#very long post #essays #ish

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ebongawk · 3 months

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"Just Chrissy comforting Eddie through something" for @kirasometimess

(I actually wrote this before, but it was serious so I'm gonna make this one more lighthearted 😘😘)

The door banged open, startling Chrissy and making her slosh her tea onto the blanket she was wrapped in. Squeaking out a little, "Oh, nuggets," she set the mug aside and stood up to greet her boyfriend.

"Hey!" she said, waving from beside the couch as Eddie kicked the door closed behind him as aggressively as he'd kicked it open. "You're home early!"

A grumble was his only response. Eddie shrugged out of his jacket, letting it drop to the floor as he toed off his shoes. He paused, looking down at the crumpled leather as though it had personally offended him, before letting out a heavy sigh and swooping down to grab it. Hanging it up beside her tea coat on the wall rack.

"Long day?" she asked, weaving her way through their eclectic spread of belongings – his guitar stands, her knitting supplies, their overflowing shared bookshelf – and standing just beside the entryway.

"Longest fuckin' day of my stupidly long life," he huffed, bending down to press a kiss to her cheek before stepping around her and heading for the bedroom.

Chrissy pattered behind him, watching amusedly as he fell face-first onto their bed. He let out a low, muffled groan.

"Take it the new drummer wasn't up to snuff?"

The groan, which had never really quieted, grew louder against their mattress.

"Did you kick him out, or did Jeff?"

Eddie shook his head. Still face down, and she had to wonder how he could even breathe.

"Grant?"

A nod that tangled his hair against the sheets. Chrissy stuffed a laugh into her elbow, trying to disguise it as a cough, and Eddie rolled himself enough to send a single glaring eye her direction.

"S'not funny," he mumbled. "At this rate, I'm gonna have to pick up more stupid shifts at my stupid corporate job."

Chrissy hummed, gliding across the room and hoisting herself onto the bed. She shuffled up, bracketing her knees on either side of his hips and sitting down on his lower back.

Eddie worked as a part-time mechanic for a chain company that worked on small engine maintenance. He mostly did oil changes and tune-ups, and she knew he didn't hate it, but he also only worked enough to pay half their bills and rent studio space for Corroded Coffin practices. Which was perfectly fine – Chrissy made plenty to cover the rest. Eddie had supported her fully while she was in school. It was the least she could do to return the favor as he chased his dream.

"The horror of having to work full-time like a real adult," she mused. Eddie wiggled, halfheartedly trying to buck her from her new throne, and Chrissy giggled. Her hands fisted in his t-shirt like horse reins, waiting until he calmed down before she began gently massaging his shoulders.

"I don't wanna," he whined, burying his face in their comforter. "Why did stupid Gareth have to go and get his girlfriend pregnant. 'Oh, sorry guys, I know the label is finally sniffing around after our latest demo, but I knocked El up and gotta quit.' Who does that?"

"Someone who has to take new responsibilities into account after their priorities change," Chrissy responded, grinning when Eddie gradually began to relax under her touch. The stiffness in his shoulders easing with the gentle but firm rolls of her palms into his spine.

"Rude," Eddie huffed. "It's like he didn't think at all of how this would make me feel."

"How dare he," Chrissy agreed sarcastically.

"I know you're joking, but–– fuck that feels good," he moaned, adjusting until he was sprawled like a starfish beneath her touch. "But, Christ, it's like we've been doing all this shit for the past decade for nothing."

"You recorded your first demo in Jeff's garage when you were sixteen," Chrissy retorted. "I know that's technically a decade, but I don't think it counts."

"Ugh," Eddie grunted, his bucking wiggle even less effective than the last one. "Leave me alone to rot, Cunningham."

"What if I," she began, curling over his back and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, "become a Chrissy Backpack instead!"

Nose pressed against his nape, she inhaled his familiar scent. Rugged and pine and a hint of sweat from playing in the studio all day. It was her favorite smell. She wanted to figure out how to make a candle out of it and take it to work so she could smell Eddie all day long.

"You know you're going to do great things, right?" she asked him after a moment. "That label would be ludicrous not to pull you guys in. And maybe they have an incredible drummer on hand who's just waiting for the perfect band to come along, and it's Corroded Coffin, and you bring Gareth back in the future for reunion tours but you also become great friends with the new drummer, and you get to be an amazing uncle to Gareth and El's little bean."

He sighed, but turned his head a little, displaying one open eye and his cheek. Giving Chrissy enough access to lean up and kiss it.

"And then I'll be able to quit my stupid corporate job and open up a craft store where I sell hand-knitted and crocheted goods, and I'll call it 'Corroded Crochet', so everyone knows I'm with you."

"What about the people who don't know us?"

"I'll be sure to inform them in depth, don't worry."

Eddie huffed a laugh beneath her, the sound making his ribs quake and his skin taste like happiness. After letting her play backpack for another minute, he suddenly rolled over, pinning her beneath his body. Her legs kicked out and the wind whooshed from her chest.

"Ack–– Eddie! I can't breathe!"

"Backpacks don't even have lungs, Cunningham."

"But I have legs!"

"Ow, fuck, sweetness, my poor tummy!"

"Revenge, Munson."

"But it's so empty already!"

"Does it want conciliatory Chinese food for dinner?"

"Shit, baby, I love you so goddamn much."

Chrissy screamed in delight when Eddie suddenly stood, keeping her attached to his back as he galloped into the living room. He grabbed the cordless phone, depositing her on the couch as he dialed their favorite takeout place.

"Hey, Eddie?"

She could hear the phone ringing through the line when he looked at her.

"I love you, too," she reminded him.

He smiled that huge, goofy grin that made her insides melt, eyes softening and head tilting to one side as he looked at her like he'd never seen anything quite as lovely in his life. Like he wanted to pounce on her, lay himself across the couch and hold her as close a physically possible. Just as he moved toward her – probably to do exactly that – the voice on the other end of the phone spoke louder.

"Hello? Ming's Chinese?"

"Oh, shit, uh. Yeah. Yes. Hello? Fuck, sorry, sorry. I, uh, wanna order takeout?"

