#hes the kind of person i would expect to improve if he continued along this path

[tainsan]

opposites attract.

↳synopsis: you are on the verge of being expelled, so your teacher helps you find a tutor, yet what you weren't expecting was much more than just tutoring sessions.

↳ word count: 14.3k

↳ a/n: i know this isnt misfits or misfits related but i wanted to give you guys something whilst you wait for the next chapter. i havent been active due to a majot burnout, but im getting into the swing of it again. I hope you enjoy this one shot whilst you wait for the next chapter <3

↳ warnings: fem bodied reader, mentions of alcohol, explicit smut, fingering, oral (f rec), unprotected sex (wrap it pls), gn pronouns but Yunho calls reader a good girl.

MINORS DNI 18+ CONTENT AHEAD

"Expelled, what do you mean?" you exclaim, the words of your professor hitting you like a sudden, unwelcome storm.

Your professor leans forward, her expression grave. "If you don’t make a change," she replies, her tone weighted with concern. "Your recent academic performance has been far from ideal, and it's no secret that you'd rather be out partying and socialising than studying. I've tried to advocate for you for the past few months, but even the student council is beginning to lose faith. You need to make a change, or else they will remove you from this program."

The news leaves you feeling torn. You have always been drawn to the vibrant social scene on campus, and it was no secret that you enjoy a good party. Balancing your studies with your social life has been a constant struggle, and it has finally caught up with you in the form of this dire warning.

Taking a deep breath, you try to gather your thoughts, your mind a whirlwind of confusion. "I don't know what to do, though," you admit, your voice tinged with both desperation and uncertainty.

Professor Turner fixes her gaze on you, her expression stern yet caring. Her half-moon glasses perch on the edge of her nose lends an air of wisdom to her appearance. She had always been one of the few teachers who genuinely believed in your potential, even if you hadn't quite lived up to it yet. 

She leans forward slightly, her eyes locked on yours. "You can start by addressing that persistent partying issue," she says, her tone deadpan but not without a hint of exasperation. "I've always seen your talent, but it's time for you to believe in it too. My patience for you is wearing thin, and the threat of expulsion is very real. You need to get your studies together, and fast."

Her words strike a chord, and bow your head down, tears starting to form in your eyes. The urgency of the situation finally sinks in, and you know it is time to make a change. 

Professor Turner's expression softens, and she leans back in her chair, understanding the turmoil in your eyes. "I know it can be challenging to balance both, but it's essential. Perhaps you can establish a more structured study schedule and limit your social activities during the week.”

Looking up at her, you notice the warmth and unwavering belief in her eyes, which provides a glimmer of hope amidst your uncertainty. 

She continues, "In fact, I found a tutor for you. Someone had to cancel on him at the last minute, and he's willing to take you on until your grades improve. He’s an incredibly sweet person, his grades are the best in my class."

Although you would rather avoid any study sessions or anything to do with your university academics, you reluctantly take the paper showcasing the number of the tutor your professor found for you. The paper displays the name "Jeong Yunho" along with his contact number. You have never heard of him before, which was unusual considering you considered yourself as a social butterfly who knew nearly everyone on campus. It occurred to you that there truly was a first time for everything.

As you held the paper, a sense of curiosity overcame your reluctance. You pondered the mystery behind this unknown tutor and wondered what kind of person Jeong Yunho was. 

—

Clutching your bag tightly under your arm, you reluctantly made your way towards the library on a Friday evening. With every step, you grumbled to yourself, yearning to be at a lively party instead, drowning your sorrows about the looming threat of expulsion. The future seemed bleak, and hope was a distant memory. When you left Professor Turner's office earlier, you almost crumpled the paper she had given you, fully intent on disregarding any contact with whoever the hell Yunho is.

The journey to the library is slow, partly because you have never set foot in the place before, and partly due to your resistance against the impending academic endeavour. You had never planned on being a library regular; it wasn't part of your college vision. Yet, the harsh reality of the potential consequences weigh heavily on your mind. Losing your education at this point would not only set you back years but also jeopardise all the hard work you have invested to even make it to this esteemed school in the first place.

With every reluctant step, you can’t help but reflect on the choices that have led you here. It was time to face the music, find this enigmatic Yunho, and see if, against all odds, he held the key to salvaging your academic future. 

Pushing open the heavy wooden doors of the university library, you're immediately greeted by the familiar scent of aged books and hushed whispers. The soft lighting casts a warm glow over the rows of shelves filled with knowledge, and you can't help but feel out of place in this quiet atmosphere. You've rarely ventured into this sanctuary of academia, and your lack of familiarity is evident as you scan the cavernous space, unsure of where to start

Stepping further into the library, your frustration and reluctance grow. You have little idea of who you're even looking for. The notion that Yunho might be some stereotypical "nerd-looking" guy briefly crosses your mind, and you can't help but feel a twinge of guilt for the shallow assumption.

After several minutes of wandering the labyrinthine aisles, you find yourself standing in the centre of the library, defeated and ready to give up on this wild goose chase. You can't even muster the energy to be disappointed; you're too focused on your own internal battle between academic responsibilities and your desire for the social scene.

Just as you turn to head for the exit, your hasty retreat is halted by an unexpected and rather forceful collision. You practically bump into a broad, solid chest that seemingly appears out of nowhere. Startled, you stagger back a step, nearly dropping the papers that you have clenched in your hand.

Looking up, you're met with the sight of a tall man, much taller than you. The first thing you notice is his thick black-framed glasses perched on his nose, giving him a rather studious appearance. However, his eyes sparkle with warmth and curiosity, and his friendly, wide smile catches you off guard.

"I'm sorry," you stammer, feeling flustered by the unexpected encounter.

The man's voice is deep and soothing and light-hearted as he replies, "No need to apologise. Are you looking for someone, or can I help you find a book or something?"

You hesitate for a moment, unsure if you should reveal your purpose in the library. But the kindness in his eyes and the genuine desire to assist make you decide to share. "Actually, I'm trying to find someone named Yunho. I was told he could help me with my studies."

His smile widens, his eyes scrunching in the process, and he extends a hand in greeting. "Yunho, at your service. It's nice to meet you."

You shake his hand, feeling a mix of surprise and relief. Yunho is not what you had expected, and the moment you assumed he'd be a stereotypical "nerd" is now a distant memory. As you look into his friendly eyes, a sense of hope and optimism begins to replace the frustration and doubt that had plagued you earlier.

"You're Yunho?" you ask, a hint of surprise in your voice, as he begins to lead you towards where it appears he was sitting.

"Yes, is it hard to believe?" Yunho responds, a slight nervousness in his tone. "I can get my ID out if you're sceptical." He quickly reaches into his pocket, his ears turning a shade of red as he rushes to grab his ID.

Hastily, you halt him, not wanting to put him through the trouble of proving his identity. Silently, you smile to yourself, he is sweet.

You and Yunho take a seat at a quiet corner table within the library, and you find yourself fidgeting with unease in your chair. Yunho, observant of your discomfort, wisely refrains from commenting, valuing your need for privacy.

"Alright," Yunho began, adjusting his glasses with a hint of nervousness in his demeanour. He reaches into his bag, carefully pulling out two well-worn textbooks and a stack of papers, placing them on the table in front of you. 

"I wasn't entirely sure which topics you needed help with, so I brought materials for all five modules you're studying this semester."

You examine the books, their covers showing the marks of countless readers who had delved into their pages. 

"Are these your books?" you inquire, surprised by the thoughtfulness he has put into his preparation.

Yunho shakes his head, his cheeks flushing slightly as he admits, "No, I borrowed them from the library. Microbiology isn't my field of study."

Your disbelief is evident as you fix your gaze on him. The rosy hue on his cheeks deepens as he fiddles with the sleeves of his oversized sweater and adjusts his glasses nervously. "You don't study microbiology?" you ask, genuinely surprised.

"No," Yunho confesses, his embarrassment now fully on display. "I just study it as a hobby."

You can’t help but be impressed by his dedication and the sheer audacity of teaching a subject purely out of passion. 

"That's impressive," you state. You were well aware that to tutor a subject officially, one typically needed to pass a test administered by the school, certifying one's proficiency. The fact that Yunho was willing to help without any formal obligation was both admirable and unexpected.

Curiosity gets the better of you, you inquire, "What else do you tutor?"

Yunho hesitates for a moment, his fingers still absently adjusting his glasses. "Um, history, algebra, and applied sciences," he finally reveals, his modesty and shyness contrasting with his evident knowledge.

As you listened to him speak, you found yourself captivated not only by his academic prowess but also by the way he wore his thick glasses and his endearing shyness. Yunho was turning out to be a surprising and impressive individual, and you couldn't help but feel a growing fascination with the person who had just entered your academic world.

“So how much do you know about Microbiology?” Yunho questions, thinning through some of the papers in front of him.

“Uh, the basics I guess.” you mumble, your knowledge not the best seeing as you have missed many lectures the past few months.

Yunho's gaze meets yours, and you sense him observing your unease as his eyes traverse your form. 

With a soft tone, he reassures you, "it’s okay, you can be honest. I'm here to help you, so you have to be honest. Then I can help you in the best way possible.” 

For a fleeting moment, his words touch your heart, a warmth spreading within. Yet, you quickly suppress the feeling, reminding yourself that there is no time for such emotions in your busy life.

“I’ve forgotten a lot, to be honest.” 

“That’s okay, we will start with the basics today, to refresh your memory.” 

Under the soft glow of the study lamps in your cosy corner of the library, Yunho begins to unravel the basics. The excitement in his eyes was unmistakable, his passion for the subject evident with every word he spoke.

"Alright," he begins, tracing his finger along the pages filled with complex diagrams and scientific jargon. "As you likely already know, microbiology is the study of tiny organisms, like bacteria, viruses, and fungi. These microorganisms are everywhere, and they play a crucial role in our lives, from the food we eat to the diseases we encounter."

Yunho's explanation is clear and concise, making sure to break down complex ideas into easily digestible pieces. 

He continues, "Uhh, the basics: the three main types of microorganisms. First, there are bacteria. They're single-celled organisms that can be both good and bad. Some bacteria help with digestion in your gut, while others can cause diseases."

You nod along, your memory starting to be refreshed. Yunho's enthusiasm is contagious, and you find yourself getting more and more interested in the subject.

He flips to a page with colourful illustrations of various microorganisms. "Then there are viruses, which are even smaller than bacteria. They're not considered living because they can't reproduce on their own. Instead, they need a host cell to replicate. Viruses are responsible for many illnesses, like the flu or COVID."

You absorb the information, appreciating how Yunho made the complex concept of viruses relatable. "And the third type?" you prompt.

"Ah, fungi," Yunho smiles. "Fungi are more complex microorganisms. They can be beneficial, like the yeast used in baking bread, or harmful, causing infections like athlete's foot. They're known for their unique cell structure and reproduction methods."

Whilst he explains, he encourages you to ask questions, making sure you are following along. The library's serene ambiance, coupled with Yunho's patient teaching, created a comfortable learning atmosphere. He didn't rush, taking his time to make sure you grasped each concept before moving on.

He continued to cover the basics of microbiology, including the significance of studying these microorganisms, their role in medicine, agriculture, and environmental science. Yunho's passion for the subject was evident in the way he animatedly discussed the various branches of microbiology, from medical microbiology to environmental microbiology, each with its unique focus and importance.

In the quiet of the library, during this unexpected first study session, you find yourself lost in thought. This wasn't how you had imagined it would go, and you can’t help but be impressed and thankful for Yunho's extraordinary patience and intelligence. 

You had initially expected a conventional tutoring experience, but Yunho has proven to be so much more. His explanations were crystal clear, his passion for the subject contagious, and his willingness to help you with genuine enthusiasm is striking. He isn’t just a smart individual; he is a rare combination of intelligence and empathy.

You marvel at the fact that he wasn't the stereotypical snobby, know-it-all type who might look down on your abilities. Instead, Yunho is an embodiment of understanding and non-judgment. As he continues to make the complex subject of microbiology comprehensible, you can’t help but feel immense gratitude.

The study session with Yunho nears its end and you find yourself in a much different frame of mind than when you had started. Initially apprehensive about having a tutor, you have been pleasantly surprised by the experience. Your worries have somewhat melted away, replaced by a growing sense of confidence and gratitude.

Yunho, having covered a significant portion of the microbiology basics, closes the textbook with a satisfied smile. "I think we've made some good progress today," he says. "But there is still a lot we have to cover before exams next month. I expect to see you every Wednesday and Friday until then." Yunho attempts a stern voice, jokingly pointing his finger at you.

You chuckle, rolling your eyes. “Yes sir.” you salute him, acting back on his funny actions. 

Gathering your belongings, you prepare to leave the library, yet Yunho surprises you with a genuine offer. 

"If you ever have questions or need further assistance, don't hesitate to reach out. I'm here to help, and I enjoy teaching. We can meet on more days if you need."

You smile at the sincerity in his voice, “that’s okay, Yunho.” you say before turning towards the exit.

Walking out of the library, a lightness seems to settle upon your chest, replacing the initial apprehension with a sense of accomplishment. Glancing at your phone, you note that it is only ten in the evening. This realisation fills you with a newfound sense of freedom and opportunity.

With a contented smile, you contemplate the evening unfolding before you. The memory of the house party, just a short walk down the road, initially seemed distant due to your earlier commitment to the study session with Yunho. Despite knowing that you should be heading home to review your notes, a mischievous thought crept into your mind – what Yunho didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

A sly smirk plays on your lips as you begin to make your way toward the house party. You can’t deny the allure of a night filled with fun and perhaps a little indulgence. Yet, as you take your first steps, a fleeting moment of hesitation overcomes you. You pause, reflecting on the considerable effort Yunho had put into helping you today.

It is a big realisation. Few, if any, have ever invested so much time and effort in your growth and success. Your heart warms for a brief second at the thought, but just as quickly, you push aside those emotions. You have your reasons – a past that still haunted you, and the fear of getting your heart broken once more. You can’t afford to be vulnerable.

Despite your better judgement, you continue your journey to the house party, determined to enjoy the night to the fullest. 

Unbeknownst to you, though, Yunho's presence would linger in your thoughts throughout the night.

—

Several weeks have passed since the start of your study sessions with Yunho, and it has been quite the transformative period. Initially, you had been reluctant to engage in any additional study outside of your scheduled sessions with him. But over time, Yunho's presence had become a reassuring constant in your life, offering a sense of peace and support that you couldn't quite admit to yourself.

During the past couple of weeks, you found yourself increasingly immersed in your books and studies, even sometimes choosing academic pursuits over the lively parties that your large, party-loving friend group frequented. 

The shift in your priorities had not gone unnoticed by your friends, who seemed disheartened by your withdrawal from their activities. A residue of guilt clings to you every time you opted to hit the books rather than attend a party. Your ‘friends’ have grown vocal about it, casting you as a bore and a waste of time, berating you for supposedly losing your popularity.

Amid this turmoil, your study sessions with Yunho had become a sanctuary, a refuge from the social pressure and expectations. What you didn't fully realise was the profound positive impact these sessions were having on you, not just academically but also in terms of your personal growth.

Just a few days ago, you faced your first exam since you had started your sessions with Yunho and today you are receiving the results. You are well aware that if you do not pass this, it is not a huge deal seeing as it is not a final exam. Yet you do need to prove yourself to the student council by at least getting a D. 

The anticipation is palpable in Professor Turner's classroom, the air thick with nervous energy. She stands at the front of the room, clutching a stack of papers that hold the results of the previous week's exam. Your heart races as you sit there, your anxiety mounting with each passing moment.

Whilst Professor Turner begins to distribute the grades, your palms grow clammy, and your heart races even faster. 

As Professor Turner finally reaches your desk, she hands you the paper with a warm smile that holds an underlying pride. In the corner of the sheet, a vibrant red 'C' was marked. It isn’t the highest grade in the class, but at this moment, it feels like a monumental achievement.

A sense of accomplishment washes over you like a warm wave, as you realise that all the effort, Yunho's unwavering support, and Professor Turner's belief in you is beginning to pay off. 

You cannot wait to let Yunho know about the news.

The campus courtyard was alive with activity as students milled about, enjoying the pleasant weather and the break from their studies. Among the various clusters of friends, you spot Yunho, standing with a small group of his own. His friends seem to be engaged in an animated conversation, their voices and laughter filling the air. 

You observe Yunho for a brief moment, his expression appearing neutral as he attentively listens to his friend's conversation. Your gaze then drifts down to the sight of Yunho pulling up the sleeves of his knitted sweater, revealing his unexpectedly well-defined forearms. The contrast between his baggy clothing and his toned physique momentarily catches you off guard.

But as you approach, your excitement is impossible to contain, the momentary thought of how toned Yunho is elsewhere leaves your mind. Your heart races, and you feel a surge of joy within you. The sense of accomplishment overwhelms you, and you can’t wait to share the news with Yunho, regardless of the audience.

Without hesitation, you stride purposefully toward him, determination etched across your face. The moment you reach him, you suddenly feel a little small under the eyes of his friends who seem to have noticed you approaching.

“Yunho,” you say gently, attempting to get his attention.

Yunho turns around, surprised to see you talking to him outside of your study sessions.

“Hey, what’s up?” Yunho questions, his attention fully on you as he forgets his friends existence.

“I passed the exam,” you beam, “well barely it was only a C.”

Yunho’s eyes widen as his face breaks into a bright, genuine smile. His eyes, behind his thick glasses, now sparkle with delight. 

"That's amazing! I knew you could do it!" he exclaims, his enthusiasm matching yours.

His friends can’t resist exchanging glances among themselves, finding it rather peculiar to witness your conversation with Yunho. After all, you are a highly popular figure in their school, while Yunho remains a reserved and relatively unknown individual.

The smile of pride that graces Yunho's face stirs a flurry of butterflies in your stomach, a sensation that has become increasingly common in recent times. Yet, you can't quite bring yourself to acknowledge the feeling, even to yourself.

Yunho's hand rises with a touch of hesitation before gently resting on the top of your head, playfully ruffling your hair to convey a silent 'good job.' Your entire face warms at the simple gesture, a blush creeping across your cheeks.

"Now, it's time to focus on those major tests, okay?" Yunho exclaims, his voice brimming with enthusiasm as he makes an effort to infuse you with the same excitement.

"Yes, sir," you respond with a playful salute, evoking a chuckle from his lips. Saluting Yunho has become somewhat of a habit, and he finds it endearing every time you do it.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” 

You offer a nod, a warm smile gracing your face as you wave and bid farewell to Yunho and his friends.

Walking away, you feel a deep sense of gratitude for Yunho's unwavering support, not just as a tutor but as a friend who is being a great help in your journey toward success. 

His encouragement had been a driving force in your recent accomplishments, and you couldn't have been happier to share this victory with him and his friends in the vibrant courtyard, a testament to the bonds forged through your academic pursuits.

As you depart, Yunho's gaze lingers on your retreating figure, a faint smile gracing his lips as he replays the conversation in his mind. The moment you vanish from his sight, his friends swivel toward him, their faces etched with bewilderment and curiosity.

"When you mentioned you were tutoring someone, you didn't say it was them?" Wooyoung exclaims, genuine confusion stemming from the exchange they just witnessed.

Yunho, momentarily caught off guard by their reactions, inquires, "What do you mean?" He shifts his attention toward the group, ready to address their inquiries.

"Dude, she's the most popular person in this school; you don't just get to talk to them," San chimes in, his astonishment mirroring Wooyoung's.

Yunho, however, didn't buy into the notion of social hierarchies. He pokes San in the forehead, responding, "We're not in high school anymore, and there's no such thing as popular girls and guys."

Wooyoung's expression softens as he mulls over your interaction. "And they were so nice," he continues, noting Yunho's reaction. "I didn't expect someone with their status to be so nice."

Yunho's annoyance flares at the stereotype implied in Wooyoung's words, his brow furrowing. "Don't hold such stereotypes," he chastises his friend. "They... they are the sweetest person I know."

San's eyes widen as he glances at Yunho, connecting the dots. "Holy moly," he exclaims. "You like them, don't you?"

Yunho scrambles to hush him up, his cheeks flushing. "Shut up," he grumbles, though the embarrassment in his voice hints at a deeper truth.

—

“Ugh, I’m never going to pass this test,” you groan as you throw your head into your hands, frustration emitting from your every fibre.

"Come on, don't be so pessimistic. You've got this, and I believe in you," Yunho exclaims, his warm smile casting a ray of encouragement over the room. He watches as you succumb to a hissy fit, a mix of frustration and self-doubt, a smile covering his features at your actions.

"You always say that, but this time I am doomed," you groan, your voice muffled by your hands as you bury your face in them.

Gently, Yunho reaches out and takes your hands, coaxing them away from your face. The contact sends a brief tremor through your heart, and you can’t help but notice the warmth of his touch.

"You can do it; you're the smartest person I know," Yunho says softly, locking his eyes with yours. His words catch you off guard, and you look at him, a puzzled expression furrowing your brow. 

"I'm not smart; if I were, I wouldn't need a tutor," you state flatly, a hint of self-deprecation in your tone, which elicits a chuckle from Yunho.

"I'd be an idiot not to see your potential. I just think you had your priorities muddled when you first came here," he remarks.

Curious, you probe further. "What do you mean?"

"I mean it's no secret you enjoy a party," Yunho replies.

"No, before that."

"Oh," Yunho responds, and he continues, seemingly on a roll, "Well, I'd have to be blind not to see how smart you actually are. You're very capable of applying knowledge and solving problems. You have an excellent memory; most of the time, I only have to explain something once, and you've already processed it and applied it. It's very impressive. You're incredibly talented too. I see all the drawings you do in your book when you’re bored."

Yunho continues his praise, yet he is unaware of the emotions that well up within you. When he eventually glances in your direction, he is taken aback to find your eyes glistening with tears and a smile gracing your face.

"Did I say something wrong? I'm so sorry if it wasn't my intention," he inquires quickly, a sense of concern crossing his features as he worries he may have inadvertently hurt your feelings.

You shake your head and wipe away a tear, still smiling. "No, Yunho. It's just... no one really sees me like that anymore."

Now Yunho is confused for a different reason. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, most people see me as the 'popular girl' or 'the life of the party.' I don't know. It's nice to be seen as something other than the stereotype.”

"I know what you mean," Yunho says, his hand ruffling his hair as his cheeks turn a faint shade of red.

"What do you mean?" you ask, intrigued by his response.

"Well, I'm usually seen as a nerd or a loner. People only talk to me when they need help with assignments or answers for exams. It was nice at first, feeling needed, but now it just feels like I'm being used in a way. I only have two friends, and they spend more time with each other than they do with me." Yunho admits, his gaze drifting down to his fingers, where he idly picks at a piece of dead skin on his nail.

"I know it's weird coming from me since you're literally my tutor, but I don't think your intelligence defines you," You begin, causing Yunho to look up at you with a puzzled expression, waiting for you to elaborate.

You continue, your words flowing with sincerity, "You're a sweetheart, Yunho. I see you helping people, not because you have to, but because you genuinely enjoy it. You're kind, a gentleman, and incredibly thoughtful. Your sense of humour is beyond anyone I've ever met before; it's refreshing to talk to someone whose humour isn't just 'your momma' jokes or making others look bad to get a laugh."

Yunho furrows his eyebrows, taking in your words, his expression almost studying them.

"Plus," you add, a warm smile gracing your face, "whether you like it or not, I consider you my friend."

