#foster/06
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Consequences [9/11]
[fic post]
|part 1| |part 2| |part 3| |part 4| |part 5| |part 6| |part 7| |part 8|
HI NKSVERSE FANDOM HOW ARE WE FEELING !!
LMAO I was diligently editing this project regularly and then Real Life happened and now it's been a whole year whoops
Anyways!! In honor of the Flight & Anchor release next month, I'm finally resurrecting this! For any of y'all still reading/interested in this fic, thank you I love you <333 (also: everyone go preorder the novella it's my personal enduring favorite of Nicole's work bc it got me fully hyperfixated on the 'verse etc. etc.) For any newcomers, this particular project of mine is a love letter to this novella specifically, a sort of mirror fic that pays homage to that event in their lives (and to Them generally. It's been over two years and I still adore them so much omg they're probably my favorite Bestie Duo I've ever encountered).
This part is another one of my favorites ngl. It is the one in which 22 is so feverish and overstimulated he picks a fight with 06 because he doesn't know how else to process emotion for absolutely no reason. (I wanna know what if any resources were devoted to these kids' mental health. Diana Reyes I just wanna talk-)
TW: the operatives' toxic trait of not being careful with their bodies
Enjoy!!(?)
_______
9.
His fingers are numb beneath the smart fabric of his gloves. His toes, ears, his whole face is numb, but his eyes and nose sting like hell, his throat burning all the way down to his lungs and he is tired. So, so tired—a level of exhaustion he’s unfamiliar with, that aches all the way to his bones. His muscles are on fire, his lungs keep spasming, and his head is throbbing violently enough that his vision blackens at the edges.
Yet only two words loop on repeat in his muddled brain, hammering down with every lurching beat of his heart.
Worth it.
As he flings the hundredth scrap of twisted metal into a pile the size of a small house, ready for the incinerator cart.
Worth it.
As he heaves a broken slab of concrete up off a mangled car, then tosses the car and the slab into the pile.
Worth it.
When he pauses to cough, fighting desperately to control his breathing before he damages any internal organs, biting down hard on his tongue to quell the paroxysms, spitting the blood he draws onto the crumbled pavement at his feet.
Worth—
“Hey, dumbass!”
He barely hears her over the ringing in his ears, but she’s upon him in seconds anyway, hand clamped to his shoulder. He tries to say something—fuck off, probably, or what are you doing here or go back to HQ you idiot but all that comes out is a strained sound that may or may not be “Kit—”.
She ignores it, gripping his shoulder bracingly with one hand while she claps the other to his forehead.
“She sent you out with this fever?” she says, voice low, careful.
His silence is all the answer she needs.
“I’ll fucking kill her.” Her voice is the calm before a storm neither of them can afford, not now, not this time, not anymore.
“Leave me alone,” he rasps, wincing at the nothing state of his voice. Pushes her, harder than he means to. She stumbles back several yards, arms flailing for balance, too stunned to reply for a moment before the anger comes.
“Like hell I will.” She plants herself solidly between him and the rubble pile, eyes squinted against the wind that lashes around the corners of the buildings to buffet against them. “What the fuck do you think this is, some misguided half-assed attempt at—”
“This is.” he interrupts, hooking his shoulder into hers and tilting forward, “Me covering.” he pushes, just the barest fraction of his strength, and she staggers, nearly tripping over her feet, “For you.” He bends down, picks up a four-foot chunk of broken concrete, hoists it on his shoulder as he locks eyes with her. “Yesterday was a mistake. I told you she’d know. And she always needs a scapegoat.” He pitches the debris over his shoulder, an involuntary shudder passing through him at the way the clatter grates against his oversensitive ears. “I was the one available. Better to lose one than risk two.” His voice cracks at the end, whittled to nothing by the virus waging war in his throat, but the jab hits home.
“That's bullshit and you know it,” she mutters, kicking a meter-length of metal pipe toward the pile, but he doesn’t miss the flash of hurt in her eyes before she drops them.
“Is it.” He scans the ground, frowns as it blurs before his eyes. He stoops, picks up a dormant resonance grenade—gingerly, thumb and forefinger—crushes it down to a marble-sized lump of inert junk metal, winds up, and sends it flying straight through the chassis of a Greenleaf surveillance drone several hundred feet above their heads.
“Whoa, watch it!” 06 yelps, peering up into the clouds with a hand shading her eyes. She tilts her head, tracking the trajectory of the falling drone by the sound, then springs into motion. In just seconds, she sprints across the street and leaps into the air, snatching the smoking hulk of machinery before it can slam sideways into a Stellaxis info board. She folds it in half, then half again, chucking it onto the rubble pile and dusting her hands off with a bemused twist of her lips. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Move.” He brushes past her hard enough for her to grunt in pain, stalks up the side of the pile, and shoves his hand through the crumpled layers of metal into the drone’s transmitter module, extracting a small plastic chip and crushing it into powder. “Don’t be sloppy.”
“Come back with me, idiot.”
“I have one more street to go.” A wave of dizziness washes over him as he starts to descend the pile, and he pauses, half-closing his eyes. “My orders are to do this alone, you shouldn’t be here. Go back.”
“I won’t.”
Frustration bubbles up despite his every effort to keep it down, and he’s beside her in a single roughly calculated leap. “06,” he starts warningly, but she only rolls her eyes.
“‘22’.” Light, mocking. Then, after a breath, his name. No trace of the kickback in her eyes. “You’re being a stubborn ass and you know it.”
This doesn’t dignify a response. They stare at each other, at a standoff.
She looks like she’s cooking up some juicier insult, or worse, maybe something compassionate.
“Hey—”
Before she can get any actual words out, he sneezes, which feels approximately like getting all of his ribs kicked in at once (a sensation with which he is, in fact, intimately familiar). His expression after must be a sight, because when he looks up she is staring harder, that deep furrow creasing her brow that he hates.
“What,” he tries to say, but he sneezes again—this time bottling it up with every last inch of his willpower, ignoring the detonation of pain behind his eyes—and this expression must be even worse, because now she is glaring at him.
“What the fuck is wrong with you,” she says, face undergoing a series of contortions—concerned to alarmed to sympathetic to incredulous—that would have been funny if he wasn’t so strung-out-pissed.
“Shut up,” he grinds out, meant as a snap but lacking about eighty percent of the energy required for that.
She sighs, raking both hands up through her cropped hair. “Fine,” she mutters. “At least let me help you.” She picks up a piece of metal, which he snatches out of her hands faster than she can gear up to toss it.
“No.” He’s tired—so fucking tired—and he’s not sure if he’s angry at her or just himself.
He chucks the piece of metal toward the pile, skews wide by several feet, and watches it careen off course and smash through a third story window, greeted by a smattering of screams. Every molecule of him cringes away from the thought of the message the Director will absolutely be sending him about this, fear and subsequent fury at the fear pooling like poison in his stomach.
He fists his hands so tightly, a bone in his left index finger snaps.
06 flinches, shooting him a look that he steadily ignores. When the moment wears thin, silence stretching taut between them, 06 tsks, catching up his wrist with a rough little tug.
“Idiot,” she says softly, digging in a pocket. “Don’t just leave it like that.”
Her warm fingers brush against his frigid skin through the barest gap between glove and sleeve, featherlight, and it is too much.
His sword is out before his thoughts catch up with his absolutely misdirected blind rage, the point grazing her throat. A glance down reveals hers at his heart, a hairline tear in the fabric of his jacket as she leans casually into the onehanded counterstrike. Her stance is open, healing device tucked behind the thumb on her free hand where he can see it. Her face is a question, a new glimmer of hurt kept guarded just beneath the surface.
“Touch me again,” he breathes, drawing a tiny bead of blood from her skin, "and I will kill you."
Incredulity and amusement tick her eyebrows up, but her eyes themselves are very, very serious. “I’d like to see you try.”
Six minutes later, he’s still not sure why they’re fighting but he is sure that he has to keep moving, has to keep striking, has to keep control at all costs. 06 is going easy on him, he knows that she is, yet somehow this has no power to dissuade him from the nonsensical match he’s thrown himself into. They’re a tangle of swords and limbs, boots and fists, and it’s both so much better and so very much worse than his previous ill-fated match with 08.
Sparring with 06 is like fighting an extension of himself. They are a single fluidity, a collective force, two jagged halves of a whole. Their pivots and lunges, strikes and blocks weave together in a seamless flow, easy as breathing, every potential move the other could make etched irrevocably into the folds of their brains. He could do this in his sleep.
Several more minutes pass, indeterminate. The incandescent edges of his anger abruptly cool, releasing his mind and dropping him unceremoniously back into his body just in time for him to realize that he is fading. Rapidly. With 08, he’d still had the greater part of his faculties; now, he’s running on autopilot, the fever like a fire raging in his veins. Black spots shimmer across his field of vision in time with his pulse, which thunders in his ears. His awareness of his body is reduced to points of pain—head, throat, finger, chest—and all of it is screaming at him to sit the fuck down.
He needs to finish this, and quickly.
With the last dregs of his strength, he surges forward, sheathing his sword. As he strides into range, he catches her sword at the base, gripping it in one gloved hand and ignoring the bite of the blade through his fingers as he yanks it from her grasp and casts it aside. In one swift, lethal motion he corrals her by the throat, one handed, and pins her up against the nearest wall.
He’s prepared for the way her hands circle his wrist, a vice-grip that she will tighten further and further until his arm breaks or he lets go. He’s unprepared for the way all of his muscles start trembling, shuddering with the effort of holding her up that’s normally no effort at all.
“Match.” The word falls from his parched throat, unrecognizably blunted in his own ears. He’s shaking all over now, and he has to let her down a moment before she properly concedes, teeth chattering in his head as the heat generated from the exertion dissipates and he’s wracked with full-body chills.
He thinks 06 replies, but he isn’t sure. Suddenly, everything is fuzzy and wrong, his vision splintering into fractals of white and black as a wave of dizziness swallows him whole. The street spins out from beneath him, 06’s face a blur against the sickly too-bright-ness, and then there is nothing, and he is falling, and it stops.
|part 10|
#nksverse#firebreak book#flight & anchor#boxcar thing#06/22#consequences fic#fanfiction#kasey writes#the ghost/22#foster/06#RIP 22#I love that that's an actual tag of mine. lmao#his life is full of hardships. the ones that aren't stellaxis's fault definitely self-inflicted#also yes the Throat Wall Pin Move makes an appearance! god he's awful (/affectionate)
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20-06 Café Table, Square by Foster + Partners for Emeco.
#foster plus partners#emeco#20 06#cafe table#metal cafe table#outdoor cafe table#four legged cafe table#metal#rectangular cafe table#modern cafe table
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Hyperfixations 2023 wrapped!
Malleus Draconia
Mr. Draconia
Hornton
Waka-sama
Malmal
🐉
マレウス・ドラコニア
マレ
ツノ太郎
Future King of they who follow darkness
Prince of the Night Fae
Son of Meleanor Draconia
Grandson of Maleficia Draconia
Foster son of Lilia Vanrouge
Maleficent Expy
3rd Year Class D Seat 06
Diasomnia Housewarden
Night Raven College January 18th Birthday Boy
One of the top 5 strongest mages in Twisted Wonderland (actual rank unknown)
Number one gargoyle fanboy (undefeated)
Night Raven College top 1 Spelldrive athlete (undefeated)
Number one shrimp simp (undefeated)
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Hi, i'm a newish bl drama watcher from thailand that just started watching thai bls. i'm a bit ashamed to say that for a long time as a gay man living here i've been avoiding bl shows like the plague cuz of both the fandom reputation and of misconception from my yaoi era which i leave far behind. i'm just want to ask how did you got into watching thai bls and what were you preconception before you got into it.
Welcome to the Tumblr side of BL fandom. I'd actually like to also hear more of your experience with yaoi and BL as a gay person growing up in Thailand if you're willing to share.
