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putschki1969 · 1 year

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Wakana 3rd Album Details Revealed & New Artist Visual

Following the little teasers from yesterday, we finally have some concrete news today.

Wakana’s 3rd original album 『そのさきへ』 ("Sono saki e") will be released physically/digitally on May 31st. The first new album in over 3 years welcomes Satoshi Takebe as producer and is comprised of a total of 10 tracks including the songs "標 (Shirushi)" composed by singer-songwriter Yoshiko Hanzaki, “明日を夢見て歌う(Asu wo Yume Mite Utau)” composed/arranged by Satoshi Takebe with lyrics written by Wakana as well as "Flag", a character theme song for the mobile app “Memento Mori”. Other songs will be announced at a later date. Please look forward to it.

[Comment from Wakana] This 3rd album "Sono Saki e (Beyond this point)" will be the first album in 3 years and 3 months since my previous work "magic moment". The title of this album came from the desire to “walk towards the future together”. We are all living in the same world, living in the same time. As long as we are alive, we are always moving forward. No matter how sad or painful things are, time won't stop or wait for us, we can't stand still. If there are people who feel loneliness in such a time, I want them to remember that they are not alone. I want to make the kind of music that always stays by someone's side. It's not an exaggeration but if my music can make you smile, it makes me happier than anything else. With the help of Satoshi Takebe and many other people, I was able to bring my thoughts and feelings to life. While waiting impatiently for the day we can finally release it, we will carefully work on the final details of the album. Please look forward to the finished result! ***Wakana***

【Original 3rd Album『そのさきへ』Product Specification】

[Title]　そのさきへ [Release date]　2023/05/31 　 Cover images from left to right (Type A, Type B, Regular)

◆First Press Limited Edition Type A（CD+DVD）：VIZL-2189、6,600円 Bonus Content： ●Live DVD「Wakana Classics 2022 ～Christmas Special～」（~86min）＜Setlist＞ 01.約束の夜明け, 02.442, 03.オレンジ, 04.夕焼け, 05.myself, 06.時には昔の話を, 07.愛にできることはまだあるかい, 08.君の銀の庭, 09.標, 10.明日を夢見て歌う, 11. Flag, 12. Happy Hello Day, 13.記憶の人, 14. magic moment ※The Christmas songs (Winter Wonderland & Silent Night) are not included

◆First Press Limited Edition Type B（2CD＋Photo booklet＋Poster、LP Sized Package）：VIZL-2190、6,050円 Bonus content： ●LP Sized Package ●LP Sized Photo booklet ●Poster（B2 size) ●LIVE CD with audio tracks of「Wakana Classics 2022 ～Christmas Special～」（~86min）※same setlist as the DVD

◆Regular Edition（CD）：VICL-65821、3,300円

Tower Records In-Store Release Events

In commemoration of the release of the new album "Sono Saki e", two in-store events will be held for the first time in a while at CD shops in Tokyo and Osaka. ◆ [Tokyo] June 10, 19:00- Tower Records Shibuya ◆ [Osaka] June 17, 14:00- Tower Records Umeda

At both venues, a mini-live and a present handover event will be held. The present will be a signed clear file (A4 size). The mini-live at Tower Records Shibuya on June 10th can be viewed online via teket by all those who purchased at Tower Records nationwide and Tower Records Online. If you can't watch it in real time, there is also a one-week archive period. ※Starting from May 30, those who purchase a copy of the target product in the target stores will receive a ticket voucher which can be exchanged for a numbered admission ticket to the in-store events (tickets are limited!) ※In addition to the above mentioned benefits, customers will also receive the store specific tokuten postcard

Victor Online Sign Events

To celebrate the release of the new album "Sono Saki e", two online sign events will be held for those who purchase the album in the Victor Online Store. ◆【1st】 4/16 13h～　BUY HERE　(Pre-order deadline: 4/15)　 ◆【2nd】5/13 17h～　BUY HERE (Pre-order deadline: 5/12)

As a purchase privilege, you will receive an alternate version of the "Sono Saki e" cover with a different visual depending on the day. This cover image will be signed by Wakana and include a personal reference with your chosen nickname. Both events will be broadcast on YouTube and archived until April 23, May 20 respectively. ※The store specific tokuten postcard will NOT be included

Store Specific Tokuten

In addition, there will be a first-come-first-served purchase privilege for the new album "Sono Saki e" in nationwide store. Those who purchase the album at "Animate", "Gamers", "Tower Records", "HMV", "TSUTAYA RECORDS", "Rakuten Books", "Seven Net Shopping" or "Victor Online Store" will receive a "Wakana Visual Postcard" as present. Those who purchase at "Amazon.co.jp" will receive a “Mega Jacket/Cover”.

