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ovaryacted · 7 months

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Rookie Mistakes

Pairing: RE2!Leon x Sergeant fem!Reader

Summary: When Leon seems distracted and makes a mistake during a call, you ensure your rookie gets his head together as his sergeant.

Content/Warnings: 18+/MDNI. NSFW. Porn with plot. Dom/sub elements. Femdom/msub. Praise kink. Slight degradation. Needy/subby Leon. Oral sex. Fingering. Handjob. Office Sex. Slight age gap (reader is older at around 25, Leon is 21).

WC: 4.7k

Notes: Finally this is out. I know I know, I'm a liar! But, I had fun with this one, so I hope you like it. Shoutout to the babe @cinnarette for beta reading this and giving me her approval lolz. Anyways, reblogs & comments are always appreciated!

Leon had always been one to find the good in a shitty situation. Someone with a warm heart that matched the moral compass he developed despite the constant bullshit he experienced daily.

From his hectic childhood to his experiences in the police academy, he had to overcome many trials and tribulations on his own with nobody in his corner. All of those struggles to get the pure sense of relief once he felt his diploma in his hand made all the stress worth it.

When he first arrived at the R.P.D., he didn’t know what to expect. The anxiety of starting fresh in a new city with a new career clouded his mind with a paranoia he seemed to carry in his youth. Walking into the police department he’d call his new home, Leon was fairly surprised to be greeted with a welcome party.

Balloons and confetti filled the common room as he moved around the crowd, bombarded with introductions and greetings as he tried to memorize the names that were thrown his way. Still, the small games and blue cake he indulged in brought a smile to his face, topped off with the polka-dotted party hat he was forced to wear and the words Welcome Leon hung up on the ceiling for him to see.

What Leon didn’t expect was to be assigned to your personal detail the next day. A police sergeant on the force, a bit older, no more than 25 he first assumed, more refined and seasoned with one hell of a glare. First impressions? He was terrified, nervous as hell to fuck anything up seeing how you ran a tight ship, taking your job too seriously for comfort. Of course, you had to. You were working in a male-dominated field, forcing yourself into a mold so you could be taken seriously by those around you.

He took his hand out when being introduced to you, unstable grip and a nervous smile to match as he looked directly into your intimidating gaze. You shook his hand firmly, the strength of your grasp parallel with the small grin you offered him almost made a shiver roll down his spine.

“So you’re the new rookie huh? Well, it’s nice to see a fresh face in here. We have some serious work to do. Let’s get started.”

You were particular about how you wanted things done, very precise in your words and your delivery. A harsh leader, one who easily reprimanded the other rookie officers but was particularly picky with Leon. In a way, he started to feel like you were targeting him, pressuring him so he would crack and leave the force. He knew he couldn’t leave, that this was the career path he chose, and he was too anxious to say anything so he’d let it slide.

You didn’t let up on his training either, always making sure your rookie was on top of what was expected of him. The slight fear Leon had when first meeting you quickly turned into admiration. His stress-induced feelings morphed into respect, now wanting to learn everything you had to show him.

That was when it started. Leon now tried any little thing to get in your good graces, to see even the slightest sign of a smile or to hear you laugh. He started coming to work earlier to help with the case filings you had piled on your desk, organizing them the way you taught him whenever you assigned him grunt work. He wanted you to take a breather and start your day with a clear head, maybe even enjoy your coffee for a bit longer.

When you saw how tidy your work environment was, you went up to Leon who you saw was typing away at his desk diligently. His head lifted up to look at you, blue eyes glancing over your face to read your expression.

“Morning. By any chance, did you fix all the files on my desk?”, you asked curiously, making the blonde rub the back of his neck shyly.

“Yeah, I did. Wanted to help you out a bit and give you an early start to the day” he responded, silently hoping you wouldn’t be upset at him for entering your workspace. Instead, he was met with your look of genuine surprise, followed by a twinkle of gratitude.

“Thank you for that, I appreciate it. Keep up the good work Leon”, you praised him, offering a small smile, one that he made sure to burn into his memory.

“Yes ma’am”, his face was practically beaming at your words as he watched you walk back towards your office, trying to hide the sudden warmth flooding his cheeks.

Your words kept repeating in his head nonstop throughout the entire day. Not only did you acknowledge him in a positive light, you also addressed him by name, which was rare. He was more present at work, his posture straighter, and more eager to help. From that point on, he made it his mission to make sure his sergeant was stress-free, doing anything to see you smile at him again.

Working with Leon, you quickly learned that he was perceptive. A smart cookie, and probably the smartest one out of the current bunch of recruits. Despite the tough love you gave him, especially because he was your professional responsibility, he was the only one truly receptive to your teachings. Like a sponge, he took in everything you gave with a certain wonder you hadn’t seen in anyone else. It was cute really, how he was so ambitious and doing his best to get your approval.

What you liked the most about working with Leon was how he addressed you. He took your authority seriously, seeing someone in charge instead of your appearance. He didn’t say your name, not your first or last out of respect, but rather he always addressed you as Ma’am. You never had someone say that to you directly, thinking it makes you sound older than you actually are. But with the way his eyes warmed up when he’d say it with full confidence, you didn’t have it in you to tell him to stop.

Over the next few weeks, Leon became part of your daily routine, integral to the start of your day. He’d walk in a few minutes early as expected, with two coffee cups in his hands as he waited for you outside your office. Spotting the top of your head coming from speaking to the chief, you were heading his way. You had the same soft smile reserved just for him, one that he always looked forward to seeing when you worked together.

“Got you your usual”, he offered one of the cups to you, your fingers lightly grazing his when taking the warm concoction into your hand.

“Extra caramel?”

“With oat milk, vanilla and cinnamon. I triple checked”, he said enthusiastically, observing you as you sipped the drink. A soft hum escaped you while you closed your eyes in satisfaction.

“You know how to spoil me”, you gave him a wider smile now, seeing how his cheeks blushed the slightest bit at your expression. His reaction made you chuckle, a sound he’s come to enjoy the more time you two spent together.

“Now come on, we need to work on this case before we patrol at 12. The chief’s on my ass again so let’s get this over with before lunch yeah?”, and without fail, he’d give you the same ending response every time.

“Yes ma’am”

The more you invested in Leon’s skills, the more you realized small things about him that were fairly telling. You weren’t stupid. Anyone with a brain could see that the respect and admiration he had for you was turning into something else entirely. You could tell with every passing moment you had with him, noticing how the tension between the two of you would get thicker after every interaction. You didn’t comment on it. Instead, you enjoyed toying with him, a part of your ego feeding off on how he’d say yes ma’am in such a way that would make you want to hear it more often.

The faint touches between the two of you got more frequent. Your fingers would brush his during the exchange of files, you saw how he’d always be within a hair’s distance when standing near you. Moments spent training in the shooting range were where the intimacy seemed to skyrocket, putting your hands on Leon’s arms to keep his form up as he shot towards his target.

You didn’t need to do that. Leon was a good shot, accurate too. But you enjoyed the way he released a shaky breath whenever you were close to him or touched him, how the tips of his ears reddened when you praised him for hitting the bullseye.

In one certain instance when the R.P.D. was extra busy, you were being hammered with files and administrative work. The coffee sitting on your desk was no longer doing its job of waking you up, and the constant bombardment of having to organize new information was starting to make your head pulse. You stood up from your seat to give your back a break, bending backward until you felt a satisfying crack in your spine. Hearing a knock at your door that brought your attention, you noticed Leon on the opposite end.

“Hey, my bad if I caught you at a bad time. The investigators wanted to review those files on that drug bust we did yesterday, something about missing information”

“Oh yeah yeah, it’s right behind me. Hell, I don’t even know where I put it”, you turned to face the mess behind you, lamenting at the stack of files you have yet to sort through today.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll look for it. You stay focused on what you’re doing”

Just like that, Leon came over behind you, going through the files while you stayed reading over the papers in your hand. The both of you made quick conversation, commenting on how busy it became. The increase of instances flooding the department only added more to your workload. Leon kept digging through the pile, turning his body to go to the other side of you.

In the process, he put a hand on your hip and muttered an apology, slightly making you jump and walking behind you to go to your left side. You tried to pay no mind to the gentle touch, going back to refocusing on the case at hand. He found the document folders he needed, suddenly too close to your body when the second he turned, you moved backward into him. Leon’s hips pressed against your rear, his hands reaching toward your hips instinctively despite the hitch in his breath at the contact.

“S-shit, I’m sorry…”, he mumbled, cheeks flushed red as he walked out of your office. You didn’t get a word in, but his reaction was enough to tell you about what you already knew.

The ghost of his touch filled your mind for the rest of the day, and it was worse for Leon. He tried so hard not to think about it. Not to fantasize about how your hips would feel bouncing against his with force, what you’d sound like when you’re aroused. It was practically impossible for him. His imagination went haywire the second he got home, jerking himself off to relieve the hard-on he’s been managing since earlier this afternoon.

He couldn’t get the image out of his head. He thought about how you’d praise him, call him a good boy for making you feel good. Deep down, he wondered if you were equally as authoritative in the bedroom as you were outside of it. As he released all over his hands with a whine, he sighed to himself, fully aware that he had reached the point of no return with his own thoughts about you.

It was a Tuesday afternoon when both of you were assigned to handle two suspects committing a robbery. Called to the scene, you trailed them down to a nearby commercial street. They were careless too, throwing their guns halfway into the chase and the items they stole slipping from their grasp onto the concrete floor. Catching them felt easy, handcuffing one to the ground and throwing him to the backseat of your cop car. Leon seemed to be distracted, with what you didn’t know. When the second thief seemed to slip from his grasp and started to make a run for it, you knew he needed to get his act together.

“Get your head out of your ass Kennedy! Before I put my foot up there instead. Now move!”, you ordered him to get back into the patrol car. Turning on the police siren, you drove to track down the next suspect and apprehended them with quickness.

The drive to the station was quiet besides the two handcuffed men grumbling behind you. Leon kept his mouth shut, refusing to look your way, and focused on listening to the chatter on the radio. He knew you were pissed, and he didn’t know what had gotten into him today but he couldn’t focus for the life of him. The nagging voice in the back of his mind was telling him to be prepared for the worst, because he fucked up, and worse yet, he fucked up with you.

After bringing the two robbers down to the precinct, you couldn’t erase the irritation from your face. You couldn’t even look at Leon, upset that someone like him after so much training made such a rookie mistake. You only offered a glare, knowing for a fact you’d have to talk to him later on when your temper wasn’t so flared up. For now, you made Leon sit at his desk to do filing work, deciding not to berate him in front of the other officers and saving him the embarrassment.

Knowing you were giving him the silent treatment, he avoided you for the rest of the day, staying late at the R.P.D. in hopes of being able to talk to you. Leon drummed his fingers on his desk absentmindedly, until you came up behind him and got his attention.

“Kennedy, to my office. Now”, your tone of voice was harsh, making the hairs on Leon’s neck rise as he got up to follow you back to your workspace.

You locked the door once the both of you were inside, leaning back against your desk with your tactical belt off so your hips pressed against the wooden edge. Arms crossed over your chest, your head raised at the cop before you, watching his feet anxiously moving as he looked at the floor with slight shame.

“I want to know what happened out there. You messed up, and that’s not like you. You don’t make rookie mistakes anymore, we’re passed that”, you started to speak. Leon’s gaze was pinned on you, trying to hide his humiliation but it was clear as day.

“I know. I know I fucked up, it was a stupid mistake. I’m sorry”

“Yeah, it was. I didn’t invest all this time in training you personally for you to let things like this slip. You’re better than this, you know that”, your tone changed from irritation to concern, trying to get him to see the bigger picture.

“You’re my responsibility, Leon. I’m this harsh and this strict for a reason, and it’s because I care. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t give a shit what happened to you, but I do. This reflects back on me, so just get your head together alright?”, you saw how his brows furrowed a bit in slight confusion at your confession.

You cared about him.

“Yes ma'am. It won’t happen again, I really am sorry”, his hands started to fumble with his tactical belt.

“I know you are, but sorry’s not gonna cut it. I can’t have you distracted like this. Not on my watch”, you said, now walking from the desk until you stood in front of him. He didn’t move a muscle, not knowing what else to do besides stand there.

“If you’re really sorry you’re going to have to prove it. You’re not getting off that easy. You got that rookie?”, your eyes held that intimidating stare that made Leon tense, you could practically hear him gulp.

“I-I understand ma’am. Whatever it takes I’ll do it.”, he was still oblivious, having no idea what he just got himself into but he wasn’t complaining, not when you were this close to him. Your hand went up towards his belt, a singular finger curving into one of the loops to yank his body forward. Now standing chest to chest he shivered at the close contact, holding his breath and waiting for your next words.

“You’re gonna use your pretty mouth to prove that you won’t mess up like that again. Maybe if you’re good enough, I’ll think about being nice and rewarding you. That okay?”, your words were laced with pure temptation, making Leon nod, too scared to speak up. He didn’t know what to expect, but lord if he wasn’t going to pretend he wasn’t enjoying it.

“Use your words baby”

“Yeah, f-fuck it’s okay”, he was shaking in front of you, a blush on his cheeks so intense you could feel the heat radiating off of his skin.

“Can I kiss you?”, you tilted your head up towards him, his warm breath against your lips as the ends of your noses touched.

“Please do…”

You didn’t waste another second, lips colliding against his as Leon finally released the breath he was holding. He let you take control, his mind turning to complete mush at just the feel of your mouth against his. Tongues dancing together, you ran your fingers through his hair, his own hands going to paw at your hips. He released needy faint moans, holding on to you as if you were going to leave him any second now. When you pulled away from him and bit his bottom lip he whimpered, a sound you didn’t expect him to make. You fucking loved it.

You walked backward while he followed you on jittery legs. With your back now pressed against the desk again, Leon’s face dug into your neck, leaving a path of kisses in a way that made you chuckle. His hands were everywhere, overwhelmed with what to do or where to touch. You brought your fingers into his hair again, giving him a soft yank as he groaned out from the action. Pupils already dilated, you eyed him closely, how he seemed so far gone when you haven’t even started.

“You want to be good for me Leon?”, your voice was soft, almost patronizing and it only made Leon’s dick pulse in his pants.

“Yes, I wanna be good for you. Don’t want you mad at me”, Leon pouted, and you fought the urge to kiss him again.

“Then get on your knees and start working on your apology”, you commanded, watching how he bit his lip and nodded.

“Yes ma’am”, he was already shifting down to the ground, diligent fingers on the button of your cargos and undoing them, while you threw your shoes off.

Pulling the zipper down, he started to drag the fabric to your knees until it hit your ankles, pants discarded to the side and leaving you in your panties. Sitting on top of the desk, his eyes looked up at yours, coming face to face with where you wanted him most.

His large hands moved from your shin to your knee, then towards your thigh and hip to hook his thumbs into the waistband of your underwear, noting the wet patch that was already staining the cotton material. He dragged them down with ease until they hung at your ankle, lifting one of your thighs onto his shoulders to admire all of you with a soft moan.

“Can I taste you? Please?”, he mumbled against your thigh with a soft kiss. He was already playing the part so well, offering him a smirk as you drank in the way he begged you for more. You didn’t even have you train him.

“Yeah baby, you can”

Without hesitation, his mouth made contact with your body, the taste of your wetness filling his tongue and making his chest rumble. It was better than he imagined, moving his tongue up and down against your slit to collect the developing slick. You released a low hum from your lips, already pent up from the stress of your job and your day, now having your favorite rookie tending to you on your orders.

Leon was anything if not keen, tongue lavishing against your throbbing clit and his lips circling around it as he began to suck. You threw your head back at that, hand holding his head in place and hips moving towards him shamelessly. He was grunting under his breath, growing obsessed with the way your body twitched anytime he touched you just right.

“You’re doing so good Leon, so damn good for me”, you praised him again, feeling the sounds he’d release when you did talk to him. It was debauched, how his senses were filled with just you with no end in sight.

This was how you wanted to see him. On his knees and eager to please.

His attention went back to your opening, feeling it flex around nothing with every flick he gave you. Inserting his tongue into your cunt, your hips arched towards him again, moaning louder than you anticipated.

You were silently thankful your office was a bit farther away from the rest of the department, and being it was later at night, you didn’t have to hide much of anything. You moved Leon’s face closer to your body with a pull of his head, clit pressed against his nose as he sucked at your essence greedily, taking in everything he could get.

A warmth started to develop in your gut, pleasure like liquid fire making your body twitch. The high you so desperately craved was in near sight, grinding yourself against Leon’s face and using him to get off. He didn’t object, moving his mouth to suck at your clit again, two fingers teasing your entrance before inserting them inside. You cursed under your breath, the dual sensation of Leon’s fingers curling against your g-spot and his consistent sucking brought you closer to your much-needed climax.

“Fuck you’re gonna make me cum”, you could almost taste your release right at the edge of your tongue, could imagine the way it would feel to finally let go.

You looked down to watch Leon at work, how he’d pump his fingers at just the right pace, how his eyes grew hazy with pleasure when they looked up at you.

With one soft nip at your clit your release hit you full force, a small squeal leaving your lips as your gummy walls clenched around his fingers. Your grip on the desk and his hair were both tight, knuckles turned white as stars filled your vision. Leon kept moving his fingers and mouth the whole way through your orgasm, groaning loudly against you and refusing to stop. He couldn’t get enough of you or your taste, forcing you to pull his head away before the overstimulation made it too much to handle.

The both of you were panting, eyes widening when Leon pulled his digits away and inserted them into his mouth to lick off what remained of you. You pulled him up towards his feet, dragging him down to kiss you again and chasing your own taste that flooded his tongue. If you weren’t on a time crunch, you would’ve gladly let him go down on you again.

“Did I do good ma'am? Do you feel good?”, Leon asked, thumbs rubbing your trembling thighs as you came down from your high, flushed face waiting for your approval.

“Yes, you were so fucking good for me. You ate my pussy so well”, your words made him smile then, a dopey lopsided grin that seemed to ease his doubts from earlier.

“I think you deserve a little reward now. You want some help with that pretty boy?”, your eyes gestured to the tent in Leon’s pants, looking up at him from your long lashes.

“God, please touch me”, he begged then, blue eyes engulfed in pure lust.

You didn’t want to tease him any longer, undoing his pants and slipping your hand inside. With a gasp he felt your fingers wrapping around his cock that pulsated with need, knowing it wouldn’t take him long to cum either. He had been on the edge for too long, imagining you like this for what seemed like months. You pumped him, twisting your wrist and pressing your thumb against his slit, feeling the precum that was already making a mess in his briefs.

“You get hard when you have your superior’s pussy in your face huh? You like being used like that baby?”

“Y-yes, yes I do. God I fucking love it”, he nodded dumbly. “Love the way you taste, the way you feel…”, he didn’t even know what he was saying anymore, mind so blurred with just you that he was losing track of time and himself.

You smirked, kissing his neck and pressing your lips against the mole on his throat. Leon swallowed, hands pressing into your thighs for stability but he was so close to losing it. He thrusts his hips up into your hand, chasing his own high and you gladly let him, whispering sweet nothings into his ear and biting at the lobe. The sounds Leon released were downright pornographic, whines and lewd wet sounds filling your office.

