#but no matter how high he goes all he sees is that little beaten and abandoned boy who was good enough for no one with no future | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gallusrostromegalus · 1 month

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You can lay blame for this second ask at @hoifne 's feet, I saw their comment on the post and had to:

How did folks react to the moon landing?

"You're ready? No Big Regrets?" Renji asks. He always asks. He'd done hundreds of Konso rituals now that he was doing his mandatory tour of duty in the living world, but he never wants them to feel 'routine', so he talks to the ghosts. Hypes them up a bit for the afterlife, tries to keep his heart in it.

Especially when it's a kid.

"Well, it's not really a big deal..." The ghost Suichi considers. He was maybe ten or eleven years old. Thick prescription glasses, face round with puppy fat, very loved. Love won't stop a freak electrical accident though. Young Suichi is handling his sudden departure really well, all things considered, so maybe love does stop despair. "-but its a bit of a shame that if there's no TV in the afterlife, I won't be able to watch the moon landing."

"Yeah, we're a bit behind the times, but I'm sure one of the mad geniuses in the 12th will invent one sooner than late-" Renji grins ruffling the boy's hair before the rest of the sentence registers. "-The What Landing?"

"The Moon Landing!" Suichi lights up with excitement. "They just launched the rocket yesterday! But in just three days, man will walk on the moon!"

"...The Moon?" Renji blinks, bewildered.

"Yeah!"

Renji points up over his shoulder into the sky, gripping the boy's shoulder, eyes wide. "THE MOON IN THE FUCKING SKY?"

---

The lights of the Fifth division offices reflect blankly off of Captain Aizen's glasses as he attempts to process the news. He is entirely still, save for his eyebrows which are writhing like overcaffienated caterpillars, unable to settle on an emotion to convey.

"The Moon?" Lieutenant Ichimaru squints at Renji even harder than usual, pointing up out the window behind him. "The Moon in the fucking sky?"

"Yeah!" Renji spread his hands. "I didn't believe it either but the humans have managed to work out some neat trick with the way the world turns to like, throw the spaceship like a slingshot..?" he tried to explain.

"So, so there's three guys in a boat-" Captain Aizen tried again, reaching up under his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose.

"It's really more like a sealed metal tube, but they call it a Space Ship because it does sorta sail through space..." Renji tried to explain, holding up the newspaper from the living world he'd brought back to substantiate his claims and also provide helpful images to explain what was happening.

"So there's three guys in a metal tube and they... threw it into the sky so hard that instead of falling it started flying instead?" Aizen tried. "How do they even throw something that hard without Kido?"

"So the men are up in this little itty bitty bit at the top that looks like a cap on a vaccine needle-" Renji pointed at the image of the Apollo 11 rocket. "-All the rest of this is the uh. enormous amount of extremely coordinated high explosives they used to launch it. The. The whole thing is like... It's a little over three hundred fifty shaku and only 12 shaku of that is where the humans are. The rest is um. Air they smooshed so hard it became liquid and then they set that on fire and look at the picture you can see the kaboom!" Renji tried to explain, pushing the paper across Aizen's desk for his captain to read.

Aizen certainly pointed his face at the image and accompanying article, but 'read' may have been a bit beyond him at the moment.

"Oh, is that all it took?" Ichimaru hummed with interest. "Well fuck, why haven't we done that?"

"Oh yes, how very silly that the humans have beaten us at the trifling matter of FLINGING OURSELVES INTO SPACE, WHAT THE *HELL* ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ICHIMARU??" Aizen objected.

"Well like. Idea's sound. Moon goes around the earth, so a smaller thing should too. And we can absolutely make a sealed metal container and kaboom bigger than that." Gin shrugged, as though this were plainly obvious. "Betchya the clown that runs the twelfth has the stuff laying around- we got a meeting with him later today anyway, why not ask?"

"Oh sure, that's a great Idea!" Aizen beamed. "Why hello Kurotsuchi-taicho, curious news from the human world- do you think you could spare a few parts and several tons of explosives to send some guys for a stroll on the moon?"

There was a moment of silence where Renji and Gin shared an awkward glance (or at least, Renji gave meaningful look to the narrow slits where his lieutenant-commander's eyes theoretically were).

"...he'd agree to that in a heartbeat, if he hasn't started work on his own Spaceboat already." Aizen groaned.

---

"No." Grunted Mayuri.

"No? Why not?" Aizen asked, head cocked to the side like a confused spaniel.

"Look, what the old man doesn't know about budget expenditures won't hurt him!" Gin smiled encouragingly. "Think of all the scientific data you'd get to research!"

"What the old man finds out about budget expenditures after the fact can and will hurt me." Mayuri growled. "It's not cookie money, kitting an expedition to the living world to engineer a spaceship with atomic matter instead of Reishi- No, much more efficient to let the humans do it for us and poach the date from them."

"...Why would we need to go to the Living world?" Aizen blinked, confused. "I can see the moon from the window right here?" Aizen pointed out the window of Kurotsuchi's office.

"What? That moon? You can't go to that moon!" The clownish chemical engineer cackled."

Aizen and Ichimaru stared at him blankly.

"Is. Is the moon here different than the one in the living world?" Aizen asked, bewildered.

"Different? It doesn't exist!" Mayuri laughed, waving his hand at them.

Aizen and Ichimaru stared at him, then leaned back in their seats, looking out the window at the moon, which still looked as physical and present as it ever did.

"...Oh don't tell me you didn't know." Mayuri frowned, pouting. "No, spirit world doesn't have a moon. The thing up in the sky is a Tulpa- there's a "moon" because everyone who comes to spirit world thinks there should be one, and there's so much ambient spiritual energy even weak souls can exert some force on the nature of reality and when millions of them are all certain there should be a moon, a moon manifests. Or at least, a thing that looks like a moon. Doesn't act like one, changes size and skips around it's phases all the time and if it really were a round object in space, that's NOT what a crescent moon would look like."

Aizen and Ichimaru looked back out the window at the "Moon", whose crescent arced a full three quarters of the alleged satellite's circumference.

"Seriously? this is some really basic stuff." Mayuri glared at them in disappointment. "You never noticed that the moon is always visible out any random window at night, no matter what time it is? It doesn't even go east-to-west more than half the time!"

"But. But we have a lunar calendar..?" Aizen muttered, an edge of genuine distress in his voice.

"Oh yeah, the moon *used* to be regular as clockwork- everyone literally set their watches to it." Mayuri shrugged. "Then sometime about eh, two and a half, three thousand years ago? Right around the same time the first captain-class spirits started appearing, the moon started doing this 'Full Moon Thrice A Month If it Feels Like It' and 'Visible At Improbable Angles' nonsense."

Aizen's eyes were wide and Gin's very nearly open with alarm.

"That's uh- that's terrifying?" Aizen sputtered, now outright frightened.

"Yeah, anybody know what coulda caused that?" Gin muttered.

"The going theory is that the precipitation of a new class of spiritually hyperpotent souls like us has caused disproportionate tugs on the desired appearence of the the "Moon", but that's only a theory- my predecessor's predecessor once attempted to send a camera to the 'Moon' for a closer look, but it never actually *got* any closer." Mayuri explained, casually inspecting his fingernails- he seemed to be growing out the middle one for some godforsaken reason. "-Your theoretical starboat would likely far worse."

"...Okay but that's worse. You understand how that's worse, right?" Aizen demanded and Mayuri waved him off.

"No, no hit makes sense-" Gin nodded, and Aizen glared at his lieutenant. "Think about it! There's what, three and a half billion human on earth? Millions die every day, but only a couple hundred ever turn up every day at the intake queue in the 7th, and nearly everyone is from just the one part of Japan. We're one afterlife of many- ugh, could you imagine if the missionaries were sent here?- anyway, our world is nowhere NEAR as big at the Living World, so the moon-moon is just a geographical feature in the living world, and there's only a couple million people living here. We got disproportionate swing, so we pull on the collective conciousness more. It's fine!"

"That's AWFUL!" Aizen shouted, dismayed.

"I mean I think we all understand God is an Asshole, but what are you gonna do about it?" Mayuri shrugged before tapping on the crate beside his desk. "-Anyway, do you want these Polio Vaccines for the rukongai outreach program our not?"

"I- yes. Please." Aizen muttered.

"Good man, sign here." Mayuri tapped the sheet on his desk. As Aizen tried to read over the provisions release paperwork, the small "Electronic Mailer" on Mayuri's desk pinged. "Oh, the word got out- Kyoraku-taicho wants to hold another moon-viewing party for the occasion. Do me a favor and attend so you can explain to him why we can't go to our 'moon' for me? I don't want to go, and I really don't want to explain it to him through a hangover either."

"If you don't wanna go Boss I'll stand in for you. Promises to be a real riot." Gin grinned.

"Yes, you have your young friend, don't you? Miss Matsumoto?" Aizen smiled fondly at his second-in-command.

"Oh, she probably already got her invite- she an' Miss Nan- er, lieutenant Ise are real pals from the academy." Gin laughed. "Nah, I was gonna drag old blind bones along."

"...Captain Tousen?" Aizen asked, befuddled. "Whatever for?"

"Stars ain't exactly braille, y'know?" Gin explained, wiggling his fingers. "He knows even less than we do an' I wanna watch Rangiku and Kyoraku try'n 'splain the whole thing to him." Gin grinned.

"Sounds lovely! Take your shit and get out of my office." Mayuri threatened.

---

Renji exhaled, still bewildered, laying on his back on the grassy hill just outside the 2nd division training grounds, staring up at the moon as it rose opposite the sunset behind him. Or, maybe not? There had been some lecture about how the moon in spirit world wasn't a moon back at the academy that he didn't really remember-

"You sound like you're in the throes of a moral conundrum Red." Shuuhei teased, looking up from the strange contraption he was setting up.

"Huh?" Renji blinked. "Oh, no I'm just- Those guys in the Spaceship gotta be somethin' else, going to die thousands of miles from home."

"What? The Astronauts? They'll be fine! -Probably." Shuuhei laughed. "They're definitely insane, getting in that contraption at all, but they still gotta come home with all the rocks and whatever they get from the moon for the lab techs to look at."

"...How the hell are they getting back?" Renji frowned, rolling up onto his elbow to frown at his senpai. "I thought they blew up all the rocket getting off the planet?"

"They got a bitty rocket in the lunar landing craft that will get them between their ship and the lunar surface, and then they will angle the ship a bit and the moon will fling them back to earth the way earth flung them at the moon." Shuuei explained, not looking up from the weird bass-drum looking object he was messing with.

Renji opened his mouth, realized his friend probably understood it way better than he did, closed his mouth, shrugged, and changed topics. "So what is that thing you had me haul up here?"

"It's uhhh... Experimental. Haven't got a name for it yet." Shuuhei muttered, placing a level on top of it and frowning at the bubble before adjusting the legs bolted awkwardly to the side of the drum. "-But with all this excitement about the Lunar Landing, I realized Tousen-Taicho is... I mean he gets left out of a lotta stuff, y'know? But it's not like he can see the stars, or the spirit-moon, and I don't think he really understands orbital mechanics-"

"I sure fuckin' don't." Renji muttered.

"Yeah, because you're the kind of moron who put a ham sandwich in a VCR-" Shuuhei rolled his eyes.

"That was ONE TIME, and Matsumoto Senpai told me it was a Panini Press!" Renji sulked.

"-and then pressed "Fast Forward", but Tousen is actually smart as hell- I'm the one who can't explain it without gestures he can't see." Shuuhei continued. "...but I can use a camera obscura and reiryoku-sensitive film to sort of take an old exposure image of the night sky. I'm hoping that if I treat the exposed film right, that the light and dark parts will turn into different textures for him to read, like a braille sky."

"Oh." Renji muttered. "That's really nice of you actually."

"I mean, we'll see if it works." Shuuhei shugged, examining the level again. "Hand me the allen wrenches- What about your boss?"

"Captain Aizen? Uh- honestly? He seems a little freaked out by all this and I saw him fuckin' slam the newspaper into his wastebasket when he got back from the twelth." Renji winced. "He's weird like that. Sweet as cake most of the time but then there's these weird flashes of anger... and I'm not sure how much longer he's gonna be my boss."

"As in you got ambitions, or you think he's gonna get fired?" Shuuhei asked, staring at the level again.

"As in 'Tetsuzaemon Iba got in another brawl with his mother about him only being fourth seat when she made captain, and Liuetenant Madarame asked me if I'd updated my resume recently." Renji winced.

"Woof. Talk about a lateral promotion." Shuuhei winced. "Still, the pay raise would be nice. You could afford to take your girl Rukia somewhere up to her brother's standards!"

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Renji snapped, rolling over and jumping to his feet. "-It's -I'm sorry. It's kinda complicated." Renji sighed.

Shuuhei was silent for a minute as Renji sat back down on the grass, face in his hands. After a minute of fine-tuning the drum to keep it level, he spoke up. "You're more than good enough."

"Huh?" Renji jolted. "Oh, yeah- I'd be doing all the eleventh's paperwork but there's no way it's worse than the fucking rice subsidies accounting board-"

"That's not what I meant." Shuuhei glared.

"...I know." Renji groaned. "It's just. It's complicated, okay?"

"If you say so." Shuuhei shrugged. "Alright, hand me the flat box- thanks. It'll be ready for exposure in a minute, and I want to get it done before those clouds roll in." He gestured at the distant thunderheads threatening to bloom into a summer storm on the edge of the city.

The process was quick- the shielded plate went into the gap under the drum, and the light of the night sky was reflected onto it from a pinhole in the top. Once the metal plates were pulled back, it needed a few minutes to pick up enough light, before Shuuhei pushed the metal shutters back in and locked the plate in darkness until it could be developed.

"It's for taking pictures of the stars, right?" Renji asked as Shuuhei started disassembling the camera. "You could call that plate an Astrograph."

"Hah! Futuristic. I like it!" Shuuhei grinned. "C'mon and help me with this thing before the punishment squad turns up to kick my ass for having a camera within a mile of the second."

#AEIWAM #An Elephant Is Warm And Mushy #Bleach #Bleach Fanfic #renji abarai #sosuke aizen #gin ichimaru #mayuri kurotsuchi #shuuhei hisagi #the moon landing #And THAT's why the moon is fucked up in spirit world!#long post

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gojostan-doodles · 4 months

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Your interpretation of Sebastian is my favorite 💖💖💖

Can I have a list of your headcanons for him queen 👑

Oh my gosh ADGHSGS THANK YOUU!! That means a lot homie! 💗💗 (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠) As for headcanons;

🎮 He's very competitive! It doesn't matter if you're good friends, dating, or married. When it comes to games, especially pool, he's cooking you... and NOT feeling bad afterwards!!

🗡️ I've mentioned it recently, but he's familiar with the mines and is pretty decent at combat! He's not doing anything super crazy of course, he does spend a lot of time at his computer after all. But with how often he explores AND how far down he goes, (gifting the farmer void essence and obsidian means he's fighting every variation of shadow brute, and AT LEAST reaching level 81) I have to assume that he can handle himself well! It's probably his only source of exercise tbh.

If you marry him, I imagine that the time he spends helping on the farm would help a ton with his overall endurance and strength! And if you're ever in the mines, and gone later than usual, he'll go in to make sure you're okay. In general he wouldn't hesitate to accompany you in mines, or complete any tasks you have to do in there himself if you don't like going in there.

💜 Over the course of being married to him, he breaks out of his shell. Allowing himself to be comfortable, y'know? He'd start initiating physical affection with his spouse more often. I also feel like he'd be more comfortable with occasionally teasing the farmer, and overall being a little shit to them. Only while you're alone at home though, in public he pretends to be sane.

I still consider him to be introverted, but I imagine that over time he gets better at navigating social situations. (He would still prefer to be at home though.)

I like to imagine that his relationship with Maru improves too. There's a mod that I use, I think it's called Mal's Sebastian Expansion? But in that mod he and Maru interact a lot more. It's really nice seeing their relationship improve. They deserve to be siblings, RAAHH!! I really like the mod overall since it goes into stuff with his biological father as well. I pretty much apply it all to my interpretation of Seb!

ALSO! I feel like he has a very silly laugh, but it's rarely heard because he's so reserved. So while in the comfort of your home (and accidentally around Sam and Abigail occasionally) if something funny happens, he'll burst into laughter. It's SO different from he's normal "heh" that it catches everyone off guard.

🎹 He uses his synthesizer primarily for band practice/ concerts, and for the video game he's developing. When he's not doing that, he makes goofy ass beats for fun.