Chrissy laughed all the way through his order.

(inspo ask 🥰)

#hellcheer #eddissy #eddie x chrissy #eddie munson #stranger things #chrissy x eddie #my writing #hellcheer drabble #chrissy cunningham

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gabelew · 5 months

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I updated my Zora lineup from 2021 with the new TotK characters (and added the AoC guys too while I was at it).

To my knowledge these are all the named NPCs across the three games who use the generic adult male Zora model. I liked the idea of giving them more personality and trying to figure out unique features, all while staying faithful to the model (so no accessories, body modification etc).

female NPCs | elders and kids | unique characters

More details on each character (all 14) under the cut:

Ahrt Secro and Ettu are the merchants that exist only as character portraits, but I decided to count them as individual NPCs regardless. I made an exception in "no accessories" rule for Ahrt Secro here, because of his... unconventional name (and him living in Goponga instead of the Domain); he's justified in not following their fashion standards. Ettu's only character trait iirc is that he dislikes plants. Which make up most of his stock. Rip.

Kayden is the oldest non-elder Zora guy (140ish?), calm, responsible, etc. He's an another accessory exception, with the little belt attachment. He's married and it's the "zora armor" he got from Kodah. I like to imagine that non-royal Zora women also propose with "armor", just bit more budget friendly - a single accessory or a piece of jewelry.

Capelo has basically no personality, his only few lines point to him being older and somewhat responsible. So I put him here and made him... idk, look big and serious.

Bazz! He's perfectly average when it comes to height and looks, but visibly more buff than most Zora guys. Also on the older side.

Rivan's whole thing is being Very Tall and Very Pretty. In my canon he's basically the most handsome guy in the Domain, with his long fins, smooth features and warm brown colored scales.

Ledo is like, the most average guy you've ever seen. He looks younger than he is but has no special features otherwise. Surprisingly level headed. Not very fit (for Zora standards).

Tie is another one of the new undercharacterized TotK guards, his only thing being that he complains about being out of shape. I think I like his design the least, but come on, I had nothing to work with here.

Numien, the only new guy who actually had more than two lines, all of them making him the most annoying prick in my eyes. He's just... too enthusiastic and eager to praise his superiors. I like to imagine Bazz despises him for being such a kissass (Bazz is canonically pretty judgemental) but can't do much about it. The guy is competent enough to be put in charge of the Lookout Landing squad after all. Anyway, I did my best to make him look at least a bit unhinged.

Fronk, the only man in the domain whose eyebags could compete with Bazz's, courtesy of his airhead wife Mei. He's also wearing the "zora armor" she gave him.

Resco wins the prize for least characterization. His only single trait is that he admires Gaddison. That's it. So I made him try to emulate her energy in his lineup pose.

Cleff, the shopkeeper with crab obsession. One of the prettier younger guys, although the crab thing is not working in his favor. The last one of fully adult guys in the lineup (around 90ish).

Gruve is, amusingly, the one sole unemployed Zora guy. His occupation is therefore officially, A Problem. He's very much the tall lanky teenager type.

And Tottika, another tall lanky teenager (70ish), but this time with a job. It's not canon, but he's commonly considered a twin brother of Torfeau and I quite like this idea. He's not the smartest but tries his best.

That's it, thanks for reading if you did! Next up are the ladies, which I have sketched out but not colored yet. Also I'm still pondering if I want to do elders and kids, just for the sake of having all the Zora properly catalogued...

#zora #totk #botw #bazz #tloz #their heights and ages are very vibes based tbh #you can see which ones were drawn in 2021 and which in 2023 lol #the way i draw zoras changed very slightly over time #they got less skinny #the japanese names are mostly for myself #i need them once in a while and they arent properly catalogued anywhere

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secretkittywolf · 1 month

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House of the Hearth headcannons

headcannons for Arlecchino, Lyney, Lynette & Freminet

Lynette

She has 3 exclusive "modes" that she uses to talk to her family. "Lyney mode" to talk with Lyney. "Father mode" to talk with Arlecchino & "Freminet mode" to talk with Freminet.

She only uses these modes when she's with them and they're alone because these modes allow the family to unwind and be themselves and not have to worry about appearances.

She also has notebooks that she uses to write about the things that they tell her so if it's brought up again in conversation, she knows what they're on about and it's helpful if they ask her a question regarding it.

Lyney

When Lynette enters "Lyney mode" he can freely talk about anything and everything. He knows that Lynette can keep a secret so he can talk about more private and personal stuff and knows that she can keep quiet about it.

He loses that confident personality and he becomes more quiet and sometimes more bubbly. He may talk about children who sees his performances and gets excited whenever they ask for more.

He becomes quiet when it comes to more personal stuff. Performances draining him, nervous about upcoming shows, the prophecy coming true in Fontaine. She does say she'll let "Father" know if it's regarding his health and wellbeing.

Arlecchino

Despite how she seems, she's actually a really sweet "Father". When Lynette enters "Father mode" she becomes more caring and considerate about her daughter and asks her questions . "Are you feeling okay Lynette?" "Is being Lyney's assistant alright for you? It's not too draining is it? I could always ask another child to be his assistant"

Lynette enjoys these a lot since it shows a more fatherly side to The Knave. She won't tell anyone but she loves it when "Father" rants about all sorts. Lynette likes watching her mannerisms, hand gestures, facial expressions, since it's interesting to her.

"That Furina... *deeply sighs* I cannot stand her as an archon! She acts too much like a little kid and it's like she doesn't know how serious this prophecy is. Seriously? Why isn't Neuvillette the archon? He would certainly do a better job. She's such a child! Tea parties over actual planning? No offence to the actual "child" archon Buer, but from what Dottore said, she acts like a true archon, even taking the responsibility as one after being imprisoned for 500 years!"

Arlecchino does act fatherly to her other kids too, especially the younger ones, but these private conversations with Lynette really help her unwind.

Freminet

When Lynette goes "Freminet mode" he sits down, loudly groans and starts discussing. He may seem like a shy, quiet kid but with Lynette, he's a sassy, snarky lil shit. Freminet loves gossiping. Because he's so quiet, people always pour out their problems onto him and he gossips with Lynette about it.