—

The evening sun casts a warm glow over the campus as you join your friend group in the bustling cafeteria. Laughter and chatter filled the air as you settled in with them at your usual table. The topic of conversation quickly turns to the party happening later in the night, an event that has become increasingly rare for you to attend. The thought of partying when there was a crucial final exam on the horizon weighs heavily on your mind.

"Hey, you are coming to the party tonight, right?" your friend asks, a glimmer of anticipation in their eyes.

You hesitate for a moment, knowing what your priorities were. "I wish I could, but I really need to study for the final exam," you explain.

Immediately, your friends' expressions grow sour, and they exchange incredulous glances. "Again? You're always studying or making excuses. It's like you're avoiding us," one of them remarks, frustration creeping into their tone.

Their words sting, and you feel the pressure of their expectations bearing down on you. "I'm not avoiding anyone; I just have to prioritise my studies, you guys know I might get expelled." you insist, your voice wavering slightly as you try to maintain your composure.

But your friends aren’t satisfied with your explanation. 

"You never come to parties anymore. You're turning into a loser nerd, just like that loner Yunho," another friend declares with a snide tone, and the others chime in agreement, chuckles leaving their mouths.

The words strike a nerve, and you can’t hold back any longer. How dare they insult Yunho, who has been there for you during your toughest times of studying? The anger that has been building up inside you erupts.

"Yunho is not a loser," you snap, your voice filled with indignation. "He's been more of a friend to me than any of you. If you can't understand the importance of my studies and support me, then I don't need ‘friends’ like you."

At that moment, you make a decision. These friends are just immature individuals who only care about getting drunk and partying. They value popularity and shallow connections over your well-being and academic success. You have had enough of pretending to be something you weren't just to fit in.

"I don't care about popularity if it means I have to be fake and have fake-ass friends," you exclaim. With that, you push your chair back and leave the table, leaving your former friends behind, realising that true friendship means understanding and respecting your priorities, not forcing you to compromise your goals.

Walking away from the cafeteria, you feel a mix of anger, relief, and sadness. It was painful to let go of friendships that had once meant so much to you, but you knew that your academic journey is more important than trying to fit into a mould that didn't truly represent who you were.

Tears well up in your eyes, and you can’t prevent them from spilling over as you stand just outside the school gates. You pay no mind to the curious glances of onlookers, for your emotions are too overwhelming to be hidden. You aren’t entirely certain if these tears are born of sadness, frustration, or a turbulent mix of both.

Without even thinking, you pull out your phone and dial Yunho’s number. You are not sure if you want to be alone tonight, yet you definitely do not want to go to a party. The only person you know will be available is Yunho. Maybe you can have an extra study session tonight.

It takes the phone only five seconds before Yunho picks up, his voice bright as he greets you.

"Hey, Yunho," you begin, attempting to maintain a sense of composure, but the tremor in your voice reveals your unease.

Yunho's keen ear picks up on the shakiness in your tone, and concern washes over him as he responds with a soft, soothing voice, "What's wrong?"

You sniffle, trying to brush off the emotions threatening to overcome you. "Nothing, it's nothing," you reply, your voice still carrying the traces of distress. "Are you free to study? I don't have anything to do, and I need to go over a few things."

Yunho is aware that a big party is scheduled for tonight, information he had gathered from Wooyoung, who also enjoys such gatherings. He finds it puzzling that you, too, had initially expressed an interest in attending the event, but he refrained from voicing his curiosity.

"I am free, but the library is closed today, and the school is closing soon too," Yunho explains, an idea begins to take root in his mind, and he hesitates before asking, "You could come to my place?"

The offer hangs in the air for a moment, full of unspoken implications. Yunho's excitement about the prospect of having you over is palpable, yet he tries to maintain his composure. He knows that his place will offer a quiet environment for studying.

The offer hangs in the air, and for a brief moment, you hesitate. You are well aware that accepting Yunho's invitation would signify a slight shift in your academic tutor relationship. The unspoken implications dance in the silence between you.

Yunho, on the other hand, finds his nervousness manifesting in the way he chews the inside of his cheek. His heart races as he awaits your response, unsure of how you would react to his proposition.

Despite your initial reservations, you can’t seem to bring yourself to decline his offer. The warmth and genuine concern that Yunho has consistently shown makes you feel safe and comfortable around him, and you find it difficult to resist the idea of studying in his presence, even if it means stepping slightly outside the boundaries of your tutor-student dynamic.

“What’s your address?” 

Making your way to Yunho's apartment, the anticipation of seeing him outside the usual academic setting adds an extra layer of excitement to your steps. The prospect of stepping into his personal space, even for a study session, feels like a small adventure.

You reach his apartment door and take a moment to collect yourself, your heart beating just a bit faster with each passing second. When you knock, the immediate rustling sounds from the other side of the door indicate that Yunho is indeed home.

The door opens, revealing a sight that takes your breath away. You are accustomed to seeing Yunho in smart attire, his hair always neatly styled, and he consistently looks presentable. However, the man who stands before you now is quite different.

Yunho is dressed in a loose grey T-shirt that hangs comfortably on his frame, and he wears a pair of black sweatpants that appear as cosy as they are casual. His hair is fluffy and untamed, in stark contrast to his usually well-groomed appearance. Yet, for some reason, this version of Yunho is just as captivating.

He still wears his thick glasses, but the way he looks now, so relaxed and approachable, makes your heart flutter. You can’t help but notice the subtle differences that render him all the more appealing. Your eyes linger on his toned arms, a part of him that was typically concealed beneath his attire. The sight of them, revealed in the simple T-shirt, is enough to send a rush of warmth throughout your body.

Yunho's appearance today is a stark departure from his usual academic demeanour, and it leaves you both pleasantly surprised and, admittedly, a little flustered. 

"Hey, uh, you can come in," Yunho stammers, a faint blush covering his cheeks.

You step inside, casting a brief but appreciative glance around Yunho's apartment. The space is on the smaller side, but it exudes a cosy charm that instantly puts you at ease. The apartment is immaculately clean and well-organised with a sense of tranquillity that contrasts with the bustling student life outside.

The living room is adorned with shelves, and the shelves are full of an impressive array of books, neatly arranged in rows. The sight of so many books gives you a glimpse into the depth of his knowledge and his passion for education.

As you look around, you notice a comfortable-looking sofa with a warm throw blanket tossed over it, a sign of a space that was both functional and inviting. The soft glow of a desk lamp illuminated a study area with a well-kept desk, hinting at countless hours of diligent work.

Yunho's apartment is not large, but it feels like a haven for anyone seeking a peaceful refuge from the outside world. It reminds you of Yunho.

"Do you want something to drink or eat?" Yunho asks, his voice tinged with a touch of nervousness as he observes your exploration of his apartment.

You take a moment to absorb the cosy ambiance of his living space before replying, "Have you had dinner?"

Yunho's cheeks flush a deeper shade of red, and a small, endearing smile graced his lips. “I haven't yet, I was going to order something later.”

“Can we eat together? I haven't eaten since this morning.”

Yunho grumbles your name, reprimanding you, "I told you, you need to eat regularly; it helps with..."

You finish his sentence with a soft chuckle, "Concentration, I know, Yu."

The use of the affectionate nickname "Yu" slips easily from your lips, and you are unaware of the profound impact it has on Yunho. His heart races at the sound of it, though he tries to hide his reaction with a smile. 

You continue, "We can eat while studying, right?" Your suggestion seems to lighten the mood, and Yunho is more than willing to accommodate your request.

“Of course.”

Yunho and you sit on the floor of his living room, your books and notes spread out on his coffee table, which also hold the remnants of an empty pizza box from your meal earlier. This makeshift study space is cosy, and the atmosphere is filled with the shared pursuit of knowledge.

Yunho is positioned in front of you, as he often is during your study sessions, carefully watching you as you diligently take notes. He couldn't help but admire your dedication and determination, and his heart swelled with pride as he saw your progress. 

As you write, a strand of hair slips from behind your ear and falls in front of your face. It is a simple, everyday occurrence, but to Yunho, it is a moment of subtle beauty. He feels a strong urge to reach out and tuck that strand of hair behind your ear, to be close to you in that small, intimate way. However, he holds back, not wanting to push any boundaries that existed between you. 

He watches with fascination as you decide to tie your hair up, using a hairband that was on your wrist. The act of gathering your hair and securing it in a ponytail seems almost magical to him. Yunho can’t deny the allure of how you look with your hair up, a sense of casual elegance that tugs at his heart.

In this moment, his thoughts stray to less innocent territories, but he quickly redirects his focus to the task at hand. He can’t afford to let his mind wander too far, not when the two of you are deep in a study session and he is fairly certain you would never harbour feelings for him in that way. 

However, the image of you with your hair tied up stays with him, etched into his memory, a reminder of the many facets of your charm that make it increasingly difficult for him to keep his feelings at bay.

You furrow your brows, attempting to decipher a particularly complex passage about pathogens. It is a subject that has always managed to baffle you, and tonight was no exception.

Glancing up, you are caught off guard by the intense gaze of Yunho. He was already intently staring at you, an indescribable emotion in his eyes. Clearing your throat, you shift your focus back to the book, feeling the weight of his attention. Yunho immediately averts his gaze, pretending to be engrossed in his own book.

Taking a deep breath, you decide to take a chance and ask the question that has been bothering you about the microorganism. "Yunho, can you help me with this? I don't quite understand this."

Yunho's attention snaps back to you, his eyes focusing on the book. However, as he leans in to get a better look, the words on the page seem to blur. Determined to help you, he moves closer, sitting next to you on the floor. His arm brushing against yours, his thigh lightly touching yours, creates a subtle yet undeniable physical connection.

Yunho looks down at your bare thighs and he mentally curses you for wearing a skirt, he isn't sure how to pay attention when you are so close to him.

Yunho begins to explain the terminology and you find it increasingly challenging to concentrate on the subject. Your eyes are locked on his face, drawn to the way his lips move and the subtle changes in his expression as he explains the concepts. His proximity was both distracting and comforting, and you can’t help but feel a flutter of excitement in your chest.

You cannot deny the allure of Yunho's presence. His crisp scent, a mix of a rich, woody sweetness and a hint of cologne, fills your senses and sends your mind racing. It is an intoxicating aroma that evokes a sense of freshness and warmth, creating an almost magnetic pull.

Listening to Yunho's explanations, you struggle to keep your focus on the topic at hand. Your eyes remain fixed on his face, capturing the play of emotions and the genuine care he puts into helping you understand. In this moment, the connection between you is undeniable, and the unspoken tension in the air seems to grow with each passing second. Little did you both know the profound effect you are having on each other as you lean against one another, on the verge of something unspoken. The second Yunho moves back to his seat, you suddenly feel awfully cold and empty, yet once again you push the feelings away.

The two of you continue your study session, when Yunho suddenly removes his glasses and rubs his eyes in a gesture of weariness. His actions catch your attention, and your gaze remains locked on his face, momentarily entranced by the change in his appearance.

In all the time you have spent with Yunho, you have never really taken into consideration how handsome he might be without his glasses. Now, as you observe his bare face, you are struck by his natural beauty. His features are chiselled and symmetrical, and there is a timeless quality to his face that make him incredibly appealing.

Yunho's clear eyes, framed by long, dark lashes, hold a depth that you haven't fully appreciated before. His skin was smooth and unblemished, and his lips had a natural rosy hue. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a different charm to him that you have never taken the time to notice.

For a moment, you find yourself in awe of how genuinely handsome he is, and you can’t help but appreciate the sight of him with his glasses off.

The study session is coming to a close, and as you gather your books and notes, you notice a curious look on Yunho's face. It is evident that he has something on his mind, and your curiosity gets the best of you.

"Is there something??" you inquire, your voice soft and inquisitive.

Yunho hesitates for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully. "When you called, you seemed upset. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I was just worried."

You look at him with a touch of surprise at his perceptiveness. 

The fight with your friends wasn’t something you had planned to discuss, but you can sense the genuine concern in Yunho's expression, and you feel compelled to share.

Taking a deep breath, you begin to explain the situation, recounting the immaturity and unfair accusations that had led to the fallout. Yunho's shock and disbelief at their behaviour is palpable, and his expression reveals a mix of sympathy and frustration on your behalf.

"I can't believe they'd act like that," Yunho exclaims, his voice laced with sympathy. "It's their loss, you know. You're an incredible person, and they're the ones who are missing out."

Yunho's words are comforting, and the warmth of his understanding makes you feel as if a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. It is a rare and welcome feeling to have someone truly empathise with your situation, and you find yourself grateful for his support.

Yunho watches you with a tender look when suddenly his curiosity gets the best of him, and he asks, "What does your boyfriend think of you coming to my house and spending so much time with me?"

You let out a sigh, the question touching a nerve you are not quite ready to address. "I don't have a boyfriend," you confess, and for a moment, there is a hint of vulnerability in your voice.

Yunho, genuinely surprised, raises an eyebrow, trying to hide his excitement as he peers at you. "Why not?"

You sigh again, your gaze dropping to the floor. "Most of the boys I'm around aren't ready for a relationship. They just want something casual, and I don't want to get my heart broken."

Yunho's brow furrows as he considers your response. "I didn't expect that," he admits, his voice tinged with surprise.

"What do you mean?" you ask, genuinely curious about his reaction.

Yunho sets a piece of paper he had been studying in front of him, "I mean, you have guys falling at your feet. Don't you have one person you enjoy spending time with?"

You ponder on his words, your eyes lingering on Yunho, who is now fully engaged in the paper. He isn't looking at you; instead, his gaze is focused on the words before him. 

After a moment of contemplation, you respond, "I enjoy spending time with you."

The second the  words leave your lips, Yunho looks up from his reading, and the world seems to momentarily stand still around you. His heart skips a beat, and for a fraction of a second, everything else fades into the background. Your words hang in the air, and Yunho lets them sink in.

In this suspended moment, it is as if the universe conspired to create a connection that went beyond friendship and tutoring. Yunho's heart pounds in his chest, and he can’t help but meet your gaze with a mixture of surprise and affection. 

Yunho cannot deny the impact of your confession. It is a sentiment he has quietly harboured but never dared to voice. Now, as the reality of your words settle in, he can’t help but feel a sense of joy and gratitude for the special bond that has grown between you, transcending the boundaries of tutor and student.

—

The night is alive with the promise of revelry as you arrive at a party, a whirlwind of colour and sound. It has been some time since you'd attended such an event, focusing intensely on your studies. But tonight is different. Hongjoong, an old friend who had no knowledge of falling out with your other friends, had invited you. You trusted him not to judge your academic priorities, and the prospect of enjoying yourself was too tempting to resist.

You had chosen to let loose for the evening. After an intense study session last night, you felt you deserved a break. You wear a stunning deep purple dress that hugs your curves, accentuating your figure in all the right places. The fabric clings to you like a second skin, and its elegance draws the admiring gazes of many in attendance. Though you are well aware of the attention, you can’t help but feel indifferent to it now. Your priorities have shifted, and the superficial desires of others hold little sway over you.

Entering the party, the vibrant atmosphere envelopes you. The music throbs with an infectious beat, and the dance floor pulses with people lost in the rhythm. Laughter and conversations fill the air, and the warm glow of colourful lights creates a dazzling backdrop for the night's festivities.

Spotting Hongjoong in the kitchen, you make your way through the bustling crowd. He is deeply engrossed in a lively conversation with some of his friends, a characteristic grin lighting up his face. A sense of nostalgia and anticipation welled up within you as you drew closer.

You approach Hongjoong, who is mingling near the drinks table, a welcoming smile on his face as he spots you. 

“Do you want a drink?” He offers, but you decline, stating that you have an early lecture the next morning. 

Hongjoong nods understandingly, knowing you are dedicated to your studies. You are grateful for his response, as he does not press the issue but simply smiles and continues with the conversation.

“So you’ve gone back to your nerd roots,” Hongjoong jokes as he hands you a cup of cola.

You laugh as you take the cup, “it’s been a while since I've studied this hard,”

“You were always stuck in a book in highschool,” 

“It’s nice to feel like my brain isn't rotting anymore,” you exclaim laughing.

“I’ll cheers to that,”

As you chat with Hongjoong, you enjoy catching up and the lively atmosphere of the party. When all of a sudden you see a familiar figure from the corner of your eye. At first, you thought your mind might be playing tricks on you, but as you turn your head, you realise it was indeed who you thought it was.

Quickly, you bid a quick goodbye to Hongjoong and make your way through the crowd, heading straight for the person, who seems to be stumbling around slightly. 

Concern etched on your face, you approach him and ask, "Yunho, what on earth are you doing here?"

Yunho's expression is a mix of surprise and embarrassment as he struggles to regain his composure. "Uh… I’m not really sure," he admits, his voice tinged with nervousness.

You can’t help but feel a combination of amusement and warmth at his unexpected presence. Yunho, who usually exudes an air of composed intelligence, seems to be a bit out of his element in the party scene. Nonetheless, you appreciated the effort he made to be there. 

"Are you okay?" You question, his anxious eyes dart around the crowded room, taking in the chaotic atmosphere of the party.

Yunho hesitates for a moment before admitting, "Would it be weird if I said I don't like it here?"

A warm smile graces your face, understanding his unease in this unfamiliar setting. Without hesitation, you reach out and gently grab his hand, your fingers interlocking boldly. Yunho is taken aback by the physical contact, feeling the warmth of your hand in his, and his heart flutters in response.

You lead him to a more secluded area of the house where the music is not as deafening, and the crowd is much thinner. The change of scenery provides a welcome respite from the overwhelming chaos of the main party area. Yunho can’t ignore the way your small hands feel in his large ones, the sensation sending a shiver down his spine. It is a simple gesture, but it makes him feel closer to you, dispelling some of his unease.

In the quieter, more secluded area of the house, you and Yunho find a temporary refuge from the bustling party. 

"What are you really doing here?" you ask, curiosity in your eyes.

Yunho's expression shifts, and he admits, "Wooyoung dragged me here. I didn't really want to come, and I already don't like it." His eyes scan the room, taking in the scene around him.

For a moment, Yunho's gaze settles on you, and he notices your choice of attire, a short, form-fitting dress that accentuates your curves. It is a striking sight that leaves an indelible impression on him. His mind wanders to non-innocent places, etching the image of you in this dress into his memory. He can’t deny that you look stunning, and his thoughts momentarily venture into uncharted territory.

Although his initial discomfort at the party has faded, the sight of you in that dress stirs something within him, something he has only thought of late at night. It is an unexpected sight that leaves Yunho in a state of internal turmoil, struggling to keep his thoughts in check as he tries to focus on the conversation at hand.

The pulsating music and the chaotic atmosphere of the party seems to close in around you. Suddenly a thought crosses your mind, and you turn to Yunho, considering your options.

"Do you want to get out of here?" you ask, your voice barely audible over the party noise.

Your question snaps Yunho out of his thoughts, and he looks back up at you as if he had been caught taking in your form. His gaze meets yours, and for a brief moment, you can see the vulnerability in his eyes. It is a rare sight, and it makes you feel even more connected to him.

It takes less than a second for Yunho to answer, "Yes."

Without further hesitation, he intertwines your fingers with his, and you both rush towards the exit of the house. Yunho's larger frame shields you from the reckless partiers who are going strong, ensuring you don't get caught in the chaos of the crowd. The touch of his hand is both reassuring and electrifying, and it feels like an unspoken agreement between the two of you; an escape from the madness into a more tranquil and intimate setting.

You are not sure how you ended up at Yunho’s apartment, yet you cannot quite complain. Since the study session at his house you have desired to be back at his, it was so comforting and peaceful in his house and you love it there. 

"You can make yourself at home, I'm going to grab us some food," Yunho explains as he opens the door to his cosy apartment. He moves to grab his wallet from the coffee table, ready to head out to pick up the food. 

However, as he attempts to pass you and make his way to the door, you stand in front of him, blocking his path. The look on your face reveals your disappointment, and it is clear that you don’t want him to leave so soon.

"Can we order it?" you ask, your voice filled with a longing for his company.

Yunho hesitates for a moment, weighing the options, but he ultimately replies, "It'll be quicker for me to get it now."

Despite his practical reasoning, you insisted, "Please stay with me Yunho."

Yunho can’t help but be touched by your plea. The vulnerability in your voice causes a flutter in his chest, and he is acutely aware of the genuine connection that has developed between you. He smiles and relents, realising that he doesn’t want to leave you either.

"Okay," he speaks softly, "I'll order it."

Your gratitude was evident in your eyes, and you knew you had made the right decision. Yunho's presence is something you cherished, and you are both beginning to understand just how much the other means to you.

You settle onto his couch, and soon enough the Chinese takeout that you had ordered arrives, the delightful aroma filling the room. It is a welcomed comfort that you both enjoy as you unwrap the containers and share the delicious meal. 

You watch as Yunho picks a movie that he recommends, and you were intrigued to see his choice.

As you and Yunho start to watch the movie, you can’t help but feel a chill in the room. The soft glow from the TV illuminated your silhouette, the short dress you are wearing now seems impractical in the cosy setting.

Yunho, ever attentive, notices your discomfort and decides to speak up. "Are you cold?" he inquires, a hint of concern in his voice.

You hesitate for a moment but soon admit, "Yeah, a little."

Without further ado, Yunho offers a solution. "I have some warmer clothes you can borrow if you want. I could grab them for you."

His thoughtful gesture leaves you flustered, but you manage to stammer out a grateful "Yes, please." Your heart warms at the consideration he shows, and you appreciate his willingness to make you more comfortable.

Yunho quickly gets up and disappears into his bedroom. He returns with a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants, both of which were his own. His choice of clothing was deliberate, as he handed you his favourite hoodie. He has often wondered what you would look like wearing it, and now he has the perfect excuse to find out. The hoodie is warm and smells like him, making you feel closer to him in a way you hadn't anticipated.

Yunho can’t help but watch you with a warm smile as you accept the clothes. However, the smile quickly fades as he realises his mistake, and he feels his cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

"Oh, sorry," he quickly stutters out, chuckling nervously as he ruffles the back of his hair, "You can change in my bedroom."

You laugh gently at him, he is so cute.

“Thank you,” you smile before walking into his bedroom.

Entering Yunho's bedroom, you can’t help but take in the clean and organised space. His room is a testament to his meticulous nature, and you appreciate the attention to detail. But what truly catches your eye are the posters of various games adorning the walls. You admired the artwork and can’t help but think that they add a personal touch to the room.

Shaking off the distraction, you proceed to change into Yunho's clothes. The hoodie he has given you is larger than you expected, enveloping you in warmth and reaching down to your mid-thigh. The realisation of just how big Yunho begins to dawn on you.

His hoodie seems to swallow you in its comfort, and you can’t help but feel a little bit smaller. His physical presence is undeniable; he is taller than you, his shoulders are broad, and his hands are significantly larger than yours. The contrast is alluring, and you can’t deny that the thought of him towering over you, his sheer size and strength, stirs something within you.

You feel arousal pooling in between your legs, but you push aside the feeling, not sure if Yunho would feel the same way.

The hoodie is so long, you make a bold choice to not wear the sweatpants, seeing as the hoodie covers everything. Plus, there's no harm in seeing Yunho’s reaction.

You step out of the room, and Yunho is skimming between channels, trying to find a different movie to watch.

When Yunho hears your footsteps approaching the living room, he turns around to look at you, expecting to see you in his clothes. However, what he sees leaves his heart nearly stopping. There you stand, wearing nothing but his hoodie, your legs exposed and on full display. 

Yunho's breath catches in his throat, and he swallows deeply, trying to suppress the flood of sensations and indecent thoughts that surge through his mind. His cheeks flush a deep shade of red, and he is unable to tear his eyes away from you, his gaze inadvertently lingering on your enticing figure.