📍He has a high pain tolerance, so he's totally chill while getting piercings and tattoos!

🐻 And a sillier headcanon, he's beaten 50/20 mode in FNAF Ultimate Custom Night

#I hope that's everything!#I think about him so often but for some reason it's hard to remember all the headcanons I have #I guess because some of his other abilities come from his interactions with my ocs #like him being able to speak in wingdings because amari teaches him #stardew valley #sdv sebastian #stardew valley sebastian

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emojellyace08 · 4 months

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Hi! Big fan of your oneshots. Can I request a female Gojo x lookism men characters. Where Gojo dies and is reincarnated into the popular webtoon Lookism but "HE" became a "SHE". Gojo being gojo causes mayhem wherever she goes and rizzing people especially teasing the students at J-high because she is now their teacher. And Gojo is more chaotic than Goo and I imagine her saying to Gun, "I'm the strongest". Since he reincarnated as a girl and in a world without curse energy he doesn't have any CE but he is still super strong just like the OP characters in the webtoon especially since he's an expert in the martial arts. He still has the six eyes but not as OP and draining he just can see really well than the average person.

Female! Gojo Reader x Lookism Cast!

𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐋𝐘 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐀 (𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐉𝐉𝐊 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐥). 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 (𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲) 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬,𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐧𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝)

In the world filled with infinite possibilities, you wouldn't expect to end up in another universe. You, one of the most (if not) powerful sorcerer in the whole world ends up dying in the hands of Sukuna. And you wouldn't expect to get reincarnated in an ordinary world without curses. Well, that's what you thought at first.

You were first confused at how did you turn into a baby. But lucky for you, your family is part of one of the most wealthiest and powerful Yakuza in Japan. Growing up, you were confused about your identity. Asking your mom if you really turned into the opposite sex. "Ma, can I ask you something?" "Sure darling, what's the matter?" she asked with a sweet tone as she prepares your meal. "Am I really a girl?" "Well, physically you are a girl. But if you feel like not fitting with the other little girls, it's okay if you like masculine toys. But inside of you must be always genuinely kind and is ready to help others without wanting anything in return."

You may still have the familiar sapphire blue eyes, hair fluffy like clouds, skin white as snow, and your personality intact with your female body, you still can't help but to feel weirded out in your early life. Without your powers, you felt the familiar feeling of dread linger through your soul. All the training and physique were wasted because of that monster! But you forced your dad to teach you martial arts. He almost scolded and beaten you up for "disobeying" his rules as you are not fitted to replace his heir. Feeling that familiar burst of pride in your heart that wanted to explode and lash out to him and knowing to yourself that you have LOTS of experience in your past life as a Jujutsu Sorcerer, you trained yourself for years to prove your own father wrong and show him who really is the weak one. Time-skip ahead, you successfully graduated and hired as a teacher for Physical Education knowing that you are body-kinesthetic.

You made your way into the school hallways with your bag. Instead of books for your lessons that you will discuss about, it's filled with sweet treats (and some lip balms to keep yourself ✨sexy, gorgeous, and daring✨. You remember high-school days when many teenage boys at your age often fight outside your house when they used to court you. "Sorry, I'm not attracted to men and girls are really scary! Sheesh people are so cheesy these days!"

Knowing your instincts, you tend to be a bit too friendly with other people as you are excited to annoy another living soul in this earth today. "He~~LLO!" you greeted quite loudly as the poor guy squeaked in surprise at your presence. "WUAH FUCK! Oh, shi- I'm sorry sunsengnim!" (teacher). "Oh, NO WORRIES PAL. You must be new here, right?" you questioned as you introduced yourself to the new student. "Well, I am (*insert female name here*) and according to every men and women that I had rizzed, I'm the most prettiest and sexiest woman and teacher in this country. Well then nice to meet you." you winked as to express your friendliness as he awkwardly shook your pale hands with his sweaty ones. "Ah, I'm sorry for the overflowing enthusiasm. Let's go to your new class for us to meet them!" you chuckled as you ate your mochi, even offering to share Hyung-Seok but he politely declines.

The moment you and Daniel entered the Fashion Department class, everyone's jaws dropped as it almost hit on the floor for dramatic effect. And you know that you weren't wasting their time when you gave all those candies as prizes by making up a warm-up game before classes begins as they are already fond of you! The other boys trying to impress you as you platonically tease them even though you have no romantic attraction on them. And the GIRLS WOULD LOVE YOU SO MUCH. Your hair and eyes also makes them fond of you (especially Zoe since she's a Beauty-Nerd). "OMG ARE YOU AN ANGEL OR SOMETHING?!" she squealed as you let her braid her hair as you relaxed on your chair and placed your legs on the teacher's table despite it being against the rules on free time. The others were doing their own shenanigans as you keep telling them to quiet down. "So, you think I'm hot or something? I'm glad you know. Oh Zack stop abusing Jiho's hand it's just arm wrestling!'

And they also enjoy your performance activities too! Since their courses is all about sewing with those mind-twisting history behind it, of course they will get sleepy and stressed out about it. But being the bold and bright-spirited that you are, you know school won't be fun without a little stretch of your body. So you make sure that whatever you teach them sports will be easily followed, yet you tend to forget to uncomplicate the rules since you're pride and confidence gets in the way at times. Sports and a little bit of martial arts (especially with the boys) are so fun! Being competitive, you taught them not only the basic techniques and skills that all can master. But you also thought them discipline when using it as you also sighed to yourself that you can get a bit cocky when fighting too as the adrenaline keeps chasing you to your high when fighting a strong opponent. You can see Daniel, Zack, heck even Jay taking down notes to this. The other departments are also fond with you as they really idolize you as their teacher (especially The Architecture Department).

But despite having your comedic side, it's rest assured that you are not letting anyone slide whoever tries to mess with you or anyone you know or fond with. The bullies will just stare at you cowardly as you look back at them with your striking cerulean eyes yet they seem uncanny because of your menacing expression. "You little fuckers, didn't your parents told you to not disturb anyone in the way?" "WE'RE SORRY SUNGSENGNIM!"

Yet since your family background is REALLY involved with the gangs (and the 4 major crews as you have minor knowledge around it), you started to get involved with the drama. Not only because you want to protect the innocence of your students as you grew fond over them, but because you tend to get a bit bored on teaching and pissing off your co-teachers. You smirked as the thought of fighting strong opponents excites you.

And you're excitement matches up with the sturdy and powerful fighters in this universe. You even helping out your students to bring down some of the most-feared men in Korea like Jonggun and Jungoo. You even got to flirt with them with a moment before you went face-to-face with the two as you declined their offer as they asked you to be their new member for Charles Choi's success.

"Miss, I'll ask you again. Why is it that you don't want to join our team? Are you so worried about leaving your students?" The black eyed male whispered at your ear as crimson-red blood drips down to his chin as you smirked at the bruise you gave him at the side of his lips. "And for a hottie like you, I didn't expect you to be this strong! So why not join us for a million won and even more?!" the blondie exclaimed as he swung his pipe as his weapon of choice. Him looking around at the building with lots of damage done from your fighting. "First of all, that's three questions. And yes, I have no plans to team up with your shitty team since I like hanging out with my students. And lover boy take note of this, I'M GOING TO SHIT ON YOUR FACE BECAUSE I"M THE STRONGEST!" you maniacally laughed as you landed a kick on Shiro Oni's face once again as he's starting to feel aroused excited about the energy that you're giving him. "If so, then LET'S FUCKING KILL EACH OTHER RIGHT NOW!" he ripped his shirt off as he rushed towards you as you did the same with that smile. "OI YOU'RE FORGETTING ME HERE I'M THE MAIN CHARACTER!" Goo replied as he plans to attack you from the back.

#lookism x reader #lookism x y/n #lookism x you #daniel park x reader #lookism fic #gun park x reader #goo x reader

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deliciousdefendorinternet · 2 months

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Trolls overall has a Big problem with the idea of Holding people accountable for their actions.

here's a numbered list of examples of what I'm talking about.

Cloud Guy in the Tv shows not only because he Harasses Branch most of the time with no consequences but also because Poppy goes out of her way to defend him even when his actions cause trouble for many other people.

like when he flooded the village just out of spite because Branch wouldn't do what he wanted anymore and not to mention how even when she found out that he also Harassed other people from each of the Troll Tribes she still took his side and got mad at them when they stood up for themselves and "" upset Cloud Guy "".

which even if it hadn't been revealed that it was all an act by him just to mess with them it would still make Poppy look bad since she Refused to do anything about his Blatant Bullying yet got mad at his victims when they stood up for themselves.

and not to mention made excuses for why his behaviour wasn't so bad making out like he only Harassed them because he was trying to help them which is just all kinds of wrong.

2. a lesser example but still a bad example imo is in the Trollstopia episode where Dante uses Branch as his muse and he stalks him breaks into his home and disrupts his daily Jobs which he does.

and when he goes to Poppy for help she makes out like Dante's behaviour is reasonable and tells Branch to suck it up.

and after Branch does something to get Dante to back off Poppy then gets mad at him when Dante isn't able to come up with any music ideas like that's somehow Branch's problem?

Dante needed help but Rather than ask for it he just went ahead and took it by invading someone's privacy.

and breaching their trust and then Poppy made out like Branch was wrong for setting down Boundaries with him which is just iffy to be honest feels like this episode was written by Joe Goldberg or something lol.

3. and there's Creek as I've said in the past I love him lol but I do agree that his Return in TBGO could have been done better where he could have had a little arc of slowly earning back people's trust maybe over the span of a few episodes.

4. some people like to go on about the Bergens being forgiven too easily and I agree to an extent but given how Gristle Jr couldn't exactly punish the majority of the population I don't think they really had much choice in this matter.

I feel the only problem is them acting all chummy with the rest of the Bergens like letting them off for killing their species is one thing but acting like friends with them is a whole other like staying friends with Bridget and Gristle is fine given their history and the fact that they were too young to have eaten any Trolls prior to the escape.

but acting friendly with the rest of them feels a tad insensitive like in the opening of TBT we see Branch and Poppy acting all chummy with Random Bergens and Branch even High fives a couple of them and I was just thinking to myself

"" dude they probably ate someone's loved ones in the past how would you feel if you saw other Trolls giving Chef a friendly High five? ""

5. anyway moving on there's Barb who enslaved countless people destroyed their homes and tried to wipe out all other kinds of music and she was let off in the end.

its not even like she had a last minute change of heart she literally just got beaten and that's the only reason why her plan didn't succeed and afterwards she was just instantly forgiven.

6. Bro zone I've already talked about them in Depth in the past but yeah unreliable selfish insensitive and at worst cruel not to mention they never truly change their ways.

they keep on doing the same crappy behaviour and they don't show that much remorse for their past actions yet they still get forgiven in the end Despite everything.

because yaaaay family is amazing even if they Treat you like shit over and over again.

the films message feels like it was written by a toxic parent to please other toxic parents to be honest which judging by how this film won over general audiences I'd say it worked like a Treat lol.

so yeah Despite my love for it Trolls overall as a franchise has a serous problem with actually Holding people accountable for their crappy actions and Behaviours I feel the only exception is Veneer as even tho his turn at the end felt Rushed and out of nowhere imo.

I was pleasantly surprised that the movie didn't just let him off the Hook and he still got arrested and accepted the punishment for his crimes in the end.

I feel the same thing should have happened with Barb given everything she did.

anyway if you've made it to the end of my post thank you you have the patience of a saint lol anyway what do you think about this aspect of the franchise?

#trolls branch #trolls #dreamworks trolls #trolls brozone #trolls band together #branch trolls #trolls dreamworks #branch #brozone #trolls 3 #Trolls #Trolls Branch #Trolls Bro zone #Trolls Brozone #Trolls bro zone

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imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl · 7 months

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The One I've Been Waiting For {Part 04 of 13}

Pairing: Billy Hargrove X Older!reader

Word count: 2 K

Summary: Billy Hargrove is just one of the many students you're supposed to help. The last thing you expect from your interaction is that he'll start flirtt with you... Much less that Billy would stir up feelings you'd rather keep hidden. Despite the mutual sentiments that soon enough start to grow, there are a lot of reasons for whatever it is to be left alone, and one of them is your age...

<- Previous part (03)

Next Part (05) ->

{Stranger Things Masterlist}

A/N: In this story, reader is 5 years older than Billy, who's 18.

•••

The Heart and the Mind

Billy's mind is a chaotic place. But this time is for a whole different reason. It's been a while since he got together with a girl, and he doesn't even miss it. He did think about it more than a few times, but every time he considers it... All he can think about is her.

“Billy!” Max suddenly yells, snapping him out of his thoughts. With an angry face, he glances at her.

“What the hell, shitface?”

“What's wrong with you? Why are you acting so weird?” Max asks, and he rolls his eyes, focusing on the road.

“I'm normal.” Shrugging his shoulders, Billy checks his face through the review mirror. There's nothing wrong with him.

“No, you're not. You're more stupid than usual. And less angry.” She goes on, and Billy runs a hand through his head before hanging an arm on the open window. “It looks like you have something in your head.”

“Max, shut the hell up.” He mutters, taking a deep breath. “Care about your own business and leave me alone.”

“Fine, whatever.” She mumbles.

He was just about to lash out at her again when he remembers what (Y/N) said. Billy was never too fond of Max, and he doesn't want her to be one more thing he has to care about. But they were both forced into each other's lives, and she also has to deal with Neil. Of course, she doesn't see the worst side of him, since she's Susan's daughter. But part of Billy, a tiny little part is happy she's not the one being beaten up. Thinking about it now, imagining Neil hitting Max, makes him angry. Furious.

“What about that shitty boyfriend you have?” He asks, eyes on the road.

“What about him?”

“Damn it, Maxine. Is he treating you ok? Because if he ever does anything I'll have to end his miserable life.” He's finally at the Elementary School, stopping the car. “We're family now, it doesn't matter how we feel about it, so if anyone screws up with you, it's my business too.”

“You're going crazy.” She mumbles before opening the door.

“Maybe I am.” He whispers to himself, ignoring how she pushes the door close.

Driving fast, he makes his way to Hawking High School for more endless hours of bullshit. Billy can't take this anymore, not here at least. He was never into school, but back in Cali, at least he was home, in a place he loved. But here, he has nothing.

Nothing but a girl stuck in his head. A girl whose smile is burned in his memory, that he plays back all the time. Billy acts like he doesn't have a heart, but (Y/N) certainly makes him feel as if it's beating again. Maybe for the first time in his life.

—————

You've been quite off the whole morning, not paying attention to anything. Lucky for you, today's class is just about the presentations of last month's projects, and since your group was the first one, you had the privilege of sitting in the back and letting your mind float away from this place.

The thing you don't want to think about is the only thing you think about. Or better said, the person.

Billy has been going through your mind on a daily basis, ever since you last met him when you went to the quarry. You did cross paths with him at school, and he was nice, asking how your day was. With kind eyes and a beautiful smile.

And now, the man has been constantly in your head. Night and day, even though you've been struggling not to. And you like thinking about him. You even miss him, looking down at you with those blue eyes.

“(Y/N),” Tanya calls, and you snap out of your thoughts, noticing that the class is over. “Where are you? You didn't even pay attention to the project's presentation.”

“Yeah, I...” Gathering your stuff, you follow Tanya outside. “I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Nevermind, Tany. It's stupid.”

“Well–”

“How is my beautiful girlfriend doing?” The voice is quickly followed by a sudden hug. Liam has one arm around Tanya and the other around your shoulders. He kisses her before placing a kiss on your cheek. “And my beautiful bestie?” You wrinkle your noise at his word and the high pitched voice he usually uses.

“Your bestie has a boy in her head.” Tanya singsongs, and you roll your eyes. “I have to go to the restroom. Be right back.” Kissing Liam again, she waves at you and walks away.

“So you finally met someone you're interested in?” Liam asks as you move to one of the wooden benches set near the walls.

“Let's sit there.”

The wind is stronger than earlier today, making the tree's branches bend over. The campus is beautiful, and as you sit down, pulling your legs up, you watch as people come and go. The exposed skin of your shoulders makes you feel cold, but you ignore it. You like it here, it's far better than the one in Indianapolis. There's more nature, and the campus is full of trees and bushes, and even a garden on the East side. Things move slower here in Hawkings, but you like it.

“So? Who's this guy?”

“Liam, I need a guy's opinion on something.” Crossing your legs, you turn towards him.

“Bring it on.”

“How would you feel if Tanya was older than you?”