"Did you hear about Caron? Apparently, he and his brother have had a dispute for years over something so stupid! I mean really? Those two should act like the adults that they are and stop acting like children"

Freminet and Lynette enjoy talking with each other since it allows both of them to unwind. "Father" walked in on one of their conversations regarding Lyney and she simply closed the door, sat down and listened, occasionally giving her input.

"Lyney needs to stop treating me like I'm still a little kid. I have talked with him about it but he doesn't listen! I swear, next time he treats me like I'm a child, I may slap some sense into him. Literally"

Just some lil headcannons regarding these four!

#genshin impact #genshinimpact #the knave #arlecchino #arlechinno genshin #house of the hearth #freminet #lyney #lyney and lynette #lynette #genshin #genshin headcanons

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preciouslandmermaid · 3 months

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of songbirds, swords, and spice (3)

pairing: Opla!Zoro x Opla!Sanji x Fem! Reader (no use of Y/N or L/N)

tw: none

🏴‍☠️ read on AO3 🏴‍☠️

(masterpost)

<- (previous chapter)

You awoke to Mimi hitting your face with her soft paw while sitting on your chest. You rolled over, causing Mimi to leap off and onto your pillows. She meowed, offended.

"Good morning," you grumbled, blindly reaching out to pet her, but she stayed out of the reach of your fingertips. These mornings never get old. You didn't know why Mimi didn't bother Estella instead, considering the older woman often woke before you. I'll find Estella in the gazebo outside at this hour. You rolled over again, watching the clouds pass behind your green curtains, and thought of the moss-haired swordsman. I bet he's already gone. The whole crew probably set sail this morning.

Mimi meowed louder this time.

"Yes, I'm awake."

The day waited for no man (or cat). Mimi wound her body through your ankles, determined to trip you and meowing incessantly until you finally fed her. Afterward, you opened the back door to the sound of giggling children and laughing adults.

"Big sister!" Clover, a seven-year-old girl with bright lilac eyes and long dark hair, ran to you. "Play jump rope with us!"

"We don't—" your words cut off, realizing that the unfamiliar laughter belonged to Luffy, and he was using his rubberized arm as a jump rope. Aiden's brown curls bounced when he jumped, his face red and serious.

"Mornin'," Luffy said your name, "you can have a turn after Aiden, but he's doing a seriously good job; like, look at this – it's impressive!"

Clover said, "We're waiting for Sanji to finish cooking, and then we get to have a great big feast. Isn't that right, Grandma?"

Estella's eyes glimmered like melted toffee, "Indeed, that's right, my girl." She sat under the shade of a palm tree beside Nami and smiled at you.

Suddenly, three children screeched in delight, and you turned to your left to see Usopp gesturing wildly.

"The great octopus was upon us!" he said, "and so I lifted my slingshot. That's when I realized I only had one ammunition left..."

Utakuro, Ann, and Badger were wholly absorbed in his story, their eyes bright and small arms clinging to one another like they were each other's lifeboats. You took a small, hesitant step backward. It's too late to hide back in the house. You didn't want to go into the kitchen despite your rumbling stomach. Not because you disliked Sanji, but because you weren't sure how to cope with all of this...exuberance. It wasn't even midday, and everyone acted like today was a big party. Did everyone forget the golden cupid was attacked and destroyed last night?

Aiden flopped onto the sand, panting.

"Okay, big sister, it's your turn." Clover pulled you forward. Why is she so strong for a seven-year-old? You thought ruefully. You couldn't argue with Clover (unless you wanted to lose). Her willpower and stubbornness were as terrifying as a tsunami.

Luffy asked, "Ready?"

You shrugged and blinked the last dredges of sleep from your eyes.

"On three," you said.

"You're a great help, Clover," Sanji said as the little girl helped him carry the large platters of food. She giggled in response and carried the plate of onigiri to the picnic blanket.

"About time," Zoro quipped, sitting cross-legged and leaning against the palm tree. Sanji's gaze slid over the ill-tempered swordsman, ignoring him, and focused on you. You laid on your back, your face shiny with sweat, and a small brown-haired child – no older than five, Sanji guessed – sat on your chest.

"Get up, big sister!" the child said, pulling at the front of your shirt. "Come on! Again!"

Sanji thought you looked radiant.

"Not now, Aiden," you said.

"She needs to regain her strength," Sanji added. He saw Luffy and the children playing jump rope from the kitchen window. When you joined, your expression was fond and exasperated. Sanji was surprised and touched. How many layers do you have, performer? He wondered to himself. A decent fighter, loved by children, looking after your grandmother...There was so much about you he didn't know and likely would never learn. He doubted Luffy would stay at Nightingale Island for another day. The Grand Line awaited them.

He set down the platter containing the main dish: stuffed rolled omelets with spinach and mozzarella alongside steamed rice, onigiri, and miso soup. The technique to roll the omelet had been tricky but rewarding, and his heart glowed with pride. He loved cooking, and more than the act itself—he loved sharing his cooking.

"This looks amazing, Sanji," Luffy said.

Estella said, "It does. Thank you again, Sanji."

Sanji smiled softly. "It was no trouble." He offered a plate to Estella. "And might I add that you are absolutely radiant this morning, Madam."

You chuckled. "Don't fall for his charm, Grandma."

"I've got plenty of charm to spare," he said, "I thought you were beautiful last night, but you're even more stunning in the daylight."

He assumed you'd roll your eyes, scoff, or laugh awkwardly, which were the typical reactions whenever he flirted with a woman. However, you surprised him for the second time this morning. You held your plate, the steam wafting toward your chin, and stared at him. His face prickled with awareness. He felt flayed, like raw fish on the cutting board, before your perceptive eyes cut away and left him dumbfounded. What was that? He cleared his throat and adjusted his smile back onto his face before serving the brown-haired boy – Aiden – a small portion of omelet and rice.

"Are you leaving today?" You asked the crew.

