#have some ooc asks I’ve been forgetting to answer that I will today

[ask-imaginary-dreamers]

oh uh munday send stuff if you want :v

#ooc stuff #have some ooc asks I’ve been forgetting to answer that I will today

[xreynadel]

AUGUST 2022 DEVELOPMENT - PLAYLIST CHALLENGE

tw: verbal argument, alcohol use, mention of strip club, mention of depression

ooc: all songs chosen relate to key events in Reyna’s life that provide a little more insight into her background, describing the feelings of that time period.

LINK

You're laughing But you're hiding God, I know that trick too well You forget That I've been you And now I'm just the shell I promise I love you and Everything will work out fine Don't try to Grow up yet Oh just give it some time

Conversations with My 13 Year Old Self by P!nk

Reyna had just gotten into another screaming match with her mother, something more increasingly common the older she had gotten. Tonight it was regarding the fact that her mom had asked for her step-dad to back her up when putting her foot down on the attire Reyna was trying to leave the house in. She slammed her bedroom door, locked herself in. Reyna grabbed her RAZR, texting her friends that she would likely be unreachable for a bit and would not be able to meet them, knowing that her mother was right behind her to retrieve her electronics. While this particular argument was seemingly prompted by a rebellious teenager not getting her way, the underlying cause was more likely the fact that a week earlier Reyna’s mother had gotten caught up on a case, resulting in her missing yet another of Reyna’s volleyball games. 

Trying hard to reach out But when I tried to speak out Felt like no one could hear me Wanted to belong here But something felt so wrong here So I prayed  I could break away

Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson

It had only been three days since high school graduation, when Reyna found herself on a plane to a small town in Maine. She had been planning this for two years now, booking a one way. Her plan: get to Maine, meet her father (hopefully he wouldn’t immediately reject her), stay in town and get to know him for a while, return to New York in a few weeks when she felt ready, get a job (unsure in what yet), maintain some relationship with her father (no matter how much her mother protested), travel back and forth from time to time, finally have both parents. That plan made perfect sense at 16 and still seemed reasonable at 18. Reyna made one stop at the Brownstone Inne where she would be staying at to drop off her luggage and shower, dressing to impress before walking up the street to the address she had found online for Bardales Inc. She truly did not want to do this at the man’s place of employment but that was the address in her possession. If the man was anything like her mother, she needed to make a top-notch first impression. She took one more look at herself in the glass window, taking a deep breath and headed toward the reception desk. 

Feel the rain on your skin No one else can feel it for you Only you can let it in No one else, no one else Can speak the words on your lips Drench yourself in words unspoken Live your life with arms wide open Today is where your book begins The rest is still unwritten, yeah

Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield

It had been weeks since the DNA results had come in, shattering all sense of reality Reyna had. If Rafael was not her father, who was? Had her mother lied? At that point, there was as no way Reyna could return to New York seeking those answers in her fragile state. She had built up this trip’s expectations so high for herself, that when it didn’t go as expected, her entire life seemed to be crumbling around her. If Rafael had been her father, at least she had a plan. No matter how superficial as that plan had been. Reyna had now been in Merrock for well over a month and was quickly running out of the money she had saved up for this trip, there was no way her mother would have ever funded this little adventure. In the weeks since the DNA results came in, she had hunkered down in her hotel room in a depressive state. But as her funds were dwindling, she sought employment in town. Having never had a job, she kept her expectations rather realistic. Landing a barista job at the local cafe was appreciated upon the arrival of her first paycheck. That was until she realized her mistake of having taken a job downtown. Since beginning her new job, she had made it habit to hide any time Rafael entered Cobblestone Cafe. However, that game was short lived. Somehow one morning of reluctantly making Rafael his coffee had led to a brief conversation, followed up by another much more serious conversation. In all honestly, Reyna had absolutely no idea what her next move in life was. If Rafael was offering her a job at Bardales Inc. she would be stupid not to take it. It looked like she would be making Merrock home, at least for a while. 

So who cares about what I spend, I still got mo' money My pockets deep and they never end, I still got mo' money I'm going dumb with all my friends, I still got mo' money

Pour It Up by Rihanna

It was Reyna’s 21st birthday weekend and somehow the weekend had wound up with her and a group of friends at a strip club. In her first year in real estate, she had made more money than what she knew what to do with. Her current salary alone was a step up from admin pay, let alone commission. That said, she was having no problem dropping money for her birthday on both dancers and alcohol. Eventually, she’d have to learn to manage her money but tonight was all about fun. 

It's always been about me, myself, and I I thought relationships were nothing but a waste of time I never wanted to be anybody's other half I was happy saying I had a love that wouldn't last That was the only way I knew 'til I met you

I Do by Colbie Caillat

With each loud ring of the FaceTime call, Reyna only grew more anxious. She wasn’t quite sure the reaction her mom would have, the only thing calming said anxiety being that her mom was not the first to be finding out. She had already told Rafael at lunch earlier in the day, so now Reyna had some practice in. “Hi Mommy!” she smiled to the phone’s camera as her mother appeared on the screen. Once greetings were exchanged, Reyna inhaled deeply. “Momma, I’ve got some news!” The excitement took over her body, her timid smile growing into a large grin. Reyna signaled for the young man beside her to come into frame, waiting until he was to raise her left hand into frame allowing for the diamond ring to speak for itself. Hearing an excited shriek from the other end of the line, Reyna signed in relief. For all of her mom’s talk about how her 20′s were for her career, Reyna could only be relieved that she was excited about her daughter’s engagement rather than providing a lecture. Thinking about it, she had probably scared her mom into thinking she was pregnant so an engagement was likely a relief to her but Reyna was going to enjoy the positive reception to the fullest. 

If I'm not all you need, then just set me free I'm down on my knees If you're not the one for me, then just let me be I'm begging you, please I'm praying for closed doors and open windows I'll follow where the wind blows, don't be scared to leave If I'm not all you need, then just set me free I'm down on my knees tonight

Knees by Bebe Rexha

Company holiday parties were typically the type of social events that Reyna enjoyed. It was an opportunity to enjoy a nice night all dressed up, get some networking in, and enjoy the company of those closest to the people she considered her work family. However, tonight she seemed preoccupied. While she stood chatting it up with a fellow real estate agents, her eyes wandered the room in search of someone. Her date. Spotting him chatting up her boss, she excused herself from the conversation at hand and walked over. Reyna greeted the pair with a big smile, a brief hug for Rafael, and a kiss on the cheek for her fiancé. In that moment, she realized that the hug from her father figure had been warmer than the embrace from the man she was engaged to. She reached for her fiancé’s hand, only for it to be dropped mere seconds later. This was how it hand been as of late and it was truly frustrating her. While Reyna had a good poker face, internally she was dying. She ran through scenarios of the last few months in her head, maybe she had somehow initiated this disconnect without realizing it. All that she knew in that moment was that it was beginning to feel like less of a temporary cool period and more like her relationship was at the beginning of it’s end. She wasn’t going to stay around for someone who was no longer in love with her. 

I still see your silhouette I wish we’d never met I’m living with the ghost of you You still visit me in bed Got visions in my head It’s like I’m having déjà-vu I still hear you in the hallway Voices calling my name Tell me what you want from me

Haunted by the Band Camino

Reyna collapsed against the wall, taking in the surroundings of her packed up home for the first time. It was so empty, cold. The movers would be here in the morning to move her entire life into a new house. As she ran through a mental checklist that everything was done in each room, her mind wandered to the memories that she was leaving behind in this home. This had been the home she was supposed to build her future in. Tears began to pool in her eyes as she finally let herself feel the events that had transpired. She was moving away from the pain the memories in this home now held, not the happiness that those memories had been in the moment. Even more recent memories. The relationship hadn’t exactly ended in a clean break. While it may take a while to heal, a new home was a fresh start. No constant reminders of what her life may have been had she gone through with the marriage, no excuses to see the man she was set to marry later that year. 

Ask me if I'm rollin' with some Gucci, bitch I might be It's very unlikely my wrist ain't looking icy Charging by the minute 'cause my time is very pricey Yeah, I be where the bosses be Judging from my vibe, you can feel it in my energy Stacking paper steadily so I can live in luxury Looking in the mirror, I thank God for what I'm about to be

ICY GRL by Saweetie

After a shower, Reyna stepped into her closet. She chose a white and black sleeveless high neck blouse, black skinny trousers, and pulled white closed-toe pumps to match. After having changed, she secured large gold hoops on her main lobe piercings and slipped on a couple of gold bracelets. The gold looked better against her post-vacation tan. Reyna finished off her look with a blue toned red lip and her hair neatly slicked back into a pristine low bun, followed by a few spritzes of Very Good Girl. Once she was ready for the day, Reyna grabbed her purse and laptop case, heading downstairs for her car. She bypassed the ‘64 Impala she had recently acquired, climbing into her Range Rover. She pulled out of the garage, sliding her oversize Quay tortoiseshell sunglasses over her eyes as she met sunlight. Once out of the drive-way, she cranked up the radio, headed for downtown.

#merrockdevelopment

[archived-kin]

one thousand and one nights with you (is not enough to spend)

note from kin: the title is from that song in twisted by starkid, but that’s about as far as the similarity goes

anyway you’re visionless and basically run a little witch shop in mondstadt, with flowers and cool gemstones and mysterious powders and potions and stuff. albedo gets a lot of his alchemy ingredients from you (also he’s dating you but not a lot of people know that)

fandom: genshin impact

character(s): gn! reader, albedo, plus a surprise venti cameo

pairing(s): albedo/reader

warning(s): i don’t know albedo that well so he might be ooc? also this is so cheesy it’s a little ridiculous

genre: fluff

“I’ll be going now, boss!”

You smile and return your assistant’s cheery goodbye wave as he disappears off into the night outside, freshly-filled coin pouch jingling at his hip. As the door swings shut with quiet click, your surroundings fall into quietude.

The candles keeping the room lit are beginning to burn down to stumps, throwing most of your shelves into shadow. You take a sip from the steaming cup sitting on your counter, then stand up to begin taking inventory and closing up shop.

The silence is comforting after such a long day. You’re not entirely sure what brought on the sudden increase in customers, given that your shop is tucked away in a quiet little corner of Mondstadt that not many tend to linger around. That had been a deliberate choice, and so was the lack of advertising - your speciality is the individual, not the crowd.

Still, you can’t say that it isn’t nice to have the increased income. More profit means better wages for your assisstant - and more Mora to buy even more cool things to stock.

You pass about an hour ambling around your shop, rearranging your products and making sure that everything is in order. Then, just as the bat-shaped clock on the wall chimes one o’clock, the bell above the front door jingles, and you hear quiet footsteps enter.

You don’t pay it any mind at first, instead focusing on rearranging the little bottles of various dusts and extracts on one of the ingredients shelves. A hand settles on the small of your back, and you feel the new arrival’s presence come to a stop beside you.

“We’re out of powdered lizard tail,” You say without looking at him.

A pause. Then a quiet chuckle. “That’s how you want to start the night?”

You smirk. “The night started a good while ago, darling.”

Albedo sighs as you turn to face him, though his soft smile betrays his faux-exasperation. “I did tell you I’d be late today.”

“You tell me that you’ll be late every day,” You reply, sliding one final bottle of powdered crystalfly into place, then move over to sit on your front counter. He follows, settling just beside you.

“I have a lot of things that need attending to,” He shrugs, leaning over and snatching your drink without asking. You shake your head, but let him take a sip from it anyway.

His eyes flicker up to look at you over the rim of the mug. “...though, of course, you’re the most important one.”

You laugh and bat at his shoulder. He doesn’t make any effort to avoid it, eyes twinkling as you smile. “Why not come round more often if I’m so important, huh?”

“Do you think I wouldn’t if I could?” He asks with a scoff, setting down the mug and gently nudging you in the side. “We both have jobs, [Name]. We need to actually do them.”

“Oh, I know that,” You return his nudge and hop down from the counter again. Albedo sighs a little at your restlessness, but follows as you swipe the keys from your drawer and open the door again. “But it doesn’t hurt to take a day off every now and then.”

“I’ve already taken far more in the last month than is reasonable,” Albedo says with a shake of his head, stepping out into the street at your indication and waiting as you shut and lock the door. “Grandmaster Jean will get suspicious.”

“Psh,” You dismiss, waving a whimsical hand about and nearly knocking the sign off of your door. “Why is it that you’re not telling her about us, again?”

“She doesn’t exactly like you,” He says, absently linking his hand with yours as the two of you begin walking aimlessly in no direction in particular. He’s removed his gloves, you notice. “You did set up shop without permission when you first got here.”

“Ah, right…” Now that you think about it, you seem to remember her shooting you a rather nasty look when you passed her in the street last week. Why she continues to hold a grudge is lost on you - after all, you did get the necessary documentation and everything eventually… though, to be fair, the method you used wasn’t exactly legal. “...well, forget her.  What do you want to do tonight?”

“Hmm,” He swings your linked hands about for a moment. “I saw a lot of dandelions growing just outside the walls earlier. Why don’t we go pick some seeds?”

“If you want to pick dandelion seeds, why not ask Sucrose?” You ask as he begins leading you in the direction of the main gate. “She’s the one with the Anemo vision.”

“Sucrose?” Albedo repeats, turning his head to look at you. His irises almost seem to glow in the darkness of the night, brighter than any of the stars above - it’d be unsettling if it wasn’t so beautiful. “Why would I want to go seed-picking with her?”

You raise an eyebrow. “...well, I’m assuming you need them for an experiment, and Anemo-blown sunflower seeds are always far more effective in that area.”

“If I needed them for an experiment, I’d just buy them from your shop,” He shakes his head. “This isn’t an ingredient hunt. This is different - it’s special.”

“Special how?” You question as the two of you walk through the gate. Albedo guides you over to a particularly thick cluster of dandelions just a few feet away, nestled in a lush copse of grass.

“Special… like you.” He cups both his hands around one of yours, the one that he’d been holding just before, and guides it over to one of the tallest plants. “Go on, show me that trick again.”

You laugh a little at his almost childish inflection, but do as he requests anyway. Albedo pulls his hands away from yours and watches as you carefully pluck off the head of the dandelion without disturbing any of its fluff-topped seeds, allowing it to rest on the tips of your fingers.

“There’s no trick to having a delicate hand,” You say as he watches your every move with the utmost concentration. “It just takes practice.”

Carefully securing the little bit of stem left at the bottom of the dandelion head between your index finger and thumb, you slowly raise your hand so that it’s suspended just above Albedo; he ducks his head a little, closing his eyes as you bring up your other hand to ever-so-gently flick the seeds from the head. The seeds drift about in the still night air for a brief moment before landing in Albedo’s blonde hair; their white colour is barely distinguishable against it.

He opens his eyes again as you pull your hands down again, lifting his head slowly so as not to disturb the little decorations you’ve added to it. “...so what did you grant me this time?”

“A good night’s sleep,” You say playfully. “As the seeds are carried away on the wind, so too will all your worldly burdens be blown away.”

He shakes his head, and several seeds are dislodged by the motion, vanishing quickly into the night. “If only it were that easy.”

“Hey, it worked last time,” You counter, sitting down in the grass. Albedo follows suit, reaching out and plucking a dandelion of his own - though with a lot less deftness than you did.

“That wasn’t the dandelions,” He says plainly, blowing lightly on the dandelion and watching the fluff disperse and disappear into the dark. “I just sleep more soundly when you’re beside me.”

You chuckle. “Sweet talker. So you’d sleep like a baby if I was around all the time, then?”

“Perhaps I would half the time,” He answers, smiling in a way that tells you that he knows exactly how sappy what he’s about to say is. “But I wouldn’t sleep nearly as well for the other half. I’d be too busy looking at you.”

Despite already knowing that it was coming, you can’t help but feel your heart flutter slightly at his proclamation. “I could say the same about. Bet you’ve broken a good few hearts with looks like that.”

“Then so be it,” He shrugs, eye-lids falling a little as he gives you a devilish little smirk. “Yours is the only one I care about.”

“When did you get so charming?” You flick him in the nose, effectively wiping off the smug look on his face. “Have you been studying love poems or something?”

“Love poems aren’t really my area,” He says, drawing back and rubbing at his nose a little reproachfully. “But Lisa and Kaeya have been giving me plenty of tips on my… 'romantic endeavours’, as they say.”

“Those two…” You shake your head. Kaeya and Lisa managed to find about your relationship with Albedo almost as soon as he’d confessed to you, though luckily they’d agreed to try not to mention it around Jean. “Have those tips been working?”

“Isn’t that a question for you to answer?” He picks another dandelion and blows it directly at you. “Is your heart being stirred?”

“Not while you’re blowing seeds into my face, it isn’t,” You shield yourself with one hand, pushing it in front of Albedo’s face to obscure his field of vision. “Quit it!”

He does drop the dandelion at your request, but, unusually, doesn’t give you a verbal response. You’re just thinking that he must be planning something when he suddenly leans forward and kisses the centre of your palm.

You immediately pull your hand back, feeling yourself heat up. Albedo leans forward, cocking his head to the side with a smile. “What about now?”

“You’re insufferable,” is your only reply.

Albedo’s smile turns into another smirk. He knows exactly what he’s doing. “I’m yours.”

“Mine, now? How nice,” You say, still trying to act unbothered. You can tell it isn’t working, though.  “Am I allowed to get a refund if you don’t work as expected?”

“Would you ever want to return me?” Albedo counters. You can’t exactly say yes - that’s both mean and untrue -  so you just sigh and shake your head. He smiles, clearly pleased.

You’re about to say something else when you hear a series of uneven footsteps coming from the gate. It doesn’t sound like a Knight of Favonius on patrol - in fact, it sounds more like a drunkard.

Albedo shuffles a little closer to you as a figure stumbles out of the gates. It’s someone you vaguely recognise by their green clothes - the bard who often plays in front of the statue of Barbatos. He’s holding a bottle that’s already half-empty, and you have a feeling that he’s already had a lot more before it.

The bard looks over at you and Albedo, and while you doubt he can recognise your faces what with both the darkness and the distance, it’s obvious enough that the two of you aren’t just a pair of good buddies hanging out. He raises the bottle in your direction with a hiccup.

“Wonderful night to meet a lover!” He calls, voice ringing so loudly that you’re sure that he just woke up a few residents of the city. “May your relationship last long as the wind blows!”

He doesn’t wait for a response before beginning to stumble his way across the bridge. As he goes, he exclaims to no one in particular, “The air is crisp tonight! Such good wine - what a wonderful city!”

He quickly disappears into the darkness. You exchange looks with Albedo. “...how much do you think he drank?”

“Far too much,” He replies amusedly. “He’ll regret it come morning.”

“And it isn’t too far off now,” You say, checking your pocket watch. “Will you be heading back to headquarters tonight?”

He considers, then shakes his head. “I don’t have anything that’ll need attention tomorrow morning. So, if you’ll have me…”

He doesn’t finish, but you already know what he’s asking. “There’s always room for you to stay over - you should know that by now, shouldn’t you?”

He smiles a little bashfully at that, and nods. “I suppose so… thank you.”

“You might as well move in at this point,” You comment, shifting slightly on the spot and patting at his arm. He holds his hand out obligingly, and you thread your fingers through his. “You’ve left at least three sets of pyjamas over already.”

Albedo opens his mouth to respond, and you shake your head, placing the index finger of your free hand to his lips to shush him. “Yeah, yeah, I got it, Grandmaster Jean’ll get suspicious…”

He blows on your finger to get you to retract it. When that doesn’t work, he pretends to bite at it, which is a lot more effective. “...I will tell her eventually. Just not now.”

“While you’re on the rocks,” You say with a nod, squeezing his hand. He sighs and nods as well. “But I still don’t think she’d fire you over who you’re dating.”

“Maybe not, but I don’t want to get any more on her bad side,” He mumbles. “She’s still annoyed about that floor I melted.”

“Didn’t you tell her that I was the one who made you drop the potion?” You ask, thinking back to that particular day - when you’d learnt that Albedo is very susceptible to your flirting when he’s in the middle of an experiment.

He shakes his head with a chuckle. “I didn’t think you’d appreciate me tattling. Besides, it isn’t like she punished me.”

“Well, you’re basically untouchable at the end of the day,” You comment, lying back in the grass and pulling Albedo with you. “It’s them who need you, not the other way around.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” He says, adjusting himself so that the two of you are pressed flush against each other. “If I hadn’t started working for them, we’d never have met.”

“We would have crossed paths eventually,” You say, smiling coyly when he turns his head to face you. “Though better sooner than later, I suppose.”

“Far better sooner,” He says, returning your smile with a much softer one. “I’m glad we did.”

Another dandelion seed drifts out of his hair and lands in the grass as you look at him. You'll be keeping this one for a long time, you decide. Probably forever. You like him.

You think he likes you, too.

#unedited #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact imagines #genshin albedo #albedo x reader #fluff #i don't know what else to tag #uhhh #sappy #albedo's hair is so hard to draw for some reason #something about the gif for this one feels off and idk what #i'll come back to it later

[unforth]

Why does everyone always recommend Twist and Shout for destiel? Like what happened in fandom at that time to make it so popular that it's now a staple? I haven't read it. I refuse. I know there is major character death and people complain it is OOC so I'm just wondering why do people love it so much? I have read so many long fics written by immensely talented writers in this fandom that end hopefully and tackle difficult subject matter while maintaining character voices that it seems a shame that T&S is always recommended

So, I also haven’t read it - I don’t do MCD, no matter how highly recommended a fic comes. However, here’s what I’d say in answer to this question.

Twist and Shout came out, it was during a period when the fandom was huge, and exploding. Season 8 was something of a Destiel renaissance (it’s when I started shipping it, for example) and it’s not a coincidence that a lot of the best known fic came out in 2012 and 2013 (for reference, T&S started posting on October 15th, 2012, according to AO3). I wasn’t active on AO3 Destiel fandom at that time (I started reading fic on FF.net in early 2013) nor was I active on Tumblr or in fandom circles where shipping was a big Thing, so I don’t know what the general fandom reaction to it was at the time, but presumably it met with a fair degree of popularity. People liked it. People recced it. I have no idea if it had the MCD tag at that time, but presumably it did. People read it knowing that. And presumably, some people didn’t like it, and some people didn’t rec it, but like any other fic it went through a process of developing popularity.

Why did it get to be first?

In my honest opinion?

Utterly random chance. If you look at ANY developing fandom, some of the trends are in fact totally random, at least to begin with. Once the avalanche starts, though, it’s self-perpetuating.

Think about it. You’re in a brand new fandom. You don’t know anyone. You haven’t read anything. You’re desperate to read something. What do you do? You go to AO3, find the ship you want to read, and you sort by most hits, or most kudos, or most comments, and decide - I’m gonna start by reading these. You see the first fic...okay, MCD, a little off putting...but it’s got SO MANY HITS and SO MANY KUDOS...just take the chance!

So, you (my hypothetical fan) read this fic. One of two things happen - you either love it or you hate it. If you hate it, you may not even finish it, but regardless, you’ve added to the stats - your views count, and maybe you liked the early chapters and kudosed, or maybe you remember everything you’ve heard about authors liking comments on early chapters of fully posted works, and you commented. So those stats have gone up, even if someone HATED it. And on the second, you love it - and you come out gushing! You kudos! If you’re super enthusiastic maybe you log out and give it a second guest kudos! And, as you start getting into the fandom and meeting people, you want to spread this love - you tell your friends - hey, I just read this great fic, and yeah, it’s MCD, but just give it a chance!

And so it begins again - if you tell four people, and they read it, and two hate it, and two love it, and those two tell four people, and two hate it, and two love it, and it just cascades.

Why is Twist and Shout the most popular fic in this fandom? Because Twist and Shout is the most popular fic in this fandom. Yes, it’s a tautology, but it’s entirely self-perpetuating. People read it because it’s listed first. People read it because they like it, and re-read it and re-read, and re-read it, to get that high. People hate read it. People read it just to find out what the big deal is. In a fandom with coming up on 100,000 posted stories, Twist and Shout has almost twice as many kudos as the fic in second (by the, in my personal opinion, far more deserving Annie D, though it’s also not their best work in my opinion, and the reasons it’s up there are likely the same), and almost four times as many hits. By any measure on AO3 surveys, it’s number one when people sort, and lots of people will read it simply out of curiosity.

