#been trying to focus more on characters individually lately

[multi-fxndom446]

You came? You called.

Scenario: John Price, Kyle ‘Gaz’ Garrick, John ‘soap’ Mactavish and Simon ‘ghost’ Riley

This is part one to three parts. All of these include the, “you came…you called.” As different scenarios I saw them being used in for these characters.

Honestly I can do a part two to this or even do an individual one-shot for a specific character. So if either of those sound interesting please please request it.

All of these were written in mind of different tropes but pretty much boil down to you both love each other. (Sorry if some of these are ooc I did my best😭)

Part Two Part Three

~~

Captain John Price

Warning: blood, pretty open ended 👀

“Does anyone have eyes on Y/n?” Price asked after several minutes of silence from you. He had been trying for what felt like hours to get in contact but you either couldn’t hear him or you were in a place you couldn’t respond.

There was a third option but he didn’t even want to think about it being a possibility.

“The house straight ahead of you,” ghost gruff voice cut through the silence. “Looks like backup was called over there.”

Price took a deep breathe, his eyes zoned in straight ahead. You had to be there.

As he opened his mouth to start giving off orders the sound of a soft whisper came through. So soft none of them caught it the first time.

Then it came again, “captain..” it was your voice. You were whispering like you were scared of getting caught by someone.

He felt his entire body tense at the way your strained voice finally clicked in his head. “I’m going to get her.”

Before his men could even argue price was running toward the house. He could hear a small curse and more footsteps joining not to far behind and he knew his men were running to join him.

“Price. I don’t know if I can get out of this one alive.” You words had him speeding up and with the help of the rest they cleared the house in no time.

Price found you not even a second later, you were trying to put pressure on a wound and he could tell you lost a lot of blood from the way you couldn’t focus your eyes on him.

You went completely limp the moment he picked you up in his arms like you knew you were finally safe.

It’s all he could think about while he stood outside the medic bay. He carried you inside and handed you off to let them take care of you so all he was left to do was wait.

But only a few minutes later your voice came back to him louder as you screamed his name from inside. He could hear the nurses trying to calm you down but you kept screaming for him.

He rushed in and as soon as your eyes connected with his you immediately stopped struggling. Your body slumping into the mattress as you looked at him.

“Price.” You sighed out smiling weakly. “You came.”

He knew you weren’t just talking about right now but about him coming after you even if he wasn’t sure you were going to make it out alive.

He was at your side in a second his hand grasping yours softly. It felt colder. “You called.”

You didn’t respond but he could see the way your eyes started fogging over. “You need to let the nurses fix you up yeah?” He asked gently, squeezing your hand as your soft gaze continued to stare up at him like you were committing it to memory.

“I just needed to see you.” Was the last thing you muttered before he was ushered out.

~~

Kyle ‘Gaz’ Garrick

Warning: injury, your hinted at being a nurse here. Friends to…

It was late when Price and Soap all but dragged Gaz into the medic bay. Heaving him carefully onto a bed which squeaked slightly from the sudden pressure.

He watched his captain tell the nurses what happened but none of them were who he wanted. “Soap.” He groaned out turning to his friend who was at his side. “Give me your phone.”

Soap did so without question and sat in silence while Gaz called you, unaware of the time. “Hello?” Your voice came through a few rings later. Slightly groggy but still twinged with worry. “Soap?”

“Y/n.” Kyle breathed relieved to just hear your voice. “Nice to hear your voice.”

“Kyle?! When did you get back? Why do you sound like that? Are you hurt?!” He could hear shuffling on your end like you were running around. “Damn it Gaz the one time I don’t take a night shift.”

That caused him to pause. He pulled the phone from his face to look at the time and winced when he saw the small 4am in the corner. He felt worse knowing you didn’t sleep very well and he probably woke you up.

“I’m okay, just needed to hear your voice go back to sleep.” He hung up before you could respond. His hand suddenly feeling too heavy to hold the phone to his ear.

“Stay with him.” Price pointed to soap as he marched out, most likely to finish reports before he came back.

Nurses were bombarding him with medical talk and sticking him in every which way. It was more annoying than anything.

Only a few moments later the doors slammed open and there you stood, chest heaving as you scanned the room almost instantly finding him.

“Y/n.” He smiled weakly, the blood loss mixed with the hit to the head making him woozy. “You came.”

You looked at him like he was an absolute psychopath to even assume you wouldn’t after the call you just had. “You called!” You exclaimed marching towards him. “Did you fall out of another damn helicopter?”

“Definitely not-“

You looked to Soap pointedly who nodded his head solemnly. “It’s part of my charm I feel.” Gaz muttered, sighing in relief when your hands took over the work of the other nurses who left as soon as you came in, knowing you could handle the rest on your own.

“You’re gonna kill me one day Kyle. I swear to god.” You whispered as you dressed his wounds, freezing when you felt his hand graze your cheek.

“Don’t say that.” He frowned. “I never want to be the reason of your pain. Let alone death.”

You almost told him you were joking but in the next second his eyes closed and his hand fell to his side.

You almost panicked till you saw his chest rise and fall in soft breathes. The injury taking all the energy he had left.