In this moment, he finds himself captivated by your beauty and the unexpected intimacy of the situation, struggling to maintain his composure. The sight of you in his hoodie was something he had never expected, and it sends his heart and mind into a whirlwind of emotions and desires.

"What's wrong?" you inquire, noticing the wide-eyed and bright red expression on Yunho's face as he gazes at you with an intensity you haven't seen before.

It is as if a switch has flipped in Yunho's mind, and suddenly, confidence takes over his being. You watch in amazement as he stands up from the couch and moves with a determined purpose towards you. 

With each step, it is evident that he is almost out of breath, his chest heaving with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. He stops in front of you, his eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that sends shivers down your spine. For a moment, you feel like you are the only person in the world for him, and the possessiveness in his gaze doesn’t go unnoticed.

Yunho's large hands land gently on your shoulders, and they slowly trail down to clasp yours. His touch is electrifying, and as he guides you backward, you soon find yourself pressed against the wall, pinned there by his presence. The air seems charged with an unspoken desire, and you can’t help but be captivated by this new side of Yunho.

Yunho murmurs your name, his voice thick with desire and uncertainty. He continues, "You can tell me to stop if you want..."

You don’t hesitate for a moment. In a hushed, eager tone, you reply, "Yunho, just kiss me for fuck's sake."

Yunho gently cups your cheek, his dark eyes locked onto yours with a mixture of tenderness and desire. Leaning closer, his lips press against your cheek, leaving a trail of fire in their wake as they venture down toward your mouth. He pauses for a moment, watching you closely, his breath brushing across your face, sending shivers down your spine.

With careful consideration, he presses his lips to the corner of your mouth, testing the waters, and eliciting a soft gasp from you. Feeling the tightening grip of your hand on his shirt, he gains the reassurance he needs to continue. Slowly, he deepens the kiss, his lips melding with yours, the softness and warmth sending a wave of astonishment through your body. His lips move against yours and all the feelings of the past few months pour into the kiss.

Yunho delicately probes his tongue into your mouth, you can’t help but respond. Your fingers tighten their hold on his shirt, and a surge of electric sensations course through your body, leaving you breathless and eager for more. 

Yunho's kiss tastes like pure indulgence, a blend of desire and longing that leaves you yearning for more. The feeling is exquisite, and you can’t help but moan softly in response to the intensity of the moment. 

His lips leave yours, trailing down your neck from the curve of your jaw. Soft gasps escape your lips as he explores the sensitive skin of your throat, sending shivers down your spine as he presses you harder against the wall, the heat of the kiss overcoming the two of you. The pleasure is overwhelming, and you instinctively threw your head back, granting him better access to your neck. 

Yunho breaks away from the kiss, a hint of frustration in his eyes as he tosses his glasses aside, irritated by their intrusion. His dark and intense gaze is now fully revealed, making you realise the depth of his desire. Without delay, he reconnects your lips with a hungry passion that leaves you breathless.

His hands begin a journey down your waist, their touch igniting sparks of pleasure. With astonishing ease, he lifts you off your feet, his strength both surprising and exciting. Instinctively, you wrap your legs around his waist, and that is when you feel his hardness prodding you through your underwear. You suddenly feel extremely thankful for not wearing the sweatpants as he now has easier access to where you want him most.

Yunho carries you toward his bedroom with an air of urgency, his strides confident and determined. With a swift, well-placed kick, he sends the bedroom door wide open.

He gently sits on the edge of the mattress, you find yourself in his lap, the warmth of his body enveloping you. The world outside fades into insignificance, and you are left with a sense of anticipation that sends shivers down your spine. The connection between you and Yunho grew stronger, and the intensity of the moment only heightened your desire for one another.

Yunho’s hands travel to your hips, where he kneads the flesh appreciatively. With a calculated move, he pushes you down onto himself, grinding you against his hardness. This causes the both of you to moan into the kiss, the both of you addicted to the sound.

“Yunho, please,” you mutter into the kiss, needing relief that you know Yunho will provide.

“What do you want, beautiful?” Yunho groans back against your lips when he feels you grinding yourself onto him.

“You.” you say with confidence, “always been you.” you declare and it has Yunho’s heart racing even faster in his chest.

Yunho realises the fun he can have in this situation, and he feels addicted to the control he has over you. You bury your face into Yunho’s neck, your embarrassment becoming apparent.

“How badly?” Yunho teases as he places long hot kisses on the side of your neck.

“Please Yunho, please.” usually you would feel humiliated, yet you have no time to feel any form of embarrassment, your desire is too strong. With a swift yet tender movement, Yunho deftly flips the two of you over, your back now resting on the plush comfort of his bed. He settles between your open legs, the space between you filled with electrifying anticipation as the world around you blurred into obscurity. 

“Since you’re such a good girl, I have to take care of you, don’t I?”

Yunho's transformation is nothing short of mesmerising. The once innocent aura that surrounded him has gone, replaced by a commanding presence that leaves your head spinning. It is as if he has unlocked a hidden side of himself, and the intensity of his actions and words leave you completely captivated and yearning for more.

With a gentle motion, Yunho pulls the hoodie off, revealing your bare chest to his hungry eyes. He takes in the sight of your naked top half and your panties and it is better than all the times he has imagined it. Your nipples immediately harden in the chilly air and you hastily rush to cover yourself.

“Do not,” Yunho's gentle yet commanding voice holds you in its sway, preventing you from covering yourself. He takes hold of your wrists, his words alone enough to convey his desire, and you obediently nod in agreement, unable to resist his irresistible influence.

“Gorgeous,” he whispers as he scans over your body.

Yunho begins to leave soft kisses across your collar bones, reaching your shoulders and neck as he simultaneously massages the flesh of your breast. He leaves open mouthed kisses on your skin, suckling and biting marks into your skin that only he gets to see.

Slowly, he takes one nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it, sucking it, and biting the sensitive nub, an action that has you arching and moaning into his touch.

“You sound so beautiful moaning for me.” Yunho growls before moving to your other nipple and giving it the same attention, making sure to watch your every reaction.

In an agonising pace, Yunho trails his kisses down and you can almost feel yourself shaking from excitement as he nears where you need him the most.

You almost explode the second you feel Yunho’s mouth trailing along your thighs, his teeth nipping at the sensitive flesh.

Yunho chuckles darkly when he hears your excited gasps and moans, the sounds are like a beautiful melody to him, causing him to want more.

Yunho's sudden act of sitting up to remove his jumper catches your attention, and your eyes remain fixated on him. What you see beneath his clothes surprises you. His toned, well-defined upper body, his waist is slender, his shoulders are broad, giving him a somewhat hourglass-like figure. While he isn’t overly muscular, his physique was indeed a captivating sight. Chiselled abs adorn his stomach, and an irresistible desire wells up within you, compelling you to kiss every inch of his flawless skin.

Yunho's chest swells with pride as he observes your intense gaze on his body. He can hardly believe the turn of events and the desire he sees in your eyes.

Yunho smirks as your hands fumble towards his belt, desperately wanting his pants off. 

"Patience, doll," Yunho asserts, his voice exuding confidence as he helps you remove his belt.

Left in only his boxers, you can see his length outlined through his black boxers and your breath is momentarily taken away. He is big, very big. You cannot help but let out a whimper of desperation as you look back up Yunho, who has a cocky grin on his features.

Leaning down, he starts placing light kisses on your stomach and thighs, getting close, but not quite close enough for your liking.

Instinctively, you run your fingers through his locks, trying to push him closer to where you need him. You hear Yunho chuckle at your eagerness, his heart racing knowing you want him as much as he wants you.

You watch Yunho’s every move, wanting to imprint every moment deep into your memory.

Yunho presses a gentle kiss against your clothed core, eliciting a soft mewl from your lips and Yunho hums in appreciation. You feel your whole body heat up in embarrassment as Yunho pulls your panties down, tossing them to the side of the room. You attempt to close your legs, feeling extremely exposed. Yunho feels himself losing self control as he looks at your soaking core, yet he tells himself to control his urges, wanting to make this last for much longer.

Yunho isn’t pleased with this and he lets out a growl as he speaks, “open those legs and let me see that pretty pussy.”

He grips your thighs, forcing them open and you can't help feel another rush of arousal course through you from his strength. It annoys you how slow he is, taking his time to get where you need him, he is too busy enjoying every small reaction, your desperation and eye fucking you, gauging every one of your gasps and twitches.

Yet the second his lips are on your core, the loud moan you let out is close to a scream and you feel him raviging you. His mouth works expertly against you, his tongue alternating between flicking your clit to lapping at your soaking hole has you seeing stars. 

Your body squirms with pleasure under Yunho's skilled touch, your fingers instinctively weaving into his hair as he eats you like you are his last meal.

“Yunho, please…” your voice is hoarse as you look down at him.

Yunho gazes up at you, a teasing smirk playing on his lips, making your thoughts hazy.

“Please what, pretty?” Yunho questions, yet as you are about to answer, he slips in one of his long fingers into your core. The second he feels your warm walls around him, he feels himself fighting the urge to destroy you right there and then. You jolt at the sensation, tears lining your eyes because of how desperate you are to be filled by him.

“Want you…need you…” you say, your voice shaky as you throw your head back against the pillow.

“Oh baby,” Yunho tuts, his voice almost condescending as he stares up at your fucked out state, “your pussy is so tight, I need to prep you before, don’t want you to get hurt.” 

Yunho's words send another wave of desire coursing through your veins. The contrast between his stern tone and his evident care for your well-being leaves you feeling both dizzy and achingly needy.

“You don't want to get hurt, do you now?” Yunho questions, gently slapping your thigh to get your attention back on him.

“No, I don’t,” you exclaim, doing anything to please the man in front of you. 

“Good girl,” 

He's ruthless, entering another finger into your wet hole, his tongue alternating sucks and nips on your clit. With ease, he manages to find the spot inside you that sets fireworks through you and you feel the coil in your belly starting to tighten in pleasure. 

"So fucking good, doll." He groans, his face pressed against your core has your cunt throbbing. “Can you even take my dick? I don’t want to hurt you when you’re being so good for me.”

You feel yourself on the edge of an orgasm, desperate to topple over the edge. All you need is a little encouragement, and you're extremely glad Yunho is so good at reading you.

“Let loose, baby. Be a good girl and cum on my fingers.” 

You let out a loud moan, almost a scream as your orgasm hits you and Yunho holds your shaking body down, licking your clit softly as you finish.

Before you can finish riding through your high, Yunho continues to kiss your pussy gently while adding a finger, the sudden stretch in your hole has you whining and writhing around from the sensitivity, his rough movements from his long fingers has you shaking even more. You beg for him to slow down and, thankfully he leans back, a satisfied smirk on his face as he watches you twitch beneath him.

Before you can comment on anything, Yunho leans down and captures you in another heated kiss, and you moan when you can taste yourself on his lips, a new rush of arousal flooding through your body.

“Do you want to keep going? We can stop if you want to.” Yunho's voice, filled with concern, warms your heart, but you can't help the groan that escapes your lips. 

"I’d love to continue," you rush on your words, your enthusiasm unabated. Chuckling at your eagerness, Yunho moves back slightly, running a hand through his hair as he gazes down at you, a mix of pride and desire evident in his eyes as he looks at your fucked out state.

“Wait shit, I don't know if i have a condom,” Yunho says, worried as he ruffles through his bedside table, not able to find any.

“Wait really?” you question, not even the slightest bit worried about him not having a condom, in fact you almost try to hide your excitement, “it’s okay.” 

“What?” 

“We don't need it, I'm on the pill.” You exclaim, pulling him by his hand closer to you, so he sits on the bed next to you.

Yunho is taken aback by your boldness, yet he finds it extremely hard to hide his excitement. The low groan that escapes his lips doesn't go unnoticed by you, further fueling the growing intensity of the moment. Yunho looks up at you, his eyes dark as he studies your face for any form of discomfort. When he doesn't see any, he almost moans at the thought of finishing inside of you. “Fuck, baby. You're going to be the death of me.”

The second Yunho removes his boxers, your mouth is almost watering at the sight of his length. Not only is he long, but he is girthy, standing tall. Your mouth hangs slightly open as you take in the sight. You can feel your pussy throbbing at the thought of how well he is going to stretch you out.

“Like what you see?” Just like that, the caring Yunho is once again replaced with the cocky Yunho that you just love.

Instead of firing the bratty comment that is on the tip of your tongue, you simply nod your head, too overcome with the need for him to just destroy you.

Yunho leans over you again, spreading your legs wide to fit right between them, he takes his time rubbing up and down your slit, gathering your arousal to lube himself up. Your whines and whimpers are like music to his ears, and he doesn't know if he can ever get enough of you like this.

Lining up with your entrance, he takes his time to gently slide just the tip in, causing you to gasp lightly. Yunho buries his head into your neck, biting his lip as he attempts to maintain his composure. He knows he needs to take it slow in order to not hurt you, but the way you are clenching around him has his mind spinning with arousal.

He gets back up, his intense gaze watching your every expression as he eases himself in, going at a steady pace. The sting is definitely present and you squint at the light pain.

“Deep breaths, beautiful. You’re doing so well.” 

You grab his toned arms as he pushes himself further in, his own breaths getting shallow as he feels your warm walls envelop his length.

‘Stay focused, Yunho,’ he thinks to himself, over and over, desperately trying to keep his composure, yet it proves more difficult by every passing second that your tight pussy sucks him in.

Pleasure surges through you but the only thing you are able to focus on is how full you feel. Your breath catches in your throat and you tense up as he gradually bottoms out, groaning, "So big."

“Yeah, does it feel good?” Yunho’s voice is raspy as he cages you in his arms, his eyes scanning your face.

“So good… please move.” is all you manage to say.

Yunho starts with some slow, teasing thrusts dragging his cock out before pushing it back in and it has you mewling out in pleasure.

“Fuck you’re so tight,” Yunho chokes out, his sanity practically gone as he feels your tight walls hugging his cock so nicely.

The beautiful sight of him on top of you, sweaty and lust ridden has you moaning and clenching around his cock. Wrapping your arms tightly around his strong back, your nails dig into his skin as he increases his pace. 

"Does this feel good, pretty?"

You are only able to manage out a moan of approval, letting him know, yes, he is doing good. Yunho chuckles against your skin as you let out noises of pleasure, every one spurring him on and making him desperate to make you finish again. In a purposeful movement, Yunho leans his hips back slightly, so his cock is angled in a way where it hits your g spot perfectly with every thrust. Yunho knows he has found it the second your words and moan become a mixed blabbing mess, with this he smirks. He almost doesn't want to stop, he is having too much fun with you.

Yunho grunts as he starts thrusting even faster, his hand coming down to flick your clit, needing you to come on his cock. He needs you to finish before him.

You feel your orgasm approaching fast, and Yunho can tell by the way you clench and claw at his arms, pulling him down to lock him in a heated kiss, he swallows your moans and whimpers happily.

Yunho pulls away from your swollen lips to bury his face in your neck, whispering praise into your ear. 

“Who is making you feel this good, doll?” he whispers in his deep voice, “do you want to cumm, pretty girl? Be a good girl and cum on my big dick, I know you want to.”  

The coil in your belly tightens even more, your legs starting to shake around him as you moan out his name pathetically. 

“That’s it, beautiful, milk my cock dry.” 

“Need to cum,”

Yunho’s chest tightens at the desperate tone in your voice and for a moment, he knows he is definitely able to get used to your desperate whines.

“Go ahead, baby cum for me, let the whole neighbourhood know how good I’m making you feel.”

That's all it takes for the coil in your stomach to snap, and your orgasm hits you hard. Intense pleasure ripples through you like tsunami waves, shaking your whole body and making your toes curl as your fingernails dig into his arms. The sensation overwhelms you as your world narrows down to the electrifying connection you share with Yunho.

Yunho follows in suit, his hips stuttering as he cums deep inside of you, his choked swears and moans in your ear as he wraps his strong arms around you, securing you in a tight embrace as the two of you ride out your orgasms.

After a few moments of silence, the only sounds to be heard in the room are the deep inhales and exhales of you and Yunho, the two of you lost in the aftermath of your passionate encounter. The intimacy lingers in the air, wrapping around you like a warm, comfortable blanket.

Yunho gently sits up, his arms shaky as he tries to regain his composure. A layer of sweat covers his face, and even in the low light of his room, you think he looks absolutely handsome. His dishevelled hair and flushed cheeks only add to his charm, and you can't help but admire him as he catches his breath.

Slowly, he pulls out, his seed spilling out of your swollen hole, a sight which has Yunho getting hard once again, yet he pushes the thoughts to the side and quickly rushes to the bathroom to grab a washcloth for you.

You can't help but feel a wave of insecurity and vulnerability as Yunho steps away to fetch the washcloth. The moment he disappears from your sight, a rush of unease washes over you, and tears begin to pool in your eyes. You never expected this level of intimacy, and now, seeing him leave even briefly, you fear he might be having second thoughts.

When he returns with the washcloth, he immediately notices the glistening tears in your eyes. Panic sets in, and he rushes to your side, cradling you in his arms.

"What's wrong?" he asks, his voice filled with genuine concern. "Did I do something to upset you?"

You sniffle and shake your head. "I'm sorry. I thought you disappeared for good, and I got scared."

Yunho's expression softens as he caresses your cheek, his thumb gently wiping away a tear. "Oh, baby, I would never do that. I promise you, I'm here for you. I'm so sorry for putting that thought in your mind."

He holds you close, offering the warmth and comfort you desperately need, reassuring you that he's not going anywhere.

“Yunho?” You look towards Yunho, whose gaze is already set on you with an affectionate gaze. Tenderly, he pushes a stray hair behind your ear, and a sense of comfort washes over you.

Leaning down, he places a soft kiss on your forehead, murmuring, "Yes, baby?"

Your heart flutters at the endearment as you continue, "What are we?"

Yunho raises an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a warm smile. He knew this question was coming, and he's more than prepared to answer. "Well, if you'll have me, I'd love to be your nerdy boyfriend."

A surge of happiness fills you, and you can't hold back your grin. "Only if you'll have me as your 'not so nerdy' girlfriend?"

Yunho chuckles and cups your face with his hands, sealing the moment with a sweet kiss. "Deal," he whispers against your lips, his arms wrapping even harder around you, securing you in a warm embrace.

“Let’s clean you up, pretty.”

—

“Sitting in Professor Turner's office, you're feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Yunho is right beside you, his presence giving you comfort and assurance. Professor Turner, the mentor you deeply respect, and her opinion matters greatly to you. You've been working tirelessly to improve your grades, and this is the moment of reckoning. To tell whether you are going to be expelled or not.

Professor Turner reviews your recent exam results, and you can't help but glance at Yunho. He's been your constant support, helping you study, explaining complex concepts, and motivating you to push your limits. There's a fond smile on his face, his warm eyes reflecting his pride in your accomplishments.

Finally, Professor Turner finishes her review and looks up at you with an encouraging smile. "I don't know how you did it, but your grades have not only improved, they have excelled. You are somehow one of the best in my class right now."

Your heart swells with pride as you realise the significance of her words. Tears fill your eyes and you feel the heavy weight that has been on your heart for months finally lift.

Yunho's proud smile widens, and the love in his eyes grows even more apparent. You feel a deep sense of accomplishment and happiness, knowing that with his help and your dedication, you've managed to exceed your own expectations and impress one of your most respected professors.

You look over at Yunho, gratitude shining in your eyes, and say,

"Well, I had an amazing tutor."

{i didnt proof read this, so if you see mistakes i apologise, im very tired}

#ateez smut #ateez #ateez x reader #ateez imagines #ateez reactions #ateez fanfic #ateez fic #yunho #yunho smut #yunho ateez #yunho x reader #yunho au

[fhrlclln]

Could you write Miguel hates everyone but you please.

miguel o’hara x spider!gn! reader

ANONNN YESSS, the thought made my toes curl how he’d automatically go soft on you at any moment LOLLL, like his annoyance would fizzle out just one word or glance from you (basically i want him obsessed with me 🤪).

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if you knew better, you know well not to get on miguel’s nerves.

he’s a busy man, stressed and fighting his way through his mission of keeping the multiverse in-tact. lyla once said that he wasn’t all like this before, just that everything had weighed on him the moment he discovered what keeps every spider-person’s dimension stable, learning from his own personal mistake. basically, you think the spider-society’s leader is kind of… unstable? kinda, if mentally but overall, you think he just hates everyone.

it was common to see him snapping at people, mostly the ones who get on his nerves frequently. but most of the time, he’s strict and scarily assertive when it comes to normal matters that need his guidance. everyone in the spider-society don’t really care if they pissed their leader off in some way but they were aware not to push his buttons. they just kinda wished he was more fun since they deemed him as the only spiderman who isn’t ‘funny.’ hell, everyone wanted to see if he’d throw that attitude away for once.

but maybe he did.

it was subtle, subtle you couldn’t even make it out.

“a new suit you’re building?” miguel’s shoulder’s tensed at the sudden boom of your voice, yet instantly he relaxes as you hop of the ceiling to stand by his side while he works on his own suit. “hope i’m not intruding.” you quickly follow up, realizing your mistake of not knocking or something.

“in the progress, yes.” miguel says, without much sarcasm or annoyance. you relax as well as miguel continued on working, not minding you were here it seems. he was quiet as you knew, you knew from observation that he liked working alone most of the time.

“that’s cool! how far are you enhancing from this suit?” you asked, utterly excited now as you gesture to his original suit. miguel seems amused, as you expected him to shut you off or ask why you were here but he merely chuckles, liking your curiosity.

“way far, trying to improve it’s durability and other things here and there, sensors, these web wings...” he gestures to the material underneath the armpits of the suit. a fine light byte material as you noticed. “and more.” he looks down to the other parts of the suit, proud.

you hummed, taking the to admire his craftsmanship. it certainly was a big change to his suit now as you can see, the color theme was changed as well, incorporating white in it but still had that usual tone. your eyes wandered, taking every little detail until one had your eyes widening.

“are those… boot jets?” you bend down to take a better look, as the suit was situated by wires, hanging a top.

“yes. for boosting flight speed mainly.” he says, grabbing one of the soles as he shows it to you. your eyes sparkled as you touched it, amazed how a booster could fit that small.

“amazing, miguel! wished my suit was capable of that.” you smiled as miguel shrugs at it, though a small smile is graced on his lips from your compliment. “what else are you innovating?”

miguel gestures to the wrist of the suit’s gloves as he picks something off the table from the side to show it to you. it was small arachnid shaped objects he presented as he demonstrates it by flinging it off way up as he shoots it with his laser webs causing a small explosion to occur, making you jump.

“explosives—“

miguel lets you take one of small explosives from his hand with astonishment as he softly explains along what they are. “prototype explosives. yeah, they’re something i’ve been—“

“what are we talking about today?! i just heard an explosion, i thought we were keeping it baby-proof here, miguel!” peter’s cheery voice suddenly took over as miguel let out a tiny exasperated sigh at the sudden intrusion. you waved in greeting as the father-daughter duo made their way towards the two of you. mayday happily napping in peter’s baby sling.

“there is no such thing of baby-proofing a lab, peter.” he grunts, resuming his antics as peter cooly dismisses his unwelcoming attitude. his face remains passive yet his tone was off, you noticed. “what do you want?”