Fan Club Exclusive Tokuten

For members of Wakana's official fan club "Botanical Land", there will be special presents for those who order a specified copy. Fan club members will receive a CD with a live audio track of "Nagareboshi" which was performed during the fan club exclusive ending section of 「Wakana Classics 2022 ～Christmas Special～」 as well as a photo card (A5 size) with an autograph. Preorder period: 2023/3/15～4/14. More details HERE. ※Specified copies are sold in the Victor Online Store ※The store specific tokuten postcard will be included

Photoshoot Offshots

Wakana Instagram post

#kalafina #wakana #news #wakana solo work #Sono Saki e #そのさきへ #tower recrods release event #victor online sign event #fan club exclusive content #Wakana Classics 2022 ～Christmas Special～#Flag #OMG #so much to digest #goodbye money #making this post took so long #why no XMAS songs tho T_T #wonder why the live footage is only available on DVD?

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delicatepointofview · 2 years

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love is real and my head hurts

#so much to digest

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alexeiadrae · 2 years

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Thoughts on J-Novel Translation of The Demon Slayers, Ch 4

I’m on Cloud Nine ya’ll. First it’s incredible that the first fifteen have an official English translation. I gave up hope when TokyoPop abandoned the project, and when J-Novel made their announcement I was scared they would do the same. But here we are! And there are so many goodies in this chapter to think over and ponder and so much fanfic fodder and so much Gourrina and…this is how you make Monday’s great folks.

-Something that occurred to me after I gathered my thoughts last week is just how much Luke does not want Lina and Gourry to find out who he is. I think he didn’t want them to have his death on their conscience.

-I have questions about Luke’s clothing, mainly were they organic or astral projections his fragment of Shabby was able to create? I guess he couldn’t do much for his hair though.

-I think this is where Lina’s more limited life experience shows a bit. Gourry definitely takes the lead a bit and you can see what he learned from his family taking control here. He knows you can’t talk someone out of a path they’re determined to take no matter how much you disagree with them. So many people get caught in the trap of thinking if they could find the right argument when they’re dealing with someone driven by an emotional need. Gourry knows he just has to let Luke take this destructive path.

-The other thing I’ve been giving thought to is why some demons followed the Demon Lord of the North and others Luke. With Hellmaster and Gaav gone, that leaves Greater Beast, Dolphin and Dynast and their underlings. Since Greater Beast and Dolphin are following Luke then I’d assume that Dynast is following the Demon King of the North. Perhaps being in an injured state left Dynast more amenable to the Demon Lord of the North with his “communication difficulties.”

-Considering I tend to see Greater Beast and Xellos as smart and Dynast as a bit of an idiot with Hellmaster somewhere in between, I speculate that Greater Beast and Xellos may not be a fan of ideas that involve humans ushering in the destruction of the world because of the unpredictability and the risk of it backfiring against them. Finding the fragment of Shabby in humans worked against the Mazoku race, as did using Lina to cast a Giga Slave. Having the Demon Lord of the North encased in ice seems to be the most neutral outcome they’ve had from it, while the other two resulted in big losses for their side. Hence why I suspect Xellos was not a fan of Hellmaster’s plan. Completely my speculation though.

-I think we see how Lina’s safety factors into Gourry’s decision here. He doesn’t want to fight Luke but he will because the risk to Lina’s safety is too great otherwise. And he also knows and accepted he’d not going to change Luke’s mind

-I find it so fascinating that Lina starts to refer to Luke as “The Dark Lord” when they start fighting, like she’s trying to emotionally distance herself from what she had to do.

-In this translation, the reason Lina can’t use Ra Tilt is because she’s unable to do the visualization required. Apparently spell casting also requires visualization in addition to chants and hand movements. That’s an interesting dynamic I’ll have to think about more, but I guess some people have more of a brain for different types of magic visualization, which makes sense.

-I have thoughts on Mileena that I will save for a different post.