For me, I'm a Black American from the Gulf Coast (the South). I grew up in a Catholic city and spent my entire adolescence in the closet. Despite having a sense of who I was as early as 8 years old, I kept most of that to myself. Because I didn't talk about it much with people, I found out most information about queer media and queerness from the internet.
I entered BL via queer cinema. I think the first explicitly gay character that I remember from TV was Marco from Degrassi: The Next Generation. There were probably others, and definitely more subtle expressions, but when I think about the oldest gay character I remember and connect to, it's Marco. I don't like counting things like shipping Shawn and Corey on Boy Meets World or Tai and Matt on Digimon for oldest gay characters. Sailor Moon can't even count because we got a censored version of it in America.
I got access to satellite television away from observing eyes around age 16 and started watching content on Logo back when they aired gay content regularly. I watched basically whatever I could late at night. It's how I saw movies like Get Real (1998), Beautiful Thing (1996), and Bent (1997). It's also how I saw Queer as Folk (2000-2005) Noah's Arc (2005-06).
After hitting adulthood I mostly got lost in video games and standard American TV for a while, but I did basically show up to any Gay Event in TV. I appreciate that Stef and Lena from The Fosters (2013-2018) were some of the only TV lesbians to survive the horror of 2016.
I watched a bunch of movies in this time, many of which appear on the Queer Cinema Syllabus I made for a hypothetical Westerner new to BL and queer cinema, which @wen-kexing-apologist has decided to try to complete.
I got into Thai BL in 2018 accidentally. I started seeing gifsets of Kongpob telling Arthit he'll make him his wife passing around Tumblr and was basically like, "Right, what's all this then?"
I had watched a few Thai gay films, mostly notably Love of Siam (2007), Bangkok Love Story (2007), How to Win at Checkers Every Time (2015), and The Blue Hour (2015), but this was the first time I was seeing a long series made available so easily from any Asian country.
From there I got into Make It Right (2016-17) and Love Sick the series (2014). Once I realized that yaoi had moved beyond manga and a few anime adaptations, I went looking for a lot more. I basically haven't left since I started in about 2016 with SOTUS.
There's my basic entry into the genre. I don't think I was as worried about fandom and worries at the time because so much of being a fan of queer cinema was a mostly-private experience for me for so long. I didn't realize that BL fans active in the space would predominantly be women or queers figuring themselves out. It took a while to adjust to that, and also to adjust my expectations of the kinds of queer stories BL distributors were willing to fund.
That being said, I tend to agree with @absolutebl that BL has a useful role in normalization for non-queer audiences who encounter it. I like cheering BL when it does things I think work really well, and also deriding it when I think it does things that are offensive to help nudge the genre and offer my perspective as a gay man.
I like the place we're at right now where there's way too much to watch for any person with other hobbies and responsibilities because it means that people can pick and choose what's to their tastes.
More often than not, I'm probably most-invested in something airing from Japan because of my melancholy nature, but there's so much variety these days that it's okay if you don't like everything. I certainly don't!
I'm glad you joined us on Tumblr and look forward to your thoughts!
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Do you have any ideas for how Shadow and Amy’s relationship would change if Sonic had managed to get Shadow back on the ark in SA2? I’m working on my own little self-indulgent fic myself, but I’d be curious to hear your thoughts.
Interesting thought! See, this is a tricky one for me because they canonically act like his brush with death never happened, which is super weird.
There should have been a scene on the ARK where Amy was really upset and possibly even cried after it happened, maybe blaming herself for encouraging him.
There should have been a scene in Sonic Heroes where she latched onto him and gushed about how relieved she was to see him alive while he just stared at her like “???” because he still had amnesia.
She should have been the one to reach out and befriend him, and he should have accepted; not only does she remind him of his late best friend, but she’s seen him at his most murderous and still supported him unconditionally.
She should be even clingier with him than she is with her other friends after what happened. She should have been right with him all throughout Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), guiding him and keeping an eye on him the way one would expect given her personality.
And...maybe this is controversial, buuuuut...it’s always felt a little arbitrary to me that he wound up spending a ton of time with Rouge and Omega and basically none with Amy.
I’m not saying I have a problem with Team Dark. I adore their dynamic and I’m glad he has them, but it kind of feels like they just happened to be there. Sure, he got along with Rouge alright for much of SA2, but she seriously hurt him by spying on him--something she’s never apologized for, as far as I know--and she left him behind to help the others get to the Cannon’s Core.
And that, I think, is where the biggest difference would be.
Shadow isn’t the forgiving type. By the time he’d regained his memories in canon and remembered how she’d betrayed his trust, she’d proven in the interim that she’s ultimately a good and loyal friend. If she hadn’t had that chance, I don’t think she could’ve gotten her foot in the door so easily. And if Shadow hadn’t fallen, he wouldn’t have been picked up by Eggman, so he wouldn’t have met Omega. In fact, I’d go even further than that. Team Dark’s opening cutscene in Sonic Heroes implies that Omega’s there strictly to guard Shadow. Not only that, but I’ve always gotten the impression that that’s why Omega was created in the first place. Mephiles all but confirms this in Sonic 06 by pointing out Omega is perfectly built to defeat and capture Shadow.
“This only proves you were created to stop Shadow, the ultimate life form. Don’t tell you didn’t know.”
So Omega would probably never have been built, at least not in his current form :(
With our favorite murder robot out of the picture and Shadow not trusting Rouge, Team Dark would be kaput, and Shadow really needs someone who’ll reach out to him.
And we all know it would be Amy, right?
It’s not even conjecture. In Sonic Battle, she eagerly seeks him out, even getting irritated when Rouge keeps her away:
On top of that, Amy latches onto Shadow because he’s a hero. I’ve pointed this out before, but the second Shadow becomes the protagonist in ShTH, she’s smitten with him...
...and the same happens in IDW issue 59:
And we can’t leave out The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog:
The social media team gets it.
She’s got a subtle little crush on him already imo even with the few interactions they have. If Amy spent lots of time with Shadow, that little crush could grow to rival another crush of hers ;)
As for Shadow, if she’d reached out to him right away without the time gap from his amnesia, I think his feelings for her--romantic or otherwise--would have been fostered and allowed to grow, fueled by his gratitude. She changed his entire life and would have introduced positivity and companionship into his world. You can’t not feel strongly about someone who does that for you.
Fandom-wise, Shadamy is already extremely popular considering how little time they’ve spent together in canon. It’s the third most popular game ship on AO3, only beaten by Sonamy and Sonadow.
There are more fics for Shadamy than Knuxouge. That’s kind of ridiculous, right?! Shadow and Amy have maybe ten minutes of screentime together! I also think Shadow might have gotten along better with Sonic if he’d gone right from saving the world with him to becoming one of Amy’s favorite people, so I’m willing to bet Sonamyshad would’ve skyrocketed in popularity, too. Not my cup of tea, but I know a lot of other fans like it.
Or...more interestingly...Shadow could’ve been really pissed once he saw up close and personal just how often Sonic ran away from Amy. The Dark Era right after SA2 was when it was worst, too. I imagine Shadow would be furious if he knew the full extent of how badly his favorite hedgehog was being treated. He could have been a godsend for her. You think he’d have put up with this if he’d seen it?
(Tangentially, I think it’s weird that Knuckles was fine with this stuff. I think of him and Amy as sibling-adjacent at times, but sometimes I feel like I have to fudge some details to make it work.)
And how many times did Sonic hurt her or make her cry back in the day?
Shadow’s punched Sonic for less than that. He’s way too loyal to sit there and watch while someone hurts his sweet, kindhearted best friend.
People think of Amy as the clingiest Sonic character, but I 100% believe Shadow rivals her in that respect. I really do. He nearly destroyed the Earth for a friend he knew for less than a year. He latched onto Team Dark like a security blanket the second he was dropped on their doorstep. He would have done the same for Amy, and she really could have benefited from that loyalty. Amy lashed out in that era because of frustration and insecurity from being repeatedly snubbed by her favorite person. I honestly think someone stable and steadfast like Shadow was exactly who she needed. He really could have turned her life around and gotten her the respect she deserved, either by standing up for her or proving to her that she deserved better.
And I definitely think he could have dealt with the Black Arms’ invasion much better if he’d had Amy to help guide him through it. She’s reminded him of who he is before. The Miracle of Love ending proves without a doubt that she could do it again.
It would have been great for both of them. I’m sad Sega never let them have that.
Also, Shadow standing up for Amy and later dating her would make this weird scene from Archie #149 absolutely hilarious:
Granted, that applies to shadamy in general.
Ken Penders & Friends: “Ha, wouldn’t it be hilarious if we had Sonic make a skeevy, totally age-appropriate comment in our kids’ comic about Shadow ‘finding a girl?’”
Shadow: “I found Amy Rose”
Sega: “THAT’S NOT FUNNY”
Sonic: “Idk, I think it’s kinda funny :) ”
Penders: “I have never played a Sonic game”
#shadow the hedgehog#sonic the hedgehog#not a headcanon#ask#amy rose#onesingularchocolatechip#shadamy
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Wholesome Zutara Short Stories
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After the Last Agni Kai Zuko and Katara are waiting for the news from the GAang and get to explore their friendship and growing connection. A tender and beautiful story. “Tears are gathering in her eyes, and a new tightness pulls at Zuko’s chest. Though he still isn’t used to the casual way his new friends touch one another, this is not the first time he has felt the instinct to reach for Katara, in particular—to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder or arm. But wiping tears from her face is something new, and Katara watches him with wide eyes as his hand rises to her cheek.”
happiness (that's all rolled up in you) by soopsiedaisies | Published: 2024-01-17 | 3,8K words
A first kiss story. Zuko and Katara are cooking dinner for the Gaang on the Ember Island. Sweet, thrilling, and beautiful. "She reckons that she likes a lot of things about Zuko. She likes his face, for starters: his nose, his eyes, his mouth. She likes his scar and the way he dresses. She likes how he picks up the slack left by the others like those tasks were his anyway and she likes his smile. She likes the way he kisses and she really likes his hair."
For the Fire Nation | 2019-11-25 | 2,8K words
He falls in love with her for his country before he falls in love with her for himself. A short and beautiful AU story that explores how love and duty aren’t always mutually exclusive.
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“Hearts on Hold” - a draft
a sequel to Car's Outside after part 4
𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭
*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ*.·:·.✧ ✦✧.·:·.*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:
Pairing: Lewis Hamilton x Driver!Reader
Word Count: 1,692
A/N: This might be the only part for now. Not sure if I would continue it but I will be doing drabbles about it
The day you left was tough. It was a step towards your personal growth and independence. Yet, deep down, you wanted to be by his side throughout the entire winter break. Your mind was filled with conflicting thoughts.
Why did we leave?
Because we need to rely on ourselves and not depend on others too much.
So, does that mean our emotions stem from past issues?
No, not necessarily... maybe. I'm not really sure but that is why we're doing this.
You constantly debate whether you made the right decision or not. However, all doubts disappear when he sends you a text message. Each day, his words bring comfort and kindness. You don't respond much because thoughts of him make your mind race.
You don't intentionally ignore him, but there's a certain pleasure in having alone time, where you can fully immerse yourself in the moment. You've grown typical of being alone, and it feels like home. Some may see it as a lonely existence, but they can't grasp the experience of being solely on yourself.
You found yourself in the Czech Republic, a land rich in history and culture. It's a place that fosters personal growth and development. With its stunning architecture, like the iconic Prague Castle, and its vibrant arts scene. You felt like a princess, wandering through the city in search of love or simply a new adventure.
As you sat at a charming café, savoring your evening coffee and engrossed in a book, it provided a familiar and comforting feeling.
Suddenly, your phone buzzed, breaking the tranquil atmosphere. You glanced down to see one of many of Lewis' daily text messages.