“important matters. sorry for intruding whatever you two are doing, was it serious?” peter takes a knowing glance at you as you chuckled.

miguel rolls his eyes. “it was not—“

“it’s no big deal, peter. was just stopping by for miguel.” you smiled at him, looking back at miguel as you sensed some serious matter was going to be discussed as you excused yourself now. “i’ll be heading back now. miguel, if you have the time i’d love to hear more of the suit.”

miguel nods gently, the sudden look of annoyance dying down from his face a bit as you waved goodbye to peter, not forgetting to whispering a bye-bye to mayday as well. the two men stood in silence as peter seemed to catch something on as miguel went back to his desk, resuming his work.

“so, you really don’t hate everyone, huh?” peter starts, amused. very amused at the sudden subtle change. amused as well that he just won the bet that their leader didn’t hate everyone in fact.

“what does that have to mean?” miguel raises a brow at the assumption.

“oh, i don’t know… but, well for one, you aren’t that snappy at them than to me and maybe so on…” peter says mischievously, looking back to where you exited, chuckling as he smirks as miguel catches on with that implication and the tease. the tip of his ears heating up that as he turns his back at him.

“stop assuming things, parker.” he says defensively, peter raises his hands in defense as well, yet still not letting it go for a moment before they finally talk about the more serious matters. though, his mind yet ponders at what truth was said. it wasn’t that true that he hates everyone… everyone just annoys him but, yeah…

maybe he does like you, it seems.

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i want him fr

#miguel o’hara x reader #miguel o’hara #spiderman 2099 x reader #spiderman 2099 #miguel o’hara imagine #miguel o’hara fluff #oscar isaac #across the spiderverse #across the spider verse spoilers #fnhrlcllnwrites #eri’s request box 📦 ｡･:*˚:✧｡

[celestial-quill-n-ink]

Autistic MC Headcanons

Featuring: Lucifer, Mammon, Leviathan, Satan, Asmodeus, Beelzebub & Belphegor

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Quick Note: I wrote this from my own personal experience, so some traits might not fit with your own personal experiences, which is completely Ok! These are all very self-indulgent for me, so I'll be happy if even anyone else out there likes what I've written! - Celeste

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🌟Lucifer🌟

✦ Above all else, Lucifer will listen intently to your personal experiences and directly ask you how you would like your time in the Devildom to be improved

✦ He completely accepts his lack of knowledge in the situation and would consult with both Satan and Solomon about Human mental health and wellbeing

✦ He begins to check in with you on a more consistent basis, making sure you're not overworking yourself and being stressed out by your tasks

✦ He gains even more respect for your persistence and tenacity, and does his best to make his appreciation known with words of affirmation and praise

✦ If he happens to be around when you are in an overwhelming situation, he'll swiftly de-escalate it and, if you would like, hold you close and soothe you with careful repetitive motions

✦»✩☆✩⇢★⇠☆⇢✮⇠☆⇢★⇠✩☆✩«✦

💳Mammon💳

✦Mammon would initially be confused, but not in the way you might expect, as he had already accepted you for all your quirks and didn't see any issues with your social divergences

✦ He is your biggest hype man, always standing by your side whenever you may need encouragement or comfort

✦ It truly cannot be understated how Mammon will just drop everything in an instant to be there for you when you're feeling anxious, and though he'll never admit it out loud, he's utterly humbled by how quickly you seem to calm down the moment he's in your presence

✦ He has similar issues with focusing and prioritizing work due to distractions (mainly those of the golden variety), so he admires you all the more when you tell him of your silent struggles with your tasks and how you continue to persist in spite of it

✦»✩☆✩⇢★⇠☆⇢✮⇠☆⇢★⇠✩☆✩«✦

🎮Leviathan🎮

✦ Levi was already aware of your social struggles, as you had both partially bonded over your shared anxiety and awkwardness, but he was honestly quite fascinated about the whole concept of neurodivergency

✦ You would offer him any and all online resources you used to learn about the topic, and you would both end up discussing the finer details of your experiences well into the early morning

✦ He realizes how unintentionally dismissive he's been about your special interests, as he was already wrapped up in his own interests, and resolves himself to always give you a place to gush about your current fixations

✦ (It's with this diversion of his attention that he also realizes that he absolutely adores your excited smiles and giggles, and will never not feel blessed to be part of the reason why you can be so unabashedly happy)

✦ You better believe that when any special occasions roll around, he's pulling out all the stops to get that one piece of obscure merchandise you told him about months ago, because you deserve nothing but his best efforts scouring the internet for Akuzon and D-bay listings

✦»✩☆✩⇢★⇠☆⇢✮⇠☆⇢★⇠✩☆✩«✦

📚Satan📚

✦ Satan already has some baseline knowledge of the DSM and the different kinds of diagnoses Humans can be assigned, so he's more than willing to get a better understanding of things through a first-hand source

✦ He already had a personal fondness for your physical and vocal stims, and learning the underlying meaning of those actions will end up making him keenly attuned to your comfortability in any social situation

✦ If he notices you wringing your hands or repeatedly shifting your eyes in a tense situation, he's sticking right by your side and giving you gentle and repetitive ministrations to let you know that he's there for you

✦ Conversely, if he sees you kicking your feet with a smile on your face, humming along to one of your favourite songs, it fills him with an intense and almost prideful feeling as he just basks in your presence

✦ He just finds himself feeling soft and fuzzy inside whenever he witnesses your expressive voice and gestures, as he knows it to be very different from how you act publicly, which truly makes him feel special to you.

✦ He's had his own issues with identity and how others perceived him as an extension of Lucifer, so he tries his best to give you validation and reassurance that you are enough; whether you are masking or not

✦ He also completely respects your motivation to push past your anxiety and go outside more often, and will help you in meticulously planning out day trips to both fantastical and peaceful Devildom locales

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🌸Asmodeus🌸

✦ You initially worry that Asmo wouldn't really be able to understand what you're talking about if he hasn't experienced it himself, but his immediate acceptance and willingness to learn more about you puts your anxiety at ease

✦ He knows that he'll never truly understand your experiences in life, and would rather focus on finding out what makes you most happy and comfortable and do all within his power to make it a reality

✦ He always had a way of getting you to confess your innermost issues, no matter how small or insignificant, and allows you a space to vent about the misunderstandings and mistreatment of neurodivergent individuals (and later on with matters of the heart)

✦ He goes on to learn every little detail he can about your fashion sense and what he can do to make you feel pampered and taken care of, so slow-paced shopping sprees and relaxing spa days become a new daily routine for you both

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🍔Beelzebub🍔

✦ Beel is immediately supportive of you and also feels very grateful in knowing how comfortable you are around him and his brothers to be able to tell them something so personal

✦ Early into your tenure in the Devildom, you had already made your highly specific eating habits well known (to your embarrassed dismay at the time), and ever since making the pact, Beel would gently encourage you to try different Devildom foods that he believed would fit with your Human tastes

✦ He understands what it's like to bottle up his emotions to not overwhelm others around him, so he would always be there for you whenever you would shut down and just need a consistent and grounding weight in the form of a warm bear hug

✦ When comforting you, he often asks you about your Human family, and just as much as it's a distraction to help you calm down, it also enlightens Beel to your indomitable loyalty and care for those you deem to be your family (in which he deeply respects your values and feels like a kindred spirit)

✦»✩☆✩⇢★⇠☆⇢✮⇠☆⇢★⇠✩☆✩«✦

🌌Belphegor🌌

✦ Belphie was always aware of the subtle weariness that permeated your presence despite your bright and happy demeanour, and without even needing to know anything about masking, he would continually invite you to nap with him after dinner (with varying degrees of success initially)

✦ He inherently has a sarcastic streak in him, and while that clashed with your literal interpretation of his words at first, he started to understand your perspective and grew more endeared to your cute pouty reactions whenever he seemed outwardly cold or uncaring

✦ Whenever you were just hanging out with Belphie, you felt comfortable enough to let your mask fall off and relax without worrying about how you appeared to others, with which the youngest brother silently took an immense amount of pride in this exclusivity

✦ He has times where he reflects on how he manipulated you, and how you later confided in him about your fears of being perceived as naïve and idiotic, in which he does all that he can with both his words and actions to show how much he genuinely respects your unwavering kindness and empathy

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#obey me #obey me x reader #obey me x mc #obey me imagines #obey me imagine #obey me headcanons #obey me hcs #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me shall we date #shall we date obey me #lucifer x reader #mammon x reader #leviathan x reader #satan x reader #asmodeus x reader #beelzebub x reader #belphegor x reader #celestial writings

[thephooka]

How we got here from there

Or, the long journey of a longform long-running webcomic about a long man with long wings.

In the spirit of @feathernotes and @phantomarine who have been talking about just starting your webcomic and not worrying about being "ready", I was inspired to do a post about White Noise's origin! I'm a little limited by the fact that I either left behind or destroyed a lot of the art I have from prior to 2009, so you'll have to take my word for it.

Cringe Truth below the cut!

The Cringe Truth of White Noise is that it has its roots in a Pokemon x Yu Yu Hakusho x self-insert(s) roleplay thread I used to do with an internet friend I made on Neopets guild forums way back in 2002-ish. We would come home from school every day and RP over AIM, and then when we had to get offline, whoever left first would email the other one, and we would continue via email until we were back on AIM at the same time.

Liya was my self insert.

This isn't even remotely the earliest art of her, it's just the earliest I have on hand. I was drawing her for almost a decade by the time I drew this one. Imagine the earlier drawings as being like I traced over Sailor Moon characters that I printed out from deviantART and gave them a brown ponytail.

The funny thing is Liya really hasn't changed much from her original form! I also had loose brown curls that I kept in a ponytail 24/7 to the point that it showed when I had it down (which is why her hair is 'dented' like that). I did it because I was trans and didn't know it; she does it because she hasn't realized she can just cut it off and be butch yet.

Other characters that date back from this time period: Yoshi (originally an InuYasha/Rurouni Kenshin pastiche), Hawk (I don't remember when he got wings but they were white at first), Numair (named after the Tamora Pierce character and filling a Koenma kind of role), Helly (sort of--I had an elf character named Kamui who had the same temperament, and he was eventually transmuted into Helly) and...Kurogane.

I've never named Kurogane but he appears in the background of the comic a few times, as my own personal inside joke.

Vlad came along somewhere between this RP period and planning the comic, but I can't remember when or why. I don't have drawings from that time (~2004?) but he was the first character I drew when I got a tablet for the first time.

Everyone else came along later when I started actually planning out the comic.

All this said: the reason I started White Noise as a weekly webcomic is because I wanted to learn to draw better.

At the time I was in college majoring in animation, but I didn't feel like I was learning very much at all (the program was badly structured; I had more art history classes than anything else. It was a mess.) I was also working nights in order to feed myself, and so had a lot of downtime. I had this story rattling around in my head from my RP days, so I figured, why not just give it a go?

For posterity here's a photo of a chapter 1 panel in progress, back in 2011 with my typical college diet in the bg:

(Chapter 1 was originally pencil on paper, scanned in and colored in PS. I later re-drew it to make it fully digital to match with the rest of the comic.)

There's been a lot of talking about not waiting until you're 'ready' to start a webcomic, and I agree with that sentiment. Try framing it like this: making a comic every week for years and years will improve your art way more than any prep work you can do before starting the comic. It's like learning to swim. You can read about swimming all you want, but you're not going to really figure it out until you do it. If your early comics are bad, well, that's normal. It used to be an expected part of doing webcomics; I blame the shift into expecting webcomics to be polished from start to finish partly on commercialization in the space, but that's an angry rant for another time.

With this background, here's the collage I posted for WN's 10 year anniversary back in 2021:

And now we're here.

So do your webcomic. Put it on ComicFury or make a janky little site for it. Be okay with imperfect pages and be prepared to shout into the void for a while. Even if it's always a hobby, if it never makes you a dime or wins you any awards--that's fine! You'll be a lot happier if you learn not to worry about that stuff, and just make something that will help you grow and make you happy. We could do with a lot more work like that in the world imo.

#webcomics #comics #wn comic #white noise #comix #indie comics #webtoon #comic history #webcomic history #web comic #original comic #also I'm not going to tell you to not destroy your old work but... #it IS nice to have around so you can look at it and feel good about how much you've grown #can't say I regret losing all that stuff but whatever

[meaningofaeons]

First request ive sent for hsr bcz I DO NOT SEE ENOUGH AU CONTENT ON THIS SITE?? I would like to request Gepard x reader musician au where gepard plays an instrument or maybe hes some kind of idol… idk im insane and ill take anything 😭

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈ (tone) deaf

⊹ character(s) - gepard landau ⊹ word count - 705 ⊹ notes - gn!reader, musician/music au, modern au, gepard is still kinda a bad singer like in canon but not as bad (serval vocal coach yahoo!), reader is implied to be semi-famous but still knows the landaus, serval's band is implied to be semi-famous too (SERVAL WINGWOMAN IS BACK!!!), idol!gepard

hi anon!!! I REALLY LIKE THIS REQUEST!!!! I love guys who can't sing (cough tanjiro demon slayer cough) and it's always so cute writing about them. the idea of idol!gepard made me swoon so I went that route! I did hcs I hope that's okay! and I hope the modern au is okay, I didn't know if you wanted to stick to the original belobog/hsr setting or no. thanks for requesting!!! (=^･ｪ･^=))ﾉ彡☆ (I didnt rlly know how to end this one so if you want a p2 lemme know <3)

Gepard isn't necessarily a bad singer. He's just unpracticed.

Serval remembers fondly the times her brother would try to sing in his room, completely unaware of how he sounded to anyone with half an ear for tone.

He'd always wanted to be in a band of some sort like his older sister, but he didn't really have a knack for it. And instruments? Forget it. He could barely strum a single chord on a guitar!

Brawn was always Gepard's bigger strong suit over brains, and music certainly required quite a bit of the latter.

So, Serval, noticing her brother's plight (but also his desire for improvement) approached him on getting vocal lessons. From her, of course.

Over the course of a few years, he improved by leaps and bounds. In all that time, it never occurred to his sister to ask why he was so desperate for musical ability.

That is, until she went with him to one of your shows on her rare time off from her own band.

You were a longtime friend of the Landaus, and Serval felt that all three of you got along quite well. Like a house on fire, one would say.

But she never quite expected her brother to be so taken with your sound.

"Y/N has really bettered her playing!" Gepard ranted to Serval as soon as they were out of the small live house venue, waving his arms around. "I mean, she's always been good, but wow!"

"Is that why you wanted to get into music?" the girl teased, and her sibling immediately shut up.

"...N-Not exactly, but Y/N is inspiring."

"Your crush is written all over your face, baby bro—"

Serval was promptly shushed when you bounded up to the two of them.

"Hey, guys! How'd you like the show? Pretty cool, right?"

Gepard would spend hours ranting to you about songwriting, tone, anything he could possibly think of to occupy your conversation. Serval, meanwhile, would slink away to give you two your space.

It didn't take long for the newly-improved singer Gepard to find his place in a male idol unit.

His looks certainly helped, but it was no shocker that his leaps-and-bounds better singing was the kicker that got him his spot.

You continued your own musical gigs, but you were always willing to lend the blonde a helping hand (and ear!) for his new songs. Though idol groups usually got composers to write for them, Gepard was a sucker for coming up with his own songs.

As a very handsome guy, his talents were naturally geared towards a 'heartthrob' persona to his fans, which they lapped up like a cat to milk.

You soon became no exception—though you were obviously closer to him than any fan could get.

You would help him with writing songs, and all of his love-centric ones were written with you in mind (not that he would ever admit such a thing)

Still, you seemed ever-oblivious to his hints, even when his songs started to get borderline personal. His manager had to outright stop him from performing a song on the fly during one of his shows that specifically described you.

And Gepard was silently thankful that his moment of lovestruck delirium hadn't been broadcasted live to millions.

You couldn't exactly deny your own feelings for the man, but considering both of your levels of fame and his rise to success as a shoe-in for the whole nation's celebrity crush, you figured not to say a word.

Even though the work got busier by the day, though, Gepard always made time for you, and you for him.

When he couldn't make it to a show of yours or he had to miss out on a meeting due to a scheduling conflict, he'd always send a bouquet of your favorite flowers straight to your doorstep.

And though you couldn't always be there for his live performances, you always made sure to send something to eat from his favorite restaurant that he could indulge in after the show.

Fame could be tiring, trifling, and outright frustrating at times, but with the two of you to support one another, it wasn't too bad a hurdle to cross.

#hsr #honkai star rail #honkai #hsr x reader #gepard x reader #gepard landau x reader #gepard #gepard landau #honkai x reader #honkai star rail x reader

[theladysherlock]

talk shop tuesday! incredible coincidence - i wanted to ask you more about your dnd OCs, and you posted a new art piece with one of them! continuing the theme: could you tell more about your dnd OCs and how they came to be?

Ohhhh you have opened Pandora's Box my friend!! I could talk about this topic all day.

Basically there's two parts to this: my approach to DnD in general, and in-depth explanations of the characters. I'm going to put this under a Read More to save everyone's Dash.

Part One: Dungeons and Dragons

So the thing I love most about DnD (and other TTRPGs) is that it's a collaborative game. I'm not responsible for the entirety of the story, I bring my character to the table and everyone else brings their characters and between us, the DM, and the dice, we figure out where the story is going. I enjoy it so much more than trying to come up with everything on my own. And I love that people can surprise me!! @mothmansbigfatass and @ahawkmet (my irl friends and in most of the campaigns I play) can attest, apparently I'm a lot of fun to watch during revelations because I always have a big reaction.

So when making a dnd character, it's important for me to know 1. What the world we'll be playing in is like, and 2. What everyone else is doing. Again, it's a collaborative game, so I want to make sure that I'm playing nice with the DM's world. AND often the setting itself will give me an idea (see Ethan: the game is set at a community college. What's a college stereotype that would be fun to play?). Ideally, the character I make would have a really hard time being plopped into a different campaign and have it still make sense. Secondly, it's more fun for me to play a class that will fill out the party. For example, if we already have a cleric, I don't also need to play a religious character. Those story beats are covered by someone else, I don't want to be competing with another person for cool moments.

Once those two things are settled, character creation is determined by what seems fun to play and what would be interesting aesthetically. I like to keep the backstory light to see what happens as we start playing, and then I can fill it in bit by bit later. Sometimes that bites me in the ass, though (see Ethan: I didn't give him birth parents and then they were incredibly important to the plot). I tend to have a general idea about who they are and what they're like, and then I always get surprised by what they actually end up acting like once we start playing. It's fun for me to figure them out along the way!

The last thing I wanna say about DnD (for now) is that I love everyone else's characters just as much. I just draw mine more because, well, they're mine. I feel weird putting their guys in situations and guessing how they'd react because they aren't my little guys. I much prefer working collaboratively with the other players (like an RP thread) to just writing a story on my own.

Part Two: Ethan

Where to even start with my boy. A bunch of my work friends got together to start a DnD game, and I hadn't played with most of them before so I wasn't sure what to expect. I also did not think the game would last very long, since most campaigns tend to fizzle out after a few sessions. So I made kind of a joke character with extremely little backstory: He's a half-orc, since I hadn't played that race before, he's a bard who is the captain of the local community college's Improv Team, he's "the kind of guy to play wonderwall at a party but you're not mad about it", and I said he's adopted by two men, neither of whom were his biological parents, and he wasn't particularly interested in tracking down his bio parents. This last point is for two reasons: one, I was trying to avoid just duplicating a Dimension 20's Gorgug, a half-orc who was adopted by gnomes and spent the whole first season trying to find his dad; and two, I was pushing an "Adopted parents are not less than biological parents" agenda.

My DM took this personally (affectionate). First session, I was given a clue about his birth parents' identities. From then on, Ethan was dragged kicking and screaming into being the unofficial main character of the campaign. His mom was one of our favorite NPCs, a kickass pirate with a truly tragic backstory who would always jump to help us out of a scrape. His biological dad was the human embodiment of Pride who had took on the form of Fantasy Harrison Ford and was an extremely famous actor in-world. Our BBEG was his uncle, the embodiment of Greed. Every plot point became very personal and it was a lot of fun. I also loved putting him through the wringer, so between me and the DM the poor guy couldn't catch a break.

Part of the dice telling the story, I rolled so bad all the time when I played Ethan. It didn't matter which dice I used, I just rolled really bad, which was not something that normally happened with me. So that was fun to incorporate into his character as we played-- he was insecure about his own abilities compared to the extremely powerful characters he was surrounded by (we had a 20 ft Earth Titan who was an extremely powerful Druid, Emeshka you will always be famous). So he became a more three-dimensional and actualized character the more we played.

He's extremely easy to put in situations and his character design is pretty solid, so I end up drawing him the most. My perfect little guy.

(Anything about him I've tagged either "Ethan" or "Big Yarr Energy" if you want to find more)

Part Three: Mina

After the campaign with Ethan wrapped up, we started a new one in a Cthulhu-inspired setting. My goal with making Mina was to do as close to a 180 as I could from Ethan. While Ethan was a friendly and charming but bad at most things, Mina is a competent and intelligent Druid who's blunt and overworked and doesn't quite know how to meaningfully engage with her party members (but she tries, bless her). Druid was one of the classes I hadn't played yet and I've been making my way through the list of available classes. The One-With-Nature stuff isn't super interesting to me as a player, but I found a homebrew subclass that was based more in Big Cities and as an Architecture Nerd that was much more my speed. Also, I hadn't played an Aasimar before, so that seemed like fun. From all that, I pulled together her whole deal: She was from a bloodline of guardian angels who were sent to protect different villages and towns, and she's gone from her mother's small town to being the guardian of a city of several million people and it's overwhelming. She's lonely and she's jaded and she's got severe Gifted Kid Syndrome and she's got her head on a swivel to make sure her party members are okay even if they don't like her very much and I love her.

I didn't give her a lot of tragic backstory because there are a lot of us playing and I wanted to have a character who could push the plot forward with her actions, instead of having a "now let's stop and talk about my life!!" moment every session that seemed to happen with Ethan. Give everyone else some time to have cool moments, you know? And by GOD are there some cool moments. My fellow players are so good at making compelling characters. Ask @mothmansbigfatass about Nelly if you get a chance.

We're still playing this campaign, although we're nearing the end of it. There's still space for some big moments for Mina in the game, though I'm hoping our DM lets me save hers for last. She's the kind of character to make sure everyone else is okay before taking care of herself, so it feels appropriate. I'm excited to see where Mina ends up. She's definitely a character I'll go back and write/draw a lot afterwards, though. Part of being in a group this size means there's a lot of stuff that just won't get covered. I'll have a lot of material to play with for my own work once we get to the next campaign.

(Anything about Mina I've tagged either "Mina" or "Cthulhu Crimes" if you want to find more)

Part Four: Jess

Jess is a character that isn't from DnD but is a TTRPG character of mine, and I like her so I'm going to talk about her too. Jess is a cautionary tale in Knowing Your Audience.

Jess is from a different group of players than Ethan and Mina. Our DM for that game is notorious for wanting to give us Big, Shonen-Style fight scenes and an insane level of power creep. Character interactions are fine, but his true passion is making us look like Goku.

Jess was... not built to look like Goku. In this world you could identify different types of magic users by their focus, and I wanted her whole schtick to be about deception. She looked like a wizard when she was actually a monk, she looked like a dumb blonde girl when she was extremely smart and good at stealing things, she's a dancer but her primary fighting style was based on capoeira, etc. Also part of why Jess sticks with me as a favorite character is the way I had her powers work was so fun and visually interesting that I haven't been able to shake it. Basically her superpower was that she could snatch bits of other people's powers and use them herself, and you could tell which ones she had because they would fill out spectral stained glass wings with specific colors.