“S-shit I’m gonna cum. Can I cum? Please ma'am, I’m so close”, he begged again, his cock throbbing and hot in your hand as he spoke. He bucked his hips more into your squeezing fingers, your pace picking up as you jerked him off more persistently. He felt like he could barely breathe, the prickly feeling in his lower spine getting more prominent the closer he got to his orgasm.

“Be a good boy and cum for me Leon. I want to see you cum baby”, it was your final order, and those words alone were his undoing.

His body shook above you when he fell over the edge, his lower stomach flexing hard as he came all over your fingers. He cursed and whimpered, an array of thank yous were said against your neck, hands pressed into your thighs hard enough to bruise your skin. His cum dribbled out of him as his body jerked, still pumping him to the point of sensitivity. He clutched your wrist to signal you to stop, half-lidded eyes looking at yours that filled with mischief.

You took your hand off of him and licked the remaining fluids, purring at the taste of him filling your mouth. Leon bit his lip when watching you, already starting to feel his dick twitch again for more.

He leaned down towards you, kissing you hard and chasing his taste, just like how you did with him. The eroticness of it all overwhelmed him, rasping against you as you pulled away. You looked over his face, cheeks flushed pink and lips plump from their usage. You burn that image into your mind, saving it for later when it would be more helpful.

“No more distractions or mistakes from here on out Leon. You come to me if you need to clear your head. Understood?”, he released a dry chuckle, placing another kiss against your lips, much softer than before. The intimacy made your chest warm, your smile matching his own.

“Yes ma’am”

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yasemei · 25 days

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Aventurine, Jing Yuan,Sunday, Blade and Wriothesley celebrating teen!reader’s birthday!!

🪷 Genre: Platonic + Found family

🌸 a/n: its my birthday so I decided to actually write something today!! :) english is not my native language so please excuse any errors

🪻 father figure characters / topaz, dr.ratio, yanqing, robin,kafka, silver wolf, elio and sigewinne mentioned / reader is a prisoner at fortress of meropide in wriothesley‘s part

~ Aventurine ~

Aventurine probably didnt celebrate many birthdays, including his own, but he really cared for you and wanted to make yours special.

He would buy something you really wanted, no matter how expensive it is, he is going to spoil you rotten.

He would also buy a very sweet and expensive cake for you, he always takes note of your preferences and likes, so he buys the most suited cake and gifts for you.

He tries to get a break from work to celebrate with you, if he cant manage to you would just celebrate at his office.

He has no problem if you want to celebrate just with him, but if you want more people and not feel lonely, he would try to get dr.ratio and topaz to celebrate with you. (with a lot of effort)

Ratio would be hard, but if youre a student of his and Aventurine manages to convince him enough, he would buy you a small gift and text happy birthday to you.

Topaz wouldnt mind celebrating your birthday, despite her not being too fond of Aventurine, it wouldnt take too much convincing to get her to celebrate your birthday. She would buy you a nice gift and personally wish you a happy birthday.

You two spend the all night having fun. He personally tucks you to bed when you get sleepy. (He might even carry you)

Seeing you grow up and enjoying your youthful years satisfies him than any gamble could ever do. He follows the path of preservation, he would do almost anything to preserve your youth and happiness— something that sadly wasnt done for him.

~ Jing Yuan ~

Jing Yuan is used to celebrating birthdays, he celebrates Yanqing’s every year after all.

He also buys you great gifts and cake. Like Aventurine he makes sure to remember your likes and preferences.

He is also pretty busy, but he would make time for you since its your birthday.

Yanqing would celebrate with you as well.

He tucks Yanqing and you to bed before going back to the endless paperwork on his desk.

He has a big soft spot for you and Yanqing, watching you two grow up makes him bittersweet, knowing that you two are going to be adults one day and not spend as much time with him as you do now.

But he believes that you two will be good and responsible adults thanks to his guidance.

~ Sunday ~

Sunday would be make extra time for you, also inviting Robin for your birthday

He would buy you a gift from a very luxurious store in Golden Hour, he even orders a special birthday cake for you.

Robin would personally sing happy birthday to you with her angelic voice

Sunday already has a tendency to dote on you, but not directly since he is busy, he leaves random gifts during the day and has bloodhounds watch over you to ensure your safety while he is busy working.

But for the sake of your birthday; you, him and Robin had lots of fun together.

~ Blade ~

Blade wasnt too sure what to for your birthday, ever since he adopted his new identity, he has been disconnected from people, only living as a weapon.

But you were special to him, he always felt the need to protect and care for you. Maybe you had bringed out the fatherly instincts that he didnt even know he had.

He goes to Silver Wolf and Kafka for advice.

He ultimately decides to make you a handmade gift, he used to make weapons after all, his crafting skills are incredible, maybe not as much as it was when he was still Yingxing, but he is still talented.

Kafka buys the cake and some accesories or clothing as gifts

Silver Wolf would hack into a rich persons account to get you something you really wanted.

Elio doesnt give you any missions, you and your fellow stellaron hunters celebrate together when they come back

Blade would carry you to bed when you get tired, he would even tuck you in if you ask nicely

~ Wriothesley ~

Wriothesley would buy a cake and gift for you from the overworld

You two and Sigewinne celebrate together by drinking tea and having cake

You and Wriothesley already spend a lot of time together since you work directely under him

Seeing you grow up safely makes him happy, even though you are a prisoner, he has a huge soft spot for you

He would also tuck you in, but he would do it secretly so the other inmates dont see him being a massive softie, he has a reputation to uphold after all and cant have the inmates misbehaving or maybe even using you against him

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demonicbaby666 · 1 year

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Birthday Expectations

One shot | Once Upon a Time Masterlist | Masterlists

Fandom: Once Upon a Time

Pairing: Regina Mills x fem!Reader

Genre: Fluff

Words: 3k+

Summary: Just some birthday fluff, reader doesn’t like to do much for their birthday but when Mary Margret throws her a surprise party, she starts to realise just how badly she wants one thing, to leave.

A/n: Not proof read well cause it's me so I apologise for the mistakes <3

Walking into Granny’s you knew what awaited you. Whilst Mary Margret may have been known for not being able to keep a secret, she certainly kept this one quiet. It was the gathering of cars and less than subtle shuffles that came from inside that gave it away, there was no doubt about it, a horde of people were waiting inside to ambush you with birthday wishes.

The bell chimed and there was barely a second between the jingle running through the room and the off key singing that came from what looked like the whole of Storybrooke. The smiles that were stretched across everyone’s faces brought a warmth to your chest and you desperately wanted to enjoy this moment, but tears were welling up in your eyes and you hadn’t had the heart to tell the pixie haired brunette next to you it was from a sad longing to just be alone.

The truth was you weren’t a fan of your birthday, it seemed to only bring disappointment and it was just safer keeping your heart under lock and key, never expecting anything, and certainly not expecting a whole town to gather to celebrate with you. Getting your hopes up only meant one thing, you were going to get hurt. So, you told yourself to enjoy this small moment for what it was, temporary.

Heels clicked in the distance and when you looked to the opposite side of the room, eyes darting past a sea of strangers, there she was. Candlelight illuminated her olive skin, fire dancing in her chocolate eyes as she concentrated on holding your birthday cake whilst Emma barged through the crowd making a path for Regina to gracefully sashay through.

“Happy birthday!” Emma exclaimed through a wide smile, offering a small hug, and quickly moving out of the way; revealing the breath-taking sight of Regina in a tight fitted red dress.

Chanel perfume and vanilla icing permeated the air around you, suddenly no one else mattered. Suddenly, it was just you and her. A smirk appeared on her lips, looking down to the cake then back at you, she quirked an eyebrow.

“I think this is where you make a wish.” Emma said, lightly nudging you with her elbow.

Jumping back into your body you realised the singing had come to a halt and you were gawking at Regina, drool practically making its way down your chin with a full audience.

“Oh, ummm, right.” You stumbled. Leaning forward, trying not to stare at the full display of cleavage directly at eye level, you closed your eyes picturing where you wanted to be and blew out your candles, sending a wave of cheers across the swarm. Painted in your mind were the stars above you and the solidity of the ground colliding with you back, the true image of peace and solitude, that was your wish.

Almost an hour had passed, and it wasn’t surprising to see everyone had dispersed into small groups, talking amongst themselves, laughs and chatter filled the small diner, though somehow, you’d managed to end up alone.

Looking out to the barren street, the clatter of dishes and voices faded into background noise. No one had forced you into the little booth or put you on a time out, you couldn’t be mad. So why was there an all-consuming battle taking place within you? Some distant longing begging for someone to notice your absence.

It was an odd feeling you hadn’t experienced in a while, feeling alone whilst being surrounded by people. It was safe to say, the feeling hadn’t been missed, creeping up on you and consuming all the self-dependent thoughts you’d spent years working on. Everything in you wanted to run, use the fact no one was looking your way to your benefit. The brush of skin against your hand erased all thoughts of a quick exit, especially now that you were wedged between the window and- perfume, spiced apples, and a faint whiff of hairspray- Regina.

Her fingertips tenderly brushed against your hand for mere seconds, but by fair or by foul, they left behind a tingling sensation that somehow craned its way into your bloodstream, sending sparks flying through your whole body.

“I can hear the cogs you know.”

Finally finding the courage to look away from the window, you turned to Regina. With the room lit far more sufficiently than when you’d last been so close, you could see her fully. Breath-taking. That’s what she was. A thin layer of foundation, straightened silky hair, lined lips coated in blood red to match her dress and just above them, that scar. Night after night that scar seemed to haunt you, the feeling of running your lips along it, kissing the perfect imperfection.

“What?” you finally choked out, still half dazed, and helplessly trying to ignore the twitch in your fingers that so desperately wanted to reach out, to familiarise themselves with the indented portion of skin you were trying to pry your eyes away from.

“In your head,” she quirked, a soft smile gracing her plump lips accompanied by a light shoulder bump, “What are you thinking about, sitting here by yourself?”

Stringing a simple sentence together had never felt this hard, “I, I was just, ummmm.” Great start. You could tell her the truth, though that would require digging into your mind and actually thinking about why exactly you were sitting by yourself. A lie then. “I just needed to rest my feet.”

A perfectly sculpted eyebrow moved skyward by only a centimetre. “I can see how one would miss all the other free booths and randomly find themselves sitting at the only one that’s deserted,” she turned her head, scanning the room, “closest to the door.”

There wasn't much else to do other than avert your eyes to your hands and awkwardly shuffle in your seat. The rug was pulled from straight under you, leaving you free falling in mid-air whilst someone in the distance kept singing about a whole new world; one you’d yet to discover. In fairness, Regina was right, of all the booths that had free seats you’d managed to conveniently pick the one that was farthest away from the happy crowds and with the easiest exit strategy.

“Crazier things have happened.” You mumbled, keeping your head hung low.

An amused huff came from beside you, a breath of warm air brushed against your cheek, sending another myriad of sparks flying through your body. It was as though you had no control of yourself when your eyes darted to Regina, and not a morsel of regret was found when you saw the gentleness in her eyes and the comforting velvet smile adorning her painted lips.

“That they have. But you still haven’t truthfully answered the question.”

Guess there was no escaping this one, lying clearly wasn’t an option. “It’s easy to feel invisible with a whole town cramped into one small space, so I just let it happen. I know Mary spent a lot of time on things and I didn’t have the heart to tell her that this isn’t really what I do, parties, crowds, the whole shebang. It’s better to keep things low key and quiet because,” because there’s no chance of getting hurt, you wanted to say it, god, you wanted to just let it all out, but the words sounded too pitiful, too small and weak, “It’s just easier that way.”

Her eyes glazed over, like she was a world away, lost in a distant memory, “because there’s no chance of being disappointed or forgotten when it’s just you?”

“I-”

There was no time to tell her she’d hit the nail right on the head, purple smoke engulfed the two of you, rendering you all but blind in a haze of smog. With your vision obscured your senses were suddenly heightened, earthy smells filled your nostrils, the sharp smell of grass accompanied with soft, delicate, welcoming floral scents filled your nose. The smoke slowly cleared, revealing an open field with nothing but the night sky above you, the moon illuminating and bouncing off a vast array of coloured petals.

“Regina?”

Before you could wrap your head around what was happening Regina knelt on what looked to be a tartan blanket, slowly easing herself down with - as always - the grace and composure of a queen. She arched her neck to look up at you, tilting her head ever so slightly, beckoning you to join her.

The moonlight shone down on her perfectly, her eyes glistened in the meek presence of lunar light, stars danced in chestnut irises, mapping out a linear path to dilated pupils that remained focussed on one thing only, you. How someone could be both intimidating and downright adorable was completely and utterly confounding.

Slowly she reached a hand out; not knowing exactly how long you’d been stood getting lost in her eyes, you slid your hand into hers, attempting to ignore the butterflies that were flittering low in your stomach. Regina laid back, letting her head peak over the edge of the blanket, whisps of brown cascaded over shards of green. Thoughts of running your finger through her hair filled your mind, letting them disappear, just as the grass did, into thick brunette locks to graze gently over her scalp.

Following in suit you discovered the ground to be uneven and slightly bumpy, mud piles prodding at your back. After shuffling a little you found an agreeable position, the fingers that remained interlaced between your own seemed distraction enough from the cold earth that bit down on your thin clothing.

When you stole a glance at Regina her eyes were shut, chest rising and falling at a steady pace, maybe a little faster than normal, but then again, you had not often found yourself assessing the rate of someone’s breathing. Her face muscles were relaxed, it was like her cold mayoral exterior had melted, swept away by the cold evening breeze, and left behind was only her, only Regina.

How anyone could look at her and not see beneath the facade bewildered you, it was plain as day, she was good, she is good, pure, caring and kind. Everyone in town had a past, things they wished to forget, and the more time you spent with her, the more you saw she was the same, just another tortured soul scathed by a harrowing past, though townsfolk readily liked to forget that. Day in day out she battled inner demons, inner personas that demanded to be set free, and she did it without so much as batting an eyelid.

“I notice when you’re not there.” Her eyes were still closed whilst yours doubled in size, if it wasn’t said with such sureness, you would have missed it completely being too lost in thought. The butterflies in your stomach that lay dormant were woken, weaving between them a rope that was being endlessly knotted time and time again, her words echoing in your ears.

“I- That’s-,” taking a crisp gulp of air in, you let the cold fill your lungs, still your beating heart. Then set to releasing the warmed breath of air back out, watching the small cloud of condensation float away into the night, and hopefully with it, the inability to form a sentence, “How do you always know what to say? And how on earth did you know I wanted to come here?”

“I can read minds.”

“I’m being serious Mills.”

“So am I.”

Turning her head to look at you, a wide smile broke out across her face, her cheeks protruded out and a full set of pearly whites revealed themselves before the both of you burst out laughing. If one sound could feel like home, it was that laugh, low, hearty and raspy as the symphony passed through her lips, rumbling in her chest. The weight of the world that pulled you down was suddenly alleviated, gravity ceased to exist, the laughter pumping you with helium until you were floating on cloud nine.

Laugher echoed through the field, fading into comfortable silence. Distant longing eyes looked into one another, peeling back layer after layer of armour you both hadn’t known the true weight of. Smile lines faded and a serious expression washed over Regina’s face, she shifted her back off the ground, her knees brushing against the side of your thigh as she settled down to lay on her side, never for a second unclasping her hand from yours.

“I know what it’s like. To be alone I mean.” a soft sigh left her parted lips, her eyes were darting across your face like it was the first and last time she’d ever get to have you this close. You gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and when her eyes finally re-emerged from their endeavours, offered up a sweet smile, encouraging her to continue.

And she did, “My whole life I've been on this mission for revenge, and it was a lonely one at that. Then I found Henry and, well, you know the story. But no matter how much the band heroes said I was one of them, I found myself alone amongst a crowd of people, and I knew, circumstances be damned, I could always slip away, and it would go unnoticed. I’ll never really be one of them.”

“Fucking birthdays.” You huffed.

“I don’t even think anyone knows or remembers my birthday, other than Henry.” she chuckled out. “I think I prefer it that way, like I said, there’s no chance of being disappointed or forgotten when it’s just you.”

Mimicking her position, you turned onto your side. Regina’s eyes were a sea of unshed tears, almost instinctively you reached out to brush a stray hair off her face, letting your fingers linger over delicate skin for a few seconds longer than necessary. Fingertips grazed over the back of your hand, guiding you back to the powdery skin of Regina’s cheek, which you gladly took into the palm of your hand, and she humbly leaned into.

“Regina, you're the first person I look for when I enter a room.” you half whispered over the sound of your heart pounding in your chest, but you forced yourself to continue, “I feel like you’re the only person that sees me sometimes, and tonight, poofing me away, you may not be a hero to them, and without meaning to sound too corny, you’re my hero.”

Her cheeks flushed under your touch and her eyes shimmered, taking a rushed breath in, you kept going, “There hasn’t been a single day where I haven’t craved to turn a corner and be greeted by that pragmatic smile you wear so proudly, every time I hear a pair of heels, I can't help but hope they’re from those ridiculously expensive stilettos you wear. I search for you everywhere; I can’t help it. You are everything Regina Mills and the fact you can’t see that amazes me.”

Eyes flickered to your lips and the world stopped, pipeline dreams filled the intimate bubble surrounding the two of you, tender hearts caught wind of each other and beat in rhythm with one another. Blood rushed through your veins, moving so fast you could feel the molten fire coursing through capillaries and burning a direct path to your cheeks, that were now tinted with a rogue hue.

Your hand abandoned its post, moving to the back of Regina’s neck and weaving small circles in damp hair. In turn Regina’s hand found a new home on the small of your waist, setting fireworks ablaze in surrounding area. Your bodies drew closer until there was only a slither of space between you, and you lay still for what seemed like hours, peering into tear-stained eyes.

“I haven’t felt like this in a long time.” you muttered, the words falling from your mouth directly into Regina’s, cavorting through her until she realised, they resonated deep within her too.

“I know.” her lips trembled before quirking up into a smile.

In the milky light she looks so young, untouched by the cruelty of the world, her smile was youthful, and you’d never seen her look more innocent then she did at that very moment. There was no weight between the two of you and for the first time you felt like someone truly saw you and accepted you as you were, and you saw them.

Leaning a fraction closer till your lips lightly brushed against Regina’s, you closed your eyes and breathed out, “1st February.”

Her whole body froze, “What?” she whispered.

“Your birthday, it’s the 1st of February.”

Doubt filtered through your mind and for a split second you felt the world crash and burn before you. The contents of your stomach began to churn. Had you pushed too far too soon? Did you say too much? Overstepped?

Run. That was the only option, then hide out in a desolate cabin forever and never show your face in town again. Yes, that was a good plan, a very good plan. Never have expectations, because that way there’d be no chance of being disappointed, those were the rules, and you knew them all too well. You were too busy silently kicking yourself for getting your hopes up that you missed all the emotions that were plaguing Regina’s face.