He watched your graceful hands push Clover's long, straight hair out of her face and tuck it behind her ears. Clover grinned up at you and whispered a soft 'thank you' before she started to eat. They've got quite the little family here. He wondered what would happen if someone wanted to adopt Clover or any other children or if they remained in Celesta's home for lost children until adulthood.

"Probably," answered Luffy.

Your eyes fell to your plate, but Sanji wasn't sure if it was disappointment or relief that crossed your lovely face.

"I do have a favor to ask," Estella said, "if you wouldn't mind hearing me out. You've already done so much for us, so I won't take it personally if you refuse."

At her words, your eyes snapped upward, and you groaned aloud.

"Shush, songbird." Estella patted the back of your hand.

Zoro muttered, "Saving your business wasn't enough?"

Nami elbowed him, and Sanji glared at the moss-head. He has no social tact. Although he suspected Nami was only interested in the monetary benefit of helping the affluent Madam Estella. However, Luffy rarely turned down an opportunity to help someone. He liked that about their captain, even if it got them into trouble. You pushed the leftover food on your plate onto Aiden's and ruffled his brown curls.

"On the other side of Nightingale Island is a place known as Raven's Crag."

"A myth," you interrupted, "a fairy tale that we tell tourists."

"Inside Raven's Crags is an ivory puzzle box. A part of Pandora's treasure, I believe." She said, ignoring your interruption. "I'm too old to get it. It's the final piece of my collection. I know you said I should get it regardless of my age, but I can't leave the island, which is why –"

Luffy cut in, "Completing this collection is your dream, right?"

"It is."

Luffy said, "We'll help you."

"She'll go with you." Estella gestured to you. "It's good to get her out of the house."

"But, Grandma, the shows!"

Sanji's heart swelled. She sounds like me when I wouldn't leave Zeff. He couldn't help but acknowledge the similarities between you both. You and Estella shared an intense bond that transcended any blood you shared, and he wished to know more. He wanted to understand your relationship with the old woman. He wanted to understand you. You interested him.

"Your show doesn't happen until the next full moon, and besides, we need to repair the golden cupid anyway." Estella smiled and cupped your cheek. "Do me this favor, my girl."

Perhaps I'll have time to ask her when aboard the Merry.

"Fine," you said it begrudgingly.

"Cool!" Clover's eyes brightened. "Big sister gets to go on an adventure."

Several of the children, many of whom Sanji didn't know the names of, began to speak at once.

"I want to come!"

"Me too!"

"You're not old enough."

"I am."

"I want to be like the brave Captain Usopp!"

"Does big sister get a sword?"

"I want a sword!"

"Enough, enough." Estella's voice rang out above the rest. "Nami, could we speak in my trinket room? That's where I keep all my maps."

Nami, balancing her plate on her knees, said, "Of course."

Zoro stood with his arms crossed outside Estella's trinket room. This annoying black cat kept running into his ankles and making soft 'prrupb' noises. He gently pushed the cat away with his foot for the thousandth time.

"Get lost," he grumbled.

The cat, undeterred, rolled onto its back and wiggled.

"Whatever," Zoro said to the cat, "I'm going to the ship."

The cat trotted ahead of him as if it was leading the way. This stupid cat was going to trip him. He nudged the cat away, but it continued to follow him.

Zoro said, "What're you doing? You live here. Stay."

The staircase creaked behind him. He turned to see you dressed comfortably and holding a bag over your shoulder. He searched your face, waiting for that feeling to overtake him like it did in the golden cupid, but nothing happened. It must've been some kind of fluke, he told himself, some part of the performance. Maybe they spike their booze with something.

"Good luck getting Mimi to listen," you said, adjusting the strap of your bag. "She listens to two things in this world – fresh tuna and live mice."

"She doesn't listen to you then?" he said, pushing the black ball of fluff to the side, watching her short and stubby feet scramble against the hardwood. Determined little creature, he'd give it that credit at least.

You laughed. "Nope."

Nami entered the hallway holding a map and said, "Okay, it should only take us about four hours to reach Raven's Crag."

"That's plenty of time for a nap at least," said Zoro.

"Didn't you already sleep in this morning?" Sanji tucked his hands into his pockets, tilting his head slightly. Zoro's pulse throbbed inside his temples. Annoying ass, nosy cook.

"That's not your business, is it?"

Luffy slung his arms over Zoro and Sanji's shoulders, "Enough talking! Estella's treasure is waiting for us. Let's go!"

Mimi's black tail stood at attention, and she trotted soundlessly in the sand behind the pirates.

You unintentionally trailed behind the crew, perhaps out of some subconscious urge to delay your departure. You disliked that Estella tossed you into this situation, but you understood her reasoning.

It wasn't that she wanted you out of the house. It was the fact that she trusted you. Traveling to Raven's Crag was risky enough regardless of whether someone traveled by sea or by land, which was why she never sent you alone. Estella saw an opportunity within these pirates. That's all this was.

Sanji slowed his long strides until he was walking with you.

"Zeff," he said suddenly, "that's his name."

"Huh? Who?"

"The person who Estella reminds me of," Sanji said.

The sunlight caressed its light through his white-blonde hair and framed his lean form. His dark suit jacket, hooked by two fingers, swung over his shoulder. If you didn't know any better or hadn't seen him fight with your own eyes, then you wouldn't have suspected Sanji to be anything more than a well-dressed tourist. The palm trees rustled and swayed overhead, listening silently to your conversation.

"Our ship was caught in a terrible storm after being attacked by Zeff's crew," he said, his eyes bright in the sun. "We were stranded on a rock together for weeks."

"Quite the bonding experience," you said.

Sanji chuckled softly. "Indeed."

He continued his story, although you couldn't surmise the reason as to why he felt compelled to share it. He told you about his shared dream with Zeff to find the 'All Blue' and how Zeff ate his own leg rather than allow Sanji to starve. The pieces started to click into place. On some level, Sanji understands how Estella takes care of me, even though he doesn't know the whole story.