That kind of popularity is self-perpetuating. And of course lots of people love T&S - it has 1.2 million hits, and almost 35000 kudos. Even if we go extremely conservative and say, 35,000 people have read T&S, that’s simply a shit ton of people, and if even only 10% loved it, that’d still be 3500 people gushing about that single fic. I’ve been writing for 5 years and I don’t have a single fic with even 3500 kudos, and I’m considered a relatively successful writer in this huge fandom.

But here’s, to me, the most important thing - I truly believe any fic can be a Twist and Shout. It’s a confluence of events that makes a fic such a juggernaut, and the vast majority are simply luck. Random drift means one fic is gonna end up on the top of the heap - and once a fic is there, reading tendencies, confirmation bias, and exposure guarantee it’ll STAY on the top of the heap.

I started the Destiel Favs Survey because I felt that the “top 20″ fics by hits in the Destiel fandom didn’t reflect the fics people actually like. I got curious, so I made a list.

In February 21st, 2017, the top 20 fics on AO3 by kudos were:

Twist and Shout by gabriel and standbyme (which, at the time, had 25,507 kudos)

Dean Doesn’t Listen to Eurythmics by Annie D

An Exercise in ‘Worthless’ by beastofthesky

Revealed by Valinde

Angel’s Wild by LimonadeGaby and riseofthefallenone

Into Your Hideaway by thepinupchemist

How (Thanks to Gabriel) Dean and Castiel (Accidentally) Raised Each Other (and Sam) by Vera_DragonMuse

A Room of One’s Own by NorthernSparrow

Out of the Deep by riseofthefallenone

Grey by Valinde

Convenient Husbands by Annie D

Forget-Me-Not-Blues by noangelsinthegarrison

When Charlie Met Cas by riseofthefallenone

Real Slick Dean by trilliath

In This Secluded Spot I Respond as I Wouldn’t Dare Elsewhere by RhymePhile

The Breath of All Things by KistmetJeska

Unfamiliar by riseofthefallenone

Shut Up (Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is) by kototyph

A Hole in the World by AnnelieseMichel

A Beginner’s Guide to Communing with the Dead by suspiciousflashlight

Today, 1/9/21, four years later, the top 20 fics by Kudos are:

Twist and Shout by gabriel and standbyme (no change in rank, now has 34,907 kudos)

Dean Doesn’t Listen to Eurythmics by Annie D (no change in rank)

Revealed by Valinde (+1 in rank)

An Exercise in ‘Worthless’ by beastofthesky (-1 in rank)

A Room of One’s Own by NorthernSparrow (+3 in rank)

How (Thanks to Gabriel) Dean and Castiel (Accidentally) Raised Each Other (and Sam) by Vera_DragonMuse (+1 in rank)

A Turn of the Earth by microcomets/mishcollin (not on the old list by kudos, but it was on the list by 2018 when I did another check in)

Angel’s Wild by LimonadeGaby and riseofthefallenone (-3 in rank)

Into Your Hideaway by thepinupchemist (-3 in rank)

Unknown Quantities by xylodemon (the first work to break through, and it’s in tenth)

Forget-Me-Not Blues by noangelsinthegarrison (+1 in rank)

Grey by Valinde (-2 in rank)

Convenient Husbands by Annie D (-2 in rank)

Professional Couple Only by saltyfeathers (our second new work)

Real Slick Dean by trilliath (-1 in rank)

A Beginner’s Guide to Communing with the Dead by suspiciousflashlight (+4 in rank)

When Charlie Met Cas by riseofthefallenone (-4 in rank)

Unfamiliar by riseofthefallenone (-1 in rank)

The Breath of All Things by KismetJeska (-3 in rank)

Out of the Deep by riseofthefallenone (-11 in rank)

In 4 full years, only three works managed to break into the top 20, even though - based on my original data, which you can view here - most of these works have nearly double in the number of kudos they’ve had in that amount of time. Further, the most recently written fic on EITHER of these lists is from 2015 - A Turn of the Earth and Professional Couple Only are from 2015 - and all the rest is older.

These fics aren’t the top 20 because they’re better, and if there was even an ounce of objectivity in this list, it would have actually shown any change in 4 years instead of looking virtually identical. 

Twist and Shout, and the other “most popular” and “most recommended” works in the Destiel fandom have that distinction because they’re the most read, so more people read them, so they’re the most read, so more people read them, so they’re the most read, so...ad infinitum.

And that’s not a judgement call against them! There are fics I LOVE on that top twenty list. But, dear anon, you ask me why I think Twist and Shout is the most popular?

All of this is why. Twist and Shout is the most popular because popularity in fic culture is the only perpetual motion machine in the universe. It is self-perpetuating, and as a result, Twist and Shout will always be the most popular fic in this fandom.

And that’s why I do the faves list - because the tops on AO3 tell us abso-fraggin’-lutely nothing, and I thought we needed a list that actually meant something for what fics people active in the fandom truly love - which DOES include some of those top 20 fics by AO3 data, and includes lots and lots of others that are just as or more wonderful.

*steps off soap box*

(sorry this is stupidly long, I have Opinions.)

#destiel favs survey #unforth rambles #spn #destiel #t&s has also due to this popularity #found itself in the unique position of being the only fic i know of in any fandom #that people feel critiquing and publically criticizing #it has grown so big it has surpassed dldr and people feel totally cool with trashing it #myself included #which makes it a fascinating and unique work in more ways than one #Anonymous

[todorokibois]

{1} - Spring Day

Reincarnation AU - Part of the Spring Day Series

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Possible Smut (In later chapters)

Pairing: Itadori Yuuji X Reader X Ryomen Sukuna

Words: 5,059

A/n: I just recently got into Jujutsu Kaisen but I love it so much already! Ever since I watched episode four and five this little idea has been running around in my mind, and I've seen a few others do an au like this so I decided I'd give it a shot. I’m still learning all the rules and stuff of the world, so please bear with me. Some of the characters may be ooc for the time being, as well as for plot purposes. I hope you enjoy what I have planned, and please do let me know what you think of this. Feedback is always greatly appreciated!

Summary: Being Yuuji’s best friend? Piece of cake. However, you never expected to be the reincarnation of Sukuna’s former lover. - You promised each other forever, but forever came.

Note: The characters are all aged up for this fic, so now they will be in university.

You can still remember the first day you met Itadori Yuuji like it was yesterday. Nothing really eventful happened on that day, but you know that it’s one you’ll never forget, for he’s your best friend and you are his. In fact, having just entered middle school at the time, he was one of the first friends you ever made at your new school. 

He seemed impressed by how unafraid you were of the supernatural, the two of you spouting ghost stories to one another during lunch every day. Each day was a competition to see who could freak the other one out the most with an even gorier horror story every lunch period. So far, your record is thirty to twenty-nine in your favour, with more ties than you can count.

Soon enough, middle school came and went, and then the two of you found out that you were to go to the same high school. Both of you were excited that you would know at least one person, not to mention that that person is your best friend. At least you wouldn’t have to give up your daily routine with him. Needless to say, it came as quite a shock to Yuuji when you stopped coming to school about halfway through your first year.

Even though the two of you continued to text every day since your transfer, things never felt the same to either of you. Every time Yuuji asked what school you transferred to, you’d brush off the question, or give him a fake school name. He knows they’re fake since the one time he wanted to surprise you after school one day by visiting you, but when he went inside and checked the registry, your name wasn’t even close to being listed there.

That was a small rough patch in your relationship. Yuuji was hurt that you would lie to him like that, and it took about a week before you could cheer him up again. He just had to see you in person, that was the only way he would stop moping about. That, and he jokingly said it would be the only way he’d forgive you.

Again, as the two of you were walking around the shopping district, he asked you which high school you transferred to. Well, you couldn’t exactly tell him you transferred to a school that teaches you how to become a jujutsu sorcerer, now could you? So, you gave a vague description of the place, stating that you honestly always forget the name, but it’s hidden somewhere in the mountains surrounding Tokyo. Regardless, he made you promise that he could come visit at some point.

Every day, you miss him, just as he misses you, and every day you wish you could see more of him. Despite the amount of trips you plan together, nothing can replace no longer seeing each other every day. Oh well, at least you still keep in touch.

Yuuji never told you, but it was pure agony for him when you left without a clue as to where you’d gone. The fact that you couldn’t answer him for a few days made him go crazy. When he finally got an answer, it felt as if the world had finally started moving again, because to him, you are his entire world.

He doesn’t exactly know when his platonic feelings towards you turned more romantic, but he knows that they’ve never gone away, no matter how many years have passed. Perhaps it was that time in your second year of middle school when you tricked him into playing shogi with you, a game you had convinced him he could beat you at, only to be severely disappointed. How was he to know you were the best in the year when you had never mentioned it before that day? Or perhaps it was that one day during the summer break before the start of high school when the two of you were running through the park, laughing at each other as the sunlight reflected off of your hair, lighting up your eyes in a way he’d never seen before. Either way, he knows he’s been in love with you for a long time now, and he’d never do anything to jeopardize your friendship. He just hopes that someday, his feelings are returned.

Unfortunately for you, you didn’t get to spend as much time with Yuuji over the break as you wanted to, what with your duties and all. However, you’re hoping you’ll be able to soon. You wanted to see him one last time before he started university, but unfortunately you couldn’t. Weeks passed, and you finally made plans to visit him a few months into the semester, but you had to cancel due to a last minute mission you got thrown on. Little did you know what would happen that night.

Earlier that evening, you had gotten a voicemail from Yuuji, informing you that his grandfather had died. You managed to take a detour long enough to call him back, making sure that he’s okay and letting him know that you’re sorry for his loss. His grandfather was the closest family he had left, so you know that as soon as you’re done with this mission, you’re going to see him. He told you he was fine, but you want to make sure. After all, you know how he can get.

Shaking your head to clear your thoughts, you focus in on the task at hand. Clearing this abandoned building will be easy for you, nothing you haven’t done before. All there are are two level two curses to take care of, piece of cake. You only wish it was located closer to where Yuuji is, that way you could get to him sooner.

It took a few years, but you managed to quickly work your way up to a grade one sorcerer. You’re a very quick learner, and the fact that you already had strong reflexes thanks to always competing with Yuuji helped a great deal. You’re only surprised your mother kept her family secret for so long. However, you’re grateful for how long she kept it secret, because if she had revealed it sooner, you might not have met Yuuji, and you don’t know where you’d be today without him in your life.

With a sigh, you enter the building. Shifting your gaze around, you begin to hunt the curses currently within the vicinity. It doesn’t take you long to find the first one, quickly disposing of it before it even has the chance to retaliate. Locating the second takes a little bit longer than anticipated, but eventually you find it, preparing yourself to take this one down just as you did the first.

“Man, you really are one ugly thing, aren’t you?” You tut, shaking your head.

The curse in question did not seem to like your words, letting out a screech and lunging for you in the next moment. Quickly dodging, you parry the curse’s attack, managing to sever one of its many limbs before jumping back and keeping a bit of distance between the two of you. You’re just about to jump in for another attack when you falter, a sudden wave of specialized curse energy pulsing throughout your entire body.

Taking advantage of your momentary loss of composure, the curse lunges at you. You just manage to block the blunt of the attack, still getting a small scrape on your cheek in the process. You curse.

Another two minutes pass by and you’re finally able to dispose of the second level two. Immediately, the air in the building seems lighter, and you know you’ve cleared all the required curses and purified the space. Breathing a sigh of relief you head towards the exit, ready to be clear of this building once and for all. 

As soon as you step outside, you feel your phone vibrate in your pocket, signalling that you’re getting a call. Thinking it to be Yuuji, you don’t even bother checking the caller id before answering right away.

“Hello?” You say, just as you hear the door fall shut behind you.

“(Y/n)! So glad you answered on the first ring,” the voice of your personal teacher and trainer, Gojo Satoru answers in a chipper voice. “Listen, I have some news for you.”

“Listen, teach, if you’re just gonna tell me about the mochi you bought today-“

“Ryomen Sukuna has been released,” he cuts you off, and you can only freeze in your tracks as your breath hitches in your throat. “We currently have control of his vessel.”

“What happened?” You ask, steadying yourself with your back against the side of the building you’ve just exited.

“Ah, nothing to worry about, nothing to worry about,” Gojo assures you. “We had it under control.”

“We?” Your brow quirks slightly even though he can’t see it.

“Yeah, Fushiguro and I,” he replies. “Well, it was mainly me, but who’s keeping score?” You can faintly hear grumbling in the background and then a chuckle from Gojo. “Anyways, best return to campus as soon as possible.”

“I can’t,” comes your immediate response.

There’s silence for a moment until, “and why’s that?”

“I have to go visit Yuuji,” you bring a hand up to rub at your temples. This conversation is giving you a headache.

“You mentioned he lives near Sendai, correct?” Gojo inquires.

“That’s correct,” you confirm, “why?”

“The incident was near there, so you can’t come, it’s not safe for you,” he explains.

You scoff, “since when have you ever been concerned for my safety?”

“I’m offended,” he feigns hurt. “As your teacher, I’m always concerned for your safety.”

“Bullshit,” you huff, rolling your eyes. “Anyways, that’s all the more reason I should go and see him. Now I have two reasons to make sure he’s okay.”

You hear a deep sigh on the other end before Gojo is speaking once more, “listen, (Y/n), you know I’m not usually one to be a stickler for rules and such, and I hate enforcing things, but I’m going to need you to get back to campus and wait in your dorm until I come get you.”

“But-“

“That’s an order,” his voice is firm, and you know that there’s no arguing with him once he’s made up his mind.

“Fine,” you sigh, pushing yourself off of the wall in order to head to the train station. “Will you at least tell me the name of Sukuna’s vessel?”

“All in due time,” he says, sounding too cheerful for the current events which have just taken place this evening. “See you back at the academy!”

Without another word, the line goes dead and you know he’s ended the call to avoid answering any more of your questions.

Letting out another sigh, you tuck your phone away in your pocket. You sent a quick text to Yuuji beforehand, just explaining that something came up and you’re still thinking of him during this time. You hope you can see him soon.

The ride back to campus is spent thinking about the effects of Sukuna now being released. You know the elders will probably fight to execute whoever the poor idiot is that ingested his finger. Knowing Gojo, he’d fight against whatever the elders decide to do. You’re just hoping that whoever the idiot is that turned out to be Sukuna’s vessel is strong enough to both contain and control him.

Making it back to campus, you immediately head to your room, just as Gojo had instructed you to do. Figuring you have enough time before he comes calling, you take a quick shower, washing off the dirt and grime from the events of this evening. Once done, you change into some comfortable clothes and lay down on your bed, scrolling through your phone as you wait for Gojo to appear.

It’s not until noon the next day when Gojo finally shows up at your door.

“Took you long enough, I’m starving,” you grumble, noticing he’s carrying what looks like two prepackaged lunches in his hands.

“You could have gone out for food, you know,” he chuckles, already moving to sit down in your desk chair.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I was told to ‘wait in my room and await further instructions,’” you cross your arms, allowing your door to fall shut as you return to sitting on your bed.

“Details, details,” he waves you off as you grab one of the lunches he hands you. “Anyways, I came to update my favourite student about what’s going on.”

You simply quirk a brow at him as you open your lunch, waiting for him to continue.

“Well, for starters I’ve delayed the inevitable,” he begins, to which you only give him a look. He goes on to explain that the vessel will most likely be joining the other first years in training to become a sorcerer until the proper time comes. “I’ve basically convinced the elders to allow the vessel to consume all of Sukuna’s fingers before being executed.”

“Okay, and?” You stare at him expectantly.

“Please, do hold your applause,” he grins, expression only faltering slightly when you continue to remain silent after a few moments. “Geez, tough crowd. Anyways, I thought you’d be more happy about this.”

“I only feel bad for the poor idiot who got involved in all of this,” you sigh, continuing to place food in your mouth while chewing thoughtfully.

“Oh, he’s an idiot alright,” Gojo chuckles.

“And who exactly is he?” You tilt your head slightly, looking at him expectantly.

Gojo lets out a deliberate yawn while standing up, stretching his arms above his head, “would you look at that? I’m late for a meeting with the principle. Toodles!”

Without another word, he vanishes from your room, only leaving you just as frustrated with him as you were before, with many more unanswered questions building in your mind. It’s just like him to do this to you, too. Always keeping information this important from you until you’re thrust upon a situation where you’re forced to confront the facts of the matter. You just hope that this is another one of his stupid training exercises and not him purposely avoiding telling you straight up who the vessel is. You also hope whoever the vessel is, is someone you don’t know since it’ll probably make it easier when the time comes. Still, knowing Gojo, he probably will come up with a plan to save the poor soul set for execution even after everything is said and done. If the poor boy even lives that long.

Finishing up your lunch, you decide to head towards the principle’s office. You are technically considered a first year in the university courses, so maybe you’ll have a chance to sneak a look at the vessel if you’re lucky. Besides, Gojo did mention something about Fushiguro and you meeting up with the other new first year tomorrow, so you want intel on what’s happening in regards to that.

Just as you raise your hand to knock on the principle’s door Gojo opens it as if he was expecting you. You attempt to sneak a glance past him but to no avail, only causing him to chuckle as he steps into the hallway and shuts the door behind him.

“How can I help you, my dear student?” He smiles, leaning against the now closed door.

“When are we meeting the new girl, and is the vessel accompanying us?” Your questions are direct and straight to the point.

“Ah, yes, Nobara,” Gojo nods. “Unfortunately, you won’t be accompanying us guys to meet up with her tomorrow, you have another mission to attend to.”

“Since when?” You scoff.

“Since now,” he singsongs. “Level one curse spotted at an old primary school. I would take care of it myself, but as you know, I care deeply about every single one of my students so I must be there to meet Nobara on her first day! Besides, you’re the only one I trust to do this assignment right now.”

Any protests you had soon die in your throat at his last statement. Though still ticked off you won’t get to go with them, you understand why he’s chosen you. Besides, this is your job, and you know it will help with your training.

“Fine,” you grumble, “but I still want to meet the new kids.”

“All in due time,” he waves you off with the same words he told you last night. “Now you better get planning before that curse gets too out of hand! I’ll text you the details!”

“Yeah, yeah,” this time it’s your turn to wave him off as you turn around and start walking back to your dorm to grab your stuff, muttering under your breath, “you old croon.”

The offended gasp you hear behind you is enough to drown out the sound of the principle’s door opening once more, two people stepping out to join Gojo in the hallway.

“Who’s that?” Itadori asks Gojo as they watch your retreating form disappear behind a corner.

“One of my best students,” Gojo hums proudly in response.

“Funny, she looks just like my best friend-“

“C’mon, I’ll show you to your dorm!” Gojo cuts him off before he can finish his sentence, leading him down the hallway in the opposite direction to which you disappeared in, Itadori not being able to do much else but follow close behind.

Sure enough, about twenty minutes later Gojo sends you a text with all the details you’ll need to exercise the curse tomorrow at the primary school. You plan to leave early in the morning since it’ll take you at least an hour or two to get to the location, and then another hour or two to get back. You also want to see if you can catch the guys before they leave, see if you can introduce yourself to one of the two newbies at least.

Unfortunately for you, it doesn’t seem like the luck of coincidence is on your side in the morning as you prepare to leave campus. Letting out a small sigh, you make your way to the train station, ready to begin your mission for the day and get it over with as soon as you can. Perhaps you can time things just right so that you get back to campus around the same time that they do. After all, this task should be a walk in the park.

Oh, how wrong you are.

Not only did it take you three hours to arrive to the primary school, but the curse, which was supposed to be one level one turned out to be two level one curses sharing the vicinity. They cornered you and you ended up getting thrown harshly against the wall, causing your whole body to ache all over once you finally managed to exercise the curses. You’re pretty sure you pulled a few muscles in the process, too, and the amount of scrapes and bruises you acquired since the other day has tripled. Damn Gojo.

Limping back to the train station, you check your phone. Speaking of your personal trainer, he’s been keeping you up to date with the newbies all throughout the day, though he keeps referring to the boy as ‘the vessel’. Furrowing your brow, you find it strange how he hasn’t told you the boy’s name yet, only making you believe that it probably is someone you know. There’s still a tiny sliver of you that’s hoping Gojo is just testing your deduction skills, but at this point, that’s probably not the case.

Sitting down in the first free seat you find, you text him back. Almost immediately you get a response, letting you know that the two newbies have just passed their first test and that you should be proud of your fellow students. You play along with his enthusiasm for the time being, being obviously sarcastic in your responses, but Gojo doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, it seems as if he’s amused by your reactions, only serving to irritate you further.

By the time you get back to campus, you’re drained. All you want to do is take a nice, warm shower, curl up in a ball on your bed and sleep. You don’t even care if you miss meeting the new students. That’s how your day is going so far. Besides, it’s getting late and they don’t seem to be back yet. There’s always tomorrow.

Except, you don’t get to meet them the next day, nor the day after that. It takes a full week before you even cross paths with Nobara, and even still, the meeting seems rushed. Luckily, you manage to properly introduce yourself to her the day after that one, but for some reason, Sukuna’s vessel just keeps eluding you. That, or someone is purposely keeping the two of you apart. It’s not until two weeks after that fateful day has passed that you finally get your answer.

The three first years have been tasked with handling a few curses at a juvenile detention centre while you accompany Gojo on one of his missions at the same time. You’re getting real tired of his antics, every time you ask him about the boy who’s Sukuna’s vessel he answers you either cryptically, or changes the subject. The worst is when he ignores your inquiries all together. You’re hoping to get some information out of him this evening though, otherwise you might just sneak over to ‘see’ Megumi one day and actually go to see his neighbour who just so happens to be the vessel.

Another reason why you’re in a bit of a grumpy mood recently is that Yuuji seems to be distancing himself from you. Your conversations are very dry as of late, and he doesn’t seem to want to tell you what’s going on in his life. There’s even been a few day where you’ve tried to sneak away to go visit him, but each time, Gojo has stopped you in some way or other. You’re convinced he’s hiding something, but you don’t want to accept the reality he’s been presenting to you as of late.

“(Y/n), I need you to focus,” Gojo snaps his fingers in front of your face, successfully startling you back to reality.

“Huh? Oh, sorry,” you blink a few times to clear your head, needing to focus since this is a serious task for the both of you.

“Everything okay?” He asks, the two of you now continuing to move through the labyrinth laid out before you, having yet to stumble upon any one of the four special grade curses you’re supposed to be exercising.

“Just fine,” you sigh before muttering out, “it’s not like I’m going to get answers anyways.”

“Now, now, you don’t know that for sure,” he grins, hands in his pockets as he walks beside you nonchalantly.

“Considering every time I bring up the new guy you avoid the topic, I’d say, yeah,” you peek around the corner before confirming the hallway is clear, turning back to face Gojo who already seems to be looking at you amusedly, “I do know.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out yet,” he hums.

“There’s not much to go on,” you reply.

“Oh, I believe there’s plenty,”

“Yeah, well, that’s cause you already know everything there is to know about this subject,” you huff.

“Oh, you flatter me so,” he chuckles, only causing you to roll your eyes at him in exasperation.

“Well, I suppose there is one question I have for you, teach,” you start to say, until you finally come across one of the special grade curses. 

The two of you quickly press your backs against the wall, preparing to attack. Gojo gives you the go ahead to attack first, and you do, using his quick distraction of walking out and gaining the curse’s attention to sneak up on it and destroy it. No more than two minutes pass and you’ve succeeded.

“What’s the question?” Gojo calls your attention back to him as you both continue on through the hallway.

“On the day he was released, I felt a sudden wave of specialized curse energy ripple through me, almost as if there had been a part of it dormant that had suddenly been awoken,” you say, turning to look at his face in order to gage his reaction. “Is that normal, considering how far I was from the main site?”

“Hmm,” he brings a hand up to cup his chin in his fingers, contemplating the new information you’ve provided him. He only wishes you would have told him sooner. “Considering the distance and Sukuna’s total power, it’s not that surprising.” You let out a breath you didn’t realize you had been holding. “However, since at the time it was only one-twentieth of his power over that great of a distance, that is very odd. Considering that you know our reputation with strangeness in this trade, this makes it even stranger. Has it happened at any other point in time after that?”

Your brow furrows as you contemplate his question. “Actually, yeah, now that I think about it. I think it was a day or two after the initial release.”

“Huh, interesting,” he hums once more, a slight frown pulling at his lips as he considers what this means. Looks like his original hunch was correct as both these surges you’ve felt correspond with Itadori ingesting one of Sukuna’s fingers.

“What, exactly, is interesting?” You stare at him expectantly.

“Nothing you need to worry yourself with for the time being,” he assures you, just as another one of the special grade curses jumps out at the two of you. In an instant, Gojo has eliminated the threat, neither of you faltering in your steps down the hall.