Backing away and fumbling over your words, you tried to choke out an apology, but the hand on your waist glided up to your back and pushed your body flush against her. All panic was washed away when plump lips ghosted over your quivering pout and wet tears brushed against your cheek.

“Don’t apologise.” she cooed.

It was Regina who closed the miniscule space between your lips, tentatively kissing you, delicately using her thumb to caress the back of your hand. The kiss continued, filled with more passion and desire. There under the stars you both lost and found pieces of yourself, held within the slow kiss was an exchange of vulnerability, shedding away responsibilities, memories, and the mere idea that you were ever going to be alone again.

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bitterchocoo · 4 months

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hi can i request wxs with a reader who bakes a lot, and often surprises them with fresh pastries? if you dont wanna write all of them just rui or emu is fine! 😊

It Only Takes a Taste

Wonderland X Showtime | M. Reader

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"You remind me of a girl I once knew.."

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Tsukasa Tenma

Will praise your baking skills like there's no tomorrow.

You once make star-shaped sugar cookies for him and he cherishes that thing like it's a real star.

100% brags about having someone who has amazing baking skils

If he sees you baking in the kitchen, he'll help you and you don't have the right to say no. I mean just look at him! Don't you see how he shines brighter than the freaking sun at the thought of baking with you?

The face he makes every time he takes the first bite is always priceless. His eyes practically sparkle.

Also suggested that you should open a bakery, claiming that, "with your skills you'll definitely become a famous baker in no time!"

Rui Kamishiro

Will tease you for giving him a surprise pastry.

Definitely eats them as a snack as he builds his inventions and draws his blueprints.

Either that or midnight snack. Let's be honest, he probably only gets 3 hours of sleep at best with how many inventions he makes. Not to mention those ideas of his.

If he ever catches you baking, it can and will turn into a flour fight. Honestly it'll probably be a war that ends with the kitchen being all messy.

Jokingly say "My compliments to the baker." although he truly meant it.

Nene Kusanagi

Will act all shy because she never has anyone give her anything and a surprise at that?

Definitely eats them as a snack while she plays her video games.

If she sees you baking in the kitchen, she'll try her best to help you. Cooking Mama style. Do the Mama accent and you either get a laugh or a jab in the gut.

She either groans or giggles as you make a Minecraft reference while making a cake/cookies.

She probably suggested you make foods from different games/shows. For example, cookie cat from Steven Universe, butterscotch cinnamon pie from Undertale, the cake from Portal, etc etc.

One day you surprised her by making bacon pancakes from Adventure Time for breakfast and her face lit up.

Emu Otori

Congratulations, you've officially become her favorite person.

Will ask you directly if you have any pastries with you. Who can blame her? It's delicious! And if she could she'll eat it all day everyday!

If she sees you baking in the kitchen, she'll be super excited at the thought of helping you. Imagine a child who wanted to help their parents cook/bake with stars in their eyes, yeah, that's her.

Will also suggest you to open a bakery.

Gives you a small kiosk in Phoenix Wonderfully because she thinks that everyone should try your pastries and it would definitely, absolutely, 100%, guarantee, make everyone smile with just a single bite with how delicious it is.

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Another day, another show, another successful day for the troupe.

"You guys did wonderful today, a total of 246 tickets were sold." [Name] stated, looking through the clipboard in his hand.

He's been friends with Tsukasa since childhood who have found joy in the world of theater although not being talented in either singing or dancing, [Name] has become their manager. He's quite grateful for such an opportunity. After all, what's a troupe without a manager?

His carrying nature made him the perfect manager for the troupe and they can't ask for a better manager.

"246 tickets!? That's a lot!" Emu cheered, it's only been a few months since they all started their path towards their dreams and to think they've already made such a progress. "Of course! It's only expected that people wanted to see our show! To see a star!" Tsukasa claims as he smiles proudly at their achievement.

Nene merely smiles as she watches the group being happy at their rising to stardom. "So manager, what's on our schedule for today?" Rui asked curiously.

"Why don't we have a break? It's been a long day."

As the group have a small break, [Name] left to grab something before long he returns with....

"Cookies! You're the best [Name]!" Emu cheered, her eyes sparkles the moment her eyes locked on the small container in their manger's hands. "When did you have the time to do this?" Nene asked.

[Name] puts the container on the table, smiling softly as he watch the group enjoy the cookies he made. He had always enjoy baking and surprising them with fresh pastries had easily became a hobby of his. "I managed." He replied, taking a seat next to Nene.

"Hmm~ You should open a bakery! These are delicious!" Tsukasa compliments as he took another bite of the cookie. "Fufu~ as expected of our manager~" Rui chuckles, eating the pastry with a cheshire grin.

"Honestly, you don't have to.." Nene says, nibbling on the cookie. "But I wanted to~ plus seeing your guys faces every time I gave pastries are always a joy to see~"

Their manager's baking skills had never failed to surprise them. They look absolutely adorable and they're really delicious! The first time he does this, they thought it would just be a one time thing but as time passes. [Name] continues to give them copious amounts of pastries.

They're forever grateful for their manager, not only for the pastries, but for his whole support.

It won't be long until their little theater troupe would make it big and they have their manager to thank them. Who knows? Maybe [Name] might actually start a bakery with Wonderland X Showtime promoting it? Killing two birds with one stone, no?

#project sekai #project sekai x reader #project sekai x male reader #pjsk #pjsk x reader #pjsk x male reader #wonderland x showtime #wxs #wxs tsukasa #wxs rui #wxs emu #wxs nene #tsukasa tenma #emu otori #rui kamishiro #nene kusanagi #x reader #x male reader

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just-some-sorta-person · 6 months

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Nagi's "Hidden Path"/ Loophole

*featuring Isagi, Bachira, and Rin analysis*

I've been thinking a lot about how Nagi represents a "hidden path" in Bluelock, and the ways in which it seems the main manga and episode Nagi disagree on whether he should succeed- the key issue being his relationship with Reo. He plays soccer for their collective dream in a manga where depending on another character for your motivation is treated as soccer suicide, which should doom him, but his own manga starts with the statement that his genius is shaped by Reo - framed as a good thing.

I've said in the past that maybe Nagi will succeed by Episode Nagi's standards, but fail by Blue Lock standards, and I still think that would be an interesting path to take, but rn I wanna discuss the alternative that Nagi succeeds by both standards, even if to a lesser extent in the main manga since Isagi is the MC. And we're assuming here that his relationship with Reo isn't permanently severed in a way that makes him more similar to every other Bllk character bc that would make him much less interesting and also remove the "hidden path" aspect that we're expecting here.

So for him to succeed by both standards, I think what essentially needs to happen is that Nagi represents a loophole or caveat in Blue Lock's philosophy. And to understand why that would be the case, we'd have to understand WHY playing for anyone but yourself is a bad thing in Blue Lock. And there are plenty of examples to draw from.

Isagi and "All for One"

We can start with the "One for all, all for one" team Isagi was in- the most extremely dependent soccer we see. I'll be drawing from Isagi's Light Novel for this, because it really just spells it out. First, let's look at the reasoning for that "all for one" given in response to Isagi's request to shoot more:

“Up until now, You could have won matches with your individual skills, but high school isn’t a piece of cake... We win together, and become stronger together! If you do that, then you'll have double the joy! And half the sorrow!”

The reasoning given here isn't that the resulting soccer is better at winning games - rather there is an emphasis on safety. "the world is tough", "If we stick together, there's half the sorrow". And within that emphasis, is the implication that the individual isn't enough.

We can also see complacency in this ideaology. When Ichinan loses, the coach says

“You fought well. It’s frustrating, but this is what Ichinan is capable of now. The third years are leaving after this… and some of you might quit soccer after today but you can be proud of the days you fought together as a team." "To me, Ichinan’s soccer team…is the best team in Japan!!!”

Within this dream doping that Ego rants about later on, we can again see the acceptance on the individual not being enough - "You fought well... but this is what Ichinan is capable of now." We also see within the dream doping the injection of safety and lack of perceived agency. Because we are one unit, there is no blame, no frustration, no need for improvement. The point is the team, not to win, so be proud.

Most damning is the way we see this reflected in Isagi

There’s no need to take a risky battle. If they lose, it will be his fault and he will feel bad for the team. He makes an exquisite pass to Tada's feet. A perfect last pass.

What's emphasized here is the risk in making an egotistical decision for the whole team in believing himself good enough to make that shot himself. What essentially happens here is a devaluing of the self - " I'm not good enough on my own, its safer to trust others, trust the system, not your instincts" And that forces Isagi to not live up to his fullest potential, to chase what he wants. Until Blue Lock that is.

Bachira and the Monster

Bachira is probably the character most directly "punished" in the narrative for playing for someone else. Though I feel like punish is the wrong word because this problem with his ego reared its head and was resolved in the same game - once he realized the problem, Bachira resolved to solve it

According to Bachira's explanation

"...Until now, I was afraid of playing soccer by myself. I guess I wanted you to come save me. But, once I tried fighting on my own, like I'd done as a kid, I realized...

And so the problem with his habit of looking for another player when playing instead of focusing on himself was again the perceived lack of agency, and devaluing of the self. Longing for someone to play soccer with led to a dependency that negatively impacted his decisions on the field

So that's why his moment of growth was breaking through all on his own to steak back Isagi and win - ignoring the idea that he should wait for someone else to help him. He needed to believe in his own agency/value to prove himself on the field and achieve his goals.

Rin and Sae

I recently took a look at Rin's Light Novel and there was a line that stood out as kinda similar to Bachira's old habit of passing to an imaginary monster before coming to Blue Lock

he understood why things were not going well. Neither their coach nor his other teammates have the slightest idea of Rin’s image of play in his head. (If it was Nii-chan, he would have made a pass here……) he thought so many times during today's practice. He jumped out in front of the goal to a position where I said, “Here!” but his teammates were like, “Huh?” “There?”

So whether you're passing or shooting, a reliance can develop, huh...

(How do Bachirin shippers feel about this parallel? haha. And what does this say about what Rin says to Bachira "But afraid of fighting alone. It is a soccer looking for someone. That luke-warm ego won't make my heart dance". Cus it seems Rin is criticizing Bachira for doing the same thing he did. What does this mean about how Rin feels about himself? (I mean.. he did already call himself lukewarm later but was he thinking about himself in that moment?))

In the light novel, I think it becomes clear one reason why Sae is so against Rin using him as his reason for soccer - it definitely affects how Rin plays when Sae is away. And since Sae becomes aware of the competition outside Japan during his time abroad, he knows that Rin's mentality as it was wouldn't be enough and thus wanted to spare him the suffering and have him give up. And this is in combination with the idea of "I've found out, that I'm not strong enough to hold you up. If you rely on me you'll fail" At least, this is my interpretation of it - but moving on-

With Rin’s last pass, they score a shot. If his Nii-chan had been there, he would have passed the ball to him in front of the goal and he would have scored it directly….. He stopped thinking. No pass is coming. That is now the reality. Anyway, the team won for the first time in a long time.

We see a lack of agency and a reliance on others once again - "If only Nii-chan was here". Like with Bachira, Rin is waiting for someone to "save" him, which limits what he chooses to attempt and stifles his potential because of how it limits his perceived agency.

We can also see this limitation in how he wants to be 2nd best after Sae - not best (de-valuing). It causes Rin to seal off his ego in order to catch up to Sae, by being more similar to Sae instead of developing according to his own unique talents/ego.

In order to catch up with his Nii-chan he saw off at the airport, he has to make the team’s victory his top priority. To do so, he must hold himself back. Hold back the you who was trying to steal the goal with everything you have using that sense of smell for the goal and assemble an attack as a team play.

Even after Sae's return he's always on Rin's mind, and this still limits his soccer. It's only after Rin declares himself lukewarm and rejects the stories others create through their relationship with him that he is able to go all out by embracing his own personal style, rather than focusing on others.

Back on Topic!

So in summary, what is wrong with depending on others? What causes Blue Lock to default to individualism? Ultimately it seems like its the resulting lack of perceived agency - the idea that you can't do things without other people present. By constraining yourself into a narrative with other people, you limit what you can do, and you limit what you think you can do by molding yourself to their vision. Thus, your potential is stifled.

How can Nagi and Reo become an exception to this reasoning? Well, maybe Nagi's decision to leave Reo during 2nd selection is part of the key.

We know from Episode Nagi and Manshine that Nagi wants to improve for the sake of his and Reo's collective dream. And he (correctly) identifies following soccer that challenges/excites him as the proper way to improve.

Here, Reo identifies them playing together as a must, but Nagi corrects him and saying that them being the best in the world together is a must, saying (in his head T-T) that he likes being with him, but that in order to protect their dream, Nagi needs to change.

It's actually pretty much spelled out here. Nagi says he's fine with Reo playing with other people, but insists that Reo stay with him till the end. Its ok to play soccer with others, but keep me in your heart always. In other words, I don't mind not playing together, but you and our end goal is always in my heart.

This is different from Isagi, Bachira, or Rin's situation because in those cases, the team/monster/Sae were considered as key to success. However, in Nagi's case, success is key to Reo. It's completely reversed. It's that nuance of "I play soccer to play soccer with you, to win with you" vs. "I play soccer for you, I win for you". Because "playing together" is not a requirement for winning, it no longer acts as a constraint that restricts agency. Nagi's concept of being together separate from playing soccer together saves their partnership from being the same as the others and frees him to (for example) join Isagi to improve.

You can see more of this in epinagi

The Tag Game

You might say this is a bad example because Nagi relies on Reo to get him un-eliminated, but by Nagi's "I figured you'd do that, Reo..." we can guess that this was more from laziness than a belief that he needed Reo's help. Indeed, when Reo's in danger of being eliminated himself, when their dream is in any real danger, Nagi takes it upon himself to solve the issue

They didn't solve the problem relying on teamwork/partnership or anything. Nagi solved the problem because they're partners.

Playing Against Barou

The next time their dream is "Challenged" is when Barou says "Becoming the world's best striker means you'll be alone until you die", essentially a challenge to the viability of Nagi and Reo's dream. Nagi's response to that is to run off and instigate a 1v1 with Barou

So again, rather than deny Nagi options, his partnership with Reo provided the motivation to act out on his own.

Playing against Team Z

Even when they play against team Z, we see this in action. Nagi plays a more reliant soccer, his dream/Reo is challenged when he sees Reo's face, and Nagi decides to act out on his own.

Nagi will rely on Reo for the sake of laziness, but when it comes to their dream, there's this pattern of deciding to rely less on Reo, take destiny into his own hands, and make an effort. It's really that nuance of doing something to be with someone vs. doing something for someone.

Beyond 1st/2nd Selection

Brief mention here of Nagi's eyes shining when Reo says "But it's not enough" when Nagi praises him. I think this might be Nagi thinking its a sign that Reo in fact has not forgotten their promise and is also working to achieve it - consistent with the idea of being together without necessarily playing together (Whereas Reo is thinking the other way round - improving for the sake of playing together because that's the only way to be together)

So, where this theory hits its roadblock is the Manshine City Arc, where Nagi asks for Reo's help. But because of all the ominous foreshadowing afterwards, in addition to Ego's words that Nagi's deep ego (implied by timing of skull imagery +all the scenes I just listed to be Reo/dream-centric) is about to be tested, I think their dynamic is bound to change in some direction within the next game. So, their relationship is still in development and the theory isn't necessarily debunked.

**edited in addition** I think the key is that regardless of their behavior, the core of their partnership (ie their internal feelings) isn't dependency, but rather reciprocated faith and commitment, though especially with Nagi's communication and introspection issues, it may take some time for them to figure that out because Reo has no idea the faith that Nagi has in him. Reo actually assumes that their partnership can't exist without dependence - assumes its over when that dependence fades because Nagi will have no reason to stay with him, but this is him insecurely misinterpreting Nagi's intentions. They also can't really flourish until Nagi figures out his ego/motivation, though that's luckily foreshadowed to be addressed. I think with how Reo misinterprets Nagi's motivations on a shallow level in 207, and how Nagi's motivation is foreshadowed to be addressed soon, we will get nagireo communication soon timeline wise (not real life lol). And hopefully with that communication, Reo's insecurity + Nagi's motivation can be addressed and they can begin to figure out a functional partnership within Blue Lock. But really the key here is that faith and devotion don't necessitate playing with only each other in mind, while dependence/reliance does.

In terms of what will happen, I think we might finally get a confirmation of what Nagi's ego is - it certainly fits with their conversation in 207, where Reo tries to give a substitute that doesn't really fit. I'm not sure what would happen once Nagi and Reo have the clarity of understanding what Nagi's ego is though...

In Any Case!

I'm running out of fuel but just to let ya'll know I was thinking really hard about what the difference was between Nagi and Reo's dynamic in comparison to partnerships or teamwork criticized by the main manga and I did not expect the difference I came up with to be the difference between reliance and devotion. "I am not enough by myself" vs. "I will make myself enough for you". I still wonder if I'm just biased?

Plz lmk ur thoughts

link to a continuation of these thoughts - Hiori's Words, Reo's Insecurity, Nagi's Enforced Indifference

#reo mikage #nagi seishiro #isagi yoichi #bachira meguru #rin itoshi #bllk meta #blue lock meta #nagireo #reonagi #bllk #blue lock #Nagi's utter devotion lives rent free in my head #episode nagi

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h4amarch · 2 years

Text

Hi I’m on my OMORI (read: Kel) brainrot bullshit again so here we go.

Goes without saying, but SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRETY OF OMORI.

Nothing in the game is directly about Kel. The main plot revolves around resolving the misunderstanding between Aubrey and Basil, and every heavy moment regarding the effects of Mari’s death we see revolves around Hero (the nighttime piano scene, bringing Hero to the graveyard for his first ever visit, etc).

You know that scene where Kel talks to Sunny at the graveyard when they’re by themselves? When he talks about that fight between Hero and him, that’s the only in-game, overtly-stated evidence we get regarding how Kel grappled with the loss. As a result, a lot of fan-created content that deals with Kel’s grief mainly focuses on that fight, because it’s the only thing we’re given without digging under the plainly stated or shown. And you know what?

It’s still not about Kel. That entire scene, Kel is talking about how Hero became despondent, and how Hero reacted, and how Hero lashed out, and how Hero cried afterwards and apologized. Kel’s mention of himself in the equation, the part about his parents ignoring him in favor of comforting his older brother... that’s added almost as an unintentional afterthought. Immediately after it, Kel re-directs the topic back to Hero by saying he hugged and apologized to him, and talking about how he got back to school.

So in light of that, here’s some other evidence that people might miss, because Kel doesn’t talk about it.

Kel’s birthday: A lot of people have caught onto this one; the recital (and therefore Mari’s death) was in October, and Kel’s birthday, not shown in-game, is November. OMOCAT’s official art showing present-day Kel forcing past-Kel into a smile, both wearing party hats in front of a birthday cake, is most likely a reference to this.