However, you weren't inclined to share your story with him even after he graciously shared his. You saw the similarities between Sanji and yourself. Estella was an older woman, someone to whom you felt indebted, who looked after you as much as you looked after her. She didn't lose a limb to save you, but she would have—if it came to it. And you would gladly risk life and limb for her. That was the depth of your bond.

You stopped walking, and sunlight poured heat across your exposed skin like liquid gold. Your heartbeat felt loud in your ears. You were half-aware of Luffy excitedly talking as he boarded the Going Merry.

Sanji said your name with curiosity and concern, bleeding through his tone.

You met his eyes and let their intense all-blue burn into you.

"It sounds like he loved you," you said.

Sanji's expression shuddered as your words hit their mark. You didn't intend to wound him. Not exactly, anyway. However, you needed a well-placed truth to silence him. You didn't need Sanji to draw conclusions about your relationship with Estella. You needed him to mind his business, make breakfast, and help you find Pandora's final puzzle box. You weren't here to make friends.

Sanji shook his head. "Speaking of love," he said quickly.

"Yeah, speaking of love, I'd love some peace and quiet," you said before he could continue his thought.

Nami laughed from her spot at the helm, and you smiled to yourself.

Sitting on the sheep head, Luffy lifted his arms overhead and yelled, "To Raven's Crag!"

-> next chapter

#one piece fanfiction #reader insert #zoro x reader #zoro roronoa x reader #zoro x you #sanji x reader #sanji x you #vinsmoke sanji x reader #zoro x sanji #zoro x sanji x reader #opla fanfic #opla zoro x reader #opla sanji x reader #one piece live action fanfic

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brucebocchi · 5 months

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Ranking every new anime I watched in 2023, Pt. 4: #5-1

hey, i just started a ko-fi for my writing and possible other creative outlets. this post will also be available there, so please check it out and consider tipping/donating as i'm currently between jobs. the tumblr version of part 1 can be found here, part 2 here, and part 3 here.

The list is complete! This took a lot of work but I'm over the moon to get this out there. Please consider leaving a tip if you've enjoyed reading.

Here goes, my top five anime of 2023:

5. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

Zom 100’s debut hit like a freight train, especially coming from a brand new studio. It had everything: Visceral satire of Japanese work culture, incredible animation, vibrant colors in unexpected places, clever cinematography, wish fulfillment for everyone who’s ever wanted to Stone Cold their boss, and most importantly: Zombie titties.

The premise is magnetic: When your job makes you feel like a zombie, an actual zombie apocalypse means certain freedom from the grind. Akira Tendo realizes that he can finally use the vacation time he amassed while being exploited and overworked at a legally dodgy black company, so he writes a bucket list of everything he’s ever wanted to do, with all intention of checking off every single line item before succumbing to a zombie bite. He manages to rescue his hunky fuckboy bestie from college, and they embark on a road trip across Japan to finish out the list, along with a beautiful, risk-averse tsundere and a big-tiddy German weeb.

It's a perfectly fine elevator pitch, and a welcome break from the guns-and-grit quagmire the zombie genre has been stuck in for the past two decades, but what makes any good zombie-flecked media resonate is the human element, which Zom 100 delivers expertly. You’re quickly given reason to care for all the characters, their motivations are clear and relatable, and you want to see them survive and live out their dreams. But more importantly, you just want to hang out with them through their hijinks. It even delves into more serious matters, like what we owe our parents as adults, the ways isolation and bitterness can drive people to act out in their worst moments, and even the factors that push abuse victims to stay with and even return to their abusers.

Above all, though, it’s a powerful (if extreme) story of finding joy in the direst circumstances. Akira, Kencho, and Shizuka are all kindhearted, well-meaning people whose situations kept them from what they truly wanted to do with their lives, and there’s something kinda beautiful to be found in them finding a new opportunity during the possible end of the world (Beatrix is a sweetie too, but aside from the whole zombie thing, she’s already exactly where she wants to be). The final arc of the season, in particular, looks you dead in the eye and asks you: If you were suddenly faced with the ultimate freedom, would you use the opportunity to better yourself, improve the lives of others, or do whatever the fuck you want at everyone else’s expense? You may not like the answer at first if you’re honest with yourself, and that’s okay. The world isn’t over, and there’s still time for you to be your best self.

Zom 100, unfortunately, fell prey to a cruel irony in the form of production issues. Bug Films is a new studio made up of a former team from OLM that was responsible for similarly gorgeous projects such as Komi Can’t Communicate and Summer Time Rendering. They clearly saw so much of themselves in Akira's workplace exploitation that they had to swing for the fences here. The firm he works for is named “ZLM” in this adaptation, for fuck’s sake, and he fully destroys his zombie boss in the first episode. But new studio or old, the anime industry is a grind, and Bug had trouble keeping up; animation quality did take a bit of a dip after the stunning first episode, and episodes were frequently delayed as the summer broadcast season wore on and ended without the entire seasonal run making airwaves. Hell, it was impossible to watch the final three episodes until just a few days before I could write this sentence.

For what Bug were able to pull off, though, Zom 100 is outstanding. The paintball-colored blood splatters everywhere are an instantly-iconic look that strike the balance between horror and spectacle. Everything and everyone looks gorgeously faithful to Kotaro Takata’s art, and delivers an appropriately cinematic look that the manga always deserved. I almost don’t know what else to tell you but that this show is a fucking blast.

There’s also a zombie shark. What more could you want?

4. Oshi no Ko

I spent a good chunk of 2023 just assuming Oshi no Ko was going to be a layup for anime of the year. Shortly after moving on from Kaguya-sama, I rushed to binge Aka Akasaka's subsequent manga in time for the anime's feature-length debut. I was taken in by OnK's bonkers premise and sudden dark turn and quickly fell in love with the characters, and my anticipation only grew. I had high expectations for the screen adaptation, but nothing could have prepared me for just how lovingly it all came together. This is as close to a perfect adaptation as you can find, and the same can be said about both the preceding and following entries on this list.