“You know, sometimes I swear you take the phrase ‘having blind faith’ too seriously,” you let out a long breath.

He laughs at this, “what makes you say that?”

You just raise a brow at him in response, the look on your face enough to convey your thoughts. He laughs once more.

“Nothing wrong with having a little faith in me, you know,” he jokes as you two near the centre of the building where you can feel major curse energy pouring out.

You say nothing, opting to shake your head at him in response as you ready yourselves to enter the main room. Slowly opening the doors, you walk in, the two of you scanning the room for either of the final two curses that have still yet to show themselves. 

All is silent for a few moments until you feel a pang reverberate through you, the familiar feeling of specialized curse energy flowing throughout your whole being. Your eyes widen as this one far exceeded the power of the first two.

“Hey, uh, teach?” Gojo pauses mid-step as he observes you, hearing the uncertainty in your voice. “It just happened again.”

As soon as those words leave your lips, the final two curses you’ve been hunting for pop out of nowhere and attack the both of you. The one closest to you manages to knock you into Gojo, him steadying you as the two curses near the both of you to attack.

“(Y/n), I’m sending you to where the first years are, I have a bad feeling something terrible has happened,” he says lowly in your ear.

“What? Right now?” You don’t even have time to look at him incredulously as you both jump in opposite directions to avoid the attacks of the curses.

“Right now,” he confirms. “Don’t worry about me, I can handle these two clowns.”

The curses growl at him as he says those words, with him managing to split one of them in half in the next moment.

“I wasn’t,” you reply, unamused.

“Well, best hurry, wouldn’t want Sukuna wrecking havoc,” he grins at you and something clicks in your mind.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” you growl. “At least tell me the name of his vessel!”

“You already know it,” is the last thing you hear before your vision shifts, you now standing on a path outside in an unfamiliar area.

You mentally curse him as you collect your bearings, noticing Megumi standing across from you, facing towards you as another man stands between the two of you with his back turned to you. You’d recognize that back anywhere, not to mention the hair. Now you’re really mentally cursing your teacher.

You remain still, noticing how Megumi darts his gaze over to you as if to tell you not to move. Assessing the situation, you begin to plot your best course of action as you see drops of blood dripping onto the ground near Sukuna’s feet. A quick scope of the area has your eyes widening slightly, telling yourself to remain calm as you see a heart laying in the grass as if it was tossed carelessly off to the side.

Of course, Sukuna felt your presence before even bothering to turn to look at you. At the moment, he’s more focused on talking to Megumi, then he can deal with this newer secondary presence, no matter how familiar it seems. He can feel the eyes trailing over his back before he even sees them, but your voice has him halting his actions momentarily.

“Damn, Yuuji, I leave you alone for two weeks and you decide to get tattoos?” Your voice is light, playful even, despite the grim situation you know that you’ve been thrust into.

Megumi shoots you a cautious look as you both notice Sukuna tense slightly between the two of you, before standing up straighter and rolling his shoulders once. A chuckle escapes him, causing you and Megumi to share another concerned look between you both before his movements catch your eyes.

Sukuna would recognize that voice anywhere. Oh, how cruel fate can be.

Turning deliberately slow, he faces towards you, eyes roaming over your figure and nearly sending a shiver down your spine until they come to lock with yours. With a smirk on his features, he licks his lips, “(Y/n).”

#part of the spring day series #jjk x reader #jjk scenarios #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen x you #jujutsu kaisen scenarios #itadori yuuji x reader #itadori x you #itadori x reader #sukuna x reader #sukuna x you #sukuna scenario #jjk imagines #jujutsu kaisen imagines #reincarnation au #anime au #jjk au #anime x reader #anime scenario #anime imagine

[aminiatureworld]

In My Dreams IV

Characters: Xiao, fm!reader

Word Count: 3,167

Warnings: Brief depiction of violence, nightmares

Premise: The past is many things. Something to admire, something to learn from, something to hold dear. And yet how unreliable it can be, especially in the hands of ghosts.

In which the reader dreams of the past.

Author’s Note: Translation notes and historical references will come after the fic. This one was a little sketchy/ooc, prolly because I’m tired.

Xiao

If there was one thing that you appreciated most about your relationship with Xiao it was the fact that he never attempted to cage your independence.

Though the adeptus had a penchant for clinginess – something he’d never actually admit to – the circumstances of both his and your past had set a standard for a level of separation that you greatly appreciated. You were never pressured to tell Xiao about things you weren’t comfortable sharing and in return you never pressed your partner in regards to topics or events that made him somewhat uncomfortable.

And yet there was something very isolating about such a freedom.

It was an ordinary enough commission, laughably so in fact, the kind that you could knock back in ten minutes flat if you put a little effort into it. Treasure Hoarders were once more encroaching on Liyue, this time gathering at the vicinity of Dunyu Ruins, something that would surely be a hazard to the archaeologists who gathered to study the lost jade monument. The act of chasing out the Treasure Hoarders was indeed easy enough, and it was only until you started rifling through their loot that you found yourself uneasy.

The lid was an innocuous enough item. Though the box that it once covered was nowhere to be found it must’ve been a work of art, as the smooth tortoiseshell lid was clearly the result of patience and love. Painted a deep blue it depicted a snowy scene, with a castle or cathedral at the front and center. The building itself was of a unique design; a tall turret stuck out at the top while small onion domes sat a little lower, each painted a more outlandish color than the last. The architecture was completely unlike what one might see in either Liyue or Mondstadt, and really there should’ve been nothing to it except the odd design of the building. Yet the moment you set your eyes upon the building you felt something harden in the pit of your stomach.

You never thought about what you couldn’t remember; after all, what was the point of it? Why mourn something you weren’t even sure was good or bad? Yet in that moment you felt that you would give very little to not remember just a little bit. At least enough to know why the image of a cathedral in the snow made you wish deeply for something you couldn’t remember, and frightened you just as much.

“Something’s wrong with you face.”

“Xiao!” You sputtered, surprised by the sudden bluntness of your partner. “My face is just fine, a little dirt won’t kill me.”

“That’s not it.” Xiao scowled. “Your face is harder than usual. Did something happen?”

“Nothing happened! Sometimes I just don’t smile, okay?” You instinctively moved the corners of your mouth upwards, trying to ignore the sudden jump in your heart rate. “I’m fine.”

Xiao looked supremely unimpressed at your efforts, sighing and flying up to the balcony of the Inn. You sighed, letting your expression once more droop. It was easy sometimes to forget how in tune Xiao was. You wouldn’t expect it from an adeptus who had spent thousands of years mostly secluded from humans, but your partner was impressively good at reading your mood. Usually you didn’t mind the ability of his, even welcoming the fact that he so bluntly brought up the question of your feelings. But today you wished despite yourself that he was a little less aware. After all, how could you explain to your partner what you didn’t even understand yourself?

The rest of the night was oddly tense. Though Xiao said nothing you could tell from the way he stared intently at your face that he hadn’t given up his suspicions. For your part you tried to ignore his gaze, talking about trivial matters such as the question of replacing the Guild roof and the fact that you had managed to gather a few Qingxin during your commissions. All the while you felt the roiling of your heart; and all the while you kept rubbing your fingers along the smooth finish of the lid in your pocket as if in doing so you might suddenly be struck with what you currently missed and currently, desperately, needed.

The next day you walked up to Katherine utterly exhausted. Though you’d made a concerted effort to sleep, knowing that if not you’d just arouse more worry in Xiao, most of the night had been spent tossing and turning, your eyelids feeling paper thin as you attempted to drag yourself down into the depths of sleep. Of course now that the sun was shining you felt like even a stone bench would be a soft enough mattress. Blinking heavily you smiled awkwardly at Katheryne.

“Any commissions today?”

“Two ordinary sweeps and one request.” Katheryne tilted her head slightly. “Are you sure you don’t need rest?”

“I’m perfectly fine Katheryne, thank you for worrying. You said there was a request?”

“Yes. It seems that the citizen who noticed the Treasure Hoarders for us claims to have been robbed by them. He says to meet you at Dunyu Ruins so you can hand over the item.”

“And what item is that?”

“He said it was some sort of box lid. He didn’t give many details I’m sorry. If you’re uncomfortable though of course we could send someone with you.”

“I’ll be fine, thanks for worrying.”

“Of course! Good luck!”

“Thanks.”

You turned around, trying to stem the ice that flooded your veins. Who was this man to whom the cathedral belonged? How did he come across such an odd item, was he from one of the other nations of Teyvat you hadn’t visited? Most of all you wondered if he held some connection to your past. The idea thrilled you in some way, though dread also lingered. You weren’t entirely sure you wanted to meet this mysterious person. Commissions were commissions however; you wouldn’t betray the Guild. No matter how much you wanted to; you couldn’t.

The Dunyu Ruins were still, no monsters seemed to linger at the gates and no other adventurers peeked out from behind old walls. The air was utterly still, something which worried you greatly. Walking at an increased rate you sought out your mysterious commissioner. The more you thought about it the more you wished the whole thing to be over as soon as possible. Turning the corner you stopped in your tracks, gazing in awe at the person a few meters in front of you.

The first thing you thought was how oddly he was dressed. The second thing was that he was much younger than you had expected. The third thing was that you felt an odd sense of familiarity from him.

“Ah yes, the adventurer who accepted my commission. Have you brought what I asked of you?”

Though a response was certainly in order you found the words stuck in your mouth. Staring at him you felt the ground shift between your feet slightly. He was familiar, this young man in front of you, and yet he was also a perfect stranger. He seemed more like an apparition than anything, a spirit who had yet to cross to the far side. You stepped closer, reaching out your arm slightly. If you went to touch his shoulder, would your fingers go right through him?

“You really must think it’s odd that I’ve returned.” The man chuckled. “I assure you I’m completely real. You weren’t the only one to survive sister, though I know that information might be too little too late?”

“Sister?” You snapped out of your trance. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Surely you aren’t pretending not to recognize me? I think that’s beneath even you. Come now, was I such a brat as that?” Reaching out the young man went to grab your hand. Instinctively you pulled away, feeling discomfort shoot through you.

“I don’t know what you mean? And you certainly aren’t my brother! I’ve never had a brother!”

“Then who was the kid you lived with your whole life before the incident?”

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know about any incident or any brother. You asked me here to return something so I’m returning it.” Reaching for the lid you thrust the little work of art in front of you. “Here. Take it.”

“So you really don’t know who I am?” The young man reached out to take the lid. “How is that possible? Have they gone so far as to erase me from your memories? Have I been taken out of your family?”

“They?”

“The gods.” The young man’s eyes seemed incredibly harsh all of a sudden. “Their presumptiveness holds no bounds.”

“Don’t speak of the archons that way.”

“Answer me this,” the young man ignored your protest, “where are you from.”

“Why should I tell you that?”

“Humor me.”

“I…” You stood there for a moment, wondering whether or not you should tell this strange figure the truth. Morbid curiosity floated in your mind, and you took a sharp breath. “I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

“So I really have been erased from your mind.”

“Nothing’s been erased! I just don’t remember, should that surprise you so much?”

“Yes, it does. I see my plans will have to be changed.” The young man took a deep breath. “Very well then, we shall see what we shall see. I have an offer for you.”

“And what is that?” You felt suspicion wash over you.

“Join the Abyss.”

“Over my dead body!” Instinctively stepping away you drew your polearm. So that’s what this was about.

“I figured you might say that. However, let me tell you this. Our family was torn apart by the cruel whims of faraway gods. Teyvat suffered the same fate, still suffers it. You may not remember what happened to us, but I know it is buried in you somewhere. If you wish to avenge our family, then you’ll join us.”

“I have no petty thoughts of revenge against the gods.”

“That may very well change.” The young man smirked. “I’ll be back in a week. I expect your answers then.”

He was gone before you could say anything, carried away by a blanket of purple stars. You stared at the empty ruins, confused and empty, feeling far worse than you had felt when you arrived here.

“You look worse.”

“Thanks Xiao.” You let out a sigh, unsure how to respond.

You’d spent the rest of the walk back to the Wangshu Inn in agony, thoughts darting back and forth as you tried to reason with yourself about the veracity of the young man’s claims. There was no proof he was who he said he was after all, no proof that he wasn’t simply insane, or trying to convince you to join him by lying. Yet there was something about him, his demeanor, his anger, something that spoke to a truth about him. Not that the idea made you any happier. After all truth or not, he was still an Abyss member, or at least an advocate. You could never side with him, even if he was your long lost family. And yet what if he was your family? What then? Would it truly be a betrayal then to simply send him packing?

Xiao’s hand enveloped your own, the soft warmth drawing you out of your confused thoughts. Looking up you found him leaning into you, the tips of his hair lightly brushing your cheeks. His eyes bored into you ask he scanned your face. You stood perfectly still. You knew what Xiao was doing, knew that he was trying to figure out the depths of your discomfort. It was valiant of him, even if you hoped that he turned up empty handed. How could you tell Xiao, an adeptus who served directly under Rex Lapis, about the man who blasphemed the gods.

“You should sleep.” Xiao finally pulled away.

“It’s still early evening.”

“You didn’t sleep well last night, I could tell. You should sleep now; maybe you’ll feel better.”

“Maybe.” You replied, knowing that even if you slept better than you had ever before nothing would change when you woke up.

Still your eyelids were heavy and your feet aching. Sleep beckoned you with open arms, and you were quick to fall into its depths. Pressing a soft kiss on Xiao’s cheek you made your way up the stairs. Collapsing onto your bed you let out a sigh of relief. Sleep was coming on fast, and you quickly found the outside world swirling away. The last thing you were aware of was a dent in your mattress, and a set of familiar eyes staring down at you, filled with affection and worry.

It was dreadfully hot. That was the first thing you were aware of. The second was how loud everything was. There was a terrible sound swirling around you, inhuman shrieks seemed to rise up from the ground beneath you, accompanied with a banging that cracked through the air, echoing oddly in a night that was all too quiet. The third thing was that you had no idea where you were. Looking around you found yourself reeling at the scene that met your eyes. The house in front of you must’ve been nice at some point, but now had fallen into ruin and disrepair. Smoke was drifting up from a door that led into the ground, and bottles lay in pieces on the ground. A wall seemed to separate the house from the outside world, so tall that you had no idea what lay beyond it. Trembling slightly you felt yourself move towards the source of the noise, feet moving despite the rising dread that you felt. Making your way down a set of stairs a few lines came to you all of a sudden.

A ceiling of amber, a pavement of pearl

The smoke was thicker now, filling your lungs, leaving you short of breath. Little bits of orange blurred your vision, wielded by strange men in strange uniforms. They seemed distorted in the smoke, made into ghosts that might haunt a child’s nightmares.

Through the narrow paved streets, where all was still

You didn’t move your head towards the back of the room, somehow you couldn’t. Your very soul fought against it. Instead you closed your eyes, overwhelmed with how hot it was.

“You’ve come so far and you can’t even look?”

The voice was mocking, familiar, full of scorn. Opening your eyes you stared at the men in front of you, the men with fire at the tips of their hands. Why did he want you to look? You knew what you’d see. Somehow you knew.

We climb’d on the graves, on the stone worn with rains

You couldn’t make it out among the smoke. All you knew was that it was red.

You screwed your eyes shut, even as sudden clarity danced before you. Someone was calling your name.

There was a hand on your shoulder.

And alone dwell forever

The smoke cleared, and with it the dream.

The scream ripped through your throat before you could even process it. You knew that you should stop, knew that you were no longer dreaming, knew that the hand on your shoulder belonged to your terrified partner. Still you screamed. You screamed and screamed and screamed.

“Hey. Hey!” Xiao’s voice was frantic. Shifting your gaze towards him you felt yourself begin to tremble.

“It, it was true. It was true, I saw him. I saw him. I saw me. It was true. I, I, they’re dead. They’re dead.”

“It was a dream. No one’s dead.”

“But Xiao, they’re dead. He was right, they’re gone and dead and somehow I forget them.”

The loneliness slammed into you, mixing with the horror that sent your stomach churning. You dug you nails into your palm, desperately trying to stop shaking. Everything seemed distorted, the light emerging through the window just as menacing as the dark.

“Take my hand.”

Xiao pulled one of your hands on his lap, gently opening it and running his fingers over the marks that now rested in your palms. Unfurling your hand you it was flat against his he covered it with his own. Letting his palm rest gently against yours he looked up at you.

“No one is dead. You were having a nightmare.”

“I was remembering, Xiao. I finally remembered something. And now I wish I never had.” You unfurled your other hand, wiping furiously at the tears that pooled in your eyes. “I’m so alone Xiao, I’m so alone.”

“You aren’t alone.”

“My family, my family is gone. The only one left is an Abyss member. I, I’m so utterly alone.”

You felt Xiao drop your hand slightly. The sudden lost connection made your founder for a moment, but soon the feeling was lost as Xiao wrapped his arms around you. Pressing kisses to your forehead his grip was tight and strong, encasing you utterly in soft comfort. Letting yourself collapse slightly you leaned into his embrace.

“You’ll never be alone. I’ll always be here.”

If promises were conveyed in actions then you had no reason to doubt Xiao’s. Though the air around you was sticky with heat you found yourself pressing into your partner’s chest eyes more, soaking up every bit of connection that you could get. Xiao said nothing more, simply keeping you in his embrace, lips brushing against your cheeks as he kissed away your tears.

You knew that he wouldn’t ask about your brother that night, perhaps not even the morning afterwards, or even tomorrow evening. After all your partner wasn’t one for words, and your relationship wasn’t built upon the expectation of painful transparency. If you weren’t ready to talk he wouldn’t push you.

Eventually your tears slowed, though the pain in your chest still burned like a brand. Bringing your hands to your chest you gazed up at the adeptus who was still wrapped around you.

“Can we stay this way a little longer?”

Xiao’s eyes gleamed catlike in the moonlight. Leaning down he brushed his lips against yours, sighing slightly as you met him with exhausted ardor. Pulling back you rested your head on your partner’s chest. The dulled beat seemed almost musical, a reminder that Xiao was alive, a reminder that he was right next to you.

You had assumed in some way that it meant he didn’t care, or didn’t want to know. Though you would’ve never thought that before, the feeling of loneliness that had threatened to swallow you up had made that perfectly clear. Yet Xiao did care, cared enough not to prod and poke at wounds that were surely bleeding even now. Cared enough to kiss your worries away, cared enough to let you embrace him as long as you needed. Cared enough to show that you weren’t truly alone. 

In a week you’d give the young man who had once been your brother an answer. In a week you’d face the fact of your loneliness, of a family that you’d once been a part of. In a week you would let yourself be truly lonely. But until then you would listen to the familiar beat of Xiao’s heart as you remembered that you weren’t truly alone. That you never would be.

-------

The box lid itself was based off nothing in particular. The building painted on it is a reference to Saint Basil’s Cathedral. 

The poem I used was “The Forsaken Merman” by Matthew Arnold

The scene in the reader’s dream is a reference to the execution of the last Imperial family of Russia. It took place in the basement of the Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg on July 17th/18th 1918. 

#genshin impact fanfiction #xiao #xiao x reader #genshin impact #genshin xiao #requested #scenarios #my writing #sorry mistagged as gn out of habit first jme

[pan-fangirl-345]

Volleyboy Blondie

Summary: There’s a boy that you set to at the community center. Your brother and his best friend are overprotective. You don’t have many friends. You’re about to find out how these three things correlate.

A/N: I don’t even know anymore people, I really don’t. Please ignore the blatant self-projection in these. And ignore the fact that our resident Mad Dog is quite OOC. And yes, the title is supposed to be like that, read and you’ll find out why.

TW: Swearing, low self-esteem, overprotective brother and brother figures, there is some minor violence, but it is well deserved in my opinion, there is a small hint of sexual harassment, but nothing rape-y happens. As always, if I’ve left anything out, please let me now through an ask or a personal message and I will get right on it.

“You’re late,” the boy said, frowning.

“Sorry Blondie, my brother wanted to tell me about how mean his girlfriend is for dumping him,” you muttered, tying your shoes up as he walks over.

The blond boy grunted, watching as you stood and stretched your arms out.

You had learned a while ago that he wasn’t one for words, he just watched you like you were a puzzle that he was trying to figure out.

“Toss to me?” he inquired.

“I wouldn’t be here to do anything else,” you told him, tossing him the ball.

He backed up, bumping the ball to you before he made his approach.

You watched the ball, tracking it with your eyes, then glancing at him, letting the ball glance off your fingers.

You watched as his arm went back, back muscles contracting and rippling against his t-shirt as he slammed it over the other side of the net, the sound resounding through the gym for a moment before he turned to you, eyes shining in a way that told you he wanted another one.

You grinned at him, grabbing another ball from the basket.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blond guy, you had never learned his name, sat against the wall, chugging the water bottle you had just handed him.

“You’re good,” he muttered, looking up at you. “You on a team?”

“No,” you admitted, sitting next to him. “Everyone would assume I’m trying to be like my brother. And I really don’t need that right now.”

“You talk about your brother a lot.”

“Yeah, well, it’s hard not to,” you muttered. “Considering everyone compares me to him. It’s one of the reasons I like hanging around you. You have no expectations.”

He raised an eyebrow, then said, “Kyoutani.”

“Huh?”

“My name, it’s Kyoutani.”

“And you’re telling me this . . . why?”

He shrugged. “Figured you should know.”

“You can call me (Y/F/N),” you told him, tossing your water bottle into your bag as you checked your phone. “What do you want?”

“Is that anyway to talk to your favorite older brother?” Tooru asked.

“You’re my only brother, older or otherwise. So, I repeat my earlier question. What do you want?” you asked.

“Where are you?”

“I’m at the community gym. Why?”

“Is Iwa-chan there with you?” Tooru inquired.

“No, why?”

“You know how we feel about you going places without us.”

“Tooru, I am fifteen, almost sixteen, I’m not the cute little five year old in a skirt that you had to follow everywhere. I can take care of myself. Besides, I’m with a-” You paused. Kyoutani wasn’t really a friend, but he wasn’t a random guy either. “An acquaintance of mine.”

Kyoutani gave a small snort and you rolled your eyes. “Shut it, Blondie.”

“Huh?”

“Not you, moron. I’ll be home in like, an hour, try not to piss Haji off too much while I’m gone alright?”

You hung up before your brother could get another word in, chuckling.

“Oh, I hate him,” you muttered, tossing your phone into your bag again. “You wanna go again?”

Kyoutani nodded, raising to his feet.

“What about you?” you inquired. “You on a team?”

“Kind of,” he muttered, toying with the ball in his hands. “I don’t get along with them.”

“Well, that must suck for them,” you said. “You’re a good player.”

He may have looked like a delinquent, but Kyoutani was a good person, he was just blunt.

“Give me a second, I just need to redo my hair,” you said, pulling your hair out of it’s braid, shaking it loose.

“Want some help?” he asked.

“You know how to braid hair?”

“I have a little sister,” he admitted, moving to run his fingers through your hair, easily weaving the three sections together.

“You must be a great brother, mine makes me pay him to do my hair,” you muttered.

Kyoutani snorted, taking the elastic you handed him.

“Thanks,” you said, toying with the end of your braid. “Come on, if I’m not back within an hour my brother will call Haji, and I don’t need that bloodhound on my ass,” you muttered, making Kyoutani snort.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You shrugged your jacket on as you headed out of the gym.

“Tomorrow?” Kyoutani inquired.

“You betcha,” you said, smiling at him.

He stood there for a moment, then asked, “Can I walk you to the bus?”

“You don’t have to, it’s not far,” you told him.

“Want too though.” 

“I mean, if you want to I guess it’s okay,” you said, wondering what had gotten into him all of a sudden.

Your phone buzzing made you sigh. “I’m on my way home, don’t send Haji out.”

“(Y/F/N), it’s Hajime,” Hajime said. “Where are you?”

“I’m walking to the bus stop. I’m literally like, fifteen minutes away,” you said, adjusting your bag.

“Your brother is freaking out.”

“My brother is a little shit,” you told him.

“I know, I’ve known him front, back, right, left, and inside out since we were seven. You’re his sister, he wants to protect you.”

“See, here’s the thing Haji, you’ve both been tailing me like guard dogs since I was- what?- three? You two aren’t going to be around forever. You guys have to stop isolating me,” you told him. “I love you like another brother Haji, but god damnit, you’re both overbearing!”

Hajime sighed, and you could hear Tooru in the background, crying.

“Fuck, was I on speaker?”

“Yup,” Haji replied.