Kel’s new friends: This one is a bit subjective, but; when Kel introduces Sunny to a few of his friends from school that he knows (Jay and Cris; Jay being a fellow sports kid and Cris being a swimmer), there’s a visible disconnect between them. For instance, Cris has been away to a different school for a while... and one of Jay’s first words to Kel is that he didn’t know he lived around here. This doesn’t mean they aren’t friends, of course! But from my experience of high school, you may not know where all your friends live... but you usually know where your close friends live.

Kel’s visits to Mari: Kel visits Mari’s grave a few times, as stated while the group goes to see her. But every time we visit her, whether it’s with Sunny or with the group, he’s always visibly uncomfortable or upset. He’s still grieving, still disheartened by it, just like everyone else. He probably isn’t any happier in the times he visits alone.

“Mari wouldn’t want this” + variants: Here’s a big one.

Kel says this to Hero, and also to Aubrey when he sees her bullying Basil. But the thing is... what about him? Sure, if Mari were around, she would probably hate to see Hero trapped in his bed, or Aubrey hurting Basil... but in the end, it’s Kel who’s around to see these things happening, and it’s Kel who finds issue with them. Instead of saying that he doesn’t want Hero to rot away, or that it hurts him to see his friends fighting, he brings up Mari. Why not just say what he feels? Well... it’s probably because it’s never worked before.

Think about it; I’m sure Kel has talked about how much he wants Hero to get out of bed, and how much he doesn’t want Aubrey to go down her destructive path. But we see evidence of this not working, in the form of Hero staying in bed for almost a year anyway, and in the form of Aubrey brushing him off. Talking about Mari gets an emotional reaction out of them; talking about himself doesn’t. And I don’t know if he consciously knows this, but he’s definitely internalized it.

I just think that’s really depressing.

#omori kel #kel omori #omori #omori game #the box files #kel angst

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starlightsearches · 1 year

Note

Track 7: Eddie Munson on his wedding day.

I Got You, Babe

Track 7: Kiss on My List by Hall & Oates - Give me a character and a fluff prompt (or give me free rein) and I'll write a short blurb or headcanons about it.

Eddie x Female! Reader

thanks for the request, my love, I hope you like it! Eddie seems like the kind of guy to throw a wedding together last minute so that's the vibe i tried to capture 💖

📼 ✨ mixtape milestone ✨ 📼

Warnings: not really, just a lot of fluff, and some language

Crying at your own wedding is sappy as hell.

In Eddie's mind, it's the easiest way to kill the vibe. Your wedding is supposed to be a party, for Christ's sake. So, even though he tears up at happy Christmas commercials and gets weepy every year on his birthday even though Wayne always makes him the same funny-looking chocolate cake he's baked since Eddie was a god damn seven year old, he is determined not to cry on the day he gets to marry you.

He's got a buzz all morning, though, and that makes him nervous. Like somebody's gonna jump around a corner and it's gonna startle him into tears—every emotion he's ever had bubbling right up to the surface while he tugs at all the layers, trying to make the suit he borrowed look right.

It's a relief when he finally gets to leave the trailer, walking down the path to the little field nearby. It's filled with all your favorite wildflowers, and everybody's managed to make it look as nice as you deserve. There's a makeshift tent for shade, a mix-match of patterned bed-sheets hanging like a canopy, all the chairs and tables anybody was willing to donate for the afternoon spread out around the dance floor Wayne and some guys from the plant put together out of old pallets and spare wood planks.

Eddie presses his sticky palms together, trying to keep his hands from shaking while he greets everybody, accepting all the congratulations and good lucks from trailer park friends and gentle ribbing from the Hellfire guys and the freshman chirping in his ear.

The wedding part hasn't even started yet, and his throat's already burning. It's not a big crowd by any means, but Eddie never realized there were this many people who cared about him.

Eddie's not gonna cry when the music starts and everybody shuts up, watching for you at the end of the sorta-aisle between all the tables. He might throw up though. Or die, maybe, with the way his heart is pounding. Wayne's standing behind him, a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and that's the only thing keeping him place.

Eddie thought all that might go away once he was sure you were gonna show, but it's actually much, much worse.

Tears are narrowly avoided once you appear. He figures out pretty quick that if he looks directly at you, he'll go off like a fountain, so he clenches his jaw and his hands and his ass cheeks, looking anywhere but your face. At the little bouquet of daises you probably picked yourself this morning, at the billowy sleeves on your dress.

He's not used to seeing you in white, but damn if you don't look stunning.

Eddie doesn't cry through the vows, but that's only because he's not listening. His head is full of static, holding both your hands in his in front of all your friends and family and friends you love like family. He'll make you repeat them again that night, when you're alone and he can bury his face in a pillow if he can't handle all the things it'll make him feel. Then he'll make you say them over and over and over again until it doesn't make him feel like he's drowning.

He kisses you when he's told, in front of everybody, and you cup his face in your hands and kiss him back.

You love him, god damn it. That shouldn't make his eyes sting, but it does. It's how much you love him that Eddie'll never, ever get over.

It gets easier after that, though. As long as Eddie doesn't remember that you agreed to marry him, and then you did marry him, and now you're married to him and he's married to you and you're his wife. If he ignores that, he's fine.

He doesn't cry while you're swaying under the Christmas lights hung around the edge of the tent, Journey's Faithfully playing through the amps he used to lug around for Corroded Coffin shows. Or at least, nobody sees the tear that slips down his cheek when he's got his face tucked into your hair, your cheek pressed tight against his chest, so wrapped up in each other it feels like you've only got one heartbeat.

Eddie almost makes it the whole day. Until Wayne.

He sneaks up on the two of you, sitting in a far off corner for a second of alone time, eating a slice of your wedding cake one of the neighbors baked from a box mix with your bare hands, laughing, and smearing frosting on each other's faces and then licking it off.

Eddie's got a few crumbs dangling from his bangs when he turns to look at Wayne, hands tucked shyly into his pockets.

"I was just wondering if my new daughter-in-law would wanna dance?"

You brush the frosting off your hands before Wayne leads you to the dance floor, swaying with you—old-school, with one hand on your waist and the other in yours—to a song his uncle played so much it's practically the soundtrack to Eddie's childhood. A song Eddie always knew was Wayne's his favorite, without having to ask or be told.

Fuck, if that doesn't already have him close to tears, lips quivering and his hands balled into fists. Eddie digs the toe of his shoe into the soft dirt, trying not to look, not to think about it.

Wayne walks you back when the song ends, hugs you tight a little ways away from where Eddie's staring at the ceiling now, willing the tears back into his head.

But he still hears Wayne say, "you're gonna take good care of my boy." Hears the tears in your own voice when you say yes.

And that's what does him in.

He's never gonna get away from all the love you have for him, all the love out in the universe pointed in his direction, saying you, Eddie Munson, are worth it. He's never gonna escape it.

And why would he ever want to?

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson x you #eddie munson headcanons #eddie munson #my writing #requests #starlightsearches mixtape milestone 📼

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dlartistanon · 9 months

Note

Oh man cis anti bros ruined Arknights for me. I tried it out because I also liked another gacha (path to nowhere) which has a huge WLW fandom, way bigger than the dudes. So wishing for more of that I tried arknights.

The Arknights fandom is not girl friendly imho.

The doctor is supposed to be a gender neutral short person with according to some media long hair and according to the anime a female/gender neutral voice.

But the fandom made it a tall buff dude that’s going to repopulate all kinds of different species with their many waifus and ignoring character-character relationships.

Sorry for my rant, but boi was a seriously disappointed when I found that out.

I'm sorry to hear that. I don't play PTN, but I have friends who do, and one of the things they said about it really stuck with me, regarding how both player characters are written (Chief and Doctor).

According to them, Chief has more of an actual defined personality compared to Doctor. Chief is their own character within the setting. While Chief is established, Doctor is in this weird nebulous gray zone of being half-established and half-self-insert. And that is honestly one of the most frustrating things about AK's writing.

On one hand, I like the canonical lore of Doctor: their parental relationship with Amiya, their awkward, sometimes hostile dynamic with Kal'tsit, their lingering feelings of depression and detachment surrounding their amnesia, their implied autism, their gender neutrality, they're physically weak (easily winded going up/down the stairs), sensitive to sunlight, their observational skills, their fondness towards physical contact, their extremely negative reaction towards child soldiers, their academic background in neurology/history... they're a weirdo who pours hot water directly into their mouth.

But all that ends up being half-baked when the devs say that Doctor is meant to represent the player. And I just don't like that. It's a giant reminder of self-insertion, but again, incredibly weird when they have all this lore/characterization?

Look at this image:

This concept is speculated to be a somewhat of a "canon" design for Doctor. Quite feminine-looking, wouldn't you say so? Interestingly enough, no similar art of a "male" Doctor design has surfaced anywhere to my knowledge. The closest is in the art book but their face is covered in shadow and their hairstyle is a lot like Thorns'. The anime adaptation Prelude to Dawn adds to the mix by making Doctor 165 cm tall, with white hair, pale eyes, and an androgynous voice (by a female VA).

All of this ends up making the claim that Doctor is a self-insert very wishy-washy. You can't really claim Doctor as canonically nonbinary if the player chooses to see/interpret them as male or female. Because they're a self-insert. But are they really? By giving Doctor more lore/characterization, how can the claim of them being a self-insert hold up? It doesn't make sense.

It's incredibly frustrating how HG wants to have both cakes, but it doesn't work. So the result ends up feeling incredibly half-baked, fumbling both sides. At this point, there's no real and true illusion of player insertion.

It just annoys me the more I think about it. I don't want Doctor to be any % self-insert. I want them to be an actual established character.

But I apologize for going off on my own tangent. I absolutely hate how the Doctor is largely portrayed in fandom too. The automatic default to reading them as male (people can claim "gender neutral", but a lot of the time the actual portrayal/writing really comes off like a cis dude). The mischaracterization and overall gross treatment of complex female characters who have layered and nuanced relationships with other female characters. You're not alone there. I think it's amazing how the PtN fandom has more Female Chief than Male, and how much more popular WLW is. You're lucky.

#dltext #anonymous #dl talks ak

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shieldofiron · 11 months

Text

It took a minute or two for Steve to notice the guy’s face.

That sounds fucked up, but it was his first time at pride ever, and Robin was dragging him by his bi flag through the crowd and he felt like a pervert on the beach.

The guy was on a float, his (presumably) nude body strategically covered by a pair of huge feather fans that he swirled around his body. The float proclaimed that it was for Indianapolis Queer Burlesque, which Steve now had tattooed on his brain. He gaped openly, feeling like he was eighteen and staring at the jazzercise instructors at the mall all over again.

The man twirled, bending at the waist, fan fluttering teasingly. He couldn’t really be naked, could he?

The man looked between his legs straight at Steve and Steve’s jaw dropped.

It was Hargrove. Billy Hargrove.

“Steve, come on they have funnel cakes,” Robin was tugging on his arm but he was rooted to the spot, eyes unblinking. He hadn’t seen Billy since Max and Mike Wheeler had shoved him out of the way of a huge monster, and he’d apparently left town after getting discharged from the hospital.

Billy pops up, dropping his fan and revealing a nude sequined bikini bottom. Steve choked on his own spit.

“Harrington,” Billy roared over the jazz pouring from his float, a grin sliding across his face.

Steve nodded mutely, unable to move.

“Wait, do you know him...” Robin’s eyes widened, “Wait, I know him. Holy shit, that’s-”

“Robin, we gotta go,” Steve sprang into action, spurred by Robin’s realization. Steve wasn’t hallucinating. And Billy was climbing down from the float as if to go after them, though he stopped to help a pretty curvy girl up in his place.

“Harrington, Steve Harrington,” Billy called.

Steve pulled, “Robin...”

“Weren’t you guys friends or something?” Robin resisted, keeping them directly in the path of a gleaming, golden, be-sequined Billy.

“No, Jesus, he beat the shit out of me,” Steve frowned.

“I thought you were friends,” Robin smirks, “I remember when he used to rub all over you during the basketball games. I thought he was pretty brave.”

“Fuck off,” Steve groaned, covering his face with his hands. “He’s fucking beautiful.”

“And coming to see you so look alive.”

Steve could have run, but he was rooted to the spot.

Billy Hargrove was here. He was gay. He had nipple piercings and glitter and Steve knew Billy was in contact with Max, and couldn’t someone have warned him?

“Steve Harrington, as I live and breathe,” Billy glanced over him and Robin, “Hey, I gotta get back to the float but… look me up sometime.”

And then Billy Hargrove pulled a glitter smeared business card from his fucking bikini bottom and pressed it into Steve’s limp hand.

“Good to see you. You too Buckley,” Billy turned on his glittery heels and stalked away.

“Holy fuck,” Steve whispered.

“See,” Robin nudged him, “I told you about the basketballs.”

#harringrove #billy x steve #steve x billy #Harringrove ficlet #Harringrove at pride #my ficlets

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tagsecretsanta · 4 months

Text

From @janetm74

From @janetm74 to @thedryswan

Scott Tracy/Jane Carter and Virgil Tracy/Zoey Kwark

Prompt chosen: Disastrous Double Date

Note: There is no canon name for Professor Kwark so I have chosen to use the name that is most often used fanon, thanks to The Dry Swan - Zoey

Getting time off as the Commander of iR and the CEO of TI was difficult at the best of times. Getting time off with his brother, Virgil, as the second most used operative on rescues, was even more difficult.

Throw in two girlfriends, one of which was a pilot and the other the owner of her own successful aeronautics company, who also had very busy and demanding schedules, and getting such time off together was almost impossible.

Thank goodness John was such a great multitasker. Somehow he had managed to not only arrange for Scott and Virgil to have time off but to ensure it coincided with Jane and Zoey too.

John had gone one step further. He’d arranged a double date for them. There had been much good-natured ribbing over this, but it was water off a duck’s back. And when the two brothers saw where John had booked they soon were thanking John and cuffing their younger brothers for the ribbing.

Borgo Santandrea was stunning, both in location and in looks. The hotel was built into a cliff face, a beautiful white building atop supports dug directly out of the cliff and surrounded by scrubland and trees with the cliff continuing to tower over it while also having a private beach and a direct path down into the crystal blue waters.

John had booked them a suite for the night, with some spa treatments if they wanted to partake of them and dinner in the Marinella Restaurant, on the balcony with views over the Tyrrhenian Sea and the gulf of Salerno.

It also helped that this was one area that International Rescue had not attended for any rescues, despite it being near quite an active earthquake zone and near several inactive volcanos and one semi-active one.

They flew out in Tracy One, timing their arrival to coincide with breakfast, which started with them mixing with the chefs while they cooked whatever the guests desired. There were crepes, French toast, pastries, omelettes, charcuterie and cheeses as well as salads, oils and tiny piles of salts.

They chose a wide selection of miniature pastries and the local Roman Breakfast Cakes, and took them to the beach bar along with small cups of cappuccino. The sweet cakes were delicious.

Afterwards they strolled along the white sands and kicked up the surf for quite a while before returning to the hotel for spa treatments and rest. While Jane and Zoey relaxed with full-body massages Scott and Virgil propped at the bar, helping themselves to the complimentary Biscotteria with freshly made lemonade that used the locally grown Amalfi lemons.

It didn’t take Virgil long to migrate to the piano and soon Scott was drifting to the soft sounds of gentle jazz. Jane slipping into the seat beside him barely woke him, but he pulled her close and buried his face in her hair. It smelt so good. Zoey sat on the other side of Scott, and a waiter brought over more lemonade and a selection from the Biscotteria.

The afternoon passed so pleasantly that none of them wanted to move upstairs and get ready for dinner, but eventually the four made their way up to the suite John had booked for them.

The suite was luxurious even by their standards, with its own private garden and infinity pool with views over the sea, and Scott made a mental note to recommend this place to Gordon. He was sure Penny would love it here too.

Scott and Virgil’s suits were Liverano & Liverano, an Italian bespoke tailor that had been going for 500 years. Their suits were designed with them in mind, Scott’s being the darkest blue fabric and Virgil’s a green a few shades lighter than Scott’s. While Virgil favoured the traditional white shirt and a matching bow tie and waistcoat, Scott had decided to eschew tradition for a pale blue silk polo neck.

They elicited gasps of admiration from Jane and Zoey. Those gasps were reciprocated when Scott and Virgil saw the outfits that the girls were wearing.

Jane had dressed in blue to complement Scott. She wore an ankle-length pale blue georgette dress with a slight cowl neckline, fitted throughout and with a side slit that reached almost to the top of her thigh. It was sleeveless and whispered slightly as she moved, and the skirt swished over a pair of dangerously high gold strappy sandals. A fine gold lace shawl covered her bare arms.

Zoey had gone with a yukata. The traditional dress was a dark green close to Virgil’s suit, with the typical white and pale green hydrangea and minute sprays of pale pink cherry blossoms. The outfit was completed with a sash of the palest green and wooden sandals. Her short, bobbed hair was held back with a green band to match the base layer.

It was one of the few times Scott and Virgil didn’t mind wearing suits. They held out their elbows and their girlfriends took the proffered support and they made their way downstairs to the restaurant.

They were shown to their balcony seats. The sun was low on the horizon, painting the sky with hues of gold and pinks, reflecting off their drinks. The food was superb. There was some light music playing.

Scott leaned over and kissed Jane soundly. So soundly it felt like the Earth moved. And then he snorted. What a cheesy thing to think. He turned to say that to Jane when the Earth moved again.

Literally.

‘Scott! Virgil!’

‘John?’

‘We’re picking up tremors in your area. Are you guys alright?’

‘We’re…’

But Scott couldn’t finish what he was saying as this time the Earth moved so violently that people were screaming and he was scrabbling to stay on his feet. Scott took one look at Virgil and they hurried both girls and the other diners into the hotel for safety.

And then, with a roar of noise so loud they couldn’t hear John screaming from their watches, the cliff behind the hotel came rushing down on them.

John kept trying Scott and Virgil while sounding the emergency alarm. Gordon and Alan raced into the lounge closely followed by Kayo and Penny, who was visiting while iR were two operatives down.

‘John? What it is?’

‘It’s Scott and Virgil. There’s been an earthquake and a landslide over the hotel and I can’t raise them!’

They didn’t waste any time getting into Two and flying out. As they flew Gordon asked John if there was any news, but there wasn’t, there hadn’t been any contact.

From base to Italy was around 11,600 miles. Even at Two’s top airspeed it would still take them an hour and half to get there. It was the longest journey of their lives. Gordon was hard put not to push Two harder. Virgil might have been able to coax more out of his ‘bird, but Gordon didn’t have the confidence to do so and guarantee Two would stay safe.

They were twenty minutes out when they finally got some good news.

Getting people off the balcony didn’t prove to be too difficult once the floor buckled, and everyone rushed into the main restaurant. As people milled around Scott realised that the majority didn’t have a clue and he knew there was very little time. So, supported by Virgil, he climbed onto a table and bellowed.

‘STOP!’

Miraculously everyone stopped and looked at him.

‘Under the tables, NOW! You – get your staff out of the kitchen, it’s going to be too dangerous in there.’

Scott had one of those voices that people just listened to, and everyone hurried to do as they had been told. It wasn’t a moment too soon as seconds later the hotel was hit by rocks, and the four of them, hugging around the base of a large round table, watched as boulders of all sizes decimated the balcony they had been on less than a minute earlier.