Oshi no Ko is an audiovisual feast. Doga Kobo cleaned up Mengo Yokoyari’s character designs just a smidge, but put just the right flourishes on them to make every single cast member instantly iconic. One look at Kana Arima’s eyes will tell you everything you need to know about the level of care put into the visual design of this anime. The performances are on point as well; though many of the main cast members are relative newcomers to the world of seiyuu, you can tell they truly came to understand the characters before they even recorded one line. I’ve already gushed about Rie Takahashi in earlier entries, but her turn as Ai Hoshino is easily one of the best voice performances all year. Takahashi makes a meal out of every single second Ai spends on screen and gives you every reason to care about her as a character.

Showbiz manga in general is obviously missing an audio element, and when an adaptation can expand on that aspect well, it can help turn even middling source material into something transcendent (see also: Rock!, Bocchi the). Music is central to Oshi no Ko, and the OP/ED combination is already iconic; YOASOBI’s “Idol” has had the best worldwide chart performance of any Japanese song ever, and the prolonged intro to Queen Bee’s “Mephisto” became a meme in Japan in the same vein as JJBA’s iconic use of “Roundabout.” Rather than taking manga characters’ word for it that someone is a terrible actor, we actually get to cringe along to an amateur actor’s hammy emoting. We get to see and hear what turned a fictional idol group into a national phenomenon rather than just see cute girls posing on the page. All of this is to say that while Oshi no Ko is an excellent manga, it needed a screen adaptation, and especially one of this quality.

Oshi no Ko deserves every shred of its success. I've never seen an anime make a splash this enormous with just its debut episode, even if it’s kind of cheating to say so because the first episode is almost literally a movie, and if I were to give an award for the best single episode of anime this year, it would be that one, hands down. Adapting the entire first volume into a feature-length debut was the correct move (mostly because it’s a tonal rollercoaster, and the Big Event that defines the entire story wouldn’t have happened until the fourth episode otherwise), and the investment paid dividends. The hype naturally died down a bit as the season wore on and settled into a more consistent tone and rhythm, but it remains an essential anime to 2023.

You may have noticed that I have said very little of what this show is actually about, and that’s by design: If you still don’t know the plot of Oshi no Ko’s first episode by now, I refuse to tell you: you need to go in blind. All I will say is that it is an idol anime that glorifies nothing. If you've read this far and still trust what I have to say about anime, I beg you to just take my word for it. It's an incredibly rewarding experience.

3. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

There's just something so wonderful about taking in an adaptation of a work you’re already familiar with and knowing, almost instantaneously, that every single person working on it genuinely loved the source material and relished the opportunity to bring it to life. Nearly every single member of the original cast is in the dub (including the ones who went on to be MCU mainstays), Edgar Wright is back on as executive producer, Anamanaguchi reprise their soundtracking duties from the video game, and even Bryan Lee O’Malley himself helped co-write everything.

That last detail is probably the most important thing about this entire production: It’s not exactly a secret that the original Scott Pilgrim comics are very imperfect portrayals of a very imperfect young man. I knew reading them at the time that the comic did not have a great grasp on relationships and the dynamics between men and women, and that was at a time in my life when I myself was pretty terrible with and to women. O'Malley has said that he would only revisit Scott Pilgrim if it was “the right thing” and that he was leery of a straight retelling of a work he has since outgrown.

So instead, we have the Rebuild of Scott Pilgrim, to put it simply. Takes Off is a completely new story that reexamines the Scott Pilgrim comics, movie, and even game without undermining what came before it. This series is not a repudiation of Scott Pilgrim (the character or the franchise)’s flaws, nor is it purely fanservice; it splits the difference perfectly. It’s both more mature and completely self-indulgent. This show so easily could’ve marched to the familiar discourse drumbeat of “Scott isn’t the hero here” or “he’s actually not a good dude,” but it instead focuses on what should always be the second half of that sentence: “But Ramona still sees something in him.”

Yes, Ramona Flowers is effectively the protagonist of a new work that doesn’t even have her name on it, and it tackles some surprisingly necessary questions: What was her responsibility in creating seven evil exes in the first place? What made them evil? Are they even that evil? This series opens up entire worlds of possibilities within the extended cast and gleefully dives into them. Though Takes Off may not flesh out every single character, it does take its time with several of the ones who really did need a little more meat on their narrative bones, and even gives some characters new roles just because it would be fun to see them in new situations.

I still cannot believe they got Science Saru to make this show. “They made a Scott Pilgrim anime” and “They brought back the movie cast” are already good enough fodder for that Vince McMahon meme, but “It’s produced by the motherfuckers who made Devilman Crybaby” had me falling out of my chair. The animation maintains O'Malley's chunky, cartoony character designs and works wonders with line weights and simulated camera effects to give everything a tactile, weighty feel, like it’s somehow (and very appropriately) splitting the difference between a comic, a film, and even a video game. There’s a wide array of visual effects that helps to place all of Scott Pilgrim’s influences further on its sleeve: Dynamic action scenes, camera depth and chromatic aberration, and our beloved pixel art inserts. It looks like every Scott Pilgrim, everywhere, all at once.

The live action film’s cast did a (mostly) great job reprising their roles for animation, and there are some wildly unexpected cameos in there. Voice acting is not quite the same as stage or film acting, but everyone pulls their weight, and dialogue feels far more naturalistic than your average anime dub. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong and, surprisingly, Chris Evans are outstanding in their respective roles. I’m gonna have to watch this again in Japanese, though. Fairouz Ai as Ramona, Aoi Koga as Knives, and Yuichi Nakamura as Lucas Lee? Sign me the fuck up.

This is not an apology or revision of Scott Pilgrim the character or work, it is a celebration that still acknowledges and improves on the flaws. If you’re a Scott Pilgrim fan who’d been clamoring for a proper cartoon adaptation, Takes Off may not exactly be what you’ve wanted, but it may be what you needed. Chances are pretty good that you’ve grown since the first time since you read, watched, or even played something with Scott Pilgrim’s name on it, and it’s a blessing to say that while the character may not have grown, Scott Pilgrim the franchise finally has.

2. Jujutsu Kaisen, season 2

I’m so glad I picked up JJK this year, if only because I would’ve otherwise been caught in a mudslide of memes I didn’t understand.