Jess was (and still is, frankly) too complicated for the game our DM wanted to run. Immediately any hope of her being a chronic liar was dashed as her powers did not manifest in a way that could possibly pass off as being a wizard. So instead of being sneaky, Jess became very angry. She was quick to point out injustices in the world we were in. She beat up creeps, she yelled at bigots, she stole powers from macho superheroes trying to one-up her. She had to get a lot less complicated for the story we were in, but the complicated version of her still lives in my head and I like to see what she's up to from time to time.

(I don't think I have anything tagged for Jess, unfortunately)

TL; DR:

TTRPG characters are fun because they let me do my favorite thing creatively, which is bounce ideas off of other people. I typically design them based on the setting, party needs, character tropes that I think are interesting, and just general vibes. Most importantly, though, I don't have a fleshed out character without the input of the other players.

#talk shop Tuesday #good LORD that's a lot of words #I'm incapable of shutting up it seems. ah well #I can tell more stories about them though. I should bring back the story times #I think the last one I posted was over a year ago #ANYWAY thank you for the ask!

[antaresgalaeth]

Yearning for her (Sebastian Sallow x Hufflepuff OC)

Notes: Hi! This is my very first fanfic. My intention was to write a oneshot with a smut scene but I ended up writing more than expected, so I suppose now my next goal is finish it in a second chapter 😅 I am a completely rookie at writing, I'm just trying to have fun while I improve my skills. Please keep in mind that I'm not a English native speaker. Any corrections and constructive criticism are very welcome 🤗 (link with second part below).

Warnings: Angsty, Spoilers from Hogwarts Legacy, jealousy, toxic behavior, possessive Sebastian, smut (fingering, masturbation), toxic relationship, WiP✍🏻

Word count: 2826

-----------------------

December, 1891. Alessa, Sebastian and Ominis are in their sixth year at Hogwarts following the events in Hogwarts Legacy. The relationship between Sebastian and Ominis was back to normal after a summer filled with conflict and reconciliation. Alessa has found a great friendship in both of the boys. But even though the situation calmed down and they finally could get a normal school year, there were still some unresolved tensions.

Sebastian noticed Alessa since last course, when they had their first duel in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, a mysterious girl who had just arrived at Hogwarts at the age of 16 and, nevertheless, she beat him without even disheveled. Along the school year, she gave him her absolut support for trying to find a cure for Anne, his twin. Her great easiness to learn spells and cast them on the battlefield, her curiosity, her thirst for adventure and her kind heart made Sebastian lose his head for her over time. Since they finished 5th year and started in 6th year, he wanted to go a step further to show her how massive his desire was for her, but the guilt for his terrible past acts kept stopping him.

The only thing that didn't stop was his jealousy every time some guy got close to her. Alessa became a popular person, everyone at Hogwarts knew who she was, the girl who defeated Ranrok and Rookwood, apart from excelling in his classes even having started so late. “I approached her first'' thought Sebastian with rage each time something like that happened, while being flooded by feelings of urgency to make her his. Every time he saw her walking the halls or at the classroom, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

*********

Today was Potion class with Professor Sharp, in the morning. There she was, as radiant as every day and ready at her table, on Omini’s left side. Normally, when she was attending classes, she pulled back her hair in a low bun and a small and rebel lock always fell over her left cheekbone. Sebastian asked himself how it would be to the touch, imagining his fingers meandering through her hair, caressing her from the temple to her nape, at the same time he pulled his head close to hers, sensing their warm breath one over the other, until they lightly rub their lips and… “Are you planning to go in or are you going to stay by the door all day, Mr. Sallow?" Professor Sharp protested over Sebastian’s shoulder, he came behind him to start the class.

Everyone left what they were doing and they turned to the door, standing up, as a welcome to the Professor. “I’m sorry, Professor”, Sebastian's cheeks flushed when he realized he was daydreaming, so he bowed his head and quickened his step to reach his corresponding  cauldron, sitting on Alessa’s left side, leaving her in the middle of Ominis and himself. “A great start to the day, I see” Ominis mocked Sebastian. “You…see?” he answered in a sarcastic tone while raising his eyebrows and tilting his head to the side. Ominis chuckled at the same time that he was touching a sopophorous bean, helping himself with the sense of smell. “Good morning, Sebastian” Alessa received him at the table with her beautiful smile. He returned the gesture and winked.

“Today we will continue with the Draught of living death potion. Well, even if it doesn't take long to brew, it doesn’t mean it will be easy to make. At the end of the class you will be examined”. Professor Sharp made a pause, scanning his students’ faces, “Tell me, Miss Galaeth. Could you tell me what was the third step in its making?”. Alessa repositions herself in her chair to face the teacher with an upright posture, lowers her hands into her lap as her fingertips play against each other, looking up trying to remember. “Hmm… you have to… stir twice… clockwise”, she concluded faster as she was finishing. “Excellent, 5 points to Hufflepuff”. Alessa could relax her shoulders and let out a small huff of relief, spinning on herself to go back to their desk. To Sebastian, she looked very cute when she behaved that proper in class, knowing how savage she could become outside Hogwarts.

They've spent the rest of the class focusing on their own potion brewing to pass their exam. Sebastian was lost on the notes from his notebook, he had a large amount of annotations filled with priceless information that only he could understand, because his learning method was chaotic, like himself. Alessa began to help Ominis between whispers when she finished her potion successfully, whenever Professor Sharp was busy, when she saw him struggling with it the second time he had to start over. Sebastian looked at them with a serious face, and not because he was worried about them getting caught by the Professor, precisely. Sebastian was happy about the good friendship that has been forged between his best friend and her though, but he couldn't avoid the feeling that something might come up between the two of them. Ominis never confessed anything about Alessa to him, but he didn’t talk about it either, about his true feelings for her. The thought of that brought a knot to his stomach.

Class ended and everyone ran out of there as if someone had dropped a stink bomb. “You cannot realize how much I appreciate your help from before, I owe you” Ominis said to Alessa, his head tilted towards her with his glassy eyes looking nowhere. “The truth is I admire your determination for brewing potions, Ominis. It must be tremendously complex without seeing what you’re doing”, she made a brief pause, “I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but sometimes I observe you working with the ingredients and…”, she laughed nervously, “...one day I covered my eyes trying to make a Wiggenweld potion. The results were a complete mess!”. Ominis frowned with a smile, “I suppose that for someone who depends on their sight so much, it’s more complicated”. Sebastian started to feel left out so he joined the conversation, “I’ve already tried to learn braille when I met him our 1st year”, he put a hand on Ominis’ shoulder and getting in the way of those two, “The only thing I could manage to understand was the letter ‘A’, because it was just a dot. No idea of the rest”, he raised the same arm that was on Ominis to scratch himself in the nape with his hand.

*********

“I’ll meet you by lunch time, I have no more classes until then” Ominis said, deviating his walk to a secluded bench in the Central Hall, to do some reading about Herbology. Alessa kept her path to the Transfiguration class along with Sebastian and other classmates, like Natty and Garreth. Before crossing the gate to the courtyard, Peeves showed up from nowhere, scaring everyone and Sebastian landed on his butt. “Booo!” The ghost, bursting of laughter, stole Sebastian’s notebook that fell on the floor and, with a fart-like sound plus a sneer, he flew towards the corridor they had left behind, where the Potion class was. “Wiiii. I bet you can't catch me!” screamed Peeves in the distance.

“Damn poltergeist!” Sebastian growled while standing up. “Go without me, I don’t want you to miss class because of me” he said to Alessa, she couldn't do anything but press her lips and to frown her forehead, Peeves' nuisance was very well known, so she wished him good luck and he went ahead quickening his pace to retrieve his notebook, at the same time he was condemning the ghost. 

Christmas decorations were starting to appear everywhere at Hogwarts. A lot of boys and girls standing in the halls under the mistletoe, excited, waiting for their crush to try to get a kiss from them. The silly giggles were the soundtrack between classes these days.

“Hey” You are Alessa Galaeth, right?” Alessa was crossing the courtyard that adjoined the Transfiguration class, when a guy from Gryffindor called for her in a deep voice. He was leaning on one side of the many arcs from the corridor that surrounded the patio, his legs and arms crossed. His friends departed and he was left alone. Alessa pointed to herself with one finger and he made a gesture with his hand to her so she would come closer.

“Hi, do you need my help with anything?” She was used to people asking her favors from time to time since she came to the school. The boy straightened, he was tall and corpulent. His golden hair fell flat to his eyebrows, he had piercing indigo blue eyes and his full lips extended to a smile where perfect teeth peeked out. “I’m James Wright, I have the pleasure of meeting you at last, I wanted to know the legend of Hogwarts personally”, the boy stretched out his hand and Alessa did the same, waiting for a handshake, but instead he took her hand softly and planted a kiss on the back. Alessa showed him a courtesy smile, “Nice to meet you too, James, but I’ve never considered myself a legend. By the way, you are the keeper of the Quidditch team, aren’t you?” Alessa has been hearing his name in the girls’ bathroom the whole trimester, every girl wanted to date him before the summer vacations, because he was in the 7th year already and now was their last chance with him. “The very same” he nodded, widening his shoulders proudly.

James was bragging about his last feats on the Quidditch pitch for a few moments. Every few seconds he would take a step to move the conversation further down the corridor. There came a time when Alessa got lost in her thoughts thinking she would be late for class, until a sudden movement surprised her.

James brought his big hand closer to Alessa’s face, he tucked her lock behind her ear and creeped his fingers under her jawline to hold her chin and lift it so they could see each other’s eyes. “My teammates were right, you’re not only an extraordinary witch but also a beautiful one indeed”. Alessa buried his head in the scarf as much as she could. James, with an imposted surprise, signaled to the ceiling “Oh, look! We’re right under the mistletoe”. Alessa looked up instinctively. “Tradition says that anyone who’s been kissed under it, they'll find love”, he continued.

When Alessa returned the gaze, he was arching his back to meet her height. “Would you like to test it?” he whispered in her ear. Blood rose to her cheekbones quickly, “I’m flattered, but I think I'll pass, thank you” she murmured, frowning her eyebrows. James extended his left arm to lean it against the wall, cornering Alessa, their robes rubbed against each other. His other hand went to comb his fringe back, showing his features better. “There’s no need to get nervous”, he chuckled, “Is it because you haven’t kissed anyone yet?”. Alessa’s lips squeezed into a horizontal line, that was a very personal question. She was reserving her first kiss to someone special and he definitely wasn’t.

James wouldn’t give up, his success with the girls made him think that anyone would surrender to his charms, that Alessa was playing hard to get. “Don’t worry, just close your eyes and let yourself go. I bet you another kiss that you’re going to like it”, he said with a seductive voice. Alessa didn’t know where to look, “I thank you for your interest in me, truly, but we can leave it here, ok?” she muttered uneasily while she extended one foot to get out of James's personal space. He grabbed her by her arm, not letting her leave. “You're not going to make me beg, are you? Come on, I’ll buy you something later, at The Three Broomsticks”. Alessa opened her mouth to reply but someone spoke in her place.

“Leave my friend alone! Don’t you have a shred of decency?” Ominis was approaching from the corner of the corridor with his wand raised to guide him, his tone reminded Alessa that time when he scolded her upon hearing her leave the Undercroft the first time she went there. “I think she said NO, so let her be at once!”. James straightened up, broadening his shoulders and letting his arms fall to his sides, Ominis may not be able to see him, but his aura was imposing. “I’m sorry, but this is a private conversation between her and me, so go stick your nose somewhere else, Slytherin”, James sneered at him. Ominis leaned his head even more with anger, adding tension to his hands closed in fists with elbows slightly arched. His body swayed slightly. “I know who you are and my family has direct contact with the Headmaster, if you ever come bothering her again, I’ll have Quidditch to be suspended a second time”. James snorted at the threat “You’ll have the whole school against you, if you do that”. “Do you think I care? Try me and you’ll see” Ominis snapped. Alessa wasn't so sure if he was bluffing or telling the truth, his words were convincing though. 

James recognized who Ominis Gaunt was, his last name was very well known in the wizarding world and there weren’t any other blind students in Hogwarts. In case of doubt, James clicked his tongue exasperated, looked at Alessa without saying a word and he walked away where Ominis came from while shaking his head and muttering, consciously bumping his shoulder into his. Ominis wobbled for a moment not expecting the tackle, but was able to stabilize.

 Alessa stood fast in front of Ominis and she hugged him at the same time she snorted in relief “Ominis! Thank you so much for getting rid of him”. She breathed deeply on the back of his neck, a fresh woody fragrance flooded Alessa's lungs. Ominis relaxed the gesture and, with a warm grin, he hugged her back, “I’m glad I arrived on time. I’ve listened to a group of students whispering about a certain James from the Quidditch team, they had bet that he would get a kiss from the savior of Hogwarts” his last words were spoken with aversion, “That’s why I stopped my reading and headed back here because it was obvious they were talking about you. Are you alright?”. Alessa's heart began to beat very fast, she moved away from the hug, leaving her hands resting on Ominis' shoulders. “I am now. Do you remember what you’ve just said to me after the exam? We’re even”. She leaned towards him and gave him a timid fleeting kiss on the cheek that she would regret due to the shame it would cause her instantly, but she couldn't help it, it came from her soul.

*********

Sebastian finally recovered his notebook from Peeves. He was crossing at forced marches The Transfiguration Courtyard when he caught sight of Ominis being kissed by a girl out of the corner of his eye. She was standing on tiptoes because she was a little shorter than him. Sebastian remained still to the spot “Since when does Ominis let himself be kissed under the mistletoe? This is new” he thought. Tempted to find out who the girl was so he could pester him for the rest of the year about what he had just witnessed, he approached them to see who she was. His mischievous countenance went somber when he took a few steps and realized it was Alessa. HIS Alessa.

Everything began to spin, he began to imagine Alessa and Ominis kissing passionately with their hands exploring each other's bodies like savages, holding hands under the table, while he stood by with the potions, and a succession of creative scenes that made his heart shatter. His hands froze and began to sweat, his ears burned and he began to spin on the spot, raising his fists and throwing them down hard to vent his frustration.

Alessa and Ominis took their respectives paths, she entered the class and Ominis headed towards the Central Hall again. Neither of them noticed that Sebastian was there, cursing himself for not having the courage to say anything to Alessa earlier. What does Ominis have that he doesn't?. As if he had lost all energy, he reminded himself "He's not a murderer like me." Completely defeated, he walked into class with his head bowed, avoiding looking at or engaging in conversation with Alessa at all times.

----------------------------

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If you read it, I just want to thank you!! I'm looking forward to know your feedback if you like :)

I'm also in Wattpad and Ao3: @AntaresGalaeth

(también en español)

#hogwarts legacy ominis #ominis x oc #sebastian sallow x mc #sebastian sallow #hogwarts legacy sebastian #hogwarts legacy mc #ominis gaunt #hogwarts fanfiction #sebastian sallow x oc

[alch3mistxsongstr3ss]

Dating Headcanons

Characters featured: Neopolitan and Pyrrha Nikos from RWBY

꒰ Neopolitan ꒱

Since she’s mute, Neo will either write what she wants to say on a small notebook or will use sign language. It comes down to whether or not you’re willing to learn sign language. Though if you were close friends beforehand, chances are you’d already know a good amount of sign language!

Expect there to be a lot more teasing now that you’re dating. When I say teasing, I mean the stray hand wrapping around your waist, the lingering kisses on your cheek, etc. Whenever she does that, she’d glance to your eyes and feign an innocent expression. She could also smugly keep eye contact with you as she continues with her wandering feather-light touches.

Ice cream. Neo tends to get some ice cream at least once every week. If not, then once every two weeks. With that out of the way, she often takes you along to enjoy the cold treat with you. These outings are what she likes to call, or rather sign, a date. It’s a sweet gesture but one can only assume how she doesn’t get tired of having it every week…

She doesn’t really have any pet names for you. However, she does like to refer to you as her partner in crime (often accompanied by a wink your way)! She doesn’t mind what kind of pet name you give to her but ‘cupcake’ seems to have stuck with her. Just don’t call her ‘shortcake’ though, she gets offended by it.

It’s so obvious that you’re dating to the point where no one has to ask. They just know. After all, actions speak louder than words right? If someone oblivious does ask though, Roman gives them the look that says ‘Yes, why did you even bother asking?’

Speaking about Roman, he’s sort of a… protective father figure to Neo. If you haven’t met him beforehand, aka you’re an entirely new person Neo has never told him about, he’ll be skeptical of you. It’ll take some time to gain his trust but as long as you treat Neo nicely, he’ll start liking you too (platonically of course). If you’ve known Neo for a long time before dating, he’s most likely already given you the thumbs up. Hell, he was probably your wingman too!

She doesn’t bring you on her dust heists due to the dangers of having you associated with her. She’ll leave a note about it if she never gets the chance to tell you sometime before it. When she comes back, she’ll usually want to have a cuddle session with you where she practically melts against you. It’s adorable to see her all tired and cuddled up against you!

꒰ Pyrrha Nikos ꒱

Although confident in her fighting skills, Pyrrha is a bit shy when it comes to dating as she’s never dated anyone before. She’s very formal at the start of the relationship but after you give her some reassurance, she’ll eventually be casual with you. She doesn’t want to let you down after all!

She enjoys taking a stroll with you occasionally, whether that be in the city, the school grounds or somewhere else. These walks aren’t extravagant so she finds them to be the perfect date with you. You’d sometimes have a picnic if the weather’s nice too!

Combat training! Pyrrha would offer to spar or train you if you’re not confident in your fighting skills! She won’t force you but if you’re down, she’ll give you lots of pointers on how to improve. She may start off easy on you but don’t expect that to last long when you gain more experience.

She’s pretty casual with using pet names. It isn’t embarrassing for her to call you something like ‘Sweetie’ out in public, so you better get used to it quickly! It’s the same vice versa—she wouldn’t mind any nickname you give her since she finds the gesture very touching.

Word spreads fast about you two dating. Lots of people make it a big deal since you’re dating the Pyrrha, but she stands up to them and tells them to stop as politely as she can. If they’re still being annoying, your friends in Team JNPR and Team RWBY will help out. (Both of you are glad to have such good friends :>)

#waddle.hcs #rwby #rwby x reader #neopolitan #neopolitan x reader #neo x reader #pyrrha nikos #pyrrha nikos x reader #rwby headcanons #fluffy headcanons #dating headcanons

[commentaryvorg]

The Great Ace Attorney Final Trial Commentary: Day 3, Part 1

This is an ongoing mini-commentary covering the final trial of The Great Ace Attorney (Resolve) in line-by-line detail. It’s written from a perspective of already knowing the full truth of things, so there will be spoilers for facts that only get revealed later on in the trial. This is not a commentary to read along with one’s first playthrough!

(The commentary will update on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Check this blog to find any other parts currently posted, and if it’s not yet finished, follow to catch future updates!)

Now that we’re below the readmore, I can add that this isn’t quite a commentary for everything going on in the final trial. It’s focused specifically on Kazuma and what’s going on in his head, only covering things which are relevant to him in some way (for the most part). I already had a lot to say about him in a big analysis post over on my main blog – but I have even more to say about him during the trial in even more detail, so here we are!

Time for the final day of the trial!

Van Zieks:  “On what grounds is Kazuma Asogi permitted to continue in his role as prosecutor? He has admitted to colluding with the victim in a plot to assassinate an innocent man. He shouldn’t be enjoying the privilege of freedom, let alone be leading the prosecution.”

Of course it’s van Zieks who points this out, when nobody else was going to bring it up.

(Kazuma should be in prison right now for a lot more than just this, but we can’t have that, grumble.)

Kazuma:  “I submitted a written petition to Lord Stronghart… requesting that judgement of my transgressions be delayed by one day.” Van Zieks:  “You did what?”

This is probably highly irregular and not something that someone would usually be able to get away with. But Stronghart wants van Zieks convicted and figures Kazuma’s the best person to have do that… and Kazuma is so, so desperate to get to do this.

Kazuma:  “In today’s proceedings… I intend to expose everything. My whole life for the last ten years… has all been leading up to this one day!” Ryunosuke:  “Kazuma…”

Hnnnngh, Kazuma. The outcome of this trial is everything to him, everything he’s been working so hard for, for so long. And now he’s trapped himself in a situation where he has to finish it all today, or else he might never get another chance.

I enjoy Ryunosuke reacting to this, at getting a sense of just how huge this is for his best friend.

Kazuma:  “Whatever the outcome of this trial… I give my word that I will accept whatever punishment is deemed appropriate. However severe.”

Kazuma means this, too; I don’t think he was ever intending to escape repercussions for his actions forever. All the way back when he agreed to the assassination mission in Japan, and when he went with Gregson and threatened him – he probably did all this while fully expecting to face the consequences for it in the end. He just needs to be able to finish getting justice for his father first, before all that happens. Afterwards? It doesn’t matter what happens to him afterwards. So long as he can fulfil his mission, that’s the only thing that’s important.

The ”however severe” especially brings this home. Even if it was capital punishment, which might actually be on the table under the circumstances. He is and has always been determined to avenge his father at any cost, even if it’s literally the last thing he ever does.

Of course, it’s not like he didn’t also have other things he wanted to do with his life – he still did mean it about wanting to study in Britain to be able to improve Japan’s legal system. But all of that is minuscule next to his main goal. He would sacrifice anything for this. Anything.

(The game actually kinda drops the ball on what’s supposedly going to happen with Kazuma’s own trial after this main trial concludes. The writing sort of just forgets about it and doesn’t bring it up again? So I can only assume that the British legal system also kind of forgot about it, or at worst let Kazuma off with only a minor punishment. That certainly feels most fair to me, given that his only real crime was saying that he’d kill someone, which he was emotionally manipulated into in the first place, and that his own guilt over what he’s done is more than punishment enough already. It did rather bother me on my original playthrough, though, that there was this apparent nebulous future punishment for his transgressions hanging over Kazuma’s head, and the game acted like it kind of just didn’t care and didn’t want to push for him getting a reasonably happy ending… until suddenly his ending did come across as reasonably happy after all.)

Ryunosuke:  (Kazuma is bristling with hostility today. I get the distinct impression we’re heading into very dangerous territory.)

I dunno, Ryunosuke; while Kazuma might be even more hostile than usual today out of desperation, we were already deep in quite some territory regarding Kazuma’s twisted tunnel-visioning on van Zieks’s guilt.

Susato:  “Is that even really Kazuma-sama standing before us?”

Oh nooooo, Susato, my heart. Ryunosuke also said something similar during the intervening scene at Baker Street – that Kazuma’s no longer quite the friend he knew and that he’s changed. I really wish the game did more with this! Kazuma is still the person they both know and hasn’t actually changed; it’s just that he’s dealing with a hell of a lot more issues than either of them expected him to have. I wish the narrative had gone more into exploring this and having them realise in the end that he is still their friend, instead of, again, having things between them suddenly be okay again in the ending scene with no real transition.

(There would have been a perfect opportunity for such introspection and development regarding this if only Kazuma had been arrested for Gregson’s murder and Ryunosuke had had to defend him, just saying!!! Again, this is why I wrote my AU fic.)

Ryunosuke:  “The defence is ready, My Lord.” Kazuma:  “The prosecution is more than ready.”

Once again, Kazuma is more than ready. He didn’t say this on the second day of the trial, but today of all days, on which he plans to bring this to an end – on which he has to bring this to an end because he won’t get another chance – of course he’s more ready than he’s ever been.