“Damn it Kyle.”

~~~

John ‘Soap’ Mactavish

Warning: toxic ex, abuse, protective Johnny, best friends to…

Your phone was on two percent when you called Johnny in the middle of the night. You swore you almost started crying when his voice broke through the storm in your head. “Lass?”

“Johnny.” You sobbed into the phone before the call cut short. You pulled the phone from your ear only to see it shutting off and you felt all resolve start to crumble.

After the fight you and your now ex boyfriend just had you needed him.

You needed his help. You needed him.

In all the years you’ve known Johnny you can almost count on one hand the amount of times you’ve seen him angry.

You’re sure it happened often given his occupation but never in front of you. He hated you seeing him like that.

Which is why you’re almost surprised when you open the door only ten minutes later to see Johnny standing there, a frown adorning his usually smiling face.

“You came.” You all but sobbed in relief.

“You called.” He said as he let himself inside. He closed the door behind him and grabbed you into a warm embrace. “What’s goin on-?”

His confused gaze immediately hardened further when he pulled back just enough to see the red mark on your cheek. Delicately he traced his thumb over it, examining it. “He do this?” He seethed and you could only nod.

“Where the fuck ‘s he?” He demanded but you just shook your head and stepped away from his grasp.

“I don’t know he left after the fight but he’ll be back he has nowhere else to go.” You spoke as you led him further into your apartment. “I need help getting some stuff and leaving before he does. Can you help me?”

“Course I can Bonnie.” You didn’t even need to ask him, he would walk through fire if you needed him to. “Tell me what needs ta come.”

You led him to the bedroom and pointed things out to him and within ten minutes he was finishing packing all the essential things you needed.

You were in the living room grabbing anything sentimental when the front door slammed shut. Instantly Johnny was marching his way to where you. Where he saw you were being crowded into a corner of the wall as your ex got in your face.

Johnny saw red the moment he saw your body trembling beneath him. In a second he was in front of you, shoving your ex back who looked shocked for only a moment before he scoffed.

“You’ve a lotta nerve comin’ back ‘ere.” He ground out, jaw clenching when he felt you clutch onto his arm.

“Of fucking course it’s you.” You ex seethed taking a step closer. “You’re the one she cheated on me with aren’t you? I fucking knew it. I always knew there was more between you. The fucking way you look at her like a lost puppy gives everything away.”

He took a step toward you both again and Johnnys arm moved to shield you further behind him. He had no idea what was going on but he knew you would never do something like the man is accusing. You loved him with every fiber of your being and it’s something that killed Johnny everyday.

“You’d be wise to take several steps back.”

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll fuckin’ kill you. You’re lucky I don’t kill you now for what you did.” Your ex seemed to finally understand the glint in Johnnys eyes and instead of saying anything more, just shook his head and walked back out the front door—pictures rattling from the slam. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“I didn’t-“ he paused when he heard you try to speak. “I didn’t cheat on him. I never would’ve-“

Johnny hushed you as he pulled you into another hug. “I know Bonnie I know. Even if you did he had no right putting his hands on you.” He pulled away only to grab your things and lead you out the door. “You’re gonna stay with me fer awhile aye?”

You could only nod.

(Soap part two- 6 Months)

~~

Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley

Warning: none really. Pretty tame for my boy. Exes to…

You called him in the middle of the night on a random day of the week, whispering a soft “Simon?” Into the receiver that went unanswered.

You waited for a moment longer wondering if he would say anything but when he didn’t you just sighed and continued to speak. “I know I’m probably the last person you want to hear from right now but I-“ you paused to take in a deep breathe. “I can’t sleep without you.”

It felt like a heavy confession and it made you feel weak to even speak it out loud but it was true. You couldn’t sleep, not since he broke it off only a month ago. And in the time you couldn’t even get an ounce of sleep without him next to you.

Silence continued to fill the amtosphere and you almost wondered if you even pressed call. But with one quick glance you knew you did and he in fact did answer, just refused to speak.

“Sorry.” You sighed, resigning to the fact that you just may never sleep again. Being in the military it was hard to find something that made you feel safe enough to sleep but you did and it was Simon. He broke whatever was going on off. To scared that one day you would wake up and realize he isn’t the one that you should be with. “Forget I called.”

You hung up immediately after. Your heart couldn’t take the silence coming from him any longer instead you went around your small room and got ready for another sleepless night before you were sent back into the field early the next morning.

You had just turned off the lights and tucked yourself into bed when a rough knock echoed in the silence that was drowning you.

You let out a sigh and rolled out of bed already annoyed. You swung open the door ready to give whoever was on the other side a piece of your mind but instead you stood there frozen.

“You came.” You were shocked to see Simon was the one standing on the other side, eyes boring holes into you.

“You called.” He muttered before glancing behind you in silent question to which you immediately let him in.

“What-?”

Before you could even ask he was already taking off his shoes and pulling off his hoodie, which he hung next to yours on the door. A sense a familiarity washed over you. “You have a mission tomorrow. You need to sleep.”

You didn’t ask how he knew that information or where he even got it from. Instead you followed him to the small bed in the corner where he was already making himself comfortable. “You don’t have to do this Simon. I’m sorry I called.”

“Lay down.” He ordered and you obeyed quickly melting into his warm embrace as his arms tightened around you.

You didn’t know how he managed to do it but in only a few minutes your eyelids became heavy and slumber was quickly taking over. “I’m sorry.” He whispered softly but you didn’t register why nor did you care about what he was sorry for.

You only cared he was here now. “I miss you.” You mumbled and you swore you could feel his arms tighten further.

(Ghost part two- Say don’t go)

~~

Next parts to include,

Alejandro, Rudy, Graves, Valeria, Alex, Keegan and Konig :)

And I will post the rest tomorrow I’m too tired to do this again tonight.

#call of duty x reader #call of duty imagine #cod x reader #johnny mactavish x reader #john price x reader #simon ghost riley x reader #kyle gaz garrick x reader #kyle garrick x reader #john mactavish x reader #soap mactavish x reader #simon riley x reader #ghost cod x reader

[hyunbunlix]

Rising [sun prince!Hyunjin]

Characters: Hyunjin, fem!OC Rating: A/O for Adults Only Content Warnings/Tags: negative father/son relationship, blood/violence, cunnilingus, getting interrupted/almost caught, sixty-nine, doggy style, multiple orgasms (f), missionary/mating press, infertile fmc, raw male orgasm Word Count: 6,722 Summary: Hyunjin has been aware for some time that his father wants to kill him. He’s not sure why, but he knows he needs outside help before his father succeeds. As a result, Hyunjin invites a sellsword into his court under the guise of his newest lover when, really, he wants her to keep him safe. However, the ruse might not end up being one for very long... Note: This story is based on the world of The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten. There are moderate spoilers for that book in this story. I'm unashamed to admit I wrote this because Prince Bastian made me think of Hyunjin.

Hyun Jin wasn’t sure when he became fully aware that the Sainted King, his father, wanted him dead. Sometime in his late teens, he supposed. It would take too long to examine all his memories in an attempt to figure out how far back it stretched, especially since it felt more productive to focus his energy on remaining vigilant here and now. When would the king try to do it? What method would he use? Why did he want to kill his only child, anyway?

            Hyun Jin had no idea, and that constant gnawing anxiety was what prompted him to take matters into his own hands, no matter how foolish an errand it was.

            That was how he found himself outside the palace walls in the middle of the night. Inside the palace, Hyun Jin had no idea who he could trust, how many members of the court were bought and paid for by his father, be it with money or favor or fear. If Hyun Jin wanted to find any real assistance, he would have to do it outside the palace walls.

            Perhaps, if he had one trustworthy person at his side, he might start sleeping through the night again.

            He’d been sneaking out of the palace at night for about a year now. First, it was just to see if he could. Then, it was to afford him a sense of freedom and safety he no longer felt within the court. And finally, it was to start correspondence with an individual he thought might help him.

            The term “assassin” didn’t feel right, but neither did “mercenary,” and “bodyguard” felt too brutish still for the type of watcher he was seeking. Neither did “spy” seem right, given that he was searching for a certain level of skill in a fight. Whatever this person was, he had been assured they were the best, and he, the Sun Prince, had assured them equally that he would have no trouble affording their fee.

            It was just his luck, then, that he would be ambushed on his way to finally meet with this person face-to-face for the first time.

            Hyun Jin had no idea if it was just bad luck or if someone had finally realized he was the Sun Prince out in the open. Whenever he left the palace in the dead of night like this, he always pulled his dark hair back in a ponytail and wore his hood up, a mask concealing his face from the nose down. Perhaps his contact was up to no good after all. Perhaps they were already working in service of his father and had set him up from the start.

            Hyun Jin was no slouch physically, but even he wasn’t confident in his ability to hold his own against a group of ten armed only with a knife and his wits.

            “Where do you think you’re going, pretty boy?” one of them asked, and Hyun Jin fought the instinct to flinch. They had to know who he was. With only his eyes showing, and even then in shadow, there was no way to tell whether he was pretty or not, or, really, whether he was even male.

            Someone struck at him from the side and he spun away, sinking his knife into their arm. The first assailant grunted and fell back, but a second grabbed at him from behind, yanking his hood down as a third landed a good punch to his gut. Hyun Jin doubled over, and they pried his mask off. Hyun Jin reared up, bashing the back of his skull into the face of the one behind him, before lunging forward to strike out with his knife at the one in front of him. His target danced back, and then two more advanced on him.

            Hyun Jin got another couple of good hits in, but it was clear the battle was a losing one.

            “Wonder who will pay more for you: your father or Kirythea?” one of them said as they finally restrained his arms, kicking his knee out to force him to the ground.

            “I’m not sure either one cares terribly much,” Hyun Jin spat on the way down. His father, who wanted him dead, or Kirythea, a country he had no allegiance to and who threatened war with the crown.

            Also, conveniently, the country that, as rumor had it, Hyun Jin was funneling information to in order to spite his father. You know, to justify the whole “wanting him dead” thing. It had been years since Hyun Jin had had contact with anyone of import from Kirythea.

            Before the assailant in front of him could retort, a crossbow bolt punched through their neck. They collapsed, frothing blood and spittle, shock on their face. The person holding Hyun Jin down sprang back from him, and Hyun Jin spun on one knee, driving his knife into their gut. Whether he struck to kill or maim, he didn’t care. To get out of this alive, he would do what needed to be done.

            He heard others fall behind him, and when he had the time to look again, he confirmed it was due to more crossbow bolts.

            Crossbow bolts that miraculously didn’t fly anywhere near him.

            Seven of the ten were downed, and the remaining three moved to flee. Hyun Jin scanned the rooftops, but the moon was only a sliver tonight and it was difficult to see. A shadow moved along the shingles, hopped over gables, and his final three antagonists didn’t make it to the end of the block.

            Hyun Jin swallowed hard. He was smart enough to know there was always a bigger fish, and that sharks weren’t terribly friendly.

            The archer followed the roofs back the way they had come, toward him, and he watched them descend, catlike, to street level with him. He realized he hadn’t yet had the sense to pull his hood back up, but then the archer pulled down their—her—hood and cowl, and Hyun Jin felt a little more equal.

            “You were late, so I came looking,” she said, bending to retrieve one of her bolts from the street. Hyun Jin stared.

            “You’re Darden?” he asked. She chuckled.

            “Yes. And you’re the Sun Prince. Can’t let a job like yours slip through my fingers, can I?” she said.

            Hyun Jin put his hood back up.

            “Walk with me,” she said, stowing her crossbow and bolts away. She put her hood up, too, but left her cowl turned down. “I take it you don’t want any evidence of this getting out, so it’s probably best we form the agreement verbally, yes? I’ve burned everything you’ve sent until now, as requested.”

            “You’re correct,” he said, the two of them keeping easy pace together. “My father wants me dead. I don’t know why, or how and when he wants to do it. I just know I need someone in my corner to cover my blind spots, to see and hear the things I might miss. I don’t want to die, but I don’t want him suspicious of me, either.”

            “What did you have in mind? Certainly you’re not asking me to commit regicide on your behalf,” she said. Hyun Jin laughed ruefully.

            “Of course not. I need you to act as my companion, to keep suspicion off me while watching my back. Clearly, I don’t have to worry about you. You’re capable of handling yourself. I want your help in keeping me safe, and in figuring out what in the Myriad Hells my father wants me dead for in the first place,” he said.

            “So this means I’ll be, what, posing as a courtier? A lover?” she asked. He turned his gaze on her for a moment.

            “I’m not going to tell you how to best do your job, but the closer you can be to me, the better,” he said. She chuckled again, her lips curving into a knife-edged smirk.

            “It would be fairly difficult for someone to kill you in your sleep if I happened to be next to you in your bed,” she said.

            “I’m fine with that if you are,” Hyun Jin said. Fine with it was a bit of an understatement, if he was being honest. Ever since his father had started turning the court against him, it had been a struggle to find genuine companionship, and he missed being held, comforted by the warmth of another human being.

            “Very well,” she said. “I’ll protect you from backstabbing. I’ll do whatever digging I can, try to find out what your father is up to. And I’ll appear every bit your faithful companion in the meantime. How shall we sell it?” she said.

            “The most convincing lies are in some way the truth,” he said. “We’ll say we’ve been corresponding for some time, that we were finally able to meet in person. It’ll excuse my absences from the palace up until now. I was coming out here to meet with you, so smitten was I that I ignored the risks. But then I was ambushed and lost my nerve, begged you to abandon your life in the city and flee to the palace with me. And you, in your mad infatuation with me, couldn’t help but accept.”

            She stopped, and he turned to look at her. She was giving him an amused look.

            “How come you get to be ‘smitten’ but I’m ‘madly infatuated’?” she asked, one hand planted on her hip. He snorted.

            “Fine. We can reverse it if you want. You enjoyed playing with the Sun Prince’s affection, and I was so starved for attention that I fell fast, hard, for you. I couldn’t stand it. I would do anything to be with you,” he said, stepping closer to her, into her space, as he said it, his voice dropping little by little, until he was mere inches from her, staring unflinchingly into her face. “Does that sound better to you?”

            She didn’t flinch, either, looking at him with amusement and . . . Well, Hyun Jin wouldn’t kid himself into thinking there was anything substantial there, but he was beautiful, and she was at least a little attracted to him. It was in the darkening of her eyes, in the way she couldn’t decide what feature of his face to focus on.

            “Much better,” she breathed. “Do we have a deal?”

            “I believe we do,” he said, and offered his hand for her to clasp. She scoffed at him, gripping the sides of his hood and drawing him in those last few inches, her lips meeting his.

            Hyun Jin hadn’t been lying. He was starved for affection, so when she sucked lightly on his full lower lip, his mouth parted automatically for her, allowing their lips to mesh more fully as his hands anchored to her hips, pulling her body flush with his. Her hand pressed against the back of his neck, like she could bring him even closer, and only succeeded in deepening the kiss, Hyun Jin’s tongue pushing against hers, tasting her mouth.

            Hyun Jin severed the kiss before he could lose his senses completely.

            “Deal,” he panted. She grinned at him, her eyes darker still than before. She wanted him, and he was not upset about it in the slightest. It might even make things easier.