Liam furrows his eyebrows, getting a thoughtful expression for a while. He seems quite surprised by your question. “Well, if was still Tanya, I'd fall for her anyway.” He says, nodding to himself. “I mean, the dynamic would be different. Let's say that by her age she could have children or even an ex-husband. And the years of experience would probably make a gap in between us and if we're from different generations we'd like different things but–”

“Children and ex-husband?” You cut him off, not able to follow up with whatever he's saying.

“Yeah. The probabilities are that she'd at least have one past long-term relationship.”

Closing your eyes for a few seconds to gather your thoughts, you take a deep breath. “Liam, let me rephrase that. What if Tanya was, let's say... Five years older than you?” That's way too specific. “Would you still like her? Or even consider dating her?”

Liam gives you a look, raising one eyebrow. “Here I am, analyzing every aspect and challenge of a relationship with an age gap and you were speaking about five years?” You silently nod. “That's not even a gap. That's just a couple of years, no big deal.”

“It's just that... When the guy is older everyone finds it hot.” You start, looking down at your hands. You shouldn't even be talking about this, since Billy Hargrove isn't even a possibility. But this is just something you need to know, something you need someone else's opinion on. And Liam, being a guy, gives you a better perspective. “But when it's the other way around... People find it weird.”

“(Y/N), age is just a number.” He's still speaking when Tanya comes back, sitting next to him. “Correction. After eighteen, age is just a number. You're both adults and it doesn't matter what people say, only what you feel. And you don't even look your age, people wouldn't even spot the age difference.”

“What makes you think I'm talking about me?” You're quick to defend yourself, stuttering a little.

“Because you were way too specific for this to be a hypothetical situation or about someone else.” Liam exchanges a look with Tanya, who smiles.

“You know you don't have to hide things from us.” She says, reaching out a hand, which you hold. “We're here to help and support you. And if something happens between you and Billy we'll be happy for–”

“Nothing will happen.” Cutting her off, you sigh. “I just needed Liam's opinion on it. I was curious, that's all.”

“Look, the only problem I see with you getting into a relationship with Billy is his reputation.” Tanya starts, and Liam nods. They don't have much contact with Billy, but, like everyone who lives in Hawkins, they heard about him. “He's a bad boy, gets all the girls he wants, and throws them away when he's done. You're not into that kind of thing.”

“You're a hopeless romantic,” Liam adds.

“Exactly. So be careful.”

“I will.” You whisper, running a hand through your hair.

After another class, Tanya drives you to Hawkins High School where you attend this girl, Clarissa. A quick rain came and passed during the time you were with her in the classroom. But by the time you're done, the sun is trying to win over the thick, grey clouds taking over.

You're walking through the halls next to Clarissa, chatting. She's kind, and despite not being that good at Biology, you can see she's trying her best. “I'm way too nervous for this test. I need at least a C.”

“You'll do fine. I can make you a quiz if you want, to help you go over the topics again.” You offer as you move outside, the cold wind making you shiver.

“That would be amazing, thanks!” She cheers, giving you a quick hug before waving and heading to her car.

You go to the public phones since you need Tanya to pick you up. But after calling twice, you're almost giving up.

“Hey.” The sound makes you turn around, putting the phone back in place. Billy smiles, and you can't help but do the same.

“Hi.” You shyly say. “How have you been?” Talking to Billy is different now. You have ideas in your head, ideas you know you shouldn't have. “What are you doing here so late?”

“Basketball game.”

“Did your team win?”

“Of course.”

“That's great.” Taking the phone again, you try calling one more time. But she doesn't answer. “Shit.”

“Something wrong?”

“No, it's just–” Putting the phone back, you start walking, bracing yourself. “–Tanya was supposed to come for me but her telephone must be broken again.”

“Here,” Billy says, and when you look at him, you find the guy taking off his jacket.

“No, you don't have to–” He's already handing it over to you. “I'm alright, really.”

He doesn't say anything, and when it takes too long for you to move, Billy puts the jacket around your shoulders. You're immediately surrounded by warmth, and also his scent. It's familiar now, even though you don't spend too much time around him. But it makes you feel... Odd. In a good way.

“Thanks.” You whisper, stepping back and clearing your throat. “I gotta go now. Before the rain catches me.” With a little wave, you start walking again.

But Billy is quick to grab your arm, gently. “Do you really think I'll let you walk home with a storm coming?” As if to make his point clear, a distant thunder echoes.

“Billy...” You don't want to go with him. Being around Billy is dangerous, it brings out feelings you don't understand. Feelings you don't want to think about.

“(Y/N), C'mon. It's just a ride home.” The grip on your arm slips until he's holding your hand. It sends some kind of wave through your arm, like electricity.

You're moving before you notice, following him.

“Hey, Billy boy!” Someone shouts, and you give the guy a quick look before going for the passenger door. “Saturday at my place! It's gonna be wild, don't forget.”

“I won't.” He answers as you get inside, putting the seatbelt on. Billy is quick to settle down, turning the ignition. “Party on Saturday. Wanna come?”

“I can't. My group will come to my place to work on some papers.”

“Is it true or you just don't wanna go out with me?” Billy hits the street, and you struggle to deal with the anxiety. But it doesn't take much until you notice the... Normal speed. A lot different from last time.

“It's true.” You simply say, feeling yourself relaxing.

“So... Does that means you'd go out with me some other time?” Billy glances at you, and you feel your cheeks blushing.

You're supposed to say no immediately, make it clear this is just a ride home. That you're just... Friends. But why didn't the words come out? It would be so much easier... “Billy, you know we-”

“Mhmm, the age thing.” He cuts you off, a smirk in his voice. “Why don't you do the most simple thing?”

“Which is?”

“Ask if I care about it.” He's already staring when you look at him.

“Eyes on the road.” You warn him, and he smiles before complying. It's getting hard to deal with all this. Billy doesn't get out of your head, and you were hoping whatever this is, it would fade away. That time would help. But here you are again, with him, and all the walls separating between you are crumbling down... And you like it. You want to take them all down. But you are a thinker, and you're scared. None of the guys you were interested in before made you feel this way. But why now? Why Billy?

You just want to get home and stay the hell away from him and all the feelings he causes.

“Alright, Princess.” He sighs.

“Don't call me that.”

“Why not?”

“Well, do you?” You burst out, almost involuntary. Your heart and mind are at war, and both want to win.

Billy smiles, slowing down for the red light until he stops completely. Then, he looks at you, those blue eyes almost hypnotizing you. They're powerful... Or are you the one who's too weak?

“You're the only girl I ever met that I really want to know.” He says, voice low and deep, sending shivers down your spine. “So no. I don't give a damn about your age, Princess.”

You're frozen, still looking at him when someone blasts the horn, and you snap out, seeing that the light is green. “Some other time then... Maybe.” You whisper, clearing your throat and running a hand through your hair.

Your heart is beating fast, cheerful to know how he feels about it. But your mind... It tells you otherwise.

@aunicornmademedoit @alexa4040 @goth-cowgirl-03 @nyctophilic0vitnir @minispice-1

#stranger things imagine #imagine stranger things #billy hargrove imagine #imagine billy hargrove #billy hargrove x y/n #billy hargrove x reader #billy hargrove fanfiction #stranger things fanfiction #billy hargrove #billy stranger things imagine #billy hargrove x you #billy hargrove fanfic

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belit0 · 8 months

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what if they meet the Uzumaki?

You went with a she so I'll go with that here.

Would her fiery personalilty and lack of discipline (as Uchiha's see it anyways) make her accidnetally prove everyone rightnor wrong about her

Yeah, in terms of x reader, I always go with female characters 💫

I only do male x male with ships (TobiIzu, etc,)

I think Mikoto would convince Itachi to come back, after multiple and diverse visits to Shisui's house, and at the same time talk to Fugaku, softening him up little by little. She raises how beneficial it could be to include Uzumaki blood to the Uchiha legacy, and tries to buy him off from a strategic point of view.

Fugaku, ideally, would want his son to be with someone of high status, elegance, and pretensions befitting the Uchiha legend, and he begins to entertain the possibility of perhaps the girl being so. It convinces him.

Sasuke on the other hand does not stop bragging about how he will scold his older brother to make him understand the offense he committed against the clan, still too young to empathize with the reasons of love, of the heart, the passionate impulses.

Itachi takes his time evaluating what to do and what not to do but ultimately decides to introduce her so as to calm things down. If they don't accept her for who she is, then he will completely disassociate himself from his family.

Mikoto is the warmest of them all, and greets them both at the door when they show up for dinner. She can see how nervous her son is, but also the loving conviction he has for this girl in his eyes. (Y/N), on the other hand, strongly reminds her of Kushina, a pleasant memory.

Her fiery red hair stands out madly in contrast to all the black-haired people in the room, and as soon as they enter the dining area, Sasuke jumps on the attack with aggressive words towards his brother.

Fugaku basically tells him to shut up and sit down, reducing the threat in seconds with authority, cryptically analyzing the girl in question. He turns pale when she smiles at him without a care in the world, failing with his attempt of premature intimidation.

(Y/N) converses quite matter-of-factly during the beginning of the meeting, most of the questions asked by Mikoto in front of a distraught Itachi out of concern and a Fugaku unwilling to budge.

For dessert, the father finally agrees to ask some controversial questions, hoping to put her on the spot when answering, catch her without replies or even make her angry, give him a reason to hate her as the clan legacy demands.

Sasuke falls in love with her at every answer and realizes she's even smarter than his older brother. Who starts the evening as an enemy, quickly becomes an ally, and Fugaku is left alone on his disapproving side.

(Y/N) doesn't let herself be beaten and answers every question boldly, shutting him down on any front he intends to use as an attack. The Uchiha leader ends the meeting highly frustrated and does not partake of the after-dinner tea, but eventually and as time goes on, the more he interacts with her the more he realizes his son made the right choice.

The girl is unconventional, breaks the clan rules, is outrageous, but somehow makes a perfect match with his pragmatic boy, complementing each other in all the areas the other lacks.

It is the perfect balance the two strike within their bond that leads Fugaku to respect her, seriously listen to her, and learn about the woman. In the end, Mikoto is always right.

#uchiha itachi x reader #itachi uchiha x reader #itachi x reader #fugaku uchiha #uchiha fugaku #fugaku #mikoto uchiha #mikoto #sasuke uchiha #uchiha sasuke #sasuke #uzumaki reader #uzumaki clan #naruto #naruto shippuden #naruto imagines #uchiha clan #naruto x reader

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theangstyboiblog · 1 year

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The Spy and Her Hunter | Part 1

Hunter x Fem!Reader

Description: After six months apart from a certain bad batcher, he comes to your rescue when your mission to steal data from the Empire goes wrong. Unfortunately you’re not exactly happy to see him.

Warnings: 18+, Future smut, Language

Captured, beaten and dangling by your wrists was not how the last 48 hours were supposed to go.

The room is quiet and dark, mercifully, you’re not sure the headache pulsing around the crown of your head could stand any stimuli at the moment. The tips of your toes barely touch the floor and you’ve given up trying to stop the slow turn your body is forced into as the bonds around your numb wrists have long since proven they aren’t going to break, no matter what you do.

It’s been hours since the last guard walked by your cell, not that you were fully conscious that entire time. Not that you’re complaining, the more time they leave you alone, the more time you can keep your mission a secret and the more time your… associate has to get your automated distress signal and figure out that you need help.

In the meantime, you are playing for every minute you can. Broken ribs? Worth it. Torn rotator cuff? Could be worse. You could be dead.

The only light is coming from the ray shield spanning the doorway. You watch the waves of energy pulsing through it, counting them between bouts of pain induced unconsciousness. You’re at 572 when a door creaks open down the hall, followed by footsteps and the hum of a droid. You swallow dryly and straighten up, pasting your best glare on your face as an imperial officer comes to a stop in front of your cell, flanked by two troopers and an IT-O.

“I see you’re finally man enough to admit when you’re out of your depth,” you croak out hoarsely as the shield is shut down, “no shame in needing a little help now and then, it’s common for men of your stature,” you bite out as the officer narrows his eyes and steps over the threshold. You have just enough time to take in a breath before his fist connects with your ribcage, sending you swinging back as your lungs contract like steel cages.

A gloved hand catches you by the throat, stopping your body from spinning, forcing you to face the rat like mug of Imperial Intelligence Officer Slaab. “I will get what I want out of you—”

“Bet you say that to all the girls,” you choke out, biting the inside of your cheek as he lets out a sound of disgust and releases you. You hang your head as he steps back, making way for the interrogation droid. You glance at the needle and syringe before turning to Slaab. “What was it you wanted to know again? My holospace history? I’m not proud of it, but haven’t we all been curious about the emperor’s skincare routine? That complexion is flawless and I just gotta know—” you rise up on the tips of your toes, trying to get as far out of reach of the injection arm as you can.