Jigoku:  “Haah… So it was you who issued this, was it?” Kazuma:  “Your subpoena? …I did what was necessary.”

It’s interesting that the game highlights that it was Kazuma who issued Jigoku’s subpoena. Without that, Sholmes and Mikotoba wouldn’t have been able to bring Jigoku with them off the Grouse yesterday, and he’d have got away. They had the subpoena with them when they went after him, meaning Kazuma must have issued it shortly after the first trial day at the latest, just in case it became necessary.

This is in stark contrast to how Kazuma was on the second trial day, where he was absolutely convinced that Jigoku must have been killed, and it didn’t even seem to occur to him that the court could possibly want to hear testimony from Jigoku about what happened on the Grouse if he did happen to be alive. That is not a Kazuma that I would have imagined preparing a subpoena for Jigoku in advance at all.

I guess what this speaks to is partly a hint of that very small and buried part of Kazuma that isn’t actually sure if van Zieks is guilty and genuinely wants to give him a fair chance. But perhaps it’s also partly a sign of something else I’ve been meaning to bring up at some point – that Kazuma’s tunnel-visioning has been getting worse as this trial’s gone on.

See, I roasted him a lot for his terrible logic yesterday, but it actually wasn’t nearly as bad on day 1! There was that part near the beginning where Susato commended him for not trying to argue that the gun might have belonged to van Zieks – and yet, “this gun could have been van Zieks’s, and so that somehow proves it definitely was, which means he totally did it” is an argument pretty much on par with his day 2 arguments in terms of logic.

So it seems, perhaps, that Ryunosuke casting very valid doubt onto the Fresno Street crime scene on day 1 made Kazuma become more desperate. With less confidence in the actual evidence, he began pulling more and more from his own hatred and twisted justifications that van Zieks is the worst and must be the killer and the Reaper and everything bad, to the point that he ended up with logic as flawed as in yesterday’s session.

Jigoku:  “…but my decision is unrelated to this case. I can’t be bound to testify.” Stronghart:  “Unrelated, you say?” Kazuma:  “………”

Kazuma is again pointedly shown being silent, and I imagine what he’s thinking is similar to what he was probably thinking at the end of the trial yesterday. Jigoku’s actions on the Grouse totally are unrelated to this case, because van Zieks definitely killed Gregson at Fresno Street, and so bringing Jigoku onto the stand is just a dead end that’s going to do nothing but quickly put an end to Ryunosuke’s hypothetical version of events. Right?

Susato:  “It has ties to another murder. A case that was tried in Japan almost a year ago now.” Kazuma:  “A year ago in Japan… The murder of Dr John H. Wilson, you mean?”

Kazuma looks to be in thought for a moment here, as if he’s only just realising the connection Gregson’s assassination has to Wilson’s death.

Kazuma:  “What’s this all about? Why is my name on that list?”

Here, too, is an indication that Kazuma had no idea about this being an entire plot with multiple assassinations such that there’d need to be a list of four names and not just two.

Ryunosuke:  “K. Asogi and A. Shinn… are the names of assassins.” Kazuma:  “No…”

It seems like Kazuma was really hoping he could at least get through things without this assassination agreement also coming to light – but nope.

Ryunosuke:  “…were masterminded by a pair of individuals from each country as a form of assassin exchange! And the telegram the defence has acquired is proof of this international ‘contract’ to kill!” Kazuma:  “Wha… WHAT?!”

And again: Kazuma’s reaction to this is distinctly shocked. He did not have the slightest idea that the assassination he was involved in one of a pair – that back when he was furiously defending Ryunosuke from false charges in Japan last year, that crime was the counterpart to the very murder he’d been forced to agree to himself.

Kazuma:  “Judge Jigoku…? What’s this all about?!”

Kazuma’s pretty forceful in questioning Jigoku here. Obviously he already knew Jigoku wanted him to kill Gregson in England, that’s not a surprise – so this is about the other crime. He’s probably only just realising now that for the entirety of the trial for Wilson’s murder, Jigoku – who was the judge – knew who the real killer was and yet cheerfully tried to get Ryunosuke convicted as a scapegoat. Kazuma faced a lot of roadblocks back then to even be able to defend Ryunosuke in the first place, which he must have at least partially known were thanks to Jigoku; now he understands exactly why.

Meanwhile, Ryunosuke accuses Kazuma of having lied in court yesterday, because his mark wasn’t actually Jigoku but Gregson.

Kazuma:  “……… Very impressive, Ryunosuke. But actually, I didn’t lie.” Ryunosuke:  “…!” Kazuma:  “The name of the target I was ordered to kill never passed my lips yesterday. The idea that Seishiro Jigoku was the mark… came entirely from you!”

I like that we have this one moment of Kazuma getting to show off and draw attention to his incredible skill at hiding the truth without actually lying. He’s done it a lot more than just this once, but explicitly pointing out this one instance invites us to look for other times he’s done the same kind of thing!

He’s also smirking a little bit as he says this. Apparently he feels at least somewhat smug about his prowess in deception-without-lying, although he probably wouldn’t consciously think that.

Ryunosuke:  (You… deliberately avoided saying a name?)

Oh, Ryunosuke, there are so many more things that Kazuma has deliberately avoided saying than just that.

--- Testimony 1 ---

(The game’s chapter select calls this one “Testimony 3”, because it seems to want to treat this day and the previous trial day just one long extended day. Which is pretty silly, because it isn’t. We may have had much less of a proper investigation in between than usual, but it is still day 3 of the trial now! So anyway, I’m going to ignore the game and number these testimonies based on what number they are in this trial day. Add two to these if you want to match them up with what the game calls them.)

Susato:  “To use such a worthy practice as foreign study to coerce somebody to commit murder… It’s the most appalling thing I’ve ever heard!”

Usually-soft-spoken Susato is not pulling her punches! She is incredibly disgusted at her family friend for manipulating Kazuma into agreeing to be an assassin. The fact that she sees foreign study as such a “worthy practice” in itself probably stems from how Kazuma wanted so badly to study in Britain all along – and as far as Susato knew, that was entirely for its own sake and not for a specific purpose.

Jigoku:  “Asogi had a reason for taking his sword to that British inspector, you know.” Ryunosuke:  “What?!” Jigoku:  “Which is why he accepted the mission in the first place. Isn’t that right… Counsel?” Kazuma:  “………”

I’m not convinced I believe this claim of Jigoku’s. Obviously we know Kazuma does have a motive to have wanted Gregson dead, now. But I’m not sure about Jigoku’s implication that Kazuma was aware of that when he took the mission, a year ago. The only person who could have told Kazuma about Gregson’s connection to his father’s case is Jigoku. For one, I’m not entirely sure Jigoku even knew that much, since he was only involved in the prison escape half of the plot – but more pointedly, I doubt he would have wanted to tell Kazuma anything he knew, because that’d cast suspicion on his own role in Genshin’s death, something he very much would not want Kazuma figuring out.

Nonetheless, Kazuma is evasively silent in response to this, because while he may indeed not have known about Gregson’s involvement back then, it’s likely he was able to piece things together enough to suspect something. And of course, it all eventually came to a head with him actually wanting to kill Gregson in that terrible moment, which Kazuma must not enjoy thinking about.

Kazuma:  “As I said yesterday, I’ve killed nobody. I freely admit that I accepted the mission, but on the night the plan was to be executed, I backed out.”

Kazuma is still wording things carefully. While talking about the night in question, he simply says that he didn’t go through with it, and not that he didn’t want to go through with it, because that would be a lie.

Kazuma:  “Gregson was killed after returning to London. In the room on Fresno Street. And the perpetrator of the crime was the Reaper, Barok van Zieks! The prosecution’s accusation remains unchanged.”

Naturally, Kazuma wants to remind everyone that van Zieks, who is definitely the Reaper, definitely did the murder, and everything we’re talking about now is just an irrelevant dead end. He is still genuinely convinced of this.

Susato:  “It’s unforgivable! Using Kazuma-sama’s feelings to manipulate him into agreeing to such a despicable plan…”

In the testimony’s recap dialogue, Susato has more Strong Opinions. I love that she’s thinking about Kazuma’s feelings and fully realises that he was manipulated and should barely be morally condemned for this decision at all. Honestly, I agree with her – despite all of Stronghart’s many crimes, the thing that gives me the biggest emotional reaction out of any of the villains’ actions in this game is Jigoku doing this to Kazuma. He knew that Kazuma was so desperate to get to Britain that he’d agree to absolutely anything if it was presented as his only way to do so, and ugh. To his friend’s son, and all. What a bastard.

Ryunosuke:  “But I think Kazuma manipulated Judge Jigoku, too. He completely double-crossed him.” Susato:  “Oh dear… It’s hard not to see that as a stroke of brilliance on Kazuma-sama’s part…”

I wouldn’t quite call it “brilliance” when it was as simple as “not keeping the promise he never wanted to be forced to make in the first place”, but I’m still with Susato here. Kazuma didn’t do anything wrong by refusing to go through with Jigoku’s expectations when Jigoku was the one who wronged him first by expecting him to do it at all.

Susato:  “I know I shouldn’t let my emotions cloud my judgement… but you must destroy him, Mr Naruhodo!”

Yesss, Susato. Love her being so furious on Kazuma’s behalf, not even caring that Jigoku is a respected figure and a family friend.

Kazuma:  “I thought it was a joke at first, of course. But then… it was made clear to me that if I didn’t accept, I wouldn’t be considered for the study tour.” Ryunosuke:  “So, so you agreed to it… just for that?! I mean, I know how much you wanted to study in Britain, but… assassination?!”

Ugh, I get it, but it still hurts to see Ryunosuke react with horror like this. You know he wasn’t planning to go through with it, Ryunosuke! His only crime was agreeing to something shady without any intent to follow through!

But even then, it’s still not remotely something he would have expected from his best friend a year ago.

Kazuma:  “………”

Kazuma’s not trying to defend himself. No doubt he always felt guilty about hiding this from his friend, and always expected it would make Ryunosuke think less of him.

Ryunosuke:  “Why Kazuma? Why did you pick him as the assassin?” Jigoku:  “He was the most capable of all the applicants. And in addition… I knew his desire to travel to Britain was very strong. In fact, it was almost more than a desire. It was his whole purpose in life.”

Ugh. Jigoku knew exactly how desperate Kazuma was and took advantage of that. He couldn’t risk bringing up the assassination mission to any potential candidate unless he was already sure that they would agree, lest they just turn him in to the police. But Kazuma was someone he could be certain would agree to this, so long as Jigoku threatened his chances to ever make it to Britain if he didn’t.

And conveniently, the candidate who was so utterly desperate to do this that he’d agree to an assassination for it was also the candidate who’d studied ridiculously hard to the point that he was the most capable applicant anyway and it wouldn’t look suspicious. Funny, that.

Kazuma:  “There’s nothing I wouldn’t have done to get here. Be that agreeing to assume the role of an assassin… or betraying people’s trust.”

Guhhhhhh, Kazumaaaa. This line really punches me in the gut with how completely desperately determined Kazuma was and is. And it’s interesting that he’s saying this to justify his decision… but he didn’t do so just a little earlier when Ryunosuke was directly accusing him. This time it’s directed more at Jigoku, or just the court in general. Perhaps he doesn’t really feel like these words would be enough to justify his actions to his best friend.

The “betraying people’s trust” part especially hit hard on my first playthrough. What with the more distant and hostile way he’d been acting lately, it felt like Kazuma could have been talking about betraying Ryunosuke’s trust. Aaaagh.

Jigoku:  “Well, you certainly did a fine job of betraying mine, Asogi.”

What Kazuma actually means, though, is this. He promised Jigoku he would carry out the assassination, Jigoku trusted him with it… and then he betrayed that.

And yet it’s so incredibly grossly entitled of Jigoku to be angry at Kazuma over this when he was the one who betrayed Kazuma’s trust in the first place by forcing him into this at all. If he had any sense, he wouldn’t have trusted Kazuma’s promise, when it was a promise made out of coercion.

(I guess this is Jigoku being mad that this then meant he had be the one to murder Gregson in the end. Oh no, you had to get your hands dirty yourself instead of coercing the son of the friend you also killed into doing it for you, how terrible.)

Ryunosuke:  “But why was Inspector Gregson the target?” Jigoku:  “I have no idea. Those were the orders from Britain. I was in no position to question them.” Kazuma:  “You have no idea? Really? I find that hard to believe.”

Kazuma’s right to. Not only is he bound to suspect that Jigoku knew something about Gregson’s involvement in his father’s death from his time in Britain ten years ago, but also, Jigoku literally just told the court that Kazuma had a reason to kill Gregson, which definitely implies that he knows the reason too!

Ryunosuke:  “Obviously, Kazuma didn’t actually die at all. But he did lose his memory. Including all details about his special mission.” Kazuma:  “………”

This bit is very rude to me personally, because on my first playthrough, I thought, “Why are they making a point of Kazuma’s silence here? Surely this is meant as a hint that he didn’t really lose his memory?” Which led me to continue to entertain that fervent theory of mine just a little more, even after I’d mostly abandoned it. First-time-me had further ammo for it by this point, too, because wanting to pretend he’d forgotten about his assassination mission would have been a very plausible reason for Kazuma to have faked amnesia!!!

In reality, we can presume that the actual reason the narrative is making a point of Kazuma’s silence is that he’s thinking about how losing his memory was painful and difficult, but god forbid Kazuma ever actually talk about or openly acknowledge the suffering he’s been through.

Kazuma:  “But I’d never intended to go through with the assassination mission anyway.”

Again, some very careful phrasing. He had never intended. Meaning he’s referring to a period of time in the past, around when he accepted the mission, at which point he did not intend to go through with it. A certain point in time much closer to the present day? He’s not talking about that point in this sentence. That would be a lie.

Jigoku:  “So you were playing me right from the outset, were you? Is that it?” Kazuma:  “I’d sooner be guilty of that crime than of taking someone else’s life. I was prepared to do whatever I had to in order to get myself here to Britain.”

Yes, Jigoku, and you should have realised from the start that he was planning to repay you in kind.

It is something that Kazuma still considers this – simply double-crossing Jigoku and making a false promise he intended to break – to be a “crime”. Kazuma cares a lot about honour and integrity, and it really hurt him to have to tarnish that in order to make it to Britain! Even though he was only doing this to somebody who’d already done much worse to him. Really, Kazuma, don’t beat yourself up over this – Jigoku deserved it.

Ryunosuke:  “I suppose Inspector Gregson was there in his capacity as the Reaper… He was intending to take the witness’s life.” Kazuma:  “Exactly. As I’ve said numerous times now, I had no intention of killing anyone.”

Once again, Kazuma is referring to a specific time period here – the point at which he and Gregson entered Jigoku’s cabin. At that point, he had no intention of killing anyone. Later than that? He’s not talking about that. Because he doesn’t lie.

It’s also starting to seem just a little suspiciously specific that Kazuma keeps repeating that he had no intention of doing any murders. Overcompensating for that guilt much, Kazuma?

Kazuma:  “I stayed to talk with Inspector Gregson for a short while… and then I left him there and made my way off the ship alone.” Ryunosuke:  “Was the guard still at the door when you went?” Kazuma:  “Yes. He glared at me as I walked past.”

Yes, just a short, casual conversation in which nothing at all serious happened, don’t worry about the blade tip in Gregson’s trunk, it’s totally irrelevant to the case.

Given that Kazuma must have been in rather a panicked state of mind after finding himself wanting to kill Gregson and very nearly doing it, it sure is something that he then immediately passed by the guard glaring at him. He must have managed to put up one hell of a poker face.

It’s surprising that the crewman didn’t hear the sound of Karuma hitting Gregson’s trunk, honestly, but then that could easily have led to Kazuma being arrested, and we can’t have that, apparently

(…Actually, scratch that – there’s a specific reason he wouldn’t have heard it. Someone had muffled the speaking tube in the cabin with a piece of cloth, which likely wouldn’t have drowned out a gunshot, but I could buy it muffling less loud sounds. It’s never revealed who did that, but it could very easily have been Kazuma, given that he wouldn’t have wanted anybody to overhear him threatening Gregson.)

Ryunosuke:  “But a hole like that made by a bullet was found in your cabin, Judge Jigoku! That’s compelling evidence that a gun was fired in there!” Kazuma:  “What’s that? A bullet hole…?”

Yes, Kazuma, speaking of bullet holes—

…That aside, Kazuma’s reacting to this in surprise because he’s only just realising that Ryunosuke has actual evidence that the murder might have occurred there. What do you mean it could have actually been Jigoku who did it, and not van Zieks.

(Jigoku goes on to write off the bullet hole as totally just woodworm or something, and Kazuma probably justifies it that way in his head, too.)

Kazuma:  “All crewmen were… away from their posts?!”

Kazuma also reacts to this. He’d been seeing Jigoku’s testimony as open and shut, he obviously couldn’t have done it because the guard would have heard the gunshot – what do you mean it actually was possible after all?!

Kazuma:  “A twenty-minute window of opportunity… That’s an excellent find, Ryunosuke. But it amounts to nothing!”

Even though he’s proud of his friend for figuring something out, Kazuma is still quick to brush this off as definitely irrelevant, because a mere possibility isn’t proof that anything actually happened.

(Funny how he’s able to acknowledge that proving something is possible is not the same as proving that it definitely happened that way, now that we’re talking about it being someone other than van Zieks who maybe did the murder.)

Kazuma:  “Unless you have some decisive evidence […]… your accusation is nothing more than conjecture!”

So is yours, Kazuma! Someone is still managing to forget this.

Ryunosuke:  “Judge Jigoku! This was found in your cabin yesterday.” Stronghart:  “What is that? The crown of a pocket watch?”

Interestingly, it seems Sholmes missed out a few details when he passed the evidence from his investigation of the cabin onto Ryunosuke. The crown of the watch was actually found in Jigoku’s trunk, which is distinctly not the same thing as his cabin. It could have been in the trunk without ever actually being in the cabin itself, so this technically doesn’t prove Gregson was attacked in the cabin… but on the other hand, it being in the trunk pretty much already proves that Gregson was inside there at some point. That’s not something the game wants us to get to just yet, so instead we have this little discrepancy that’s honestly very easy to not even notice (and makes sense to have happened, since Sholmes could have just not mentioned it).

Ryunosuke:  “Moreover, this crown is a perfect fit on the spindle protruding from the victim’s watch.” Kazuma:  “…!”

Kazuma’s shown being alarmed as he realises that Ryunosuke has some actual compelling evidence here. But barely a minute later…

Kazuma:  “Expertly manoeuvred, Ryunosuke.” Ryunosuke:  “…!” Kazuma:  “And your argument sounds entirely plausible… at first. But rather like this pocket watch, it’s full of cracks.”

…even despite praising his friend (I love how Kazuma’s always proud of Ryunosuke for coming up with his arguments even as he’s shooting them down, they are friends), he’s already figured out a way out of it. It’s probably easier than it would otherwise be to come up with ways in which this still doesn’t prove Jigoku’s guilt when you’re utterly convinced that van Zieks must have done it.

--- Testimony 2 ---

Jigoku:  “When I walked through the door, a mustachioed Englishman was there, foolishly waving a gun at me.”

Here’s an interesting point: I don’t think Gregson actually did point a gun at Jigoku. Sure, he was technically supposed to kill him since Kazuma had walked out, but I don’t believe he actually wanted to, given that Jigoku isn’t the kind of irredeemable criminal that the Reaper usually kills. He was probably feeling pretty conflicted about this whole mission, especially with his imminent transfer to France in which he was going to finally be done with all this murdering.

That and, if Gregson had had his gun out during their struggle, it rather begs the question… why didn’t Jigoku do the murder with Gregson’s gun? That would have been much easier to pin on somebody else, because anyone could theoretically have turned Gregson’s gun on him. As it is, by using his own gun, Jigoku limited the possible suspects to other judiciary members who carry the same model of gun (and coincidentally happen to have misplaced theirs). Framing Hugh Boone, like he'd originally intended to, wouldn’t actually have worked, because where would that guy have obtained such a weapon?

Ryunosuke:  “Far from being impossible for you to do… the transporting of Inspector Gregson’s body back to Britain is something ONLY you could do!” Kazuma:  “What are you talking about, Ryunosuke?”

Kazuma’s leaning forward and seeming quite urgent with this. What do you mean, it was possible, and maybe Jigoku did do it, and not van Zieks.

Ryunosuke:  “The actual scene of the crime…” Kazuma:  “The prosecution’s stance is unaltered. The killing took place on Fresno Street when the gunshot was heard… as the accused, Barok van Zieks, shot the victim at point blank range!”

Kazuma’s still insisting on this, again. He has to be starting to think by this point that maybe Ryunosuke’s onto something, but no, it was definitely van Zieks, it has to be.

Stronghart:  “Since no tangible evidence exists to disprove the prosecution’s claim at this time…”

No tangible evidence has existed to prove it for quite some time now!!!

The part where you have to prove Gregson couldn’t have been shot at Fresno Street because he died instantly and couldn’t have curled up like that is a bit silly and unintuitive. This is something Ryunosuke could have pointed out at any point earlier in the trial, to support his argument that the murder took place elsewhere! I suppose it makes some sense that it’s coming up now, because now that we know Gregson’s body was in a trunk, we have an explanation for why he was curled up, but still.

(But then if Ryunosuke had brought it up earlier, that might have been seen as actual proof that Kazuma’s argument is all wrong, because apparently the scorch marks on the candle were not already enough proof of that, even though they were and just got conveniently brushed aside and forgotten.)

Also, we could have just skipped this awkward unintuitive bit by simply forcing Jigoku to present his trunk for inspection, which would prove it anyway.

Ryunosuke:  “…before it was coldly turned out on the floor… from the inside of a large travel trunk!” Kazuma:  “No!”

Anyway, here’s Kazuma with a powerfully shocked reaction as he realises how much sense Ryunosuke’s argument makes and that Gregson couldn’t have been killed at Fresno Street at all.

Jigoku:  “Present my trunk? I refuse!” Kazuma:  “What?!”

What do you mean Jigoku’s being suspicious in a way that implies he obviously did it?!

Stronghart:  “Well, Mr Jigoku… what’s it to be?” Jigoku:  “………” Kazuma:  “You can’t be serious! You did it?!”

What do you mean, Jigoku did it, and it really wasn’t van Zieks at all???

Kazuma’s reaction here goes to show that he had still genuinely managed to keep convincing himself it was van Zieks until only just now, when the truth becomes completely impossible to deny.

And then Jigoku admits to moving the body but accuses Kazuma of the actual murder in a last-ditch effort to defend himself, which is far too little too late, grumble grumble. There’s no interesting narrative tension surrounding the question of whether Kazuma really might have done it when it’s already so obviously Jigoku at this point!

Jigoku:  “As you know, there was one other person in my cabin that night. He had the opportunity.”

We’ve known that Kazuma theoretically had the opportunity to do the murder for a while now, which is such a juicy point, but the narrative’s done nothing with it until just now! Like, I get why Ryunosuke and Susato wouldn’t want to think about it, but why has nobody else even pointed out this possibility until it already became clear the killer was someone else anyway???? Bah.

Stronghart:  “Well… the prosecution counsel has already admitted to visiting the witness’s cabin on the night in question.”

And this is all we get from Stronghart on the matter – the vaguest indication that he’d be more okay with throwing Kazuma under the bus for this than Jigoku. Because somehow he was not more okay with sacrificing Kazuma rather than van Zieks, even after Kazuma had repeatedly shown himself to be impossible to keep in line.