-In the fan translations I’d wondered if Rubia had a shard of Shabby, but reading this translation I’m less inclined to think that. I think she’s more of an example to Lina of moving forward despite tragedy. She does have red hair though!

-I love how Gourry carries the burden of killing Luke with her, the we-ness of it. I love the hurt-comfortness of that scene!

-“How about taking me to meet your family?” ZOMG! ZOMG! ZOMG! I knew it was coming but to see it translated like that! OMG! I am on Cloud Nine!

I honestly had prepared myself for disappointment with the novels, but they far exceeded my expectations for Gourrina shippiness! I love how HK writes their relationship.

#the slayers #lina inverse #gourry gabriev #gourrina #Gourrina galore #slayers translated #slayers translations #j-novel club #there goes my heart #luke (slayers)#mazoku #so much to digest #but i gotta make dinner

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crabussy · 1 year

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hey. don’t cry. crush four cloves of garlic into a pot with a dollop of olive oil and stir until golden then add one can of crushed tomatoes a bit of balsamic vinegar half a tablespoon of brown sugar and stir for a few minutes adding a handful of fresh spinach until wilted and mix in half a cup of grated parmesan cheese and pasta of your choice ok?

#ITS MY FAVOURITE PASTA RECIPE #tastes so so good and delicious and hearty and warm #doesn’t require many ingredients or effort and is so yummy #I have sensory issues and digestive disorders and this recipe brings me so much joy #barely anything to remember!!! rich while still easy on the stomach!!!!#listen to my gibberish boy #you can add any amount of sugar and vinegar and cheese it works regardless #I UPPED THE GARLIC BECAUSE OF FEEDBACK BTW #AND PUT THE CHEESE AT THE END TO AVOID IT STICKING TO THE POT

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magnus-rhymes-with-swagness · 9 months

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OKAY who wants to hear about why i think nimona challenges amatonormativity? you do! 🫵

one of the main ways this is accomplished is through ballister and ambrosius’s relationship. it’s arguable that it doesn’t necessarily fit the traditional model of romance - not only are they a queer interracial couple, and not only is their relationship ambiguous in the book, but there are certain instances, especially in the movie, that subvert traditional ideas of romance and friendship.

one instance that really stands out to me is when the director asks ambrosius what’s on his mind and he goes on his imagined rant about how arm-chopping isn’t a love language - you know the one. when he mentions ballister, he refers to him as “the man i love, my best friend.” and not just one or the other, but both! the man i love, and my best friend. he places equal emphasis on both the romantic and platonic aspects of the relationship, valuing ballister in both a romantic context and a platonic context without treating either one as more important than the other.

and even moments such as the first “i love you” and the kiss manage to subvert tradition. both of these things are generally seen as a pretty big deal, especially in fiction - if the characters are kissing or saying “i love you,” it’s usually a moment in which everything changes. a line is drawn, dividing the story into after and now. sometimes it’s dramatic and climactic, with fireworks and a swell of music, but even when it isn’t it’s still seen as a turning point of sorts. now it’s official, now it’s real. but this isn’t the case in nimona. both moments are certainly significant - they do a good job of showcasing the character development and where ballister and ambrosius are on their respective journeys, and are certainly important in terms of representation - but neither one follows the path that most fictional romance does.

another way in which nimona challenges amatonormativity would be the emphasis on friendship! in the tavern scene (in the movie) when ambrosius suggests killing nimona, ballister disagrees and says “she’s my friend.” ambrosius replies with “aren’t i more than that?”, implying he’s more important than a friend - thus upholding amatonormative ideas. ballister becomes angry at that and leaves - challenging this idea and prioritizing his platonic relationship with nimona over his romantic one with ambrosius, as nimona is the one he wants to defend.

additionally, a big part of this scene is the way ballister deliberately rejects institute values while ambrosius unintentionally upholds them. and because the story challenges homophobia and transphobia (and other forms of bigotry) through the lens of the institute, it would make sense for it to challenge amatonormativity too! it’s something that’s become incredibly normalized, to the point that lots of people don’t even know it exists, and this is reminiscent of the institute brainwashing, especially when it comes to ambrosius - he’s been manipulated his whole life and probably genuinely doesn’t understand the level to which he’s internalized institute beliefs.