“Fuck my life,” you muttered. “Do damage control, I’ll be home soon.”

You hung up, running a hand over your hair.

“How bad?” Kyoutani asked.

“Don’t ask,” you muttered. “Look, thank you for this. These meet-ups help me as much as they do you. I’ll see you around Kyoutani.”

He nodded, looking slightly shocked.

“What?” you inquired.

“Nothing,” he mumbled, but the tips of his ears burned red and you smiled at him.

“Why are you shy all of a sudden?” you asked, tilting your head to look at him. “Anyway, thank you for walking me to the station, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Kyoutani nodded, making sure you were seated before he headed towards his own home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Tooru, Haji, I’m home,” you called, tossing your bag  down as you untied your shoes.

“(Y/F/N)!” Tooru whined, throwing himself at you. “I-I’m sor-sorry!” he sobbed.

“Get off me!” you hissed, shoving him towards Hajime, who grunted.

“Ar-Are we re-really ov-overbearing?” he inquired.

“Yes. Look,” you began. “I love you both, but I don’t have friends. I don’t have a boyfriend. Have you ever wondered why? I can’t make friends with the girls because they’re vultures and they want to get close to the two of you, and most of the guys I know are terrified of the both of you and your team.”

“It’s my job to protect you!” Tooru said, pouting.

“Tooru, this isn’t protecting me,” you snapped, glaring at him. “I need to be able to make my own friends. You can’t keep sending Haji out like a fucking bloodhound when you don’t know where I am.”

“What about that acquaintance you were talking about earlier?”

“He doesn’t have anything to do with this! Only reason I even know him is because I set for him. I only learned his name today!”

“He?”

Tooru had that squinty look on his face when he didn’t like something. And Haji had that look that told you he was pissed.

“Don’t give me those looks,” you snarled. “He wouldn’t touch me like that with a thirty foot fucking pole. He’s too emotionally stunted for that. Besides, if you boys haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly crush material.”

“Who the fuck told you that?” Haji demanded.

“Like, every person in school? I hang out with mostly boys, I get called a slut and whore by the girls, and I’m not feminine enough for most of the boys I hang out with. I’ve been told that the thought of dating me is like the thought of being gay to them. I’m not getting many confessions,” you snarled, crossing your arms over your chest.

Tooru and Haji stared at you for a moment before Tooru asked, “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“And be the little bitch that runs to her big brother and his beefy friend to fix all of her problems? I don’t think so,” you said, scowling.

The three of you stood there for a moment in silence before Tooru made a choked noise, looking close to tears.

Your phone ringing caught your attention and you sighed, rummaging through your bag to find it.

Volleyboy

“Everything okay?” you asked, answering the call.

“Yeah.”

“Then why are you calling? Do you have to reschedule again?”

“No.”

“C’mon, I need a little more info here Blondie,” you told him.

“I wanted to make sure you were home,” he admitted.

“So you called?” you said. “You haven’t called me since we started this whole thing.”

Kyoutani wasn’t one for words, you had learned that a long time ago, and you knew that if you saw him he would be bright red and shrugging.

“Thank you for the concern Blondie,” you told him. “I have to go, I’m talking with my brother, but we’re still on for tomorrow right?”

“Definitely,” he replied.

“Great, later Blondie,” you said, ending the call. 

“Blondie?” Haji questioned.

“I didn’t know his name until today and I had to call him something other than Volleyboy. We had this unspoken deal, I set for him, he spikes for me, and we don’t make small talk. Or that was the deal until Tooru made me late today.”

“Huh,” Hajime muttered. “Well, as long as he doesn’t try anything. Stop with the look Shittykawa!”

“Haji, you keep forgetting that those names apply to me too,” you teased, wrinkling your nose at him. “Anyway, I’m gonna take a shower and get something to eat, what do you two want?”

“I just want you to be happy, (Y/F/N),” Tooru said, looking sad.

“You’re gonna be waiting a while Ruru,” you told him, using the old nickname you had given him as a child.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey, (Y/F/N), do you think that you could help us out?” Haji asked.

“Sure, whatcha need?” you inquired.

“Can you refill these and help pick balls up? We need a manager, but no one wants to do it.”

“Ask one of my brother’s fangirls, I’m sure they’d be more than willing,” you muttered.

“No, we tried that. They don’t actually help to manage the team. Most of the guys seem to know you, so we were hoping that you would consider managing for us?”

“I mean, do you guys really want me to be the manager?” you inquired. “I don’t really feel qualified.”

“The guys all love you, and Tooru and I will be here to make sure that they keep their hands to themselves.”

“Wow Haji,” you muttered. “Subtle much?”

He shrugged, looking at you for a moment before he said, “I leave subtle to your brother.”

“Yeah, because my brother is so subtle.”

“So, you in?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Guys, this is (Y/F/N) Oikawa, she’ll be our new manager.”

“So you’re the famous little sister we’ve heard so much about,” Hanamaki said.

“You’ve never met her?” Yahaba inquired.

“Nope, she’s never there when we go over, and she doesn’t come on team retreats,” Mattsukawa said.

“I’m never there because I can barely stand my brother around Haji, I don’t want to have to deal with his melodramatic ass around someone he called the ‘Meme Team’,” you retorted, arms crossed.

“If you were expecting a mini Oikawa, you boys are gonna be disappointed,” Haji said, smirking. “These two are polar opposites.”

“Murder me,” you mumbled. “Tooru, stop hiding in the corner and get your ass over here. This is your team!” you shouted, glaring at him.

“No, you’re pissed, and you scare me more than Iwa-chan does!”

“Hey!” you both shouted, laughing.

“I’m not pissed, I’m irritated because I don’t know how I got roped into this,” you said. “Whatever, it’s not like I have anything else better to be doing.”

You glanced at the clock and grinned. 

“See you fools later, I have someone I need to meet. Tooru, I’ll be home late, there’s food in the fridge, Dad’s working over time, and Mom is working a double shift for one of the women on maternity, so they won’t be home. Takeru is coming tomorrow morning, don’t forget because I have to leave early.

“Haji, make sure he remembers Takeru, and please, for the love all things sacred to our family, do not let him watch any of those alien conspiracy shows he’s a nut-job for. The last time he did that he came into my room at three in the morning sobbing about corn probes or something,” you muttered, throwing your hair up into a knot on the top of your head.

“Stop airing my dirty laundry (Y/F/N)!” your brother cried, pouting.

“Shove it up your ass Tooru, this is my payback for you and Haji following me like angry fucking Pomeranians,” you told him, slinging your bag over your shoulder as you hurried out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were bumping a ball against the wall when Kyoutani walked in.

“Hey Blondie,” you said, catching the ball. “You’re late this time.” You paused when you saw his face. “You good?”

“The captain of the team I’m on came by earlier and wanted me to come back.”

“What did you tell him?” you asked, watching his face. “You said yes! Ha!” you cheered, throwing your arms around him. “I’m proud of you.”

It took a few moments of Kyoutani standing stiffly under your touch for you to realize what had happened.

You practically threw yourself against the opposite wall, cheeks burning. “Sorry, I do that with my brother sometimes. Anyway, I’m proud of you! This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

You could see the ‘but’ in his eyes.

“But?” you prompted.

“This means I have to stop seeing you.”

Your cheeks heated again and you gave a soft smile.

He looked so open about it. He was genuinely upset by the fact that he might not see you again.

“I mean, i-if you’re that worried about it, we could meet up on the weekends? We’ve rearranged our schedules before,” you told him.

Kyoutani shook his head, ears tinged pink again. “How about a date?”

“Are you serious? Is my brother hiding here somewhere? Haji maybe?”

“I . . . don’t think I know either of them,” he said, eyes wide in surprise. “If you don’t want to-”

“No!” you blurted, then winced. “I want to, go on a date with you I mean, but I’m just trying to make sure this isn’t a . . . a prank or something,” you admitted, glancing around, eyes alert. “I’m waiting for someone to post a video or something.”

“Do I really seem like the kind of guy to do that?”

“No, but I’ve learned not to trust people too much.”

“You trust me though,” he reminded you.

You sighed; he did have a point. “This isn’t some sick joke? You actually want to go out with me?”

“Yes?”

“Is it a question now?” you teased.

“No. I do want to go out with you.” He said it with so much conviction, it kind of surprised you. “Do you want to go out with me?”

“Yes.”

You looked at each other for a few moments before you burst out laughing. Well, he was chuckling, but it was close enough.

“C’mon, let’s play,” you said, tossing him the ball.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“First official day as manager, are you nervous?” Tooru asked.

“No,” you said. “I know most of the boys, and I basically did the gig in middle school, so I think I’ll be all set.”

“You’ll be great Pip,” Haji said. He had called you Pipsqueak until you were a third year in middle school and Pip was something he had started calling you recently as a remembrance to that nickname, despite your numerous protests.

“You guys are acting like parents sending their child off to their first day of school, stop,” you said, shrugging your brother’s arm off your shoulders as you walked into the gym.

“Heads!” someone shouted and you immediately flinched and ducked your head. You turned to see the ball coming right towards you and you instinctively moved your hands into a setting posture, shooting it towards the ace position.

Silence followed as the boys stared at you.

“Pip, you alright?” Hajime asked, the first to break the silence.

“I’m fine Haji,” you muttered. “My brother isn’t the only setter in the family.”

“You can set?” Tooru asked, pure and genuine surprise lining his face as he looked at you.

“Tooru, I hate to break it to you, but you aren’t the only volleyball dork in the family,” you said, tying your hair up. “You also seem to forget that when you used to follow me around, I watched you and Haji. I also played with you guys, when you let me. You weren’t the only ones that liked to play. Let’s put it this way, you’re the sun, and I am the shadow caused from that light.”

“So poetic,” Tooru muttered.

“Tooru, I have to listen to your dramatic ass all the time, I also hear what you say at your games. I’m not a complete moron.” You paused. “Well, not all the time anyway.”

Someone nearby snorted, and you glanced around at his teammates.

“Just leave it be Tooru,” you told him. “Haji, don’t. Say. Anything,” you snarled, pointing at him.

“But-”

“No. We don’t talk about it,” you reminded him.

“Alrighty then, time to continue practice!” Tooru said, clapping his hands with that creepy grin he had around his teammates.

“Good God, he’s gonna be terrible, isn’t he?” you inquired, making Haji snort.

“You have no idea,” he muttered, falling in line with the rest of their team as practice started.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was easy to get into a groove with your brothers’ team, easier than you would’ve thought, though it might’ve been because the job was easy to begin with.

“I never would’ve thought Oikawa-san would have a sister like you,” Yahaba admitted during a water break.

“What do you mean?” you inquired.

“I just mean that you seem a lot more like Iwaizumi-san than Oikawa-san.”

“I mean, those two followed me like hellhounds for as long as I can remember, I always liked hanging around Haji because I could ditch him whenever I wanted, I had to live with Tooru.”

“So, you’re . . . you’re really a setter?” Yahaba asked.

“Um, I guess? I’m not on a team or anything, but . . . yeah, I can do it,” you admitted. “And before you ask, no, it’s not because of my brother.”

“I . . . wasn’t gonna ask you that,” Yahaba said.

“Really? As soon as everyone finds out who my older brother is and that I set, they usually assume it’s because of my brother.”

“Being a setter means you learn to read people,” Yahaba said with a shrug. “You learn to apply that to real life too. You don’t seem like the kind of person that would do something just because your brother does it. You seem like the kind of person to do the opposite of what your brother would be doing, just to make him mad.”

“I mean,” you shrugged, “you’re not entirely wrong.”

He snorted on a laugh, making you smile.

“Any tips?” Yahaba asked. “I’m-”

“The reserve setter for my brother, I know,” you told him. “I’ve watched a lot of your games. You’re good, from what I’ve seen. The only tips I have for you are learn to read your teammates. Oh, and learn how to read the other team. Find cracks.

“Be like water and ice. Think of it like cracks in the sidewalk. That small crack gets bigger and bigger until something breaks. Find the cracks, slip in, and freeze. The more you melt and refreeze, the bigger the cracks get.”

“That’s actually a really good way of thinking about it,” Yahaba muttered. “Most people say ‘find the weak link’ or something.”

“Well, I like to think of it like this; the weak link won’t always break the chain. What if the weak link is the last link? Or the second to last? It weakens the chain, but the rest is still viable. Cracks spread until everything breaks.”

“Huh, I like that,” Yahaba said. “Thank you-” He paused, then said, “I feel weird calling you ‘Oikawa’.”

“You can call me (Y/F/N), it makes it easier,” you said, waving a hand dismissively. “Besides, I don’t need other teams knowing that Tooru is my older brother anyway. And you don’t have to use an honorific,” you added. “It makes me feel like we’re in a business meeting.”

You shuddered, wrapping your arms around yourself.

Yahaba laughed and you smiled at him.

“How come we haven’t hung out before now?” he inquired. “It just seems like we’d be good friends.”

You shrugged. “I mean, I don’t really trust anyone. Girls have been trying to use me to get to my brothers since I can remember, and a lot of the other people I know are terrified of them. More Haji than Tooru, but still.”

“So, you and Iwaizumi a thing or-?”

“If you’re asking me if we’re dating, or if there’s a mutual interest, the answer is a big fat no fucking way. I mean, I had a crush on him when I was like, eleven, but there’s no way we would work, even if I was interested. Besides, my brother would never let anything happen.”

Yahaba watched you for a moment before huffing, a small noise of contemplation.

“Alright guys water break’s over, time to try-”

Whatever Tooru was going to say was cut off by the gym doors opening, a boy walking through them.

He stood there for a moment, ripping a piece off of the bun he was eating as he stared down the team.

“Blondie?” you asked, slightly dazed.

His eyes snapped to you, and something in his eyes softened before the shock took over at seeing you standing in the Seijoh gym.

“Ah, Mad Dog-chan!” Tooru said, grinning at the blond boy, who immediately went on his guard.

“Tooru, stop messing with him,” you snapped.

“Tooru?” Kyoutani inquired, eyes narrowed as he watched the two of you.

“Surprise,” you muttered. “I suppose this means I have some things to explain, does it?”

“Care to explain (Y/F/N)?” Tooru asked, arms crossed.

“Why me?” you whimpered, glaring up at the fluorescent lights in the gym. You sighed, letting your shoulders slump. “Gather ‘round boys, it’s story time.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Mad Dog is dating my baby sister?” Tooru shouted, high pitched and whiney. 

Hajime hit him on the head and said, “Shut it Shittykawa.”

“Tooru, I am literally one,” you held up a single finger, “year younger than you, shut up. After this he might not even want to go out with me. And besides, this was bound to happen eventually. You can’t scare off every guy, you know. Pretty soon the two of you won’t even be around.”

You leaned against the wall, glaring at your brother.

You had just finished explaining how you had met Kyoutani at the community center one night, trying to get away from Tooru for some piece and quiet, how you had made a silent deal when you saw him trying to spike on his own, how you had gotten closer to him until he had asked you out the other night when Tooru had asked him to come back to the team.

“And I didn’t know she was your sister,” Kyoutani grunted, scowling even more than your brother and Haji combined.

“And that would have made a difference?” Tooru snapped, glaring at Kyoutani, who seemed surprised.

You didn’t blame him. It wasn’t often that your brother was serious about anything other than volleyball, and that seriousness was usually aimed at the other team’s players.

“He wouldn’t have touched me with a 400 foot pole if he had known I was your sister, if not for you then for Hajime,” you answered, trying to hide your wince. You had known that you would’ve had to tell Kyoutani eventually, especially if your date had gone well, but you hadn’t expected this.

“I feel like I’m watching a drama on TV,” Hanamaki muttered to Mattsun, who nodded.

“Fuck this,” you hissed. “Look,” you turned to Kyoutani. “That’s my brother and the bloodhound.” You turned to look at your brother. “That’s the guy I’ve been sneaking out to play volleyball with.” You looked up at the ceiling. “And this is why I don’t have any fucking friends.”

You sighed, running your hands over your hair, trying to keep your composure. You really didn’t need to lose it right here. “Just get back to practice,” you ordered. “We can talk about this later if it’s still an issue.”

“C’mon Loserkawa, we need to get back to practice,” Hajime said, and you shot him a grateful look.

“This isn’t over,” Tooru told you, a serious look on his face as he walked away.

“I am so massively fucked,” you muttered, holding you head in your hands. A small touch on your shoulder made you looked up to see Kyoutani standing there, looking concerned. “Just go practice,” you told him. “It’s okay.”

“I still wanna go out with you,” he said, pausing for a moment before he wandered away.

“Fuck.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as the practice was over you were sliding your other shoes on, practically running from the gym.

Someone shouted at you, either Kyoutani or Hajime, but you weren’t listening. You wanted some time to think before you talked to anyone about this.

And I didn’t know she was your sister. 

Would it have made a difference if he knew I was his sister? Would he have even let me close if he’d known who I was? Probably not, based on how he reacted to my brother earlier. You thought miserably.

He had said that he wanted to go out with you still. Although that might have been because of all the people there. But . . . Kyoutani also wasn’t the kind of person to put up a show for someone else’s benefit.

You sighed, pulling your hoodie closer around you, trying to draw comfort from it as you wandered.

You weren’t entirely sure where you were going, you were just letting your feet carry you away from the gym and preferably your problems, even if that’s not how it worked.

You heard voices swimming around in your brain, but you didn’t think anything of it until someone’s fingers wrapped around your wrist, jerking you to a stop.

You were expecting Kyoutani or Haji, but there was a stranger holding your wrist in his hand.

“Can I help you?” you inquired.

“You can stop being a bitch and ignoring me,” the man retorted.

“Look dude, it’s been a long day for me, so I apologize if I’m a little spacey, but I have no clue who you are. I owe you absolutely nothing, so let me go.”

“I think not,” he replied. “I think you owe me for ignoring me.”

“Let me go,” you ordered, trying to wrench your wrist from his hand.

“No.”

“Look man, I am not in the mood for this bullshit, let me the go and walk away,” you snarled, tensing.

“I don’t think so bitch.”

“Call me a bitch again, I dare you, you pervy fucker,” you snapped.

“Let go of my girlfriend, you son of a bitch.”

You breathed a sigh of relief when you saw Kyoutani striding towards you both, rage evident on his already fierce features.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“Her boyfriend,” Kyoutani snarled.

“And I’m her brother,” Hajime snapped, stepping into your line of sight, arms crossed over his chest.

“So, you wanna let me go now?” you asked, stepping on his foot and throwing an elbow into his face.

“You little bitch!” he cried, holding his nose, which was starting to drip red.

“Leave,” Kyoutani snarled, slipping his hand into yours softly, slowing tugging you behind him and Hajime. “Or you have to deal with us.”

The guy snarled, but he backed away, disappearing around a corner.

“What the fuck were you thinking (Y/F/N)?” Hajime snapped, turning to you.

Kyoutani didn’t even say anything, he just wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his- very firm- chest.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, burying his face in your neck.

“Hey Blondie, it’s okay, I’m fine,” you murmured, slowly wrapping your arms around him. “I’m fine,” you repeated, glancing at Haji, who had already pulled out his phone to call your brother.

“I should’ve been with you.”

“Kyoutani, it’s okay. I’m the one that left without telling you guys where I was going. Besides, like I said, I’m okay.”

He was tense beneath your fingers as you ran them over his back, trying to calm him down a little bit.

You heard your name from Haji and listened to what he was saying.

“-with Kyoutani, figured she’s in good hands.” He paused to listen to Tooru for a moment before he said, “Shut up Shittykawa. We need to leave her be. I’m coming back home.” He paused again. “We need to trust her Tooru.”

The use of your brother’s first name surprised you, but you figured they were still figuring their own shit out.

“Thank you,” you mouthed when Haji turned towards you again. He nodded, making sure you were alright silently before he headed home.

“Hey,” you murmured, carding your hands through Kyoutani’s hair. “Come on out and talk to me. The bloodhound is gone.”

“I should have been here with you,” he repeated.

“Kyoutani,” you ordered, moving your hands to cup his face, letting him balance out a little more of your weight as you forced him to look at you. “Talk to me.”

He simply stared at you for a moment before he laid his forehead against yours.

“You called me your girlfriend,” you blurted, and he tensed again. You gave a small giggle, kissing his cheek, making him blush. “Don’t get all shy now Kyoutani. Come on, just talk to me.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did to finding out that he was your brother. I should’ve handled it better. And I was . . . jealous of Iwaizumi-san.”

“Oh Kyoutani,” you said, giving him a small smile. “You never had any reason to be jealous of Haji. For one thing, he’s my other brother, you know that, and secondly, he’s interested in my brother, even if they haven’t figured that out yet.”

“I just . . . really like you. And it-” He stopped, scowling again.

“It scares you,” you finished. He nodded, making you smile. “You think it doesn’t scare me?”

“You just . . . seem so calm all the time. Even when you’re pissed.”

“I live with Tooru,” you said, enunciating each syllable. “I have to be calm. Look Kyoutani, if you want to go out with me- great! If not- oh well- but I hope we can be friends,” you told him.

“I do want to go out with you,” he practically shouted, wincing at his own volume. “Sorry things got lost in translation.”

“It’s okay, just talk to me next time. No sulky puppy, alright?” you demanded, flicking his forehead lightly.

He nodded, then scowled. “’M not a puppy.”

“Sure you aren’t,” you teased. “I think this is the most we’ve talked in the few months that we’ve known each other.”

Kyoutani snorted softly. “I was nervous around you.”

“What? Why?”

“You were this pretty, smart, funny setter. I was used to people avoiding me and being scared. You simply looked at me and smiled.”

“You’re a poet Blondie,” you teased. “C’mon, let’s head back, I think my brother might send out Haji again if I don’t get home soon. Besides, I like talking to you.”

Kyoutani nodded, but he made no move to unwrap his arms from around your waist.

“Or, we could stay here for a little bit,” you said and he grunted. “Okay, we can stay here. On one condition; you have to talk to me.”

“About?”

“Whatever. Everything, nothing, I don’t care. I just want to know you.”

So he talked.

A/N: This is very unrealistic, but whatever. It’s also like, 12:40 in the morning on my end of things and I haven’t slept well lately, so ignore any errors or any imperfections within this imperfection. Stay safe out there my lovelies!

#kyoutani x reader #oikawa tooru x hajime iwaizumi #iwaoi #brother oikawa #kentarou x reader #kyoutani kentarou x oikawa reader #fluff #little bit of angst

[onemistresstorulethemall]

Winner

Mammon may be a bit ooc here but I find it so hard to write tsundere characters. It physically pains me to do so.

Also, yes, I did use talking about money as part of the foreplay, but... it's Mammon. It would probably work.

Word count: 2429

As always, this is nsfw.

F!MC x Mammon

"Yo, can't you just hurry up and get your ass over here? It's gettin' kinda annoying.", your favorite demon expressed his frustration.

"What's bugging you, Mammon?", your tone was as loving as ever.

"Ya know I went to the casino last night, right?"

"Mhm, I remember all the drunk texts. What of it?"

"Well, I won... And I really wanted to pick you up so we can spend it all."

"Babe, you know how I feel about you spending all your money the day you got them."

"Yeah, yeah, say whatever you want, but I can see the way your eyes light up when I get ya things. I mean, as they should. It's a privilege to get stuff from me, THE great Mammon."

At this point in time his confident facade was actually endearing. You'd give anything to see his smug face again up close and personal. Especially because you knew you could make him drop it and become a red stuttering mess.

"Not gonna lie, I do miss getting randomly told to doll up before you take me out to do something crazy."

"What would ya do without me, my human, hmm?"

"I'd probably have a longer lifespan, but oh well, I'm here for a good time not a long time."

"Hell yeah!", he said before he could register what you actually meant, "Wait! Hell no! Stop saying stuff like that. You die when I allow you to die!"

"Sir, yes sir!", you let out a chuckle.

A small pause followed in the conversation.

"For real though, when are ya coming back? I do miss having you around... I mean, my stupid brothers are bugging me about it..."

"Yes, babe, I miss you too. I can't tell you exactly when, but I've got a feeling it's gonna be soon."

"You better make sure it's soon or I'll come there and grab you myself!"

The next few minutes passed really quick and you found yourself alone again. Ever since you left Devildom it was like a part of you remained there. You weren't whole. And that might have to do with a certain silver-haired demon.

When you got the offer from Solomon to go back you almost squealed. It was unreal. Truth be told, you were starting to doubt you'll be able to return. You may have looked into summoning just so you could hold your favorite demon again... None of that mattered anymore.