Darden settled into court life like she’d done it before. During the day, she attended Hyun Jin’s social engagements with him, everything from teas to luncheons to croquette matches in the gardens, appearing every bit the devoted court lady who was utterly head-over-heels for him. She spent many nights in his room, watching over him and nothing more, but still kept her own quarters lest it appear she was spending too much time with him. They had to at least pretend propriety, to craft the perception of a whirlwind romance they were trying desperately to hide.

            But as the weeks passed, two things happened. Hyun Jin couldn’t be sure whether or not one begat the other, but they were certainly closely related.

            First: His father, the Sainted King, hated Darden, and neither she nor Hyun Jin could figure out why. Either the Sainted King was suspicious of her, or he simply hated seeing his son happy. Frankly, they were both equally likely. Because of this, Hyun Jin started to fear she might suddenly disappear, either because she’d been killed or because his father had been able to work out what was going on and pay her more to leave than Hyun Jin was paying her to stay.

            Second: Hyun Jin started to fear losing her. At first, he thought it was because that would put him back at square one before they’d gotten to the bottom of things. The second explanation was that he would feel guilty if something bad happened to her because it was his fault she was in the line of fire in the first place.

            But those were both excuses. The real reason was because he had well and truly fallen for her, settled into the rhythm of their companionship. He looked forward to seeing her every day, smiled and laughed more with her than he had in a long time. With her around, he sometimes even forgot his life was in danger. It had been so long since he’d stopped fearing death and instead enjoyed being alive.

            He didn’t know how to go back to life without her.

            Then her birthday came, and the Sainted King offered to throw a party in her honor. There was absolutely no good reason for him to do this, given he didn’t even like her. But he was the king, and she couldn’t refuse, and Hyun Jin was already on thin ice with his father and unable to do so much as appeal.

            On the day of the festivity, Hyun Jin felt sick.

            They decided to dress in matching black and purple attire, reminiscent of some of the most popular poisons that circled the court like designer drugs. Neither of them partook, personally, but it made for a dangerous motif, a message Hyun Jin was eager to send. When Hyun Jin arrived at her quarters so they could get ready together, he watched her dress and do her makeup. Rather than have one of his attendants do his makeup like he usually did, he asked her if she would, and she agreed with a soft smile.

            She stood in front of him, palette in hand, her dark dress sitting just right on her body, drawing his attention to her collarbones, her upper chest, her waist, her hips. He did his best to hold still while she made him look dark and enchanting. After she had finished putting a slight highlight of color on his lips, though, he couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

            “I’m afraid,” he said. Her hand hesitated against his cheekbone, where she had been about to put a subtle brush of color. She caught his eyes and smiled, but it looked like it took more effort than usual.

            “Don’t be,” she said. “I can take care of myself, remember?”

            “Love,” he said to get her attention. He’d called her by the endearment so many times in public that it had started to stick on his tongue in private, too. “He’s the king. He could do anything tonight. I know him, he’s . . . He doesn’t do things out of the goodness of his heart. He’s going to try something. I know he is. I don’t know what, but he will.”

            “Hyunie,” she said, her own endearment coming to her just as easily. It knocked the air out of him, just a little, every time. “Please don’t worry. He’s only a man. If he tries anything I’ll just take his hand off.”

            “I thought you said you wouldn’t go to prison for me,” he said. She smiled a little, but it was thin and mirthless.

            “It wouldn’t be for you,” she said.

            “Please, just . . . don’t leave my side tonight,” he said. Her hand rested tenderly against his jaw for a moment, and just when he thought she might kiss him and ruin both their lip colors, she retreated to put the makeup away.

            Of course she wouldn’t. She had never kissed him in private since coming to court. Why should she start tonight?

            “I won’t if I can help it,” she said.

            And that was the most she could promise, because after the banquet supper, the Sainted King asked her to join him on the dais as the guest of honor. Hyun Jin’s blood ran icy as she stood up, climbed the stairs, lifted the hem of her dress to step delicately over the iron bars that made up the motif of the Auverrani throne. The Sainted King, likewise, rose from the throne to receive her, opening his arms like he was happy to see her.

            Hyun Jin felt like the entire world had slowed to a crawl. The Sainted King drew her into his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder, facing away from the Sainted King, her eyes locked on Hyun Jin. As her body lined up with the king’s, he saw her eyes go wide, flickering grey and glassy. It was so quick Hyun Jin thought he’d imagined it. As the king let go of her, she tried to smile at him but looked shell-shocked. Hyun Jin’s eyes scanned her frantically as his father started into a speech about the occasion, of which he didn’t process a single word. There was nothing outwardly wrong with her; she hadn’t been struck or stabbed, not a hair or eyelash was out of place. But when the Sainted King took her hand to raise it over their heads in congratulations, as the rest of the room toasted her in time to the king’s blessing, she shuddered, and Hyun Jin could swear he saw her breath on the air, like she was exhaling into winter.

            When the Sainted King finally released her, she curtsied politely, but as she turned to descend the dais, she wobbled, her foot catching on the groove of the inlaid iron bars. She fell, sprawling in a tangle of metal and silk, and Hyun Jin was on his feet in an instant, hurrying up the dais to get her. The Sainted King glowered at him, and she seemed unable to rise from the floor, from the bars, trapped by his father’s throne. Hyun Jin pulled her into his arms, holding her to his chest.

            “My sincerest apologies,” he blurted, his practiced mouth moving before his brain. “She meant no disrespect, I assure you. I fear she was allergic to something in the main course. It’s my own fault for not speaking with the kitchen in advance.”

            In a public setting like this, the crowd’s opinion was the one thing he had to wield, and years of practice made him an expert. He heard sympathetic murmurs behind him, and several attendants made their way up the dais as Hyun Jin got to his feet with Darden’s body in his grasp. She was cold in a way she shouldn’t have been, and curled into Hyun Jin’s chest like he was the sun itself.

            “We must get her to the infirmary, my prince,” said one of the attendants. Hyun Jin held the Sainted King’s eyes, as though waiting for him to object. The Sainted King smiled, but it was a thin thing that didn’t touch his eyes.

            “But of course,” he said, loud enough the whole room could hear him, and think him benevolent. “It would be tragic indeed if she were to succumb on her birthday of all days.”

            Hyun Jin saw red, but there wasn’t time for it, and he instead rushed out with her in his arms. He made to turn left, toward the infirmary, but she shook her head against his shoulder.

            “No,” she said. “No.”

            “Love, what?”

            “I need to talk to you,” she said. “Just you.”

            Hyun Jin looked to the attendants. He felt as helpless as they seemed.

            “Please,” she begged.

            “Send a physician to my rooms,” Hyun Jin ordered one of the attendants, then hurried in the opposite direction.

            “He’s dying, Hyun Jin,” she whimpered as they went through the halls. “He’s dying and he’s poisoning himself in hopes that the touch of death magic will prolong the inevitable.”

            “How do you know?” he asked. She reached up to touch his face, and her hand was so fucking cold, cold like death and the people that channeled it. He swallowed hard. She was a deathwitch, a heretic, someone allowed to command a fraction of death’s power. All this time, and he’d had no idea. Had she been afraid he’d exile her if he found out, as the law decreed?

            “I know why now,” she whispered as he got them to his chambers. He carried her to the bedroom and barred them inside.

            “None of that fucking matters unless you’re all right,” he insisted, laying her down on his bed. “Tell me what to do, love, tell me how to help you.”

            “It’s you, Hyun Jin. You are the Sun Prince, and you will be the Sainted King, and there’s nothing your father can do to stop it so he’s going to try to steal it and—”

            Hyun Jin couldn’t take it anymore. He kissed her, hard, needing her to shut up about his father and tell him how to save her. She reached for his collar, tugging at it, and Hyun Jin shed the whole layer, leaving him half-naked.

            “Help me out of this stupid dress,” she said. He did as commanded, and then she wrapped her arms around him, pressing bare skin to bare skin, and moaned blissfully. He lined his torso all the way with hers and she wrapped her legs around his hips, a motion that shot a shock of need straight to his cock.

            “You’re so warm,” she said. “You’re so fucking warm.”

            He clung to her, pressing her tightly against him, trailing kisses along her neck and shoulder, and sure enough, the cold leeched away from her skin, returning her to the way she was supposed to be.

            “You hold the power of the sun, of life, Hyun Jin,” she said. “And he’ll do whatever it takes to rob you of it before death claims him.”

            He pulled back from her. He meant to ask what the Hells she meant—life magic hadn’t existed since the gods disappeared. He meant to ask that, but it fell directly out of his brain when he registered that, with her dress off, she wore panties and stockings and nothing else.

            It wasn’t his intention to stare at her bare chest, but it happened anyway.

            “See something you like?” she teased softly. He dragged his eyes back up to meet hers.

            “It’s the same thing—the same person—I’ve liked for months,” he said honestly.

            No time like a near-death experience to lay your cards on the table.

            She laughed quietly, still sounding a little weak, but rapidly improving.

            “Has my prince finally come for me?” she asked.

            “Not yet,” he answered, hoping she would catch his meaning. The darkening of her eyes said she did.

            All the same, she sounded almost hesitant when she asked, “Would you . . . ? I think it would help if . . . Well . . .” She chuffed softly, looking a little embarrassed. “I want you to warm me from the inside.”

            “I can do that,” he said, and without hesitation lowered himself to kiss her again. He’d been thinking about kissing her like this ever since the night they’d met face-to-face. They’d kissed since then—gentle pecks in public to sell their companionship—but nothing nearly so charged as this.

            She wanted him. She still wanted him. That much was obvious. Her hands trailed up and down his bare back, holding him as close to her as she could. The only way he was going to get any closer would be when he entered her. For the time being, he made do by slipping his tongue into her mouth, and she sighed blissfully.

She could see his halo.

            It wasn’t something she had detected before, not until he’d come on that dais to retrieve her, vibrating with anger and protective instinct so fierce he must have broken through the restrictors he hadn’t even known were holding him back. She’d seen it then, a subtle limning of gold around his hands and head, as though there was a soft glow beneath his skin. She’d know then that in the same way she had been marked with death’s power, Hyun Jin had been marked with life’s.

            He was the first true Sun Prince, and it wouldn’t be too much longer before he became the first true Sainted King.

            The death in her body had reacted to the death in the king’s, and Hyun Jin had banished it from her. She didn’t think she would have died from it, but then, she’d never been that close to such a heady combination of death and poison in another person, like a putrid bomb about to go off.

            Hyun Jin had purified her.

            As he shed his shirt, as he kissed and caressed her body, his warmth seemed to burn hotter, brighter, chasing that cocktail of death from her bones and suffusing her marrow with light. She couldn’t get close enough to him, not even with his tongue in her mouth and her hips bucking against his.

            Despite the need of his light, she needed him, too. It had been so difficult to remain aloof over the course of these months, so afraid was she to fall for him completely only to be crushed when her contract was fulfilled and he dismissed her. She didn’t think she could endure pain like that again. She’d already died once while experiencing pain like that, and the resulting trauma made it difficult to form attachments.

            But Hyun Jin was just so easy to love.

            She reached for his belt, fumbling a little in her eagerness to get his pants off. He pulled back from their kiss to assist her, the flush in his cheeks and need in his eyes equal to hers.

            She’d seen the beginnings of him hard before, during times when their public flirtations had gone a little too far, but she’d never seen him bare, and she certainly hadn’t seen him completely erect. His length and girth both sent a pulse of need through her core.

            He was already watching her face for a reaction when she pried her eyes away from his cock. Apparently, she had been looking at it a moment too long, because there was the ghost of a cocky grin on his face. She gave him her best fake-annoyed face.

            “Yes, yes, I’m sure you’ve made many people very happy, Your Highness,” she needled. The cockiness fell away, leaving seriousness in its wake.

            “I don’t care what anyone thinks—thought—of it, of me. I care what you think,” he said. She blinked, her teasing demeanor leaving her as quickly as it had come.

            “I think you look perfect for me,” she said, sitting up and reaching with her right hand to grasp him gently, gliding her grip along the smooth skin. He sighed, a heady sound, as his cock twitched against her palm.

            “Good,” he said, and she leaned forward to kiss his chest. He sounded as though he’d been genuinely afraid she wouldn’t like him.

            “I hope I’ll be perfect for you, too,” she said. With that, he gently tipped her back onto the bed again, sliding her underwear off. She didn’t squirm even slightly under his gaze, not even when he leaned down to put his face level with her heat, glancing up at her for permission. She nodded, and when he lolled his tongue out for a long lick of her, she sighed in pleasure.

            While he was in the middle of experimenting between quick flicks to her clit and spearing her center entirely with his tongue, a heavy knock came at the door that made them both jump.

            “Your Grace, I’m here to look over Lady Darden, as you ordered,” came the voice of the head physician. Hyun Jin looked at her, panicked, his practiced courtly tongue failing him for once.

            Too occupied by other things right then, apparently.

            “I’m all right,” Darden called. “I’m feeling much better. I think I just had to drink a lot of water to flush it from my system.” Good on Hyun Jin for coming up with the allergy excuse. She’d alleviated mild allergic reactions that way in the past.

            “That’s good news, indeed, but I should probably still look you over, just in case,” the physician called through the door. Bless the poor man; he was just trying to do his job.

            “Really, I’m—”

            Her sentence was cut off by her own cry of surprise as Hyun Jin pressed the tip of his cock between her folds.

            “Come back in an hour,” he said, voice authoritative, his eyes glued to where his cockhead met her core. “I’m fucking her right now.”

            Darden’s jaw fell open. He could have given her a hundred years to guess how he was going to respond and she never would have landed upon something so brazen as that. The physician seemed just as shocked, stammering some kind of excuse to leave and come back later, clearly choosing to pretend he hadn’t heard what the Sun Prince said.

            “You’ve scarred him for life,” she hissed at Hyun Jin, though she was thoroughly amused.

            “Scarred him?” he scoffed. “I’ve just given him the mental image of the most beautiful people in Auverraine having sex. I’d call that a blessing.”

            “Gods dead and dying,” she swore, though she couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. It slowly fell away, though, as she watched Hyun Jin pull his cock back from her entrance, her wetness mingling with the pre-cum already on his tip.

            “You have no idea how much restraint I just exercised,” he said. “I wanted to fuck all the way inside you so badly, but dry as I am I wouldn’t be able to do it as hard as I want.”

            “Then let’s do something about it,” she said, sitting up. He lifted an eyebrow. “Lay down, Hyun Jin.”

            He did as instructed, and she positioned herself over him so that her heat was over his face and her mouth dangerously close to his cock. “Get the idea?” she asked as she wrapped her fingers around his base and licked his messy tip. He didn’t even bother to respond verbally, instead gripping her hips and putting his tongue back to what it had been doing before they’d been interrupted, more fervent now. She moaned quietly as she licked him all over. He’d need to be plenty slick if she was going to have any chance of getting him down her throat, especially at this angle.