It wasn’t long before the rocks and the earth quaking tore the place apart, and pretty soon the restaurant was buried.

Virgil wasn’t sure how long he’d been unconscious but he was the first to wake up. He could barely move, but at least there was an air bubble that they could breathe in, even if there was lots of dust in the air.

He blinked dust out of his eyes while he took stock. The large tabletop had saved their lives, there was no doubt about that, the lump he could feel on the back of his head was testimony to that.

Zoey groaned in his arms and he looked her over as best as he could in the limited space. There was a small trickle of blood down the side of her head but that was all he could see. Beside her was Jane, still unconscious and with her head on Zoey’s shoulder.

Of Scott there was no sign. Virgil attempted to twist so he could find his brother, but they were packed in tight, with rubble all around them. Of course, Scott would have been on the outside, making sure everyone was safe. Virgil took a closer look at Jane and could see Scott’s hand on her shoulder.

Virgil set to wriggling his arm free in the hope that he could still contact John. It took some time, but eventually he pulled it out with a minimum of skin loss. His shirt and suit were ruined anyway but his watch was theoretically earthquake proof. But there was nothing. He gave it a shake and suddenly there was a grainy picture of John.

Even though John’s holo wasn’t as clear as usual Virgil could see the relief on his brother’s face. As he smiled Zoey decided to wake up, blinking in confusion before laying her head back on Virgil’s shoulder.

‘Virgil! Are you all ok?’

‘Stuck but I’m ok. Zoey’s just waking up, Jane’s still out of it. I don’t know about Scott, I can only see his hand on Jane’s shoulder. I can’t move enough to check further than that.’

‘The guys are on their way, Virgil. They’ll be there in around 20 minutes. Sit tight.’

‘FAB, John.’

Virgil chuckled quietly at John’s parting words. That was a Gordon-worthy pun if ever he’d heard one.

‘Hey, Virgil?’

‘Zoey! How are you feeling?’

‘Like I just got trampled all over.’

‘You took a knock to the head, hun. Probably got a bit of concussion.’

‘Oh. Well, that explains a lot. Jane? Scott?’

‘Jane’s leaning on your other shoulder. I’m not sure about Scott.’

‘Rescue on its way?’

‘Yeah. The boys will be here soon.’

‘Oh good. Coz this date started so well but now it’s a disaster.’

‘Literally!’

They both laughed, grimacing when the dust caught their throats and they ended up coughing. The movements jostled Jane awake, much to their relief.

‘Can you girls stay awake?’

‘Uh huh.’

‘I – I think so. Virgil? Where’s Scott?’

‘I haven’t been able to rouse him. Jane, his hand is still on your shoulder. Can you feel him around you?’

Jane felt for the hand and slid her fingers up to the wrist. She sighed when she found a pulse before moving her hand to be holding Scott’s loosely. She gave his fingers a light squeeze but got no response.

‘I got a pulse but no reaction. He’s still out of it.’

‘That’s great. Keep squeezing his hand periodically. Judging from the amount of debris around us that whole cliff must have collapsed on top of the hotel. John?’

‘I’m here, Virgil.’

‘We’re pretty packed in here. I’m gonna see if there’s anyone else conscious and if we can start clearing a way out. Let us know if there are any more aftershocks.’

‘FAB, Virgil. Be careful and please keep the comm open.’

‘Of course.’

John relayed the news that he’d been in contact with Virgil and immediately everyone relaxed a fraction. Only a fraction though. Earthquakes were the worst of the disasters International Rescue attended. None of them liked earthquakes due to the unpredictable nature, but up until now they had never had any of their own caught in one.

By the time Two arrived there was no sign there had ever been a hotel in the cliff face. All there was was a wide path of rubble stretching down into the sea. The previously 300-foot-tall cliff was around half that, with a gap where the hotel was that was almost as wide.

The earthquake had its epicentre at nearby Tovere. Reports had placed it at a 5.7 on the Richter scale, almost double the strength that the area’s previous earthquakes had been, but with the centre in the sparsely populated area above the Amalfi coast the hotel had taken the brunt of the land movement.

Nearby Naples had also felt the quake, but the damage there was far less, and local services along with the local branches of the GDF declaring that they could deal with that damage and those areas around Tovere so International Rescue was free to concentrate on the hotel and the surrounding areas along the coast.

Alan gasped at the devastation, but Gordon was made of sterner stuff and kept his thoughts to himself. He felt Penny’s hand tighten on his shoulder and he smiled grimly at her.

‘John? We’re here. Directions? Is there anywhere safe to land Two?’

‘I have a landing site in mind a little further down the coast at Conca dei Marini. You should land on route SS163. It’s not ideal but there’s little around that is big enough that hasn’t been damaged by the quake.’

‘It’s great, John. Wouldn’t want Virgil to have cause to complain about me scratching his ‘bird.’

‘Alan, Penny, I suggest you take the mole pods. I know that there are usually only two chassis in Module 2 but Brains has packed a spare one for this mission so Kayo you can take the dozer and Gordon, someone needs to stay with Two and keep the infirmary ready.’

‘FAB, John. Alan, Penny, you want to go get your pods configured while I land.’

‘FAB, Gordon.’

As soon as Gordon had landed John showed a map of the surrounding coastline. Borgo Santandrea wasn’t the only place hit by the landslide although it was by far the worst. They were thankful that there was only a couple of places around the hotel that had buildings, the majority of the area was trees all the way down to the coast.

There were a couple of beach coves to the left of the hotel that had buildings, but the landslide seemed to have missed them. But there was the beach club house directly below the hotel and a large restaurant to the right of the hotel.

‘John? Any life signs in the club house and restaurant on the beach below the hotel?’

‘The beach house was closed; I’m reading no life signs there. The restaurant had not long opened but they had only a few customers and it appears they managed to make it to safety as there is radio chatter from the local ambulance saying they have picked them up.’

‘That’s great, John! So we can concentrate on the hotel?’

‘Yeah. Hotel registration and restaurant lists state there were 45 people in the building plus about 80 staff.’

‘Do – do the life signs agree with that number?’

‘Negative. EOS is currently reading 96 life signs, mostly registering around where the restaurant was.’

‘Well, that sucks but at least we have a point to start. Tell Virgil we’re on our way.’

‘FAB, Gordon. I have the local ambulance service on their way They’re sending three ambulances. Good luck.’

Meanwhile, Virgil was making inroads into moving the debris around them. He’d shouted for anyone else awake and received some groans in reply. He’d needed to twist awkwardly but the debris was thankfully not very compacted and with a little effort Virgil managed to get some space to move. It wasn’t easy, and judging from the grunts and swearing from other parts of the restaurant other people were also trying to dig themselves free.

As soon as there was space for Virgil to back out enough Zoey followed suit, and between them they shifted dirt and rocks so that they could get to Scott. As Virgil had feared Scott had placed himself on the outside of their group and a larger boulder had landed on Scott’s upper back and head, pushing him off of Virgil and Zoey. The angle of his shoulder and other arm told Virgil that at least that shoulder had been dislocated. But his pulse was strong, and they dug out an area that would be big enough to lay Scott down carefully.

By the time they had achieved that Jane had become more conscious, and she sat beside her boyfriend while Virgil and Zoey began to make their way to the next nearest table. They had barely reached it when the welcome sounds of a mole pod began to be heard.

Alan took the most direct route down to the restaurant while Penny and Kayo made sure that there were no life signs higher up. By the time Alan had cleared through enough to exit the mole Virgil had reached the other table and Penny and Kayo were just breaking through.

The first thing that Alan did was to give Virgil a quick hug before his older brother directed him to look after Scott while the rest of them set to rescuing everyone else.

Before attempting to move him Alan ran the Medscanner over Scott. As expected there were several yellow alerts for severe bruising and cuts and red alerts for concussion and a skull fracture as well as a fractured shoulder and two breaks in that arm. But his back and neck were in the clear and Alan sighed in relief. He and Jane carefully rolled him onto a hover stretcher and, using the hole the mole had made, the pair took Scott to the surface.

Jane took over Scott’s stretcher, giving the ambulance that had arrived a rundown of his injuries, and they were both whisked away despite Jane’s protests. But then the paramedic wiped blood from her face and Jane realised that she was also hurt.

‘Gordon, Scott and Jane are on their way to the hospital. Virgil’s sending the injured out and they’ll need Two’s infirmary. The three buses are not going to be enough, almost everyone is injured in some way.’

‘FAB, John. I’m ready.’

‘Penny’s heading back to you to help. She’ll bring Zoey with her.’

‘Is Zoey hurt?’

‘Yeah, slight concussion but she’ll be okay.’

‘FAB, John.’

Then began a steady stream of rescuees. It took Gordon, Penny and Zoey to keep up with treating everyone. No one was surprised to see Virgil as the last person in. By that time Virgil stumbled into Two there was standing room only, so Gordon ushered his brother into the cockpit. It took a firm hand to push him into the co-pilot seat but Virgil understood he was in no fit state to fly.

Gordon saw to his head wound while Kayo flew them to the nearby hospital De Luca and Rossano as it was the closest unaffected one. They were inundated with patients and those with lesser injuries were transferred further up the coast to San Leonardo in Naples.

Deciding that keeping Scott, Jane, Zoey and Virgil together would be the best bet, the three lesser injured had already been treated and they were moved into one small Visitor’s Room and they began the wait for news of Scott and how the rescue was going.

John kept one eye on the rescue as the elevator dropped him close to the hospital. They’d worked through the night and in the early dawn light the rescue was wrapping up. Gordon would drop home and pick up Grandma. The GDF and local services were also finishing up the surrounding towns.

Joining Virgil, Zoey and Jane, John kept himself busy with making sure everyone injured was being treated, setting up a fund that made sure of that. He only stopped doing that when the rest of their family joined them.

There were careful hugs all round and they had only just begun to settle down into the chairs when the door opened again and a doctor appeared. Those able to immediately jumped up, and Grandma took the lead.

‘Good morning. I’m Doctor Marino and I’ve been treating Scott.’

‘Good morning, Dr. I’m Dr Tracy, Scott’s Grandmother. How is he?’

‘Well, he has a linear skull fracture, a broken shoulder blade and his humerus is broken in two places – a simple proximal fracture and shaft fracture around the middle part of the bone. None of his injuries require surgery, but we kept him under close observation for a couple of hours just to make sure there was no build-up of intracranial pressure or any blood clots forming. He’s being wheeled into a room and we will continue to monitor both these potential issues for another six hours.’

The doctor beamed as everyone sighed in relief before continuing.

‘The skull fracture will not need further treatment. Scott’s arm has been put into a light-weight plaster cast and tightly strapped to facilitate healing of both arm and shoulder, but with no further complications he’ll be free to go home once the monitoring is done.’

‘Prognosis?’

‘Six to eight weeks for the fractures to heal as is common. Only once they are healed will we know what kind of physio he’ll need.’

‘Thank you, Doctor.’

Sally shook hands with the doctor and a few minutes after they had left a nurse came to show them all to Scott’s room. The man himself was asleep, but despite how quiet everyone was trying to be he woke up, groggy and confused. Wisely they all retreated, leaving Virgil, Zoey and Jane to explain what had happened.

Once Scott understood he was going to be out of action for a minimum of six weeks Scott groaned loudly and began to try to get out of bed, but Jane’s hand on his good shoulder stopped him quicker than words could.

‘Love, this double date may have disastrous, but you’re good, I’m good. Virgil and Zoey are good. And we are all injured and not going anywhere. Maybe, once you’re given the all-clear to fly, we can go home and crash and have a normal double date with a takeaway and crappy movies and rest.’

Scott looked at his lover and his family and sat back in the bed.

‘Takeaway and crappy movie double date? I’m up for that. Virgil? Zoey? You up for that too?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Sounds good.’

Scott kissed Jane’s hand, his eyes twinkling.

‘Only if we can have a Top Gun marathon.’

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction #tag team secret santa #tag team secret santa 2023

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midnightshade · 7 months

Text

𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐚 | Mahito

𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 – 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟑: 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: Mahito sets his sights on a new toy and decides to have some fun.

𖤐 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 3,747

𖤐 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Ass Eating, Creampies, Anal Sex, Predator/Prey, Dubcon, Stalking, Slight Yandere Tendencies from Mahito, Body Horror

𖤐 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: This one ended up being the longest fic for Kinktober so far, but I'm really proud of it! I've never written for Mahito before, but I enjoyed the challenge.

𖤐 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𓇢𓆸 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 – 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐅𝐞𝐦. 𝐆𝐍 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐜. 𝐆𝐍 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

[𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫]

He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

It was small, at first. A nearly imperceptible itch in the back of his skull, a passing feeling he could simply shrug off as his imagination.

As the weeks passed, that small discomfort grew into full-blown paranoia. No matter where he went, whether he was in a crowd or all alone, all he could feel was eyes.

Eyes

Eyes watching his every movement, branding themselves onto his skin and picking apart his very soul. It made his skin fester and tingle, as if the eyes were buried deep down inside.

His nails ached with the temptation to dig at his own skin, urging himself to dig the eyes out. The blood caking underneath his nail bed and the sting of fresh wounds had to be better than this suffocating, exposing feeling. Anything had to be better than this.

If he didn't know any better, he would have thought they were going insane. Unfortunately, they did know better. This had to be the work of a Curse.

It could have been a normal stalker, but he knew better. That feeling in his gut was one he had only ever felt when there was a Curse involved.

He was a sorcerer, at least in the technical sense. He could see Curses all his life, but he was never involved in the system and never wanted to be. His grandmother had told him stories growing up about how many people died in that field, about how they saw you as a weapon first and a person second.

He had been careful to hide their abilities. Not only to keep a low profile, but because he knew regular people rarely treated Shaman with kindness. More often than not, they were treated with suspicion and even outright aggression.

There wasn't a chance he would risk telling anyone about the eyes. They wouldn't understand. They would lock him away in some facility, and contacting a Jujutsu sorcerer was out of the question as well.

He didn't want to be involved with them, and they were far too expensive for his budget. Still, he had to do something. He couldn't live like this forever.

He knew he had to take things into his own hands if he wanted to be free from this Curse.

──────

The crickets chirped a pleasant melody as they walked along the path, clutching he bag tightly to their chest. Inside were candles and prayer paper. He had never used them before, but the owner at the spiritual shop assured him they would work.

He took a deep breath, attempting to calm his nerves. The air was slightly chilly and smelled pleasantly of petrichor as it had rained earlier. Next to the lit path he walked on was a wooded area. It wasn't very large, but it was dark.

This was one of the few times he didn't feel the eyes on him. It was rare to get a moment without them, but he was grateful for it. He didn't know what he would do if he had to walk back home all alone with those eyes following him.

"It's not safe to walk alone at night. There could be monsters."

A voice spoke directly into his ear, cutting through the peaceful atmosphere. His voice, for it was unmistakably male, held a certain playfulness about it. Perhaps in any other circumstance, it might have been relaxing, but in this situation, it made his blood turn to ice.

The world seemed to stand still. Even the crickets seemed to fall silent as he stood rooted in his place. He couldn't even bring himself to scream. He just stood there, frozen in terror as a hand squeezed his shoulder.

Then he felt it again – the eyes.

His head moved on its own, his movements stiff as he almost seemed to disassociate. He finally looked into the very same eyes that had been watching him all this time.

A man stared back at him, if he could even be called that. He had long silver hair and his skin was so pale it reminded him of a corpse. His face was covered in stitching, giving him a patched up appearance.

The worst part by far were his eyes. A mismatched combination of blue and grey, completing his patchwork appearance.

He didn't know how long they stood there looking at each other. It could have been several minutes or only a few seconds. But the Curse just stared back at him, a wide, almost playful smile on his face.

"Who are you?" He finally whispered. His voice sounded far away.

The Curse seemed to find his question amusing, because he gave a little chuckle. "My name is Mahito. I would ask for your name, but I already know it."

Fight of flight gripped his body, spurring him into action. He turned on his heel, slamming his bag into his face, causing the plastic to rip and scatter an assortment of candles and prayer paper across the pavement.

He didn't stick around to see if it did anything, immediately bolting down the path and towards the woods, hoping he would be able to lose him.

He could hear Mahito laugh and give chase, as if he thought they were simply playing a game of tag.

Blood pounded in his ears as his feet pounded against the ground, sending shocks up his legs and reverberating in his skull. Tears burned his eyes, making it hard to see in the already pitch black woods.

The ground was uneven and slick from rain. He stumbled, crying out as he struggled to keep his footing. In his heart he knew he had no hope of escaping, but he knew he had to try.

He could hear Mahito shriek with laughter not too far from him, screaming words of encouragement as he tried to keep his lead on him. Whatever he was saying, he couldn't hear it over the sound of his own heavy breathing.

He kept running, swatting branches out of the way as he clumsily lurched forward, his body already feeling heavy and cold. His foot caught the gnarled root of an old tree, sending him sprawling down over the side of a hill and deeper down into the woods.

He barely had time to try and break his fall, let alone to scream. He simply curled up into a ball in an attempt to minimize the damages. Eventually, he rolled to a stop.

Pain enveloped his body like a blanket. He curled up, panting as he tried not to cry. Nothing felt broken, but he was sore and tired.

He wanted so badly to just lay there, to give up. Close his eyes and pretend this was all a bad dream, but his instincts screamed at him to keep moving; Pain was temporary, death was permanent.

Ignoring the ache in his bones, he scrambled to his hands and knees, feet slipping out from under him thanks to the damp leaves. He couldn't even stand before a hand found the back of his neck, pushing him back down against the muddy ground.

A scream poised itself on his tongue, but it was cut short when a hand clamped over his mouth, reducing it to a pitiful whimper.

"I win!"

Mahito leaned over, pressing against him from behind. His grip was surprisingly powerful, effortlessly keeping him in place.

He moved back just enough to flip him around onto his back, forcing him to look up at him. His lips pulled back in a vicious grin when he saw his soul waver. That terrified look painted on his face was just too good. His eyes wide and puffy as tears streamed down his handsome face, his bottom lip trembling.

"No need to cry about it. No one likes a sore loser," Mahito teased.

Mahito reached up, cupping his cheek in a surprisingly soft gesture, using his thumb to wipe away his tears. He flinched at the contact. His skin was cold to the touch.

"A-are you going to kill me?" He sniffled, voice cracking as he struggled to speak through his tears.

Mahito looked at him, seemingly disappointed. He pouted, asking, "Kill you? Where's the fun in that?"

For a brief moment, he saw his soul strengthen. He seemed cautiously relieved.

He paused, knowing he shouldn't get too carried away. He wasn't out of the woods yet.

"Then, are you going to hurt me?"

Mahito seemed to pause at that. The way he studied him, like some strange insect, made his pulse skyrocket.

"Maybe, I haven't decided yet," he admitted. He pulled him up by the front of his shirt, their faces inches apart. "But Geto said I should find a new toy. I've been watching you for a while, and I think you're the one."