“Hold her still,” the officer orders and like automatons, the troopers do as they’re told, stepping to either side of you, fingers digging into your arms and legs as the droid comes even closer. Ice stings through your veins as the needle pricks your skin.

~~~~~~~~~~

The world is liquid glass. Your body is heavy, a voice crawls through your ears like spiders, an itch runs raw over your skin. You want it to stop. You need it to stop. And someone tells you it can be. All you have to do is unlock the dam of secrets in your head.

“Who hired you?”

You turn your head slowly, blinking in the bright red light that burns your eyes. You can’t see anything but red, can’t feel anything but a freezing rush racing throughout your extremities. Then the flush of warmth envelops you, you feel light-headed, floating high above the ground. You focus on the question, it’s hard. You want to answer, make him happy, make this feeling last. The lie that leaves you is nonsensical.

“Little lady with a thing for cats,” your voice sounds so far away, a fit of giggles, then suddenly echoes right in your ear like a piercing scream and you groan in pain.

The voice asks again, “Who are you working for?”

“Big lady with a thing for… rats?”

A hand connects with your cheek, hard, and your head falls back as the world seems to shrink. You breathe in and out in a rush before looking down. Slaab is a blur before you. At one moment he’s frozen in time, before suddenly he’s gone from sight. And when he reappears he has too many mouths, too many eyes. Your teeth clench so hard, you think they might shatter, and your fingers clutch at the chains above you.

“The longer the ileothol is in your system, the worse it will get,” Slaab’s voice seethes.

“Well, you can’t get any uglier,” you breathe out, groaning as a wave of nausea hits. Just answer. Tell him. End it.

“I know what you were looking for in our systems,” Slaab paces back and forth in front of you. Your eyes try to track him, but it’s too much, so you close your eyes. “I know you failed to transmit it. All I want to know is who you were going to send it to and where I can find them.”

You shake your head. “I don’t know—” Your lungs seize up as a voice screams in your head. Don’t lie. “I-I can’t tell you.” True, but you can do better than that. Gritting your teeth, you open your eyes. “I won’t tell you.”

Slaab’s voice echoes behind you, “I wouldn’t bet—”

BOOM!

One moment everything is still, the next, you’re colliding with the floor and choking on powdered concrete and ash. Your legs bend, rising up to your chest as you cover your head at the sound of falling rock. Then it’s a mess of pounding footsteps, clone voices yelling and blaster fire echoing through out your cell. Two thuds sound as you finally muster up the will to open your eyes. The clone guards are on the floor, but you can’t tell why. It’s hard to see, hard to make sense of what you’re seeing. It’s dust and red light and shadows. But then the shadows are moving. Across from you, you find Slaab slumped against a wall, red blood staining the collar of his uniform.

“Y/N?”

Your name fills your ears in waves, the familiar lilt of a familiar voice crashing down on you. You twist back to the hole in the wall behind you. You don’t recognize the armor at first, the hodgepodge of color washing over the metal, the mismatched clothes beneath it. But then the helmet comes off and he’s crossing the room and he’s kneeling down in front of you. Brown eyes narrowly surveying your face and body for signs of damage – beyond what was already there at least.

“Rex send you?” you whisper, falling forward, cheek colliding with his chest plate. The ileothol sends another freezing wave through your body and you close your eyes. You can’t see his reaction, can’t feel how he goes rigid.

Finally, he answers as his hands cut away at the ties round your hands. “Yes.” It’s a curt reply. You deserve it. You deserve worse.

We’re wasting time, you think bitterly when all your body wants to do is stay right where you are and be still and wallow in the guilt that’s threatening to drown you. With a sigh, you sit up, or try to. You’re nearly on your knees when you fall back, gloved hands catching you.

“I’m going to get you out of here,” he says, one arm slipping behind your knees, the other circling your back.

You shake your head and somehow find the strength to dig your fingernails into the side of his arm. He stops. You turn and finally look him in the eye for the first time in nearly six months.

“Not yet,” you grind out. He shakes his head and you reach up, palm sliding over the tattoo that lines his jaw. Your voice is low and you ignore the way those damn brown eyes widen at your tone.

“I’m not finished yet, Hunter. I still have a fucking job to do.”

Read Part 2 Here

A/N:

In the words of Rex, "It's been awhile boys." I know I just posted recently about continuing the Crosshair Family epilogue, but I got distracted by Hunter... So I am envisioning this will be a short little story, but no promises, you know how bad I am at figuring out how long a fic will be.

#the bad batch #tbb hunter #the bad batch hunter #sergeant hunter #tbb hunter x reader #hunter x reader #the clone wars fanfiction #the bad batch fanfiction

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tutuandscoot · 10 months

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As promised: Part two of VM Holding Hands-

*A (not by any means exhaustive) collection of VM handy holdy moment:

I’m sure I’ve seen this before but I only really took it in for the first time the other day and boy were my tear ducts put to the test! This is after their FD at Worlds 2011- only their 3rd competitive skate of the season and their first time competing this FD. It was so good! Like nothing ever seen before (as with basically every program of their- always innovative both in themselves and as leaders of the sport). The lifts were insane, the skating was deadly good, the DANCING they were doing. They get a score of 107.something- the highest so far that season was 103. Something. They were in the lead after the SD and basically all the commentators on this said how near impossible it would be for their skate to be beaten. It was THAT good.. yet.. somehow they were. As they wait for the score to come up here, they look so nervous, exhausted, almost pleading for it to be a high score. And in a way- well the way I’m interpreting it, they almost look a bit defeated already. The score comes up and he goes to find and then squeeze her hand without even looking at her. This feels like another one of those moments of S physically saying/expressing to himself ‘thank god I didn’t let her down’ and also a bit of ‘we did it kiddo, no matter what happens now, we did it, and I’m so freaking proud of you’ a little bit of that protecting her through reassurance. Then as they squeeze that look to each other.. I have so many feels about this but I don’t even know if I can put into clear worlds what I’m feeling.. so I’ll just leave it there. If you know what they were going through at this point in their lives you know what that hand squeeze means (and it means literally everything to them in that moment).

On a lighter note.. this is just super cute. As I said in the original (part one) post, during their final competitive season they almost completely abandoned using dance hold, for what exact psychological/emotional/competitive reason I don’t know. So this is almost like them being in on their own thing, that ‘hey we don’t do that silly proper dance hold anymore like those inferiors do, we’re cute and let our hands cuddle as we skate around bc we love to hold hands!’ They make a big thing of the it between themselves that they aren’t gonna use dance hold. He goes in and changes like a little ‘tricked ya!’ But no bc of course she knows and changes immediately.

An “I know, I’m here, I’ve got you” last lil squeeze. T in her beautiful, quiet way protecting him with the simplest of connections.

2 in 1: holding out his hand for what feels like a really long time for her to get to centre to take their bows, followed by a switching to handy holdy to go thank the person playing music -(as they so often would bc they are previous lil angels).

You can’t actually see the handy holding here but you know there are. The last few moment on warm up before leaving the ice, her cuddling his arm and him reassuring her that everything will be ok bc they have each other.

They switch so softly and so naturally. Like it just happens. They don’t even think about it. Earlier in their career.. like it was still natural, but it was maybe that there was something to intitiate them holding hands this way, but here it was just, it was like some kind of magnetic force that drew them to hold hands properly. Idk, but isn’t it beautiful??

Squeezing hands super tight while singing the anthem in YVR. “They were holding hands”- alma (thanks for shooting me in the heart a dozen times)

2 in 1:

1: soft little hand cuddle to his heart as they go to the podium.

2: *Captain Canada!, “wait where’s my wife kiddo”

I really don’t think this is bc her hand is cold I think it’s like a random nervous system tick resulting in expressing huge amounts of affection. (I’m the same I do weird lil physical things when excited that there’s no explanation for).

S: “hey kiddo”

T: “hey kiddo”

S: “you ready to have some fun!?”

T: “Yeah 😄”

*swings hands like the happy lil kiddos they are 🥲

#I’m sure there will be another part to this eventually #there are just too many lovely handy holdy moments to count!! 😭😭😭😭😭#they don’t like to drift away from each other that’s why they handy holdy #hands #precious lil beans

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soudlenoop · 4 months

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“What even happens in this AU of yours, Mr. Big Time Gambler?” Part 2.5

HYPERCHROME AU CHAPTER 2.5: SURGE’S TIME TO SHINE

Theme: https://youtu.be/mVurA44hwiw?si=yVqoFLEZIQ0AGezO (Kickstart My Heart - Motley Crue)

Hey, look, check this out! I can count without going up a number! This is the first of the subchapters for Hyperchrome AU. These subchapters (which I’ve lovingly dubbed “point-fives”) typically focus on the corresponding main chapter’s events, but from a different character’s perspective. They can also take place before the events of the main story, and act as context to the actions of another character, or something. Speaking of something…

Chapter 2.5 takes place at the same time as Chapter 2, and focuses on the misadventures of Surge Laverock the Tenrec, who starts out as an average student (Yeah, kids actually do have school in this universe) living an average life in Starlight City, counting down the days until Winter Break… but then, PLOT happened! How did it happen, you ask? On a school trip to a power plant, Surge finds herself in a classic case of “wrong time, wrong place” when she gets a little too close to a generator that suddenly goes haywire, causing herself to get shocked at a dangerously high voltage.

Luckily, Surge survives, but she soon discovers that the accident granted her the power of electrokinesis! Inspired by the various comic book superheroes she read about, Surge decides to use this newfound ability to fight evil! Unfortunately, uhh… well, it’s not as easy as it looks.

The rest of the chapter consists of Surge slowly getting accustomed to her status as a hero. Along the way, she meets many new faces, while simultaneously getting into WACKY SHENANIGANS!!!

What kind of new faces? Well at one point, Surge meets Kitsuna Keller the Fennec, after saving him from getting the crap beaten out of him or something, I don’t know. They become very good friends, ok? I’m very tired of writing this.

Surge also has Amy Rose, her friend that she has in school, which she DOES go to. She likes Sonic a lot. Like a whole lot… Like, seriously, she’d do anything for Sonic… yeah.

But also, we got villains. 3 of them, in fact. At some point, Surge attracts the attention of infamous crime boss, Clutch Carnby the Opossum, after her heroic feats are recognized by the mainstream. Clutch, feeling the stress of GUN’s recent appearance in South Island, fears the possibility of what is essentially a second Sonic, and hires 2 mercenaries to take Surge out.

Who are these 2 mercenaries? Don’t worry, I’ll tell you. The first one is Mimic the Shapeshifter, an Octopus who can take the form of virtually anybody. He’s weirdly secretive about his past, but that doesn’t matter, he’s still pretty good at what he does.

The second one is Nicole Stilgram the Weasel. Why, yes, she IS the sister of Nack Stilgram the Weasel, the guy I mentioned in the Chapter 2 description! Don’t be confused, though, they’re very different. See, while Nack is a GUN soldier in this AU, Nicole acts more accordingly to how Nack acts in the actual games.

Basically, these 3 miscreants give Surge a whole heap of trouble, and eventually, they actually seem to have her cornered in an alleyway, but an oddly lucky slip-up by Mimic gives Surge the chance to escape! Naturally, Clutch and Nicole begin to give chase, before being suddenly stopped… by Mimic?!

Immediately, a gaggle of GUN soldiers appear from every angle, weapons all pointed at Clutch and Nicole, but not Mimic or Surge. Hey, wait a sec! That Octopus is no miscreant! I don’t even think he’s a mercenary! Mimic’s shapeshifting-form-thing that I should explain slowly dissolves, revealing a GUN uniform! …If you haven’t caught on yet, the big twist is that Mimic is a spy from GUN. Bet you didn’t see that coming, and yes, I DID foreshadow it in the Chapter 2 description. You can call him… Private Mimic Nisemono. Wh-… No, “Private” isn’t part of his name, that’s just his rank in GUN.

So, the group of GUN soldiers arrest Clutch, but unfortunately, Nicole escapes. Before leaving, Mimic apologizes to Surge for any confusion, and then goes off to do… y’know, GUN stuff.

A little while later, Clutch is broken out of prison, with the help of Nicole… who promptly shoots Clutch in the back, killing him! Now, NICOLE is the infamous crime boss! Or something like that, I don’t know, I’ve been writing this for too long.

I’m gonna be honest with everybody, I had a real hard time writing this. I guess I just lost motivation a bit there, but hopefully, I can find it again for Chapter 3! See you next time!

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banannabethchase · 4 months

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Dreambook bonanza from Sara! How I want to see the belt picture go from now until Double or Nothing. This one is like a thousand words so...under the cut we go! Credit to @sarahcakes613 for their "but what if Joe and Hanger?" which has lived rent free in my noggin for months, and also because they came up with a lot of the players. Tagging @scissormedaddyass as well.

The Devils attacked Hangman, but Joe also accused Hangman and brought attention to him for MJF. This implies, to me, that it was all linked and intended. Hanger is in a lifelong feud with Cole, from what I can tell. They’re going to circle around each other forever. But Joe – Samoa Joe is like a wall in the way of Hangman’s progress. He showed up before Hanger could really go after Max. He’s the one who drew attention to Hangman and got him beat up.

So, when Hanger comes back, he knows who he wants to go after.

Cole is smart: he’s calculated, conniving, manipulative. There’s even a chance he hoped all of this would happen. He knew, with how injured Max was, that Joe would beat Max, with a tiny bit of distraction from him as Cole and him as the Devil. But he also knows that, realistically, he himself can’t beat Samoa Joe.

So he goads Hangman into it. Hangman, who is constantly trying to prove himself. Hangman, who lost the belt in a way that broke him a little. Hangman, who has been dancing on the edge of the void for months now. Hangman, who can beat Joe with his strategic strength and skill, but who can be psychologically manipulated by Cole. It’s an easy first match back in the ring, in Cole’s eyes. He lost to Hangman twice, yes. But he’s a new man now. He’s different.

The feud builds until they announce a Hangman/Joe main event at Revolution. Cole goads Hangman the whole time: you’re not strong enough, you’re not big enough, you’re not bad enough. He’s already getting under Hangman’s skin. It’ll be like taking candy from a baby – he won’t even have to wait to strike until Double or Nothing, after Joe beats Hangman at Revolution. Happy Easter to him.

Swerve is lurking in the background, finishing his rise to the top. He beats high level names on the roster for a few weeks, then turns his eye on the BCC. First, he beats Bryan Danielson. He beats Yuta. He beats Claudio, and that’s when he makes his claim. Revolution. Swerve vs. Mox. He will get his win back. And then he is going after the title, no matter who wins. He not so secretly hopes it’s Hangman. He can psychologically manipulate Hangman. Joe doesn’t seem like he’d be easy to take down, physically or emotionally, but Hangman. God, he’s so easy for Swerve, isn’t he.

Hangman vs. Joe is brutal and vicious, with Cole and the Devils lurking (Cole said it’s to help Joe win, but Cole is always a liar). Hangman, with surprise intervention from Cole that could be viewed as an accident by a man less astute than Samoa Joe, is victorious. Hanger’s win is gold dipped in blood – he won, but at what cost? It’s the first major win of his with interference. He’s not as affected by that as he knows he should be.

Cole, finally healed and ring ready, steps up to Hangman the Dynamite after Revolution. He’s challenging for the belt. And he will get it. We get a rematch sometime at the end of March/beginning of April. Cole underestimated this new Hangman, though. Last time they fought in April Hangman couldn’t cheat.

This time, he hits Cole in the face with the belt, and smiles through his victory. Cole is a picture of shock as Hangman’s music starts and his hand is raised.

This is not how it was supposed to go.

Cole is carted away by his Devils. He has been thwarted. He has been beaten. He has been out cheated by the golden boy.

Swerve, on the next Dynamite, comes out on the ramp during Hangman’s in ring promo, and just stares. The room goes silent. For the first time since facing Kenny, there’s a hint of fear in Hangman’s eyes.

Swerve throws bait at Hangman during the next few Dynamites – it’s clear he’s going to challenge for Double or Nothing, but he just won’t say it. Hangman gets more and more brutal as he takes out Kaun, Toa, Cage, a jobber or two.

It’s the Dynamite before Double or Nothing. Hangman stands victorious over his latest conquest, but he doesn’t look comfortable. He doesn’t look certain. He doesn’t look like a self-assured champion.

“I told you a long time ago, Hangman,” comes a voice, echoing around the arena, “I’m here to take your spot. Double or Nothing, you will lose your belt. And I will be the AEW World Champion.”

Hangman’s music is still going, but it now sounds ominous. He looks down at the belt in his hands, and is finally worried about what might happen next.

At Double or Nothing, Swerve uses the psychological tactics to beat Hangman. But he doesn’t make the mistakes Cole and Joe made; no, he’s been watching. He’s seen what didn’t work in the past, he’s figured out where Hangman’s truest weaknesses are.

Swerve baits Hangman with echoes of his losses in the past. A mockery of a GTS. An intentionally missed Buckshot. After the ref is distracted by the Bucks, who were trying to slip Hanger the belt to win, Swerve intervenes and takes it from Matt’s panicked hands. Swerve hands Hangman the belt and encourages him. “Go ahead,” Swerve says. “Prove how bad you are.”

Hangman uses it. And Swerve doesn’t even stagger. He takes the belt from Hanger’s hands, throws it out of the ring, and takes him down by the knee.

Swerve wins without a shadow of a doubt, taking Hangman out with a killshot. He wins clean. And Hangman continues his tradition of losing at Double or Nothing.

Finally, Swerve has his belt. He got there because, truly, he is the best. On the mic. In the ring. But, most of all, he lives rent free in everybody’s heads. He made a home there, a home in AEW, and now it’s all his.

#wtf i like wrestling now???#in which sara writes #in which sara dream books

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denimbex1986 · 9 months

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'Scientific grunt work doesn’t render very well on the silver screen. But neither do most jobs, or for that matter, most people. When it comes to theoretical physicists and aesthetic appeal, it’s best to channel quantum mechanics and suspend your disbelief.

Enter Oppenheimer, where Brigadier General Matt Damon says things like, “This is the most important thing to ever happen in the history of the world!” And, “We’ve given them an ace. It’s up to them to play the hand.” No doubt these sentiments were actually delivered as 700-page memorandums, Pendaflex-foldered and date-stamped. But this is Hollywood we’re talking about. You’ll find little in the way of stationery here, at least not on screen. And when the occasional differential equation rolls into frame, writer/director Christopher Nolan cuts smartly away before the audience might nod off.

To Nolan’s credit, Oppenheimer is a terrifically researched film. But it’s a film nonetheless, and translating sprawling, decades-long military sagas via camera necessitates shortcuts. I’m not a vetted expert on nuclear history but I’ve dabbled, having acted as research assistant for a 2020 treatise on plutonium production. This is to say that I’m familiar with the players.

I know, for example, that Matt Damon is far too cuddly, good-looking, and agreeable to portray the irascible Leslie Groves, nicknamed “Greasy” by his fellow West Point cadets. I know that Niels Bohr, the Danish physicist with a famously soft, nigh-unintelligible voice, is misrepresented by Shakespearean enunciator Kenneth Branagh. Nolan’s rolodex runs deeper than Wes Anderson’s these days, and if there’s a gripe to be had with Oppenheimer, it’s that everyone involved is just too damned sexy.

But, again, this is Hollywood, and where Nolan leaves the beaten path of record he generally does so to sate our dopamine addiction. Come to think of it, I haven’t been inside an actual physics department in a while. Maybe the professors really are incredibly gorgeous.

Luckily for Nolan, the subject of his cinematic obsession was a high-cheeked academic anomaly. The poet Edith Jenkins, who overlapped with J. Robert Oppenheimer in leftwing circles, describes his “precocity and brilliance… his jerky walk, feet turned out, a Jewish Pan with his blue eyes and his wild Einstein hair.” Manhattan Project scientist Robert Wilson agrees, admitting that he was “caught up by the Oppenheimer charisma,” “his style, the poetic vision of what we were doing.”

No, Oppy’s jawline never approached the artful chisel of Cillian Murphy’s, but there are unmistakable parallels—a bit elfin, a bit skeletal—to be drawn. Certainly Oppenheimer availed himself of more mistresses than your average mid-century physicist. Nolan spends perhaps too much time focusing on one of them (Jean Tatlock, played by Florence Pugh) and mentions a second in passing (Ruth Tolman, a bit part Louise Lombard), while avoiding speculation of yet others, such as when Berkeley cops found grad student Melba Phillips sleeping in Oppy’s car somewhere in the Coastal Range, the professor himself suspiciously absent.

Oppenheimer’s messy personal life makes him an ideal candidate for exposé—look no further than Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s bestselling American Prometheus, Nolan’s source material. But here I’ll return to Hollywoodization, for it’s one thing to get wind of Oppenheimer’s foibles and quite another to see Florence Pugh writhing hallucinatorily on his lap during the 1954 AEC security hearings.

If Nolan goes too far in this film, if he stretches the Oppenheimer envelope past its roomy Pendaflex accommodations, it’s in the context of Oppy outside the Manhattan Project. Despite magnificent wartime subject matter—not all of which is touched upon—Nolan can’t quit his blockbuster tropes. Monochrome senate hearings, petty political twists (how is RDJ’s aide still employed?), Oppy’s fingers gracing Emily Blunt’s as she asks for a cocktail science primer.

Maybe audiences require such touchstones to contextualize the rest of the film. Nolan seems to think so. But as the string section swelled during a trite turn in the relatively forgettable career of Lewis Strauss, I found myself wishing we could’ve stayed put in New Mexico, on the high mesa that forms this film’s heart.

Nolan’s feat comes in recreating Los Alamos, a critical American moment with more than enough narrative to forgo some of the politico-romantic schlock that drags this thing to a three-hour runtime. Fascinated by character, by gray morality, Nolan found Oppy such an attractive case study that it nearly steered his magnum opus (I do think this film qualifies) off track. Each of the factual and immensely complicated bomb-related obstacles—for example, thunderstorms the morning of the Trinity Test—holds a world-changing thrall entirely separate from the whims of one man, no matter how chiseled his jaw.

Speaking of moralistic study, there’s one character who escapes Oppenheimer scot-free: Matt Damon’s overly fit and preposterously understated Leslie Groves. “I’ve known General Groves since I was 2nd lieutenant,” said the real-world David Nichols (cast as Dane DeHaan) in a 1965 interview. “To start off with, I would say he is the biggest son-of-a-bitch I’ve ever met, bar none.”

“Impatient, brusque, intolerant,” writes Robert S. Norris in his comprehensive Groves biography Racing for the Bomb. “He had few close friends, and others generally kept their distance.”

“When you looked at Captain Groves, a little alarm bell rang ‘Caution’ in your brain,” said a colleague.

Damon bulked up, lumped up—whatever—for his role as Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro in this year’s Air. But it’s a serious leap from office park Vaccaro to Army taskmaster Groves, who even in his 1970 New York Times obituary suffered the redundant label of, “a chunky, heavyset man, with a tendency toward paunchiness.” More unfounded than Damon’s weight, however, is a good guy nature cultivated over decades of Good Will Hunting television marathons, Invictus advertisements, and so on.

Cillian Murphy’s shell-shocked victory speech presents a nice commentary on the ethical morass of atomic weaponry. But Damon/Groves makes for an even juicier moralistic target, and he’s let off the hook with that aforementioned one-liner: “We’ve given them an ace, it’s up to them to play the hand.” If anyone bore responsibility for detonating two atomic bombs over civilian populations, it was General Leslie R. Groves, the only person playing said poker game in the first place.

Racing for the Bomb explains, “Groves, sitting atop his security pyramid, was the only person who knew everything about the bomb project—more than the chief of staff, more than the secretary of war, more than the president.” He was therefore “singularly concerned with the bomb, with getting it finished, tested, and used, and his superiors deferred to him time and again to make the choices that would make this happen.”

Nolan illustrates how the bomb haunted Oppenheimer. Groves, cinematically absent after Trinity, showed no such regret. Critiquing the general’s 1962 autobiography Now It Can Be Told, the Saturday Review wrote, “Groves is motivated by a simple and all-sufficing patriotism that is untroubled by what others see in the atom. He does not probe for any new vision of national interest in the age he helped create.”

Simple and all-sufficing patriotism—sounds familiar. Make of it what you will.

The only Oppenheimer character who comes across as legitimately malevolent is Benny Safdie’s terrific Ed Teller. Maybe I fell for Teller because Safdie, a director by trade, looks more like a physicist than a cologne model. Still, I get the sense that Safdie studied his source material. When he pipes up about the “Super”—the hydrogen bomb—his eyes hold nary a flicker of regret. And he keeps doing so despite repeated disdain from his colleagues.

Look, I get it, I really do, on the attractiveness quotient. This is a movie, and if scientists and bureaucrats don’t suffice for a visual study then we’ll goddamn pretend. It’s only sensible that Ernest Lawrence— who, per physicist Jeremy Bernstein, “looked a bit like a country bumpkin”—becomes Josh Hartnett. That Lewis Strauss, a crooked-toothed self-made paper pusher, turns into silver fox Robert Downey Jr. I guess I even understand why Olivia Thirlby got thrown in out of absolutely nowhere, probably as Lilli Hornig, though I can’t recall her name being said aloud.

Nolan had to beautify this stuff because the big screen is a beautiful place. He gets most of the issues absolutely right, and I’ll be pulling for him come Oscar season. I doubt I’ll wind up remembering Emily Blunt’s Kitty Oppenheimer, Matthew Modine’s Vannevar Bush, or whoever the hell Rami Malek was supposed to be. But I’ll surely remember the Trinity Test, fingers trembling over that big red button, “10-9-8” and the towering explosion and the pressure wave—even if, no shade at Nolan, David Lynch already did it better on television.'

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schrijverr · 1 year

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Flirting at the Mall 5

Chapter 5 out of 8

Steve and Eddie both work at Starcourt Mall, dancing around each other and flirting. When Steve finally manages to ask Eddie out, he gets kidnapped by Russians and misses their date. He shows up at Eddie’s house, drugged and beaten after Startcourt burned down to apologize and Eddie makes sure he’s okay, before they retry their date.

On AO3.

Ships: Steve x Eddie

Warnings: none