When you arrived, in the middle of a council meeting, your gaze immediately fell onto Mammon. You could swear his eyes had a certain glint, as if he was on the verge of tears when he called out your name.

After answering a wave of questions and having the keys of the House of Lamentation tossed at you, it finally hit you. You were going home. So, you decided to have your cake and eat it too.

"Errrm, Lucifer?", you scratched the back of your neck.

"Yes, y/n, is there a problem?"

"Yes. I mean no. Not necessarily a problem, but... it's been a while since I was here last time, right?"

"Indeed."

"I am not entirely sure I remember the way home correctly."

"Ah, I see. One of my brothers could escort you. Be-"

"Aaactually, I was thinking Mammon could walk me home. I mean, think about it. I'm doing you guys a favor. He will be nothing but distracting after I leave. This way you may actually continue the meeting."

The eldest brother seemed to ponder your request carefully, before letting out a sigh.

"Very well. Mammon, you're dismissed."

You mouthed a "thank you" to Lucifer before saying goodbye to everyone and leaving the room. Mammon was absolutely beaming and the moment you were out of Lucifer's sight he embraced you with such tenderness you thought it was a dream and you feared you'd wake up soon.

"My human, you came back to me...", he whispered.

"I...guess I should get going, y/n. As always, it was a pleasure. Let me know if you need anything and I'll see you around!", Solomon waved at you.

"Thank again, Solomon!", you exclaimed over Mammon's shoulder who was apparently not ready to let go.

"Come on, babe. Let's go home."

He took your hand into his and flashed you that smile you loved and missed so much. Suddenly, it was like you never left at all. And you wouldn't do it again if you could help it.

"We'll have a bit of time before the others come home. So what would you like to do?", you asked.

"Oooh! The sequel to our favorite movie came out! You should be grateful I didn't watch it without ya! We could grab some snacks on the way home!"

He was way too excited for you to refuse. Moreover, a cuddle session was exactly what you needed, so you agreed.

Fast forward half an hour and you were cuddled up on the sofa under a blanket in front of the TV. Mammon had one hand draped over your shoulders and another resting on your thigh. His hands were oh so warm and his palms were slightly sweaty. It was cute that he was still nervous around you although you have been an item for quite some time. Whenever you weren't around he was boasting about it like it was his biggest achievement. However, to your face, he could barely look into your eyes as he professed his love to you. One of your hands rested on the small of his back, which unconsciously slipped under his t-shirt. It wasn't intentional, really. You just mindlessly reached for his skin while watching the movie.

"Hey, watch it! It tickles!", he suddenly jolted.

"Oops, my bad. I didn't even realize it.", you give him a faint smile.

"Oh really? Ya missed me so much you couldn't keep your hands off of me, huh?"

"Of fucking course I missed you! Hell, I was about to ask Solomon to teach me how to summon you."

"Can't live without me?", Mammon got closer.

"Life without you would have no meaning.", you reply hoping to catch him off guard.

Although his cheeks heated up, his gaze didn't leave yours, which was quite an accomplishment because not only is your favorite demon shy but he really liked the movie you chose.

"Ya know... It was hard to think of money making schemes when all that was popping into my head was you."

"Well I'm here now.", you kissed him hastily, "Aaaaand... I might have thought of a few ways we could trick... Uhm, sorry. A few ways we could...nudge some demons into filling up our pockets."

His eyes gleamed with desire and you weren't exactly sure if it was greed, lust or both, but Mammon looked positively hungry.

"You're the perfect woman, you know that?"

"Only the best for THE great Mammon.", you chuckled.

He kissed your lips again, this time, more passionately.

"You know, whenever I played poker in the human world, I knew I'd win everytime your pact mark lit up. That's gave me a heads up on when to fold. It was quite handy.", you confessed, "I mean, I also used some of the tricks you taught me. It wasn't exactly fairplay, but I couldn't resist.", you added.

"That's my human. Dry their pockets. How much did ya make?"

He grabbed your waist and pulled you into his lap with such ease it was like you weighted nothing.

"Not too much. I mean, I don't really go to casinos unless it's with you. I just played with some friends. But yes, I did take all their money and they didn't wanna play with me anymore."

"If you're so eager to play why don't we head down to a casino this weekend? I'll get you a dress, all you gotta do is doll up and be ready when I tell you."

The avatar of greed seemingly ran out of patience, taking off your shirt and licking his lips while admiring the view.

"Are you gonna make me gamble away my underwear like last time?"

"Hey, you make it sound like I made you give off your panties to some creep!"

You took advantage of his protest to lean in and go for the neck. In no time you had Mammon whimpering as you pressed soft kisses along his neck down to his collarbone. You licked a trail up to his ear lobe which you then bit before whispering:

"Do you still have them?"

To which he replied without words by reaching under a cushion and pulling out a pair of lacy red thongs.

"Fuck... Did you use them while I was gone?", you asked breathlessly although you knew the answer.

"I had to get off somehow...", he responded in a soft voice.

"Did you smell them, wrap them around your cock or something entirely different?"

"What kinda question is that, y/n!? Where'd that even come from!? Plus, it doesn't ever matter. You're here now so forget about that stupid pair of panties!"

Any other time you'd tease him further, but today was special and you missed him. Also, you didn't know how much time you had before his brothers would come home, so you didn't press on.

"You're right, I'd rather enjoy you.", you reached out and unhooked your bra.

Soon his hands were all over your chest, fondling, teasing and making your head fall back in pleasure.

Without too much thought, your hips started grinding, in search of friction.

"Fuck, someone's needy.", Mammon stated in a low tone.

"Ngh, can you blame me?"

You could hear a laugh escaped his lips.

"No, I guess I can't."

You couldn't take anymore teasing, so you made an effort to adjust your head and grabbed ahold of his t-shirt.

"I could just rip it off of you.", you declared in a separate tone.

"Oi, if you break it, you buy it!"

"So that's why you keep pampering me with gifts? Cause you intend to break me?"

"Is that what you want, princess?"

He knew the nickname would end you. Especially since it's been such a long time since you heard it from him. You kind of despised how willing you were to do anything he asked as long as he called you that. But at the same time it made it all ever hotter.

"Don't make me ask again, y/n.", he added.

"Yes, Mammon. Please, break me.", you started before pulling his top over his head.

In doing so, you messed up his hair but that only made him look even better. Gosh, you were so weak for this demon.

One minute his hands were on your ass and the next your panties were getting ripped.

"Hey, but you said-"

"I know, I'll buy you new ones.", he smirked.

You honestly didn't even care anymore. Desperately, you reached for the zipper of his pants, pulling it down and undoing the button.

Once again he grabbed you by the waist and tossed you around like a doll. His pants hit the floor and next thing you know he demanded you to turn around and bend down.

One hand of his was tenderly holding your abdomen, while the other tangled into your hair. His member rubber against your entry, while his lips got closer to your ear.

"Ready to see what you've been missing on?"

All you could do was moan in anticipation as he aligned himself to your entrance.

"That's not an answer, princess. If you don't tell me, I'm not givin' it to ya."

"Fuck... Yes. Please, Mammon. Hurry up and give it to me. I can't take it anymore!"

His reply was wordless, consisting only of filling you up. The deeper he thrusted, the more your eyes rolled into the back of your head. Damn, you missed this.

Instinctually, you rocked your hips to match his rhythm, although it was hard to match his speed.

Eventually, he grew bored of your sloppy moved and grabbed ahold of your hair.

"Just sit still and take it like a good girl. Ya can do that for me, right?"

Once again your only way to reply was to moan like a slut in heat. But you did comply and stop moving.

"Good girl.", he praised you.

You noticed that the more he goes without it, the more feral he becomes and less inhibited. Maybe you should start edging him when you want him to get rough.

"Fuck, it's like you were made for me."

You were about to let out another moan when a voice made your heart almost stop.

"Hey, y/n, you in there?", you identified the voice to be Satan's.

"Uh... yeah.", you did your best to sound normal.

Mammon didn't stop thrusting into you one second, nor did he slow down his pace.

"We're going to eat soon, so come to dining room as soon as you can, alright?"

"R-roger that!", you stuttered.

"Is everything okay?", Satan's tone was full of concern.

"Mhm. All good. I'm coming soon!"

"Is that so, princess? Ya comin' soon?", Mammon whispered into your ear.

You covered your mouth with one of your hands, biting into it to stop yourself from being too loud and nodded.

"Alright, be a good girl and cum on my cock."

Oh and you did. You let yourself fall into a blissful abyss of pure pleasure where the sky was fireworks and the only music heard was your lover's pants and growls.

He kept going, albeit significantly slower, until you retured to the world of the living. The moment he deemed you conscious enough, he turned you around and sat you down on the couch, more or less shoving his cock into your mouth. You eagerly took him in and hollowed your cheeks around his member, trying not to choke while he was setting the pace, guding your head with one hand, grabbing a handful of your hair.

It didn't take too much effort to bring him over the edge and make him spill into your mouth. With a bit of difficulty, you managed to swallow everything and not leave any mess behind.

In a haste, you got dressed and fixed yourself up to the best of your abilities. Unfortunately, you had to go commando this time.

"If you had been more careful, you wouldn't have lost so much grimm. That was an expensive pair and I take interest, so you'll have to buy me two.", you scolded him.

"Lost? Who says I lost anything? I'm the real winner here."

#obey me! shall we date? #one master to rule them all #shall we date #obey me #obey me mammon #obey me! mammon #swd mammon #mammon x reader #om! mammon #the great mammon #mammon avatar of greed #mammoneyyy #mammon x mc #smut #the smuttier the better

[somethinginthethunder]

could you write friends to lovers goshiki x reader where he PINES AND PINES AND HE FEELS LIKE EVERYTHING IS HOPELESS AND THEN... kith. reader gives him a big fat kith kith (... tongue ? 😳) hehehehe... pls. he's so cute.

Author’s Note: Hi hi hi! Thank you for being patient!! AND THANK YOU FOR REQUESTING BC WRITING THIS GAVE ME LIFE. Ah, and apologies if it’s not what you wanted and/or any of the characters are ooc! I’ve never quite written for Goshiki before! Thank you <3

Shares and feedback are appreciated!

Word count: 2,089

Summary: Goshiki has been pining after you for years, but the more he thinks about it, the more hopeless he becomes.

Warnings?: uhhh i don’t think so?

---

“Goshiki.”

Said boy turned his head, pressing his lips together. 

“Y-Yes?” he shouted in response.

Ushijima handed him the ball, stepping toward him with an unbothered look in his eyes.

“Pay attention,” was all he said before resuming his own practice.

“Y-Yes, sir!” Goshiki responded, bowing in apology.

Damn, he thought. He shouldn’t have been so distracted.

But you were just there, stopping by the gym to greet your friend. You had waved your hand to him and called out, “Tsutomu!!” before moving on to get back to what you were originally doing.

Even just hearing his name from your lips took him out of the world. It was frustrating how you had him wrapped around your finger. But, then again, it made his heart flutter, too.

“What’s this?” Tendou hummed. “Looks like Tsutomu has hearts in his eyes!” 

“H-Heart... eyes?” he squeaked, almost dropping his recently returned ball.

Ohira turned his head. “It’s nice that you have a crush on L/n, but don’t let it take away from your playing, Goshiki.”

The bowl-cut brat didn’t respond, sighing under his breath in frustration. He didn’t even bothering trying to deny his feelings this time. 

They were right. He got distracted way too easily.

☆ ☆ ☆

“Y/n-san!” 

Both you and Goshiki blinked at the newcomer who had so suddenly interrupted your conversation.

“Yes?” you murmured, leaning back in your seat.

He looked very nervous. His hands were behind his back, yet you could still tell they were shaking.

“I- I like you!” he confessed quite loudly. 

The rest of the class went silent as they realized what was happening, pausing their conversations to look right at you.

The boy who supposedly had a crush on you presented you with a letter, sweating nervously for your next move. 

Beside you, Goshiki was trying not to show his jealousy and irritation. He gripped the end of his shirt and furrowed his brows as he watched you, afraid you might accept and/or reciprocate his feelings. Who did he think he was, just walking up to you like that?

Oh, but God, he wished he had those kinds of guts.

His heart began to tighten when he saw you take the letter, setting it in your lap and inspecting its quality. For some reason, though, you did not open it. Nor did you seem interested in doing so.

“Ah,” you said. “That’s very kind of you,” you smiled. “However, as I do not know you and do not want to lead you on, I’ll have to admit that I do not quite return your feelings. Thank you, though.”

Your confessor noticeably looked disappointed and embarrassed, nodding in response.

“Of course! Thank you!” he declared, hastily walking out of the room. 

Your eyes momentarily followed his retreating form, humming to yourself. How strange. That was the second time this week.

☆ ☆ ☆

“Don’t you think you’re being a bit blunt with them, Y/n?” Goshiki murmured, finishing the last bite of his popsicle.

He didn’t care much about how she was rejecting her admirers as long as she was rejecting them (selfish, perhaps?). However, this did instill a fear into him that she would react just as bluntly if she ever was told about his feelings for her. This also added onto the risk of losing their long-lasting friendship, which was one of the things he cherished most.

You laughed, which surprised him greatly. “I don’t know what he was expecting! I hardly knew him, and I don’t have time to go on dates that most likely won’t be worth my time since, y’know, I didn’t like him in the first place,” you said, your voice calming down. “Besides, he didn’t really know me either. He probably just thinks I looked cool during my games and liked the idea of me instead.”

“B-But you don’t just look cool! You are cool!” the raven-haired boy retorted. Jumping slightly at his outburst, you raised a brow in doubtfulness. “I mean, you’re one of the strongest girls on the volleyball team, you’re super smart, know how to read people super well, and even got in a good word from Ushijima-san! You’re one of the coolest people I know!”

His words had taken you aback, heat rising in your cheeks and a laugh bubbling softly within you.

“That’s sweet, Tsutomu. Thank you. But nonetheless,” you resumed walking away from him and to the girl’s dorms. “The odds still weren’t in his favor.”

☆ ☆ ☆

Goshiki could remember the first time he realized he liked you. Back then it was just a tiny crush. 

“C’mon, Tsutomuuu! How are you going to be an all-star ace if you can’t even match my spikes?” you whined, sitting next to the taller kid.

He was in a mood, grumbling to himself as he just couldn’t seem to get into the groove of playing today. You had both agreed to practice spiking with each other and a couple of other friends after school got out.

Noticing this, you placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned forward to grasp his attention. It was almost too close for his standards (but we all know he really didn’t mind).

“Oi,” you said. “You better not start giving up today just because you’re frustrated,” you scolded, talking down on him.

“Wha?” he asked, scrunching his nose to look at you, trying to hide the blush rising to his cheeks as you inched your face closer.

“You know what’s worse than failing even after you tried your hardest?” you continued, ignoring the looks your got from the rest of the kids. “Giving up before the game’s even ended!!” you shouted, patting his back firmly, receiving a soft ‘ow’ from Goshiki.

 “So stop sitting on the ground like the loser you aren’t and come try and beat me!”

You stood up, wiping the dust from your legs and offering him your hand. He cocked his head to the side like he was trying to figure you out before letting a smile spread onto his face. 

And suddenly, just by your words, he was on top of the world again. But it hit different this time. Because for the first time since he met you, butterflies began to form in his stomach.

☆ ☆ ☆

The more he thought about how great you were and how much he’s pined after you, the more he’d get discouraged.

You just seemed so out of his league and uninterested in having a romantic connection with anyone. Why would you ever consider giving him a chance?

“Tsutomu?” you said softly, waving your hand in front of your best friend’s face.

“Sorry, sorry!” he apologized, snapping out of it. “What were you saying?”

You laughed at his spaced out moment, leaning back against the tree you both sat by.

“Since I’ve been having a few more confessions than usual, I was wondering if you were going to try your luck on any girls, yourself,” you said, repeating your statement.

Goshiki’s face turned red for a second. “Oh,” he murmured. He already knew the answer to this question, yet still acting as though he had to think about it.

Pursing his lips, he said, “Well… I do like this one girl.” He hesitated, noticing your eyebrow raise in the periphery of his vision. “But I don’t think she likes me back.”

“Whaaat?” you sighed, leaning forward and resting your hands on your legs. You seemed very captivated by his admittance.

“There’s no way she doesn’t like you back! You’re a pretty cool guy!” you added, your brows knitting together.

“Ah, trust me,” he laughed lightly, scratching the back of his head. “She’s really cool. Out of my league, actually. I’ve liked her for awhile, too, but after all these years, I just don’t think she’s ever gonna like me back. Everyday when I see her, I pinch myself just to make sure I’m not dreaming. If I could just get to her level…” he trailed off, looking down at his hands.

You both stayed like that for quite some time. In fact, none of you said anything. This made him nervous. Oh, no, did you think he was weird now? Did you figure him out and now hate him? Why were you being so quiet?

“Tsutomu,” you finally said, your voice oddly emotionless.

He tensed slightly at the sound of your voice, preparing himself for whatever was going to happen next.

“Wh- huh?!” he cut himself off, taken by surprise when your hands began to hold his face.

For a fraction of a second he could see the soft smile on your face and the look in your eyes before you leaned forward and kissed him.

His brain stopped and his heart felt like there were fireworks going off inside. Panicked and confused, his hands shot up to yours, but he didn’t pry them away from his face. Instead, he rested them on top of yours, allowing you to press him up against the tree as he finally realized what was going on.

You were kissing him. 

Deciding that he couldn’t let this opportunity go to waste, he made the bold move of incorporating his tongue, which you gladly obliged. It was much less a battle of strength and more of an exploration of each other.

It was surreal being able to kiss you for the first time. The world was suddenly gone, and it was just the two of you. Nobody else in the entire world existed. Just you and him.

When you (unfortunately had to) pull away, you didn’t move from your spot.

Goshiki finally noticed that he was the one pressed against the tree, with you between him as you both held each other. His face was on fire, and his mind was racing so fast that he could barely remember his name.

“H-How did you know it was you?” he asked breathily, forgetting to breathe when you intertwined your fingers with his and brought them down from his face.

Again with that damn smile, you leaned back to get a better look at him. 

“I had a suspicion, but I didn’t act on it until you talked about the pinching thing,” you admitted.

“Wait, you noticed that? I thought you couldn’t see me doing it!” he replied.

“It was a bit noticeable after a couple of times. I didn’t exactly piece together that it was you pinching yourself, but when you told about how you did it everytime you saw the supposed ‘girl’, I put two and two together,” you answered, letting your thumb glide over his palm.

“Oh…” he murmured, his shoulders relaxing, though the blush on his face certainly didn’t. “Does this mean… you like me too?”

“Well, duh, silly! Why would I have my first kiss with you if I didn’t?” you chuckled, amused by his question. Though, of course, you couldn’t blame him.

“Ah, alright!” he said. He was nervous, but pumped up at the same time.

The two of you stood there in that position. It was almost as if you two were waiting for something.

“Alright, come on. It’s getting late and practice starts early tomorrow,” you said, releasing his hands and pressing a soft kiss to his nose before standing up (Lord help him, you just made him a hundred times softer for you). “Let’s measure our jumping heights tomorrow. Bet you can’t beat me,” you grinned, offering him your hand just like you did all those years ago.

“H-Hey! I’m the taller one, here!” he objected, attempting to shake off the light feeling in his stomach. He took your hand and pulled himself up. 

“So?” you countered. It sounded as if there were two meanings to the question, but you wouldn’t confirm, stuffing your hands in your pockets and gesturing for him to start the walk back home with you.

He caught on to your inquiry, stepping forward before stopping himself.

“Y/n!” he said confidently (though, in reality, he was more nervous than ever). He clutched his hands into fists.

Stopping in your place just a few feet ahead of him, you turned around. “Yeah?” you hummed.

“Would you like to go on a date with me?” he asked, almost shouting his offer. If he were any louder, the neigboring buildings might’ve had a chance to hear him.

You blinked at his question, your chest tightening and face heating up. Your surprise only lasted for a fraction of a second before you put your hands on your hips and gave him his answer.

“I would!”

---

☆taglist ☆

@shou-kunn @warmbearhugs

disclaimer: i would like to clarify that when goshiki is pinching himself, it isn’t enough to seriously harm himself at all!! i would not recommend it! it’s just enough to receive a response, and he most certainly doesn’t do it every time he sees you!

#goshiki tsutomu x reader #goshiki x reader #goshiki imagine #goshiki tsutomu imagine #goshiki fanfic #goshiki tsutomu fanfic #goshiki tsutomu fanfiction #haikyuu x reader #haikyu x reader #haikyuu self insert #haikyu self insert #haikyuu imagine #haikyu imagine #haikyuu fanfic #haikyu fanfic

[nikkiandherrandomshits]

Red

Tw: Angst, Mentions of cheating, Omi being violent smh, idk if this is too OOC but meh

Characters: Fem!Reader, Miya Atsumu, Miya Osamu, some bitch, mentions of Bokuto, Hinata and Sakusa

Summary: You found out that your fiancée, Miya Atsumu, has been cheating on you for months and with the help of his brother and teammates you come up with the best revenge plan of all time.

Words: 1.5k

It was the MSBY Jackals victory party and Y/N has never felt this kind of excitement in her life. The plan is perfect, along with the help of Osamu and the other MSBY Jackals, they are sure that it would go off without a hitch. The lights dimmed and only the spotlight in the stage is the source of light. Only the emcee and the band playing could be seen. As the emcee is speaking upfront, Osamu signaled him that the plan was on the go.

"Ah, everyone, we have a surprise guest tonight! She has been in a relationship with none other than the MSBY Jackals setter, Miya Atsumu. For almost 8 years, they were in a relationship and had been engaged for awhile now. Let us all welcome, L/N Y/N, for their special performance for her beloved fiancée!"

Y/N walked towards the stage where Osamu was waiting at the stairs for you. He handed you the mic and guitar.

"Ya know, ya could still come by and have some onigiri after this, right?"

"Maybe. Heck, I might be even your business partner if things go well today." You giggled.

"Don't worry, Hinata and Bokuto are on standby if anything happens. Sakusa, too. Well, break a leg?" Osamu held out his fist.

"Yeah, and maybe an engagement too." You bumped back his fist.

The nerves settled in as soon as you sat in the stool. You can feel your heartbeat racing and your hands clamped with sweat. You looked at the crowd and you found the eyes of your target tonight. The eyes that once captured your heart. You gripped the guitar tightly and oh god the guitar. This was the reason on how they met in the first place. You strummed it and the whole place was silent as the melody wrapped the whole place.

Playing the guitar has been your favorite hobby since you were a child and so was being in a band was a dream of yours. So, as soon as you were in 3rd year middle school, you signed up in a band who was looking for a guitarist. It was a small band with only a few songs that was produced by them. You met him in one of the gigs the band had in a shopping district in Hyōgo. He was a first year at Inarizaki High and he was listening intently to your songs as if they were top hits. Then you became friends until you fell in love with each other but none of you had the courage to ask out each other. So you studied hard to be accepted at Inarizaki High and you did. On the entrance ceremony, you confessed your feelings to him in front of a huge crowd and he accepted. That was the happiest day of your life.

You took a deep breath before singing the words into the microphone. With eyes closed, the memories during your younger days resurfaced again.

Did you really think I'd just forgive and forget, no

For the first few weeks, you were in heaven because who wouldn’t? Dating a hot guy like Atsumu was a dream most teenage girls in your age. He was very sweet towards you, leaving you shy cheek kisses every time you meet in the hallways.

After catching you with her Your blood should run cold, so cold

However, your friends thought of him otherwise. They constantly remind you that he wasn’t good for you. Of course you, who is so in love with him, disregarded their warnings and red flags given to you. The first act of cheating was in the back of the volleyball gym. Him and another girl in his year was busy making out there and you confronted him for it. He apologized and you accepted it because you love him from the bottom of your heart.

You, you two timing, cheap lying, wannabe

That wasn’t the only time he cheated on you but you still forgave him because you saw how desperate he was on clinging on to you. Years passed and the both of you were still together. You lost contact with your friends who kept on reminding you that Miya Atsumu is not a match for you. You got engaged and you thought that finally, he will never cheat on you again. 

You're a fool If you thought that I'd just let this go

3 months ago, Osamu visited you in your shared apartment with Atsumu with a guilty face. He just quietly handed you an envelope and hug you while saying that it was not your fault. Somehow you knew what the contents of the envelope were but you held hope that was not it. With shaky hands, you opened the envelope.