There’s not even that much narrative weight behind Ryunosuke being the one to prove Kazuma’s innocence in this one brief moment here, because Kazuma could perfectly well have done it himself anyway!

The “Overture to Pursuit” music kicks in about here as Ryunosuke begins to do so, which is a track that I love and that usually gets me really hyped. But no matter how much the music wants me to be, I can’t get hyped here over the fact that it was always literally impossible for Kazuma to have done this murder. He just had a freaking alibi the entire time, removing any potential for tension over whether or not it could have been him!!! Why.

And the thing is, Kazuma’s alibi is a really incidental, offhand sort of thing. Him staying at that boarding house in Dunkirk is only mentioned one other time and isn’t connected to any other part of the plot – it could have been completely removed while keeping everything else intact! This is particularly notable when almost every other plot point in this narrative serves multiple purposes for the story one way or another. Kazuma’s Dunkirk stay is one of the only things that doesn’t! It’s just… there, purely to give him an alibi and nothing else.

This means that it would have been so, so easily possible to write a story in which Kazuma theoretically could have done the deed and we’d actually had something come of this! If he’d just been on the ship the whole time – perhaps because the cabin’s guard had actually done his job and refused them entry due to Kazuma’s two fricking swords, meaning they had to wait until that window when all the crewmen left – then Kazuma would have been a perfectly viable suspect!

But nope, he just gets an alibi, making it that easy to prove his innocence when things actually come to this. Grumble grumble grumble.

(I think I am probably done complaining about this, finally, now that we’ve got past this point. Please read my fic in which Kazuma does get arrested if this idea seems enticing to you too.)

Jigoku:  “To lure the man in, he was given a sham mission by the Reaper.” Ryunosuke:  “W-What?!” (The Reaper…?) Kazuma:  “But there’s only one person who could have done that! The mastermind of the entire operation: the Reaper himself!” Ryunosuke:  “Ah!” Susato:  “So… that means the assassin exchange was… It was all planned by the Reaper!”

Kazuma is the first person to jump on this and point out that Jigoku has just effectively told the court that the Reaper mastermind and the exchange mastermind are the same person. As I touched on earlier, Kazuma would already have been pretty sure of that himself due to the circumstances of him getting the mission to supposedly kill Gregson, and he’d have been itching for an opportunity to prove as much in court, so that he can use his father’s case as evidence that van Zieks is the Reaper.

Jigoku:  “I decided that man [Hugh Boone] would be the perfect person to set up as the culprit.”

Framing van Zieks was actually an unexpected accident! While it’s a little frustrating that this means that Stronghart’s insistence on using this trial to get rid of van Zieks (and not Kazuma for some reason) wasn’t even planned, it does actually matter that Jigoku’s intended scapegoat was not van Zieks, as we’ll see later.

Kazuma:  “………”

Kazuma’s shown silently uncomplaining as Stronghart accepts Jigoku’s confession. No doubt he’s just waiting until he can get to the part where he accuses van Zieks of being the Reaper and the man who ordered Jigoku to kill Gregson.

Ryunosuke:  “Mr Jigoku! One last detail! Who was your counterpart in Britain? Who was the mastermind behind the assassin exchange?” Jigoku:  “………” Ryunosuke:  “Nothing you say now can make matters any worse for you! Just tell us!”

Ryunosuke’s got a point here – Jigoku’s apparently going to go down for murder, so he really shouldn’t have anything to lose. Even the fact that Stronghart’s holding him shooting Genshin over his head shouldn’t really matter any more, because one murder or two doesn’t make a difference to the death penalty. (Although I do suspect that Jigoku might feel a certain amount of personal guilt over shooting his friend dead, to the point that he just doesn’t want anyone to know about that, regardless of the consequences.)

But mostly, I think the reason Jigoku insists he can’t say anyway is that, despite what he keeps saying, it’s not actually over for him. Not as long as Stronghart’s still able to pull some strings behind the scenes to get him out of this.

Stronghart:  “Seishiro Jigoku, it is the opinion of this court that you should be found… Guilty. And may I remind all those present of the strict confidentiality demanded by this closed court!”

Stronghart’s approach here certainly implies he’s planning as much. Look, everyone, he’s unofficially declared him guilty here, so that totally counts right? And nobody’s allowed to tell anybody that this happened – which means nobody can complain if Jigoku conveniently gets let off the hook in his actual trial later.

(It is a bit silly that it does the whole flames-in-the-scales thing for the Guilty, but not only is that setup for Stronghart’s breakdown later, declaring an unofficial verdict here actually does make some sense with the manipulation Stronghart’s trying to pull for Jigoku. See – most things in this story serve multiple purposes!)

Anyway, that was a point I found interesting and non-obvious enough that I wanted to talk about it even though it has nothing much to do with Kazuma, but let’s get back to Kazuma.

Stronghart:  “In short, the defendant’s innocence has therefore been established beyond doubt.” Kazuma:  “………”

Kazuma’s still biding his time, just waiting for the perfect moment to object and argue that no, it hasn’t.

Ryunosuke:  “I’m just a little troubled… by his silence.”

Ryunosuke notices it too! He knows his friend – which in this instance means he knows Kazuma’s fervent determination to convict van Zieks well enough to be sure he’s not just going to give up and accept defeat like this.

Stronghart:  “I hereby declare the defendant, Barok van Zieks………” Kazuma:  “Objection!”

Seriously, Kazuma, you really were just waiting for the most dramatic possible moment, weren’t you? Dork.

#ace attorney #great ace attorney #the great ace attorney #the great ace attorney chronicles #tgaa #dgs #dai gyakuten saiban #the great ace attorney resolve #the resolve of ryunosuke naruhodo

[nekoannie-chan]

Night stop

Pairing: Dark!Steve Rogers X Reader X Dark!Brock Rumlow.

Word count: 1613 words.

Summary: You stop at an old hotel for the night but the accommodation is not as nice as it seems.

Warnings: Horror, dub-con, smut not so explicit, stalk, mention of crimes.

A/N: This is my entry to @darkficsyouneveraskedfor​  Roo’s HalloCream Extravaganza with the card #4.

@saiyanprincessswanie​

My native language is Spanish so I wanna improve my writing skills in English if you notice any mistakes, please let me know and I will correct them.

I don’t give any kind of permission that my fics to be posted on other platforms or languages (I translate myself my work) or the use of my graphics (my dividers are included in this), I did them exclusively for my fics, please respect my work and don't steal it. There are some people here who make dividers that anyone can use, mine is not this type, please look for the other's people. The only exception is the ones I gifted 'cuz now belong to someone else. If you find any of my works on a different platform and are not one of my accounts, please let me know. Reblogs and comments are always welcome.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Marvel's characters (unfortunately), except for the original characters and the story.

My other media where I publish: Wattpad, Ao3, ffnet.

If you like it, please vote, comment, and give me feedback to improve my skills and reblog.

Tags: @sinceimetyou​ @unnuevosoltransformalarealidad​  @navybrat817​  @angrythingstarlight​  @shield-agent78​ @charmed-asylum​  @pandaxnienke​ @real-fbi​  @smokeandnailz​ @white-wolf1940​  @tenaciousperfectionunknown​ @xoxonotme​  @bluemusickid​  @leyannrae​ @harrysthiccthighss​@marvelatthisone​ @hallecarey1​  @nana1000night​ @sheismarvelousworld​

You made a gesture of exasperation. You were sure that you had gotten lost. You threw your cell phone into the passenger seat. The battery had died, so you could not use the GPS or any application to know where you were or where you could rest for the night.

From the glove compartment, you pulled out the map, which apparently indicated that you were in the middle of nowhere on the road. Obviously, you could not stop in that place; it would be very dangerous. You checked the gas tank indicator; you still had enough to continue your trip for a couple of hours. You expected to find a hotel or a place to rest. You knew that you would not be able to keep driving all night since you felt tired. And there was still a long way to go to get to the audition. You were so confident that you would be chosen, and your desire to play the lead role was so strong that you didn't mind travelling across the country to the location where the auditions were holding. You always knew your future was bright and you would do whatever it took to make sure it was.

You travelled ten kilometers more and saw a sign for a hotel. Although you could not distinguish the name, you would have to deviate a little from the road to get to the hotel, but you really needed to rest, apart from saying that it was approximately one kilometer away. You go along the nearby road as marked by the signs. You stopped when you arrived at the place. You frowned when you saw the hotel. You weren't sure if it was still running; the place looked too old.

You turned off the car engine, took your bag, and got out. You did not notice the movement in one of the curtains of the place. You stopped when you put your hand on the door of the enclosure. You turned and looked around. Everything was quiet. You slowly pushed the door. You smiled when you noticed that it was not safe. That meant that the hotel was still working. You rang the doorbell at the reception when you didn't see anyone. It was past ten o'clock at night, so probably the person in charge was asleep.

A few seconds later, a blond man emerged from what appeared to be a small office behind the lobby wall. He looked friendly and gave you a warm smile and a welcome greeting.

"Hello... Steve," you said, looking at the name on his uniform badge. "I would like a room for one night, please," you asked.

"A person?" Steve asked, and you nodded.

"What's wrong?" Another man asked, coming out of the same place.

"We have a guest," Steve replied in a calm tone.

You watched the two men; there was something that drew your attention to both of them, but you didn't think you needed to be concerned because you'd only be there for one night. Steve waved a hand in front of your face; you hadn't heard what he said because you were focused on your thoughts.

"Is the payment in advance?" You asked immediately, although you didn't know what Steve had told you.

"Half right now and a half when you check out," Brock replied.

You swallowed hearing his voice; it had made you feel something "strange" inside.

"Miss, is everything okay?" Steve's voice had a hint of concern.

"Oh, of course, sorry," you said, opening your wallet to get the card. "You accept cards, right? " You could feel your heart beating rapidly.

Steve nodded with a smile, which you returned to him while giving him your card to pay.

"Enjoy your stay.

"Because he's not leaving," Brock mumbled almost inaudibly. You turned around because you didn't understand what he told you.

"Excuse me?"

He said, "Have a good night," and he asked if he had brought suitcases to help him get them to his room. It's part of our service, "Steve quickly corrected to divert your attention while directing a quick warning glance at Brock.

"Thank you, too. My bags are in the trunk of my car, "you replied.

Brock walked you to the car. You opened the trunk. He took out your bags and took them to the room you would be in that night.

Even though the look on the outside and at the reception looked deplorable, very old and dirty, the room was pretty much the opposite; clean, cozy, comfortable, not as modern as other hotels you had stayed in, but it had a TV and phone. You had not even thought that such services were possible in that place that seemed so far from civilization, they would probably fail. You turned on the TV. You didn't even pay attention to the movie that was playing at the time. You opened one of the suitcases to take out your clothes. All you wanted was to take a shower and then sleep. You really needed to rest.

You showered However, the feeling that someone was watching you was constant. Even though you had checked the whole room before anything else, you did not find any cameras or anything suspicious. Maybe it was your nerves or the stress of hearing, but for the moment, you needed to relax and unwind in order to give the best performance of your life.

Just when you finished putting on your pajamas, someone knocked on your bedroom door, frowned strangely, moved the curtain a little, and saw that it was Steve, who opened the door a little. You thought there might be some problem with your payment or room.

"Is there any problem?" you asked.

"None, nothing else. I brought you tea, courtesy of the house," Steve replied, showing you the steaming cup, which you drank carefully and thanked him with a smile.

You had the tea. It tasted delicious. It even had the temperature that you liked to drink it at. Although you found it strange that it was one of them who took it to you and not someone else from the staff, maybe they didn't even have more staff, they probably wouldn't have had many customers.

You laughed when a thought went through your head. At least the two employees you spoke to were too attractive. Of course, you wish something else had happened.

You put aside the curtain to look out the window. Even the lights at the reception were off. You didn't even know if there were more guests. You couldn't see the book. You barely remembered that you didn't even sign it. However, you didn't think there was any problem if you did it the next morning. You got under the blankets. Strangely, the bed was too comfortable, just like the one at home. You lowered your hand. You thought about touching yourself for a while. However, you felt too tired and closed your eyes.

You weren't sure how many hours had passed, but suddenly, you felt a hand running down your legs. You tried to open your eyes, but your eyelids looked like they were very heavy. Although you didn't pay much attention, it was probably some sort of dream.

After several minutes, the feeling was stronger. The hands were rising higher until they caressed your underwear. You were definitely not dreaming. You opened your eyes with a lot of effort. What you felt you no longer believed was a dream. You felt that a hand covered your mouth so that you could not scream. You used slaps to try to get rid of whoever was on your case.

"You better keep quiet, don't make things more difficult," Brock whispered in your ear as he continued to caress you, causing you to let out a choked moan.

"You seem to need help," Steve said from the door. You looked at him.

You didn't know how it had happened. It all happened so fast, but when you realized Brock was fucking you while you were sucking it on Steve, it all made sense.

"I thought you had a pretty face ever since I saw you when you got out of your car," Steve said, one hand caressing your left nipple and the other hand taking your hair to help him to fuck your mouth.

"It's been a long time since a woman as beautiful as you visited us," Brock spoke as he raised his leg further to deepen his onslaught.

The next morning, you were still trying to process what happened. You had the two men by your side.

"I told you; you weren't going to leave. We didn't plan to do the same thing to you as the other girls because you're so cute," Brock realized that you had already woken up.

You laughed when you heard their words because, after the first time they fuck you, you had decided to forget the audition and stay there to live with them. They have already shown you that they could please you in everything you wanted. In the end, your goal of being a famous actress was to have enough money to buy all your whims. But you knew they could do it. After all, you had heard their conversation, where they confessed many things.

Apart from that, if you caught the attention of the media, they could easily find you for some crimes you had committed. Although you were really surprised that they knew about it, you also knew their secrets, so nobody would betray anyone. Finally, you found a safe place that you could consider your home. There was no need to keep fleeing.

#rooshallocream #dark!steve rogers x reader x dark!brock rumlow #dark steve rogers #dark brock rumlow #dark fic #dub con

[depressedhatakekakashi]

Choosing a Lover

@kakagaievents

Prompt: Royal Ball

Words: 2864

Music echoes through the hallway, calling for Kakashi to return to the hall where everyone is gathered. He could still hear all the guests laughing and chatting amongst each other. Guessing which lucky Prince or Princess would be chosen by Gai to marry him.

If only they knew the truth.

“Sir, we really should return,” he tried to argue, but Gai continued down the hallway unhindered, dragging him along behind him. “I know the party was boring, but-”

“Boring,” Gai grumbled, fingers digging into Kakashi’s wrist. “It wasn’t just boring. It’s a waste of time. I’m meant to sit there talking to people that I don’t want to talk to.”

“You love talking to people,” Kakashi interrupted. “In fact, I don’t think there’s a day that goes by where you don’t talk to someone new.”

Gai glared back at him but continued on his way. Even when faced with the reality of his own personality, and the strangeness of this whole situation, he refused to stop.“This is different. You know it is.”

“Because you’re expected to choose a spouse?”

“It’s not just that,” his grip loosened, freeing Kakashi from the pain of having Gai’s nails digging into his skin. “Father won’t listen. No one will. They don’t care that I don’t want to choose a spouse out of a room full of Princesses and Princes’ from other kingdoms. They won’t listen to me.”

“Well, how can they listen when what you say seems ridiculous?” Stopping in his tracks, Gai turned to face Kakashi. A hard, angry look in his eyes. “Am I wrong?”

“You know you are,” he released his hold on Kakashi’s arm and took a step forward. Closing the already small gap between them so that he was now standing nose to nose with Kakashi. “There is nothing ridiculous about my choice.”

“A prince, marrying a guard.” Kakashi couldn’t help but laugh at the thought even though he wished just as much as Gai that it could be different. It wasn’t possible, though. A Prince was destined to marry royalty. No matter how much he wanted things to be different, they couldn’t be. 

He could love Gai for the rest of his life, and he probably would. Those feelings would do nothing to change the reality that they were living in. A reality which demanded Gai choose a spouse who would help improve his kingdom’s defences and whom he could rule beside as equals. 

Raising a hand, Gai curled his middle finger towards his palm and placed his thumb over the tip. Only a seconds worth of warning, but it was enough for Kakashi to close his eyes and brace for the impact of Gai’s finger flicking against his forehead. “Ow.” 

“It wasn’t hard enough to hurt,” Gai scolded him with a light, friendly laugh. A sound that Kakashi had become rather addicted to over the years. It was always so pleasant to listen to and never failed to make his heart stop for just a moment, as if it was overwhelmed by the sweetness of that sound. “And I told you to stop saying crap like that. So what if the Prince wants to marry his handsome, dashing, courageous royal guard? What’s wrong with that?”

“Would you like the list alphabetically or numerically according to the law?” Another flick to the forehead, this time with a little bit more force. “Really, you’re being too stubborn,” he grumbled while rubbing a hand over the area Gai had struck. “Most people would trip over themselves to marry any of those people.”

“I am not most people.” no truer words had ever been said. There were a hundred things that Kakashi could think of that set Gai apart from ‘other people’. From the way he smiled so bright that he shone brighter than the sun itself, to his kind attitude towards every single person he met. Gai was certainly one of a kind, and someone out there had to be lucky enough to marry him. 

“In that case, do you have a reason as to why you won’t marry any of them?” Kakashi asked, raising a hand to silence Gai before he even opened his mouth. “Without mentioning me.”

Gai narrowed his eyes, but even with such restrictions he was not one to turn down a challenge, and that was exactly what Kakashi had just presented him with. A challenge to come up with a reason not to marry any of the people he had met today. 

“Let’s start off easy,” a smile stretched across Kakashi’s face, hidden by the mask he wore over the lower part of his face but still visible in the way his eyes crinkled in the corners. “Prince Obito comes from a wealthy, successful kingdom.”

Not even two seconds into the conversation and Gai was already rolling his eyes. “Prince Obito also has a preference for Princess Rin that everyone with working eyes can see, and even if he didn’t why would I marry someone who seems determined to pick a fight with my royal guard every chance he gets.”

“It was two arguments-” Kakashi began to argue, only to be cut off by yet another flick to the forehead. 

“Two arguments too many,” Gai insisted. “I do not wish to spend my life watching my spouse and my best friend arguing every time they are in the same room.”

Crossing that name off of the list, Kakashi moved onto the next one. “Princess Anko? She’s smart, has a high level of energy like you, and enjoys reptiles.”

“She enjoys snakes,” Gai clarified for him. “I enjoy Turtles and Tortoises. Her pets would eat mine.”

“I am certain that if the two of you were to marry we could find a safe place for her to keep all of her snakes, far away from Ninegame and all of the little turtles you keep in the garden.”

“I- she also has a fondness of poison that causes me to worry for my own safety when I’m around her.” 

That one Kakashi would give him. Although Princess Anko’s interest in poisons was different from others, leading her to seek out a way to become immune to all known poisons, it was still a dangerous interest. One that could easily result in Gai being the unwilling test subject to some interesting new antidotes she may decide to create. 

Another option crossed off of the shrinking list.

“Prince Asuma,” he continued, determined to find one that Gai could agree to. “He comes from a well off kingdom.”

“His Kingdom is at war almost all the time,” Gai argued. “If I marry him I am making an alliance with his father that would force me to send troops into any war between his kingdom and another. My people deserve better than that.”

A touching, well thought out reason to turn down a potential marriage candidate, though Kakashi had a feeling that Prince Asuma’s use of Tobacco which his kingdom received from overseas allies was something else that Gai would be unable to tolerate in a marriage. 

There was only one option left from the Princess and Princes that had already been introduced to Gai. Someone that Kakashi was certain Gai couldn’t find a single fault in no matter how hard he tried. 

Stepping around Gai, he leaned in close and whispered into his ear. “That leaves, Princess Rin!” He shouted her name and laughed when Gai jumped into the air. 

“Kakashi, don’t do that,” the prince glared at him while clutching a hand over his heart. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“I think it would take a bit more to kill you than a little scare, sir,” he bowed his head in apology. “Princess Rin comes from a smaller kingdom. The alliance would do little to benefit our army, though you’ve made it clear you would rather avoid war at all costs.”

One of many beliefs that Kakashi shared with his prince, and which had helped him to fall in love with a man that he was never destined to have. 

“She’s smart,” he continued. “When the two of you spoke you seemed to be enjoying yourself.”

“I was…” Gai grumbled. “But she’s not-”

“Not what?” Kakashi interrupted. “Not strong willed? I think you’d find yourself mistaken in that assumption if only you would watch her interact with anyone who attempts to speak down on her. Not interesting enough? Have you asked her about anything that interests you? I’m sure she would have something to say that would make you smile. Not-”

With every word he said Gai seemed to get more and more annoyed. At first it was just his eyebrows pinching together slightly, and then bit his bottom lip, as though he was attempting to hold his words back. Gai’s patience could only last so long, though, and before Kakashi could even think of another reason why Rin was a good match for the Prince, he found himself being drawn into a hug.

A bone crushing, breath destroying hug. 

“Gai,” he wheezed, gasping when the tight grip of Gai’s hug was loosened. He didn’t drop the hug, but he did allow Kakashi the opportunity to breathe properly which was still appreciated.

“She’s not- you,” he heard the words that Gai whispered, but he couldn’t believe them. Even when faced with what was essentially a perfect match for him, Gai was still clinging to something that they couldn’t have.

Something that Kakashi wanted just as much as him. Which his heart ached for, but which he could never have no matter how much he wanted it.

Yet, where Kakashi had admitted defeat and settled for a quiet, happy life standing at his lover’s side, Gai refused to give up. No matter how many times Kakashi, or anyone else, told him that it wasn’t possible he continued to hold on.

As if the sheer power of his will would change anything.

“She’s not me,” Kakashi found himself agreeing. “But that’s good.” Gai’s  head whipped back, wide terrified eyes staring at Kakashi as if he had just suggested starting a war with another kingdom.

“Good?” His voice cracked and all Kakashi could do was look away. Pretend that his heart wasn’t aching at the thought of watching the man he loved marry someone else. “Kakashi, there’s nothing good about marrying someone I don’t love.”

“It’s good,” Kakashi repeated, trying to convince himself just as much as Gai. “It’s…” Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and straightened himself up before turning his gaze back onto Gai. “you’re a Prince. Prince’s marry royalty. I am not royalty.”

“No, you’re Kakashi,” Gai insisted, as if those words washed away any of the obstacles standing between them and a happy, married life. “You’re my Kakashi. Kind, strong, dedicated.”

“Your knight.”

“My Kakashi,” Gai spoke a little firmer, his hand coming up to rest against Kakashi’s neck. “The friend I grew up with. Who I raced around the garden’s with as a kid. Whose dog’s love to sleep on my lap.”

Such sweet compliments made Kakashi’s knees weak. Where anyone else would be glared at for daring to try and soften him with kind words, Gai always seemed to succeed. Even when Kakashi didn’t want him to. 

“Gai, I-” there were so many things he wanted to say. Law’s rolling around in his mind one after the other, begging to be listed out to Gai so that he could remember just why they couldn’t do what they wanted.

Why, no matter how much Kakashi wished he could join in on Gai’s optimism and stubbornness, he simply couldn’t. 

“”None of them are you, Kakashi,” Gai continued to insist, ignoring all logic in favour of emotions. “I just want you. Not some Prince with an army to back him up, or a Princess who can keep me entertained in conversation. I want Hatake Kakashi, the youngest knight to grace our kingdom. The boy who refused to see a Prince when we were younger, and instead chose to see a friend.”

Kakashi laughed at his own foolishness. As a child he had believed there was no difference between himself and Gai. He’d understood that Gai was a prince and that their destiny’s were already written out for them, but he’d allowed himself to entertain the thought of them being equals. 