~~~~~~~~~~

Interest (Eddie POV)

Eddie has been riding the high of Steve coming into Melody Records for hours now. His friends could already see something had happened when he arrives for band practice. Jeff is the one that jumps on it first, asking: “What’s got you in a good mood?” even if they can already guess the answer.

“Steve came by Melody Records today,” Eddie informs them happily anyway. “He asked about metal music and bought a KISS tape.”

“No way,” Gareth exclaims.

“Yes way,” Eddie grins. “It was so cute! He listened to me ramble for like an hour or something and he asked questions and everything! The only reason he had to go was because he was there with his kids.”

“Kids?” Chris asks.

“Yeah, the ones I told you about?” Eddie says. “He babysits them. They’re a bunch of middle schoolers, fucking hilarious kids. And one of them mentioned to Steve that he looked happier after talking to me. Me! I think I have a chance.”

“It does sound like it,” Chris agrees, the one who had been most reluctant about it. Yet, he sounds on the fence, but Eddie gets that. None of them feed into it too much, not wanting to see him get his heart broken by Steve Harrington. It’s sweet.

“I know,” he smiles giddily. “Do you think I should ask him out? I know you said to wait on him, but this is a sign right?”

“Lets not get ahead of ourselves,” Jeff stops him.

“Yeah, man, I mean, it’s not like Steve isn’t used to making the first move,” Gareth agrees. “Let him be the one to ask.”

“Are you sure?” Eddie asks, knowing that they’re right and that it’s safer to let Steve ask. For all he knows this is just a game for Steve, no matter how unlikely it seems, and he’ll get mad if Eddie shows that he meant it all. It just sucks.

“Yes,” all three respond.

That makes Eddie cackle as he holds up his hands in defeat. “Alright, alright, I won’t, calm down. I’ll even promise.”

They talk for a little longer, before getting back to practice. It’s alright, but Eddie keeps getting distracted by the girl, Max, whispering: “It’s nice to see you smile like that again. I won’t tell,” and how Steve looked as he listened to Eddie ramble.

He’s still thinking about it when he goes to Scoops Ahoy as he always does, but he’s not going to ask about it. He can’t assume Steve has already listened to it.

“Hey, Eddie,” Steve smiles as he comes in. “Welcome to Scoops Ahoy, I’m Steve and I’ll be your captain today. Are you ready to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me.”

“Always, sailor,” Eddie replies. “What do you recommend today?”

“What are you in the mood for?” Steve shoots back. “You have good taste.”

“Yeah?” Eddie asks, thinking he knows what Steve’s referencing, but not wanting to jump to conclusions.

“Yeah,” Steve smiles. “I listened to the tape you recommended. It was good. I liked Murder In High-Heels.”

“It’s good, right?” Eddie nods excitedly.

“It really is,” Steve agrees.

Eddie tries to morph the excited grin into a sly smirk, unsure how well he succeeds. “Well, seeing as I have such good taste,” he drags his eyes over Steve’s chest, the little bit of chest hair that peaks over the shirt catching his interest, “I guess I can try the peppermint stick.”

“Fresh,” Steve nods approvingly, getting the sample.

They chat a little more about the tape and ice cream flavors. Eddie wants to ask Steve. Desperately wants to know if this is as real to Steve as it is to him. He thinks he knows it is, the comment from Max, the way he bought and listened to that metal tape, the way he smiles at Eddie, giggles at his antics, the way his eyes follow Eddie’s mouth as he tries his sample or his hands when he gestures as he talks.

He does all these little things and Eddie just knows that this must mean something to Steve too. But he made a promise to his friends. And he remembers the boys before Steve. The ones that acted interested, then beat him up as he tried to kiss them. Or laughed at him with their friends once he got close enough to get hurt by it.

So, he doesn’t dare and just laughs at Steve’s stupid comments and calls him silly pet names that make him blush. Careful to keep the counter between them.

When he leaves, he has mint chocolate chip ice cream in a cup and a pep in his step that is only dampened by the fact that it hasn’t gone past flirting, even if they’ve been doing that for two weeks already. It makes him wonder if Steve will ever ask, or if this is all he’ll ever get. Just a sliver of that Harrington charm aimed at him. Only for a moment.

He contemplates not going the next day. He wonders if he looks desperate and if Steve is laughing about it behind his back. But a part of him knows that that’s not the case. Not this Steve with his dorky greetings.

So, he gets back over to Scoops Ahoy on his break. Robin is behind the counter when he comes in, but that doesn’t bother him anymore. He saunters up and greets: “Hey, Buckley.”

“Munson,” she smiles back. “Steve’s favorite child is back from summer camp. I’ll go see if he’s finally willing to work again. I’ve been covering for him all day.”

“The captain, abandoned just like that,” Eddie exclaims a little dramatically, but sue him, he is a dramatic person.

“I know right,” Robin says, before turning and opening the dividing window. She leans over the counter and says: “Dingus, your regular is here.”

Steve’s head pokes up from behind her. He’s not wearing his hat, but he smiles when he sees Eddie and waves, before Eddie hears him say: “You continue this, I’ll be back in like fifteen, alright, Henderson?”

“Dude, really?” Eddie hears a young, indignant voice say. “This is way more important than giving some guy ice cream. We talked about this, remember. I explained to you about the glory, the girls and more.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I know I said I like more,” Steve replies. “But this isn’t going to take long and I haven’t been much help according to you anyway. Maybe Robin can help.”

“Fine,” the kid tells him, obviously displeased.

“Thanks,” Steve says, then he’s sliding over the counter to smile at Eddie as he greets: “Welcome to Scoops Ahoy, I’m Steve and I’ll be your captain today. Are you ready to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me.”

“Course, captain, lead the way,” Eddie replies, feeling a little smug about Steve taking a break from his favorite kid to scoop ice cream for Eddie.

“We have peanut butter chocolate swirl, like to try or still adamant about not being a chocolate guy?” he asks.

“Hm, I do love nuts,” Eddie jokes, unable to help himself, especially as Steve chokes. He laughs at him, before saying: “Sure, I’ll give it a try.”

“Alright,” Steve says when he recovers, going to get a sample.

As Steve is about to hand it to him, they’re distracted by a kid, about thirteen with a hat over curly hair, who gives him a judgy look and asks: “If you’re regular, how come you don’t know what to order? Shouldn’t you have a regular order?”

“Don’t be rude, Henderson,” Steve scolds, giving Eddie an apologetic look as he tries to usher the kid back into the break room.

The kid, Henderson apparently, isn’t one to be ushered away, however and Eddie likes his spunk. He eats his sample, then leans over the counter and replies: “Well, some people like to try new things, little adventurer. How can a bard know the most powerful riff without trying all of them, you know.”

Henderson stills, his eyes growing wide. “You know what a bard is?”

“Course, man,” Eddie answers.

“Yeah, Eddie runs Hellfire, the DnD club at Hawkins High,” Steve says and Eddie can’t believe Steve knows that, remembered that. “I’d be nice to him if I were you.”

“That’s so cool,” Henderson exclaims excitedly, holding out a hand over the counter. “I’m Dustin, I also play a bard.”

“Hell yeah,” Eddie grins, taking Dustin’s hand and shaking it with enthusiasm.

“Why are you hanging around Steve?” Dustin asks. “You are so much cooler than him.”

“Oi,” Steve exclaims indignantly as Eddie snorts on his laughter. Steve tries to defend his own honor: “I am plenty cool. Remember after last Halloween. I was cool then. Don’t turn against me like this because I don’t understand your nerdy game, Henderson.”

“I mean, I guess you are cool, but come on,” Dustin answers, gesturing at Eddie. “He’s not dressed like a sailor.”

“It’s called a work uniform,” Steve protests. “And you weren’t complaining when I got you free ice cream.”

“But it’s not knowing DnD,” Dustin points out.

“I think Steve has some strong points,” Eddie says, deciding to defend Steve’s honor in front of this kid, who he seems to like so much. “He’s a great scooper and a listener. Keen ears there. Plus, he actually graduated.”

“And he’s a total mom,” Dustin rolls his eyes. “But I guess.”

“Great, glad we cleared that up,” Steve cuts in, putting his hands on his hips as he points to the back room and says: “Now stop trying to get me fired and get back to the recording. Come on, scram, Henderson.”

“Fine, but I want 60% of the credit,” the kid complains, but does as he’s told.

“Deal,” Steve calls back, before turning back to Eddie and rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry for him, Eds. He’s a good kid, just as an ego a mile wide.”

Eds, Eddie like that. He smiles: “It’s alright. He’s a funny guy.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Steve mutters. “But what did you think of the peanut butter chocolate swirl?”

“It was good, peanut buttery enough,” Eddie says, not really caring about ice cream when he has another topic to ask Steve about to get to know him better. “So, your kids play DnD. You never mentioned that.”

He likes how Steve responds to him calling them Steve’s kids. He gets this mix of an embarrassed and pleased look on his face as he melts a little. It looks good on him.

“I guess, it slipped my mind, you know,” he answers, scooping another sample. “They talk about it a lot, but it’s mostly Dustin and Will. The others haven’t really been playing this summer. I didn’t make the connection until Dustin did. I can never follow their explanations.”

“So, I’ll have some baby nerds to take under my wing coming year?” Eddie asks, wanting to see how Steve will react to him involving himself with his kids. Most see Eddie as a bad influence and it’s obvious Steve cares about those kids. So, he can’t help but wonder.

Steve lights up at the suggestion and says: “Would you?”

“Of course,” Eddie assures him immediately, a little surprised by the enthusiastic reaction to his offer. That hadn’t happened before.

“Thank you,” Steve says. “I’ve been worried about them, you know. They’re brave kids, the best, but high school kind of sucks.”

“Tell me about it,” Eddie jokes, well, semi-jokes.

Steve winces and gives another of those apologetic smiles. “I’m sorry, by the way,” he suddenly speaks up. “I know I was a dick and hung around other dicks and never stopped them from picking on people. Sorry.”

“I mean, you weren’t the worst and you’re not responsible for the behavior of others, but thanks you,” Eddie responds after he’s gotten over the surprise of Steve’s sudden apology. “You’re more than making up for it now, sailor,” he adds, holding up the next sample and eating it.

He watches Steve relax, then nervously bites his lip. He wonders what’s going on in his brain and if he said something wrong.

Then Steve pushes up his hair, strong fingers passing through soft strands, before he looks at Eddie from under his lashes. He leans on the counter and says: “Let me make it up properly. I know this great spot for watching the fire works on the 4th of July. We can watch them together and you can explain DnD to me.”

Eddie freezes. His brain screeches to a halt. Steve just asked him out. Steve is asking him out. Steve is- he’s asking him. Him. Holy shit.