ballister prioritizes nimona many times, actually. when he tells ambrosius she’s “smart, kind, and quite sophisticated,” when he’s overjoyed to see her again at the end, when he refuses to kill her and saves her instead. over and over, he proves how much he cares about her, even when this involves directly going against what ambrosius wants - which, of course, is really what the institute wants. a core tenant of amatonormativity is the false notion that romantic relationships are more important or valuable than other types of relationships, but ballister actively goes against this!

to conclude, as a story that at its core is about identity and challenging societal beliefs, nimona defies expectations and traditional ideas of what it should or shouldn’t be. it’s possible that amatonormativity wasn’t what the creators had in mind, but the story still manages to challenge it with grace and elegance. just like its main character, nimona refuses to conform to what others want it to be.

#nimona #nimona movie #ballister blackheart #ballister boldheart #ambrosius goldenloin #ballister x ambrosius #ambrosius x ballister #nimona netflix #nd stevenson #nimona spoilers #i could go on tbh but i think this is a digestible amount #often when i’m writing a meta i’ll walk around in circles talking into my phone recording my thoughts out loud #and then i’ll play it back and put the most coherent stuff into a list which eventually becomes paragraphs #and the combined recordings for this one are about half an hour in total lol #i’m just. absolutely in love with the whole story. both the book and the movie mean so incredibly much to me #changed my life shaped me as a person etc etc :’)#OH i almost forgot. this analysis is dedicated to the person who sent me aphobic anon hate about it before it even existed lol #i know i said i wouldn’t post anything if people couldn’t be normal but idc actually. seethe with rage! <3 #my words #meta

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thedisablednaturalist · 3 months

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If I ever went scuba diving I would probably drown due to the fact I would start screaming in pure ecstasy the second I saw 1 crab

#wrenfea.exe #i have to be careful how much invertebrate content i digest at once #bc i will have a fucking heart attack from how much pure adrenaline and dopamine surge through my veins when I see one #literally i get so happy i start feeling dizzy and faint #i also become the most annoying person in the world #marine biology #fishblr #invertebrates #scuba diving #i have screamed out loud when watching my friends scuba videos #i stood up and starting whooping and hollering when a baracuda swam by #she was not amused

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virtualdimensionsss · 2 months

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finally reading (listening) to p&p and im finally understanding why people like it so much

its actually so funny like. elizabeth being ✨in agonies✨ cos of her family being embarassing in public is like. damn girl me too. some things never change huh.

#pride and prejudice #jane austen #i tjink the audiobook has really done so much for me #ive tried the book so many times and i just couldnt digest the writing #but it makes a lot more sense to me read aloud #especially the dialogues n stuff #i tjink i read too fast to properly absorb whats shes saying

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nopanamaman · 5 months

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Is there any time we can expect the comic to be out by? Like, a vague guess. I would guess March but that feels too early lmao

The whole comic is 90-95 pages long and is currently on page 52. I post 3 pages a week on average, so it should be complete in 14-15 weeks. So like three months and a half? Probably?

Plus, I'll most likely make some adjustments that I didn't gave time for when posting pages on a weekly basis, which may take an extra week.

All in all, I think late March to mid April is the most realistic estimate!

#asks #parties are for losers #execution comic #Honestly can't wait to release it in full because it's so much more digestible when read in a single sitting

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strawberriemarswrites · 2 months

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CHAPTER SEVEN

Chapter Summary: You're having some interesting dreams lately, and one day after work you catch some unwanted attention. Good thing someone's started following you home. Pairing: Bartolomeo x F!Reader Rating: Explicit, NSFW Chapter (18+ only; PiV sex) TW: public harassment, Barto's full-on stalking now, first dream is nice and steamy but the second dream at the end involves a bit of gore Ao3 Link: Chapter Seven (2,877 words)

Spring melted into Summer, and you quickly learned the AC rattled for just a bit too long whenever it turned on. It hadn’t yet been pushed to its limit, but it left you worried that it would kick the bucket when the first truly scorching day rolled around. It worked for now, at least, which was a godsend given the more pressing matter at hand.

Namely, someone pressing into you while you were bent over the kitchen counter. You weren’t entirely sure how you got there, or how Bartolomeo got into the apartment, but things had apparently escalated quickly.

His hands gripped your hips, your toes grazing the floor with each languid push. He nuzzled the shell of your ear, and you were surprised his septum ring was still cold against your skin, sending shocks down your spine.