            Hyun Jin’s tongue made it incredibly hard to focus on her task, and by the time she attempted taking him into her mouth, she was already whining around his cock, gagging a little bit as she attempted to take him too deep on the first try. He didn’t seem to notice anything was amiss because he moaned against her all the same, a pattern that continued as she started to bob up and down his shaft. He got easier to throat the more she drooled on him, making an absolute mess of both him and her mouth.

            Likewise, Hyun Jin’s moans got louder and more frequent until he could no longer keep his mouth on her cunt and switched to his fingers. He skipped straight over one and went right to two, which made her groan with her mouth full, the vibration of which caused his cock to pulse from base to tip, making her gag again, this time intensely enough that she needed to pull off him.

            “Sorry,” he moaned. “I can’t always control those.”

            “You wouldn’t have to if you weren’t so damn big,” she said, entirely meaning it as a compliment, as she reached to pump his wet shaft. He groaned again, curling his fingers and working them against her front wall in a rhythm perfectly timed with hers.

            “Hyun Jin, Hyun Jin, you’re gonna—”

            She didn’t have the chance to finish her sentence. With his cock still in her hand, she leaned her forehead against his thigh, moaning as an orgasm shuddered through her. Hyun Jin eased up only the barest bit, taking the pressure off her front wall in favor of fucking his fingers in and out of her as she came around them.

            “That should do it,” he said thoughtfully.

            “Do what?” she asked, unable to parse a single complete thought right then.

            “Make you wet enough to take me the way I want,” he said.

            “How’s that?” she asked.

            “Hard. Fast. Without restraint.”

            She found herself nodding brainlessly against his thigh. Before she had truly processed it, Hyun Jin had slipped out from under her and was arranging her body the way he wanted it, which was pretty much the way she already was—face down and ass up—except with her hips raised up just that little bit more to play nicely with his stature.

            Without any verbal warning, Hyun Jin thrust himself into her in one hard, quick stroke, making her shriek into the bed. He then just held himself there, perhaps taking stock of the way they fit together, perhaps enjoying the view. She had no idea. The only thing she could grasp right then was how good he felt. She wasn’t sure she’d ever been this full in her entire life.

            “Fuck,” she whined.

            “Good?” he asked. She nodded against the bed.

            “Yes,” she said. “I can take you.”

            “Perfect,” he murmured, and then he moved.

            He hadn’t been exaggerating earlier when he said he didn’t want to restrain himself. He proved it now with every fervent slap of his pelvis against her wet cunt. She couldn’t keep quiet, moans and little cries accompanying each of his thrusts. Even then, at the height of sensation, she made sure to push back on him with each thrust, desperate to take him as deeply as he could go each time.

            “Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to do this?” Hyun Jin ground out, his voice changed by pleasure. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve touched myself, thinking about this?”

            “Probably as many times as I have,” she moaned. “You think I’m immune to you? You think you’re the only one that’s been tormented?”

            He groaned at the compliments, redoubling his vigor, making her yelp and shove her face into the blankets. She didn’t want to scream, but if he kept going without break like that it might be inevitable. Still, she didn’t stop moving back against him, her sensitivity leading her shortly to another orgasm.

            “Hyun Jin,” she gasped. “Hyun Jin, fuck—”

            “Do you want me to stop?”

            “Don’t you dare.”

            He flipped her over then, hooking one of her knees over his shoulder so he could split her in half while seeing her face. That’s what it felt like to orgasm over something so big—like she was being split in half. She was certain her face was flushed, her expression dazed, and it only drove him to fuck her harder.

            “I wanted to see you,” he said, an oddly pure sentiment given the situation. “I wanted you to see me.”

            She met his eyes, panting past moans in time to his thrusts. “You’re beautiful, Hyun Jin. You’re beautiful and you feel so good and I love you so much.”

            His hips stuttered at that, and he stared down at her, momentarily stunned. “You do?”

            “Yes,” she answered without hesitation. A bewildered smile played over his features as he gazed down at her.

            “And here I was, so afraid I was going to lose you once this was all over,” he said.

            “The only thing that could keep me from you would be you telling me that’s what you want,” she told him. He laced his fingers with hers, pinning her hands to the bed while he leaned forward to kiss her. Her knee was still hooked over his shoulder, pushing her thigh against her body. It all had the added effect of digging his cock even deeper inside her. She whimpered.

            “I love you, too,” he murmured against her lips. She tightened the leg over his shoulder, making him kiss her again. When she finally let his mouth go, he groaned, “Fuck, that’s sexy.”

            “Not as sexy as coming inside me would be, I’d wager,” she said. His eyes sprang open, staring at her.

            “I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” he said.

            “Don’t worry,” she said. “You couldn’t get me pregnant if you wanted to. Don’t be too disgusted with me, but the reason I’m able to channel death magic is because I’ve been dead. Twice. My body doesn’t have the capacity to make life anymore.”

            He stared at her like she was a wonder, a marvel, a fallen goddess herself rather than just a vessel for the power of one. “Where have you been, Darden?” he asked, sounding like his heart was breaking for her. “What have you suffered?”

            “I’ll tell you later,” she said, reaching up to touch his cheek. “Right now, I want you to finish making love to me. I want to feel you, warm and alive inside me. I want you to show me your love in this way, too.”

            He kissed her again, deep and hard, and started to move in her again. The kiss rapidly degenerated into panting, whining, and the stroking of desperate tongues against one another.

            “Please, Hyun Jin,” she moaned, barely able to keep her eyes open through the ecstasy, the sensation. “I need you to fill me. I need to feel you as deep in me as you can possibly go.”

            When he finally shattered, it was with a series of broken moans calling her name, calling her his love. She could feel him spreading hotly inside her, his body trembling as he filled her, his hips shuddering through their last few motions before he pressed all the way into her one last time and stayed there. She watched his face in rapture and her heart ached with a need so great she felt unable to hold it all. So she held him, instead, and knew he would share the weight of it.

            For the next minute, the only movement between them was to put her leg back at a normal angle. They shivered together, dewy where their bodies met, Hyun Jin refusing to pull out of her even as he softened. Her hands were on his back, in his hair, pressing soothing patterns into his skin as he came back down.

            “Thank you,” she murmured, and he pulled back from where his face had been buried in her shoulder to look at her.

            “Thank you,” he said, like he’d done nothing and she’d done everything.

            “You were perfect,” she said, watching his eyes as they turned bashful. She pushed his sweaty bangs out of his eyes, committing his shy, gentle smile to memory, the way it suffused his entire face with joy.

            “So were you,” he said, and then leaned to gently kiss her reddened lips. The kiss was slow but sloppy, conveying all the emotions they had left over even once their bodies were spent. “I’m never letting you go,” he murmured, his lips bumping hers with every syllable, unwilling as he was to pull all the way back from her.

            “I’ll hold you to that,” she said.

            “Please do,” he answered, then finally moved off of her, letting her crawl on top of him instead. There were still the matters of the mess to clean up and of the physician who was certain to return, but right then, the only thing she could bring herself to care about was the beating of his heart, steady and sure beneath her cheek.

#kpop smut #stray kids smut #skz smut #hyunjin smut #hyunjin x oc #hyunjin oneshot

[k-pepp]

Three-Part Story

There’s been a constant discussion surrounding Simon not getting enough focus / character development in Season 2, but lately the discussion has really picked up. Some people saying that the writers did Simon dirty or even that they forgot about him. I could kind of get that perspective if we just look at the seasons individually. Comparing Season 2 to Season 1, Simon had less of a story. But I don’t think it’s supposed to be looked at in that way. Lisa has always envisioned YR to be one story divided into 3 parts.   From that perspective, it makes more sense why the focus isn’t as consistent. The first part of the story is the set-up. The writer would want the audience to have an equal understanding of the main characters. After that, the focus can spread through the second and third parts as it makes sense to the story. Just like in life, people don’t always evolve at the same time. In the show, it makes sense for one character (in this case Wille) to have more growth and character development before the other (Simon). Since the season length is so limited, it also makes sense to focus more on one character at a time instead of trying to show both of their growth all at once. And it makes sense that it had to be Wille first. If Simon had experienced all the growth and Wille was still exactly the same person, they NEVER would have gotten back together. Wille gave Simon agency and built trust back in the relationship. So when Simon has his character development in the third season (finally being vulnerable and embracing his feelings), he’ll trust Wille enough to be able to do that with him. And from a viewer perspective, I think it makes sense to wait until the third act to let Simon have his emotional breakdown. To let it keep building and to be able to see everything Simon has had to deal with (the stuff from seasons 1-2 and now all drug stuff, family drama, dealing with the monarchy, and being even more in the public eye), seeing his emotional awakening will have an even bigger impact.

#young royals #simon eriksson #young royals analysis #if season 3 comes and Simon has no character development I'm ready to put on my clown makeup

[goatgoatgoat7778]

I really don’t know why I have such an infatuation with this character lol. I haven’t felt confident in my art or writing in a while but I tried I guess. This did end up twice as long as the rough draft and I also have a second pic sketched out (the Railgunner needs love too, after all) so no one can say I didn’t try!!! Jus ignore how sketchy the pic is X’D

On another note, I have a test coming up with a LOT of vocab so maybe that’ll get me to write more. If you have any ideas/prompts for a story, you can send them to me; it might help spur some inspiration since I don’t really have any ideas atm.

Contains: Women-centric hunger kink, animals killed for food (not graphic though), one character briefly implies that guns are cool (If you want to skip these last two, stop reading after they get to Rallypoint Delta)

The first hour after she dropped from UES Safe Travels were difficult for the Huntress. She woke up late and missed the shuttle she was supposed to travel on, so she took an individual drop pod. Her descent into the atmosphere was turbulent, and her pod landed upside-down.Even worse, she landed far from her squad, alone on a dark foggy mountain side surrounded by monsters. Alone, at least until she ran into the Railgunner a few hours later, who was more than happy to team up with her. Things had been going well as they traveled but now, 72 hours later, the Huntress was starting to run on fumes. She raised her bow, arms wavering, aiming at a wisp about to fire at the Railgunner. Before she could release her bow, the Railgunner gracefully whipped around and shot it square in the middle, killing it instantly.

“You alright?” the Railgunner questioned as she brushed off the dust on her pants. “You’ve been a bit slow lately.”

The Huntress sighed, “Yeah, don’t worry about it. Let’s just get to the next teleporter.” Suddenly her stomach shook hungrily, and she brought a hand to it. She hoped the Railgunner couldn’t hear it growl. Back in her earlier years as a huntress, it was well known by her confreres that her stomach was so noisy and active it could easily give her position away- the fact that she was still one of the best in her profession regardless was seen as a testament to her skill. She sucked in her gut, as she often did when out on a hunt, to try and dampen the noise.

Part of her wanted to ask the Railgunner if she had any food to spare. Due to her lack of preparation before dropping onto the alien planet, she had run out of her rations on day one. The Railgunner had seemingly come prepared, so the Huntress felt it would be inappropriate to ask that her incompetence be covered. Surely she would find food eventually. She just had to wait it out. 

Two different pathways in the aqueduct appeared before them, both sprawled with chests carrying items necessary for their survival. “Split up?” the Railgunner asked rhetorically. 

The Huntress nodded and they parted ways. Her stomach began to churn and rumble once again and it seemed to echo across the rocky chasms of the dried aqueduct. At least she no longer had to actively hide it from her partner, and could focus on fighting and looting. With each chest she opened her stomach twisted in disappointment. A crowbar, backup magazine, and a medkit. Useful, but inedible. The energy drink she found seemed promising at the time, but it only caused her stomach to roil and gurgle even more intensely than before, irritated that it was filled but somehow still hungry. “What do you want from me?” she whined, resting a hand on her sunken-in tummy. 

 There was little time for rest though, because in the distance she saw the Railgunner waving her down having found the teleporter. She pushed down on her stomach.“You better stay quiet, or else!” she threatened. Her stomach gave a soft grumble of what she hoped was compliance. 

Once she caught up to the Railgunner they activated the teleporter, summoning the Beetle Queen. Together, they took her and her beetle guards out quick and easy but the Huntress was enervated from hunger and when the teleporter was fully charged, she practically collapsed. 

“Are you okay?” the Railgunner asked, trying to hide the worry in her voice.

“Just need a break,” the Huntress replied casually. A long drawn-out groan evinced the cause of her fatigue. 

Grrrrooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrwwwwwwwlllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

The Huntress’s face flushed beneath her helmet as the Railgunner cocked her head. “Was that your stomach?”

“Um, maybe?” Her stomach gave another belligerent grumble through her thin skinsuit, ensuring she could no longer deny its needs any more.

“Yeesh, I swear I saw your belly moving that time. When was the last time you ate?!”

The Huntress awkwardly fiddled with her fingers. “I, uh, ran out of food a couple days ago. Overslept, not enough time to pack.”

“Well why didn’t you-?! Nevermind. Here.” The Railgunner tossed her a protein bar. “Nothing special, but it should tide you over for a while.”

“Thanks,” the Huntress said as she devoured it greedily. Her stomach gave a small grumble with dissatisfaction, barely filled. She gave her ungrateful tummy a pat before they moved on through the teleporter. 

The teleporter took them to the abandoned camp Rallypoint Delta. After the two trudged through the snow for a while, they took a break for the night inside one of the forlorn cargo containers and huddled together. They were nowhere near freezing, but the close contact made them both more comfortable, though neither would outwardly admit it. 

“If I’d known we’d be taken to a frozen wasteland, I would have stayed back in the other place.” The Huntress shuddered, pushing herself closer to the Railgunner. 

“Mmhmm,” the Railgunner replied sleepily. 

Through the sound of icy wind blowing outside, the Huntress heard a noise. She readied her glaive just in case it was a new monster, but put it down when she heard the sound again.

Grooooooouuuuuuuuwwwwrrrrrrr

Hungry as she was, she knew it hadn’t been her this time. Gently she placed her hand against the Railgunner’s belly, hoping not to disturb her from her rest. She felt her stomach churning and grumbling beneath her rib cage. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen the Railgunner eat anything since they were at the aqueduct. Perhaps that protein bar had been the last of her rations. She pressed down in the crook of the Railgunner’s rib cage, inadvertently pushing a few grumbles out past her fingers. It was clear how painfully empty she was. 

The Railgunner, who’d been awake the whole time, hitched her breath. It was hard to keep up her cool, enigmatic facade with a growling stomach. More difficult still would be to admit that she liked the feeling of a hand assuaging her hunger pangs. Stupid pride. She crossed her arms.

The Huntress could tell she was abashed and tried to reassure her. “Hey, it’s alright. If anyone makes stomach noises cool, it’s you!”

“Well with a gun this big, there’s no way I can’t be cool.” she joked. “But… thanks.” The warm moment was short lived as a massive hunger pang rippled through her middle. She winced. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep like this. Maybe we should just keep exploring. I think we can handle it.”

“I know we can handle it,” the Huntress replied, pulling her up.

The two crept quietly through the dark and found that the camp was mostly devoid of useful items. They hoped it had been picked over by the survivors who they got split up from during the drop; maybe they were close by, and maybe they had food! But for now they were stuck with empty bellies and a long road ahead. 

“Shh! Look!” the Huntress whispered under her breath, pulling the Railgunner behind a rock. Peeking over the corner, the Railgunner could see a herd of unsuspecting bison. “How does some steak sound?”