A day ago, 5:06 PM:
Lew
Good morning! You better manage to squeeze in some workouts today, haha.
They already miss you - my niece and nephew.
I miss you too, but you already knew that...
Yesterday, 5:44 PM:
Lew
Hey, just checking in to see if you're doing alright. Text me when you can.
I miss you.
I'll see you soon.
Today, 5:04 PM:
Lew
Still missing you, and Roscoe was looking for you.
Today, 5:10 PM:
Lew
Coachella was absolutely wild! Wish you were here. They kept asking if you were coming. I told them you were off doing something way more exciting.
Maybe you'll join me next year, haha.
He persisted in texting you, as he could see that you had received and read his messages. Gosh, he deserves someone better, you thought, prompting you to finally respond.
You
Hey Lewis, sorry for not replying earlier. I'm actually doing really well. Sometimes, I do get a little lost, but that's what makes the adventure exciting, right?
I won't tell my current location, haha.
I hope I don't run into you here, following me around.
I'll see you when I return to Monaco.
You reread the messages you sent, caught up in overthinking the entire situation. Just as you finish, he responds.
Lew
I'll see you back at home.
That familiar, tingling, warm feeling rushes back. You suddenly blush, feeling slightly embarrassed by your public display of emotions.
"Ughhh," you mutter to yourself.
Feeling compelled, you text him once again.
You
I miss you too
You quickly type and send it before locking your phone and slamming it onto the table. Frustrated with yourself, you feel like a silly schoolgirl texting her crush.
Lost in your embarrassment, you're suddenly interrupted as someone taps your shoulder. Your heart starts pounding, echoing in your ears.
You slowly turn around and find yourself face-to-face with none other than Mick Schumacher.
"Mick! W-what brings you here?" you stammer, taken aback by his sudden appearance. You were seated outside a café, with only a wooden fence separating you from the bustling street. Somehow, he still noticed you sitting there while riding his bike.
"Oh, umm... I was giving my friends a tour around Europe, and then I saw you sitting here... I should ask what you're up to," he explains a hint of curiosity in his voice.
You giggle, finding him endearingly cute. You and Mick are friends, or at least colleagues working for the same team. You often have chats and occasionally hang out after training, but you wouldn't say you're incredibly close.
"Yeah, well, it's a long story. In short, I'm on a little adventure for myself, taking a break from everything and just trying to relax. It's really nice to see a familiar face," you reply, feeling a sense of comfort.
"I know, right? Who would have thought?" he responds, sharing your amusement.
"Right?" you giggle in response.
"I should get going. It's great to see you again. I'll catch you at the factory then?" he suggests.
"Yeah, definitely!" you affirm with a smile.
He waves goodbye and starts pedaling away, leaving you with a mix of excitement and warmth in your heart.
✧*̥˚ Timeskip *̥˚✧
Weeks had passed, and it felt like an eternity. Finally, you arrived in Monaco, your home. You had managed to keep a low profile at the airport, although a few people still recognized you. The gossip pages had already spread the word about your return. You had considered texting Lewis, but it seemed unnecessary now that the Instagram gossip pages had made the announcement.
Now, you were in your cozy apartment, a place you called home. It felt warm and comforting, and it was all yours.
During your soul-searching journey, you had disabled all the apps that connected you to the outside world - Instagram, Twitter, emails, and more. Now, you decided to open them again, and your phone buzzed incessantly with notifications. Choosing to mute it, you placed it under your pillow.
"Some people sure missed me," you tell to yourself, looking around the house to find your laptop. It was exactly where you had left it, in the living room.
You opened your emails on the laptop instead and saw several team-related messages about an upcoming meeting. You stared at them for a while, realizing it was time to return to work and face reality.
A tinge of sadness and nervousness crept over you, but you pushed any negative thoughts aside. You didn't want to dwell on the idea that they might not want you or anything pessimistic. It was time to move forward.
A knock interrupts your thoughts, causing a small jolt of surprise.
"Why do people keep scaring me?" you mutter to yourself.
The knocking persists, growing slightly louder.
"I'm coming!" you call out.
Excitement builds within you as you jog to the door, eagerly unlocking and swinging it open without hesitation.
"Hey,"
"Hey..." you respond, your tone revealing a lack of enthusiasm.
"Well, that sounds like you weren't happy to see me," the coach remarks.
"Because I wasn't," you reply, adding a touch of sarcasm to your voice.
He was your performance coach, and truthfully, you were never thrilled to see him. His presence meant returning to rigorous training. You had been working together for a year now, and while there was still a connection, you had been avoiding it since last year due to past issues.
However, you had undergone a transformation and were now a different person.
"Are you ready to get back out there?" the coach asks.
You gaze at him, newfound determination shining in your eyes.
"Hell yeah," you declare, a wide grin spreading across your face.
Throughout the day, you engaged in scheduling and planning, a common practice among Formula 1 drivers and their performance coaches. You both discussed training sessions, physical workouts, and practice sessions to optimize performance on and off the track.
Despite feeling exhausted from the earlier flight, the overwhelming flood of missed notifications, and the planning for upcoming races, your determination remained steady.
As the evening grew late, the coach suggested that both of you grab a meal together. You ventured out and decided to go to "La Marée," a renowned eatery in Monaco.
Stepping out of the car, a swarm of people immediately surrounded you. Cameras flashed, videos recorded, and requests for autographs came from all directions. It was the familiar scene you had missed—the support and admiration from the fans, which warmed your heart. With a wave of gratitude, you bid them farewell and entered the restaurant.
And there he was once more, Mick Schumacher, but this time accompanied by Toto and Susie Wolff. You greeted them warmly and approached closer.
"You've got to stop following me, man. It's becoming quite obvious," you playfully remarked to Mick.
"I could say the same to you!" Mick replied with a grin.
"Well, well, it seems like you two have been keeping tabs on each other," Toto chimed in, joining the conversation.
"Yeah, it certainly seems that way," you said, winking at Mick as he reciprocated. "So, are you guys heading out or...?" you inquired, curious about their plans.
"Yeah, we were just discussing... contracts," Mick added.
Contracts? Already? Why haven't they mentioned anything to me... you wondered, feeling a bit surprised.
Toto's hand gently squeezed your shoulder. "If you checked your emails once in a while, you would have known about yours already," he reassured you.
A sigh of relief escaped you. Thank goodness for that, you thought, realizing you had left your phone under your pillow and hadn't retrieved it before leaving with your coach.
"I had such a great vacation that it completely slipped my mind," you laughed awkwardly.
"We'll be expecting to see you at the factory, alright? We need everyone there," Toto emphasized the importance of your presence.
Then it hit you—Lewis. Where was he? You still haven't texted him.
After conversing for a while, you and your coach went to eat.
You enjoyed a pleasant dinner together before finally parting after arriving at your apartment.
Waving him goodbye, you made your way upstairs to your apartment. As you opened the door, you noticed that the living room was illuminated. Have you forgotten to turn off the lights? Perhaps your coach had left them on.
As you approached to switch off the lights, you froze. There, laying on your couch, was someone unexpected.
It was Lewis.
Lewis Hamilton had fallen asleep, patiently waiting for your return home.
#lewis hamilton#lewis hamilton fanfic#lewis hamilton fanfics#lewis hamilton fanfiction#lewis hamilton fic#lewis hamilton imagine#lewis hamilton x reader#lewis hamilton x you#lewis hamilton blurb#sir lewis hamilton#f1 fandom#f1 imagine#f1 fanfic#f1 fiction#f1 lewis#f1 fic#lewis hamilton imagines
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▏A FOOL'S PARADISE ▏I.KUROKAWA ▏.
+. content warnings — afab-reader, arrange marriage au, mafia au , mention of abusive parents, foster parents, murder, blood and profanity; fluff, mutual pinning, stranger to lovers, angst, smut, marking, sensory deprivation, non-con elements.
+. synopsis — Izana knew he was a broken man but he thought you could mend him until he realised you had same scars all along.
+. notes — this is for villainfuckers.com hosted by my beloved @dejwrites . Thank you for letting me participate in this. I had the wildest writgasm while writing this. you can read this in my ao3 <33 i plan to continue this series and so the rest of the parts will be posted in ao3 !
+. links— TAP HERE TO BROWSE MY WORKS.
+. playlist — why do we stay by seafret , burgundy by atlas in motion.
+. tags — @garoujo @21-06-1996 @cursedmoonchild & @tokyometronetwork @cursedarchiveblog
“Three million dollars”
“Eight million dollars”
“ ten million dollars”
“ Ten and half million dollars.”
There was a rustle of lips before the thud of a hammer overpowered them; silence prevailed. The lumping tension at the core of your throat increased as your father spoke steadily, “Fifteen million dollars”
“Fifty million dollars”, a bold voice echoed through the auction hall.
Everyone moved in unison in the direction of the source except your father, Mr.Kento Fujiwara. Anxious whispers bubbled across the room while you wanted to tilt your head being curious about such sudden turbulence and have a glance at this man who dared to play with your father’s sentiment.
It is no secret that today at this auction, your father was present just to get back what belonged to him, a butterfly pendant that was the size of a rosebud. When you asked him if it belonged to the family heirloom or if it was somehow stolen from his possession, he shook his head lightly saying that the pendant is very pretty. That was the sole reason why he thought it belonged to him. He thinks everything that is beautiful needs to be in his collection, like you; his beloved daughter.
You were barely five when a young couple adopted you from the orphanage. At the age of sixteen, your third foster father gave you to this man, Mr. Kento Fujiwara who seemed to be different from the rest.
Indeed, he was different. He wore an expensive suit, well groomed, hair gelled back, a scar on his thick lips, and a pair of eyes that had the hunger of a devil. When he looked at you, his eyes glinted like those monsters from your storybooks. He was a man of influence and power. You knew you had to be cautious around him when you noticed marks on your young mother’s hands the day after when your father was displeased with the dinner. He was no less of a monster. And certainly, if anyone dared to cross paths with this tyrant, wouldn’t they be a fool?
The man dressed in a suit with alluring colors aligning in shades of scarlet and sapphire emptied the last sip of his whiskey. You thanked the heavens when you could see his reflection in the mirror. Ivory strands of hair fell up to his shoulders with auburn skin that gleamed in the dim lights, a mask covering all over his cheekbones and hanafuda earrings dangling near his shoulders. He seemed like hope, like a prince.
He stood up while you tried to tear away your gaze from him. “Fifty million dollars one”
his eyes shifted to you. You immediately lowered your face under the influence of reflex, warmth gushing over your face in embarrassment.
“ fifty million dollars two”
Is he still standing there? Is he still staring this way? You shouldn’t. You should not look back at him. You should not even think of it because if Mr. Fujiwara notices he would not stop locking you up in a castle like a rapunzel.
“Fifty million dollars thre-”
“Hundred and fifty million dollars”, your father sprung up from the seat. There was a voiceful uproar all around. Amidst all that hustle-bustle, while others seem to leave their place you remained seated and mustered up enough courage to look up to the mirror. And at that moment when your eyes met his again, he shifted his gaze elsewhere but the toothy grin was so pinnable that it made your lips curve in a crescent with delight.
“...hundred and fifty million dollars three”, the announcer cleared his throat, “This butterfly pendant of the early victorian era goes to Mr.Fujiwara.”, the announcer looked at Fujiwara, “Congratulations Mr. Fujiwara”, and then all the bidders one by one congratulated your father.
He was still standing near his table, lowering his face, hands tucked in his pocket. Before leaving the hall he did the unthinkable. He did not come to congratulate your father. For a man who had just lost this bidding, it was normal not to sing praises for the winner but Fujiwara was a man of quick temper. Even if he was surrounded by applause, cheers, and praises; that single disrespect did not go unnoticed by him. He finds it humiliating enough that a boy barely half of his age dared to bid along with him. He called one of his bodyguards and whispered something into his ears that made his eyebrows jump. Certainly, he could not think of killing a person, or would he?