Season 2 follows in lockstep with the manga from where season 1 left off, beginning in extended flashback with the Hidden Inventory/Premature Death arc, covering Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto’s high school life and the events that would eventually create the rift between them that came to shape Jujutsu Kaisen’s story. We see very different versions of Gojo and Geto here, much younger and more naive, but only marginally less powerful as they’re sent on an escort mission with the future of the jujutsu world in the balance. Because this is Jujutsu Kaisen, and because Jujutsu Kaisen is for masochists, nothing happens as planned.

We unfortunately do not get the precious slice-of-life hijinks the OP suggests, but if you watched season 1, you should know better by now than to trust an OP. While the initial arc does have its quieter and goofier moments (and some delicious homoerotic subtext), it wastes little time in declaring that this is a new version of the Jujutsu Kaisen anime: Lines are thinner, character models are looser, and action is buckwild. Two of the best fakeouts in the series happen in the span of five minutes. Those unfamiliar with the source material may have wondered for a bit why there needed to be a five-episode prequel arc to start the season, but the pieces would soon fall into place.

And then came Shibuya.

The Shibuya Incident arc was what made Jujutsu Kaisen a must-read in every new issue of Shonen Jump. It reset the status quo for the story and shaped it into something far beyond another “teenagers with special powers go to a school for teenagers with special powers” battle shonen. Needless to say, the hype for its anime adaptation was astronomical.

The Shibuya arc sets the stakes early: Nobody is safe and there may be no happy ending. Triumph is short-lived, and every threat is existential. Everyone who has been in the series up to this point plays a role, and you’re not going to like a lot of what’s needed of them. This arc punches you in the gut, repeatedly, and in between each blow is some of the most intense and innovative action you’ve ever seen. It will hurt, and you will beg for more.

I liked this arc a good amount in the manga, but by the end I was ready for it to be over. I didn’t get the hype around Toji, thought the deaths were cheap, and was so. FUCKING. sick of Mahito. Seeing it in fluid motion onscreen, though, everything just clicked for me and I couldn’t get enough. I fully get now why the girlies have been wetting themselves over Toji; the character modelers were HORNY horny this season. I see now how even the most unceremonious deaths fit into the narrative, or at least one will make perfect sense to me once Gege Akutami and I have a little chat :). And holy hell do I understand now that Mahito is one of the best shonen villains in the history of the medium, that sick bastard. Season 2 was my Rosetta stone for Jujutsu Kaisen; I see it all now. My sixth eye has been opened. Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the literate one.

JJK’s second season has a markedly different feel from the first from a presentation standpoint, and I feel it’s for the better. Every aspect of the presentation is on point, and I want to call attention to the audio element: The production music, with a heavy focus on jazz piano, is wonderfully unique for the genre, and the voice acting remains top notch. These are banner performances from the likes of Yuichi Nakamura, Kenjiro Tsuda, Takahiro Sakurai, Asami Seto, and Nobunaga Shimazaki, but the performance that defines the Shibuya arc (and by extension the entire season) is Junya Enoki as Yuji Itadori.

Enoki’s been great this year in lead roles in goofy works like KamiKatsu and Girlfriend Girlfriend (not to mention minor roles in Skip and Loafer and the vending machine isekai), so it’s no surprise that he continues to crush it as JJK’s protagonist; Yuji Itadori is a goofy dude. But the Shibuya arc, for as much ground and as many characters as it covers, is ultimately Yuji’s story as he is forced, time and again, to endure the cycle of the “suffering builds character” meme. His peers and mentors in the first season told him repeatedly that the life of a jujutsu sorcerer is a short and unhappy one, and he now has to shoulder that burden for everyone. Enoki nails every single part of a wide spectrum of emotions Yuji is forced to endure over the course of the Shibuya arc, be it determination, naive confusion, or just pure unbridled trauma. If this isn’t the best voice performance of the year, it’s top five at worst.

Like every major battle shonen release in the age of social media, this season has had its detractors. Reviewers at Anime News Network kinda hated the story, but that’s something you take up with Gege Akutami (and get in line behind the manga readers). I've seen people complain about the animation. Which, like. If you don’t like the new visual style, sure, fine, that’s up to personal taste. But if you think this season isn’t well-animated, you just plain don’t know ball. It may not have a cohesive look, but that was the draw for me: Season 1 was good, but at times I felt like it looked a little too rigid, a little too shiny, a little too samey. Season 2, especially the Shibuya arc, looks like everything. Sometimes it looks like an action film, sometimes it looks like Mob Psycho 100, and at points it looks, most crucially, like Akutami’s most iconic panels brought to life, stroke for stroke.

The varying styles weren’t an accident: Nearly each episode had its own director, and those resumes cover top-tier animations like Mob Psycho, Devilman Crybaby, Kill la Kill, Heavenly Delusion, Oshi no Ko, FLCL, even Akira and goddamn Golden Boy. While the episodes don’t look entirely consistent from one to the next, the variance is less jarring and more “holy fuck, what am I going to see next?”. The looser style of animation is what Jujutsu Kaisen always needed; Akutami’s art is very loose and dynamic, and his action panels are borderline inscrutable at times. Season 2 nails the feel of JJK to a degree that its adaptation always needed and lets its directors, storyboarders, and animators run wild. At times, characters will look like they leapt right off the page; others, they will look like something you have never seen before in your life.

It is unfortunately impossible to talk about this season without also bringing up MAPPA’s working conditions, and how animators were frequently overworked against nigh-impossible deadlines. It was an open secret last year as Chainsaw Man aired that MAPPA’s animation schedule was a meat grinder, but that came bubbling to the surface quickly as JJK’s second season aired. Word got out midseason that MAPPA had its animators sign NDAs about their work conditions, but complaints still broke containment and several staffers took to social media to apologize for their work looking incomplete, and some even publicly announced that they are leaving the studio. It is stunning that the finished product looks the way it does under such conditions, and I respect the animators for putting in such incredible work, but something has to give. Several major series suffered from major delays this year, some of which I gave significant praise, but MAPPA is lucky that all of JJK came out on time. I wish I knew what could push them to treat their workers with the dignity and respect (and pay) they deserve, but that’s a conversation that covers much wider ground than just anime.