He’s sure he must look like an idiot. His eyes have gone wide and the sample spoon is still dangling from his tongue as he stands there in the middle of Scoops Ahoy, staring dumbfounded at Steve behind the counter.

Fuck, Steve is looking less and less sure about himself as Eddie stares at him. Obviously. Fuck, fuck, fucking shit. He just asked out Eddie and Eddie is just standing there.

It’s enough to snap him out of it and he quickly nods: “That sounds super! Of course. I’d love to. Where and when are we meeting?”

“I was thinking Skull Rock at around 7:00 PM?” Steve suggests.

“I can do that,” Eddie answers.

“Great, it’s a date,” Steve says.

“Yeah, a date,” Eddie echoes, a bit dazed.

They stare at each other for a little while, both wearing giddy smiles. The look, Eddie decides, is something that can’t be faked. This is a thing that is actually happening. He has a date with Steve Harrington on the 4th of July. Wait until the guys hear about this.

“Steeeeve,” Dustin’s voice snaps him out of it. “It’s been like ten minutes. You’re horrible at customer service if you always take that long.”

Steve gets snapped into motion by that, realizing alongside Eddie that he has to get back to work. So, he leans over and quickly scoops something into a cup. He trusts out his hand: “Here. It’s apple pie. Very stereotypically American, but I think you’ll like it. It’s on me.”

“Thanks,” Eddie whispers into his ice cream, his face blushing at the fact that he got asked out by Steve.

He practically skips out of the shop, turning at the door to give Steve a wave, who returns it with his own dorky finger wave that Eddie has come to love.

Ahh, it’ll be the first time in many years that Eddie is actually looking forwards to the 4th.

A/N:

Eddie very much has the fear of a queer person, who never managed to fit in. The knowing fear of being hurt before. While Steve has the fear of someone, who has managed to hide and might be able to for the rest of his life. The fear of knowing that the safety can leave the second he acts on the side of him he’s been repressing. Ahh, they’re two sides of the same coin and I’m not normal about it <3

Also, also, also! It’s happening!!! Angst is coming >:3

(it’s a happy ending though!!)

#rr writing #steddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steve x eddie #eddie munson #steve harrington #dustin henderson #scoops ahoy steve #scoops ahoy #st season 3 #stranger things #stranger things fic #gareth stranger things #jeff stranger things #robin buckley #Flirting at the Mall #Flirting at the Mall Chapter 5

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stilemawillow · 1 year

Text

Loverboy [Jotaro Kujo | Reader]

So, think I met Jotaro about… a month ago? Maybe a bit more. I’m not the bad guy by any means – there’s just followers of the cult all around. White-haired buzzcut guy spewing bullshit about revenge. I’m young and breezy, I want no trouble. I’m no part of no band – no delusions there. I just got friends, need to return favours and hooked on love. See, so that’s the key most times. But also, like, you could call it a release and a sealant at the same time.

I was five when my momma told me stories about love. She ain’t ever love my father, though. There were cigarette butts and liquor bottles all around the house. Nice little picture right there. No modern stuff. Sundresses and hats – she beat my ass when I asked what the weird balloons in my dad’s pockets were for. So, you see, love isn’t all peachy all the time. Hard to fight for it. My momma fought for it constantly. Oh, and when she lost the battle, she was beaten. But like, repeatedly. Wore sunglasses a lot. Didn’t curse, though. Bless her little soul. My father loved too much was all.

I loved a lot like him – high school came easy and popularity was a competition I didn’t bother to win. Was mine to begin with.

I have my dad’s good looks and my momma’s patience. The old man died some two years ago – his lady took off her ring way before but she’s doing good in the nursing home. So I’m what? Young, handsome, loving and just a bit weird. It makes me cool, though. How I got in with the friends I’m currently doing favours for – you could see I had a falling out with a band, then a girl slapped me, and another one, and some pink shoes were in a dumpster down the street, my car bumper wasn’t doing well, I switched locations, ain’t nobody chasing me and, well, it’s a long story.

I’ve personally got nothing against nobody. Unless they disrespect love. And I can tell you Jotaro Kujo’s big on disrespect.

Disrespect this and that and him and her and – who are you to be calling women bitches when they just want a piece? God, you gotta thank them and give them love. So our main guy had a problem, dragged his geezer along for it – if I’m not mistaken, a Frenchman, a cherry-lover and a weird shaman were involved, too. And the fucking dog – tell you the truth, dogs are no best friend, they the devil waiting for a weak spot to lunge at.

So, a merry band goes to kill a vampire with a big following. Of course some are going to get angry. I’m not one of them, I’ve only listened to stories. Here and there, and this one’s a dirtbag, that died, those were nasty, we laughed here and ran there, lots of failure and now we’re here.

I’m not a man who fails – have that as a disclaimer. So, it might be forty days since I met Jotaro now. You know, for a big as fuck disrespecter, he’s trying to be smart and, I gotta give it to him, he manages. Dreams – marine or something biology. Fine with me. Not interesting since it’s got no love inside of it but hey, perfection runs short these days. And I know from experience it’s hard being a good guy.

So, if you’ll be asking how I met Jotaro – we bumped once. Didn’t say sorry or anything. That when I knew the favour will be a breeze when it came to conscience. No guilt can torment me over a guy who don’t even say sorry when he bumps into you. Ah, but that’s not the important point. So, this job takes a bit of devotion and some inspection. I have to be careful with schedules, placements and the time of day. I also need collateral damage. I’m good at picking that shit out. Trust me on this. So I’m doing my thing, following, looking, inspecting, analysing – shouldn’t underestimate me when it comes to analysing.

I can sniff impossible love across a street. Cause some people just stink, you know? Jotaro especially. So it don’t really matter who collateral damage is. All it matters is to find somebody as stinky. And there’s this girl, man, they’ve probably talked twice or something of the sort. Share all their university classes. My momma would laugh if she knew I ever stepped foot inside a university. Back to the point. The girl stinks and Jotaro stinks. A match made in heaven. Pichit will have a fucking blast when I tell him about it later.

So, I got my collateral damage – a smarty pants with terrible hair. She’s got nice ears, though. Not big enough of a redemption but still. Nice feet, too. All I need is the placement and their university’s got this gorgeous fountain. Green stuff around, birds chirping, nice things. If they’re lucky, I’ll pin the time to two in the afternoon so they can have lots of sunlight. But that depends on circumstances, not on me.

Target – check. Collateral damage – check. Placement – check.

I need a time and that’s all up to fate but inspection lets me believe it should be coming along soon. You see, their schedules just barely brush at the fountain each Thursday. For – what? – fifty days now, I been watching the moment come closer and closer. They gotta come in contact or nothing’s gonna work out. But I said, I’m patient like my momma. And then we’ve got about a second to go and the job is done. It’s complicated shit when you’re telling it to somebody dumb. But I need lots of ingredients and, how do I dumb this down? I make prisons out of love. Here you go. Simplest description there is.

I’m hanging around on the rooftop, swinging legs and all, waiting for lunch break. I’ll probably have to hang around for another week before I can get to work but, hey, sandwiches here are pretty good. I have a perfect view of the fountain, too. I push my sunglasses and I see that big disrespecter come out of the building. It’s just the thing. He sits on the side of the fountain.

Some chick comes along begging for love and he’s being rude. And then my pretty collateral damage shows up – opposite direction, heading for him. Not for him, though. I know she sits on the other side of the fountain. But if there’s contact, there’s a miracle. I’m hanging off the edge of my seat. Literally. If I’m not careful, I’ll end up repaying favours from the clouds.

“You, bitch, come over here.” Or so I can picture him saying it. His hand waves. The chick next to him is smiling – wait, shit, there’s a spot on my sunglasses. No, no, she’s frowning. My collateral damage stops in front of them. I lean down further and stick out my tongue in concentration. You know, the worst part is not hearing shit when you gotta keep a distance. Something splatters on my shoulder. Man, this is a brand new suit. Fuck that bird. Oh, this stinks. And while I’m wiping at my suit with my glove – remind me to throw it away immediately after – there’s a giant as fuck splash down by the fountain.

Correction, in the fountain. I nearly gape when I look. Shit, fuck, this is perfect. Golden opportunity if I’ve ever seen one. My collateral damage’s in the fountain, soaked from head to toe. Jotaro probably pushed her. Perfect, perfect, perfect. Oh, this is spicy. She slaps his hand away when he reaches out for some reason. Dude, why you gotta make it worse on the girl you pushed? But this is my moment of contact. And here goes the job.

You gotta meet my buddy – Loverboy. Real cute guy. So I snap my fingers and he snaps his and it’s done. Well, not that quickly, but when we’re out of the loop, it will be. And I’ll still have to wash the freaking suit the bird shat on. Pichit will be paying for it. Now, honestly, all I gotta do is sit and watch the show. Do hope they make it interesting for me.

“What’s going on?” Big wide eyes and clothes sticking to a shivering body.

“Hold still.” A commanding voice. She’s standing in the fountain and she can feel the water creating nasty friction between her socks and her toes. He’s looking around. He’s got the same mean look he does every day. It’s pissing her off because, all of a sudden, everybody’s gone and he’s telling her to hold still like it’ll make people reappear.

“Don’t tell me to sit still, Kujo. This is weird. I need to try to find somebody.” She crosses her arms and his eyes strike her, glaring sternly even when he’s the one sitting down.

“I told you not to move.” He tries to reach for her but she huffs and turns around, crossing the fountain and making water pour on the ground when she steps out and shakes her head before heading for the building.

He glares at her back and cautiously rises from his seat. This is a Stand at work. But whose? He needs to figure out the ability and the range. There’s nobody around when he was surrounded by people a second ago. And why is (Y/N) the only one with him? It has something to do with the ability, he’s sure of it. Either that or she’s the Stand user. A scream echoes and he whips his head in its direction. He sees brain particles splattered on the door frame as it crushes her.

Just let me make a small disclaimer again. I can’t laugh in situations like this because I’ll be found quickly. But, man, seeing Jotaro the disrespecter’s shock when the door takes out my collateral damage – precious. Beyond precious.

And trust me, I don’t like squashing pretty ladies. But this one’s in for a lot of squashing and impaling and whatever else I can think of. Because, you know, I gotta make things plausible. Not just dangerous. And with how little chemistry there’s here, one or the other is sure to walk away from the safe starting point I picked out. I just have to wait for it and bam. But also, I didn’t actually think the door would work. If it hadn’t, I would’ve probably resorted to a bit of legwork. And I always have to kickstart shit because it’s not fun if I just leave them be. We all need a shock factor. Anyway.

First try. First fail. I think I’m aiming for twenty or so. Sounds plausible. Jotaro’s strong and he’s seen some shit so he’ll beat the average ten. But what’s twenty battles when you’re losing the war? Yeah, exactly – nothing. Oh, this will be quick, easy and fun. I love when things are quick, easy and fun.

The same vacant yard. The same building. The doors are intact. Jotaro’s back to sitting down. His eyes widen and he glances at the fountain. She’s there and she makes no attempt to stand up. Wet from head to toe, staring ahead. She can’t see anything.

“Stand still now,” he commands immediately, reaching out a protective hand to prevent any movement in case she tries to be reckless again. This is without a doubt a Stand’s ability. But it doesn’t give him any hints as to the range and the essence of it. It gives him nothing besides the fact they shouldn’t go into the building. It would be safest not to move at all.

“I died.” Her voice quivers and her shoulders are shaken by violent tremors when he looks down at her. “It was real,” she whispers blankly, eyes wide with horror. His lips purse. He can’t make sense of this just yet but he knows now at least she’s not the Stand user. In that case, he has to protect her. He tells her she’s fine and she registers his presence. “You’re not the one who felt it! Kujo, I fucking died! It--- my fucking arm and my head---“ But she’s frantic and he has to lean over to grasp her shoulder.

“Quiet. I’ll get us out.” He lets it slip and she immediately asks if he knows what’s going on. “No. Not yet.” His eyes are scanning the space. The building seems empty. There’s no place around the yard that can hide a person and a Stand. It could be a long-range. She’s asking him what he knows. He keeps quiet. Approaching the building is dangerous. The opposite direction could be safe. He’ll have to test it. What’s the essence of this ability? Encapsulation, isolation – but a normal human is here, too. He hasn’t encountered such ability before. She’s saying he has to tell her because she died back there. He sighs. “This is the work of a Stand user. Our circumstances are the ability of the Stand.”

“And a Stand is?” She’s staring at him doubtfully while he explains a Stand is the manifestation of the owner’s soul and nobody knows exactly where they originate from. “So… a manifestation of somebody’s soul wiped everybody out and killed me?” She seems more and more dumbstruck by the second. She tries to scoot closer to his edge of the fountain.

“I don’t think everybody’s wiped out.” It would be impossible. A Stand cannot have such instantaneously giant destructive power and wield manipulation of space at the same time. If it did and he was the target, he would’ve died, too. She says that they’ve been wiped out and he shakes his head. “We could’ve been transported.” It’s the most plausible conclusion taking into account everything else.

“What, like an isolated case?” She’s staring up at him while he tries to surmise their surroundings again. Everything is faithful to reality but there are no other life forms besides them two. No birds when there were birds. No insects as far as he can see. It’s a mental trick.

“It’s the only thing I can think of which would allow for a restart the moment you died.” Because bending reality and time like that was impossible even for The World. It could freeze time for seconds but it couldn’t warp the physical world at will. Even Jotaro can’t. And when she asks if this is a mental or physical space because dying felt pretty real to her, he snorts. “It’s a mental space, no doubt. Now I just need to find the Stand user.”

“But if it’s a mental space, he won’t be here,” she argues instantly. His eyes narrow at her face – there’s water trickling down it. He knows she’s smart. He knows she’s quick to soak up information – quicker than him. He likes that about her. She might even prove to not be a nuisance while he’s trying to figure this out.

“So I have to gauge the ability more. If he’s here, I’ll find him. If he’s not, I’ll have to find a way out. He’s affecting the space around us so it’s a relatively long-range Stand. Which means it might be useless in close combat. When we find him, we’re out.” Jotaro stands up and spins in order to inspect the yard from all directions. They shouldn’t near the doors but can they go and check out the opposite side? And where would a Stand hide in here?

“You’re speaking from experience,” she observes solemnly. He spares her one look and doesn’t say anything. This requires more logic than it does strength. “What? So all of this is actually true and I’m supposed to believe it?” She’s just a bit outraged. He makes a step towards the fence on the left.

“Whichever you choose, don’t move.” The order is flat and harsh, and she sits in the fountain, crossed arms and a glare aimed at his back.

“You say, while you’re moving. What are you doing?” He nears the fence and tries to estimate whether movement in any direction signifies danger.

He’s about to look up when he can hear something moving down by his feet. The stone moves quickly but Star Platinum emerges just in time and grabs it as it's about to smash into Jotaro’s face. (Y/N)’s eyes widen at the happening. She can’t see anything but the rock hanging in the air next to Jotaro’s head. It happens way too quickly. Star Platinum is busy when the fence bends and pierces his chest. The pain is so indescribably familiar and he hates it. The sensation of dying isn’t so palpable.

“Seriously? You told me to sit still while you went ahead and died?” Her voice is loud and reproachful and he’s back at the fountain, sitting on the cold stone side while she’s inside, wet from head to toe and scowling at him.

“It wasn’t my intention.” But this proves it doesn’t matter who dies for the setting to restart. It also means the death isn’t truly real – if it was, the job would be done since he’s the target. There’s more to this ability. And surely, there’s a door of opportunity for them to leave its influence.

“Let’s just sit still and talk this time, okay?” She sits with her legs crisscrossed in the fountain and scoots closer. “Who is doing this to us? Not in the sense of a Stand user because I’ll just have to accept that part. I mean, who wants to kill us?” He sighs and says he’s the target since this is a Stand user. “You have how many enemies?” She quirks a brow and he looks at the way she wipes the water off her face. The sunlight makes each drop glimmer.

“I thought none,” he says with an averted gaze. She huffs and gets to clearing the wet hair from her forehead. He glances once and regrets it. Her neck is bare and while she’s flipping the hair behind her shoulders, he sees the way her shirt sticks to her chest.

“So we can’t figure out the person’s identity based on who you’ve spited,” she concludes slowly. “If you’re the target, why am I here?” He instantly dismisses that as unimportant. She gives a firm look. “I think it’s not. Now, I feel like you’re speaking Italian when you’re talking about Stands but they’ve got abilities. This particular one needs me here to be activated. So, is it a random pick or an ingredient?” He hasn’t thought about it but it’s more important to find the Stand user and beat his teeth out.