“Come angel.”, Mr. Fujiwara took the pendant and inclined his hands towards your neck. It is already an incident of rarest occurrence to bring a lady on such occasions unless they are concubines or just dolled-up whores yet your father brought you here to today's auction.
“Your gift for your 22nd birthday, baby” He dares to bring you here and insult you by gifting a mere pendant. But, he is your father. You possibly should not think of disobeying him and thereby awakening his devilish wrath.
“Thank you father”, you uttered as he clipped the lock of the necklace. You shot him a smile that disappeared the moment he placed a kiss on your cheek. Two years since you came into Fujiwara's house, he has never done this before. It always started with nasty stares and ended up with you, locking yourself up in the room. But now he was getting greedy.
The ride back home was silent. He was in his car with his bodyguard and you were in a different car with a bodyguard that your father solely appointed for you, Toji Fushiguro. He was nothing like Fujiwara. He was a lot nicer than him to your surprise and certainly knew how to play with the devil’s wrath. Some days, he would tell you about his son who was just about your age, about how Fujiwara looked after them during the times of local turbulence. It really didn’t help much to change the way you thought about your father but you concluded Toji is inconclusive in certain matters.
Two years since you came into Fujiwara's house, and every time you smiled it was because of him. Uncle Fushi, you called him. He used to take you wherever you wanted, whenever you wanted. But he couldn’t save you from his boss’s nasty stares and hence he used to tell stories; stories where the queen killed the king, a princess fled with a prince, and a knight saved the princess. In every story, the king was no king, he was a monster. Sometimes you wondered if the stories had any relevance to your father. Sometimes, you wondered if he hadn't had a child of your age, would he still be so warm and kind to you?
He was more of a father than a bodyguard, more human than he seemed. Sometimes when your friends came over, they would tell you that your bodyguard looked like a beast and had a scary face. You would laugh every time because that beast with a scary face used to bake cupcakes for you. You were only sixteen when you came into this giant mansion and Fujiwara appointed him as your bodyguard in a flicker of a moment. You got lucky that he is not an abuser like his boss, like most men in this world.
When you were eighteen, Fujiwara married again and she seemed a little older than you. When you were just a few days away from turning twenty-two, he summoned you from your home. You lived in a different building on the other side of the town because he wanted to keep you safe, away from others, more like he wanted you for himself after you finally grew up to be a fine young lady.
However, thanks to his lifestyle he barely had time to come to your room and you prayed every night that he doesn’t mistake your door for Mrs.Fujiwara’s. Her screams kept you awake at night. It echoed through the long corridors. The servants of the house knew how many females committed suicide in that same room from where Mrs. Fujiwara’s screams could be heard.
He used to come home drunk and sometimes you couldn’t stop yourself from crying because your mother’s screams sounded like she was burning in hellfire, just like those stories uncle Fushi would tell you at the shine of daylight.
But he is a ruthless king with no heir and you couldn't bring yourself to ask why he adopted you, neither to him nor his wife. His wife always avoided you. Up till now, she was the only one who was churning in hellfire but tonight may be different.
“Nervous?”, Toji asked, breaking the silence.
“Hah! You bet.”, you muttered and he immediately took the next turn in the alley making you jolt. He stopped the car.
“What are you doing?”, to which he gave you a cold smile thinking how scared you must be to forget all about your Uncle Fushi.
“This is ricin. It doesn’t leave any trace and … the death is instant”, he handed you a capsule that consisted of tiny granules. You stared at it for a while as you remembered a few stories from Uncle Fushi’s collection where the princess poisoned the king and the queen was blamed.
“One is enough”, he said as he drove out of the dark alley. You sighed as the splattering raindrops hit the window. Even the sky wept for you when you could not. How could you? When all the stories spoke of the princess murdering the king in cold blood, and fleeing with the prince while the queen had to take the fall. You had neither of them, nor a prince to flee with neither a Queen to take the fall since tonight Mrs.Fujiwara will be sent to her father’s house. You will be all alone like a rapunzel in a castle.
—
“Nah! Mikey”, Izana blurted out as he caught the globe. He was lying down on the couch wearing a boxer and a satin housecoat, throwing the globe and catching it at intervals. “nahhhh. Mikeyyh!”
“Oh my god. What is it?”Manjiro snapped and why wouldn’t he? Izana had been calling him like this for almost thirty minutes, parting his lips to say something and then ending it with “Forget it”
“Was that butterfly pendant worth that much?”, Izana turned up his body throwing the globe towards his brother.
“Nope”, Manjiro caught the ball while Kakucho and Draken exchanged glances. “It was a fake”
“But I’m happy that our plan worked”, Izana chuckled.
“Oh my fucking god, please tell me this wasn’t the only thought you wanted to share with me”
“Ughh… no…”, Izana’s hesitant lilac pupils dawned on Kakucho and then onto Draken.
“Seriously Izana? What on earth is it?”Manjiro was at the edge again. What on earth could it be that he couldn’t share in front of those trusted men ?Manjiro nodded towards Draken who was enjoying his drink with Kakucho talking about his newly wedded wife, Emma.
At his boss’s gesture, Draken left but Kakucho didn’t. Izana puckered his lips as he looked at Kakucho, his bodyguard or more like his partner. Kakucho exhaled deeply and left the room but not before scrunching his nose at Izana, making the latter narrow his gaze on him.
“May I have the privilege to know what my highness is thinking?”, Mikey quipped.
“Na-ah! Tell me, Manjiro Sano, are you happy? Are you happy marrying a girl on Shinichiro’s suggestion? Even if she came from the enemy camp?”
Manjiro fell silent. He was grinning like a lovesick fool at the mention of his wife and Izana was clueless why he was smiling. As much as he could remember, Mikey always strayed off whenever the topic of his wife came up on the table. Izana left his couch to pour himself a whiskey rather than ruining his mood upon his brother’s silent treatment.
“Why are you asking Izana? Are you planning to get married? Did Shin suggest a few?
“A few ?”, he scoffed, rolling his eyes heavenwards. “Only one. And I went to see her today.”
“Where?”Mikey's eyebrows grew closer at his brother’s slight curve of lips.
“At the auction.”, Izana smirked.
“What? Why would you do that? If Shin comes to know he’ll kill us both.”, he left his seat and walked towards his brother who was busy making a drink. “Moreover, Couldn’t you wait a little longer? We’ll be visiting Fujiwaras tomorrow”, he checked his watch and continued, “Like in almost twelve hours”
“Yeah! No wonder Shin would kill us both, especially knowing that you’re the one who inspired me”, Izana gave his brother a glass of whiskey while his lilac gaze watched his brother turning beet-red in embarrassment. Mikey chuckled charmingly remembering how he went to meet his girl over a silly bet. “But thanks to my participation, that fucking bastard spend a lot more than expected and that too on a fake pendant.”Manjiro almost choked at his brother’s mischief.
Izana Kurokawa, the second in the Sano Industries, was popular for such tactics. And after his father died, he was a free bird. He hated his old man because he failed to protect his mom from each of his perishing pounces until his mom left him all alone. He was eight when his mom committed suicide with a knife slitting both of her wrists, ten when he met the sanos, his new family.
Mikey had to marry early because the girl was supposed to be married off to a forty-year-old junkie and he had to go through a lot since Shin’s wasn't at par with Mikey's plans. So, surely Izana wouldn't like to bind in the shackles of marriage at the cost of his freedom after witnessing such horrors of a bond. He was just in his early twenties. Even Manjiro was surprised that Izana was willing to talk about marriage. Manjiro took a sip as he asked, “What was she like?”
“She was afraid even though Fujiwara went crazy with the bidding. Especially, women love it when any man spends money on them.”
“Not all women Izana, Not all women.”, Manjiro was referring to his mother.
“She looked so scared, so fragile all the time sitting beside that bastard who called himself her father… She reminded me of my mom. She was trembling the whole time when that bastard was putting that damn fake necklace around her neck.”
“Wait! Father? Fujiwara is the father father ? and Shin wants you to trade your freedom for his daughter? God knows what she has been through.”
“Close.” Izana exhaled deeply. with a tone of amusement, he continued “Shin wants to expand our trades in the south. Fujiwara is a dead man anyways without any son or a daughter of his. So, he wants me to be the peace-keeper while Shin gobbles up all his territory”. Manjiro’s dark globular pupils glinted at his brother. “Good heavens !”
Manjiro was elated to know that Shin blinked at his suggestion of expanding business in ways other than killing people. After the death of the previous boss, Shin wanted to eradicate each vile leech that handled business with their dick rather than the brain. It is for people like those that the police get a whiff of them.
Shinichiro Sano, the eldest, was the man who took all the decisions in matters of business while his brothers had their own territory to rule. But when it came to the matters of alliances and marriages Shinichiro had to step in because he is the eldest and none of his brothers are reliable enough to have such alliances peacefully.
One time Izana gutted a man with the same knife that his mom used to kill herself because he was staring at Mrs. Sano the whole time in Manjiro’s absence. Izana carried that knife as a reminder. The other time, Manjiro kicked a giant man who was twice the size of his brother Shinichiro just because he said something about Izana’s earrings. So, Shinichiro thought it would be better to accompany them in all sorts of meetings and that is sure the wildest ride he’ll ever have.
“Tomorrow Bonten is coming for a visit. The second of the Bonten, Izana Kurokawa, wishes to marry you. ”, Fujiwara seemed angrier than usual. Your hands froze at the mention of the name. In the day of the light, they were known as Sano Industries and as Bonten in the dark of night. You’ve heard all sorts of stories about them, the most ruthless and hard-to-catch gang in the northside. The entire southside belonged to Fujiwara and he sure is a greedy man but not a fool, unable to read between the lines, to think of all the possibilities of their visit.
“I see.”, you sighed, “Father, do you know when Mother will be back?”
“Missing her already.”Fujiwara left his seat and strolled towards you. He rested a hand on the orb of the backrest of your chair. You almost felt dizzy as her screams echoed in the back of your head.
“Yes, I do. Don’t you, father?”. He leaned in the crook of your neck humming in response as his hands extended along yours.
“Please Sir, it’s her birthday”, Toji tartly exclaimed, grabbing the wrist of his boss. Fujiwara jerked off his hold from his arm and walked out of the dinner. Toji simply rubbed your back which immediately made you cling to him, hugging him tightly. For a man with such a position, he went to lengths to protect you from your father. He has broken his code many times but Fujiwara couldn’t lay a finger on him since he knew Toji would kill him in a blink. He would rather be alive like a cockroach than die but he also knew his entire land would be at war if Toji, a mere gangsta who looked after his daughter, killed him. People would make all sorts of conclusions after Fujiwara’s death that will be nothing but a living hell for you as well as him; you both would be running for the rest of your lives. And, Toji has done more than enough to protect you and you would be a parasite to ask him of such deeds.
“Y/n. He is gone. You fought bravely, like me”, which surely made you laugh. Bravely he would say, like him he would say, how sweet. Such a white lie. He crouched and took your small palms in his saying, “Happy Birthday, Y/n l/n. Make sure you lock your door at night and don’t forget the gift that I gave you in the car”
Fujiwara was a decaying man. He had killed a lot of people in his youth including each of your parents just to get his hands on the wealth you promised. You were a golden goose that promised him a fortune as well as wealth. Maybe it was his superstition, or maybe he was waiting for the next opportunity to drain every penny out of you; whatever it was you thanked heavens how you didn’t end up like his young wife. Sometimes, you thought she was rather bought by him to be his plaything rather than his wife because nowhere in this giant house you could find photos of their marriage.
The night was long. While you were sleepless in your room, looking at the file of poison kept on the dressing table, Izana was sleeping, drowning in nightmares. He hated how females were treated in the family and therefore with a single glance he could always pin that tyrant head of the family. Marriage was not the problem, Fujiwara was. He was not an easy shark to kill, let alone capture, and Shin wanted to make peace with a monster. How very convenient.