MAPPA has already announced that the series will continue through the next major arc. While there is quite a bit of it that I would love to see on screen, I can only hope that the animators get to rest. For now, though, we can be proud of what they made under duress, even if some will forever wonder what it would look like if the staff were treated like something a notch above cattle.

1. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Fucking hell. This is why I watch anime.

I was curious about this one because a couple major anitubers I watch had reviewed the manga and were effusive in their praise. I knew the anime adaptation was on the way, so I decided to hold off on reading and see what the anime would be like, and with Keiichiro Saito (director of Bocchi the Rock! and key animator for Oshi no Ko’s instantly-iconic OP) at the helm, my excitement was piqued. That guy turned a B-minus 4-koma into an innovative hit comedy, so what can he do with a beloved source material and the backing of a legacy studio like Madhouse?

I've had so much to say about Frieren since the premiere, and I still have so much to say now, but to talk about what I love about this show is to talk about everything about this show. When the first four episodes dropped, I described it as “Mushoku Tensei without the baggage,” and I stand by that. There were multiple points throughout Frieren’s first cour where I'd nearly forgotten that I wasn't watching Mushoku Tensei. Every single element is on point: The animation is fluid and expressive, backdrops are consistently gorgeous, voice performances are quickly memorable, and the music is evocative and instantly iconic. This is, plainly, one of the most beautiful pieces of television I have ever seen on nearly every level, be it visually, sonically, or thematically.

The initial four-episode debut was a masterclass in establishing the setting, building emotional investment into the characters, and slowly but deliberately laying out the premise of the season to come. The titular Frieren is an elf mage who, for a very brief decade of her millennium-long life, lent her skills to an adventuring party to slay the Demon King. Though she helped save the world, she was never one for stuff like adulation or socializing, so she breaks away from the group to continue her hobby of collecting various spells and arcana. She regroups with them after 50 years, having kept in contact with none of them, only to find them older and frailer. The party’s leader, the hero Himmel, passes away shortly thereafter, and Frieren breaks down at his funeral, having realized exactly too late how important he was to her and that she’d never really bothered to get to know him as a person.

Some time later, she’s called by the surviving human member of the party, Heiter, under the guise of translating an old text, but soon realizes that he duped her into helping train the young orphan girl he adopted, Fern, as a mage. Upon Heiter’s death, Frieren and Fern head out together, carrying out odd jobs and retracing Frieren’s steps from the journey that changed her more than she realized. They soon learn from the other surviving member of the party, Eisen, that (ooh) heaven is, in fact, a place on earth, and that Frieren may be able to properly pay Himmel his final respects in person. In order to do so, they must make a trip to the north, past the Demon King’s castle. The story of Beyond Journey’s End is, quite literally, a nostalgia trip.

Frieren's story is one of grief and regret, but also how we can use those emotions as a way of moving forward rather than looking backward. Her history is a long one and her memories seemingly everlasting, but she uses them to pave the road ahead of her rather than let them shackle her to the past. This is best exemplified by Fern herself, as well as the other companion they pick up the way in Eisen’s former trainee, Stark. Frieren can carry on the legacies of Heiter and Eisen by helping their young wards grow into the capable young adults they’re meant to be, while Himmel’s legacy lives on in the memories of the towns and villages he helped save along Frieren’s new path, and most importantly, in Frieren herself.

The degree to which Himmel truly mattered to Frieren becomes more apparent to her as the story goes on, and it becomes more evident in her actions. Himmel was a gentle, selfless (if self-aggrandizing) man who was every last bit the hero the modern world believes him to be. With every statue of him she cleans, every flower she plants in his name, every core memory that returns to her, we are watching Frieren become more and more like him in real time. You would expect a thousand-year-old woman to be pretty set in her ways, but we see her holding off on old, bad behaviors because of how Himmel would react to them back then. As Fern and Stark grow into young adults, we see her beginning to treat them the same way Himmel treated her. Frieren doesn’t realize it until later in the season, but it’s apparent to us early on that Himmel well and truly loved her, and I feel that it’s dawning on her that she loved him too and didn’t recognize it. That is tragic in and of itself (this show absolutely is a tearjerker at times and I will cop to getting misty-eyed as I write this), but there is something beautiful, well beyond my grasp, in being able to honor the memory and carry out the legacy of a loved one in how you treat those around you. I don’t think anything could have made Himmel prouder.

Frieren herself is a really goddamn good character too (and expertly voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki, best known for voicing Anya Forger in Spy x Family). Though she is portrayed as quiet and uncaring for the early part of the story, it’s been really delightful to watch her open up, and above all, inadvertently reveal that she’s actually just Really Fucking Weird. For as self-assured and put together as she always seems on the surface, it was great to learn that she’s just an enormous slob (she just like me fr), and any outward expressions of smugness or her offbeat sense of humor are always a joy. “Deeply weird person trying to act normal” is always fun, and there’s just something so consistently delightful about seeing someone so typically calm and intelligent get caught in a mimic chest every single time.

I still can’t get over how fucking good this show looks. Beyond Journey’s End features some of the most intricate, loving animation I’ve seen for stuff as simple as someone putting on a jacket. Action scenes are few and far between, but not a single frame is wasted when shit pops off. Not everyone is as detailed as possible at all times, and they don’t need to be, but everyone looks incredible when they need to be. It’s well above my pay grade to accurately say so, but this show could be a lesson in proper animation budgeting. I could go on and on and on, but I’ve written nearly eighteen thousand words about anime, so I’ll wrap it up.

The debut season of Frieren will continue into 2024, and if the quality remains a constant, it could very well be one of the best anime of next year too. It has remained as MyAnimeList’s top-rated anime ever for its entire run, warding off the legion of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood fans. Frieren deserves it. I say with no hyperbole that this is one of the most perfectly realized things I’ve ever seen on television. This is an essential watch for anyone who likes fantasy anime, anime in general, or fantasy in general.

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