I see red, red, oh red A gun to your head, head, to your head Now all I see is red, red, red

Inside it were pictures of Atsumu entering a hotel with a woman in his arms. As you kept on looking at them, you realized that they were all the same woman he cheated you with throughout the years. The same girl he was lip locked with in his second year. 

Did you really just say She didn't mean anything, oh I'll remember those words When I come for your soul, your soul

With trembling hands, you reached for the paper inside amongst the pictures. It was an address of a restaurant that you and Atsumu frequently go to. You grabbed your keys and drove there while million thoughts kept on rushing in your mind. You parked your car but you didn’t leave it. You can see the whole restaurant from where you were and in those big ass windows, there you saw him. Smiling happily, a face that you can rarely see for the past years, as he kept on talking with her. The same woman who ruined your relationship with him. Tears were threatening to fall but you held them back and drove away from that cursed place.

Know that you, you dug your own grave Now lie in it You're so cruel But revenge is a dish best served cold 

You opened the door of Onigiri Miya harshly, surprising the customers and staff. The owner, Osamu, was not surprised that you came here instead he set down whatever he was working on and just embraced you as you cried. It took a while to calm you down and the rest of the MSBY Jackals members arrived at the shop after Osamu explained to them what happened. They were enraged, of course, and were ready to kick Atsumu’s ass but Osamu stopped them. He asked you what do you wanna do and your answer was: Revenge. 

Silence. You stopped singing before locking eyes with Atsumu, the love of your life, was. With all your might, you poured all your emotions through the microphone as pictures of him cheating kept on falling above, courtesy of Hinata and Bokuto. 

I see red, red, oh red A gun to your head, head, to your head, oh Executioner style, and there won't be no trial Don't you know that you're better off dead All I see is red, red, oh red Now all I see is

Behind you, a video that Osamu obtained is playing in the large LED screens and it was when you saw them at the restaurant. Him kissing her as if it was the last time they’ll ever kiss. You kept on strumming your guitar as you saw him struggling to go to you. Sakusa stopped him and to your surprise, the germaphobe punched him in the face. People around them were shocked by the violent behavior of the outside hitter.

Run, hide Oh, you're so done Better sleep with one eye open tonight

A tear fell on your right eye as he once looked at you again while Sakusa kept on beating the shit out of him. This time, you are locking your heart and saving yourself from being hurt again. You smiled at him and mouthed a goodbye as the climax of the song came.

I see red, red, oh red, oh A gun to your head, head, to your head, oh Executioner style, and there won't be no trial Don't you know that you're better off dead All I see is red, red, oh red Now all I see is red, red

The lights dimmed but the murmurs of the crowd and screams of Atsumu was the only thing could be heard. You feel refreshed after and went down the stage as if you just didn’t ruined the career and life of Miya Atsumu. Osamu was clapping his hands like his brother wasn’t being beaten to death. 

“That was a great show, don’t ya think?” He whistled as he took your guitar from you.

“Ha ha, you really enjoyed yourself didn’t you?” You saw Hinata and Bokuto going towards you two. “Them, too. I’ve never seen Sakusa being that happy since I met him.”

Osamu just shrugged, “I would have joined him but I was busy recording you and Tsumu being beaten up.”

You laughed and together with him and the other MSBY boys, you left the venue knowing too well that you are gonna be in the headlines tomorrow.

END

#haikyuu angst #haikyuu #miya atsumu #miya osamu #sakusa kiyoomi #hinata shouyou #bokuto koutaro #msby jackals #haikyuu fic #haikyuu fanfiction

[fangirlingeverywherealways]

In the wise words of Rubeus Hagrid “I shouldn’t have said that...”

Hey so this is my first Harry Potter fic and it’s George Weasley x Reader 

1.6 k words

Basically you’re best friends with the twins and then George has you test a potion for the shop and you confess your undying love <3 

LMK what you think :) 

(also possibly ooc sorry) 

You were just sitting at your desk, minding your own business at Weasley Wizard Wheezes, writing out the order for the next month when George gives a light knock on your door. 

“What George?” You say unamused before he pushes the door open slowly.

“Can’t I come by and say hello to my favorite employee,” he responded as he leans against the door frame.

“No, but you can come say hello to your best friend since first year,” you retort as you roll your eyes. “Besides, you only come to visit me when I’m doing paperwork when you want something.” 

“I do not!” He exclaimed.

“So what is it?” you ask accusingly.

“I have this new potion, I think it’s gonna be a hit, but I have to test it first,” he said with a grin.

“Absolutely not George. I don’t get paid enough to be a lab rat. Convince one of your siblings. Lord knows you have plenty of those.” You look away from him and continue on the order. 

“But love, I can’t. Bill, Charlie, and Percy are gone, Fred’s bedridden sick, Ron’s still mad about the last experiment, and mum won’t let me test on Ginny.” he explains

“Then test it yourself!” 

“But then I can’t monitor the effects properly.”

“No. No way.” “Please?” he begs. 

You knew the second you looked into his eyes, you would give in like you always did. You sighed and met his eyes anyway.

“Ok, fine. How long will this take. I have to get this order in tonight or you won’t have vials to package this amazing potion of yours.” 

“You’re my favorite.”

He hands you a small vial of clear, odorless liquid, smiling like an idiot because he won. 

“I know. What does this potion of yours do anyways?” You ask, swirling the liquid a small bit.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” He said with a wink.

“If this potion turns me into an octopus I quit”

“Tentacles. Kinky.” He looked at you with a glint in his eye, and you didn’t quite know what it meant. You looked back disgusted “Now take the potion darling, I’m dying to see if it works.”

“I hate you.” You retorted as you downed the liquid.

“Tell me how you really feel.” He said sarcastically.

“I’ve been in love with you since we were 18.” You said before thinking. Your eyes widened at the words, shocked you had admitted it out loud. Sure, you had been into George since first year, and started to really fall once you left Hogwarts and the twins asked you to work with them. But admitting it, to his face nonetheless, was something you never thought would happen. The three of you were inseparable, being best friends and all. That’s why you could never tell him. He sees you as a friend, a sister even, and nothing more. Your feelings were less important than the friendship you had with both brothers. Plus their family was amazing and you didn’t want to lose any of it.

A silence settled between the two of you, but it only hung in the air for a few seconds.

“What did you just say?” He asked, slight amusement and confusion in his voice. 

“I said that I’ve been in love with you since we were 18.” 

“Very funny,” he said as he snickered a little. Good. He seemed to have brushed it off. Nothing to worry about. “Now I’m going to ask you some questions-.”

“I’m not joking,” you blurted without comprehending the words. The smile fell from his face. Another few seconds of silence.

“You meant it?” he asked quietly.

“Yes.” You let your head fall to look back at the papers on your desk rather than having to look him in the eyes. Silence fell again. He shifted awkwardly on his feet, not sure what to say. You said the first thing you could think of. “I think you should go. I have work to do.” You could feel the anger and sadness about to boil over. Not only did you have to admit your biggest secret, but now he was going to see you cry over it. 

“But-”

“George.”

He left without a word. As soon as he was gone, you could feel silent tears roll down your face as you continue to finish the order. As soon as you were done, you left, walking through the shop, passing George on the way out. As he tried to call your name and stop you, you just continued walking away from the small store and towards your apartment. Once you got home, you immediately changed into pajamas and laid silently in bed. What was in that stupid potion? It had to have something to do with your confession. Why had George tried to stop you? To reject you? Fire you? You didn’t want to think about what would happen at work tomorrow, so you did the only thing you thought was reasonable. You called up Fred and told him you weren’t feeling well so you wouldn’t be in the next few days. 

“Why are you telling me? Call Georgie and tell him. I, unfortunately, had to leave him in charge.”

“I can’t. Could you just let him know?”

“You never choose me over George, even when we had to pick partners in school. What happened between the two of you?”

“Nothing. I just can’t get a hold of him. Thank you for doing this for me.”

“Yeah, no problem. But you do own me, Y/L/N” 

“I know.” 

You spent the next few days in your apartment, going shopping, having coffee with an old friend, anything to take your mind off of what happened the other day. But you knew you had to go back to work eventually, and today was your last day off. As you make your way back to your apartment from the store, you see a head of red hair a little ways ahead of you. You shake it off, assuming you had to be imagining things with anticipation for tomorrow. You go into your apartment building and up the stairs, but as you round the corner to your door, you find George Weasley standing in front of it. 

“Can I help you?” you ask, monotone.

“I wanted to talk to you.” 

“Oh. Well come inside then.” You both stand there, just looking at each other for a second. “George, you’re standing in front of the door.” 

“Oh, right.” He breaks eye contact and steps to the side for you to unlock and open the door. You both go into the small apartment and George closes the door behind him. 

“So?” You ask expectantly.

“So what?” 

“You said you wanted to talk. So talk.” 

“Oh, right.” For the first time in his life, he seemed not to know what to say. “I was worried about you. Heard you were sick. Wanted to check on you.” 

“Oh.” Not what you had expected. “Well thank you. I’m doing much better and I should be back to work tomorrow.” Silence had once again filled the air between you.

“Yeah.” He said, barely above a whisper.

“Yeah.” You said, even quieter.

“Can I ask you something?” He asked, after a few seconds.

“Yeah of course.” 

“Were you telling the truth.” 

“George, I really don’t want to talk about this.” 

“I know, but I need an answer.” 

“You know the answer” 

“No. You were under a potion, I need the answer.” 

“Yes George. I really truly meant that I’ve been in love with you since we were 18. Ever since that day in the astronomy tower, just me and you when we were talking about the future and you asked me to work with you. And you were so excited when I said yes that you kissed me. We agreed that it didn’t mean anything, but Merlin George, I can’t think of anything else when I see you. It started before that though. First year, when you teased me for forgetting a quill all the time and always being late. And then every small touch and lingering hug, until I realized I was absolutely, hopelessly in love with you. Is that what you wanted?” 

“Godric how could I be so stupid.” He mumbled under his breath.

“Are you joking! I lay my whole heart out for you and all you can do is mumble how stupid you are. Well you’re right, you’re an absolute idiot. Now, if you don’t mind-”

Your angry words were cut off by rough lips on yours and light hands on your waist. You melted into the kiss. It reminded you of that day in the astronomy tower. So sudden and unexpected, but so lovely at the same time. Not very romantic, too much energy, but so much emotion that it had your head spinning. He slowly pulled away, leaving his hands to gently rest on your hips.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that. In the astronomy tower, I wanted to kiss you so bad, and I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want to ruin what we had, but just the way you looked at me when you said yes. I couldn’t hold back. I literally kissed you, I can’t believe you fell for the ‘I’m just excited, sorry.’ excuse.” he said, amused. 

“Listen, I didn’t wanna ruin anything either! If you were happy to brush it off, so was I.” You both chuckled for a moment before silence once again encased you. “So.” 

“So.” 

“What does this mean?” you asked.

“I’d like to take you on a proper date, if that’s ok with you.” 

“I’d love to George.” 

“Dinner? After work tomorrow? I’ll cook.”

“George you and I both know you’ll burn the whole place down. So I can’t wait.” You said with a smile. 

“Me either.” He gave you another peck before he ran through the door excitedly. 

You laughed as you watched him go. 

“No idea what that potion was,” you said to yourself, “but I’m thankful for it.”

#george weasley x reader #george weasley #fred weasley #harry potter #idek #kinda bad ngl #first hp fic #idk man just go with it

[honeypiehotchner]

i knew you (Bucky Barnes soulmate AU) -- part six

I keep forgetting to post this story OOPS

Warnings: panic, general self-deprecating thoughts, unrequited love thoughts, maybe slightly ooc!Tony, I think that’s all

Sam, Steve, and who you learn to be T’Challa, now King of Wakanda after his father died in the bombing at Vienna -- which makes his obsession with clawing Bucky’s eyes out make much more sense -- are shoved in a vehicle alongside you.

You have no idea what they did with Bucky -- other than he’s still alive -- and you have no fucking clue where you’re going, but the ride is long. Too long to be in a car with Sam and Steve, especially with Sam trying every second he can to get on T’Challa’s nerves.

“So you like cats?”

“Shut up, Sam, please, for once in your life,” you groan from your spot next to him.

Even Steve gives him a look.

“What? Dude shows up dressed like a cat and you don’t wanna know more?” Sam asks.

“Your suit…” Steve narrows his eyes. “It’s vibranium?”

“What is that?”

You don’t get an answer.

“The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. A mantle, passed from warrior to warrior. And now, because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of King. So, I ask you, as both King and warrior,” T’Challa pauses. “How long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?”

The silence is deafening.

“It wasn’t him,” you blurt, earning yourself a glare. “Laugh at me all you want, but it wasn’t Bucky that killed your father. Don’t get revenge on the wrong man.”

T’Challa turns to face forward, refusing to say another word.

You do the same, instead focusing on what Bucky is feeling. You wonder if he can feel just how pissed off and panicked you are. You’re pissed, of course, because all of this fighting wasn’t necessary. You jumped off buildings for that man, and he still insists that he doesn’t know you.

Maybe you’d be able to write it off as a dreadful miscommunication for the past decade of your life, but you can’t. Not when you can physically feel that he is lying. The tightness in his chest doesn’t lie. Neither do his eyes.

But God, you wish they could.

You turn your head to hide your quivering lip. The last thing you need is to break into a sobbing mess in the back of this vehicle with three men surrounding you — especially when one of them was just trying to kill the same soulmate you’re upset over.

You know it’s not true, but part of you does wish Bucky was dead.

It was a lot easier on you to fantasize and dream about him when you thought he was dead.

+++

The government facility in Berlin looks far more secure than anything you’ve ever seen. Having guards posted all around when the four of you step out of the vehicle almost seems like overkill. They already took your weapons, what are they expecting any of you to do?

You glance over your shoulder to see Bucky in a small container. Your heart breaks at the sight of him, being restrained and in such a tight space. But the fact that he won’t even look your way breaks your heart even more.

“What’s gonna happen to him?” Steve asks, having the courage to voice what you want to know.

“Same thing that ought to happen to you,” the man replies. He’s short and wears a gray suit. It’s hard for you to take him seriously as an authority figure when it looks like his pants need to be hemmed. “Psychological evaluation and extradition.”

You cross your arms over your chest, keeping your mouth shut. Sharon stands next to the man, but at least she looks like she’s on your side — or Steve’s, since she obviously has a thing for him.

“This is Everett Ross, Deputy Task Force Commander—” Sharon begins introducing him, but you stop her.

“A guy too big to introduce himself?” You raise an eyebrow. “Wow.”

Everett barely smiles, but it isn’t friendly. “Yeah, uh, who the hell are you?” It’s taunting, but you’re too exhausted to give in.

“No one,” you wave your hand, letting Steve keep going.

“What about a lawyer?”

Everett finds that about as amusing as your sentence. “A lawyer, that’s funny.” He turns to address Sharon. “See that their weapons are placed in lockup.” Then turning to the four of you, he says, “We’ll write you a receipt.”

As if on cue, men pass by holding Steve’s shield and uniform, Sam’s wings, and your gun and bullet proof vest. You had almost gotten away with the vest, but once they felt it, they wanted it off -- probably afraid it had some explosive inside it. So, now you’re without your protection, and you miss the weight of the vest. Something about it soothed the ache inside you.

Sam looks ready to burst at the seams. “I better not look out the window and see anybody flying around in that.”

You’re ushered forward by some guards and you go without resisting. You see Steve take one more look at Bucky, but you don’t bother. No sense in looking at someone who doesn���t want to see you, anyway.

Everett walks ahead, leading the way across a glass bridge to the other side of the facility. “You’ll be provided with an office, instead of a cell.”

“How kind,” you snort.

He ignores your comment. “Do me a favor: stay in it.”

You roll your eyes. What does he expect you guys to do? Start a fight when the ratio of unarmed super-soldier to heavily armed guards is about 1 to 1,000 in here?

Natasha joins the group, giving you a particularly cold stare before talking to Steve. “For the record, this is what making things worse looks like.”

You manage a chuckle. She has a point, after all.

“He’s alive,” Steve says matter-of-factly.

Yeah, you think. A lot of good that’s doing to everyone.

By the time you reach the other side of the bridge, you’re ready to ask T’Challa to claw your eyes out instead. You won’t even put up a fight. You’re just tired of holding these tears back and feeling this burning pressure in your chest. You don’t know if it’s yours or Bucky’s emotions at this point, all you know is that you want to be left alone.  

The weight of it all is crushing down on you now that there aren’t guns firing at you.

He doesn’t want you.

Your soulmate doesn’t want you.

Fuck.

You wipe a stray tear away, spotting Tony Stark up ahead. Tony seeing you cry is not something you ever want to happen, so you chew on the inside of your cheek instead, hoping you can slip past him quick enough that he won’t notice.

But, of course, that’s too much to ask for when you’ve got Sam and Steve next to you. And when the three of you are now criminals.

“Colonel Rhodes is supervising clean up,” Tony says to someone on the phone. But, because he’s Tony, he has to glare at the three of you while he says it. “Consequences? You bet there’ll be consequences. Obviously you can quote me on that because I just said it, anything else? Thank you sir.”

You take a deep breath, steeling yourself. Here we go.

“Consequences?” Steve inquires, very obviously not giving a damn from the sounds of his tone.

“Secretary Ross wants you prosecuted,” Tony pauses, looking pointedly at you. “All of you.”

You glare at him. “I wasn’t expecting to be an exception, if that’s what you were thinking.”

“That’s not what I was thinking,” Tony replies, always having to have the upper hand. “What I was thinking, is that when I paid for you to have top of the line combat training, I didn’t mean for you to use it on something like this.”

“For God’s sake,” you mutter under your breath, ignoring Steve and Sam’s bewildered stares. You should’ve known he’d use this moment to blast your secret to everyone.

Your training is something you kept under wraps because naturally, if someone knows you’re going to be a challenge, they normally take it. You wanted to be as off the grid and as normal appearing as you could, so you quietly trained while loudly posting about your degree and only your degree. No pictures with Sam or Steve in them when they’d come to visit. Just you or your best friend, nothing more. You wanted to appear as though you were staying out of the way of any and all affairs that could deal with The Winter Soldier. You knew you’d be left alone if you acted as if you didn’t care. You even went on random dates and posted about them. You slipped under everyone’s radar just like you wanted.

“I’m not doing this right now,” you push past Tony in search of an empty office.

“No, I think we are doing this now,” Tony pulls you back by your arm, which you wrench out of his grip immediately. “I paid for those classes so you could defend yourself, and now you’re a criminal. How do you think that makes me look?”

“I don’t know. Grab a goddamn mirror. It’ll tell you.”

Your sarcasm only fuels his anger. “Listen to me—”

“No, okay?” Your voice cracks and you hate it. You hate the way Steve has been looking at you, like you’re about to break into a million pieces right on the floor in front of everyone. You hate that Tony thinks he can just lecture you about something he has no fucking clue about how it feels. You hate that Bucky doesn’t want you and you hate that he’s in a tiny box right now and that if you never would’ve met Steve two years ago then you wouldn’t be hurting like this right now.

Tony stares quietly at you, waiting for you to finish.

So, with as much strength as you can gather, you finish. “I’ve just jumped off buildings and almost taken bullets for my soulmate who does not even want me.” You pause to let it sink in. “So, if you don’t mind, I’d really love to go cry my eyes out for thirty minutes. You can lecture me after.”

Tony’s face falls and pales a little even, but you’re too exhausted to notice.

By some stroke of bad luck, Everett Ross happens to overhear your words. His dumbfounded expression comes into view and it takes all of your leftover energy to not deck him right in the jaw.

“Did I just hear you say that you’re his soulmate?”

“No,” you snap. “Because he doesn’t know me and doesn’t want to talk to me. So, sorry, you won’t get to weaponize me today. Now, do you have an office I can cry in? Or do I need to go find it myself?”

Stunned, Everett flounders for a response. “Uh, you can just pick an empty one.”

“Great,” you swallow around the lump in your throat, keeping your eyes on the ground as you finally escape from everyone around you.

The office is glass, so it isn’t like you’re getting much privacy at all, but it’s enough. You take the farthest one, turning to face the wall so no one else has to see your pathetic tears as they stream down your face.

Saying it out loud made it real.

Bucky doesn’t want you. He doesn’t know you. He doesn’t care what you feel. He doesn’t care that you’re his soulmate. He doesn’t want any part of any of it.

Your chest feels like it might rip itself open just for your heart to escape, and part of you wishes it could. You wish you could be without your heart and this soulmate business just for one day.

All those years. Thinking he’d want you.

The past two years. Rehearsing how to talk to him. How to make it work because you weren’t foolish enough to think it’d be easy. You knew it would be hard, that he’d be troubled with his own issues. But you never thought about the possibility of him straight-up rejecting you.

All of it. For nothing. For a soulmate who insists he doesn’t know you.

You try to muffle your choked sob as best you can, but you fail, the noise only causing more tears to fall. Stupid, stupid, stupid. He was brainwashed by HYDRA and you were stupid enough to hope that he’d want you in his life, that he’d remember you.

Maybe he doesn’t remember you. Maybe when they did something to his mind, it erased all of you.

But he remembers Steve, you remind yourself, and the hurt takes over once more.

You turn and press your back to the glass, shutting your eyes so you won’t see if anyone is watching you. You know how absurd you must look. It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t want you. What does any of it matter anymore?

You slide down to the floor, burying your face in your knees. God, it hurts. It hurts and it hurts and it hurts and you want it to stop. You wish you never went to that damn exhibit with your best friend. You wish you never knew about Bucky. Living in blissful ignorance was painful, but at least you had peace alongside the pain.

At least that image of your soulmate wanted you.

+++

Back outside, Everett watches your shaking form with a newfound worry. “Is she gonna be okay?”

“I don’t know.” Tony hangs his head. “Do you need me for anything?”

Everett glances at his watch. “No, actually I’ve got things to get to.” He disappears without another word.

Tony thinks it over, wondering if he should even go check on you. You’re like a daughter to him, though he’ll never admit that to you, and you’d never suspect it. The two of you hardly speak. You were surprised when he reached out about your protection. Steve had apparently mentioned you, and Tony being Tony, knew he had the money to make you feel safe.

And he did. The classes helped. Keeping everything about you, except what you wanted people to see -- that you were an Honors student, a well-supported, intelligent young woman -- a secret helped.

The two of you bicker. You argued when you first met. Tony wanted to pay for extra security, personal security that would follow you around. He wanted to move you from the college apartments to some fancier complex where he could control the security protocols. You turned him down, asked about classes. He compromised. But not without some off-handed, pissed-off remark, that you promptly replied to with, “Fuck off.”

You’re strong, he’ll give you that. Anyone else would’ve denied their feelings, sworn they weren’t the soulmate of the fist of HYDRA. But you embraced it. You knew you couldn’t change it. You knew you would get Bucky back one day -- your Bucky.

But you never would’ve guessed that he would’ve reacted this way. Shielding you from bullets while insisting that he has no idea who the hell you are.

His insistence is what hurt you the most. You had thought when you confessed that you can feel when he’s lying, he would’ve given in. That maybe he needed a confirmation, a reason to believe it was really you, because anyone can lie. Technology -- Stark’s, at least -- has advanced, anyone can look like whoever they want. You thought Bucky needed proof. But that wasn’t it.

He just didn’t care.

Tony watches as you turn around, pressing your back to the glass. Your eyes are closed, face wet with tears and hand pressed over your mouth. You slide to the floor, and that’s the last straw.

You look up when you hear Tony knocking on the glass.

Once you see it’s him, though, you put your head back in your hands. “I said thirty minutes,” you mumble. “I know damn well it’s only been ten.”

“Just shut up and come here.”

You look up again, your expression pained as if he just slapped you. Tony frowns. He’s making it worse when he wants to make it better.

“What do you want?” You ask tiredly, rubbing both hands on your face to wipe the rest of the tears away. You sniffle loudly, grimacing at the noise. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, just come here.”

“What do you want?”

“To give you a damn hug,” Tony mutters, invading your personal space by sitting next to you on the floor.

You accept his hug, but only for a few seconds. That’s all you can take.

“Sorry,” you murmur, shrugging him off and scooting a foot away. “Anything that touches me makes me want to punch. I don’t know if it’s him feeling that, or me, but…” You sigh. “Regardless I’d just like for this to be over.”

“You and me both, kiddo,” Tony exhales, leaning his head back against the glass. “Why did you go with Cap and Sam?”

You shrug. “If it was Pepper...wouldn’t you?”

“Pepper wasn’t brainwashed by HYDRA,” Tony says. “And Pepper didn’t assassinate dozens of people.”