“So very pretty”, he mumbled as he took the pendant in his hand that glimmered so beautifully in the slightest moonlight. It has been years since he woke up due to a nightmare. It surprised him since it was not about his mother, it was about you. In his dreams, you were in the bathtub, bleeding like his mom while Fujiwara was grinning while looking at Izana saying, “She is not yours to fuck. She is mine.” he woke up gasping for life.
He wanted to congratulate your father after winning such an awful auction which was nothing but a trap for another mouse lurking in the city, a mere nuisance that was leaking information to the police. If there is a raid within two days, he would know which mouse to kill since all the mice were not brought into the light of this information. At the same time, it showered him a lot of money on such a trivial installment.
His breathing eased after a while. Such a nightmare would crawl back if he drifted to sleep right away and so he lit a cigarette. Taking a puff he opened the window to let the cool breeze come in and wondered if you would be able to recognize him or not. Is it really silly to hope that there might be a possibility of you recognizing him?
Unfortunately, you did not recognize him and Manjiro was at the top of the world watching his brother to be perished like this, a punishment that promised love and hope. While Shinichiro was talking to Fujiwara the younger brothers noticed a small pair of feet behind the curtains.
When her father asked y/n to come, Manjiro had a hard time controlling his laughter because Izana was awestruck when you stepped into the room. Shinichiro elbowed Izana while Manjiro cleared his throat making him aware that he was staring for too long.
You took a seat beside your father and managed to look up at them. You looked at your father in confusion since you had no idea which man you shall have for the rest of your life. They all looked young. Who is Izana Kurokawa? It is indeed a matter of concern if he decides to marry you off to someone young since they would not be much better than older ones. In this world of bloodlust, it is a dream to spread your wings, let alone fly at will.
Toji was standing at the door. Your heart leaped with joy seeing him. To everyone else, he was a heathen; no doubt about that but to you, he was the one who seemed like hope, like a knight.
“Y/n go inside your room. We’ll discuss business. If there’s any need I’ll call for you”, you left as soon as he was finished. Anything is better than being in his vicinity. Shinichiro looked at his brothers who left as they understood the cue. Both of them left with their sister, Emma, to an adjacent room full of antiques and paintings. They didn’t have to leave if Fujiwara didn’t gawk at their sister or if they didn’t bring Emma along. But Emma came unannounced this morning and when Shinichiro asked if it was another fight with Draken, she said that he should get married, unmarried men don’t get to hear about a couple’s fight grabbing Mikey's arm. Mikey’s chest swelled with pride for tasting virgin territory before his brothers.
“I should not have told you that I went to see her.”, Izana remarked after a few of Mikey’s futile attempts to get on his nerves.
“How many men must have she met since he saw you last night that she could not recognize you?”
“I was wearing a mask. It is not her fault.”
“Ahh-haaah! Defensive already?”, Manjiro was standing beside his brother staring at a painting. While Izana glared at his brother, Manjiro maintained a straight face as he kept looking at the painting. Izana swatted lightly at the back of his brother’s head.
“Ouch…”, Manjiro was about to pull Izana’s ears but Emma turned up, “Boys, please. How old are you two? Five? Stop for God’s sake”
Shinichiro entered the room to inform us that Fujiwara agreed to the marriage proposal and he really had to give access to some important ports to arrange a meeting. Izana’s heart jumped. “A meeting? why … why would you…?”, he tucked his hair behind his warm earlobes. “What on earth did you offer him, Shin?”
“Relax, brother Relax.”, Shinichiro muttered followed by his brother Manjiro, “Yeah. Relax Brother and focus Brother Focus” Izana’s nose swelled in annoyance but he didn’t get much time to say something back since Fujiwara turned up declaring that his daughter was waiting in the other room. Izana greeted him with a smile while Toji guided him to your room. Fujiwara followed them behind.
You were seated near an open window reading a book while an unfamiliar knock earned your attention. Toji knocks two times yet the gap is so momentary that it almost gets overlapped. This knock consisted of two sharp and distinct hits. They suggested lithe yet strong arms. Being a golden girl in the world of mayhem and bloodbath you have learned to study the slightest change in your routine and surroundings to defend yourself from parasites and monsters.
You raised your voice, “Come in”, and as soon as the man entered followed by your father and your bodyguard you sprung up from your seat adjusting the frills of your dress in haste. The man stood gracefully and his eyes were searching the faces of the other two men.
“We will be outside”, your father quipped and you shivered at the thought of being alone with a man. In your life, you had not met a single man who didn’t try to devour you. For those who could not, either they were bound by their status or did not have the chance to have you yet. The horrified look on your face did not go unnoticed by Izana when Uncle Fushi was about to leave.
“You can stay. I don’t mind”, Izana commanded, smiling majestically at Toji, a mere servant of the house. His mellowed voice made me look at you for a second. Toji walked up to you and tucked his hands inside his pockets otherwise he would have taken your small hands in his but he didn't because he knew your prince wouldn't like it even if he made it seem so.
“Please, do I have to do this?” You sounded so pathetic and helpless for a girl who lived a lavish lifestyle with a blank canvas.
“He is the prince, my dear child.”
“What if he turned into a ruthless king?”
“Then, your knight will kill him.”, and with that, he left the room. The click of the door startled you and brought you back from the reverie of your thoughts.
The room was filled with awful silence. Your lips have been wet since the moment he walked into the room you have been trying to fight off the urge to smile. Finally, you’re gonna be free from the shackles of your father. It really does not matter if you end up in another hell. Izana was scanning the room, hands loosely hanging. With the thumb of his right hand, he was continuously circling the hefty ring on his forefinger. He was nervous. You let out a laugh as he searched for something to start a conversation but fortunately, it did not reach his ears. Surely, he can’t talk about the weather now, can he?
“Nice weather, is it not?”
“Yes.”, you stood keeping your hands near your belly one over the other. ‘Oh dear god!’ Silence prevailed once again. “But I’m not very fond of sunny days. They’re
“Treacherous…?”, you wanted to say hopeful but that’ll do. “You like flowers. I see”, Izana plucked a milky white rose.
“They make me feel less lonely”. He started to pick off the thorns as he continued, “ My brother Shinichiro suggested only you for marriage. Usually, we were given a few suggestions …”
‘a few’
“... I’m sure you already have an idea why that is !” The stem was devoid of any thorns and his fingertips seemed bruised. You were correct. He has lithe yet strong arms. “You might have an idea why I’m here alone with you in this room. I don’t know what you’ve been told but I hope you are aware that this is not just a marriage so … ”
“Yes, I understand. I know and I will not be a nuisance to you…I promise. ”
“That’s not what I was going for.”, there it is, his smile that seems to make your heart be free of all its defensive walls. “Well, never mind.”, Izana strolled towards you and closed the gap with two long strides. And in a flash, he was inches apart from your face. You did not move, did not even flinch and that sure earned you some brownie points since you were blessed with that majestic smile of his again.
He lifted the butterfly pendant in his hold careful enough not to touch your skin as he remarked, “This is very pretty.”
“It is a birthday gift. but you wanted it too. Isn't that right?” The room filled with a trail of soft chuckles while Izana’s perplexed lilac gaze seem to perforate your soul. He did not think you would turn out to be perceptive.
“I see. What gave me away?”
“Earrings. Your earrings”, Izana nodded. He licked his lips before tucking the white rose in your hair. “You’ll hear many rumors…”, his voice was tuned; bold, and protective. “... in upcoming days, about me, about your father, about us.”, his palm is now cupping your soft cheeks as he finished inclined a little further, “let me know what you heard and what you thought of me.”, it was almost a whisper, a plea to be in touch.
Surprisingly, your father seemed pleased with their visit. He did not mention anything regarding them during dinner but you noticed that the bodyguard was not seen to be around the house. The question was at the tip of your tongue yet you had to swallow thinking it might be Izana’s handiwork rather than Fujiwara. You were entirely not wrong since Fujiwara would not have spent his night alone in his chambers if he fired Toji, he was threatened by the meg.
The antique jewelry piece was rolling from one palm to another of his as you wrecked havoc in his mind. He was impressed. He has been visiting clubs along with Mikey long enough to be aware of female charms but yours are rare to occur. He kept the butterfly pendant on the table and grabbed his cell phone calling Kakucho.
“Kakucho, how long will it take for you to come back? I need you here”
“About one and a half months…why?”, one and a half months. He can’t wait that long.
“Alright. Keep me posted about your status.”, Izana hung up the phone. He scrolled his contact list in a hurry and halted at Ran Haitani. Nah! He is too chatty for y/n. Hmmm, Kokonoi… kokonoi will do.
“Kokonoi, I need your favorite henchman for a month, well that is, if he agrees.”
“Why wouldn’t he? Besides, he was getting bored sitting beside me all day long.”
“Alright. Then, if you can, try sending him tomorrow.” He knew Hajime would not decline him since he had helped with his secret, keeping his relationship with Seishu under the shadows. If people came to know, they would definitely think that he did it to anchor such flawless men at his fingertips but he kept his lips sealed since he knew how hard it is to find people who would be willing to die for you even before asking. In all honesty, he was kind of jealous.
The next day Izana turned up at your house unannounced. You were in the library when one of the servants asked for you since Mr. Fujiwara was submerged in his business. Clustering the frills of your gown, you ran into the main room where you noticed Izana standing facing the window. A guy with a scar spreading over his left eye came along with him today.
“Yes, how may I help you…? by the time he looked at you, your tone deflected. His gaze was piercing; a gaze that could instantly make someone naked, revealing all their greatest vulnerabilities. There was only the sound of his boots as he came up close, neither your breathing nor his. He was just as vulnerable as you.
“This is Inui, Inui Seishu. Your bodyguard for a month, as of now”, his voice felt different today. You smiled looking at the man in the suit. No holster… is he really a bodyguard? “And the week prior to our marriage, I’ll come to get you. We have a special ceremony to continue the family tradition ”
“Okay. Any specifics for me to follow?”, Izana swallowed hard. She is so innocent, what in the devil’s name did he do to deserve you? He glanced at Inui who was staring at the ground as you two were talking. Inui immediately left the room as he understood his cue.
Izana turned his head towards you again and you forgot to breathe. Maybe he did too. He tore his gaze inching away from your vicinity since any more than that he might just break the code, that is, to have you before marriage.
“It is a family tradition that we give our woman a special piece of jewelry, so no specifics to follow. Just wear something in white.”, although his voice was steady you noticed that he tucked his hair behind his ear lobes. He was not wearing his earrings today. Now is your chance, you go girl!
“Toji, my bodyguard, he quit the job… Please do not kill him. I beg of you.”, Izana blinked with shock since he had no clue that you could deduce such possibilities. He noticed your rash breathing. Just what on earth did she hear about me?
“That’s not really my style”, neat words and you knew you could believe him.
The day came sooner than you expected. Izana came alone in his car. He did not have someone like Inui…wait does he not need a bodyguard? You felt a little offended about that. You are already under his protection before marriage. The ride towards his house was silent. Inui drove while Izana sat at the back with you. It started to rain again. Rainy days are better than sunny ones, they seem more hopeful than the latter.
Izana was sitting silently and he did not even glance at you. All of the preparations went to vain but you were happy, happy that for once in your life you wanted to dress beautifully at will. You drew a smiley on the car window but a low soft smirk made you shift your gaze at him.
“You’re not wearing your birthday gift, today?” great he noticed. Wait, wait, wait, waait. When did he notice?
“You mentioned that there will be some jewelry involved in the ceremony so I did not wear any.”
“That is very thoughtful of you.”