He suppressed a whine, his hands pressing against Mahito's chest. He felt solid and unmoving. More like a wall than a person. He didn't understand what he was saying or who this 'Geto' person was, but he had a feeling none of what he was saying was good for him.

"Why were you watching me for so long?" He asked, finally building up the courage.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, his fear was replaced with anger and perhaps curiosity. He never thought he was all that interesting, so why would a Curse this powerful go out of his way to study him?

Mahito's eyes sparked with intrigue. He saw the slight change in his soul, fighting the urge to giggle. He knew he found the right one.

"I thought you were interesting, and it seems I was right. I wanted to see how much I could learn. I wanted to see how long I could hold out before showing myself to you."

It was all just some game to him. Weeks of torment, all just because it was interesting to him, or maybe he saw it as some test in self control.

Before he could say anything else, Mahito shoved him back down against the ground, his hands grabbing the hem of his pants as he tugged them down.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" he shrieked.

"I'm getting my reward! I won our game and I held out for a long time. It's only fair that I get something in return," he said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Typically, Mahito would never do this, but he was curious. Humans always went on and on about how good sex was. It seemed to control their every thought. Even when he asked Geto about it, he said it felt good.

Mahito couldn't deny he was a little intrigued. If even Geto of all people enjoyed it, maybe he should try it out. See what was so fun about it that humans dedicated so much time to participating in it.

He needed to keep him steady. He was inexperienced, but he had asked Geto a lot of questions in preparation. Mahito focused on his Technique, four new arms sprouting up out of his back, extending forward to hold him down by the shoulders and to spread his legs open.

"Hold still for me, 'kay?"

With his hands freed up, he unbuttoned his own pants. He pulled them down, revealing nothing. Just a smooth surface, much like a doll.

He couldn't help but stare. Despite his fear, he was confused and vaguely intrigued. His body seemed to be able to shape and bend at his will. It was fascinating to watch, as much as he hated to admit it. He watched as the skin began to stretch and shape like clay until a large, thick cock was formed.

Mahito gave himself a few test strokes, shivering at the feeling. He seemed intrigued, squeezing the shaft as it began to harden.

"Maybe Geto wasn't entirely wrong about this feeling good . ." He muttered, his fingers twitching as his hips began to buck from the sensation.

One of the arms moved from his shoulder, shaping itself into something similar to the lure of an angler fish, bathing the two of them in light.

He squinted in the light as his eyes adjusted, finally looking up at him and seeing him fully. Despite the additions to his body, he was strangely handsome. He looked very human for a Curse. He wanted to yell at himself for finding his stalker handsome.

Mahito was no different. His eyes raked over his body, admiring it. He was cute – shaking like a leaf, now more from cold than fear, and covered in leaves and dirt. His bottom was bare and his shirt was lifted just enough to expose his stomach.

He lowered himself down, admiring his exposed ass. This was the hole Geto had told him to fuck. He moved his hands to spread his ass, staring at the clenching hole as he wondered if he could really fit his new cock inside of such a small space.

Geto told him that he would need to be prepped before he tried to put anything inside. It would feel better that way, for the both of them. He remembered what the man had told him, to use his mouth and fingers.

He moved until his face was buried against his ass, his thighs wrapped around his head. He swiped his tongue up over his hole, giving it an experimental lick. It didn't taste bad, but he decided the best part was the way he gasped and whined at the sudden wet heat.

Mahito grinned, shivering in excitement. It would be so easy to just shove himself in, to hear him scream in pain as he forced himself inside, but Mahito decided he wanted this to feel good for him. It would be far more fun, hearing his whines and complaints turn into begging.

He grabbed onto his hips, his fingers digging into his plush skin as he held him steady. He continued his assault on his ass, licking and sucking at his hole. He looked up at him, watching closely.

He had his eyes screwed shut, his jaw dropped open as he whined and moaned without wanting to. It felt so good! Too good! Mahito was clearly inexperienced, but he made up for it with enthusiasm.

His sounds were pretty, but Mahito wanted his full attention. He moved one of his hands to his neck. "Look at me," he ordered.

The feeling of his hand on his neck made his heart lurch with fear, but he bit his lip, feeling his hardening cock throb. He opened his teary eyes, giving the Curse what he wanted and staring down at him.

His hole was clenching around nothing, coated in Mahito's spit, and the throbbing in his dick was nearly unbearable. He was only licking over his hole, not pushing anything in or stroking his neglected cock.

"P-please. Inside— put it inside!" He whined. He didn't have time to feel shame or embarrassment over the fact that he was whining like a bitch in heat for his tormentor. All he wanted was some release.

Mahito smirked against him, feeling a twinge of accomplishment over having gotten him to beg so quickly. He was thoroughly enjoying this, his new cock twitching and throbbing as he resisted the urge to stroke himself. He focused on his instead, bringing his tongue to his entrance before pushing it inside.

It was so hot inside. Wet and tight, and he could feel it fluttering around his tongue. He pushed his tongue in further than should be possible, fucking him with it.

His back arched at the intrusion, the air leaving his body as Mahito finally gave him what he wanted. He reached down, his fingers pulling at his hair as he grinded against his mouth.

His legs bent as he raised his hips off the ground, moaning shamelessly as he felt his tongue grow larger inside of him, diligently eating him out.

Mahito's eyes fluttered shut as he enjoyed the flavor coating his tongue and the way he grinded on his face. For as much as he was enjoying hearing him come apart on his tongue, he was getting antsy. His cock was aching and he was losing his patience. He wanted to feel him.

He pulled his tongue out, letting it shrink back to a normal size. A strand of saliva connected his mouth with his now clenching asshole.

He whined at the sudden loss, something that didn't go unnoticed by Mahito.

"Are you really whining?"

His chest rose and fell as he panted, attempting to catch his breath. "S-shut up. The least you could do is let me finish. You owe me after making my life hell for weeks."

Oh, he definitely liked him. Sorcerers really did have a screw loose.

He leaned over him, a twisted smirk pulling his features. He could see saliva covering the Curse's lips and chin.

Without a word, Mahito closed the distance between them, pressing his slickened lips against his in a forceful kiss.

Just like before, Mahito was surprised by how much he enjoyed this. He had read it in books and seen it in movies and could never quite understand how humans would enjoy this, but now he understood completely.

He understood when he moaned into his mouth, lips parting to allow him inside, tasting himself on his tongue. He understood when he clung to him, his fingers finding his hair once more and pulling harshly, sending a mix of pain and pleasure down his spine.

Mahito quickly slotted himself between his legs, his hard cock rutting against his dick. He could feel it, hot and heavy against the underside of his dick, leaking pre-cum from his swollen, purple tip. He was needy.

Mahito continued kissing him, rutting against him for a few moments longer before moving his hips back. He nudged at his entrance, marveling in the way his ass seemed to suck his tip in. He teased himself along his entrance before shoving in with a single thrust, starting a brutal pace as he finally started to fuck him.

He screamed against his mouth, pain shooting through his body. Even with how wet he was, and even with Mahito stretching him open, it was still so much!

He grabbed his hair, forcing his head back as he pounded into him, hips snapping frantically as he fucked his clenching hole. He didn't mind that he was scratching at his arms, he was too lost in how good he felt around him.

Mahito wasn't going to last long, but neither was he. He had already gotten him so close before on his tongue and this was Mahito's first time. He was sensitive and worked up, already noticing a tension building in his abdomen.

He was starting to have a hard time breathing, what with Mahito's constant kisses and his brutal pace. He frantically pulled at his hair, relief flooding his system as he pulled away to let him breathe.

Mahito watched as he inhaled sharply, breathing deeply between his moaning and gasping. He lowered his head, choosing instead to keep his mouth busy with his neck. He bit and sucked at the exposed skin, eager to mark him as his own.

He couldn't believe how good this felt. How good he felt. Did humans really walk around with these pleasure toys between their legs all day?

Mahito used to find it stupid that humans were so controlled by sexual desire, but now he thought it was stupid they didn't do this all the time!

He clung tightly to him, drooling as his eyes rolled back into his head. Never had he ever been fucked so hard before. Mahito's hips seemed to blur, and every thrust sent him closer to the edge.

Mahito reached up, wrapping one of his hands around his cock as he pumped his hand up and down the shaft, hearing the man beneath his scream in ecstasy as he pleased him.

He could feel himself begin to come undone as his walls fluttered around him even harder. The way his screams got louder and needier let him know he was close. His balls smacked against his ass, shooting pleasure up his spine.

Just like he did with his tongue, Mahito forced his cock to grow, becoming thicker as he took in the feeling of his tight little ass sucking him, increasing their pleasure.

Mahito panted, laughing as he felt his velvety walls spasm as he came around his cock, sucking him in even deeper. Mahito watched as his dick twitched, spraying a hot load all over his chest.

The feeling of his ass squeezing him was indescribable and it sent Mahito over the edge into his own orgasm. He finished, hips stuttering as he began pumping him with an obscene amount of cum.

Mahito hunched over, continuing to thrust through their orgasm. Even when the pleasure turned to pain, he kept moving, thoroughly addicted to the feeling.

"Too much. Stop," he whined beneath him.

Mahito refocused on him, having nearly forgotten he was there. He collapsed in a heap, chest heaving from exhaustion as he pushed at his chest.

Reluctantly, Mahito pulled himself out, his cock now soft as he slipped from his abused hole. He watched his cum spill out, remembering how Geto had encouraged him to finish inside. He said it felt better, and Mahito was inclined to agree.

He stretched, the extra limbs pulling back and melding back into his body. Once finished, he tucked his own cock into his pants and began pulling up his pants after.

He had gotten what he wanted. A new toy to play with and an answer to his question. He couldn't possibly be in a better mood.

He pulled him up off the ground, holding him to his chest as he plucked a leaf out of his hair. He had to make sure to take good care of him. He was special. He was his.

He didn't even squirm or try to get away. He was far too tired to try and it wouldn't work anyway. His head fell against his chest, his eyelids drooping from exhaustion.

He was vaguely aware that he had stood up, cradling him in his arms as he effortlessly walked through the woods.

"I'll take good care of you, " Mahito decided, smiling down at his sleepy face as he started his journey back to Dagon's Domain.

©Midnightshade. All rights reserved. Do NOT repost, reupload, or modify my works. Do not translate my works, do not link to them or recommend them on other websites, and do not use them for AI training

#jjk reader insert #mahito x reader #sin of lust #yandere #dubcon #kinktober #male reader #reader insert #midnight's grimoire

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raayllum · 11 months

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Now, TDP doesn’t do this often, but occasionally they will overload character dynamic(s) with like, enough overt symbolism / association in order to centralize a third character’s arc. Think Janai with Amaya and Karim in S4. Karim represents Janai’s uncertainty, pointing out some of the inner thoughts she’d rather ignore and her people’s rising ‘concerns’ shown through dialogue. We also see this more discreetly with scenes like Janai taking off her crown as soon as Karim is in frame, and she spells this out for us in 4x09: “But I am uncertain, I am afraid. That’s why I thought maybe you and I... we could leave. Go live peacefully in Katolis. At least Karim would lead the people with some kind of certainty.”

Karim represents one path she can choose, the arguably easier, safer path she could choose. And Amaya doesn’t quite represent the other one as clear cut (S4 requires some of her own steadfastness to fade in order for her to grow, too) she is the main proponent as she signs, “Forget Karim. This is not about him. What life do you want?” and expresses that Janai doesn’t have to choose between a life with her and a life as queen: “Just have two cakes.”

With that in mind, let’s talk about

Aaravos and Rayla as Callum’s Two Paths in S4 Beyond (+ Bonus Claudia in S2)

Season 4 takes literally every chance it has to emphasize Aaravos and Rayla’s thematic opposition of each other in Callum’s life, as well as the according parallels that come with it (down to having two separate scenes in which people think he’s going to talk or is talking about Rayla, and he’s actually discussing Aaravos). Callum is “the best thing [she] ever had.” He’s Aaravos’ “favourite,” a human mage tainted by darkness like all the others he’s dried up over the years. Rayla herself is the one to primarily identify this usage. Her own description of Callum in the past has also mirrored this one (minus the magic).

Z: Aaravos could offer them access to the great mysteries of the universe. [...] Yes, mages were his prey.

She is also the one whose arrival turns Callum away from the mirror - away from the darkness - and toward the light. I don’t think I have to explain the symbolism too much on that one, especially not with Rayla’s letter also in mind: “Making hard choices and going to dark places is an act of love. It’s a gift. So please, let me give you this gift, Callum. Stay safe, and stay in the light” as well as Callum’s reflections from the S2 novelization in 2x08: “What sort of primal could glow in this dark place?”

However, if Rayla is the Light to Aaravos’ darkness (ignoring the cube on her shoulder for a second), what does that tangibly mean? Well luckily, 4x07 also spells this out for us pretty directly in tandem with 4x04. Rayla is the first to react to Callum’s possession, gasping; she’s the one who reaches out to Callum when he goes on his knees, backing down when his eyes are black in shock; she’s also the one who catches him once the possession fades. “Already tainted by darkness,” Aaravos claims, gloating over his control both literally in the present and in the future, “and destined to play right into my hands.” Aaravos is confident he’s going to win the game he’s playing.

Callum reiterates this in 4x05 to Ezran and in 4x07 to Rayla.

C: You know, when he took control of me and used my whole body like a puppet? [...] When Aaravos possessed me at the Storm Spire, I felt so weak and out of control. I was his puppet. I’m not afraid that he’ll hurt me.

(Perpetually screaming about the way it cuts back to Rayla solely when there’s the “Or hurt people I care about” line, but moving on.)

So Aaravos represents Control and a pre-chosen Destiny. These things are terrifying to Callum, who has always prioritized and chased after strengthening his capacity to choose - and to choose how he contributes. Luckily, Rayla likewise spells this out and reminds Callum of it as well. If Rayla is his light, she represents his Agency.

Not without her faltering (leaving in TTM and leaving him behind in other occasions) but agency and choice is largely what she’s always encouraged for Callum, down to agreeing to get his cube in 1x04 and being the first one to see his potential as a mage in the first place, which Callum acknowledges.

This is why it’s so important that she rejects his request first hand in 4x07. Callum is so scared he’s trying to remove agency from his own hands by putting it (and his life and death) into hers, but that’s just going to exacerbate the problem. Rayla keeps on reminding him that his agency is in his own hands and how strongly he used to believe that: “Callum, you’re the ‘destiny is a book you write yourself’ guy.” And Callum to his credit tries to follow through on her advice by dropping the Key of Aaravos into the lava; he’s just currently unable to go through with it / to let go of it.

And I also think it’s entirely intentional that Rayla is the one he’s asking to do this for. Not only in the layers it gives their interpersonal dynamic and understanding of each other, but specifically in the way it’s deliberate for future plot lines, set up, and payoff: if the crew wanted to, they could’ve had Ezran go with Rayla in 4x05, leaving Callum and Soren alone. Callum could’ve asked Soren, a crownguard sworn to protect Ezran and who has done so even when it means killing his family, to kill him instead, but Callum didn’t. The crew didn’t. They chose to orchestrate it like this.

And, not to mention, they’ve done similar things with Rayla and Callum like this before, all the way back in S2.

Claudia and Dark Magic

Now, S2 and S4 are very similar in the emotional arcs they give the bulk of the cast, especially Claudia and Callum in particular. Hardly anyone’s emotional arcs (outside of Callum’s sky arcanum) are resolved in S2, merely they are built upon and then driven further to provide a broadening and resolution (for now) in S3. I expect S5 to follow a similar pattern of resolving quite a few things, even if it will leave others disastrously open ended (especially if Aaravos gets out by the end of S5).

But I’m getting off topic. Claudia in S2 very much represents one path Callum could take: he could choose to go home and sacrifice the mission, which he cites as being “the hardest thing we’ve ever done” as well as “the most important thing we’ll ever do”. He’s just learnt that primal magic without a primal stone is a nigh impossible path for him, and so Claudia offers her friend an alternative, encouraging his path as a mage in the worst way.

Callum returns to the dark magic book, literally and metaphorically, in 2x07. Seeing an old sketch of Claudia with her tome is what sparks the idea that dark magic is how he can help save Rayla in 2x07 (“I want to go down there with you and be the heroes who stop all the fighting, but I can’t do that! I can’t do anything”) in the wake of feeling helpless/useless. Then he uses her book outright to complete the spell. What he wasn’t willing to do for himself or his own ends, he’s willing to do to protect a loved one.

While, just like in 4x02, Rayla literally turns Callum away from his former path / friend / love interest. This is her mirroring Callum’s own choice of choosing her over Claudia - both in who to ultimately trust when it came down to the wire, but even as a future romantic partner. Not only in the scene on Phoe-Phoe in 2x03

but also literally within the pages of his sketchbook and future spellbook that, as stated, lead to the decision of him doing dark magic in the first place. Rayla, despite being a representation by and large of Callum’s path as a primal mage, is the hinge that causes him to chase it down on her behalf anyway and in spite of the fact he knows she would hate it.

By the end of S2, specifically 2x08 The Book of Destiny, it seems pretty clear that Callum’s has firmly shut down a more active pursuit of dark magic, with his infamous, “No, I get to choose who I want to be! Destiny is a book you write yourself!” and his subsequent connection to the Sky arcanum. Although 2x08 does give hints that Callum’s journey with dark magic and pre-written destinies is perhaps not entirely laid to rest, as it features these shots, I might add:

Paths Converging

Okay, so Callum was given choices represented by Claudia and Rayla in S2, refusing the temptation and possibility of being a dark mage, and thereby subsequently choosing Rayla. Now he’s being given two paths - one in light and one in shadow - in S4.

But without the same merits of temptation (at least for now) which is probably why Aaravos outright possessed him to begin with; Callum may need a different manipulation playbook than Aaravos’ other pawns. Okay, great? What does this all mean, though? Or least, what could it possibly mean?

Remember how I said Aaravos and Rayla are put in thematic opposition to one another for Callum in S4? Yeah - here’s where the symbolism gets a bit muddled, because Rayla shows up with the cube of Aaravos on her shoulder, glowing and pointing downward. In the first 3 seasons, the Key was more often shown with the Star primal at various angles, not necessarily right side up (the primal symbol itself) or upside down (Aaravos’ symbol). But that changes at certain key moments, specifically once the Key is aligned with Aaravos, and how all the runes are shown to be upside down in the dark magic dream.

If Rayla showing up is truly meant to just be agency, then why have the cube - the same cube featured in Callum’s 4x04 intro, directly linking it to Aaravos’ control of Callum in some capacity - on her shoulder at all? And even if you’re like “well, they wanted to make sure you’d notice Stella making it glow,” the cuddlemonkey could’ve picked it up and not gone directly to Rayla’s shoulder, disassembling the shot. Or they could’ve, y’know, had Rayla with the cube on her shoulder right side - agency side - up. But they didn’t.