“But if she had, if it was Pepper in that box right now, wouldn’t you have done anything? Even if you knew it was a losing battle?”

Tony stays quiet, thinking. “Yeah.” He nods slowly. “I would.” Then he lets out a dry laugh. “I don’t think she’d put me in that position -- I think it’s more likely the other way around.”

You look over at him, frowning.

He sees you looking and sighs, closing his eyes. “We’re taking a break.”

That explains it. “I’m sorry.”

He shakes his head. “It’s fine. In her defense, I’m a handful.” Typical Tony. Deflecting his real feelings with humor. “Anyway, I’m sorry, too. Earlier. I shouldn’t have spilled your secrets like that.”

You shrug. “It’s whatever. It’s out there now. I’m sure Everett is thinking of every way he can to somehow get through to Bucky through me.” The mention of your soulmate has tears jumping back into your eyes.

Then a wave of panic rushes over you.

Your eyes shoot open and you scramble to your feet, moving to the farthest corner of the office to get a good look at the screens. Without audio, you can’t tell much, but that doesn’t make it any better.

“What wrong?” Tony asks, joining you.

“He’s panicked,” you murmur. “Where’s Steve?”

Tony doesn’t have time to answer you before you’re practically running out of the office to find Steve. You find him with Sam and Sharon in another office.

“Steve--” You stop when you hear the audio. It’s Bucky’s voice.

“Where’s Y/N?” He says. You look at the screen, thinking your ears have deceived you, but he says it again. “Y/N, I need to talk to her.”

“What’s going on?” Steve asks, noticing the look on your face.

“Something’s wrong,” you say, shaking your head. “I don’t know what. But he’s panicking. Or maybe it’s me. Something’s wrong.”

About that time, the power goes out.

Literally. Everywhere. Emergency lights coat the room in a soft blue glow, the red of the exits the only other light working in the place.

“Fuck!” You smack the table, looking to Sharon. “Where is he?”

“Sub-level five, East wing,” she answers quickly.

You don’t look to Sam or Steve, you just start running.

The slapping of footsteps behind you is the only indication you have that they’re following you. Tears spring to your eyes as another wave of panic comes over you, nearly choking you this time. Something bad. It’s something bad.

Anger comes next, burning in your chest. What the hell is happening? That psychiatrist -- what’s he doing to your Bucky?

Then you feel it.

It spreads throughout your whole body. The old feeling you had once forgotten. Two years is long enough to get used to Bucky and forget all about The Winter Soldier, but not long enough to not recognize it when it returns.

You push forward, running as fast as you can. You slow once you’re at the correct sub-level, waiting for Sam and Steve. You hold your hands up when they come into view.

Steve comes skidding to a stop. “What?”

“He’s not Bucky right now,” you say quietly, despite the thrumming in your ears. “He’s the Soldier. We have to be careful. I don’t know what happened, but I felt it.”

“Shit,” Steve cusses. “Okay.”

Back on track, the first sign that the Soldier is here is all of the guards lying unconscious on the floor. Inside the room, the psychiatrist sent to evaluate Bucky -- though you’re suspecting he isn’t the psychiatrist -- lies in the middle of the floor, barely conscious.

Steve walks in and drags the man up off of the floor, pinning him to the wall.

You’re right. He’s not who he says he is.

While Steve is handling him, you and Steve step up to the doorway, but you pause, pressing your arm to Sam’s chest.

Shit. He’s in there.

Sam either doesn’t catch your signal or doesn’t want you walking in by yourself, because he ignores you and steps into the room. Regardless, it earns him a punch to the face that he barely dodges.

“Bucky!” You scream, pushing Sam out of the way before Bucky’s metal fist can smash his head in. “Bucky, stop!”

But he doesn’t. He keeps going after Sam, and only stops once he has thrown Sam halfway across the room into the box he was kept in. Sam falls limply to the floor, unconscious.

“Bucky, look at me,” you plead, tears pushing to the front of your eyes, but you blink them away. “You have to come out of this!”

Bucky pushes past you, going after Steve this time. Well, you think. First, he knocks the psychiatrist out cold, but you don’t mind that. What you do mind is when Bucky focuses back on Steve, choking him up against the wall.

You try to pull on his arm, but you know it’s useless. He holds you back, keeping you away from him, but still not hurting you.

You think. Quick. What would help? Why isn’t he hurting you? He’s capable of handling more than one person, and you’re obviously provoking him in some way right now as you claw at his back. But still, he isn’t hurting you. Why?

A long shot of an idea pops into your head.

“Soldier!” You raise your voice, straightening your shoulders, hoping it’ll give you the look of an authority figure. “Soldier. I said stop.”

Steve hits the ground with a thud, coughing loudly.

“Soldier,” you repeat, keeping your voice even. “Look at me.” Slowly, Bucky turns around. He’s still the Soldier, but at least he isn’t trying to kill Steve. “What are your orders?”

“You give them.”

You blink. “What?”

“Orders are to protect you,” the Soldier says. “Keep you safe.”

Your breath hitches. You push away your emotions, thinking instead how you can use his orders to your advantage right now. You don’t exactly like using him this way, but you don’t have any other option when he’s a highly trained and chemically enhanced assassin.

“Steve is a friend.” You pause, nodding to Sam who is slowly coming back to consciousness on the ground. “So is Sam. Do not hurt them. Understand?”

Firmly, Bucky nods.

You look over your shoulder at Steve. “We’ve gotta get him out of here,” you say. “They’ll kill him if they find him like this.” Regardless of the fact that he’s listening to you.

“Yeah,” Steve agrees, voice hoarse. He goes over to Sam, pulling him off the ground. He’s disoriented, but awake. “Come on. We gotta go.”

“Okay, Soldier,” you almost wince, hating talking to him like this. “Get us out of here. Can you do that?”

Again, he nods. His flesh arm wraps protectively around your waist, practically picking you up as he begins to walk.

You try your hardest to ignore the effect it has on your body, but you can’t help it. The combination of his strength and this being the most intimate way that he has touched you yet leaves you breaking out in a cold sweat.

“Wait,” you pause, and Bucky stops. “I’ll hold onto your arm,” you say, slipping his arm from around your waist. You grip his bicep, your other hand sliding into his. You hate to be doing this because you know once Bucky remembers, he’ll probably hate you even more for it. But right now, the Soldier won’t walk two inches without some sort of grip on you. “Is this better?”

The Soldier’s bicep flexes underneath your fingers. You swallow thickly. Maybe this was worse.

“As long as you’re safe,” is all he says, before continuing on.

You look back over your shoulder to find Steve watching with a sad smile.

You shove down the swelling sadness in your chest. You know this is the last time you’ll get to hold his hand, or hold onto him like this. But he can’t stay the Soldier forever. He needs to be Bucky again.

Even if Bucky is the one who doesn’t want you.

#i knew you #bucky barnes #james buchanan barnes #james buchanan bucky barnes #bucky barnes soulmate au #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #angst #angst city #all angst #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes fanfiction #marvel #the winter soldier #cacw

[faterpresources]

Anonymous:

Do you have any advice on how to start an rp blog? I feel like there's so much to do and so many specific things, it looks intimidating, but I really want to get into it (and your blog seems like a safe space to ask as a baby in the matter)

Hi! Thanks you for asking and for trusting. I do admit that rping on tumblr can look daunting and there is a series of things that are considered “etiquette” that might not be obvious for newcomers. And the only way to learn is to ask, right? As I’m not sure if you would like something more specific or a step-by-step, I’m going to go through the whole process.

note: this is a repost from an ask in a more reblog-friendly format

1.       Setting up the blog

You might want to make a new e-mail account for each blog you want. I recommend making a gmail/google account, so you may be able to use other services and associate them with your blog. I’ll go into more details in a minute.

Some people would rather have a personal blog and then making the RP blog as a side-blog. Or a “hub” blog and many side-blogs so they have everything centralized. The downside is that you can’t follow people with side-blogs, only the main – and some rpers are a little suspicious of personal blogs, so if you intend to go this route it might be a good idea to state somewhere in your blog that you have a RP blog.

Tip : It isn’t said too often, but I recommend saving your blog’s e-mail and password somewhere, maybe a flashdrive or even google drive. This way, if something happens you will be able to retrieve your account.

When picking the URL, for a very long time tumblr had problems tagging URLs with a hyphen ( - ). I’m not sure if it has been fixed or if there are still some issues, so I recommend only using letters and maybe numbers. Other than that, pick anything that sounds nice to you!

Themes are nice, but not entirely necessary. Not everybody has photoshop skills and all that. Some people do have commissioned themes, but if you want to try your hand at it my first stop is usually @theme-hunter  or @sheathemes . They reblog many themes from many creators, so there are always many options that might suit your needs.  Some creators offer very newcomer-friendly themes that you can configure a lot of things without much hassle but some might require basic HTML knowledge – a few creators have guides on how to properly set up their themes and are willing to and answer questions, so don’t be afraid to contact them! You can also send me an ask, I’m not a specialist but I can certainly help walk you through the basics.

Tip: @glenthemes have very good themes and a basic installation guide here.

When fiddling with the options, try to pick colors that have nice contrast and are easy to read. If you are bad at picking colors or have problems in finding the code for them, I recommend trying this link. There is also this one that auto-generate palettes.

Tip : If you mess with your theme, remember there is the Theme Recovery.

Tip: If you use Chrome or Firefox you can set up different profiles and associate each with a different blog, so you don’t need to log out from any of your accounts.

There are two pages that I recommend having: one is an about your muse. If they are an OC, it is always a good idea to have at least some information out there to make things easier. If they are from a canon source, not everybody is familiar with the material so it might be a good idea to state. For example, if you are going to roleplay as Altria/Arturia, it is a good idea to have a “RP blog for Saber (Altria Pendragon) from FGO/FSN “ somewhere visible. The other page that is a good idea having is a rules/guidelines page. This one can be a little intimidating, but it is usually a way to communicate important things. For example: are you comfortable writing violence? Do you have any personal triggers? There is something you absolutely won’t write? There are things you may figure out along the way and it is absolutely ok to fine-tune this session every now and then. Some people also credit source for their icons and graphics in general in their rule/guideline page.

If you are using the tumblr default themes, when you create a new page you can turn on the option to show a link to the page. If you are using a custom theme, most of the time you will have to link it manually.

Oh, and if you are planning to do a multimuse, it might be a good idea to list which muses you have. The same goes for a hub blog; list the muses and link to the pages.

Icons aren’t necessary but are considered commonplace. You can find some icons I’ve done here but there are plenty of other sources. If you want to do your own icons, keep in mind to don’t make them too big, as a courtesy to your mutuals.

Tip: Anything larger than 300 pixels will be stretched to fit the post. As of today ( 4/29/2021 ) the posts are currently 540 pixels wide. This can be useful as making banners for your blog.

Tumblr allow users to “pin” posts. This mean that they will always visible if you access your blog, even on dash/mobile. You can use this to set up a post with basic links for mobile users or something else. For example, if you are out on vacations and won’t be able to do replies, you can pin a hiatus notice and then remove the pin once you are back.

2.       Introducing yourself

Time to officially join the fun! (insert a “Hi, Zuko here” joke) Don’t worry if you don’t have a fancy promo graphic or anything, most people make their initial introduction with a simple post.

(as you can see, I’m not very good at saying ‘hi’)

Try to introduce yourself in a few lines, but make sure to state which muse you RP as. Some people also like adding their pen name/alias and establishing a brand. Follow as many people as you want that reblogged or liked your post, and tumblr is going to start recommending other blogs that are related to the tags you use normally or have any relation to the people you follow. You can put as many tags as you want, but tumblr will disregard more than 6 tags in their system. Try tags like “<fandom> rp” and “<fandom> roleplay” along with the media, such as “movie” “video game”, “anime” and so on.

It might also be a good idea to follow a few RP memes blogs. They often have options to break the ice, like one-liners that your mutual can send you.

Tip: Don’t forget to turn on the asks and the anon

3.       Practical advice

Alright, now that you have a few mutuals, it is time to get to some general tips:

Tumblr can be a little “iffy”, and a great quality of life extension for RPers and navigation in general is installing the New Xkit extension. They offer a number of options to enhance your tumblr experience, but the ones I consider essential are the “editable reblogs”, “quick tags” and “blacklist”. Get it for Chrome or Firefox.

As a rule of thumb I recommend writing your RPs using Google Docs before posting or replying. By doing this you can do some spell check and if your browser crashes for any reason you can easily recover your work. You can also use Word, Open Office, or any text editor you feel like.

Because I’m a bit of a perfectionist, I also have Grammarly ( Chrome / Firefox ) installed for an extra layer of spell/grammar check. There is a subscription option, but the free one works perfectly fine.

To make things easier to locate, always tag the URL of your RP partner when doing a reply. There are other useful things you can tag, such as open starters, memes, and such.

Risking being obvious here, but when you are not interacting as your character it might be a good idea to tag as “ooc” or “out of character”.

Some people like making google docs with basic info and other useful stuff for easier access on mobile. It is a recent trend, it might be easier to edit as opposed to going through tumblr page editor and dealing with the HTML.  You can find some templates here and here.

Tumblr’s activity can be unreliable, so don’t be afraid of contacting your partner to see if they have gotten your reply after a few weeks. However, some people also enjoy using the RP Thread Tracker in order to be on top of things. It might be a good idea to check it out.

Because of Tumblr shadowbanning and shenanigans, it isn’t unusual for people to have NSFW sideblogs (sometimes referred as ‘sin blogs’). If you want to write smut, it might be a good idea to consider making one.

Some people don’t like replying to asks, as Tumblr won’t let you remove the initial ask. It has become common to see people making new posts to reply to asks.  This is a simple example:

As you can see, I used the mention to have the RP partner notified then I copied and pasted their question on my post and used the quote to indicate it. You can also have fancy graphics, like a line to separate the contents, just do whatever you feel like with the formatting or keep it simple.

To make sure your partner got the answer, I recommend copying the link to the post and pasting on the ask and then replying it privately.  An example sent to my rp blog:

4.       Basic Etiquette

Ok, this is a little subjective most of the time but here are a few things that are considered universal courtesy.

Never reblog someone else’s headcanons. If you enjoy it, maybe it should politely contact the author and ask if it is ok to write something based on their original idea but you should never downright copy or lift something from another creator. It is considered rude, or even theft in some cases.

Don’t reblog threads you are not involved with. It is ok to leave a like, but never reblog. This is because Tumblr can mess up the notifications and disrupt the flow of the RP.

Don’t copy other people’s graphics. It is very rude and sometimes they commission (aka: paid) for it.

Trim your posts. What does that mean? Every time you reblog with a reply, the post tends to get longer and longer, and it can cluster your and your mutuals’ dashes. This is why the New X-Kit’s “editable reblogs” is an almost must-have tool. If for some reason you can’t install X-Kit (if you are on mobile for example), then remove the previous post or ask your partner to trim for you.

Never take control of your RP partner’s muse. This is called “godmodding” and it is heavily frowned upon. It is ok to control your muse and the possible NPCs that you inserted, but never seize someone else’s character. Likewise, it can also be very upsetting if you use what people call “meta-gaming”, applying knowledge that your muse shouldn’t know about the other. For example, let’s say your RP partner’s muse is a vampire, but they have never disclosed that information to your muse, who also doesn’t have an excuse to know that (for example, being a vampire hunter) so it can be quite jarring sometimes. When in doubt, contact your partner.

This should go without saying, but RPing sexual themes with users under the age of 18 are illegal. It doesn’t matter if the age of consent in your location is lower, once you join Tumblr you are abiding by their user guidelines and the law of the state they are located in. If you are an adult, don’t engage minors with these topics, maybe a fade to black would be a better option. If you are a minor, don’t insist or you might cause a lot of legal problems for others.

Try to tag anything triggering. Violence, gore, NSFW. Both Tumblr and the New Xkit have options to block keywords.

When picking PSDs or graphics for your blog, you should avoid templates that change the color of the skin of POCs muses and try to pick the right race/ethnicity of the muse you are going to RP as. I won’t go through a lot of details, as it is a rather lengthy subject in an already lengthy conversation but keep this in the back of your mind.

Some RPers don’t like when you reblog memes from them without sending anything. Try to always reblog from a source or to interact with the person you are reblogging from, it can be rather disheartening to be seen as a meme source rather than a RP blog. This isn’t a rule and some people don’t mind, but it is always a good idea to try to do this.

This might be more of a pet peeve of mine than proper etiquette, but it is ok to use small font. What is not ok is use small font + underscript. Some people have disabilities that might make it harder for them to read it, so it might be a good idea to refrain from using it. Maybe if you feel like doing something fancier every now and then, but I wouldn’t recommend making this a habit.

Mun and Muse are different entities. Remember that it isn’t because a muse does something (especially a villain one) that the mun condones something. Never assume anything about the mun, when in doubt talk to them.

Be mindful of your partners and treat them the way you would like to be treated.

As a rule of thumb, always talk to your RP partner. It is only fun as long both of you are enjoying it.

5.       Closing Words

This got longer than I expected.

Despite all of that, don’t be too worried about not being very good at first. I assure you that you will get better with time, so don’t be afraid of experimenting as long you feel comfortable. And don’t be afraid of saying “no” if something bothers you.

My inbox is always open to questions and ideas, so feel free to contact me anytime!

I would also ask my followers: there is advice I missed/overlooked? Anything you would like someone have told you when you first started? Add your thoughts so I can update this.

Happy RPing!

#roleplay advice #roleplay help #rph #rp reference #rp resources

[kaalamarii]

Figure My Heart Out (SatanxGN!MC)

ObeyMax Satan day

Warnings: sex, but not really graphic or detailed. Some jealousy. Mostly just fluff and Satan having feelings. Probably ooc Satan.

Masterlist

It wasn’t the most romantic, MC leaning over the bathroom sink with their underwear around their ankles, legs spread. Satan stood behind them, pants down just enough to let his cock out, slamming in and out of them. He let out grunts and small groans and complaints about whatever it was that was making him feel wrathful today. His fingers gripped MC’s hips, making marks in their skin. 

It all started weeks ago. Satan had been stressed. Starting arguments with his brothers, throwing tantrums when things didn’t go his way, the usual wrath, but worse. It had been going on for a while, and it was making the whole house uncomfortable. The Brothers and MC mostly stayed in their rooms, complaining to each other about the fourth oldest in group messages.

It was something Asmo said in one of those chats that stayed with MC, something they couldn’t stop thinking about. 

Maybe he needs to get laid.

The brothers all blew him off (except Mammon, who replied, “Don’t we all.”), and although MC joined them in laughing about it, they thought maybe there was some truth to it. When Satan was around, whether in class or just around the House of Lamentation, MC couldn’t help but watch him and wonder. He was handsome, they had to admit.

The two hadn’t spoken much since MC got to Devildom. Satan was almost always nose deep in a book, closed off to the world. Not to mention, he always seemed pissed at something or otherwise disinterested in any matters regarding the human. He was friendly enough, but MC definitely didn’t think much of him. They were acquaintances and rarely even thought of each other.

Until that message from Asmo.

After a particularly nasty argument with Lucifer, Satan had stormed off to his room, and MC decided just to go for it. Praying that they didn’t get murdered by the Avatar of Wrath, they got up and followed him.

“Hey, Satan,” they called out, causing the demon to stop and look back at them. 

“What do you want?”

“Oh, um…I wanted to see if you had a book in your room.”

Satan rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. “I have a lot of books, you might want to be more specific.”

MC chuckled nervously. “Right. Um, I was hoping for some suggestions.”

Satan didn’t answer for a moment, considering what to say. No, he didn’t really want some stupid fucking human in his room. He was irritated as hell right now, and the last thing he wanted was MC rooting around in his book collection. Though he was always up to talk about books. 

And they looked so pathetic, nervously messing with their clothing and avoiding his eyes, giving him awkward, forced smiles.

Satan sighed and nodded his head toward his bedroom. MC smiled, following the demon in.

“What do you like to read?” he asked, picking up a pile of books off the floor and flipping through them, considering which ones to give to MC.

MC shrugged. “A little bit of everything, I guess. I liked Harry Potter as a kid.”

They looked around his room, shifting uncomfortably. It was annoying. 

“Why are you so nervous?” he asked, handing MC a book. 

MC watched him as he ran a finger along the spines of some books on a shelf. “Sorry. I just...I’ve noticed you’ve been...stressed lately.”

“And?”

“Sometimes when I’m really cranky, there’s certain things that relieve that.”

Satan laughed. “Cranky? I’m the Avatar of Wrath. You being a little fussy when your tummy hurts is not the same as the wrath of a demon.”

“I know. But when I’m stressed, I find that there’s one thing in particular that helps with it.”

“And that is?” Satan crossed his arms, an amused looked on his face.

MC sighed, running a hand over the book he had given them. “Sex,” they uttered.

Satan lost his amused smile, his eyes widening a little. “Excuse me? Did you just say…”

MC nodded. “I wanted to let you know, if you think it’ll help you feel better, you can take your anger out on me.”

“Are you really offering me sex?”

MC held the book up, using it as a shield against the embarrassment. “I was, but that’s stupid, so never mind. Thanks for the book.”

MC turned to leave, their hand on the door knob as Satan spoke up. “Wait.”

They sighed and turned to look at the demon. “Just forget I said anything, Satan.”

MC avoided any eye contact with Satan after that, instead distracting themselves with the book he had lent them. But now it was Satan that was fixating. He found himself watching them read the book that they had borrowed from him. He found the look of concentration they got kind of adorable. He let himself ogle a little when they had dropped their D.D.D. and bent down to get it. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea, taking his anger out on the human. Plus, it had been a while.

So when they brought the book back to him, excitedly telling him how they loved it, he cleared his throat, and let them know that if their offer still stood, he accepted. This surprised the human, but they felt a tingle run up and down their backbone at the thought of being in bed with The Avatar of Wrath himself.

Their first time together was a little awkward, nerves getting in the way of them letting loose. Satan, somewhat afraid of hurting the human, couldn’t really get into it. But by their second time, and with a safe word in case Satan got a little too rough, they were both able to enjoy themselves. Each time got better, the chemistry they had together surprising both of them.

Still, there wasn’t anything between them. The two of them still didn’t spend time together outside of their intimate times, besides MC borrowing the occasional book from Satan. Something would piss Satan off, and he’d text MC a location and they’d meet up, fuck, and go their separate ways.

It was an arrangement they were both happy with. Until the day he told MC to meet him in the school bathroom.

He noticed MC slouched against a wall at RAD, giving Solomon flirty eyes as the two humans talked. Solomon leaned into MC, hand on the wall next to their head, and whispered something, making MC laugh and playfully smacked his chest. 

In fact, Satan noticed Solomon around a lot more lately. In MC’s room helping them with homework, walking them to class, eating lunch with them. Satan was getting sick of the stupid sorcerer. 

Each time he saw Solomon, it triggered something in the demon, and he found himself sending that familiar text. 

MC caught on quickly that whenever Solomon was around, Satan called them away, cutting their time with the other exchange human short. They also noticed how every time Satan seemed more emotional. Rougher, more noisy, holding them tighter and tighter. On the other hand, MC noticed they were no longer quickies in Satan’s room before bedtime. Now their time was drawn out. There was more kissing, more touching, more intimacy. Satan would look them in the eyes during, a dopey grin on his face that MC figured he no one else had ever seen, and that he himself probably wasn’t even aware of. 

Truth was, Satan did know how he looked at MC. He tried to stop it, but couldn’t. And he couldn’t ignore the feeling in his chest when he saw them with someone else. This was becoming something more than sex for Satan and as much as he lied to himself, he could no longer evade it. Especially when he saw the way Solomon and MC acted around each other.

Hence, the text, inviting MC to one of the RAD bathrooms.

MC cleaned themself up and jumped up onto the bathroom sink counter they had just been fucked on. They eyeballed Satan as he also cleaned up and tidied his clothing.

“What’s going on with us?” MC asked, surprising the demon with their straightforward question.

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. It’s been different lately. The sex.”

Satan’s blonde hair fell in his face as he looked over at the human. “Was it not good?”

“Of course it was. It always is.”

“Then what’s the issue? Are you upset I’m not Solomon?” It slipped out of Satan’s mouth, wrath speaking before he could think.

“I knew it! You’re jealous!”

“I’m not.”

“You are. You think I want to fuck Solomon.”

“Have you?” Satan questioned, his eyebrow cocking.

MC chuckled. “No! And I don’t want to.”

MC grabbed Satan’s arm, pulling them over to the counter and wrapping their arms around him. “I like you.”