Izana eyed you up and down meticulously. With a pearl white dress that hung up to your ankles, a serape wrapped around your chest to hide the modesty it revealed and hair tied in a low updo. There was a white rose tucked in your hair. Inui drew in the private lid of the car. Izana cleared his throat but honestly, he never felt like this before, like someone belonged solely to him, like he was willing to surrender himself to this white fairy.
“You look ravishing today”, he was already staring outside. He was giving you time to adjust to him.
“Thank- your throat was dry and you could feel your warm cheeks. “Thank you.”
Izana pulled a butterfly pendant that looked exactly like yours. Izana thought he could stare at your flabbergasted face forever. “Oh my god”, you uttered as you made two and two.
“Yes. Your father might be smart but his greed gonna be the death of him”
There was a puller that was attached to the body of the butterfly. Izana pulled it with his black painted nails, and the wings were closed. The thin puller was attached to the frontal part of the body. The fake one did not have any of these.
“Your father is a very cruel man for buying you this. No one should give a weapon to a woman. They’re the weapon” You looked at him speaking with ease about your father. It is not surprising but does he not fear death by the devil’s hands?
“Take it. You’ve better use of this than me”, he extended his hands with the necklace in his palm. You hesitated but when you were about to pick it up he grabbed your hand.
“Just don’t use it on yourself. Please”
“I won’t. I promise”
The car halted in front of a huge gate which you’re used to but you were not used to being the center of attraction. As Izana held the door of the car, you took his hand since it would be rude not to especially when everyone was watching. He certainly knew to make the best of situations.
He did not let go of your hand as the entrance was full of men, women, and staff.
“Haitani, how kind of you to make it today!”, Izana smiled at a man who seemed very regretful at his boss’s remark but all that man did was narrow his gaze at Izana. They were friends, not boss and underboss for sure.
Just when the two-man had finished greeting, a boy near his knee peeked from his overcoat. He quickly rushed, clinging to your pearl white gown exclaiming with a toothless grin, “Dad said to bring some flowers because he told me that I would meet a pretty lady today.”His voice was angelic.
“Did he now?”, Izana sternly spoke looking at the boy, Abel, as his father provided, “No, no not the pretty part”, Ran was in utter disaster now.
“Well, he is your son.”, Izana quipped as you took the boy in your arms, tucking him in your bosom.
“Well Thank you. I love flowers' ', you said with a smile as the boy smiled toothless. Izana cleared his throat. He loved attention but not for his wife, to-be-wife.
The ceremony was nothing as Izana made it seem so. Just inner circles and a few familiar faces that you’ve come across in your slatey life. Your teacher who groomed and molded you for this kind of life, your bodyguard were one of the few you could pin. An odd gush of elation rushed through your veins thinking how your father was not here. Izana probably pulled some strings to keep him busy. You wondered how deep Izana went digging into your past. Having such a barren life, and suddenly being bestowed with tropicals would be very unhealthy for your retarded emotions.
Before the main dinner, Izana was introduced to most of the people present in this ceremony. Shinichiro looked younger than the first time you saw him and was lonely too. Being the head of the family, shouldering most of the responsibilities he had learnt to mask his emotions but it was clear as crystal to you since you’ve lived your life pretending to be someone, smiling as if nothing was wrong, happy being forged as a mere possession.
Shinichiro made a speech declaring how it is a matter of regret that Fujiwara was not here and he looked happy about that, truly. As soon as he declared the date of marriage, Izana picked up on his brother’s fall of voice. He just shared some memories when Mikey was getting married, some of her sister, Emma.
Lastly, he declared his gift for you; a pair of anklets. Sadly, according to tradition, you can not wear it until your wedding. What kind of awful tradition is this? But yes, a girl who never stayed too long in one family would not understand the feeling of such close quarter ceremonies. Well, you can start getting used to it being written all over Izana’s face. He had an idea since he sprouted from similar circumstances.
The dinner table was huge. It almost covered half of the dining hall. Izana pulled a chair for you to sit and as you did, Mikey was quick enough to sit beside you. The other side of you was already occupied by Emma whom you bonded quicker than you had imagined. Izana’s jaw hardened as he glared at Mikey. Shinichiro sat up in the north being the head of the family. While one of his sides was occupied by Draken, the other was occupied by Inui, beside him was Kokonoi sitting opposite Emma's.
Fortunately, Izana managed to sit opposite you. Mikey’s wife was not there. She went to her dad’s house. Hence, he had all the time to annoy his brothers. Ran sat opposite Mikey with his son in his lap.
Abel jumped out of his father’s lap and walked towards you. Emma has always loved kids and she was already blessed with a child. She looked gorgeous with her baby bump. No wonder, Draken could not stop himself from stealing glances at her.
“Why did you even bring him?”
“You told me to bring my family. He was the only one who was not busy.”, That’s true. Rindou was busy and so was Ran’s wife. Ran had a daughter of the same age as Abel. She was at home due to fever and both of his dearest people were looking after her. He could not decline Izana’s call. He has always admired him.
“And why is he so
“Jumpy?”, Izana nodded at his friend’s remark.
“He gets that from her”
They both looked lost while Abel was enjoying the food sitting on your lap getting fed by none other than Emma. Lucky boy - Izana restrained himself from looking at you who looked even more eye-catching now. With that butterfly pendant, wings spread over your chest kissing your cleavage, and Abel on your lap, Izana felt an inexplicable urge to have something of his, only his.
“Do you know why he gifted you anklets?”, Mikey passed you the bowl of rice searching your face for an answer. “Oh c’mon take a guess!”, he rolled his eyes.
“He hates other jewelry pieces?”
“You do have admirable reactions like he mentioned.”, Mikey laughed, gaining Izana’s attention. “When you’ll be here, at his house, roaming around wearing those anklets; he’ll know where to find and fuck you in all positions”
You choked on your food and as the cough built up, Emma handed you water. Izana was sitting intact. “Mikey, can you not put ideas in her mind?”
“He was… He was just telling me about his wild nightclub adventures with you.”, how could you miss such an opportunity to give him the taste of his own medicine?
Ran kept his fork down with a clank, Izana cocked his head at Mikey and it was Mikey’s turn to be breathless, choking on the wine almost at death's door.
“Mikey”, Shinichiro looked at his brother thinking about when he is gonna grow up.
“ Yeah. Yeah. I’m sorry”, “Sorry Izana”, that was the best way to end this discussion. But he is not a guy to be easily tamed down. “You’re nice, y/n. You’ll make him happy. I just know it.” when you caught your fiance looking back at you, guilt crawled into your skin for lying like that solely based on rumors. Maybe you were jealous that he had his fair share of girls.
After dinner, when others were busy attending to the guests, your eyes searched for him. He was standing outside the hall near the lawn in the backyard. He was smoking. The collar of his tailcoat was grazing his cheeks covering his earrings. You were grateful that you did not have to wear his gift; thanks to the rules of the tradition otherwise he would have sensed your footsteps.
“Do you mind if I give you a tour of my house?”, Izana was not facing you yet. You halted before he turned around, throwing the cigarette and crushing it under the boot.
“No, not at all”, your eyes lingered on the grass as you kept playing with your fingertips interlacing them with each other since you hated he was always so aware of you every time you met him.
“Alright.”, was he angry? Did you do something wrong?
You stood on an open ellipsoid balcony while he stood silently beside you. There was a cool breeze that seemed to wash away your exhaustion. “You live here alone?”
“No, but after our marriage we can though …”
“And what exactly? Play chess sitting face to face in this giant house”
Izana beamed at your impatience. His hands that rested along yours on the railing were inches apart. With a cheeky grin he mumbled in a static flow, “Well, that really isn’t a bad idea if we’re near the fireplace, naked”
“Are you trying to flirt with me?” but it was so foolish to fight back with words because one, you felt dizzy picturing him naked, a mere reflex, and two, he was not standing beside you having his hands on the railing.
He grazed your cheek with the back of his hands and you closed your eyes in his touch. He couldn't seem to control himself further. How does a man ignore such submission? Izana did not want to think any further. Izana’s arm was holding your slim hands above your head while the other was curling around your waist.
He had no idea where to start. Every inch of you was tempting him to rip that ivory dress that hugged your body. You felt the cold metal buckle against your body, his hands had made you immobile. The moment you inclined your face against his shoulders he released the grip from your hands. Both of his arms immediately hanked up your white dress letting his hands roam over your femininity. His lips started to trail kisses along your neck. Your breath hitched as he bit your earlobe at the same time when you pulled him closer trying to keep yourself from falling.
“Stop, Zana, i - I can’t anymore” and that seemed to pull him away from you. He realized that you were new to this, this kind of touch that had the power to turn dreamers into fools, luring those fools into a promise of mirage.
Izana was trying to calm his senses as he gave you space to recover yours. He noticed that you had not been breathing easily, it was still ragged.
“Here. I’m right here”, he whispered, pulling you in his embrace. There under the moonlit night, you palmed your face as you buried in his chest.
“Father saw me”, his grip grew stronger at your remark.
“What?”, for the first time you noticed the rage in his voice.
“Father saw me. He was standing just below this balcony before you…” How could you forget that as long as the King is alive, his torment would touch and therefore annihilate anyone in its path?
Izana was supposed to drop you home and he did it which was the problem. The journey felt so silent. Inui was occasionally glancing at both of you who sat poles apart from each other. How could you sit close to him without giving in to his touches, especially after Izana was caught by your father breaking his code? There is no way Fujiwara would sit tight with that kind of information. “Is there something wrong?”
“Nope. Just drive.”, you muttered looking at the busy streets. She's got a temper. Inui thought it was best not to press you or Izana further, his lips elongated, feeling the tension as his eyes scanned Izana. Izana was no good. He was looking at the road too.
As you reached the house, Izana hurriedly strolled towards the entrance shouting for Fujiwara.
“There you are, thought you could not make it back here before us.”
He threw his overcoat on the handrest of the sofa. Holding a cigarette in between his teeth he scanned the man from head to toe. There was mud in his boot and on the floor. He was grinning since he thought that it is quite impressive to observe such a tiny detail, even being in such an intimate moment but this is really not the right time to be proud of that.
The click of his lighter startled you as you turned up along with your bodyguard.
“Now, Fujiwara. Why do you think Toji quit to follow you and broke his vow to join me?”, Izana strolled from one end to the other of the room magestically without flinching as he continued his talk, C’mon no thoughts?” Fujiwara was speechless at his behavior. It would not be wrong to say that he might piss his pants. The beads of perspiration on his forehead suggested that he did something that he should not have done because Fujiwara is not a man who would tolerate any kind of misbehavior towards him, even if he is the first one to provoke the party.
The way confidence was oozing out of his voice, Izana sure had something up his sleeve. No one prepares to kill a shark without setting a trap and Izana ?, just required a secret of Fujiwara to be exploited, which was Toji Fushiguro. You have always wondered why Toji was serving your father even if he hated him with every ounce of his inert emotions. Now, Izana made it clear why he served him.
“Because I promised him y/n’s protection. He is now vowed to us. And this is not a warning…”, he took his tailcoat holding the half-burnt cigarette in his twin hold of fingers. “Change your ways, if you do not, your greed is gonna kill you” Izana left without glancing at you, and secretly, you did not want to face him like this.
When Izana reached his home, he went to the balcony and closed his eyes. If only your father had not seen you or you have not been aware of his presence, things would have been different, a much better ending than this. Izana was thinking from one end to the other. Why on earth did Shinichiro suggest this marriage to him? The wealth and the territory promised through you seemed just the surface of the river and he needed to take a dip into deep waters for hatching a plan to kill your father sooner than Shinichiro planned. He had enough of his involvement in his business.
He walked towards his brother’s cabin to talk about Fujiwara because his father did quite a number on him. The light was still on. Before knocking on the door he heard something that made his blood boil in rage. This was the reason why Shinichiro wanted to kill Fujiwara the whole time. Actually, now that he thought about it, it is indeed a rash move to kill the cruel king and have the princess. Shinichiro wanted to save both the princess and the queen.