“Sweetheart,” he purred, his voice impossibly low.

“Barto,” you whined, his name echoing despite the small space. “More.”

He obeyed, pulling out almost completely only to slam back in, his pace increasing. He was long, that much you knew, even though you hadn’t seen it. No matter how deep he pushed, he always seemed to be able to go even deeper, his cock dragging against your tight walls as his pace grew more erratic.

“My girl. Mine.” He punctuated his statement with a hard thrust, the rough handling contrasting sharply with the soft kisses and playful bites on your neck and shoulders. Sparks flew through your veins as the head of his cock pressed against your sweet spot. You hardly recognized yourself through the animalistic cry that wrenched free, your cunt being pushed to its limit.

Right on the cusp of release, a familiar rattling sound cut through the air.

Blearily, you opened your eyes. You were flopped over on your couch, dried drool on your cheek. The AC was wheezing to life, pulling you from your delicious reverie.

You groaned, covering your face. “Fuck.”

It was a beautiful evening as you got out of work for the day. The sky was a gradient of pinks and oranges as the sun began its slow descent below the skyline. Its reflection glinted off of buildings and cars, filling your vision with little sparks of gold.

The darkening sky made it easier for Bartolomeo to keep an eye on you as he followed you home, keeping three buildings between you and him.

For all intents and purposes, he could have casually walked up and passed off his presence as a coincidence, as if he was just out running errands. He imagined you’d ask if he wanted to walk home with you, something he’d do with all the enthusiasm of a puppy playing with his favorite toy. Maybe you could stop at the diner, and he’d actually get a chance to show that he loved the little brushes of contact with your legs against his. Maybe he’d even get to feel those legs around his hips—

Bartolomeo shook his head, expelling the thought. This was why he was following from a distance. He didn’t trust himself not to overwhelm you with advances, or let slip one of his more lewd thoughts.

You were blissfully unaware, a slight spring in your step as you walked down the steps to the subway platform. He watched you swipe a train pass and waited for you to turn the corner, before jumping the turnstiles and resuming the pursuit.

He’d never admit that, despite the risk of being caught, he was starting to get a bit of a thrill out of the whole situation. You hadn’t said anything about noticing break-ins in a while, which meant he was getting better about hiding his tracks. On occasion he hid on the fire escape when he knew you were awake, or sat by your door and listened to you play with Luffy or sing to yourself. Part of him felt guilty still, but that part was slowly getting quieter as he continued to get away with his antics.

Following you was another step down into the obsession pit. Bartolomeo could justify it to himself all he wanted to, despite the obvious truth. He boarded the subway car behind yours, watching your back through the windows.

The car you chose was less crowded than usual for this time of day, devoid of the locals you’d grown accustomed to seeing. It wasn’t completely empty, as there was a group of people near the front of the car who were too loud for the tiny space, horsing around and engaging in general foolishness. Not long after you sat down and started to look at your phone, however, the volume died down somewhat, replaced with some muttering and hushed snickering. Maybe they were being more considerate now that someone else was in the car with them.

If only they were that kind.

A few minutes passed before a shadow loomed over you. Startled, you looked up.

A blond man with sunglasses was staring down at you with a wide grin. He had two long scars across either side of his face, giving him an almost ruggedly handsome appearance, if it weren’t for the fact he was leaning over you with imposing intent.

“Hey there, dollface,” he said. “Traveling alone?”

You bristled, tucking your phone away. “I’m meeting someone.”

He laughed, “Sure you are. Who’re you meeting? A boyfriend?”

You shook your head, pulling your shoulders in, instinctively making yourself smaller.

The man laughed, “Aw, no need to be shy. I’m just making conversation.” He suddenly leaned over you, putting one hand over the back of the seat. “Tell you what — why don’t you ditch whoever it is and come join us?” He tipped his sunglasses down. “I’m sure my friends and I could show you a fun time.”

You tried to inch away, pressing yourself closer to the cool window. “I’m just meeting a friend. I’m sure we can have a fun time by ourselves.”

“Maybe they can join us. The more the merrier, right?” He cocked his head, looking you up and down. “If they’re half as pretty as you, you’ll both look good on either arm.”

You suppressed the urge to gag, instead shaking your head again. “I’m really not interested in a night out, thank you.”