“I can’t say.” It’s a random pick at best in his opinion. He can’t be concerned with why it’s exactly her. But maybe he won’t be able to beat the Stand user seeing as this is a case of mental isolation. Could be a hallucination, an inner world, a visual trick or a way to manipulate and combine consciousness.

“We have to inspect that. Maybe it’s the way to getting out,” she insists on pursuing what for him is a dead end and he snorts at her adamancy.

“First, there’s no ‘we’ here. Second, all I need to do is find the Stand. Somebody is controlling our surroundings and if they’re confined in a mental space, the Stand has to be here to observe and monitor it.” In the least, the Stand would be present. The user can’t chart out a predictable script for their behavioural changes – he has to monitor and adjust his tactics according to their actions.

“And how do you plan on finding the Stand when we can’t move from the fountain?” She argues with a challenging look, making him glare. “I think my approach is better for our circumstances.” So she crawls out of the fountain carefully and sits next to him, glancing down at his backpack. “Can I use your notebook?” He sighs and waves a hand to convey that she can do whatever she wants. He turns to observe the fence that impaled him. Like the door, it wasn’t plausible for it to move in the way it did. Next to him, the girl chuckles. “This is cute, Kujo. It looks a bit like me.”

“It’s not you.” His head whips so he can observe what she’s talking about. Her fingers are leaving wet prints on his notebook and the page in the back is home to a sketch. He was bored and she was just two rows away. She was also the best subject. Her hair was nice that day. And she always seems to be immersed in classes she enjoys – her expression is very specific then. And pretty.

“It has my signature bun. And those right here are my favourite earrings,” she points out with a smug smile. His jaw clenches and he turns away from the drawing. “You had to look a lot to get the details. But my elbow’s a bit off. You weren’t listening in Anatomy class.” She’s mocking him and her elbow is nudging his arm. He purposefully moves further away and glares at the building to his left.

“Just shut up, (L/N).” But he can feel heat creeping up his neck and crawling into his face. His teeth are gritted. So what if he drew her that one time? It was a mistake anyway. Like when he stares at her. Or asks for her notes. She asks for his, too. They’ve had lunch together a few times. And just before the fucking Stand attacked, he might’ve been on his way to help her out of the fountain after the other girl pushed her and suggested that she wear his jacket.

“Are you embarrassed, Kujo?” She drawls with a smirk and water is dripping from the ends of her hair onto the notebook. She flips to another page so as to not ruin the sketch. “I’d show you how I made a cursive of your name when I was bored in Zoology but it’s drenched.” The offer makes him huff. His eyes are still on the university building on his left. She reaches into his backpack for a pen. “What if this is the link? I mean, us.” He’s about to call it ridiculous when he hears her breath hitch. She’s toppling over and he just barely catches her.

The fucking pen is jabbed into her throat.

She’s choking on the blood and there’s a gurgling sound just barely leaving her lips. His heart freezes at the sight. Her eyes are staring at him pleadingly. He swears he’s never felt this helpless. But also, this death is not real. It’s not real. The pain is hot and terrible but it’s not real. Three blinks later, she tries to say something. Doesn’t manage. And then she’s back in the fountain and the water isn’t turning pink because her blood’s dripping into it.

He lets out a ragged breath and reaches for her. Her eyes are wide, brows pinched together and she grabs his hand with no hesitation, clinging to it like her life depends on it. The shock will become too much for her at some point. He has to get them out before that. He pulls her closer, and slowly coaxes her out of the fountain and next to him. Water’s dripping from her, seeping into his clothes as he lets her cling to his arm for support and her breaths are quick and panicky.

He won’t be parting his eyes from her this time. Not for a fucking second. He’s responsible for this.

“Did you get scared, Kujo? You don’t let people touch you just like that.” She’s trying to mock him but she’s trembling and he tells her to shut up before grabbing his backpack and tossing it across the yard. Her fingers are weakly clutching his jacket. Maybe it’s about time he gave it to her because this might be a mental prison of some sort, but the sensations accompanying every action are very real. “I got scared. I couldn’t breathe. I don’t want us to be here.” Her lips are pursed and slowly pries her hands from his arm so he can take off his jacket.

“I’ll get us out.” He drapes it over her shoulders and she looks up at him, asking if he’ll do it her way. His lips purse. He still sees no sense in that. “Crack the ability by discovering why you’re here?” She nods and swears there’s a connection before asking if Stand abilities have ultimatums. He shakes his head. “They’re usually fit for combat. I haven’t seen such a Stand before,” he concedes with a lowered head. She scoots closer.

“And if there’s a way to get out without fighting it? It could be why I’m here.” He quirks a brow at the inquiry. Getting out without a fight seems too optimistic. And this isn’t supposed to be a puzzle.

“For conditions to be met?” She nods and her hair is wet. She tugs the jacket’s collar so it envelops her back better. It’s too big for her. She’s still shivering when, a minute of silence later, she asks if he has a Stand. “His name’s Star Platinum.” There’s a chance they won’t remember this after they get out.

“And you’ve fought Stands before?” She looks up at him. Her eyes are big and they twinkle in the sunlight. His lips purse as he remembers Egypt.

“I’ve killed their users, too. When a Stand dies, so does the user.” She doesn’t nod but he sees the fleeting shadow of horror on her face. He doesn’t want to scare her but she’s the one asking the questions. Of course, he can choose not to answer them. He doesn’t know why her presence predisposes him to honesty. He’s talkative around her. It’s weird.

“But if this Stand user’s goal is to kill you, he should’ve managed when… you know.” Her brows furrow and she puts a hand to her chin. The jacket slips off her shoulder. He reaches over and adjusts it. “And if the point of this is to restart when either of us dies, its goal lies in another course of action altogether. And maybe that’s why I’m here as an ingredient.” Her theory is as adamant as she is. But if her speculation is true, that means he either has to find the Stand or figure out the conditions he has to meet to get them out.

“What’s the course of action we need to take then?” He knows she’s smart. He respects her because she’s smart. She knows when to talk and when to think. Knows when to act and when to observe. Her intelligence has fascinated him since long before. But she only shakes her head now and says she hasn’t gotten that far. Silence settles again. He thinks about the conditions and the position of the Stand. He thinks about how he can move and act without leaving her alone or putting her in danger.

“Why have you fought Stands before?” She’s curious and he says it’s a long story. Quietly, he admits his mother was in danger. “How long ago was that?” She’s looking up at him and he snorts. He doesn’t like to think about it. When he thinks about it, he remembers Kakyoin. They could’ve studied here together.

“Three years.” And he got over it and kept going but he has so many nightmares it’s unbearable sometimes. He sees the pity slowly crawl over (Y/N)’s features. It makes her nose scrunch a bit at the bridge. Two wrinkles. They’re three when she’s disgusted. And two between the brows when she’s concentrating in class. “Why did you ask for my notes in our first year?” He doesn’t know why he asks it. She snorts and smiles.

“You were so antisocial I wanted to be your friend. You also seemed grumpy all the time. I didn’t actually need them but they were nice. You’re really diligent, Kujo.” The compliment makes him click his tongue before he says that’s not enough to cover up the fact she just called him antisocial. And the pity if there again for a second. “I get it now. So why did you give me your notes?” She asks in return and he rolls his eyes.

“Because I’m not a jerk.” She keeps staring like there’s another reason. He remembers it like it was yesterday – she stopped him after class and roped him into a roundabout introduction before begging for his notes. And he caught her lying because he learned later that the corner of her mouth twitches when she lies. She lied that she didn’t know his name. “Your smile was nice.” He can’t believe the nonsense he’s spilling but she only chuckles.

“Not anymore?” He doesn’t say anything when she teases him but he can deny it. Her smile is still very pretty. “You know, Kujo, that time you asked my favourite colour.” They were having lunch. She asked his. And then she lied that she didn’t know her own but he didn’t press. Now her smile didn’t twitch. “It’s actually your eyes. If it weren’t for the muscles and the dark and mysterious aura, you’d have fangirls because of them.” He scowled at the mention of fangirls and she snickered. “What? You don’t enjoy your fangirls?”

“No.” He hates them, in fact. Because he’s here to study, not to be surrounded by hordes of obnoxious girls. She is the only girl whose presence he can tolerate. It might have something to do with the smile.

“And if I was a fangirl? You’d be insulting me.” But he immediately says she’s not, to which she nudges him with her elbow. “True. My approach is way calmer. And better. Staying quietly in the periphery actually brings me a lot closer.” In order to prove it, she scoots closer. Her shoulder presses against his arm and he decides to leave it be. Then she jumps up. “Wait for a second, that’s it!”

“Stay down.” He grabs her wrist and tries to pull her down but she fights and turns to face him. She’s standing in front of him and their heights are levelled like this. He can see her eyes flicker excitedly as she tugs – not to free her wrist from his hold but to drag him along.

“No, it’s fine. We need to go. Inside, right now.” He says her name when she attempts to rush off towards the building and his fingers clutch her wrist harder. He can’t let her be harmed again. “Hear me out, Kujo. You said the Stand at least has to be here to monitor us, right?” She talks the same way when she’s cracked the code to a nasty question they’ve been asked in class. “And we don’t get harmed unless we step away from the fountain or come in contact with anything that can be used as a weapon. This means the Stand is watching us from the periphery – from a place that lets it analyse which objects it can use on us. I doubt it can see through walls.”

“So the building is a safe place,” he finishes her thought and she grins.

“Exactly. And it kept me from going inside the first time because the door was all it could see.” It sounds logical. It sounds too logical and it also sounds like a weakness they can use to their advantage. He can’t leave her alone so he’ll take her along. He stands and her wrist wriggles in his hold. He lets go and follows her towards the entrance. What’s the only place that allows a perfect view of the fountain?

“It’s on the roof.” His eyes dart upwards. They’re closing in on the door when he sees the railing on the steps leading to the entrance rip itself from the concrete and bend in her direction. He acts quickly but not wisely. He pushes her out of the way but he’s the one who suffers for it. A scream gets stuck at the back of her throat. The door comes undone and pierces him.

So, I gotta tell you that love is all about sacrifice. That happening down there is no sacrifice to me. I mean, love is about sacrificing others, not yourself. Love is about power, too. My old man liked to sacrifice others and my momma was powerful – they had love right there, somewhere between the bottles and the weird balloons. Whatever happens, Jotaro the disrespecter can’t love. Not really. Maybe his own mom, sure, but like – a piece of work like the collateral damage? Yeah, no way. I’m confident about that. Like I’m confident about a lot of other stuff.

Like when Pichit was about to break his leg on the rollercoaster or when Don lost his shoes and I told him the racoon got them. They don’t believe shit, those friends of mine. But it’s fine because we have our bromance and sometimes, we trust each other. Like they trust me with this favour and I trust they’ll wash my suit after it’s done. Loverboy, I gotta tell you, has real good eyes. Like an eagle. And sure, he needs a spot to watch from but I always pick a good spot for him. He’s my best friend because, you know, he’s me in a way. We both got good style. We love a lot and we hate people who can’t love. Strongest bond ever.

I think I got him when I was sixteen or something of the sort. Could’ve been seventeen. But he was no scary thing to me. Actually, he was my buddy right off the bat. Took me a while to figure out what he does but, hey, every friendship needs time to blossom. Kind of like when you’re getting to know a girl and she can make a cartwheel but she also wears flip-flops often. You gotta measure the sacrifice. Do I love the cartwheel or hate the flip-flops? But Loverboy and I got no such problems. We’re a good team and we’re strong in our own way. My momma used to say a friend’s there for you through thick and thin. No kidding. And that---

Ah, shit. Why do I have to waste so much time preventing stuff? I don’t fail so we got that. But seriously – why’s she protecting Jotaro now? Welp, here goes the sharp fence. I didn’t pick the fountain as a starting point for nothing. I can do this all day and they can’t stop it. Can’t figure it out anyway. What, like they’re geniuses? And I’m told Jotaro likes to work alone so there ain’t no chance in hell he’s going to warm up to teamwork, much less feelings besides frustration and helplessness when he’s in danger. He don’t give half a fuck for my collateral damage, dragging her along or not. If he leaves her alone, I shoot my shot. I don’t miss so that’s that.

Oh, how cute, he’s giving her his jacket. If it was me, I would’ve straight-up told her to take off her clothes. But the disrespecter’s not experienced or interested enough in true love tactics. Which proves to me I’ll be out of here and on my way in about… a second. It’s always a second anyway. Less sometimes. I’m good at mind games and not so much at calculation. But this don’t take no calculation. It takes patience. I got more of that than them. More love, too. Oh, here goes again. Let’s do the window this time. Haha. Quick, easy and fun. I’m having so much fun. What’s that? Oh. Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

They’re inside. Shit. I won’t be telling Pichit this part. If he asks, they never got away from the fountain. If you try to tell, well, who’s he gonna believe? You or me? Yeah, I thought so, too. Now I need to do some legwork. If you’ll excuse me.

“I think we’ll be fine here for a while.” He watches her slump against the whiteboard in the classroom on the second floor with a sigh. Water is dripping from her clothes and she grabs a marker from the professor’s desk. “Let’s get down to thinking. This is either a time capsule, an isolated loop or whatever. And we’re here. What do we have in common?” She’s writing on the whiteboard and he’s leaning against the first row where she usually sits.

“Our major,” he joins in the speculations reluctantly, making her shake her head. She writes down their names next to each other and hums.

“I’m thinking more character-wise. It’s a bit like a grumpy-sunshine trope.” He clearly doesn’t understand it and she clearly doesn’t want to explain. She draws a small raincloud next to his name and a small sun next to her own. He scoffs. “So, we’re opposites more often than not. We interact often. But why today?” He instantly says they can’t be sure whether the Stand user chose today purposefully or just activated his Stand the moment he got here. “The fountain’s a good spot he shouldn’t have known about, though. Visitors aren’t allowed on campus so he’s either sneaked in or is part of the student body.” For some reason, Jotaro doubts the latter. He would notice a Stand user in the student body.

“You’re saying he’s inspected the place?” He asks with a frown and she points out the fountain is a perfect starting point that can be guarded at all times from the roof. He admits it is. This has taken some research at least. The Stand user would have to familiarise himself with the place. Which means Jotaro has gotten too rusty from living normally to notice his presence.

“Again.” She taps the marker against their names and draws his attention back to the board. “We’re opposites. What do we make of that?” He makes nothing of it because the Stand user’s goal is to get rid of him. By all means, it’s the only thing he can aim to achieve.

“Nothing. It’s a useless train of thought.” Jotaro snorts in a gruff voice and she tucks her wet hair behind her ear and frowns in disagreement.

“And I think it’s useful.” The moment she argues is the moment a stiff realisation crosses her features. It’s a fleeting instant and then the words drop from her mouth. “Opposites attract.” Jotaro knows that’s the law of magnets. So what of it in this case? She grows frantic the more she explains: “If this is about opposite-sex isolation, it could’ve been any fangirl of yours. You even had one close by. The difference is… you don’t like them.” She’s written down their sex and squints at the board before looking at him. “Have you heard about the experiments where they put a man and a woman in a dangerous simulation and observe the spike of their behavioural changes?”

“No, and I don’t see what that’s got to do with anything.” He truly doesn’t. She can’t just weave a Stand ability out of thin air and unsupported speculations. Abilities in Stands are fit for battle, too – not social experiments. They usually differ according to their owner’s character, temperament and ideology but the main rule stands – they’re meant for combat.

“Could be nothing or everything. This Stand’s ability reminds me a lot of that. A man and a woman are in an isolated space with their adrenaline constantly being stimulated. In situations like these, the couple tends to bond way quicker.” She’s blabbering and he crosses his arms, watching her sceptically.

“You’re not saying this Stand is based on a social experiment meant to simulate love.” It’s audible how much he truly doesn’t believe in her theory.

“Stimulate, not just simulate,” she corrects with a huff. “Pairs who underwent the experiment had a spike in compatibility and are often recorded as dating in the aftermath even when they went into it as strangers.” He can feel she’s lost the point of this. They’re talking about experiments that have nothing to do with their predicament and the Stand is probably looking for them. The building has five floors. How long would it take for it to catch up to their location? Jotaro suspects another five minutes at best. Two if she keeps being this loud.

“So the point is to fall in love and we’ll get out of here.” He glares when she smiles in approval. “Can you hear how ridiculous that sounds? And even if it’s true, how would the Stand user know how we interact? And wouldn’t he rather put me in with somebody I hated and had no chance at all of becoming fond of?” He might’ve accidentally indicated he prefers her to any other girl he could’ve ended up with but she goes along with it, like she hasn’t considered anything else.