Satan hesitated before returning their hug. “I like you too.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Satan grinned, giving the human a kiss. “You’re becoming too brave.”

“And you’re becoming soft.” MC teased, kissing him back.

“Only for you, so don’t tell anyone.”

“It’s a deal if you give me a second round tonight.”

“Deal. But first I want to take you on a date tonight.”

“Wow, an actual date. Can my boyfriend, Solomon, come?”

Satan kissed them again with a growl. “Watch it, human. You know what happens when I get angry.”

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me satan #obey me fanfiction #obey me imagines #obey me headcanons

[trials-by-blood]

Umm...I always see Yautja being paired up with someone strong and skilled and stuff. I was wondering if you could write something with any Yautja being with someone who is shy, meek, and a little chubby. And when they're alone or think they are they sing along to music and dance even though they can't.XD Sorry if I'm asking too much or anything...

Fegris, the dump world where the unwanted are left to rot and crumble.

  This was once a world where the yautja would crash their obsolete vessels so that they could not fall into use by the other space faring races. Ships were not the only things they left behind. Exiles, heretics, or anyone who upset the balance of their society were also left to wither, but not all did.

  In the following ages, other peoples would use Fegris as a place to forget their burdens. The Faceless Ones unloaded their collected specimens here when science deemed that their time of usefulness had ended.

  Now generations of humans, yautja, clade, mind eaters and all manner of invasive species build their cities here, clinging to half remembered mockeries of their mother cultures. Here, all Forgotten busy themselves mining ore, seeking pleasurable escape, stripping precious metals from ancient wrecks, gambling, farming, extorting, building, destroying, breeding, killing.

  One of the few honest livings to be made anywhere, the food service industry, prospers here. Organic people must eat, so this work will never die.

  Heather, an old name from an old world no one can recall, worked for her room and board at what would best resemble a mall food court. It wasn't a particularly hazardous occupation, so long as you don't taste-test the food or stay long after the coalition of retail outlets close.

(OOC: Okay this ran WAY longer than I anticipated and I had to make the choice to cap it off at 2,500ish words. I’m sorry if this TOTALLY misses the vibe you were hoping for, I kinda got carried away. Oops)

  Once, she'd made that mistake. Even her cold hearted rock-sucker of a boss told her not to bother finishing the cleaning if it meant staying after hours, but she hadn't listened. Heather hadn't wanted to leave her work half done and risk losing her job and newly acquired living space on her first day. So she'd stayed to wipe down the counters and load the trolly cart with the leftovers for the cooler. The reward for a job well finished was stepping out into the market spaces abandoned by customers and workers but repopulated by the local Yautja Bad-bloods and their rivals, The Cranium Skaggers. They were working through a territorial dispute.

  The Skaggers were human, but barely. They injected enhancement serums, most barely tested, directly into their brain tissues via an implanted port installed at the top of their shaved heads.

  Heather had stepped out of her safe enclosed little work area into a street brawl, and was pinned between the doors she'd only just locked and the carnal violence of the city. One of the yautja, who's vision was... not like hers, must have mistaken her bright heat signature and rapid heart rhythm for a Cranium Skagger.

  Oh, she tried to run when she saw him move on her with his unhuman, talon tipped hand outstretched to seize her. Heather had dropped her bag, the keys, the silly hat which matched with her uniform, and she ran but he was fast, so horridly fast for something so big, heavy, and grieved with bulky armor.

  It only took him three strides, thud thud thud, to reach her and tangle his terrible claws into the back of her long tunic. She was thrown, landing hard, disoriented and crying out as deep, raw pain shot up her left hip and into her pelvis. Something was broken.

  She saw him, her attacker, and the blades attached to his dominant arm glistening with the blood of Cranium Skagger's, but she didn't even think to cover her face. All she could do was scream for help.

  Her plea was answered. A great clawed fist smashed across the Yautja's mask with such force that his yowling face was revealed as his helm was torn from him. Next, skulls collided with a clapping of flesh so sharp, Heather thought someone had cracked a whip above her.

  One Yautja had begun to fight another. That was when she did the sensible thing, curling her arms over her head and making herself as small as she could.

  She survived that night. That battle resolved itself as she lied on the ground trembling and weeping in terror, but her savior stuck around after all the others had left. He put her things next to her, and waited until her boss came to collect her and get her help. The yautja must have gone through her communicator for her contacts.

  The fractured hip was easily and painlessly repaired but the procedure had completely drained her savings. To her shock and mild horror, someone had wired to her account credits in the exact amount to replace what she'd spent at the Urgent Intervention Facility to fix her leg.

  When she returned to work, who was there at the food court? The yautja who'd stayed that night. He stood out like a broken finger, the cleaned hand bones and torn out skull ports of Skaggers littered about what he wore like grim badges of honor. The sight of him watching her enter her workplace sent a chill up Heather's spine.

  This kept up for weeks, until The Indecent was months behind her. She'd go to work, and he'd be there, just watching. Heather's co-workers weren't fans of her admirer. Yagon, the young clade boy who took the morning shift before her was the least fond of the yautja lingering around.

  Today, as Heather stepped past her bad-blood observer who had decided to lean against the wall next to the employee entrance, Yagon was peeking out from the door to keep a watchful eye on her as she came in for her shift.

  Yagon chittered irritably, antennae vibrating as he took off his smock and hat so he could scratch his double claws at the translator hanging on a lanyard around his the joining of his head and thorax.

  The voice emanating from the little box was monotone and purposefully slow so that it could be heard clearly as he continued chirping and tweeting.

  "You know what that creep does all day waiting for you to come in? He listens to recordings of you singing on your shifts."

  Heather cringed. That was creepy. She'd had a feeling that he'd been able to hear her sing to herself from where he usually hung around, but she never thought he'd record her. It felt incredibly invasive. She briefly imagined confronting him about it, but thought better of it. He could crush her skull between his hands as if it were a brittle little Skitterling egg. She hunched her shoulders and hugged herself a bit.

  Yagon then turned and dropped the claws of his primary arms on her shoulders.

  "I can file an anonymous report for you. Please? I don't want to come in to work one day and find out something happened to you."

  Heather sighed, trying not to vividly imagine how an exiled yautja might retaliate to that.

  "N- no, I think that would just make things worse, Yagon," Heather tried not to whimper.

  Yagon finished folding his smock and hat into his bag and left, but not before offering twice more to file that report.

  A few hours passed and Heather caught herself singing a handful of times as she fell into her work routine but always stopped when she remembered who was listening. It felt awful, being observed so closely and denied the personal freedom do anything without fear of having it recorded for some stranger's entertainment.

  Again, she thought about confronting the yautja watcher, but couldn't help the violent catastrophes imagined with the idea.

  She felt like she couldn't make a noise or do a thing for herself to make this crappy job the least bit bearable without putting on some bizarre show for Captain Cranium Crusher out there! Heather's frustration built and built until she couldn't take it anymore.

  The walk-in cooler. It was sound proof, right? The moment she finished the lunch-rush line of customers holding out their trays for their greasy food, Heather tore off her gloves, tossed them in the general direction of the trash chute and turned on her heel to stomp her way to that cooler door.

  Heather glanced over the counter to confirm the Skull Collecting Jerk was still out there haunting the seating area. There he was, arms crossed against his chiseled chest, ass planted on a chair that could barely hold his weight with his big ugly sandled feet propped up on one of the tables. Bastard.

  She pulled open the thick insulated door and slammed it behind her. First she simply bellowed angrily, stomped her foot, slapped a bag of single serve condiments as hard as she could manage, doing anything to break the severe edge from her frustration.

  "UGH! WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!" She tore off her work smock and threw her hat on the floor to stomp on it, "I'M JUST A SHORT, ROUND, NOBODY WHO SHOVELS SLOP ONTO PLATES SIX HOURS A DAY. I'VE NEVER EVEN BEEN IN A REAL FIGHT! I'M NOTHING! WHY ARE YOU WATCHING ME? WHAT THE FUCK COULD BE SO INTERESTING ABOUT ME?! STOP WATCHING ME, YOU ASSHOLE!"

  Then, spitefully, she sang her favorite song, watching the misty puffs of her breath dissipate as her heart pounded.

  Now, she felt cold and her throat hurt from belting out her very favorite lyrics so harshly. It wasn't fair, she shouldn't have to be reminded of that night every afternoon on her shift. It sucked, and somehow she felt guilty for being angry even though none of this was her fault and she knew she had every right to be angry. So Heather curled up and cried in the cooler for a half-hour at the helplessness she felt. It felt gross, and she knew by now there had to be a never-ending line of pissed off customers outside. She was afraid of confrontation and couldn't ever imagine herself actually standing up to anyone. She could already tell that she'd be crying in her apartment after work too. Whob wouldn't after the verbal abuse she'd no doubt suffer at the service counter from customers tired of waiting.

  Miserably, Heather stood and steeled her resolve to go back out there. With a deep, shaky breath, put her smock back on and fixed her hat.

  "I'll get through it because I'm good at getting through it," she told herself to make it easier to reach for that door.

  Chur-clunk. Chur-clunk. It was jammed. Oh no the cooler door was stuck. Heather put her weight into her next push, then her entire being into the push after that.

  "Oh GODS I'm going to freeze to death!" she wailed, pushing at the door again with everything she had.

  Frustration, anger, helplessness, now panic. She didn't want to die alone of hypothermia at work.

  There was a bang and a great dent had appeared in the thick door. Before she could figure what was happening, the door was torn completely from the reinforced hinges. Heather shrieked and fell squarely on her bottom.

  There he was again, who else would it be coming to her rescue and staring coldly down at her through the dead lenses of that helmet.

  In one swift motion he lifted his left arm and clicked away at the keys of his gauntlet computer with those claws. The hologram display showed Heather a collection of files marked with icons she recognized. They were just cropped, slightly fuzzy pictures of her name tag for work. With a few more taps of his claw, all of the icons dissolved. He deleted them. He'd deleted all of his recordings which pertained to her.

  "Oh, shit, you heard all of that," Heather whimpered, clutching her head with both hands in mortification. He must have heard what Yagon said earlier too.

  He said nothing, made no noise. He just stood there like an imposing statue for a few tense seconds before turning to stride away.

  She wasn't fired for the broken door and spoiled food. Before she could even collect herself from the floor in the cooler, her boss was wired a credit transfer for "damages".

  Later as she heard of his generosity, it also explained the mysterious funds appearing in her account after the hip procedure. That had been Him too.

  Her "admirer" didn't come back after that, which was a relief for the first week or two. After a while she found herself over thinking the whole thing. Yautja were notorious for being socially incomprehensible. Heather wondered if he just pitied her so much after one of his own kind damn-near destroyed her that he felt responsible for her continued safety. Or, maybe he was just a stalking sleeze-ball. She tended to flounder between the two conclusions, but one thing was certain, he was respecting her boundaries now and she appreciated that.

  After nearly a month, she decided that the best closure she'd get was accepting that the entire ordeal was some bizarre misunderstanding, totally on his part, and he did a few nice things but that didn't make up for the weeks and weeks of discomfort he'd inflicted.

  More time passed, Heather became more comfortable with her new job, and she very nearly forgot about that Yautja. The only time she remembered him were on cold days when her hip would ache, but it was pleasantly warm out on the afternoon she came in for her shift and found Yagon agitated with his antennae twitching so fast one might expect them to fly off his head. Heather looked around, hoping that the cleaning she couldn't finish the night before hadn't upset him. What she found was... Unusual, and she certainly hadn't left the thing there last night.

  It was a skull, from what she wasn't sure, sitting there on the counter by the check out scanner.

  "The Creep is back. This time he left a name with that." Yagon's translator couldn't read the inflections in his speech, but Heather could tell where the translator omitted expletives.

  "W-hat was it? His name?"

  "Stone Fist was the direct translation. I can't get the translator to say the correct pronunciation in his language and he made a scene about it until I threatened to call security. You know what that thing means, don't you?"

  Heather nodded, she knew what it meant. Everyone did. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the empty sockets of the skull. It was as if it were staring through her being.

  "I can still file that report, Heather," Yagon offered again.

  "Don't, I mean... As long as I don't take it, then nothing happens. Right?"

  "As far as I'm aware? I think that's how it works."

  If Heather didn't touch it, he wouldn't come back. If she took it home, he'd follow her home because accepting an offering like that was an act of giving permission to pursue courtship.

  Working with that lifeless skull watching her was eerie to say the least. She covered it with her hat midway through her shift so she didn't have to look at it. At the end of her shift as she fiddled with the patterned key to lock up before she left, she considered the skull one last time. No, She wasn't taking it, but she'd leave a note. Two notes actually, one to ask Stone Fist if he would consider an actual conversation before anything else, and a second note to apologize to Yagon for asking him to speak with Stone Fist again.

To Be Continued?

#yautja #predator #human/predator #alien vs predator #ask

[fandom-necromancer]

You and me against the world

This was prompted by an amazing anon! The universe didn’t want this story written, but I summoned my inner Gavin and said phck the universe. I hope you enjoy! The lost version is better stylistically, but I still like it!

Fandom: Detroit become human | Ship: Reed900 (Warning: Graphic depiction of violence, Hank is OOC for the sake of having an antagonist) [Part2]

It should have been easy: Sit in a room, drink some water, look important, answer some questions and get back to work. Had Gavin known how it ended, he would have never agreed to do this stupid live interview about human-android relations after the revolution.

‘Hello! This is Joss Douglas from Channel 16, reporting live from the DPD’s fifth precinct where the very first android joined the police force. We have the unique possibility to interview not one but two human-android work partners. Let’s greet Lieutenant Anderson and Connor, who had worked here even before deviation, as well as Nines and Detective Reed!’ Gavin tried to keep up a neutral but nor intimidating face and hoped Hank to lead the talk. Their dislike was mutual, but at least they had managed to stay professional so far. He nodded his greeting after Connor and Hank answered with a polite hello. ‘Okay, then let’s jump in right away!’ The reporter announced flashing a well-trained smile that should calm as well as impress. ‘I guess the question most people out there would love to ask is how it is to work as a deviant with the police. During the revolution it isn’t too wrong to assume you had been opposing forces.’ The reporter looked towards Nines with it, but the android redirected it: ‘I believe Connor can say more to that. I’ve been activated after the revolution as a deviant from the start. I can only say that my human co-workers have been generally accepting and nice. We do face problems sometimes when we have cases involving deviants that suffer from trauma caused by previous actions. Though we hope to become better and change that.’ The reporter nodded and turned towards Connor. ‘Then let’s ask you then! How did your life pre-deviation influence you? Were you treated differently afterwards?’

Gavin listened to Connor being polite and diplomatic only with half an ear, instead focussing on how they all avoided calling names. No one said something about being a machine or robot. Well, he guessed it was better that way, although he still didn’t believe in seeing them as all human. He knew Nines very intimately by now and he had noticed himself how forgetting they were steel and plastic had caused unnecessary harm. But he came to the wise conclusion it was probably best not to say that on public television. Next the reporter asked Hank and him how it was working during the revolution and both answered mostly by telling the truth: That they had investigated the cases like any other, but were very glad not to be involved in trying to suppress the revolution. It would have felt wrong. That likely was the only topic he and Hank would ever agree on.

‘Without doubt there are a lot of challenges deviants as well as humans out there face figuring out this still new situation. Have you faced any yourselves?’ Connor was eager to answer, clearly the more enthusiastic to help androids make use of their rights, being part of the revolution himself: ‘There have been some challenges in the beginning, but after a few months, things started to change really quickly.’ The reporter seemed just as eager to jump on it. This clearly had been what he had wanted to talk about all along. ‘Oh, would you mind elaborate on that a bit? I believe quite a few androids face some kind of problems these days. I think it is time to face them together!’ Gavin had relaxed quite a bit from the initial nervousness. It seemed Connor and Hank were comfortable leading this whole thing, while him and Nines stayed in the backseat and answer with additions and different perspectives. At least until Hank spoke up, joking: ‘I believe, Gavin here could tell you a lot about that.’

Oh no, please, did the old phck really have to deal that blow? The reporter seemed just as confused, having read the natural feeling of their personalities. Connor was quick for an attempt at damage control: ‘Hank, I don’t think-‘ But the reporter had caught himself and apparently taken it for a genuine cue. ‘Oh, that would be lovely, Detective Reed.’ Gavin sighed, remembering they were on TV. He thought how to put this best without looking like the man Hank wanted him to frame as. ‘Well… you see… Me and Connor didn’t get along at first. When he was still a ma- Before he deviated, I saw him as one of these “robot-overlords” that were sent to replace us.’ He did think to quickly add air quotes to that. ‘I did things that… weren’t exactly nice, but I have since-‘ ‘You tried to kill him. Multiple times’, Hank interrupted.

Gavin gaped at him. So that’s what they were playing? He knew Hank didn’t like him and that he wanted to drive a wedge between him and Nines, who he saw as almost a son. Damn overprotective bastard, it wasn’t as if he had changed since then and- ‘You did?’, the reporter asked too shocked to remember doing his job. Gavin’s brain worked overtime trying to find a way out of this one, but when he had opened his mouth, Hank had already began. ‘Before the revolution he viewed them as simple machines that weren’t alive. As if deviancy was nothing but a bug. Roughing up an android suspect wasn’t out of the question.’ Nines sat up straighter, before Gavin could do something dumb on life TV. ‘May I add that Detective Reed never did and never would do such a thing and that the statement was meant as a joke at that time?’ Apparently the reporter realised his interview had been derailed and wanted to regain power over it, but Hank had other ideas: ‘Yeah, but he threatened him with a gun – I think twice - hit him and called him names.’ ‘Is this true?’

Gavin had managed to stay calm until now. But this was enough. What did the idiot think he was doing? So he did what he could do best: explode. ‘Yes. Yes, it is true. I was an asshole, am still, but me and Connor came to terms. We talked about it. I regret it. I have even fallen in love with one of these plastic pricks! And I talked about my ways with Nines and we are still together. Maybe you don’t understand it Hank, but it is like it is! So phck you and your stupid schemes! This interview is over!’

With that he marched out of the room and called himself a taxi home.

~

Of course, the live broadcast had been a disaster that had become famous for all the wrong reasons. At least the protesters outside had subsided a week later and Fowler had had his back by letting him off the hook with a disciplinary and Hank on patrol duty for his shitty behaviour. Didn’t mean life was back to normal. His favourite bar had thrown him out, as the android bartender had politely explained they didn’t serve robophobic fuckers like him there. Not that anyone in Detroit thought of him highly. Cases had become difficult as witnesses refused to speak with him or even became violent upon seeing him. It was surprising Nines still had his back. The tall android had stepped in front of him every single time, catching fists directed his way and explaining in his most intimidating voice that personal opinions would not advance the investigation. By now Gavin was happy to get the gruesome cases. The cases that involved dead bodies en masse without any ties to the living world.

But hell, this was not what he had wanted. Not at all. He was a detective, goddamnit! And he had changed, he had put real effort in too! And now all of that had been torn down by Hank phcking Anderson. Phcking hell… He stared at the screen without any ambition, tracing the specks of blood, overlying Nines’ analysis and the forensics’ data. It was likely a suicide after an overdose that had destroyed the woman’s ability to think clearly, but Gavin would be damned if he wouldn’t be thorough. Only that by now he was craving a cigarette. He had to relax, get his mind off of this whole shit-show. Maybe he needed a vacation. Maybe he should ask for a transfer. But for now, a cigarette would do.

So, he decided to call it quits for today. He would take some of his overtime for this. He grabbed his jacket and waved his hand half-heartedly at Nines. ‘See ya tomorrow, tin-can.’ Then he headed outside, a stick already on his lips fumbling to get the lighter on in the strong autumn wind. It had gotten cold far too early in the year. He finally ignited the cigarette and put his hands in his pockets, walking down the street. He had sat in a chair far too long already and decided to get home by foot for once. At least until he decided otherwise.  He took a few shortcuts through back alleys, trying to escape the sharp winds of the main streets, puffing out clouds of smoke and breath. He wasn’t really thinking about anything, letting his feet carry him on. Maybe that was how he couldn’t see the fist coming for his face and then his stomach.

He doubled over and saw the cigarette falling to the ground weirdly clear. All air seemed to have left his lungs as he knelt on the cold floor holding his middle. ‘This is the man, right?’ ‘Yeah. What a piece of shit!’ ‘Oh, this will be fun.’ Gavin groaned. How could he ever have thought androids and humans were different? Everyone was just full of the same bullshit. ‘Get up!’ Someone grabbed him by the back of his jacket and hoisted him up to his feet. Gavin stood face to face with an android, two more behind him. A woman and one that apparently chosen not to present their skin. Not that Gavin cared, the three were here to beat him up, that was all he needed to know. Phck, Fowler would hate the hospital costs. This still counted as an accident on the journey from work, right? God, he hoped it was. He didn’t have a beautiful face to begin with, but he really didn’t want another go at how phcked up do you want to look versus how much are you willing to pay.

At least these ridiculous thoughts left him as the android that had picked him up pushed him against a wall and pinned him while the skinless one threw the next punch to his jawline. Gavin felt tears prickling at the corner of his eyes and blinked them free, just to get the next strike to his sternum again and when he gasped for air, someone kicked his legs from underneath him. Unable to react fast enough, Gavin flopped to the ground, remembering his lessons to roll in his head to his chest and keep it there. The least thing he wanted was to get hit in the head and fall unconscious while the androids had their fun. There were better ways to die.

He rolled to his side as a boot connected with his shoulder and burrowed his head in his arms for protection. Maybe if he could get a good kick at one of them, he could roll over and escape. Maybe he could make it to the main street where people could help him. Not that he expected them to, but he couldn’t fight three androids on his own. But unfortunately, his foot didn’t hit a leg but a hand, as the woman grabbed and lifted his leg, turned him around and kicked where it hurt most. Gavin couldn’t suppress a whine as the pain paralyzed him. He once again rolled up into a ball and tried to protect his vulnerable areas. Maybe he should have fallen unconscious, he thought as boots and punches made his whole body light up in pain. Somewhere along the way one of his teeth got knocked loose and he tasted blood in his mouth. As he opened his eyes the next time the world was a blurry mess. Maybe they would stop soon. Maybe someone had called the police. But no, the only thing he saw was a fourth silhouette joining the three. Well, that was just his luck, wasn’t it? Who cared how much you changed? All that mattered was how the world saw you and in his case the world had made up its mind a long time ago. He pressed his eyes closed and braced for more.

But nothing came. Until there were hands on him. ‘No’, he begged. ‘Please, don’t.’ But the hands continued mapping his body and Gavin noticed they were gentle. They didn’t hurt, didn’t press down on them but simply examined him. He dared to relax a little and uncurl, but the tiny movement made everything ache. Apparently, Gavin had groaned, because the stranger spoke up: ‘Shh, it’s fine, Gavin. I’m here. You are safe.’ ‘Tin-can?’, Gavin slurred and made the effort to look up. It really was Nines and he threw him a soft smile. ‘Yes. You left early and you forgot your keys. Wanted to bring them to you, but you already left by foot, so I followed. I’m sorry I wasn’t here faster.’ ‘You are here now’, Gavin sighed and God, was he tired. ‘Hey, stay with me now. You don’t get to seep just yet, wait until you’re home and showered.’ Nines turned him around gently and finally nodded. ‘Aright. You are beaten up pretty badly, but it’s nothing serious. Minor wounds, but a lot of them. I’ll get you home, don’t worry. I’ll take care of you. You will feel better in no time.’

Gavin smiled and lifted his hand to lay on his cheek and Nines took it to hold there. ‘Why do you still stick around?’, the human asked. ‘After what happened I’m basically target practise. You’d have it easier without me.’ ‘I don’t want that’, Nines said, wrapping Gavin in his jacket. ‘Come on, if the whole world says I’m an asshole there has to be some truth to it.’ ‘I don’t care what the world has to say about you’, Nines said and snaked an arm under his back. ‘I love you’, he said with vehemence. ‘I know you. The real you. And that’s everything that matters to me.’

With that, Nines picked him up and pulled him to his chest, carrying the beaten human towards the street, where a cab was already waiting. ‘I’d say it’s you and me against the world’, he whispered as he sat him down on the backseat. But Gavin had already fallen asleep.

[>next part]

#detroit become human #dbh #Reed900 #RK900 #Gavin Reed #okay Hank was a real asshole in this I admit I feel bad #but it was kinda fitting #what was the tag? #author bends the canon brutally to get his will? #something along the lines #Hope you like this #has been fun to write!