The Railgunner’s mouth watered and she felt a large growl building up in her core. She pressed her arms into her gut and bent over to try and stifle it, but it was too little too late.

Grrroroooooooaaaaaarrrorooooooorrrrrrrrwwwwwwwrrrrrrrrgggggggrgllllllllllllllllllllleeee

Suddenly the bisons’ heads shot up and they looked directly at the rock they were hiding behind. They began to charge. Quick as lightning, the Huntress threw her glaives. The bison fell one by one as the glaives bounced between them. She wiped her brow. “Thank god for the stuff I found in the aqueduct. We could’ve been goners!”

“Now lies the issue of cooking it…” the Railgunner replied. She held up a container of gasoline. “I have this, though.”

“I mean… is that even safe?”

Both womens’ stomachs gave deep aching growls.

The Huntress shook her head. “Well, beggars can’t be choosers I guess.”

#stomach growling #hunger kink

[obsessive-dumpling]

Alright, I've been sick and my brain was soup, so this is a little late, BUT-

I can't help thinking about the season finale and how anime only's must be processing the contents of season six.

Despite well reasoned fears, Bones handled this season with great care towards bkdk. For those of us who read the manga, that was our focus this season: seeing how Bones would handle it. Because we already knew what was coming. We had that content for over a year, and now were just seeing it become animated. But for anime only's, the story had "changed".

We have to consider the average watcher. Most people don't start a show over from the beginning every single time a new season comes out. Hard to imagine, I know, but you have to factor that in. Because for people who passively watched MHA up to this point, this season was their turning point. It's when the story stopped having any airs of light heartedness.

If you go back to the beginning and watch now, you see all the signs, you see the foundation Horikoshi set, you see the subtext. But if you were just mindlessly watching the latest popular shonen anime, you might not have seen all the foreshadowing- for the overall plot or for bkdk.

And if you didn't see it coming, then there's no buffer. The break between season 5 and season 6 was lengthy, and a lot of people discounted season 5 thinking it was slow and weird and off, when really it was just setting the stage. But again, if you didn't see that coming then how do you react to season 6?

All of this brings me to my point. Horikoshi wrote a story that calls out all sorts of societal and political unease. He wrote about every type of discrimination under the sun and has set a foundation which his characters can stand on and call out issues in our real everyday lives. Racism, homophobia, corrupt leadership, individual selfishness vs. serving a community, lack of support for the disabled, and so much more. And we've seen that. But for a lot of people, they are just seeing it now. And it is the average watcher that these messages need to reach the most. And I can't help but wonder- did it? Is it? Is it reaching them?

The reason I love MHA so much, is because, at the end of the day Kohei Horikoshi, looked at the world and didn't like what he saw. He was just one person and didn't know if he could change anything but decided to try. He took the darkest parts of our world, turned to his art and tried to speak to that darkness from it. He had no idea what would happen. Now he possesses one of the top shonen series of all time, his reach is vast, and people are listening.

You might look at bakudeku and think it's just another fanatical anime ship. But these boys, and the rest of the characters as well, are standing at the edge of history.

Representation within media has power. We've all been influenced by media whether you want to admit that or not, whether you see it or not. I promise you your life has been more touched by media than you could possibly imagine. And it definitely has not been for the better. This is how discrimination proliferates. But now we have a series that aims to give us something new, something a lot of us have never had before. Hope.

And damn, I hope it reaches them.

#bakudeku #bkdk #season finale thoughts #its only going to get worse next season #can you imagine having two gay leads in a shonen anime #the impact that would have #i want to see it #i dont even want to blink #this is so much more important than a ship #representation matters #representation matters in main stream media #i trust horikoshi #history in the making #dekubaku #dkbk #katsudeku #decchan #bakugo x midoriya #katsuki x izuku #midoriya izuku #bakugou katsuki #bnha #mha #💚🧡 #🧡💚 #dumpling rants #🥟

[guideoftime]

💕x 5

Five amazing people please follow them! Everyone deserves love!

▴ — @ourowndemise ;; Kohi, Ganon's carrd! One half of the most interesting gay dynamic I get to watch. I find you very interesting to watch, and the very long very detailed bio you have for your Ganon facinating. I know we haven't interacted or talked and part of that is my fault (I saw when you reached out and I at that time was really struggling RL and just never got back to your message I am so sorry) but I would really really like to try and figure out how Sheik and Ganon can interact. But outside of that I love seeing what you and Al come up with for Ganon and Kohga. I think they're absolutely adorable when they interact.

▴ — @rage-reloaded ;; Eli, muse list! A very, very lovely and very talented individual that I have completely screwed up with because of my inability to focus lately and respond to poor Ravio. The asks that Eli has answered for me have been on point and fantastic. Ravio is one of my favorite Zelda characters and he is my favorite "version" of Link. I know it gets complicated with him being a mirror conterpart for Link but I firmly believe him to be a "Link" and a "Hero" no matter what Ravio himself thinks and Eli plays him wonderfully in what I have seen. I really want to interact with you and him more, I would love to get a thread with him going properly or just to talk! To work out a plot for the two of them! Thank you so much for still following me and always feel free to pester Sheik too with whatever you want! You are a joy to see on my dash and the art I've seen you do is lovely too!

▴ — @devotedsheikah ;; Liz & Impa's Carrd. A very new friend, a very new follower, admittedly I have not played much of AOC to know a lot about this Impa and her character but what I have seen of you on the dash has been very entertaining! Sheik will always have respect for Impa regardless of the universe she is in and I truly do believe the two of them can have a very lovely familial relationship if you're ever interested in talking things out about them!

▴ — @twilitae / @legacyshero ;; Kheppie & Twi's carrd , Wild's carrd. You are a very lovely and interesting individual. I mean the interesting part in the most positive way possible too. Everything you make is so visually appealing and beautiful to look at, your graphics, icons, and even the formating you do on your blogs is incredible. I can't even begin to imagine the work that goes into all of that, I can't even be bothered to format a different color of font than the options tumblr gives us because it's so tedious to me. So I entirely admire the dedication and work that goes into doing all of that. On another note, your style of writing is very creative and eye catching. The poetic aspect of it is very admirable and I know I could never write that way personally it is pleasing to read. Despite following each other for (maybe a year at this point) we haven't had the chance to write together and I really hope at some point we do, or just to plot something out! I love seeing you on the dash and the things you do!

▴ — @skygraced ;; Rinn & Zelda's carrd! Welcome back! You and Bianca are the entire reason I have attempted to play Skyward Sword (despite struggling to stare at Link's big puffy lips and wanting to choke Fi out). I knew absolutely nothing about that game and from playing it I haven't really learned much more than I started with, so I can firmly say that the context and actual plot you guys have to play off of really doesn't seem like much and what you have taken from all of that and run with is incredible. I love seeing you on the dash, I love the little banter that Sheik and Zelda have developed and whenever you finally settle and back I would love to have an actual thread go! I think Zelda and Sheik can have really adorable interactions with their shared love of the harp. After we get past his panic over her being an actual goddess.

#Anonymous #( inu ) ooc. #long post cw

[fictionadventurer]

Reverse unpopular opinion on Moffat Who?

Oh, gosh. I've been undergoing an internal Moffat Who renaissance lately--I haven't watched any, but it's been coming to mind so often, and it's really driving home just how formative those stories were to me--so I'm not sure I'll be able to arrange my thoughts coherently, but I'll try for a few bullet points.

There is so much writing skill on display in his episodes. The plots are so tight--set-up and payoff on a detailed level that you rarely see in television. The word-smithing is wonderful--he has a gift for a turn of phrase that sticks in your head, can make something poetic or pithy or just plain hilarious. The way he can grapple with big ideas and themes and still make a small, concrete story with characters you care about is just wonderful.

The style! His stuff has such a specific voice to it--certain rhythms to the dialogue, certain themes he returns to, certain things he thinks are funny. It's most obvious in the RTD era--when you hit a Moffat episode, everyone suddenly talks twice as fast. Some people might see such a distinctive style as a detriment, but in an entertainment landscape where everything can get sanded down into bland homogeny, it's refreshing to see work that is so personal and specific.

I love how his era understand that Doctor Who is a fairy tale. The fantastical entering into the ordinary. But the fantastical isn't there to save us from the boring drudgery of everyday life, but to make us appreciate just how wonderful the world--especially ordinary life--can be.

That fairy tale focus also makes his era the most explicitly Catholic of any era of Who. It understands a sacramental worldview where the ordinary and the extraordinary intertwine.

I've got major problems with how he can handle romance and sexual stuff, but when it comes to marriage, there is no one in the entertainment industry who does it better. The wedding isn't the end of the adventure, but the beginning of it. Fidelity is a grand adventure; love can get you through anything. It is beautiful.

He understands that the Doctor is a legendary heroic figure, something out of myth whose actions have saved the universe countless times--but he's also an idiot who makes colossal mistakes and wears stupid clothes. Neither side of that characterization undercuts the other one. It neither deifies nor deconstructs the Doctor.

I love how so many stories in his era build off of ideas from earlier eras. Sort of like a second draft or a remake. Digging deep into concepts that were only shallowly glanced at before. It's the fandom instinct toward meta applied to episodes that actually got on-screen.

As a showrunner, I like how he gives other writers a bit more leeway to write the episodes with their style. And I loved the arcs in Series 5 and 6 especially--a significant thread that weaves through multiple episodes, but also doesn't take away from the standalone nature of the individual stories.

He gave the Doctor a family! The Eleven-Amy-Rory-River family is about as good as it gets for companion groups, to my mind. Rory especially is one of the greatest characters in the show--showing the heroism of the ordinary, faithful man and how that can be even better than the showy heroism of the Doctor. And River is the rare companion that I can actually ship with the Doctor, because her life is as strange and time-twisted as his is.

I love that his era focuses on time travel as more than a way to get to the setting of the episode. We get to dive deep into time travel mechanics, twisting back and forth across time in a single episode, delving into time loops and cause-and-effect and out-of-order relationships, and the very human effects all this timey-wimey nonsense can have on people.

It's funny! There is so much humor while never devolving into parody. So quick-witted and clever.

It's a show run by the best kind of fan--one who likes diving in to all those nerdy details, but understands at the end of the day that it's just a show and we can have fun with it. One of my favorite Moffat moments comes in the commentary track for the Series 5 Weeping Angels two-parter. There's a point where he's just riffing mercilessly on how silly the Weeping Angels when you think about it. They can't move when they're seen--makes them kind of weak, doesn't it? Like, he imagines a group of them running into trouble: "Why didn't you invade that planet?" "Oh, sorry, we couldn't. There was an insect." This is one of his greatest creations, basically the only New Who monster (as opposed to friendly alien) deemed worthy of repeat appearances, yet instead of being arrogant over it, he's willing to poke fun at it like any other element of the show. It's just so fun.

Even if the rest of his era had been garbage, I would have loved this era for The Day of the Doctor alone. What a triumph of an anniversary special. Beautifully, intricately plotted along several timelines. Set-up and payoff in layers upon layers. Plot resolutions hidden in jokes. A way to bring back Rose that wasn't just inane fan-service but was central to the entire story. Bringing in all the Doctors in a way that didn't clutter up the episode. But best of all, it healed the wound that the Time War had wrought upon the show. The Time War had served its purpose in restarting New Who and giving new depths to the character; the episode didn't erase that. But it challenged the idea that the Doctor had to end Gallifrey for the greater good. For such an idealistic show, it had always been odd for it to argue that the ends justified the means. This episode, at last, destroyed that argument. The Doctor doesn't have to justify the way he ended the war because it can't be justified! It was horrible! So he shouldn't do it! He can be clever and kind and find a better way to save everyone! It's so wonderfully Tolkien-esque and means so, so much to me.

#answered asks #reverse unpopular opinions #doctor who #steven moffat #incomingalbatross

[deeply-unserious-fellow]

I think part of why most people I've talked to like Hazbin Hotel better then Helluva Boss, and why most of the writing problems in Helluva aren't as present in Hazbin, are because Hazbin is an ensemble show that treats all it's characters as EQUALLY IMPORTANT, while Helluva Boss is an ensemble show that just. Really wants to be the Blitzø and Stolas show.

Like oh my god that show wants to be about only Blitzø and Stolas so bad. It's why Moxxie gets more focus then Millie(he's closer to Blitzø), it's why the Stolitz drama gets dragged out the way it does, it's why Fizz has been getting more attention then the rest of the supposed main cast lately. Viv and Brandon(who doesn't get brought up very often when discussing the writing in Helluva Boss despite being the main cowriter?) CLEARLY just wanna focus on Blitzø and Stolas' backstories and relationship, despite marketing Helluva as an ensemble show. Moxxie gets some time as an individual, but I think that's more of a biproduct of him being around for longer then the other side characters tbh. Like they were initially concieved FOR Hazbin, and I'm not really sure where production went from there, but I believe they were originally just supposed to be an assassin duo that showed up in Hazbin a couple times? Idk details are fuzzy so if anybody knows more and feels like sharing feel free to rb/comment with your knowledge. Anyways Moxxie has more depth because he's been in development for longer, and as season 2 progresses it really feels like they're running out of shit to talk about with him. Everybody else is secondary to those two, which would be FINE if the show was PRESENTED as being about Stolitz, but it's kinda. Not. The show, especially if your going off of the pilot, is presented more like "the Office but in Hell". That is the concept most people are drawn in by. So when the people who signed up for a funny ensemble show in Hell start watching and end up with just a bunch of relationship drama and some occasional focus on like 1 or 2 other characters, they get confused and put off. It's like trying to watch the Office but getting Bojack Horseman(I think. I don't know much abt BJH-) instead.

Meanwhile Hazbin is advertised as an ensemble show and, so far, has fulfilled that promise. All 4 of the episodes we've gotten so far have focused on different characters and, between them, given an equal amount of focus to everyone except maybe Niffty. Episode 1 had Charlie and Vaggie leading the subplots, episode 2 had weirdly Vox and Sir Pentious as the focuses?, episode 3 was about. Pretty much everyone really but Velvette, Carmilla and Vaggie got especially highlighted because of their songs, and episode 4 was focused entirely on Angel and his relationships with the rest of the cast. Like. That's how ensemble shows are supposed to work. And while Charlie is still the main focus of the show, and I'm sure we'll see her get highlighted a whole lot more in coming episodes, Hazbin is still at it's core about EVERYBODY. Even characters that aren't even close to mains are getting attention! And aside from some uh. Very obvious pacing issues, the show handles the ensemble cast surprisingly well! And like, I think the main complaint I've seen(that isn't a straight up controversy) is that the Hotel isn't the main focus of the show? Which like. To be fair we're only like four episodes in? And also fits into my false advertising argument about Helluva but honestly this post is getting long and my brain is kinda melting and it's almost 2am and I have school tomorrow so I'm gonna cut this off here.

In conclusion Hazbin Hotel is generally more well liked than Helluva Boss because it's a true ensemble show, while Helluva is actually the Blitzø show PRETENDING to be an ensemble show. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk :)

#hazbin hotel #helluva boss #late night ramblings #gal overanalyzes random shit

[mooifyourecows]

I love the humor of your fics! I've genuinely never read a story that does it's humor so well and even after multiple rereads I find myself laughing out loud reading Open Tab for example. What tips would you give for writers who are trying to incorporate humor into the story without it being corny?