A thought that had crumbled away from his mind the first time the king’s advisor’s pulled him aside and reminded him of his place, and of Gai’s need to marry royalty.

“I am Kakashi,” he spoke, unsure of his own words but determined to say them regardless. “I am your Kakashi. Your knight, who will protect you from anything and everyone. Just as I have sworn to do, but…”

His resolve crumbled in an instant. Not because of those sad, broken eyes staring deep into his soul, and not because of the desire deep inside of his heart to change everything and be the one to marry Gai.

It crumbled simply because he didn’t have the strength to continue fighting about something that he had no control over.

“I love you,” he whispered, speaking the same words he had dared to utter to Gai far too many times over the last five years. Always spoken in secret, shared just between the two of them. “You know I do, Gai.”

“I know,” a smile tugged at Gai’s lips and Kakashi wished at that moment that he could take a snapshot of this moment. Savour that sweet, gentle smile for the rest of his life. “And I love you.”

“And you know,” He continued, sighing when that beautiful smile disappeared. “No matter how much I wish I could, I cannot be your husband. Not if you want to keep this kingdom and protect the people here from war’s the others would gladly start.”

“I-”

Closing the small amount of distance between them, Kakashi pressed his forehead against Gai’s and grabbed hold of the hand that was still pressed against his neck. “There’s nothing else to say,” he whispered. “But remember, marriage doesn’t mean I’m gone. I will still be at your side until the day that I die.”

“What if they don’t like you?”

He couldn’t help but laugh at the thought. “Your Highness, I swear that there is no Prince or Princess that you could marry in this world that would be able to remove me from your side.”

“Not even Prince Obito?”

Another laugh, this time a little bit softer. “Not even Prince Obito,” he promised. “Though, if you’d like a suggestion, I think Princess Rin might be your best choice.”

“Because I couldn’t think of a reason not to marry her?”

“No,” squeezing Gai’s hand, he moved back and straightened himself up once more. “I think she would be a good Queen for your Kingdom and she does like Pakkun.”

The overwhelming dread that had settled over them suddenly shattered as Gai quickly covered his mouth in a rather poor attempt to mask his laughter. “Pakkun?” He wheezed out the name. “She likes Pakkun?”

“Are you surprised?””

Shaking his head, Gai huffed. “Not at all. I quite like Pakkun myself, it’s just so…you, to care about the fact that she likes your dog.”

“He goes almost everywhere with me. It’s important that the people that I will be tasked with protecting enjoy his company,” Kakashi defended himself. “And besides, I thought you said you liked me. Does that not mean you also like that I worry about others liking my dog?”

Raising a hand, Gai waved a disapproving finger at him. “I never said I liked you,” he admonished him. “I said I love you. That’s completely different.”

“Right, I apologise,” bowing his head, Kakashi snorted when he was rewarded with a light slap to the shoulder. “I won’t mix up the two again, Your Highness.”

“You’re better not,” reaching out, Gai took hold of Kakashi’s arm once more and turned back down the hallway. “Now, onwards.”

“But-”

“No buts!” he insisted while dragging Kakashi through the hallway. “You said I had to get married to someone else. You didn’t say anything about not dragging you to the bedroom so I could suck you off.”

Heat poured into Kakashi’s cheeks. “I- you can’t just-” stumbling behind Gai, he sighed. There was no hope in arguing against such a determined man, and he’d only be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t interested in seeing his Prince on his knees in front of him sucking him off.

So, with a new found determination of his own, he sped up and fell into step with Gai. “In that case,” he focused on the path ahead of him and was determined to get them to Gai’s room swiftly. Before anyone could spot them. “Let’s not waste any time, your Highness.”

A ball room full of guests waiting for their return, and an uncertain future ahead of them. All of it could be pushed off for just a few precious moments. Long enough for Kakashi to tangle himself up in Gai’s arms and make love to him one more time. 

And perhaps a second time before they returned, for good measure.

#kakagai #Kakagai Fantasy Week #Royalty Au #Prince Gai #Knight Kakashi

[galene-gothic]

- PAID READING FEEDBACK -

First of all, I'd like to thank you for the detailed reading you sent to me. It is deeply appreciated. Second, I have to admit I wasn't expecting that kind of first meeting with my future spouse. To be completely honest, I actually thought it would be lighter - like both of us in good places of our lives and something. To also give you a little background, I experienced my spiritual awakening last 2022 and had a lot of up and downs in my life. From my awakening, I strongly and continuously try changing myself for the better for me and important people in my life. I genuinely believe I've changed a lot since then, however i also believe I still have a long way to go. By this time, I'm sure my future spouse is someone who seems to be more stable minded than me. I also feel like he's someone more knowledgeable in terms of life experiences than me at this point. That's a good thing for me, since knowledge is knowledge and it's always a blessing to learn more through other people.

However, I think my initial concern when I read my reading was that I looked inferior compared to him. Kind of felt like someone who constantly self-pities or is into self-sabotaging. That made me think if I actually did improve at all for a moment. And I realized you mentioned that could be the current energy of our meeting, so it may probably be that for that time I will be experiencing something that will make me feel down. I realized then that I could work more on myself and that could be another transformation moment for me for the better.

Also, can I just say I'm happy you mentioned our first communication having something to do with the community and charity? I might not exactly know what it is about but I'm someone who holds a lot of opinions and consider myself as a person who likes to keep myself aware of societal issues. It just makes me feel good knowing our first communication would have something connected to being kind and having/showing gratitude.

Funny you mentioned about seeing 111/1111 all the time because I am seeing it more constantly now. Not just 111 though, just like angel numbers in general. Sometimes, 222 or 444 or just any mirroring numbers in general these past few months.

And when you described how we would feel about each other, like both of us may be having a disorganized attachment style at the moment, I really hope that would be something we both individually work on from the start. Also, it's amazing how you mentioned me being attracted to people who add to my wisdom or who are calm and feel like home because you're actually right. I'm someone who is greatly attracted to knowledgeable and experienced people (not necessarily specified to academics alone). It also takes a lot of time for me to warm up to someone. I believe I'm the type of person who someone needs to earnestly earn their place and trust in my life. Everyone's life is a privacy not everyone deserves to know and have, therefore I believe that's why I appear as off-putting or intimidating to converse at by other people. Though I understand I have the tendency to be extreme about shutting people out of my life and that's something I'm still working on.

Also just a freaky happening, just before I saw this message I was trying my only white (kind of) mesh top earlier??? AND WHEN I TYPED THAT IT WAS EXACTLY 11:11???? It might just be a coincidence but omg, that really shocked me HAHAHAHA

Along with the other signs you mentioned, it made me happy to see cats as part of the signs. I have cats so it just makes me feel delighted to know about it. I'm thinking he might be the one wearing a watch though since I'm not really the type to wear watches (and if I do, the only watch I have is color white haha).

Safe to say, this reading gave me a lot of insight and it's been a pleasure to finally have a reading from you. Expect me to order more in the future 🥰

Thank you once again!

#intuitive readings #paid readings #pick a card #pick a deck #pac reading

[tokiro07]

Cipher Academy ch.51 thoughts

[Namasu the Employed Ninja]

(Contents: Namasu analysis, Iroha analysis)

This was a nice little introductory chapter for Namasu, probably the classmate that we've gotten the least information on thus far. At the very least, I think this is the first time we've ever heard her speak without being censored

Naturally she speaks in code, reducing her sentences down to only two syllables at most it looks like, though I'm not sure if this is a code that was made up for her or if it's something that's associated with ninjas conceptually

Because this was her introduction, I don't think we have a lot to go off of here, but there were a couple of interesting details. The most notable of course was that Nohime referred to her as Giri Namasu rather than Akina Namasu. Is Akina an alias? Are these alternate readings of the same kanji? Is this a different Namasu? We likely won't know for a while, but I won't be taken off guard if this is a different person altogether

Secondly, when Namasu stayed behind to continue solving the sliding mat puzzle, she stated that she had a dream, and we can assume one that she's willing to bet her life on. We obviously don't know what that dream is yet, but let's look at the puzzle she was trying to solve specifically: ninja of varying rank making moves to get a princess to safety, potentially at the cost of their own lives. That's surprisingly on the nose, wouldn't you say? Namasu, the ninja, is the personal guard for Nohime, the princess, so her dream most likely revolves around Nohime, possibly trying to free her from some kind of oppression brought on by her family. The exact details don't really matter right now, but the main point is that she's willing to die to make it happen

Nohime recommended Namasu for the expedition team specifically because she expected her to get along with Iroha, but based on this puzzle, I imagine that she wanted Iroha's personality to rub off on Namasu. Iroha's MO this entire time has been to keep everyone safe even at the cost of victory, a sort of anti-Pyrrhic victory, but based on what we just saw, Namasu is the self-sacrificing type who only considers the objective and not the means. Iroha, ignoring the conventions of "war," sees the route to survival rather than the route to victory, because the two are synonymous to him. This philosophy of valuing everyone equally will no doubt come back in Namasu's story when she has to make a choice between herself, Nohime, and possibly even the rest of the class

Come to think of it, that's what happened with Oboro last chapter, isn't it? Oboro made a deliberate choice to sacrifice herself for Iroha and Kasuri's sake rather than sacrificing them or simply going down with them as Iroha likely would have wanted. This is exactly the kind of thing that Iroha would rather avoid, but he was in a position that made it impossible for him to prevent it

It's also interesting that Kasuri is on guard around Namasu after the events with Karigane (though she denies it's related) considering that Karigane also was operating on Iroha's philosophy: "as long as you've made it home alive, you've won." Unlike Iroha who wants to achieve this by keeping everyone together and relying on their unique strengths, Karigane chose to focus on individual skill levels, weeding out anyone who couldn't hold their own as too weak to risk keeping around. She was protecting them, yes, but in a way that disrespects them as members of the team. Meanwhile, Iroha throws himself into harms way to protect Kasuri from incoming shuriken or reenters the collapsing room to help Namasu not because they're so weak that they need protecting, but because he understands that there's strength in numbers and won't abandon his team

Exposure to Iroha's unique sense of survival and community should, theoretically, help Namasu improve her own self-preservation instincts while also showing her how to use them to her advantage in making her dream come true, whatever it may be. Even if I'm wrong about the specifics, I do hope that this is a sign that Nohime values Namasu, the same way that Toshusai values Omamuro and Yugata. I'd certainly enjoy seeing more development for the Nohime Faction and getting some parallels to Toshusai's group

See you all next time

#cipher academy #fouryearsandananime #4y1a reviews

[ledenews]

Thalman: ‘I Believe I'm the Best Person for the Job’

He’s watched the sausage be made. He’s even tossed in a few ingredients of his own over the past eight years as the council representative for Ward 1 and while serving as the city’s vice mayor. And, as his campaign slogan exclaims, Chad Thalman wants to continue the comeback as the next mayor of Wheeling. He’s one of six candidates who wish to follow Glenn Elliott, a two-termer who’s now campaigning for the Democrat nomination for the U.S. Senate race in November, and he’s a firm believer he is the best candidate on the ballot. Since Thalman was elected in 2016 to represent Ward 1, he’s supported a number of paving and demolition contracts, the construction of the new fire headquarters and creation of the new police HQ, a number of projects related to parks and recreation, and he voted in favor of the purchase of the Ohio Valley Medical Center campus, the implementation of the User Fee, and has been a part of the development of the current streetscape project. “I don’t think I realized when I was preparing to run for city council back in 2015 how much time it takes to get projects moving and to make improvements we wanted to make,” said Thalman, who was appointed vice mayor eight years ago. “But we’ve accomplished a lot, and I’m proud of that fact. Thalman was sworn into office at West Virginia Independence Hall in downtown when he was re-elected in 2020. “I’ve been involved with the past eight years and I’m the guy best equipped to the city move forward. I think the current mayor and most of the members of council would agree that I’m the best person for the job,” he said. “I don’t want to be the mayor of any other city than Wheeling because it’s my hometown and it’s where I plan to live the rest of my life. If I don’t try to help Wheeling right now, I think I would regret it for the rest of my life.” The winner of the Friendly City’s 2024 mayoral election will inherit an under-construction downtown that has a number of vacant storefronts and buildings, an economy centered on the professional, service, and healthcare industries, and a shrinking population, but Wheeling also is a city poised for residential and commercial re-development from border to border following a $223 million rehabilitation of Interstate 70, more than 60 citywide demolitions, and the $32 million state-fund streetscape along Main and Markets streets. Plus, the trend of downtown living has grown with the completion of The Doris apartment complex by The Woda Group, and the schedules for entertainment at both the Capitol Theatre and Wesbanco Arena have been steadier than ever. “We have a lot of momentum right now because so much has moved forward, and that’s because the people in Wheeling have refused to quit making the city a better place,” Thalman said. “During my time on council, we have engaged and interacted with the public as much as possible so they could share with us their ideas and that’s been a great process.” Chad's parents, including his mother, Vicki, were thrilled when he dediced to move back home more than a decade ago. Happy Homecoming He was one of them. He grew up in Wheeling, went to college in 2000, and then found a job in a city pretty far away just like so many other high school grads have done since the 1970s. It took place so often, in fact, it became expected among members of a few generations and that’s why a city that topped out at 61,000 citizens in the 1940s is now the home of only 27,000. Thalman, however, became another kind of “them” when he decided to move home and pursue his social services career here instead of there. “I decided to come back to Wheeling in December of 2006 after a couple of years because I think living in Morgantown for four years for college and then in Maryland for another two years made me appreciate Wheeling even more than I did when I lived here,” he admitted. “I was working full-time with (the W.Va. Department of Health and Human Resources) and taking classes during the evenings at Wheeling Jesuit for my MBA. After that I started teaching business classes as an adjunct and kept working full-time. Wheeling's vice mayor has volunteered in local schools for several years. “But then I started working at Warwood Armature, and that’s a company that was started by my great grandfather back in 1927 out of his garage in Warwood,” Thalman explained. “We fix and sell electric motors, and I handle the sales, customer service, and a lot of the door-to-day operations of the business.” His professional transfer from the public to the private sector, Thalman firmly believes, allowed him to be a more effective city councilor. “It wasn’t until I started working with my father that I started looking at things with that business mindset, and I think it’s helped me with my role with the city. I can look at issues from the business perspective and that makes me want to know if there’s a good return on the investment,” Thalman said. “It’s all been a learning experience, and now I feel I’m ready to take our city into a very positive future. “The Doris Apartments is a great example of seeing a return on an investment made by the City of Wheeling because the City owned the parking lot where it was constructed,” he said. “Sure, we gave WODA the property but consider what the economic return will going to be when those apartments are full. It’s going to be much more significant than what an ugly surface parking lot gives us.” Thalman is proud of his work to add recreational opportunities in Wheeling, including the dog parks now in three areas of Wheeling. Moving with Momentum Gloria Delbrugge retired from serving on Wheeling’s council following her third term in 2016, and the late representative was known to be feisty and fiery when fighting for the Warwood, North Park, and Upper Glenwood neighborhoods. Thalman, thanks to Delbrugge’s tutorials, knew the residents – pronounced “voters” – would expect the same from him. “After I knew I was going to run for council, I started attending the meetings for about 15 months, and I also talked to Gloria, so I got a good sense of how things worked,” he recalled. “But when I started serving, there was still a pretty good learning curve, and it takes a little bit of time to get the experience the job needs. “There’s a lot more to how the City functions as far as what the council does, and what the city staff does. When it comes to city business, I think the typical resident assumes the elected officials are calling all the shots, and that’s not the case when it comes to day-to-day operations,” he explained. “That was a big part of the learning curve for me, even with all of the meetings I attended and all the talks I had with Gloria, I still had to realize about how the City really operates.” Even after learning the City of Wheeling’s “sausage” recipe and working with local, state, and federal officials over the last eight years, Thalman did not envision a campaign to become Wheeling’s next mayor. “In 2015, I made the decision to run for City Council, and I started preparing,” he said with a smile. “And here I am today doing something I never thought I would do during my lifetime. “And I believe I'm the best person for the job. I really love Wheeling, and I want to do everything I can do to help us all move forward,” Thalman insisted. “It has been an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to serve the residents of the city of Wheeling, and I believe we have a lot of momentum right now and I’m the person who knows how to keep us moving forward.” Read the full article

[jeanjauthor]

In addition to this...for all the people who claim atheists could not possibly be moral...?

Imagine the worst thing a person can suffer. (scroll away now if you have a vivid imagination!)

...

Let's say it's being shoved into a wood chipper while still alive and fully conscious.

Horrifying thought, isn't it?

Did you once think about God--any version of a deity--while you were horrified?

Of course not.

You don't need to think of any deity or any book of rules to know that such a thing is horrible.

There are two states of being to consider, here: shoved into the woodchipper, and not shoved into the wood chipper.

This opens up a whole spectrum of horrible versus not-horrible circumstances.

...And when you realize there is a spectrum, a sliding scale of not-horrible versus horrible? There are things that can be done to prevent woodchipper horrors.

Engineers literally developed a tablesaw that would stop if it encountered soft human tissues (or at least a hot dog) rather than continuing to saw away.

God didn't do that.

Humans did that.

Humans cared enough about preventing the horrible that they created an amazing machine.

I'd say that's pretty damn moral of them...and not once did any sort of God have to be invoked or involved.

...

Let me tell you something as a person whose doctoral thesis involved studying many different religious texts. Religions capture and codify the morals and ethics of a culture at a given point in time. Good religions review and update these moral & ethical codes in ways that improve the lives of as many people--followers and non-followers!--as possible.

The religion is the framework for these ideas, but that religion--any religion--is not these moral & ethical ideas themselves.

You need some sort of framework as a way to build up the habits and customs of people in a shared community so that it becomes natural to carry out these habits from one generation to the next.

Take the customs often found in desert-dwelling communities for an example.

Most desert-living cultures have a custom where they offer visitors something to drink. (Usually clean, simple water, but any thirst-quenching liquid will suffice; tea, coffee, juice, etc.) I guarantee you that water-offering custom existed long before the religion came along that says "(Our God) commands hospitality to visitors! You must offer them something to drink in (God)'s name, as a pious follower of (God)! If you do not do so, then (God) will curse you, and all calamity that befalls you is because you aren't hospitable enough!"

And if you forgot to offer it, an elder will come along and chastize you heavily, exclaiming, "What do you mean, you forgot to offer them something to drink? Shame on you! Are you a lackwit? You know I raised you better than that!" Water is life, in a desert. You must offer it to others when they visit you, to guarantee they'll be in a good enough mood to offer it to you, should you ever have to travel to their home territory.

(Most humans are susceptible to social pressures, including disappointment, embarrassment, shame, etc. Of course, this does not always work on sociopaths...unless they're invested in "playing by the rules (of society)" for whatever reasons they may have.)

Or to look at it another way: Religion is an organizer system, like the kind you'd find at a store specializing in selling objects to help with organizing things.

Religions codify customs, habits, beliefs, rituals, and expectations of behavior...but they are merely the framework for all of these things.

Trust me, you'd still have your shoes, socks, pants, shirts, coats, etc, even if you didn't have a bedroom or closet organizer system, with drawers and shelves and coat hangers and scarf or tie racks.

You'd still have plenty of morals & ethics even without a religion.

[harryhandstan]

HIIII happy (late) 4th of july!!

you are literally the sweet person to ever exist i can’t believe its been like 2 years since we last spoke. its crazy how time flies

oh noooo im sorry that happened to you :(( im glad ur doing better and taking good care of yourself 💓💓 wishing u a speedy recovery!

alsoooo good luck with house hunting! that must be so exciting!!looking for a new place to call home and making new memories in it! i just know youll find the most beautiful homey and perfect place!! im manifesting for u

im doing well!! not much happened except for school stuff but i just went to my first ever pit concert a few months ago! i saw the driver era (only because i thought ross lynch was hot lol) i didnt know what to expect for pit but i didn’t expect to stand for 8 hours straight 😭😭 AHHHH ALSO im seeing taylor swift in a few weeks and i literally cannot wait!!!!

im always thinking about u! talk to u soon!! good luck 🍀 love youuuuuuu!!! 💗💓💓💞💕

-🧸

happy late 4th of july to you too bestie!! I hope you had a great day!!

I'm sorry for the delay in answering this btw it's been storming here so my wi-fi has been in and out all day!

omg stop you're so kind to me I genuinely love talking to everyone and I consider you and many others here my friends so y'all make it easy to just repay the love I've been given!!

it's actually only been a year bub! I only know because I looked it up to refresh my memory about what we talked about before cause like I said a lot had happened and I couldn't remember if we'd talked since my accident. it was last year after my birthday and after harry's house came out. but really it's alright I don't want you to feel bad!

thank you so much for the well wishes ❤ I realized after that I left some detail out of what happened to me and didn't explain it very well, but if I ramble on too much just feel free to skip over it! basically not only was I kicked but I went flying about 8 feet across my yard too, which caused me to have a compression fracture on T11 of my spine. I also had a contusion on my right hip (which is just a really, really deep and bad bruise), which is where the point of impact was. I will (hopefully) continue to improve, but having arthritis still causes me to have a ton of pain if I do too much physical activity. that part of my spine is also partly collapsed and always will be, but my neurosurgeon said that as long as my arms and legs are still okay that I should just slowly start to get back to "normal" life and listen to my body as I go along! I asked if I needed to keep up with x-rays or anything over the years but he said my symptoms would get much, much worse if the collapse got any worse and I would know I need to come back to see him. he also said IF I would've had to have surgery that it would take like 12 pins and a huge rod to correct things so I'm so SO lucky that things weren't any worse!

thank you so much for helping us manifest!!! it means more than you'll ever know because it hasn't been easy so far trying to find a place 😔 we live in such a rural area in GA and we originally wanted to stay in the same town because I was supposed to start a new job in january and we wanted to be close to my work. I probably won't get to take that job now (which is a whole other long story), and since there are very limited options we're probably gonna have to broaden our search to surrounding towns that are slightly bigger! we ultimately want a house together, but I think we're gonna have to settle for an apartment for now until we can find the perfect place for us. anything would be better than here rn though!!!

idk if I've ever talked much about my dad to you but we have as no contact of a relationship as possible even though we live in the same house. he's the reason for my accident and so the day it happened and we were waiting for the ambulance to come my mom told him that we wouldn't be coming back to this house. but then we had no choice we didn't have the money or resources needed to go elsewhere. I was worried as I got better she would forget about that and slip out of that mindset, but thankfully she hasn't! she just told me tonight we'd probably go look at apartments next week and that she can't wait to get out of here. I could truly cry at the thought of having a safe, clean, and comfortable space away from him. it's what my mom, my siblings, and our dogs all deserve!

how is school going? how much longer do you have to go? and oohh I'm so happy you got to experience a concert in pit!! it's amazing but it is soooo exhausting I hope you got lots of rest afterward 😊 when I saw harry I wore my ankle support thing to my pit concert to because I knew my feet would be swollen the next day probably. and taylor swift that's so cool!! I'm very excited for you!! I hope you have the best time!!! where are your seats for that show?

I'm always thinking about you too!! seriously sometimes I'll just think about you or how you're doing so just know you're always getting any spare good vibes I have sent your way ✨ thank you thank you for the good luck!!! love you moreeeee 🤍

I was gonna tell you about getting to see stevie nicks and my road trip to see my little brother but I talked so much this time we'll save those stories for next time if you wanna hear about them!!

#again I'm sorry this is so long!!!! #ask me stuff #anon #answered #🧸