This goes back to the Light and Dark dichotomy with both being represented by Aaravos. Dark isn’t always clear cut bad (just look at Claudia’s hair) and light isn’t always clear cut good (the cube flashing a bright light as Callum’s transformation into a literal pawn is completed). A chessboard has both black and white squares. Rayla’s explicit return, as said by Soren, is “kind of good and kind of bad.” Which brings us back to this exchange from the S1 novelization, as always, in which Callum and Rayla discuss moonberries and deathberries:

“So they look identical,” Callum said. “But they might kill you or they might save you.” “Exactly.” Rayla smiled. “Just like me.”

Again, most of this points to Rayla saving Callum, and given that a large part of her clearly doubts her capacity to save anyone, anymore (“We can’t save everyone, Soren”) in ways that weren’t present in her youth, Rayla saving Callum from Aaravos’ brainwashing - Callum choosing her as his path, literally, over Aaravos, after all this foreshadowing, makes the most straight forward sense. Callum gets to choose and pick his own destiny (her) and Rayla gets to be restored as someone heroic who can save the people she loves (him, and possibly later on her parents).

Which would be a perfectly happy ending - if we weren’t still on season five of seven. And if season four didn’t have a massive theme of resolving dichotomies, and reconciling dualities.

Aaravos’ control extending past the ‘resolution’ of the brainwashing plotline would also make sense. There’s more dramatics / more at stake emotionally if Callum is in his right mind and plays into Aaravos’ clutches anyway. Even the awareness of his possible fate from the start, even escaping the brainwashing, wouldn’t be enough to escape his Destiny. It also emphasizes Rayla’s loss. She did everything she could to possibly protect him, including leaving and hurting for two years, and then she shows up right in time to watch herself be helpless to protect him all over again. How’s that for tragic?

Which is to say: I don’t think, ultimately for the next arc of the story, that choosing Rayla or Aaravos is mutually exclusive. I think whether it’ll be what leads Callum to Aaravos’ possession, or what follows after it, Rayla will be what causes Callum to fall (at least temporarily) into his clutches or carrying out his plans. Kill you or save you. Light and dark. Callum refused dark magic until he felt like he was backed into a corner in S2, and going to lose her. Callum is also likely going to almost kill her and his friends. If Rayla is surviving that, and saving him, why wouldn’t he also be saving her?

Two cakes, where you save and free the person you love more than anyone alongside the person you hate and fear the most, and what’s worse, is that you both simultaneously gave him the tools he needed to do exactly this all along.

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tbookblurbs · 16 days

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Rhythm of War - Brandon Sanderson (Stormlight Archive #4)

4.75/5 - Kaladin :(((; love the new POVs; quantum physics in a fantasy world?

SPOILERS below!

The time skip before this book caught me by surprise (again...) but I'm not opposed to it, especially since it seems like characters have grown and changed during that time. You can't say that for every series. That said, I do think that it leaves out some potentially important scenes, such as those where Adolin and Renarin find out their father is directly responsible for the death of their mother.

Kaladin's arc is, as per usual, my favorite in the book. He's got PTSD, he's seven feet tall, he's inventing group therapy, who's doing it like him? Multiple of his scenes move me to tears however. It's an incredibly real struggle with clinical depression on top of his PTSD and experiencing multiple lifetimes' worth of trauma in less than five years, that culminates in a passive suicide attempt. His final "hallucination" with Tien in the storm is everything to me.

I also loved Venli as a new POV character. She's so flawed as a character, and that makes her much more interesting to me. I also think that she's much more understandable/easier to empathize with in her destructive actions, even as they bring the end of the world, because of her positioning in the world. She has very natural desires that are twisted against what is good for her and her people, and I would argue she's taking too much responsibility for her part in the Everstorm. Yes, she's selfish, but no more so than any of the other lighteyes in this novel.

The other major highlight for me was the science in this novel. Much of Sanderson's descriptions about "axons" are just quantum physics and atoms, as I'm sure many people picked up. As somebody with a physics background, seeing these different ways of exploring and explaining things like quantum entanglement and seeing it actually matter in a fantasy novel is like having my cake and eating it too. Navani's work with Light (and her homoerotic relationship with Raboniel) are very well done.

Things I don't entirely like and the reason for the .25 point-dock are Navani bonding the Sibling, and Dalinar as a whole to be honest. With the former, as much as I like Navani, I really wanted to see Rlain as a Bondsmith. He is actively trying to be a unifier in a way that Navani is not, though Navani and her fabrial knowledge is very well matched with the Sibling.

With respect to Dalinar, while I still find him an interesting character, the things I didn't like about him in past books come out in full force here. He's overbearing, he micromanages, he believes that his vision (and only his) is the correct path forward, he can't accept disagreement, he holds everyone to standards he himself doesn't meet, etc. He also doesn't face any significant challenge to those beliefs in this book, aside from Jasnah verbally challenging him. I also just don't understand how Renarin and Adolin continue to see Dalinar as "the most honorable man they know" when, and this is explicit in the text, he is not. I also don't love the deal he makes, but that's a smaller issue I suppose.

Now that Wind and Truth are coming out this year, I interested to see where Sanderson ends this final chapter. Hoping to see more of Lift and a less-depressed Kaladin!

#i didn't even touch on shallan and adolin but their part was like weirdly small?#anyway maya's scene at the end goes sooooo crazy to me bc even the spren didn't give each other agency #also shallan's twist is still insanely good but not as attention-grabbing the second time around #rhythm of war #brandon sanderson #cosmere #book review #fantasy #high fantasy #kaladin stormblessed #dalinar kholin #navani kholin #raboniel #venli

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that-one-guy-who-does-the-thing · 7 months

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adventure time fionna and cake episode 8 spoilers

the 'dead world' the gang travels to being the lich's wish from the beginning of season 5 is so haunting. and it makes me curious. is that a wish-altered reality created separate from the original ooo from seasons 1-4 or IS it the original from seasons 1-4? i mean it's not like when shelby wished for a pony for his gf that created a whole new universe, right? like that feels weird -- you're not changing the past or altering the laws of physics or anything, nothing about the RULES of the world are changing, so why would you need a brand new universe?

i guess that's like asking if farm world is the original universe too, but that wouldn't make sense, would it? i mean it's LITERALLY described as a "wish-altered reality". now i wonder, what about jake's wish? when jake wished to change the lich's wish, that didn't undo any of the previous wishes, so did that create ANOTHER reality where we spend the rest of the series? if so, what about the original from seasons 1-4? do you think there's just a world out there with no lich, no finn, and no jake? and that's it? or is that world gone now? did it simply branch into three paths and they're all technically the original ooo?

on that note, do you think if finn and jake just wished to go back home to ooo themselves in season 5, or even just found a way back outside of the time room, they would wind up in the lich's dead world? or would they just go back to their original ooo (but without the lich)?

also while we're talking about how fucked up the situation is, seeing early-seasons ice king acting just as goofy and his depression being treated exactly like it was back then with just random bursts into tears in comedic circumstances just immediately turn into a skeleton in the final frame of the tape is so haunting. the themes of death and decay in the background of adventure time suddenly being given heavy attention and tying directly into one of the main characters? the skull looking EXACTLY like any other random skull in a tree or bush or wherever? the fact that simon's final moments in this world were still being trapped as the ice king and sobbing after making a fool of himself? terrifying! so sad! holy shit dude!

#fionna and cake

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mynamesaplant · 8 months

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Love is a Cold Bowl of Soup (Part One)

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I've been working on this one for a bit. I hope you enjoy!! Thanks to Monsoon-of-Art for the beta! Don't want to read it on Tumblr? I have it on AO3!

Summary: Akari's been tasked to find some ingredients for soup and learns to ask for help from the people in her life.

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-Sootfoot root -Medicinal leeks -Vegetable broth -Moomoo milk -Wild garlic -Crunchy Salt -Pep-Up plant

Akari didn’t know exactly that the professor had in mind when he asked her and Rei to go find these things, but it seemed to be some sort of recipe. She followed in the wake of the man clad in Security Corp red, dividing her attention between the list and the path they trekked.

A grimace came to her face as she recalled the last time the professor had tried to be adventurous with foreign recipes and native ingredients. The poor captain had been sick for almost two days. Akari hadn’t fared too well herself, but she powered through like always.

Now the professor was on this new kick, and he was gleefully cryptic about it - needless to say, it worried everyone. They all knew Laventon meant well, but nobody wanted to be decommissioned by some toxic concoction.

Akari herself was already constructing her excuses. She was nervous about battling Ingo on the Path of Solitude (battling Ingo usually scared the daylights out of her- he was so tough!) and couldn’t stomach anything or Wanda had mysteriously disappeared again (Akari knew she would perform a vanishing act the second the noxious smell of whatever the professor was cooking wafted down the hall). It couldn’t be directly Pokémon related, because then the professor would be inclined to accompany the Survey Corps’ top member.

Akari’s breath began to pick up with a sharp incline that preceded that pass to the highlands basecamp. She was caked in mud from trudging through the marshes in search of some halfway decent Sootfoot. The professor said he needed about thirty or so.

“About this big.”

He had said, holding out his fist so she could get a sense of what he needed. The leeks had been easy. The fieldlands were teaming with them. Akari had also gathered the vegetables that Beni needed to make the professor’s broth. She had sent those back with some of the Security Corp as they were headed back to town, that way Beni could get started right away. With all his hemming and hawing, Akari was surprised he agreed at all, she had definitely heard him mumble something about how a new spate of food poisoning would affect business at the Wall Flower.

She couldn’t blame the old man, the influx of customers who were too terrified of any of the food served in Galaxy Hall usually meant they were streaming into his restaurant, which was good for business but bad for his back.

Akari’s eyes quickly flicked to the peak of Mount Coronet when they reached basecamp. She couldn’t help it. It was so strange to see the sky above it so empty. Not that she wasn’t glad that all she saw was blue sky, but it still made her chest tighten to think of all that happened up there.

Dialga and Palkia, Volo and Giratina - suddenly she was very conscious of the Arc phone resting heavily on her hip and its sudden weight made her shiver. Her invitation from the being who put her here was still fresh in her mind. Ever since she completed Cogita’s request to catch Enamorus, she had felt a draw toward the peak as her curiosity ate at her.

Why?

Why was she here? Why her? These questions still took up a corner of her mind, solid and unbearable to contemplate. Akari would lie very still at night and just stare above her without seeing. Not so much in Jubilife with a roof over her head. When she found herself under a blanket of stars, bathed in moonlight with a cool breeze rustling her unbound hair, she asked herself why and she could feel tears sting her eyes.

She asked an uncaring cosmos why she was here, and she was met with silence. A silent, dark phone. A dreamless, restless sleep. The silence spoke volumes, so Akari learned to stop asking… But not completely.

Her hands curled into fists as she refitted her pack and exchanged her Pokémon for ones that would be more suited to battles in the highlands. Akari’s selection included Samurott, Yanmega, Roserade, Froslass, Alakazam, and Arcanine. Samurott looked over her shoulder while Akari rummaged through the trunk containing her possessions, grabbing some extra balls and potions.

She was still trying to find some Cherrim to jump out at her from the trees and she might as well try to find as many shaking trees as possible while she was here. Last time she had come to the highland, she had spent over a month there trying to get Nosepass to jump out from ore deposits and had almost given up on multiple occasions.

Her Pokémon nudged her side carefully, doing his best not to gore her and his diligence earned him an affectionate scratch on the cheek. He grumbled his approval, offering her a playful nip which made her sour expression disappear. She thanked the Security Corp, returned her Samurott to the confines of his ball, and withdrew her flute from her belt.

The instrument had undergone a drastic change not too long ago. Although her fellow Galaxy Team members didn’t seem to notice anything strange in her flute, Akari brought it hesitantly to her lips and just as quickly lowered it.

Adaman had taught her how to use the Celestica flute, the wardens had guided her through the familiar melodies that all the Nobles seemed to respond to, but nobody taught her about this instrument. It still sounded like the original, the music still possessed its haunting and echoey tone, but this blue flute held no resemblance to the one she had been gifted.

Akari hadn’t shown a soul this new flute. She was afraid how any of them would react. She exhaled and brought the flute to her lips, playing Lord Wyrdeer’s song. Despite her hand placement feeling weird and the notes quivering with uncertainty, the lord of the field still answered her call. She could see him trotting up the pass, appearing out of the mist with a small bob of his great head, acknowledging Akari as she clambered up onto his back and patting his neck in reply. Without prompting, the noble took off in the direction of Wayward Cave.

The lady of the cliffs snickered, exchanging a few unintelligible words with Lord Wyrdeer right before he took his leave. Lady Sneasler tousled the girl’s hair and then summarily dumped Akari into her basket so she could haul the surveyor up and down the cliffs to collect salt. Akari really only needed a few chunks of salt, but she found the rocking motion soothing as Sneasler scrambled around the rock face with ease. She gave no direction after collecting all she needed and Sneasler chirped with delight when Akari gave her free reign to go where she wanted.

What was the professor going to make? It seemed to be some kind of soup, but no kind of soup she had ever heard of. Maybe it was Galarian or something? They had some very strange ideas about food and flavors sometimes… At the bottom of Clamberclaw Cliffs, she saw herself out of the basket and turned to thank the Pokémon, but the noble was already taking her leave. She did at least turn to acknowledge Akari’s announcement of thanks, dangling by one paw and snorted before hauling herself over the lip of the cliff.

On her own once again and suddenly not really in the mood to head back to any of the basecamps, Akari started wandering.

She wanted to keep her mind clear, forcing her eyes in front of her rather than on the looming peak above her. Looming was the right word, wasn’t it? It felt overbearing, like unseen eyes were burning into her and invisible hands were grabbing at her.

Come find me. Face me.

No.

Not yet.

She wasn’t ready.

Her work wasn’t done. The Pokédex was unfinished. So many people still needed her help. She folded her arms and half hunched, trudging along. She had fallen from the sky almost two years ago. She had almost resigned herself to the fact that Hisui was her home now.

Ingo had been here for seven years and still held a glimmer of hope that he might someday at least remember home. He held no delusions about returning. He had built his life, he cemented himself in his community, but he never quite gave up on the life he couldn’t quite recall.

Akari had done likewise.

She grew roots. People liked her. People relied on her. She couldn’t let them down… She sniffled, feeling her legs wobble because the weight of the world hadn’t been quite removed from her shoulders. It was a terrible burden.

“Why did you do this to me?”

She asked, voice trembling as badly as her shoulders with how hard she tried to hold in her sobs.

Akari tried so hard not to cry in front of others. Only a few people had caught her - she did her best to hide herself away when she got weepy - and they had tried to offer her comfort, tried to be supportive, but nobody really understood. Not the full extent of it. Akari couldn’t explain. She barely understood herself. An enigmatic force took her from her room in her pajamas and told her to complete a task. She was trying while more and more got piled on to her shoulders. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right!

Laventon had clucked sympathetically when she had burst into tears after learning she was tasked with dealing with Lord Kleavor. He wrapped an arm around her, offering her a clean handkerchief from his pocket that Akari took with shaking hands.

His presence at her side felt warm and comforting, like when she had a tough day and her mother wrapped up in her arms, kissing the top of her head while she murmured that it was okay. He still didn’t know this teenager well enough to provide her the comfort she really needed, but he tried. He was one of the few she actually sought out when things really started to weigh on her, but not recently.

Not with this.

Rei had nervously shifted on his feet when he found Akari crying in her bed, still in her sleepwear and hair a tangled mess. She had been up half the night tossing and turning, suffocating under the weight of her responsibility. He didn’t know what to say, but quickly obeyed when she barked out at him to get out, especially with her then team at the time (Dewott, Lopunny, Stunky, Staravia, Drifblim, and Tangela) bullying him out the door.

He waited outside and awkwardly slapped her on the shoulder, his encouraging smile more of a grimace than anything else. She had resolved at the time not to cry in front of anyone else, no matter how much it hurt. Not too long after that resolution, the sky began to bleed.

Mai had seen her cry when she had been banished and she tucked a strand of hair behind Akari’s ear while she tried to stave her own tears. She held the gasping girl tight and apologized over and over again.

The warden’s heart went out to this poor girl, but there was nothing she could do with her. Not directly. Mai was the first person to tell Akari she was sorry. Not a soul in Hisui had said it as earnestly as Mai had, and it only served to make her sob harder.

She just wanted someone to treat her like the kid she was for one damn second. Not a savior. Not an outsider. Just a teenager.

Akari had buried her face in Mai’s shoulder and just stayed with the warden until not a drop remained. There was nothing the clans could do for her. Akari took her leave. Volo found her not a few hours later.

Cogita knew the most about Akari’s situation, even without her telling the woman much. Akari got the impression that Cogita knew a lot more than she let on, just like Volo, and she was as transparent as she could be with the mysterious woman.

She had spoken to her gently, calling her ‘lost one’ but not unkindly. She offered Akari a cup of tea, just like the professor did on bad days, which only made her tears grow hotter in her anguish. The life she was trying to build for herself as she tried to make the best of her situation was so abruptly and harshly torn from her that she didn’t know what to do but cry in front of this perfect stranger.

Cogita had been sensible enough to give her some space but nudged the warm cup closer to her hands in a silent encouragement to drink.

When she had been granted permission to return to Jubilife and she was able to convince herself that she could come back in relative safety, Akari started battling at the dojo more often. She didn’t want to be caught off guard again and she reasoned that by having a strong body like Captain Zisu’s and strong Pokémon like Warden Ingo’s then she wouldn’t fear being banished again.

Not without a fight at least.

She found herself battling Ingo as often as she trained with Zisu. Akari wasn’t always victorious, but the warden was always aiming her towards victory.

After one particularly grueling battle, one that had seen the change from an orange dusk to a blue-black evening, Ingo had ended up as the victor.

Gliscor had made a beeline for his trainer, screeching happily with the outcome and Ingo chuckled, scrubbing the Pokémon’s cheeks before turning to Akari. Her face had been cast down, her Abomasnow lay a few feet away, but she made no move to return her or aid her Pokémon in any fashion. It was very unlike Akari.

Ingo had already launched into a rousing speech, but his words faltered as the number of inconsistencies started to add up in his mind. The girl’s hands were curled into shaking fists at her sides. Her shoulders were quivering. She bowed her head lower, trying in vain to scramble for a ball that her trembling fingers couldn’t manage to grip, only just managing to flip the lock on the ball to have her Pokémon return to her.

“Miss Akari?”

She cringed, jerking away like she was burned. Was she crying? Because she lost? She had never cried before, but this seemed different somehow.

Ingo did not consider himself a warm and fuzzy kind of guy, but something stirred in his mind when he saw young Akari crying and trying to hide that fact from him. She rubbed at her obscured eyes with her sleeve, trying to sniffle quietly - the sight felt oddly familiar.

He was frozen for a moment, a not so clear memory coming to him because he had done this. He had comforted someone else -someone very close to him- many times before his arrival to Hisui. He returned his Pokémon and reached Akari in two strides, he started to reach for her but hesitated.

“Come this way, Akari.”

Ingo coaxed her gently, hand extended. He didn’t want to grab her, despite the ghost of an impulse to hug her tightly seizing him, he knew not to infringe on other’s space like that. Not without permission. Akari looked up at him through tear flecked lashes, her mouth drawn into a tight grimace as she attempted not to burst into tears. She took his hand easily.