Hey, sorry for the late reply, i've been really busy lately with the holidays, womp womp 🥲

My advice is: embrace the corny. Every joke I've made will someday (if not already) be corny to somebody. Some of them have become corny even to me. But that's okay. Corny is good. Corny is funny too. Life is too short to be embarrassed about your writing. Embrace corny.

And what makes you laugh the first time might not make you laugh the fifth time. That doesn't mean it wasn't funny the first four times, right? There are tons of jokes I read back on now and I'm like "oh GOD that's lame" but when i wrote it, and when people first read it, it was HILARIOUS. Humor just wears off a little the more you expect and remember it. I mean sure, there are always going to be those jokes that you think are ALWAYS funny, but they're probably not always funny to other people. They might not have been funny ever at all for some people.

All that matters is if YOU think it's funny. Make YOURSELF laugh and giggle and snort over your stupid, corny jokes. That's what I do. I write something, and if it makes me laugh, I know it'll make someone else laugh. Maybe only one other person, but hey, me and that person are the only people in the world with taste anyway so, bombs away. Don't play to an audience unless you're trying to sell something. Play to yourself and you'll attract like minded people and those are the BEST people to have as your readers. They'll love and support you more than your own dang mom.

And then of course the usual advice i give to people about writing comedy is to consume comedy. Watch some shows/movies or read some books/comics that you personally find hilarious. Really pay attention to why they're funny. If you have to, pause and really break a joke down. Even take notes if that's helpful. Basically treat it like you're about to write a deep dive essay on why you laughed. I know it might seem unfun, explaining the joke, but if you understand comedy, you'll have an easier time writing it. Pay attention to word usage, timing, physical gags, silence, etc. It's all important. But don't be afraid to play around! Comedy is like any art and is meant to be creative and unique to every individual. There are some things out there that people find funny that I can't even pretend to laugh at. And that's okay! It's about taste. Find what you like and try it on.

Personally, I like witty banter. I like humor that is a little surprising and over the top. I like when something is so dumb that you can't help but laugh about it. I like funny characters AND funny situations, but especially funny characters in funny situations. So these are the things I try to include in my writing.

But I also really enjoy contrast, so I like to pair humor with other stuff. Sweet romance, deep emotions, sad drama, etc. If you try to be funny and only funny all the time, you're gonna come off a little desperate and the jokes will fall flat. Ever watch a long running show and have to suffer watching it slowly get less and less funny as the seasons go by because all the nuance is gradually replaced with signature character traits recycled again and again and again until every character is a husk of their former selves? That's what it feels like when you focus too hard on making everything funny. You lose the soul of the writing.

Really pay attention to the things you find funny and try and emulate that same energy. Don't use the same jokes, of course, but try and capture the general vibe of the humor in a way that suits your story/writing style. A lot of the stuff I like to consume is witty banter/outlandish situations/crass euphemisms/puns so those are the things i like to put into my own stories. And hey, sometimes it doesn't work. I've written jokes that make me laugh until I cry but nobody seems to feel the same way and HEY, that's alright. I like it. And liking the stuff you're doing is the most important thing in the end.

Anyway, I hope this is helpful in some way. If you ever want any more advice, feel free to shoot me another ask! I'll try my best 👍

Good luck! Sending you good funny vibes for your adventures into comedic writing 🌈

[brilliant-red-eternity]

Do you believe im Ko-Chan und Akane-Chan supremacy?

I’m sorry for the late reply. I’ve been up to my ears in work lately and I needed some time as English is not my mother tongue. I hope I understood your question correctly. If by "supremacy" you mean do I believe in Shinkane then my answer is yes, of course. I guess my blog betrays my true feelings for this ship ;)

I’m very excited about Providence and would like to use this opportunity to express my thoughts and expectations. I must admit that I’m out of practice when it comes to writing, but this is my first Ask and I want to make an effort. I really enjoyed writing about this ship in the past and I’m still in love with their dynamics. Hopefully the muse hasn’t left me yet.

From what I saw in the trailer, it looks as if Akane and Kogami will once again work together as a team and solve a case that will bring to light another mystery of the Sibyl System. We’ve been waiting quite a long time for this to happen, but it remains to be seen whether their relationship will also develop in a romantic way. I really hope so, even though Shiotani keeps emphazising that PP is not a Shoujo anime. The authors will probably just drop a few breadcrumbs here and there and we’ll have to read between the lines to understand the personal motivations and relationships of our characters – but who knows?

I think Akane and Kogami’s relationship is very complex and it's always fun to watch them work together and mature. Despite their different opinions and occasional disputes, their actions were always proof of how deeply these two care for each other. Not only have they always tried to protect the other from physical harm/death but also they have always supported each other mentally in times of doubt. There’s mutual trust and respect. And there’s this insanely powerful connection between them, this spark they can ignite in each other, even if they're miles apart. Kogami was subject to Akane’s influence while he was living abroad in war zones. His firm belief in her righteousness and the fact that his revenge led him into exile made him reflect more closely on moral duties. On the other hand, Akane developed this peculiar habit of lighting Spinels that helped her solve cases in Tokyo. There’s also this bittersweet scene in the PP movie where Akane finds a paperback of Proust: she immediately associates it with Kogami, takes it home and therefore withholds evidence. The authors have taken great pains to avoid the stereotypical portrayal of romance but the message gets across anyway if you pay attention.

Providence will very likely focus on their professional teamwork. Still, it will be exciting to see how they approach each other after all this time – and not just because of their mutual attraction that seems to become clearer with each new story. They both have matured on their individual journey, and they both have changed. Akane has gotten quite tough and she is more committed than ever to changing the Sibyl System and society for the better. She still rejects violence and strictly adheres to the law. While Kogami admires her for it, these are qualities which he himself does not possess. After he killed Makishima, Kogami had to survive for a long time in a lawless world and he wandered around there without any real goals. I had the impression that he hated his new life and eventually got weary. Akane's sense of justice has always been the magnetic north of his compass, so if there was someone who could provide him with a sense of purpose again it would be her – or some task associated with her. I really hope that he’s willing to get his life back on track this time.

(-Did you come back to fight violence with violence?

- I’m just doing what needs to be done. I don’t have any regrets.)

The phone call probably occurs at the beginning of the movie and I bet you that it was Kogami trying to get in touch with Akane for the first time. The atmosphere is tense and it provides a good starting point for the hero’s journey. One of the basic dramaturgical recipes in PP has always been Akane and Kogami pursuing the same goal while favouring different approaches. Personally, I think this is due to the different realities of their lives and individual experiences. As an enforcer and mercenary, Kogami was always in a position of powerlessness and only violence could help him change a situation. Akane, on the other hand, was able to seek peaceful solutions because of her relationship with the system by either slapping Sibyl’s wrist or negotiating deals. Moreover, it seems as if Akane has worked her way up on the job ladder since she is now shown as a supervising inspector. Kogami is still in the dark about Sibyl’s true nature or Akane’s dangerous ties to the system, so I think we’re looking forward to some kind of collision here.

Kogami seems a bit depressed during the conversation and the falling rain enhances the impression. It’s unrealistic to expect that he could immediately reconnect with his friends after all this time but man, does he have to be so bad at making conversation or saying sorry? He’s lying through his teeth when he says that he doesn’t regret anything. He’s full of regrets but as always his pride prevents him from being honest. I have long suspected that PP actually stands for "pride and prejudice" as Kogami seems to have no idea how to handle his own wants and needs or Akane’s newly acquired toughness. But you don’t have to be a profiler to know the reason why Akane acts so business-like and tough: she seems to protect herself emotionally because she didn’t do so in the past and therefore got her heart broken.

Kogami should have known that Akane won’t be thrilled to bits. She probably worries whether or not Kogami was only allowed to return to Japan to do the "dirty work" for Sibyl. We know from SS that Akane doesn’t trust Frederika or Foreign Affairs. There’s a lot of competition between their ministries and the SAD is a brand new unit whose mission is still unclear. You can’t blame Akane for being suspicious and wondering what to make of this. However, given the development of his character, I think Kogami won’t let himself be used for fights he doesn't believe in ever again. But I'm not so naive as to think that he suddenly stops doing what he always does (fighting fire with fire or whatever the fate of Kei’s brother may be) and be good, especially when he comes under emotional pressure or has to defend his idealism. Akane knows that he can’t help it. Of course she knows.

 (-The next time you violate the law, I will stop you no matter what.

-Even so, I’ll believe in you who strives for righteousness.)

I think Akane says that more to herself. She must have realized that his return has the potential to become a great burden for her. She has a soft spot for Kogami and she knows it. She has proven more than once that she is willing to put herself in jeopardy for him and as much as she despises his illegal actions, she has never held him accountable. At the present time, she would have to use a dominator or arrest him. Both options would put Kogami at the mercy of the Sibyl System and that’s exactly what she has always wanted to avoid. Now that he’s back, she must be afraid that Sibyl may only spare his life as long as he complies and makes himself useful. Kogami created chaos in everything he did and the system is notoriously unforgiving. But not Akane. She has always tried to protect Kogami either by letting him go or by warding off an overly harsh judgement. Considering that, it’s kind of crazy that he of all people always emphasizes Akane’s sense of justice. Objectively speaking, she let a murderer go because she has feelings for him and knew that Sibyl would execute him. That’s why Kogami looks so pathetic every time he begs for condemnation. He must know that he’ll never get it from her.

Anyway, a collaboration between the PSB and SAD seems to be under way and they will probably meet regularly in the future. Keeping Sibyl in check and ensuring justice is Akane’s second full-time job. She has enough on her plate already and she certainly doesn’t want to babysit Kogami, who she knows will neglect his duties whenever he feels like it. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get to see Kogami disobeying Frederika’s orders in Providence just so he can support Akane and follow the path of her "righteousness". As always, he’ll wreak havoc on the mission and his life will probably hang by a thread again causing a distraction for Akane who will then be compelled to save him from one of Sibyl’s crazy minions. She’ll go to jail for this, but we all know she will forgive him in the end. I can’t wait to see something like that in Providence. These two are practically made for each other. Try and convince me otherwise!

(-Will you come with me?

-Even if you told me not to, I will follow you.)

Be still my beating heart. I’ve always believed that Akane and Kogami are more than just colleagues. The romantic subplot has always been there given that Japanese culture is based on subtlety. Japanese people love to beat around the bush. Admittedly, Akane’s girlish demeanour in PP1 gave the impression that it might only be a one-sided and immature crush, but once Akane began to mature as a result of the Makishima case, their romance gained momentum. I’m glad she never broke the habit of looking at Kogami with dreamy wide eyes. It’s quite adorable and reminiscent of their early days as inspector and subordinate.

Some people think that Kogami only recognizes his younger self in Akane and that for him their relationship is merely platonic. His idealization of Akane raises questions, though. It’s clear that he has irrevocably changed and will never go back to his old self. I don’t even think he wants to. He respects Akane as his equal but considers her sense of justice superior to his or anyone else’s. In the PP movie, we witnessed how carefully he weighted every word she said when they talked on the balcony at night. He shielded her from the explosion without a second thought and the first thing he did when the camp was under attack was to help her escape. He always treats Akane with extreme care and priority. And if that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know, bear in mind that Kogami refers to Akane as her in the novel – as if he were sanctifying her. His character is not easily understood but I think it’s obvious that he has feelings for Akane. And from what I saw in FI and the new trailer, it seems that he no longer wants to hide them.

"Even if you told me not to, I will follow you". Kogami can be absolutely stubborn and persistent. He has already proven that in PP1 when he was chasing after Makishima. He was far too busy and selfish to be considerate of other people’s feelings back then and he didn’t let Akane’s warning get through to him. He had to learn the hard way. There’s something about this snipped that reminds me of Natsume Soseki’s "The moon is beautiful tonight, isn’t it?" to which the answer is: "I can die happy." Both are confessions of love. By saying that he would follow Akane unconditionally, Kogami reveals his real motives for the first time. And no, I don’t think he’s doing that as atonement for his crimes. He has undergone a transformation in SS which allows him to stop running away and "take responsibility". He had strayed far from the straight and narrow and it added to his loneliness and made him unhappy. Frederika recognized that. She must also have recognized that Kogami feels drawn to Akane and that he has found hope through his encounter with Tenzing. So, wherever their path may lead, I think he’s willing to die for Akane and become a happy man.

And as far as Akane is concerned: Kogami has always been the person she trusted the most and I really hope he becomes Akane’s ally. I’d love to see her laugh and find some happiness in this crazy world. She has secluded herself from friends and family over the course of the series and she absolutely needs someone to open up to plus a shoulder to lean on. She should no longer be a lonesome queen. Providence could be a first step in that direction and whatever happens between them as colleagues, friends or lovers, I expect it to be very important for their character arc. Kogami will probably learn to hold back and try to see the world through Akane’s eyes. And since we already know that Akane will end up in jail, it would be interesting to see if her policy might change in the future. Will she lose her influence over Sibyl? Will she be able to hold on to her non-violent way of life if it means she can no longer ensure justice and create change in the system? A system that won’t stop its Machiavellian practices and has begun to spread its tentacles all over the world? In PP3 Akane says something akin to "justice must be enforced, even if it disrupts a peaceful society." It doesn't sound vindictive or bitter, just reasonable.

The system despises both Akane and Kogami. They have demonstrated time and again that they would rather act according to their own principles than blindly follow orders. This is not in the interest of an authoritarian system. We learned in SS that Akane is being observed by the higher-ups since SEAUn. My gut feeling is that we should probably not trust Atsushi Shindou who has been portrayed as a Sibyl enthusiast in PP3 and who seems to have practiced strange mind manipulation techniques as an inspector. But what do I know? However, I’m pretty sure that the authors won’t be able to avoid showing the romantic side of their relationship in PP4. After the ending of FI it would come across as very artificial and forced.

Gosh, this answer has developed into a novel! I don’t know if you enjoyed my rambling analysis but I’ve always loved this little fandom and it feels good to be back! I want to thank steoh @mochidoodle for the translation of the trailer which I have quoted above in brackets.

#answered #psycho pass #shinkane #kouaka #akane tsunemori #shinya kougami

[sirjuggles]

Worm Reading - Part 1, Insinuation 2.6

So I've heard the series Worm thrown around peripherally over the years but I've never sat down and read it. Lately some folks I follow on Tumblr have been talking about it more, and I do love me a good web serial (shoutout to Astielle and Velveteen Vs. and, uh... Tales of MU but we don't talk about that). With that in mind, I figure I'll dive in and share my experience reading Worm for the first time.