“So a night in, then? I don’t mind going back to your place.”

You ground your teeth, a dial in your head moving a few notches from flight toward fight. Why couldn’t this guy take a hint? Abruptly, you stood, throwing him off guard enough that you were able to push past him and stand by the doors. “No. Thank you. Maybe some other time.”

One of his friends piped up from the front of the car, “Come on, Bellamy. She said she’s not interested.”

He shot the group a glare before smiling at you again, his tongue peeking out between his teeth as he regained his composure.

“Your loss,” he said with a shrug and leaned against a support pole as the train slowly pulled to a stop. “See you around.”

You couldn’t get off the train fast enough, not caring that you were still several stops away from the apartment. You took off at a brisk jog, rushing back up to the open air and hugging yourself as you tried to come down from the adrenaline rush. You knew your way to the next station, you could get back on once the train came back around — surely they’d all be gone by then. The sky began to darken further as you slowed back down to a walk, pushing your hair back with a shaking hand. Granted, it was a brief encounter, but you were confident you’d had enough excitement for one night.

With that thought, you again tempted fate.

As you came up to the next subway entrance, you grew increasingly aware of a chill down your spine. Initially, you chalked it up to the slight drop in temperature of the crisp summer evening, but it started to feel more like there were eyes on you. You rounded the signpost for the subway entrance, trying to casually catch sight of whoever may have been behind you—

On the entrance stairs was the scarred man — Bellamy, was it? — surrounded by his entourage.

“Hey there, dollface.” He grinned, his tongue darting out between his teeth. “Where’s that friend you were meeting?”

After assessing each one of his friends in turn, the dial in your brain switched back to flight so quickly the knob broke.

Voices shouted behind you as you ran faster than you believed you ever could, your steps thundering against the concrete. You couldn’t tell if the streets were strangely empty, or if you were running past people so fast that you stopped seeing them, only registering them as obstacles to dodge as you fled. You probably should have cried for help, but by the time you thought about it, your voice was lost in your lungs, smothered by the chilled night air that filled them. The only thing on your mind now was run.

Just as you made a sharp turn into an alley, a hand shot out and grabbed your arm, finally wrenching free the shriek caught in your chest. You clawed at the hand grabbing you, glaring daggers at Bellamy as he took off his sunglasses to stare down at you.

“Aw, you’re even prettier when you’re pissed off,” he laughed, lifting your arm over your head. With a sickening lurch in your stomach you felt your feet leave the ground, and your shoulder strained as he effortlessly held you up like you weighed nothing. He stopped when he had you dangling a good few feet above the sidewalk, his eyes wide and manic. “I’ll give you another chance: lemme show you a nice time, huh?”

It probably wasn’t the wisest decision, given the position you found yourself in, but it was the only thing you could think to do. You felt your palm sting and your feet hit the concrete before you fully realized you slapped him, hard enough to make him drop you. Staggering, you took off again in the direction you came, weaving around Bellamy’s friends only to run straight into someone’s chest. Panicked, you balled your hands into fists before you looked up and saw whose chest it was.

Bartolomeo put an arm around your shoulders and held you close, staring straight ahead at his target. In spite of the red creeping into his periphery, his expression was calm, only showing the bare minimum of the rage he felt firing through his nerves. “There a problem here?”

Bellamy’s troupe gave him a wide berth as he approached, a fading red handprint on the left side of his face. “What’s it to you?”

“Nothin’,” Bartolomeo started gently coaxing you behind him. “Just a friend passin’ through.”

The cocky grin from before slowly crept back up as Bellamy made eye contact with you. “Guess you weren’t lying after all about that friend.” His gaze then met Bartolomeo’s. “Not all that pretty though.”

“Funny,” Bartolomeo smirked, “that’s not what your mother was sayin’.”

Bellamy seethed, cracking his knuckles. “Looks like you and your little bitch need to learn some manners.”

Bartolomeo’s brow ticked and he took a step forward, before he felt you lightly pull on the back of his leather jacket. He looked down to you, putting an arm around your shoulders.

You tugged on his jacket again. He was outnumbered, and you really didn’t want to see him get hurt. “Come on, he’s not worth it,” you said. “Let’s just go home.”

His expression softened slightly, his fury abating. “You sure?”