Zisu was on her break with the other dojo regulars at the Wallflower, so he ushered her inside the empty building and sat her on a bench. He resisted the urge to interrogate her, she would only rebuff him until she stormed away to seek the safety and privacy of her quarters.

She hid her face in her hands, body heaving with silent sobs with her shoulders tensed up by her ears. He asked her if it was okay to hold her and she jerked her head, making a small noise of assent. Tears dribbled from the cracks between Akari’s fingers - she didn’t even know what had brought on the sudden waterworks.

She felt a sudden weight being draped over her shoulders, it startled Akari enough to look up as the warden took a seat beside her.

His coat was sun bleached and torn, but still retained heat and deflected all sorts of precipitation well and she was grateful for it on this cool autumn evening. She drew the lapels in tighter and remained huddled there for a moment, keeping her eyes firmly on the ground. Ingo didn’t ask why.

He just let her cry and occasionally rubbed her back between shoulder blades in an encouraging sort of way, like he was silently telling her it was okay to cry.

It was okay to feel sad or overwhelmed or scared or whatever she was feeling. She was safe and he was there if she wanted to talk about it. Although, that thought hadn’t quite clicked for Akari yet as she hiccuped an apology.

“I’m sorry. I… I don’t know why I’m crying.”

“We don’t always have to know exactly why we feel a certain way. Just that we feel it and that we be allowed to express ourselves. You don’t have to apologize for it.”

The words had a soothing effect, she leaned against his side and Ingo didn’t budge. There was an old ache in his heart because he knew he shared a similar sentiment before.

The warden only left her side to light a few lanterns in the dark interior of the dojo and to brew some tea, otherwise Ingo remained steadfast at her side. The sound of brook running through Jubilife and the distant chirps of Kricketots harmonizing soothed the girl, eventually her breathing evened out and tear tracks down her cheeks had dried.

She thanked him.

She didn’t explain, but she thanked him for just being there for her.

There were no prying eyes this time, no one to bear witness to these tears. Nobody to console the girl that fell from the sky. They were kind, but it had taken so long to get there.

It had taken so long to feel safe when she was thrown into this situation. She had performed every painstaking task - she had the scars to prove each and every one. She endured and she had been thanked, but it didn’t feel like enough.

Did that make her selfish?

Did that make her petty?

Why should a seventeen-year-old have to consider such things?

A long snout nudged into her cheek. Her Samourott insisted for her attention, rumbling out his concern as he nosed her again. She felt something cool snuggling into one side and something thorny jabbing her other side, Froslass and Roserade offering their comfort.

Arcanine’s warm muzzle nudged her other cheek, whimpering and gently nipping at her hands to lick at her face.

Yanmega’s bristly, twig-like legs rested on her shoulders, his thorax running the length of her back, with every buzz of his wings making her vision blur.

Alakazam sat in front of her, the Pokémon’s hands extended Akari could see between her fingers, holding out for her to take hold of them. Samarott also started trying to nip at her hands, trying to pry her hands away, and finally Akari relented.

Her Pokémon surrounded her, and she felt a knot in her chest loosen. Air suddenly found its way into her lungs. The tightness in her throat eased. She was loved. Even so far away from her home, her true home, Akari was loved.

Her Pokémon loved her. They stuck by her through and through on this whole journey. They had their own scars to prove it. She was loved.

Irida and Adaman loved her. They risked everything to help her. They were like the older siblings she never had.

The captain loved her… In her own special way. When she got banished, the captain gave her the tools and encouragement necessary to save them all because she believed in Akari. She told the girl that she expected her back in one piece, which was probably the closest Akari would ever get to hearing motherly concern from her captain.

Professor Laventon loved her. He watched every moment of her progress with beaming pride.

Yes, it had hurt. It hurt that nobody seemed to trust her. It hurt that nobody seemed to have any sympathy for the teenager. It hurt that Arceus didn’t answer when she asked why.

It hurt to think that she would never see her mom again. Her best friend who she had made plans to go to lunch with next week. Her dad was going to visit from overseas next month. Her little Glameow she named Glitter.

Akari was allowed to mourn and cry and be upset about the injustice of it all, but she shouldn’t have to hide that pain.

When she resolved not to cry, to keep her pain to herself, she isolated herself from those around her.

How could they possibly understand?

Well, how could they understand unless she opened up and explained it to them? She had only ever done that with Cogita and the woman hadn’t overstepped her boundaries but she was wholly sympathetic to Akari’s case. How could she expect these people to understand if she didn’t give them the whole story?

Akari thanked all her Pokémon and returned them to their balls. She pushed the heels over her hands into her burning eyes and stood very still for a moment.

She had been wrong.

Trust is a two-way street, and she didn’t trust the Galaxy Team or the clans to understand her plight. She had never given them a chance.

“Still…”

Like all people who were trying to be emotionally vulnerable, Akari was hesitant to do so. She knew who to talk to first and she just so happened to have to make a delivery to him.

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princessxgarbage · 10 months

Text

Happy ShiSaku Week!

Day 5 | @shisakuweek

Title: Witchwood Chapter 2

Prompt: "don't look at me like that, it won't work"

Warnings: this is a continuation of Day 4's 'magic' prompt! Please read that first! Here on Tumblr or the entire work on AO3!

Words: 3,160

Read on AO3

The next time she sees him is when she's doing her deliveries in his village a few months later. She figured she'd have to deal with him the next time she came, but she wasn't expecting him to bring a friend.

Well, he didn't 'bring a friend' exactly. She's not sure he had much choice. The young brown haired boy was following Shisui like he'd be lost without him.

Sakura finished the delivery she was making when she spotted them, thanked her customer with a quick bow, then turned to inspect the approaching newcomer. He had a simple look about him, muddy hair, actually caked with mud, a plain face except for his big doe eyes. Dark and endless with a look like he was seeing through you. He looked timid and powerful at the same time, and it made her wonder what sort of magic simmered beneath them. An aura of deep forest green flowed off him in waves, playfully warping through the jade halo that always surrounded Shisui.

"Hey, Miss Busy," Shisui starts, "good to see you around again."

She sighs, "Hello again." She tries to walk around him to the next stop on her delivery path, but he moves slightly to block her.

"I have deliveries to make, Shisui. Did you need something?"

"Oh, so you do remember me. It's been so long I thought maybe you forgot," he teases. He's wearing a cloth headband across his forehead in a failed attempt at keeping his unruly curls out of his eyes. She glances at the rest of him and finds he's also caked in mud, and she can see the muddy fingerprints on his face left behind from obvious attempts at getting his hair away.

She ignores him in favor of the other boy.

"Did you two get in a fight with some sort of mud monster?" She asks directly to the newcomer. He seems surprised to be spoken to.

"Naaahhh," Shisui interjects, "This here is Tenzo." He slaps a filthy hand down on Tenzo's shoulder, "I was helping him out in his garden."

"You? In a garden? The poor plants."

Tenzo chuckles warmly. Everything about him is warm. She imagines to most it might be a comforting feeling, but to someone like her that can see how his energy is interacting with the natural energies around him, she's slightly unnerved.

"Don't worry," Tenzo offers, "I only allow him to haul the dirt and mulch."

"That is a relief."

"This is that girl I was telling you about! I bet she could help you out with your- the, y'know the cross-hyber-did things you couldn't figure."

Sakura and Tenzo sigh at the same time.

This boy is hopeless. And why is Shisui so intent on Sakura being a good person?

"I'd love to see your garden sometime Tenzo, but like I said- I have deliveries to make still. Some other time, maybe?" She starts to walk around them again, this time circling Tenzo who seems less likely to jump in front of her and stop her.

Shisui simply turns around and walks with her.

"I could help with your deliveries! I'm real fast! If you finish early you could come see the garden then, right?" Shisui eagerly bounces with each step he takes.

"Oh," he's really offering to help do her work? "Um, I mean I suppose-"

"Great!" Shisui is beaming, "let me just walk Tenzo back home real quick. I'll find you!"

Shisui grabs Tenzo by the hand and drags him off in the direction they first came from. Tenzo attempts a brief parting wave to her but is scrambling to keep up with Shisui.

That boy is something else. Sakura checks the delivery list her mother provided and heads in the direction of the next one.

Sakura has always been fond of this village. It's not the closest one to her home, but it is the most active. Every time she comes here the dirt trodden roads are bustling with life. She likes to observe the everyday interactions between the villagers as she walks. Her next delivery is to a shopkeeper that is a regular customer and she finds she has a small bounce in her step in excitement. The market here is her favorite place to people watch, it's not exactly crowded, but there's always a plethora of activity to observe. The customer she's headed to see also likes to show his appreciation by giving her free treats from his stall, so she's full of childish anticipation at the prospect.

She pulls her basket close to her chest with both arms woven through the handle. She knows the reason her mother sends her on errands instead of coming herself has something to do with how the people here treated her. She's never asked for the full story, but after a couple of years of coming here she's pretty sure it has something to do with her father. She's never known him, or who he was, but sometimes the way the elders here look at her, she imagines, hopes really, that this is where he was from. No one ever says anything to her about it, but she likes to think her hair color might remind them of him.

As she weaves through the villagers to her destination, she can’t help but start to daydream about what it might have been like to be raised here, by her father, instead of hidden deep in the woods by her mother and grandmother. Perhaps she would be running past the fruit stand with the group of girls she’s just spotted. She pictures herself in their midst and wonders. Would she be the one leading them through the market, waving and cheerfully smiling to vendors and craftsmen that she might have known her entire life? Would she be the one trailing close behind the tall blonde with fierce blue eyes and long ponytail? There’s a girl doing this now, her black bangs heavy over lavender eyes, she’s constantly reaching out to the blonde and her face is flushed. Sakura imagines herself alongside them, maybe she could be a comfort to the dark-haired girl as she struggles to keep up with her vivacious friend.

Sakura shakes herself out of her own head. Staring is rude, she reminds herself. She drags herself away from the hustle and bustle she loves to observe and quickly picks up her pace to her next delivery.

Once she’s gathered her usual payment and walked away with a sugary confection, she spots Shisui fervently looking for her in the market. It’s not long before he spots her bright hair among the crowd and dashes over.

“There you are! Let’s get going!”

She hesitates, “I still have a dozen stops today, Shisui. And they’re all over your village. Are you sure you want to help me with this? It’s going to take up most of your day too,” she reluctantly offers him an out, knowing it would go faster with help, but not necessarily wanting to burden a boy who is still practically a stranger with chores that are meant to be hers alone.

“Of course I want to help you. Do you have a list? Let me see it,” he waves a hand about and she hands him the delivery instructions. They start to walk as he reads, “Tenzo has been struggling with his garden for a while now, so if you can help him out, we’ll call it even.” He grins brightly at her and holds the itinerary in front of her, “I’ll take this one,” he points to a listing, “and you head to this next one, I’ll meet you there.”

She takes out the bundle that’s meant to be delivered to where he’s headed and hands it over.

“Alright, just make sure they know it’s from Sakura.”

He lights up like she’s suddenly turned into the sun and is beaming directly at him.

“Sakura, huh? Suits you much better than Miss Busy."

She’s glad he’s gone in a flash and therefore misses her blush at the realization that she’s finally told him her name.

////////////

They make quick work of the rest of her chore, and because it took half the time it usually does, she’s truly becoming excited at the idea of being able to spend time here. She has plenty of daylight left before she needs to head home, and she can’t help but smile at Shisui when he catches up to her to make the final delivery together.

"This one is for my neighbor," Shisui says as he leads her along, "Tenzo lives close by, so that's why this one's last. How we doin' on time?"

"I have a few hours before I'll need to leave, um… thanks."

"Yeah, of course," Shisui smiles.

Having someone run errands for you was very different than spending undivided time with them, Sakura was starting to feel a bit anxious about the new situation she found herself in today. She couldn't let it show. She takes in a deep shaky breath to settle her nerves.

Shisui leads her up to the last delivery's front door, and he knocks. After a lengthy pause, they're greeted by the elderly woman who lives there.

"Ohhh, Young Shisui," she greets, voice rough with age, "to what do I owe th- ahhhhhh, the young fledgeling. Is it that time already?"

Sakura takes a step forward, lightly nudging Shisui to the side so she can pass. "Yes, ma'am," Sakura hands the empty basket to Shisui after taking out the last package, "Since I have some time, do you mind if I give this to your husband myself? My mother has asked me to see how he's been faring."

"Of course, dear, come in." The woman opens the door further to allow her entry.

"Shisui, wait outside. I'll just be a few minutes." And with that, she heads inside.

Sakura has done this before, so she heads straight back to bedroom, the elderly woman on her tail. She lets his wife announce their presence and open the door for her.

Sometimes poultices and tinctures aren't enough, and Sakura is in the business of saving lives. Sometimes she has to get a little more involved to make sure her mother's customers continue to be customers. This is one of those times.

She prepares the medicine she's brought for the man. He's been confined to bed for the past year and needs some extra attention. His wife does her best to follow Sakura's instructions and keep up with his exercise and medicine, but she is the same age as her husband and can only push herself so much.

Sakura goes through her regular health related questions with the man and his wife. After she's done checking in she situates herself besides him and helps him sit up. She mutters a sort of prayer under her breath and places her hand on his back.

The man coughs once before she begins, but settles as soon as her hand starts glowing a soft mint green.

She uses her meager magic to soothe him and help clear the liquid from his lungs.

When she's finished she helps him lay back down, tells his wife to keep up with his exercises and vows to come back more often as he'll need more of these sessions as summer approaches. She'll have to increase her visits to twice a month, instead of every three months. She partially stomps out the quick swell of excitement within her at being able to come to this village more. Excitement that definitely has nothing to do with meeting and becoming friends with Shisui.

She makes her leave and finds Shisui leaning against a garden gate and tapping his foot. He quickly gathers her basket and stands as she shuts the door behind her.

"How is he?" Shisui asks.

"Oh, um. He'll be better given time and medicine." She answers, albeit hesitant about revealing the details of her work to him.

They start walking, he leads, she presumes they're heading to Tenzo's garden.

"So, you some kind of doctor-in-training?"

"Not exactly."

She can tell he wants to ask more about it, but thankfully does not in favor of pulling her behind a house and into the garden.

The smell of flora hits her first, wave after wave of familiar herb. The entire back yard is lined with plant boxes, neatly arranged in three rows. The fence is also lined with planters, large bushes, and a sectioned off area full of tools, a wheelbarrow, and a pile of plain earth. Each row has its own arrangement of plants and labels. It's extensive, to say the least.

"This is way more than I was expecting," Sakura mutters, mostly to herself. Tenzo perks up upon hearing her say this and stands to greet them, wiping his dirt covered hands on his thighs.

"Ah, welcome. Thank you for coming," Tenzo bows, the perfect image of politeness.

"I'm Sakura, by the way." She might as well introduce herself, now that Shisui's learned her name anyhow. She momentarily glances at Shisui and finds a smug little smirk on his face and she can't help but want to wipe it off for him. With her fists, perhaps.

"It is nice to meet you, Sakura. Please, come meet the plants." Shisui rolls his eyes as if this is not a perfectly natural thing to say about a garden. Sakura understands. Tenzo very clearly loves this garden and every bud, blossom, and branch within it. In this place, where he feels most at home, his aura dances. Sakura watches his energy playfully reach towards every plant within reach. As she watches him and listens as he 'introduces' her to his most problematic projects, she begins to truly understand what had unsettled her when she met him that morning.

This is what he is. His energy is more aligned with nature than any other human she's ever met. Some plants seem to mimic his movements, some plants seem to be ever reaching towards him, vying for his attention. His magic is life-giving, and Sakura wonders how aware of this he might be. And if he is aware, she thinks, what could he be capable of?

Shisui leaves them to it, and mostly stays out of the way. Occasionally he goes into the house and comes back a few minutes later. One time he brings them water to drink, another time he brings a damp towel and attempts to wipe the dirt and mud off his face, hair, neck, and arms.

Sakura and Tenzo attune their focus to two plants specifically. Tenzo explains how he'd been trying to crossbreed the two vegetables, but he had yet to be successful.

They spend a few hours like this. Sakura and Tenzo attending to the garden, Shisui more or less attending to them. The sun has gone from high in the sky to creeping back down across the horizon. When the time comes for Sakura to part ways, she feels a tug inside her, a small voice, begging her to stay. She can't listen, of course, but she smiles softly and gently chides herself. You'll be back soon enough, she convinces herself, hoping beyond hope that it's the truth.

Shisui walks with her to the edge of his village, and a small ways beyond. Sakura thinks he would walk her the entire way home if he could. He lightly converses as they walk side by side. Speaking with him comes so naturally, Sakura doesn't have to grasp for a topic, she doesn't feel obliged to laugh at his jokes (mostly because they're terrible), and she barely has to speak at all. He could talk in circles around anyone, the same rapid pace of his movements echoing in his speech.

"When's your next delivery here?" Shisui asks, as they approach the point where he needs to turn back. Sakura ceases her movement and turns to face him. He looks as hopeful as Sakura is feeling. A glimmer in his eye, a soft smile. She can see so much emotion through his onyx eyes and it all echoes into the soft green light clinging to him. She feels anxious at the amount of attention he has bearing down on her. She glances away from him once and tries to play it off.

"I'm not telling you that!" She huffs, "what do you need to know for?"

He actually pouts.

"I was just wondering…" he makes his eyes bigger and sadder. Bottom lip sticking out a little bit. He looks younger now than she thinks he has since she's known him, and she can't help but wonder briefly if his actual age is being reflected more now or if it's a display.

"Don't look at me like that, it won't work."

He smiles instead and his entire kicked puppy façade fades away immediately. He laughs shortly and says, "just tell me!"

"Why? Are you going to miss me?" She asks, teasingly, before realizing she should not have said that. She's practically asking him to play into her ego, and she has a good enough idea of him by now that she can predict how he might do just that. As soon as she's said it, she wishes she could take it back.

"Would you tell me when you'll be back if I say yes?"

She flusters a bit and huffs a quick burst of air from her nose. That's not exactly the answer she expected, and she finds herself hoping that he might actually miss her as much as she'll miss being in his village. Thoughts of missing and being missed manage to lower her resolve.

"I won't be away as long as I was last time," she says softly. "My mother will want me to come back with more medicine for your neighbor before very long." She fights the urge to drop her gaze from his intense eye contact, but loses her inner battle and shyly looks away. "He needs more attention, or he won't get any better. I'd like to come back within a fortnight."

"I'll be waiting."

Sakura swears she feels her heart skip a beat. She feels her face heating up with a crimson blush and quickly turns away from him to resume her journey home. She says nothing in response out of fear her voice will give away her… embarrassment? Is that what this is? She's unsure what the feeling wrapped tightly in her chest is, but it's a new one she's yet to put a name to.

She tosses a wave backwards in his direction, hoping it is enough to sate any curiosity he might have at her abrupt and literal turnaround.

She barely hears him as the distance increases, but it's there. Soft, and distant.

"Until next time, Sakura."

#shisakuweek2023 #shisui baby boy #shisaku rodeo #ShiSaku #naruto #sakura/shisui

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