Up front, what I know about Worm before beginning: I know it's yet another take on the reality of a world where some people have superhuman powers. I know the initial main character has bug powers. I'm pretty sure that somewhere along the way there's a massive spike in power level, where we go from dealing with street fights to dealing with civilization-level threats. I think there's some investigation of how people get powers, and experiments with trying to give people powers (that, inevitably for the genre, probably go awry). I also think there might be some shenanigans with the focus of the story, like a primary viewpoint character dies or becomes someone else? I'm hazy on that part.

With that in mind, I began reading this morning. I'm currently up to Insinuation 2.6. I will admit it's a little bit of a struggle to not skim over the school bullying portions. I know this is a story written twelve years ago by an amateur author, but the initial descriptions of all the pretty popular girl bullies and the focus on what they wear and what their hair looks like is definitely the weakest part. Not that this isn't sadly a legitimate depiction of how awful high school can be for many people, but at least for me it's the least interesting thing to read about.

So far it seems that Taylor hasn't really fully thought through how reality on the streets might differ from the Good Superhero VS. Evil Supervillain narrative put out by an organization with a name like THE PROTECTORATE. We've gotten some interesting glimpses into the street-level struggle between gangs led by powered individuals, I'm a little fascinated by this idea of non-powered mooks as basically gang members who rally around a powered leader. I'm gonna slide right over the characterization of the gang led by Lung and chalk that one up 2011 being a different time.

I am SO INTRUIGED by the Undersiders. Specifically it has been established that they have a somewhat diverse mix of powers and have been able to take on or shake off any attempts at suppression from officially authorized teams.

Hellhound: Seems to be general muscle for the team. We have yet to actually speak to her, but I kinda like her? Seems like she looked after herself while homeless for many years, and I can't really begrudge her for being standoffish or abrasive.

Grue: "Darkness Generation" is such a vague power, but I suspect it could be very handy in battlefield control and breaking contact after a fight, which makes their crew substantially more slippery. Deeper implications to how this could be weaponized?

Regent: Vague hero name doesn't seem to indicate any particular power, I'm curious what his deal is.

Tattletale: I'm sorry, I've only known this character for five minutes and I already LOVE her. Her power seems to be information-related, something like she knows the answer to any question asked? If her power is anything like what I think it is, she is CRAZY powerful and is absolutely being underestimated by the narrative at the moment. Can't wait to find out what her deal is.

Only other character we've met so far has been Armsmaster. He seems... fine. Generic corporate superhero. Nifty iconic weapon, not clear what actual powers he might have. He seems nice enough, I was a little surprised that he didn't put more pressure on Taylor to get registered and go legit in their initial interaction. I did feel a brief pang of "oh god I'm old" when the clearly Responsible Adult-coded character is estimated to be about my age or younger.

I'm curious to meet this elusive "Boss" the Undersiders have mentioned, that seems to be a critical part to this story that I suspect will be a central part of which way this story goes. Onward from here!

#parahumans #Worm #wormblr #worm wildbow #worm web serial #first time reading #Worm Readalong

[hyenahunt]

Obbligato: Ship of Fools - 2

Writer: Akira

Season: Winter

Characters: Ibara, Tatsumi, Jun, HiMERU

Proofreading: 310mc + Remi (JP) & honeyspades (ENG)

Translation: hyenahunt & Peace

Ibara: Indeed! I am putting in every effort to do away with my unsettling vocabulary, in favour of conducting myself as a messenger of love and peace! Salute— I mean, Live, Laugh, Love~ ♪

Time: A little while later.

Location: Within the Reimei Academy school grounds, in the Second Auditorium

Ibara: Students and alumni of Reimei Academy! I am so delighted to have you all gathered here today! Live, Laugh, Love~♪

Tatsumi: My, what a lovely greeting...♪

Jun: Actually, this guy's been tryna overhaul his image to something weirdly out of character lately, so he's not having a good time.

Ibara: Indeed! I am putting in every effort to do away with my unsettling vocabulary, in favour of conducting myself as a messenger of love and peace! Salute— I mean, Live, Laugh, Love~ ♪

HiMERU: —He seems to be a little like Dr. Str*ngelove, doesn't he?

Tatsumi: Haha, I think it's a wonderful idea to refrain from using words that might leave a bad impression, and to instead focus on those that bring about feelings of affection instead.

Ibara: It is but a mere business strategy, of course!

Especially considering how SS was a nationwide broadcast, the general public has come to expect a certain level of trouble wherever the ES name goes.

Recently, a number of fans have even been turned off entirely by idols and wonder if we’re always so terrifying... so we must do what we can to restore their original image of us.

COMP will also double as a way for ES to entice potential idols into enrolling in one of CosPro’s many affiliated schools.

...It's proving to be very difficult to pull off, honestly speaking. Ahh, how terribly stressful.

Jun: You're really going through it, huh. Well, maybe it’d be best if you didn’t expect the world to go your way every single time?

Ibara: Of course I know that. How many years do you think I've been working with adults for?

HiMERU: —Vice President. There's more you've yet to explain, so please do so.

Tatsumi: Yes, please. I have my own share of questions about the event, and I'd like to do the very best I can with the work entrusted to me.

However, I'm not affiliated with CosPro in the first place...

So is it truly alright if I participate in a project that intends to promote schools beneath its wing?

Ibara: If it sits well with you, then by all means ♪ Of course, we shall pay you handsomely for it!

Tatsumi: Haha... Truthfully, we are in no dire need of money anymore, so there's no need for us to push ourselves solely for the sake of earning L$.

That being said, each of us in Alkaloid thought our best course of action would be prioritizing honing our individual skills, since we've become accustomed to acting as a unit.

With that thought in mind, I sought to join the project at hand. Thank you very much for having me.

Ibara: Oh, the pleasure is all ours! Having the Revolutionary of Reimei on our side is worth the strength of a thousand others!

In actual fact, you still have many followers out there, especially among graduates of Reimei Academy.

COMP's success would, in fact, be unlikely without the support of so many devoted fans.

Jun: Haha. We'd be in trouble if it resulted in another internal conflict between Special Students and Non-Special Students after all, yeah?

HiMERU: —HiMERU does not believe it will be as simple as you say.

Ibara: All the same, back then, the two of you were capable of attracting the attention of both Special Students and Non-Special Students alike—

Should they see you, Tatsumi Kazehaya-shi and HiMERU-shi, both participating in this project, working hand in hand together in peace, then I don't believe anyone would try to cause us any trouble.

HiMERU: —HiMERU understands. So that is why we have been asked to participate in COMP, then?

Ibara: Indeed. That is precisely our strategy. —Er, rather, our quaint little idea.

Jun: Having to change up your unsettling vocab is causing ya grief, isn't it? ~ ♪

Tatsumi: You needn't force yourself if it's uncomfortable, though.

Ibara: No, no. I'll tough it out through the impossible, and ensure the success of COMP for all to see.

I explained the necessity of this project to Jun earlier, but—

As you'd imagine, with the oh-so-diligent Yumenosaki on everyone's lips as ES's token idol school, our CosPro-affiliated schools are waning in popularity compared to it.

The majority of units featured in the SS preliminaries were also from Yumenosaki, so the overall public opinion and awareness of them has skyrocketed.

But what's happened has happened. Considering such circumstances, even I'd invest in Yumenosaki.

Jun: Well, if I were a dad and wanted my cute lil' kid to aspire towards being an idol, I'd also wanna enroll 'em in Yumenosaki after seeing their results in SS, I think.

Ibara: Indeed. That is of the highest importance, considering how it is essentially parents who pay the tuition fees.

However, as everything outside the idol industry is experiencing an economic slump during these dire times, not every family is financially well-off.

A scholarship system may have been established in Yumenosaki, but to begin with, its school fees are far beyond the range of Reimei's —

Jun: Yeah, and scholarships are a form of debt, too. So by tying people up in those debts, they keep 'em from escaping the idol industry, or something like that.

Ibara: Precisely. It's a method akin to a Venus flytrap, rather befittingly of His Eminence Eichi's style. That being said, unlike the era of the bubble economy, everyone feels a sense of unease over their future prospects.

Only a minority would be willing to take on a debt in order to fulfill their dreams, I'm sure.

But as for that, we at CosPro are supported by a number of companies I run.

Should anyone fail to become an idol during their three years of enrollment, they will still be able to join one of our companies and return to normal society.

And of course, we would prioritise offering such employment opportunities to graduates of our affiliated schools.

People of today's society, stability-oriented as they are, would surely prefer to place their futures in our hands over making a gamble with Yumenosaki — that's what I believe.

Tatsumi: Haha. Eichi-san does seem as if he'd like to turn all of mankind into idols. To that end, CosPro has the advantage of allowing ordinary people the chance to return to their normal lives.

Ibara: Indeed. His Eminence Eichi's lofty ideals are a wonderful thing, but rushing will inevitably lead to mistakes. In this day and age, the world is yet to become fully coloured by the concept of idols.

It is, of course, a given that not all of humanity can become idols.

And that is precisely where we shall strike.

No, rather, our goal for COMP is simply to encourage more people to choose our schools over Yumenosaki! Live, Laugh, Love~♪

Jun: Man, I'm never gonna get used to that.

✦✦✦✦✦

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#ensemble stars #enstars #enstars translation #s: obbligato #himeru #jun sazanami #tatsumi kazehaya #hyenahunttl #ibara saegusa

[izzyspussy]

Why is there a Second Act Breakup?

A little (long?) while ago I saw a post by somebody who said they weren't typically a romance fan but had been reading a lot of romance lately because it was so readily available to them. They said they mostly liked it, but they couldn't understand the point of the ever-present Second Act Breakup and were frustrated by it.

Listen. I know it was rhetorical. So that's why I'm answering that question generally rather than directly. Not to vagueblog lmao but. Here are some reasons the Second Act Breakup is utilized in romance.

Strengthening the Characters Individually

Contrary to the most obvious assumption, a romance book is not actually only about the relationship. That's the story, sure, but it's only interesting because of the characters - so the characters are what the book is really about.

The first act of a romance is used to put the characters together and begin building the relationship. In the second act, we want character development. That is, not just character growth (i.e. change, be it positive or negative) but exploring character depth.

When the characters are separated - by a breakup, distance, whatever else - that gives us more room in the narrative to expand them.

A second act breakup also lets us show that the characters can still be individuals even when the focus of the story is their relationship.

For example, in Marry Me (a movie not a book, but they generally follow the same genre conventions) part of the reason for the second act breakup is that Kat is nominated for her first music award for a song she wrote and must perform with her ex. This conflict allows for Kat to continue to have priorities in her life other than her love interest, here her career and personal accomplishments.

For another example, in Beauty And The Beast Belle and Adam have to break up so that Belle can choose Adam. Even though they've already gotten to know each other as equals, no longer captor and captive, and have demonstrably fallen in love Belle still has to leave and come back to show her autonomy as a character and that her feelings for Adam are true. It also keeps her character consistent with regards to romance not being her highest priority, her strong relationship with her father, and her bravery and self-sufficience.

Switching Character Focus

Often, the first act of a romance focuses on the hero and what makes this relationship worth writing about in their life. At the second act breakup, we have a clear plot-relevant reason to switch to the love interest. It's now the other character's problems' turn.

This is most obvious in romances where a main source of conflict stems from the exes. Act one would be conflict from the hero's ex, and then act two is about the love interest's ex. But it can be anything!

To use Marry Me as an example again (I just saw it, so it's fresh on the brain), in act one the main character conflict is Kat's history of being wronged by her partners and her recent and explosive breakup. In act two, the focus is on Charlie's insecurity and fear of heartbreak. Kat's conflict with being in love with Charlie has been surmounted, and now it's time to deal with Charlie's conflict with being in love with Kat.

The second act breakup also makes room for side characters to take bigger roles, or to have their own relationships.

Switching from External to Internal Conflict (or Vice Versa)

Much the same as the character focus switch, the second act breakup provides a way to change focus from an external conflict to an internal conflict, or vice versa.

Say act one is about the hero thinking the love interest is out of their league, but there is also the conflict that the love interest's family disapproves of the match. Trying to explore both of those conflicts to their fullest potential concurrently will be very muddled and make for an unpleasantly complicated read. A second act breakup provides a way to focus on one, and then switch to the other.

In Marry Me this switch is from the external act one conflict that Kat's and Charlie's lifestyles clash and they have to find a way to coexist and relate to each other smoothly, to the internal act two conflict that Charlie thinks he is not glamorous enough for Kat.

A Complete Arc for the Antagonist

As previously said, a romance is not just about the main relationship. The other characters and the conflict(s) keeping the relationship apart in the first place all need to find satisfying conclusions. Especially in a romance with a clear villain, if the story ended right when the main characters got together that would leave the rest of the plot unresolved.

The Shape Of Water doesn't really have a second act breakup, but it does have distinct act one vs act two conflicts with the act two conflict being to complete the villain's storyline, so I'm going to use it for my example of this anyway.

In act one, the primary conflict is that Elisa and Amphibian Man are different species. In order to fall in love, they have to overcome a language barrier, the taboo of an interspecies relationship, and later the potential of incompatible anatomy. Those conflicts are, narratively speaking, solved in the (literal) consummation of their relationship. Technically, the conflict of his captivity is already solved as well!

But it wouldn't be very satisfying if the story ended there, even though they are happily together. We need Shannon to come between Elisa and Amphibian Man again so that he can be definitively defeated.

Occam's Razor

Last, but not least, the simplest - and most important - answer.

Why is the second act breakup a romance genre convention? Because romance fans like it.

If you're not a romance fan and you don't "get" it, well that's because you're not a romance fan and you don't get it. It has nothing to do with the value or function of the plot device itself and everything to do with your personal taste!

#jack facts #writing process #my fic #essay #romance #writeblr #romance writing

[nono-bunny]

I loooove how the magic festival and the wild hunt are both revisiting the ideas from Enchated Parade! It and the first movie are both brilliant and I personally never neglect to watch them alongside the series, but... Yeah, they sorta follow a different canon because LWA was never meant to get a full series initially, and even though I could've sworn they used to be on Netflix alongside the show, they aren't available there anymore. Despite being the originators, they seem to have become sorta harder to find, which really is a shame because of how great they are, but!! The series truly does a magnificent job at re-presenting the battle visuals, the red trio's friendship crisis, and in furthee developing the green trio-aside from Jasminka, my girl was ROBBED!! WHAT THE FUCK WAS UP WITH HER STOMACH DEMON??? She's still the best though and I love her a bunch

Anyway the wild hunt is such a cute episode, it's somehow always both surprising and makes complete sense that Akko is a complete nerd even in matters unrelated to Chariot.

Tbh I do really wish we got an episode focusing on Constanze and Croix, because even without this episode to hint at an unseen mentorship between those two they feel like a no-brainer duo I would've LOVED to see interact. Like, Constanze is literally ALL ABOUT modern magic, there's just no way she doesn't idolize Croix and that she in turn doesn't take her under her wing- Constanze is incredibly gifted in Croix' exact field, and I can so easily see a version of the story where Constanze becomes her unwitting apprentice, it would've been so interesting to see her coming to terms with what she helped with, and have Croix later repent by propely helping and teaching her!!!! I GET why it's important that Croix fools Akko, and like, girl, same, I get it, she's hot- but fr I can't help but feel that it's a shame that other characters aside from Diana weren't more integrated with the main plot, even when it would have made sense for them to be. As much as I love all of their individual focus episodes (again, everyone except for my girl Jasminka) I feel like there was also room for them to be a bit more involved.