You nodded, and he relented, turning his back slightly—

Before ducking out of range of a right hook. He backed up to keep out of Bellamy’s reach, nudging you further behind him. Bellamy threw another punch, and Bartolomeo brought both fists up to protect his face.

You quickly backed away from the fight, surprised to see the rest of the group do the same, as Bartolomeo swung from the left. As Bellamy went to block, he was struck from the right and nailed in the solar plexus, knocking the wind from him. Fueled further by the anger flooding his veins, Bartolomeo started wailing on his face, the sound of flesh hitting flesh and crunching bone echoing against the buildings.

You flinched with each hit, unable to look away as Bellamy’s face turned bloodier and more bruised. One of his friends tried to step forward before another one stopped him, muttering things between them before giving Bartolomeo a wide-eyed stare and backing up further.

Finally, the sounds stopped, and Bartolomeo shoved Bellamy backward toward his friends. He looked dazed, for as much as one who could barely see through the swelling on his face could, blood staining down the front of his shirt. Cuts on his cheeks and nose stood out sharply against the bruises, and he struggled to stand upright, before staggering back and being caught by two of his bigger comrades.

Bartolomeo turned back to you, barely having broken a sweat, knuckles bruised and his shirt spattered with blood.

You gaped, your heart racing, and a faint flush crept to your cheeks.

That is. Disturbingly hot.

He pulled you to his side with an arm around your shoulder, holding you close as he led you from the bloodbath. “C’mon, sweetheart. Let’s get home.”

When you returned back to the apartment, you spent way too long in your living room helicoptering around Bartolomeo and dressing his knuckles, trying to insist that you treat his shirt with peroxide, and fangirling about how he handled that fight. He happily let you do so, even allowing you to shove an icepack into his less bruised hand to take with him, despite him having plenty of first aid material already. He was just relieved he’d gotten off the subway in time to follow you, and that you hadn’t noticed him when you were trying to get to the next station.

And he was relieved to show that prick what happens when someone messes with his girl.

Later that night as you slept, you felt a weight on your chest. You tried to move it, assuming it was Luffy, but your arms wouldn’t listen. You tried to roll over, but your body wouldn’t budge. You felt hot, heavy breathing across your face, and with immense effort you managed to open your eyes.

Bartolomeo was straddling your waist, his arms on either side of your head to keep his body from completely pinning yours down. His lips were pulled back into a snarl, his eyes glowing. His teeth looked even larger, especially up so close. Puffs of steam came from his mouth as he breathed, and in the darkness you weren’t sure if what was dripping from his lips was drool or blood.

You couldn’t stop the snarky part of you from saying, “What large teeth you have.”

Bartolomeo’s snarl turned into a grin. It was definitely blood coming down from between his teeth. His voice came out low, layered over itself as he growled, “Better to eat you with.”

The weight on your chest moved, and you looked down. There was a pile of gore, gently beating.

“A gift?” you asked, your voice detached and distant.

He leaned down to your ear, “Our heart.”

An interesting word choice. Not “my”, not “your”. Our heart.

His tongue slid over your cheek as he pulled away, leaving behind a dark, wet trail over your face. Your arms finally responded to your demands as you reached up to try and keep him in place. But your hand slipped right through him, instead landing right on top of the messy heart on your chest.

It felt strangely furry, and made a very confused “mrrreep”.

You opened your eyes with a gasp. No Bartolomeo, no heart, just Luffy wondering why you awoke him from his sleep. You pushed yourself upright, surveying the room.

Nothing. No one. Just you and the kitty.

And it was uncomfortably hot in your bedroom.

You groaned and gently nudged Luffy off of you, stretching as you rolled out of bed to find a box fan. There was no way in hell you were going to try messing with the AC this late at night. You retrieved the fan from the hall closet, flicking on the light in your room as you dragged it over to the window to the fire escape. Before you could push it open, something on the floor caught your eye.

Flecks of rust, dirt, and chipped paint were scattered around near the window. You groaned, crouching down to look at them a bit closer. You knew you vacuumed just the day before, so where the hell did the stuff come from?

You got your answer when you opened the window and bits of rust shook loose, littering the carpet.

It occurred to you that you’d never opened this window before now.

Everything you had been trying to ignore, everything you thought had been resolved, all of it came flooding back, pouring in from the window and sending debris to your floor.

Someone had been in your bedroom. And the fire escape was how they got in.