“Do not worry. Everything is going accordingly. Izana is going to marry y/n and we will kill that bastard on the night of the marriage ceremony.”
Izana opened the door with a thud tartly speaking, “Shinichiro, you should have told me…”
Shinichiro ended the call immediately. He was about to explain how he met Mrs. Fujiwara, how he came to know about you, and why he thought you are made only for him. All of it, every bit of it but Izana looked like a broken boat that had lost its will to reach its destination. He was inside the study room already with his hand on the doorknob trying to think it all back. Did y/n have an idea of this?
But both were interrupted by a call. Inui. Without a second thought, Izana picked up the call, put it on loudspeaker after a few seconds, and started walking out of the door. Shinichiro followed him because the look in his eyes suggested something more terrible had happened.
“That bastard shot me before dragging y/n into a room and locking it. I already called Coco. Just Hurry up!”
The water was running while you were curled up in the corner of your bathroom hugging your legs as your father was taking his last breaths. If you walk out of this room, everybody will know that you killed your father. Everybody will know that you are a murderer, the murderer. You made haste as you picked up on your feet to grab the white towel and press it onto his neck. It was soaking in blood within a few minutes. Hands trembling as you tried to save the very life you hated all your life.
As soon as both of them entered the y/l/n property Shinichiro headed towards the entrance while Izana rushed towards the back heading for the backdoor of your room. The moment he entered the room, he pulled out his gun. While the cockroach struggled for his breath you clung to Izana’s body. You could not seem to cry. Your mind was still so blank to process that you killed a man, your father.
“I killed him. I killed him, Izana”, you murmured, and as you felt his arm, his gun heavy against the valley of your waist, you could not hold back your tears anymore. Izana was full of rage, full of disgust to be aware of the fact that Shinichiro thought you were perfect for him since both of you were bound by the same fate, similar experience, exact same mishaps in life.
As you wept helplessly being in his embrace he raised his arm and fired three shots into that monster blessing him with death. Death is not his style, torture is yet his stubborn heart wanted Shinichiro to suffer for keeping him in the dark. You managed to stop crying but he was so far from you. His eyes seemed distant, they had not the boyish charm anymore that you noticed the day he tucked that white rose in your hair.
Izana knew he fucked up. Big time. There was no resistance in his body. He seemed like a ghost as the dark blonde officer handcuffed him. “You are under arrest Izana Kurokawa, for the murder of Kento Fujiwara” Naoto was already in the car as Nanami guided Izana towards the car. He did not even bother to look at you. He could not. He needed to restrain himself. If he looked back at you, he knew you would break into tears and he can’t have you being weak now. You are not broken like him, you are a lot stronger than he is.
The next day, the morning news was nerve-wracking.
“Finally, after the death of her father, wedding bells ring at Kurokawa house; police suspect both the parties guilty of the murder” There was a photo of your dad smiling at the mob with his hand raised. You sighed thinking how many lives he had ruined with those hands before he tried to harm yours. A strong sigh escaped through your lonely chest. This was not right, in any way you tried to think. He was a mere stranger who happen to be a sly cruel gangsta but he seem to erase every image you had built based on the rumors alone.
Why the fuck do they have to take Izana? Surely, there must be some way to free him. There are rules in this world and every rule has its own loophole. These people always had a habit of twisting things around. They made it look as if all of these started because your fiance killed your father and you were forced into this marriage and he killed your father so that he could have all your wealth after marriage.
You had to shift to the main Sano house by Shinichiro’s advice. Shi-ni-chi-ro. He is not very vivid in Izana’s life as Manjiro is. You tried to think what kind of gestures he had when he came to see you that evening, to negotiate with your father; before he decided to turn business relationships into familial ones. You remembered how he turned on the lights of Mrs.Fujiwara’s room when you were the one who was showing him around the house.
Suddenly, you connected the dots. Mrs.Fujiwara, my mom, or my sister? You played with your butterfly pendant pulling the lock in and out and making it flap its wings constantly. She is in great peril.
“Anything you want me to do, Mrs.Kurokawa?”, Inui asked as you smiled at his beckoning address. He was the sole witness to this incident. He stood behind you with a sling tied around his arm that hung from his shoulders.
“Um-Hm. I need to see my teacher, he was an ex-lawyer before he joined my father’s gang”, you left your seat walking towards Izana’s bedroom before slipping the name. Higuruma Hiromi.
#izana kurokawa x you#izana kurokawa x reader#toji fushiguro x you#toji fushiguro x reader#tokyo revengers x y/n#tokyo revengers x you smut#tokyo revengers x female reader#izana x you#izana x y/n#izana x reader#izana smut#izana kurokawa smut#jjk x reader#jjk fanfic#jujutsu kaisen x female reader#jujutsu kaisen fanfic#tr fanfiction#tokyorev smut#tokrev smut#tokyo rev smut#jjk fic#toji fic#toji fushiguro fic#izana angst#tr angst#tw noncon#noncon tw#tokyo revengers fics#tokyo revengers fic#tokyo revengers fanfiction
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hatchetfield characters rated on how much they like sonic the hedgehog
- paul matthews: 7/10 i think just based on his age and personality he played like sonic adventure one as a kid and enjoyed it but hasn’t really thought about it since. if he were to play a sonic game again he’d be like “oh i remember this guy! silly :)” he does not like the chaotix.
- emma perkins: 5/10 i can see a young emma being Violently Opposed to sonic and never playing it or engaging with any content. and then at some point ziggs or even paul has her play one of the games with them and she’s like “Oh Wait This Is Fun” but idk if she’d ever consider herself a fan.
- bill woodward: 1/10 he cannot remember sonic’s name. he is completely ambivalent because he doesn’t know what that is. he’d have an appreciation for tails if he knew he existed
- charlotte sweetly: 0/10 he creeps her out. i think there’s so much going on in her life that there is no room for sonic the hedgehog.
- ted spankoffski: 10/10 he also played the games as a kid and still enjoys him though he does not advertise that at all. in college he and jenny did smoke and play the entirety of sonic 06 together. he probably hasn’t really played them since at all since it contrasts with the new everything. he watched sonic underground.
- henry hidgens 0/10 he doesn’t trust sonic.
- melissa: 11/10 she loves sonic and you can interpret that however you want
- john mcnamara: 0/10 i cannot imagine this man with a game controller in his hands.
- tom houston: -10000/10 he is a technophobe and sonic frustrates him. he finds the characters annoying and tim keeps having to beat the levels for him and he doesn’t know why sonic is looking at him like that at the end of every level.
- becky barnes: 8/10 she just thinks he’s the silliest guy. i think becky would like sonic and the black knight and get a kick out of the gimmicky motion controls. i like to picture becky having stupid fun it brings me joy.
- lex foster: 0/10 no time for that also that’s kind of dumb also also where are his clothes.
- ethan green: current 1/10, potential 10/10, ethan has never touched a sonic game in his life but i think if he did he’d be hooked.
- hannah foster: 5/10 she has never touched a sonic game and isn’t really a video game person but she has nothing against the guy.
- frank pricely: 9/10 i think frank watched SatAM as a kid and the franchise is special to him even if he doesn’t really engage. probably drew pictures of sonic and tails as a kid.
- linda monroe: 1/10 it’s beneath her. linda probably doesn’t like video game and i think she’d find everyone really fucking annoying. river likes sonic though :)
- sherman young: 1000/10 but he’s not fun about it. if you like something he doesn’t then you’re fucking stupid. why does sonic have a sword. why is sonic in a car. i don’t know sherman. he refuses to play a lot of the games and is very much a purist about a lot of shit. he hates silver the hedgehog sooooo much.
- zoey chambers: 0/10 would shame sonic likers.
- miss holloway: 5/10 sonic is too nineties for her eighties but some of the kids she’s worked with liked it and she has nothing against the guy.
- duke keane: 8/10 i think like becky he would enjoy stupid fun.
- ziggs: 10/10 i think ziggs is a sonic fan. and i’m not saying that just because they’re a furry i think they’d genuinely like it. they are not good at most of the games though, they usually can’t make it past the typical sonic late game difficulty boost. ziggs hasn’t read the comics but they might have watched some of the cartoons, you know?
- rose: 6/10 i think she would have a lot of fun if she played the games but it’s never gonna be something she gets super into. sonic games do tend to have fantastic soundtracks so maybe she’d eat that shit up.
- daniel (stopwatch): 100/10 he really likes sonic. sonic is his kind of guy. i think daniel is a big shadow fan.
- sophia (spitfire): 5/10 she has nothing against the guy but she doesn’t know who blaze is or why daniel keeps bringing it up.
- pete spankoffski: 12/10 he inherited ted’s old games and LOVED them. he doesn’t really engage with the non game media but i think he’s played like most of the games.
- stephanie lauter: 2/10 what’s this nerd shit? weird :/. i think she’d like it if she tried it.
- richie lipschitz: 10000/10 he loves sonic. he loveeeeeees sonic. he has read the comics he has seen the shows he can name all the characters. richie knows the lore. richie used to have a crush on sally acorn. richie can go on the worlds longest rant about sonic forces okay it just never ends. he thinks shadow is The Coolest Guy and he embraces the franchise wholeheartedly.
- ruth fleming: 1000/10 she likes sonic a lot. she knows so much about all the games and she loves going so so so fast. i think she also read the comics and watched the cartoons and i think her and richie argue about it like all the time. she does have a thing for rouge the bat AND shadow and i think she has a little plushie chao keychain on her backpack.
- grace chasity: -10000000000000/10 she HATES sonic she hates him so much. he fills her with so much rage she fucking hates his ass. number one sonic hater.
BONUS:
- wiggly: 0/10 this game is hard to play with tentacles
- blinky: 5/10 he doesn’t really care but watching the hedgehog go zoom is fun
- tinky: 10/10 he loves this shit he wants sonic to go FASTER
- nibbly: 0/10 he doesn’t care he eated his controller
- pokey: -10/10 he thinks sonic is an attention whore and only he gets to do that
- webby: 100000/10 webby would like sonic do you see the vision do you see it. i think webby eats that shit up.
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index of meta posts
Quick index of my meta posts.