LWA had so many great ideas, and even though it actually got a relatively big amount of episodes to flesh them out in for a modern original anime (ESPECIALLY for a shoujo) I kinda can't help but be a bit sad sometimes when thinking about it because? There was so much stuff left a bit open ended, and so many ideas and concepts that weren't ever explored to their fullest potential, and like? If there ever was a show that ended perfectly while still leaving plenty of room for a sequel, LWA is definitely it. Every time I come to Cavendish I get a little sad and apprehensive about keeping on watching, because I never want it to end, and to me that episode signifies the beginning of the end of the show, and like. Sure, it's been six years... But by god, an announcement for a new season of this show would NEVER feel too late or out of place.

LWA academia is like, the one shoujo I didn't even have to try to convince my guy friends to watch, because as soon as one of them found it, he loved it and soon after all of them were watching it... And they still love it to this day! Legit, everyone I ever knew who watched this show loved it, because it has such a broad appeal and so much charm, and!! Fr istg so many people would love to see another season, even those who maybe only ever watched it once ages ago, as well as all of those who haven't watched it yet and might give it a shot in the hype of a new season

#little witch academia

[peyton-warren]

Blinded by the Fog Part 6

Characters: Reader, Jolene, Aubrey Clay(OC), Madre Alverez (OC) and Syverson Pairings: Jake Jensen x Reader Word count: 2210

Type: angst and fluff

Warning: 18+. Minors DNI. guilt, self-depreciation, self-doubt, loss of spouse and found family, swearing. Therapy/ emotional baggage type language.

Summary: Reader thinks about the new man in her life and the one she recently lost.

Author's Note: I admit this is partly self-indulgent as I fight with my own demons of self-doubt and self-worth. Its been a hard couple of years months lately. Thank you to @adulting-sucks for her continued support, pushing me to not give up even though Reader has been a bit difficult lately.

Ask Box: Open

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

Part 5

You somehow managed to evade Sy and everyone else for the better part of a week.  Well,  "managed" is a strong word for how your week went after acting like a complete fool in front of Sy Saturday morning.  

Ever the infuriating gentleman, Sy gave you the rest of Saturday to yourself only after he texted to make sure you got home ok.  And try as you might to avoid him, Jiminy Cricket on your shoulder insisted you needed to reply; if you didn’t, you knew Sy would be standing on your porch quicker than you could blink.  So you allowed yourself one thumbs up emoji, and immediately silenced your phone, sending it to parts unknown across the living room.  

Pulling your clothes from your body, you tossed them at the hamper in the corner of your bedroom on your way to the bathroom. Still refusing to look at yourself in the mirror on your way through, you headed for an excessively long shower that would hopefully clear your head.  You felt like such an idiot for reacting the way you did, an overdramatic fool who needed to get her shit together.  Jolene was counting on you......

 -and you silenced your fucking phone, god you were STILL a melodramatic moron.  

Dripping from the shower, conditioner still in your hair, you nakedly stomped your way through the house and searched for your phone for a good 5 minutes before your shivering fingers found it wedged behind an old text book from college. Wiping your cold wet hand on a nearby throw blanket, you unlocked your phone to find Jolene still hadn’t contacted you. Choosing to unsilence your phone, you sent her a quick check-in message before only silencing Sy's number .  You ignored the disappointment in the hole where your heart was supposed to be when you realized that he hadn't sent you any more messages after your thumbs up.  

With a huff of indignation, you took the phone with you to the bathroom. Sy was an infuriating individual, you reasoned with yourself as you stepped back into the spray of now warm water.  He had the audacity to just come into your life, be the exact person you needed right now, and then unknowingly distract you from mourning your husband by being... his fucking self.  

And then there was your husband.  And the loss of him.  And the rest of your favorite A-team.  

Shaking your head at yourself, you forced yourself to not look past the loss of your husband to stare at the loss of all 5 men on that copter, all of whom you knew you would mourn for the rest of your days.   You needed to focus on the loss of Jake, deal with the ends he left loose, the promises never to be fulfilled, the adventures never to be had together, the years you still had in front of you without him.  You two weren't babies, but you were far from an ancient woman.  You had made so many plans together, places to see, things to taste, sounds to hear, things to feel.  Together.  And now...now if you still wanted all those things, you had to do them without the one person on the planet that you adored with every fiber of your being.  

A horrible sounding sob rang through the bathroom as you allowed yourself to curl into a ball on the floor of the shower.  How were you going to manage without JJ around?   How could this just be it?   How could everything you had with Jake just come to this? A paltry few years together And then nothing. He was always there from the time you were 8.  You had no idea how to function without him.  And this hard ass routine was doing nothing to help.  

Suddenly, you felt so tired, so exhausted.  You felt like you needed to sleep for a month, even though last night you had slept better than you had since Jake's death.  Rinsing yourself off, you finally let yourself admit that you were able to sleep so well because you trusted Aaran Syverson.  You were able to relax enough last night because you knew you were safe. He had done nothing to give you any reason to think his intentions were anything other than honorable.  

He helped you forget what you were going through while still supporting you when it did come to the foreground.  He rolled with you as you wrestled with your grief, and he smiled with you when you were able to put it to the side.  He had found ways to support you that didn't seem overwhelming or suffocating, allowing you to be your own person, deal or not deal with your emotions as you needed, always just an arm's reach away.  But you had to admit to yourself that the horrid voice in the back of your head wasn't completely off track.  You found Sy attractive, but fuck what person with a pulse wouldn't?  

Toweling yourself off , you finally looked at yourself in the mirror.  Meeting your eyes, you let the guilt of his comfort well in your heart.   You had loved Jake Jensen most of your life, you weren't sure what you were supposed to do with the potential feelings for someone else.  Hell you weren't even sure if Sy felt the same way.  Yes, he was a great friend which you needed so deeply right now, could there be more on his side?

You recalled the times he had called you "baby" over the past few weeks, replaying every single one that you could remember.  Friends don't really call each other that, do they?   Maybe they did in Texas?  

His initial concern stemmed from Madre's insistence he bring you food.  But things had well and progressed since that drunken night.  You had to admit to yourself that you doubted yourself around Aaran, you were afraid of what that trust and comfort would turn into.  You were a grieving widow, mourning a man you had known most of your life.   How dare you shift your focus onto a man who you'd known for just a few short months.  You needed to adjust that.  

You called out of work on Monday, continuing to hide from the world.  On Sunday, Jolene had responded to your text that she was fine and that Madre wanted to have you both and Aubrey over on Friday for dinner, and she wasn't taking no for an answer.  It had been over a month since the four of you had gotten together, and you couldn't ever say no to her.  Ever.  

Come Tuesday morning, while waiting in line at your favorite coffee shop, you hazarded a glance at your silenced messages to find that Sy had sent you two.  One was on Monday morning asking how you were, if you were alright and if the two of you  could talk.  The second one had a time stamp of later that day saying he was being sent out the following morning for an unknown amount of time by the Army and if he didn’t have a message from you when he returned, he promised to leave well enough alone.  

You couldn’t stop your heart from sinking to your toes at the thought of another super secret mission, another chance for someone else you cared about getting hurt, or even worse. Glancing at your watch even without knowing what time his debrief was this morning, you were certain his phone was off and tucked away somewhere by now, not to be touched until his return.  Not that you had any idea what to say to him.  Your mind just whirled with all the things you wished you had said to Jake before he left, and none of those seemed appropriate with Sy.  And did you even want him to contact you when he returned?  He was giving you an out, a free and clear out to not deal with whatever the fuck had been building between you.  Should you take it?   

What you did decide to take was another day off from work, claiming another mental health day, which your boss was understanding about, especially after all the ones you didn’t take after the accident.  

The rest of the week you pondered what to send to Sy’s phone, if anything.  You had wanted a break from him so you could clear your mind and focus on the loss of Jake, and what your life now was going to look like.  And instead you spent the week dwelling on what you felt about another man.  World’s best widow right here folks, right here.  

By the time you were on your way to Madre’s Friday night, you were no closer to figuring out what to say to Sy than you were to figuring out what you were going to do now that Jake was gone.   You tried to push all of it aside as the front door opened to reveal the youngest member of your found family, her bright eyes shining the same way Clay’s did when he saw you.  You tried to hold back the tears as Aubrey hugged you close.  Her school schedule made it hard for her to get together with any of you lately and you were so glad she had come tonight.  “Good to see you, munchkin,” you mumbled into her shoulder, as she stood a good head taller than you.  You had known the young woman more than half her life by now, having watched her grow from a gangly preteen into the goddess before you.  

“Good to see you too, Auntie.” Your hug tightened on both sides, both of you acutely aware of your loss, both of you too stubborn to ask for help in your own grief, clinging to each other for a moment of solace and comfort.  

After a few silent moments, you stepped back to place a kiss on the redhead’s cheek.  “How’s school?” you asked, squeezing her hand before stepping further into the house.  “You doing ok with everything?”

Aubrey shrugged as she half led the way through the small house, her heels clicking against the hardwood. “Profs have been pretty understanding with it all.  Forcing myself to focus on school work has helped keep me from losing my mind, ya know?”

You half laughed at her statement. “Oh I do know, munchkin.  I do know.”   You gently squeezed her arm before you reached the threshold of the kitchen where you could hear Jolene and Madre chattering.  “We are here for you…I’m here for you,” you continued.  “You are not in this alone, you know.  I love you,” you said with a choked voice.  “They loved you.”   

Aubrey’s eyes met yours, tears filling both of your visions. “Fuck you,” she muttered lowly, no anger in her tone.  “You had to do that now didn’t you?” She wiped delicately around her eyes, clearly trying not to spoil her well done make up with her well appointed nails.  “God I hate you.” 

You smiled through your own pain. “No you don’t.  Suck it up, buttercup.”

She flipped you off as she headed toward the bathroom. Laughing softly, you entered the kitchen to find the other two women in the room, sharing a story about something.  You kissed Madre’s cheek where she stood at the stove before making your way over to hug Jolene where she sat on a chair, looking stunningly beautiful in all her momma glory.  Not even pausing to interrupt the conversation, you grabbed the stack of plates and silverware on the counter and made your way to the dining room, putting yourself to work, helping where you could. 

After settling the fifth plate down, you realized Madre must have miscounted as she pulled them out tonight.  It happened. You set it to the side as you started putting out the forks, quickly realizing there were five of them as well. Wait….

There was a knock on the front door as you literally did the math.  After the door opened, heavy booted footsteps were heard as your heart sped up.  Aubrey’s squeal echoed from the front hallway as a familiar voice rumbled off the walls. “Hello, beautiful,” Sy told her. 

“Haven’t seen you in ages,” the young girl admitted, with joy in her voice.  You heard them hug and you suddenly remembered the conversation you and Sy had at your kitchen table all those weeks ago.  A new emotion entered your stomach, swirling with all the others, one you didn’t particularly like the flavor of-  jealousy.  Had Sy and Aubrey really slept together? Was that the history he and Clay had?  

“Was very sorry to hear about your dad, kiddo,” Sy mumbled softly.  Kiddo.  That was the same nickname Clay had for you.  And there’s nothing untoward between you and the Colonel.  That surely was the same for these two, right?   Your brain and your anxiety stormed, trying to make sense of everything. 

“Thank you.  I appreciate that,” she said as the two of them entered the dining room on their way to the kitchen.  You swallowed hard as your eyes met Sy’s.  With steely eyes that gave nothing away, he gave you a solitary nod before following Aubrey into the kitchen. 

Guess you now knew who the fifth plate was for.  

Chapter 7

General Tag List littleone65

BBTF Tag List Mis-lil-red @mysweetlittledesire

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M07belzen Used-to-be-bourbonwithice @hawklin

#Blinded by the fog series #jake jensen x female reader #jake jensen fanfiction #jake jensen x reader #jake jensen angst #captain syverson fanfic #captain syverson fic #captain syverson x reader #henry cavill character x reader #chris evans character x reader #captain syverson fanfiction #cpt syverson #captain sy #mourning #jake jensen fanfic #the losers movie #the losers (2010) #blinded by the fog series #syverson angst #the losers fanfiction #sand castle fanfiction #Henry cavill character x reader #chris evans #Henry Cavill #captain syverson smut #captain syverson x you #captain syverson #captain syverson angst #captain syverson x f!reader #jake jensen fluff

[seriousbrat]

While I don’t agree with all your views and interpretations of the characters I really do appreciate that you try to be fair in your analysis. There’s been some posts going around the marauders side fandom (the part of the marauders fandom that I usually considered to be safe from this rhetoric) that have been verging on abuse apologism lately and it has been pretty disturbing to see. At the end of the day these are just characters and they aren’t real but the way we chose to talk about them and their situations are. When we start trying to excuse abusive behaviors just to make our fictional faves look better it has a real effect on the people reading it who might have experienced something similar in real life. (Sometimes I really wish people would step back and examine their language when talking about these situations, especially if we are talking about any form of SA). I really don’t understand why people feel the need to try to underplay the actions of the marauders and snape, they are shitty, let them be shitty, why are we making excuses for our fake little people? Anyways thanks for being reasonable I guess, sorry for the rant lol

omg I love this message so much! I could cry. Totally, nobody is required to agree with my views on the characters, that's not what I'm about and you're 100% right.

It's why even though I don't believe that characters need to be 'defended' I still think it's worth talking about how fandom treats Lily, because our views and preferences aren't created in a vacuum. But I want to say, even though I've perhaps been harsh about it in the past, that nobody's truly in the wrong for ignoring Lily as a character. It's not and has never been about what people choose to focus on in the privacy of their own blog, it's not about the actions of individual people at all and I'd never be so presumptuous as to demand strangers be interested in something they're not interested in. Rather, I think it's worthwhile to get people thinking and reflecting and discussing things as a collective, because that way we learn and evolve together and maybe we actually gain something from it!

You said this so perfectly. We can just let the fake people be shitty without trying to excuse things that frankly never needed to be excused, just talked about honestly and respectfully. And with kindness-- being defensive or aggressive gets us nowhere. The fact that these fictional guys are shitty gives us so much to talk about and that's the most powerful thing about fiction to me, is how it helps us interpret the world around us with more empathy and perspective. Another thing that helps is interacting with people who have differing opinions from a position of understanding and openness so this message really means so much to me!!

anyway im in love wit u anon, thank you for being reasonable too!

#im actually so touched rn i LOVE when someone's like 'i disagree with you but you know what that's okay' #ik i'm pretty open about my dislike for j3gulus or w0lfstar but it's not that bad!!! i have no personal grudge against ppl who are into it #and i never will have i promise #im just a little guy my personal opinions should have no bearing on what anyone else enjoys #replies