“Think about it, though. That might’ve been his exact thought. He won’t put you with any of your fangirls because they like you already and they show it a lot. Maybe he doesn’t know you so he’s just watched you and based on observation – I’m the only girl who appears to be disinterested.” She indirectly hints at something, too. He’s not dumb enough to miss it.

“Appears?” He echoes and the pointed intonation makes her lips purse as she considers what to say. She puts the market back on the professor’s desk and looks into his eyes. The green mingles with a bright baby blue and creates the perfect turquoise shade. She gulps.

“Sure. If he’s had a limited observational period – two weeks or something to pick me out, he would’ve seen that we barely talk and I don’t swoon when I see you.” And Jotaro instantly defends that it’s exam season and they’re busy, which just makes her nod along. “Exactly. He might not know that. It might just be a miscalculation on his end. This is good.” She seems almost excited to announce it. He huffs and pushes himself off the desk. He thinks he can hear something.

“You’re trying to convince me the point of this loop is to fall in love. It’s ridiculous,” he states once he’s positioned right across the door. He’s standing between it and her while she asks what else he can think of. The answer’s immediate: “That we’ve given the Stand enough time to sniff us out.” And when he puts a protective hand to tell her to stand back, her eyes widen. Maybe she can hear the steps, too.

“I love you.” But his eyes are pinned to the door and she’s tugging on his jacket. “Say it back.” Her fingers tremble and her voice wavers. He won’t be saying it because even if that’s the point, nothing will happen if it’s just words prompted by survival instincts. Then both of them can hear the windows behind her vibrate.

He turns around and cradles her head to his chest just as the glass explodes. She screams. Such a fucking cowardly Stand – can’t even use its own strength to overpower him. Glass shards are piercing his face. Blood drips on her hair. He has to lure him out and fight him. Star Platinum is on edge, waiting for guidance.

“Just say it!”

But he doesn’t have the time to part his lips when the door slams open. His vision is impaired – one of his eyes is positively blind and the other is full of blood. He feels her wrestle out of his hold and she can’t see Star Platinum but she stands in the way. It’s then he realises it might not be wise to let his Stand be harmed. But he doesn’t want her to be harmed either. He blindly reaches for her in an attempt to tug her back. Her arm’s in his hold and it’s too late. Through a red veil, he can see the blurry shape of a tall pink figure with flaming hair. And when her body falls back in his arms, the hole in her chest is visible. His heart flinches inside his chest. Star Platinum’s unharmed.

And then they're back at the fountain. In an instant, he turns around and his feet splash inside the water, glued to the stone under as his arms extend to he can hold her shoulders. Same exact time, she’s crawling closer to the edge with her fingers hastily reaching for his face. Horror is coursing through their veins and they think one and the same thing when their eyes meet: You’re fine. The relief is grand and visible, almost tangible in the air. No words are spoken as he draws her closer and she complies until she’s on her knees and her arms just barely envelop his back, fingers desperately clutching his jacket. His digits tangle in her hair. His free hand is splayed over her back, between the shoulder blades where the hole was.

“You were scared,” she mocks in a weak voice, face buried in his chest as he exhales, nose burrowed in her wet hair.

“Shut up.” The command makes her chuckle. He was scared shitless. He’s angry, too. Then she parts from him and her hands are damp as they cup his jaw. She slowly rises to her feet and he looks up. Her thumbs rub against his skin and when their eyes meet, there’s the rage of a thousand suns in her hues. He likes the sight of it. He hasn’t seen this side of her before.

“Let’s smash this guy’s face in.” She sounds deadly serious and he agrees. His fingers slowly wrap around her wrists and he stands up, head slowly turning towards the roof. Now they know where the Stand is. He’ll take her along and Star Platinum will be her bodyguard in case the fucking coward tries to pull another trick. If this is a mental space, Jotaro might be allowed the pleasure of beating up the Stand on his own.

When they step out of the fountain and kick their backpacks in the opposite direction, the fence acts up. It bends and its foundations tear the ground apart in their attempt to shoot in their direction. The attack is spoiled when Star Platinum prevents contact. And (Y/N) gapes at the fence suspended in the air, then he nudges Jotaro’s side and hums.

“I’m assuming I can’t see your Stand but is he, like, strong enough to rip out one of the sharp edges from the fence for me?” And before Jotaro can tell her that’s unneeded, Star Platinum does exactly as he’s told. She blinks at the fence that seems to be breaking on its own. Jotaro glares at his Stand. “I just think I need a way to defend myself. I took one year of fencing in high school.” And the rest of the fence drops to the ground but one metal rod with a sharp tip hangs in the air in front of her. She takes it from Star Platinum with her smile blindly aimed up. “Thank you very much, Star. He can hear me, right?” She glances at Jotaro, who only scowls.

“Right. And he’s being way too complaisant.” She chuckles at the sour note in his voice.

“You are, technically. A manifestation of your soul and will, if I remember correctly.” Her smile is bright and teasing, and he snorts.

When they head towards the door, a few stones try to create trouble. They evade the railing with no casualties and Star Platinum wrecks the door before it can collapse. Once they’re inside, the danger is gone. Jotaro’s walking ahead and she’s in the middle with Star Platinum behind her.

When they get to the stairs leading to the rooftop, the group stops and exchanges looks. They’re quietly ascending the stairs, Jotaro’s the one who breaks the lock on the door to the roof and (Y/N) clutches her weapon a bit tighter. He’ll make sure she doesn’t need to use it. When he slams the door open, the Stand is caught off guard. Instead of fighting, it adheres to its cowardly ways. Only Jotaro can see it.

He gives chase and she’s behind him, following even when she can’t see their target. The Stand is cornered easily and, what’s more, when it tries to use its ability to make a random inanimate object attack them, both attempts are foiled. It’s probably weird for (Y/N) to sit still, unaware that Star Platinum is beating up the other Stand while Jotaro observes.

One of the punches seems to hit the switch.

God, this hurts. My momma didn’t teach me enough to deal with pain. And what’s this unfairness? The bad guy isn’t supposed to win. I’m not supposed to fail. I can’t fail. This favour’s supposed to be quick, easy and fun. I love it when things are quick, easy and fun. My jaw might be broken. And my ribs. I can barely move. Fuck, I have to get out of here. I have to get out of here. This wasn’t planned. This can’t be happening. The bad guy can’t win.

And what if I was told not to underestimate him? I didn’t. It was all perfect. So why was he working with my pretty collateral damage? He’s not supposed to work in a team. They’re not supposed to get out before they off themselves. Fuck. I have to run. I have to run far and Pichit has to wash my suit and pay for the goddamn hospital bill. I ain’t taking any jobs after this. I don’t care about the followers or the favours. Fuck my friends, they didn’t even warn me this could happen.

Ah, I just want to go back to my flat with Loverboy and order take-out. I want shiitake mushrooms and shrimp. My momma used to make them tasty. Fuck.

Everything is loud and bright. Birds are chirping and a fly is buzzing by the top of the fountain. The noises are everywhere – so many people talking at once it’s almost deafening at first. Jotaro is blinking at the water splashing around inside the fountain. There seems to be a small rainbow where the sun hits the miniature drizzle just right. (Y/N) is inside, wet from head to toe and staring up at him with parted lips and wondrous eyes.

Both of them are overwhelmed by the noise and the colours and the people. Some are having lunch, others are talking in small groups, walking around, crossing the yard, standing still, laughing, joking, and complaining. Voices and people everywhere. Even the girl who pushed (Y/N) into the fountain is still at Jotaro’s side, looking down at them with a scowl.

Everything went back to the instant they were transported by the Stand’s ability.

Jotaro gets the very intense urge to get in the fountain and hug her. She, in turn, is struggling with her own wish to jump and tackle him to the ground in front of everybody. Instead, she grins up at him and he offers her a hand. This time, she takes it. His fangirl doesn’t enjoy the sight. He couldn’t care less but she obviously has a vengeful side to her because once she’s standing to her feet, at least three people are looking at her wet form and Jotaro helps her jump out of the fountain, she slowly lets go of his hand and aims a big smile at the fangirl.

“Thank you for this, Hori. I’m indebted to you and I like how my hair looks when it’s wet. I’ll buy you lunch tomorrow, okay?” The girl blinks at her, utterly stupefied and just a bit disturbed. (Y/N) turns to Jotaro and smiles at him, too. “Now, should we go?” He sighs and they hold onto their backpacks while rounding the fountain. Jotaro knows they’re heading to the rooftop.

“You didn’t make a scene,” he remarks on their way into the building. She’s just a bit wary of the door. Her shoes squeak down the hallway and people are staring at her weirdly. She’s not used to it because she forgets her appearance is supposed to inspire confusion.

“You’re taking me out on a date later, Kujo. She deserves gratitude.” The quip makes the dark-haired male glance down at her doubtfully. He has to admit maybe he doesn’t mind the idea of taking her out on a date. Most of all when it would’ve taken him way longer to get out if he’d been on his own. Still, he’s just a bit surprised at how well she’s taking this – mostly the aftermath that might’ve left her scarred. He hands her his jacket and she drapes it over her shoulders. “Thanks. How about you don’t kill the guy? I want to ask him about my theory.”

“You look quite unaffected by the experience, (L/N).” The remark makes her lips purse. Even if the death wasn’t real, the sensations were quite on point. He glimpses momentary discomfort on her face before she lets out an airy chuckle.

“I think we’re close enough to use first names at this point. And also, I might be a bit more adaptable than I thought.” In spite of that, Jotaro stays mad at the stupid fuck who intervened in their normal lives. She would’ve been better off not living this. They’re climbing the stairs and the lock on the rooftop door is already broken when they arrive. Jotaro opens the door and expects a fearsome enemy’s attack. He’s not prepared for the disfigured bleeding mess on the floor. Next to him, (Y/N)’s eyes widen in fright and her nose scrunches up. Three wrinkles for disgust.

“G-Get away from me!” The guy draws back in horror, splayed on the ground and trying to crawl back. He has two pink tresses in his blond hair. “F-fucking psychos! How did you---“

“Let me stop you right there,” (Y/N) says, stepping forward and glaring down at his bloody face. As far as Jotaro can see, he’s got a broken nose, a split brow and two busted teeth. His ribs are probably cracked. “We’ll walk you out of the university premises and you won’t come back ever. But before that, I want to ask you about your Stand’s ability. It’s a mental space, right?” The guy blinks at her.

“A loop, yea. B-But you’re fucking crazy and I don’t have to answer any questions.” His voice comes out wheezy and squeaky. He’s shaking in fear. Jotaro quirks a brow at his defiant behaviour and (Y/N) glances at the dark look on his face.

“I think you’ll prefer it to the other option.” She’s not smiling but her voice is upbeat and placid. “Now, since it’s a loop in a mental space, was there a way for us to get out without beating your Stand?” She isn’t nearly as disturbed by the sight of the beaten-up man. Jotaro thinks this much is enough although he wouldn’t be against some more. An additional punch or two just to be safe. The guy spits out a spiteful spoonful of blood and snorts.

“Yeah, the disrespecter here had to give up on shit a-and off himself because you’re not compatible at all and---“

“So we had to fall in love or kill ourselves?” She cuts off with wide eyes, making Jotaro’s lips purse. The guy at their feet growls in outrage and points up at the dark-haired Stand user.

“T-That’s the whole point! He can’t love shit and you’re the perfect collateral damage because you barely talk to him!” His words would have made sense if it weren’t for her theory. She’s grinning and her hands are on her hips when she tips her chin proudly and looks up at Jotaro, who only averts his gaze in spiteful defeat. He shouldn’t have let her come along. She could’ve gone through life without the knowledge she was right.

“I told you! I was right the whole time!” Her finger jabs into his biceps and she tugs on the jacket around her shoulders while clearing her throat and looking down at the guy again. He’s staring at her like she’s crazy. He probably thinks they’ll kill him or something. “I figured it out. Without the part about killing ourselves. It’s a smart move but… we actually like each other, I think.” She gestures at them and the guy’s face contorts in utter disbelief. Jotaro clicks his tongue at the pathetic sight.

“So thanks for the date.” His deep voice makes (Y/N) grin.

“Y-You weren’t supposed to… Y-You can’t possibly, I watched you! You hate everybody! A-And---“

“Let’s get you out of here, huh? You’re pretty shaken up.” She crouches in front of the guy and he doesn’t dare strike her for fear Jotaro will act faster. They force him to his feet and he’s shaking like a leaf. Jotaro’s the one who has to support him on their way down the stairs. “Do you have a car or should we call an ambulance?” But he’s nearly catatonic because of the shock and doesn’t answer. “I didn’t think you’d beat the sense out of him, Jotaro.” She shoots Jotaro a look of reproach and he huffs.

“Let’s just walk him out and leave him outside.” Less than three minutes, they’re sneaking out of the side door leading to the parking lot. She’s wet from head to toe and they’re helping a bleeding man limp between the cars. When they reach the side entrance, Jotaro lets the Stand user slump down to the ground against the fence and glares at him. (Y/N)’s the one who crouches down, grips his nose and harshly pushes to the left. The guy screams and bites down on his tongue.

“I hope it hurt like a bitch. That’s for the long-term paranoia I’ll have around doors. And for making me see the guy I like being in pain.” Jotaro’s eyes widen at the action and her words, and then she stands to her feet, leaving the Stand user to whimper in pain while she heads back to the building. “Do you have anything to say to me about my theory?” She teases when Jotaro opens the door for her.

“It’s a bullcrap ability that wasn’t supposed to exist at all,” he states with a huff. She smiles and says it’s enough that he’s a bit spiteful in his rejection, then complains that she needs dry clothes to attend her next class. He hums and he knows it’s out of character when he suggests: “We can skip.”

“I didn’t think you were a bad boy, Jotaro.” She smirks and he clicks his tongue. “We do deserve rest after this. Might’ve been less than a second in reality but all the stress drained me. Are you hungry?” But both of them know neither had time to enjoy lunch and the experience messed with their heads in terms of orientation through time. He nods and she’s very transparent in her offer. “Come over so I can change and maybe I can cook for us.”

“Traditional?” He questions with a quirked brow and suggests omelettes and miso soup. He’s on board. And when they’re heading for the main entrance, she asks if he thinks the guy will try to attack him again. He sees the uncertainty on her face and shakes his head. “His Stand is the most cowardly thing I’ve seen. He wasn’t much better. He won’t risk it.”

“It’s weird how he accidentally picked the right people,” she muses with a hum. “He was so shocked we worked together, too. Do others think we don’t get along, too?” He thinks whoever even cares enough to be acquainted with them is pretty much aware they’re on good terms. And some – the ones she calls his fangirls – might even be suspicious regarding more. She wouldn’t be getting pushed into fountains otherwise even though Jotaro is greatly annoyed by the fact girls have turned pursuing him into a competition with him as the prize.

“Do you care about that?” He glances down at her and sees her tug his jacket and burrow her nose in the collar with a thoughtful hum. She’s cute sometimes.

“Depends. Maybe not.” So he thinks the conversation is done for the time being. Less than a minute late, she asks: “Hey, Jotaro, that one time we got to the classroom – would it have worked if you’d said it?” He knows exactly what she means and his blood runs cold in nervousness at the mention. Seeing as he refuses to answer, she nudges his arm with her elbow. He won’t say it. “Oh, come on, we survived a shitload together, you can tell me that at least.” Her eyes are twinkling up at him pleadingly.

“We’ll never know,” he concludes in a gruff voice. He’s scowling when she says she can just get the guy to activate his Stand’s ability again and have them test her theory. But there will be no need for that. “I’ll just beat him up again.” He’s glaring, tipping his hat lower, and she laughs. It’s a nice sound.

“You’re red, Jotaro.” She’s annoying. Annoyingly smart, too. His face is red, she’s smiling knowingly and she’s pretty even when she’s annoying. He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to. It would’ve worked.

#jotaro headcanons #maaaan jotaro kujo is a big boy #jotaro kujo x y/n #jotaro kujo x reader #reader insert #x reader #jojo x reader #jojo fanfiction #i know many don't know about my love for jojo but here it goes #wrote this in two days and am hyped to post it #even tho the storyline do be wobbly #i dreamed it btw so that's my excuse #JOTARO IS SO FUCKING UGHSSHDBHDNAKJNFS #frothing at the mouth #this man is just... perfect yes gimme #anyway 10k words for a 20-min plot #anyway enjoy?#also villain pov because i'm experimenting with unreliable narrators

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