Indexes: [two] [three] [third semester] [akechi's confidant]
The script I work from (which I did not make!) is here—page down to "Persona 5 Royal".
new posts
The missable chats and the Phan-Site ranking murders. (posted 2024/05/12)
Ren is the one who pushes the rivalry, not Akechi. (posted 2024/05/04)
Akechi knows Mona talks all along. (posted 2024/04/18)
Jose's star doesn't fade unless you establish a romance route. (posted 2024/04/16)
Did Akechi really say "Don't troll me online"? (posted 2024/04/01)
What exactly is Akechi famous for, and how long has he been famous? Also, can Akechi access Mementos? (updated 2024/03/30)
[P5R artbook] On Akechi's wish. (posted 2024/03/29)
How does the use of honorifics compare between the Japanese and English releases? (posted 2024/01/26)
[twitter] Material from the betas. (posted 2024/01/23)
Shido's Palace: what do the posters say? Also, Shido and Akechi and their top buttons. (updated 2024/01/22)
translation and language posts (incomplete)
Did Akechi really say "Don't troll me online"? (posted 2024/04/01)
How does the use of honorifics compare between the Japanese and English releases? (posted 2024/01/26)
Shido's Palace: what do the posters say? Also, Shido and Akechi and their top buttons. (posted 2024/01/14)
Rank 5: what did Akechi really say? Also, notes from the Spanish translation. (posted 2024/01/10)
Terms of address: what do the squad call Maruki? (posted 2023/12/29)
[my translation] Deleted scene: Akechi at the refuge in February. (posted 2023/12/05)
8/28 and 9/13: Was Akechi really in state foster care? (updated 2023/11/20)
Akechi's deepest fear: "It's too late, I'm going to die." (posted 2023/11/12)
[translation] Akechi's P5T character trailer. (posted 2023/11/08)
Ann's confidant, rank 9: "you have the others". (posted 2023/10/20)
1/2: Joker's "true form" responses in Maruki's Palace. (posted 2023/10/19)
Haru: "we'll just take him out again". (updated 2023/10/19)
What song did Ryuji and Morgana originally sing in Mementos? (posted 2023/09/21)
"you trusted no one": life in single-player mode. (posted 2023/06/09)
Followup ask: "one for your lies, and one for your hate". (posted 2023/06/15)
Followup ask: is it rather Loki who represents lies, and vice versa? (posted 2023/06/15)
6/5: "pleasant boy". (posted 2023/06/06)
A karisuma X is not a "charismatic X". (posted 2023/06/05)
aijin kankei: Akechi's mother's relationship with Shido was more like sex work than a love affair. (posted 2023/06/03)
On translation: 4/10 and Shido's Palace: "a diplomat and some company president"? (posted 2023/05/28)
Does Akechi really say "the same strategy used in romance"? (posted 2023/05/27)
Character speech modes. Also, is Yoshizawa addressing her persona during her awakening? (posted 2023/05/12)
"Phan-site", "phandom", "phanboy", etc. (posted 2023/05/04)
Translation: the list of incidents in the background of the 4/10 cinematic. (posted 2023/04/22)
No, Akechi doesn't say "welp". (posted 2023/04/17)
Morgana uses wagahai, because he is, after all, a cat. (posted 2023/04/11)
The difference between a "phantom thief" and a "gentleman thief" in the localisation. (posted 2023/04/06)
"cursed child": "a child whose birth was unwanted". needs possible updating for negative suffering passive not being a thing (would remove "inflicted on the mother") (posted 2023/02/15)
Shido describes himself as making Akechi "dance", and Akechi later describes himself as compelled to dance. (posted 2023/02/15)
Cognitive Akechi: it's "you wanted Shido to love you." (updated 2023/07/01)
What's a change of heart called in Japanese? (posted 2023/02/03)
"the fish are beautiful": Joker's impromptu diversion at the aquarium. (posted 2023/01/20)
"good-girl type of pushover": what's going on here and wtf is he trying to say. (posted 2023/01/07)
#i can never find these again#or remember what i already wrote about#rip me#i'll try to remember to update this#and mark when i update posts#which happens sometimes!#index
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LMAO I totally forgot that one of my favorite bits I've ever written for this fandom is in an upcoming section (10!) of this thing. I'm still proud of this shit over a year after writing it so uh enjoy (??)
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(Obedience, the Director will say, a grudging acknowledgment in passing that would once have earned her a cookie and now simply falls hollow on uncaring ears. But 06 will think of that video shown in secret, of small 22 clinging to his dignity then and the 22 she carries unconscious through the black glass doors who fought her for the same, and she will look that bitch in her cold, soulless eyes and say, loyalty.)
#firebreak book#06/22#consequences fic#fanfiction#nksverse#kasey writes#rip 22#flight & anchor#something something pristine imagery in my head for this bit. and i just really love significant references okay#also YAYYY foster pov 🖤 she's so fun to write omg
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20-06 Stacking Chair by Foster + Partners for Emeco.
#foster plus partners#emeco#20 06#metal chair#stacking chair#outdoor chair#dining chair#four legged chair#side chair#metal#contemporary chair
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songs in c3e58: giant egos
(timestamps from the ad-free version. does not include the generic combat music. “a wizard’s tournament” is the recap song.)
The Scrappers - 9:49
Spearmint & Tea Leaves - 27:26 and 29:32
Left is Left and Right is Center - 33:14
The Bronze Bastard - 34:42
Snake Skirmish - 35:17
Sea Elves - 35:33
All I Need is One Thread to Spin a Web - 35:49
A Fairy Remembers - 43:00
All I Need is One Thread to Spin a Web - 45:39
A Haven Away from Home - 49:22
Left is Left and Right is Center - 51:11
A Memory - 53:31
A Fairy Remembers - 55:43
Secret Basement - 1:00:16
All I Need is One Thread to Spin a Web - 1:02:42
Shadowfell - 1:06:27
Illsed's Secret - 1:11:18
The Purge - 1:14:34
context for each song + notes under the cut!
The Scrappers - 9:49 - Giant's war map / the giants defrosting
Spearmint & Tea Leaves - 27:26 and 29:32 - Callie addresses the giants while playing a fey lullaby / convinces them to talk
Left is Left and Right is Center - 33:14 - Giants argue about who should rule
The Bronze Bastard - 34:42 - High Ember Lord Charbin's intro (Fire Giant)
Snake Skirmish - 35:17 - Stone Commander Basalt Von Shale's intro (Stone Giant)
Sea Elves - 35:33 - Wavemother Akoralil's intro (Water/Fish Giant)
All I Need is One Thread to Spin a Web - 35:49 - Garrosh, Master of Whispers, introduces himself (Cloud Giant)
A Fairy Remembers - 43:00 - Callie tells the giants about the serpents and Oberon's prophecy
All I Need is One Thread to Spin a Web - 45:39 - Garrosh suggests that Raedak's election could've been influenced magically by him
A Haven Away from Home - 49:22 - Akoralil takes the giants to the Feywild
Left is Left and Right is Center - 51:11 - Garrosh admits to seeing Aryox's divination room
A Memory - 53:31 - Garrosh tells them about the Archfey in the Feywild during his time
A Fairy Remembers - 55:43 - Garrosh bows to Oberon/Foster
Secret Basement - 1:00:16 - Garrosh talks about Raedak's bloodlust and Havoc
All I Need is One Thread to Spin a Web - 1:02:42 - Telling Garrosh about their encounters with Havoc and Gowan's presence
Shadowfell - 1:06:27 - Looking for the source of Havoc's smoke
Illsed's Secret - 1:11:18 - Moving deeper in to the hallway with the mist, moving towards Havoc's source
The Purge - 1:14:34 - Scrawled writing / Gowan in the carvings
Note: Berelain (the hill giant) just gets a generic combat song as her intro.
#naddpod#ba2mia#naddpod spoilers#song timestamps#and once again tagging song names!#the scrappers#spearmint & tea leaves#left is left and right is center#the bronze bastard#snake skirmish#sea elves#all i need is one thread to spin a web#a fairy remembers#a haven away from home#a memory#secret basement#shadowfell#illsed's secret#the purge
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Save me Malleus Malleus save me save me malleus draconia malleus draconia rescue me give me strength give me wisdom encourage me malleus draconia king of fae prince of briar valley one of the top 5 mages in twisted wonderland 3rd year class d seat 06 ramshackle loiterer gargoyle enthusiast ice cream afficionado grandson of maleficia draconia son of meleanor draconia foster son of lilia vanrouge foster brother of silver von twisted wonderland boss of sebek zigvolt one and only hornton of yuu save me save me
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The Life of Hermione Malfoy
The Life of Hermione Malfoy
https://ift.tt/XMKNaiW
by Ghottass
A little girl of about five finds herself alone in Diagon Alley, and Narcissa Malfoy pays attention to her. She takes the baby to her home and decides to leave her in her family to raise her as her own daughter.
AU, where Hermione Granger grew up in a Malfoy family and was raised as Draco's future wife.
Words: 3164, Chapters: 2/10, Language: English
Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Categories: F/M
Characters: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Additional Tags: Romance, Consensual Underage Sex, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Pseudo-Incest, Vaginal Sex, Harry Potter was Raised by Other(s), Magic, Foster Care, Seduction to the Dark Side
via AO3 works tagged 'Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy' https://ift.tt/6iQaHgy
April 30, 2024 at 06:19AM
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ICYMI: My Sonic Frontiers Criticism/Essay Is Out Now
youtube
So here's the last four months of my life come to fruition: the longest piece of edited criticism I've ever put on my Youtube channel, clocking in at just over an hour. For those of you that may be new around here, I am pretty against making long videos. I don't know if I overthink things too much or what, but it's rare for me to have much tolerance for feature-length reviews of things. They can wear me out just watching them, and it definitely wears me out to make them.
But sometimes you just have a lot to say. And I didn't even necessarily say everything I could have said here; there were things I would have added if not for the looming deadline proposed by the video sponsor. That's not a complaint -- sometimes you need someone else to tell you "be done by this date or else." Limitations foster creativity and toiling away at perfection can sometimes be just as toxic as crunch.
What I was trying to say is it's a big video, and it was hard keeping everything straight in my head because there was so much. One of those times where I was glad how I planned things out in advance, because sometimes the thoughts you had four months ago are not the same thoughts you have today, and the thoughts from four months ago were better.
It's already proving to be a bit of a divisive video, given I am going against the grain here. But I'm a big boy. I've spent time on the front lines of these sorts of things before. I know how to handle myself. I mean, half the reason I started my tumblr back in the day was pointing out some of the truly deranged takes I'd get in the replies to my Sonic 06 video.
Though I do worry. I'm getting a lot of people who are... politely declining to tell me what they think. More than a few "I don't agree with you, but I'm glad you released this video" that then never elaborate further. And that makes me feel bad? But why? Do I want to argue with my friends? Not particularly.
But more to the point, are people afraid to argue with me? Do I get too aggressive? I've picked up on a vibe, not just from friends, where people seem to go out of their way to avoid arguments with and/or around me. I mean I literally just said I started my Tumblr blog as a "get a load of this guy in my comments" spotlight (which, for the record, I don't do anymore). I don't want to be scary. But is it scary, or is it a strength? Or am I just imagining the whole thing? History says it's probably that last one, but it doesn't stop me from wondering. It's a lot to chew on.
At the end of the day, I do think parts of this script could have been better. I do kind of get a little mean at a couple points in ways I could have written around. A lot of people are bristling at the opening spiel, where I get more than a little "you people" about the Game Awards voting situation. There's another part later in the video where I also feature actual comments from a previous video and as I was editing it together I thought, "this sounds mean." But given I was less than 24 hours away from that deadline, I just had to roll with it (so I at least blurred the names and cropped the avatars out).
I'll end this post by quoting what I wrote on Patreon day before yesterday for the early access version of this video:
What a march this has been. I've worked on some videos that felt like they took forever, but nothing like this. This felt like the project that would never end. Some of that's because, after pushing myself so hard on the Sonic Adventure 2 video, I tried to be a little more casual with this one. I think I started the script around the end of April, a couple weeks after finishing the game on-stream. The idea was to avoid burnout.
And then the script grew, and grew, and grew, to be the longest script I've ever written. After doing voice over, I had three hours of material I had to cut down. I captured more than 60 hours of gameplay from more than 50 games. Thank goodness I took the time to stop and "storyboard" out this review like I did with the SA2 video. It actually proved to be extremely valuable here -- with a video this long, that takes so long to put together, it's hard to keep all of your ideas hot and ready in your head. Often I'd fall back to the storyboard and realize I planned something months ago that was way better than what I was doing in the moment.
And then in July, a sponsor came calling again. Suddenly I had a real deadline. The last four weeks have been a race to move this mountain of material into something resembling the shape of a video. The last couple days in particular have felt something like a miracle. A work ethic I hadn't tapped into in years suddenly roared to life as I locked down 20+ minutes of video in a matter of hours. It may have involved several actual panic attacks and me running on about four hours of sleep, but here we are.
I was revising the script all the way up until a week ago. In retrospect, the sponsor segment probably leans a little too much on SAGE content, but by the time I realized that the train was barreling down the tracks too fast to stop. Thoughts for next time, I guess.
Patrons get a PDF of the script I used, including an unfinished earlier draft I abandoned where I think I was actually even meaner about it, if you can believe it. They also get a PDF of what my "storyboarding" process looks like (which is all just text).
I'll probably toss up a post for all the art I made for this video, too.
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