#it would be so easy to live not only comfortably but to share the wealth with my friends

[sttoru]

𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐔𝐒𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃 . . .

⟣ sypnosis. you’re fed up with your rich abusive husband and finally decide to hire a skilled assassin to get rid of him in secrecy. one night when you’re left alone in your penthouse, you invite the assassin named toji over to give him the money he’s demanded to accept the job. things turn for the worse when your husband comes home early that day and catches toji and you together.

⟣ note. eeek. never thought i’d be here to write this out but i did and it turned pretty detailed if i must say. hope u all enjoy and appreciate my hard work. feedback / comments are greatly appreciated ! if the fic does well, i can make an alternative ending that’s smutty :3 wc: 7.4k

⟣ tags. toji fushiguro x female reader. angst, comfort. themes include abuse. reader is in an abusive + toxic relationship with her husband. implied age gap with husband. implied size difference with toji. mentions of guns + blood + m.urder. knifes.

“what is a successful marriage?”

that is one of the many questions that keep you up at night. you’ve laid awake for hours on end ever since you’ve married your husband, in search for reasonable answers. you’ve got many of them sorted out, however that specific question is one left unanswered.

it is very subjective—many can vary about the concrete answer. but one thing you know for sure is that your marriage is the exact opposite of what ‘successful’ means.

you were so full of yourself. you didn’t realise that your pride would also be your downfall one day; you’d constantly brag about having a rich husband who gets you everything you wanted. you were too blinded by love—or actually—by his money to notice the real him. the real, twisted and manipulative face of the man you were determined to marry.

his name was daisuke. from the yamamoto family. a family known in japan for its generational wealth and the many buildings and famous corporations it owns. you’ve worked at one of those companies and had met daisuke whilst he was on a visit. you’ve heard about his image by the public; sweet, caring and apparently wouldn’t hurt a fly.

unfortunately, the true him matched none of those descriptions. the true him only you—his wife—came face to face with at your shared home. you remember when it started. when daisuke began to turn into a nasty, abusive man whose anger is never restrainable.

your dating years were nothing but a dream. or, maybe you were too gullible to notice the signs and red flags your then boyfriend was showing. his love bombing, the manipulation, the gaslighting—you didn’t know better. if you complained about a minor thing that he had done, daisuke would apologise by sending you lots of money and presents. toxic, isn’t it?

but you didn’t care. you were happy and content with that being your compensation. the money was the evildoer that made you lose all your morals. the teenage you who said that you’ll never put up with a man’s disrespect was long forgotten.

even now, 4 years later, you put up with his verbal and physical abuse just to continue staying in that big mansion you live in. to continue getting everything paid for you. to continue getting lots of money by doing nothing but be his wife—his trophy wife, at this point.

it’s an easy life; ‘all i have to do is get through his abuse and it’ll be just fine’, you tell yourself that every night. it’s the only thing keeping you sane—a coping mechanism of some kind.

however lately, daisuke’s never skipped a day without being abusive towards you. he’d enter your home yelling and shouting, complains about the tiniest speck of dust in the house (which is not even your fault, it’s the maids’), reminds you how worthless you are in his eyes and the list goes on. he sometimes gets physical and throws stuff at you, causing multiple bruises and cuts to appear on your body after he’s done having his daily tantrum.

he might even kill you one day. it’s scary to think about; if he would, he easily could. he could one day just decide to be done with you and stick a knife in your body, leave you to bleed out and then order one of his men to get rid of your corpse. just like his family does to whoever stands in their way of success. you don’t want to discover how many people your husband has killed.

daisuke can easily get away with murder after all—the law is nothing but a thing to exist to keep the common citizens in the government’s control. to the rich, it’s like those rules don’t exist. court? justice? the so called independent judge? nothing money can’t buy. after all, money is power. money is innocence.

after four years of sticking with that rich man, you were getting tired. you were staying with him for his wealth, but was it actually worth it? besides, if daisuke hates you so much, why wouldn’t he divorce you instead? you don’t have anything going for you. except for your looks and youth, probably. that’s the main reason why daisuke coaxed you into marrying him—to show you off during events or parties. a complete and utter trophy wife you are.

you’ve been going to sketchy bars lately to let off some steam. you weren’t even there to drink alcohol. the sole reason for attending pubs was to forget about your own situation. you’d get weird stares since you’re always alone, sitting in that one spot in the far corner, no one wanting to come up to you because of that gloomy aura you’re emitting. and because you’re always dressed modestly from head to toe—not an ounce of skin showing. it was all the opposite of what most people would normally look and act like in bars.

‘what is normal?’ also a subjective question. society has turned it into an objective one, however.

“good day, miss.” a deep voice had interrupted your thoughts one day whilst you were doing your usual routine; sit near the bar counter, get a non-alcoholic drink, stare at the table for hours and question your purpose in life before going home to the reason of your problems.

a man, probably in his late 30’s or early 40’s, sat next to you on an available stool. he nonchalantly ordered a drink before making small talk. it was a nice change of pace for some reason. you had asked him his name. it was shiu.

that stranger had kept you company for hours until a call from your husband made you snap back to reality; you had to be home as soon as possible. judging by daisuke’s tone, you were in big trouble.

you remember how shiu outed his concern for your well-being by pointing out the bruises on your arm which you didn’t even know were showing.

you dismissed his worries with a fake smile and told him it was nothing, quickly pulling your sleeve back down. shiu seemed to let the topic go, but before parting ways with you, he handed you his business card. you didn’t know what it was for—what kind of services he could offer;

“call that number if you need someone to get rid of your problems,” was all you got before the mysterious man walked away. you couldn’t shake off the emphasis on the word ‘rid’. it sent a shiver down your spine.

that sentence of shiu’s echoed in your ears as tears streamed down your cheek after you arrived home. you were in your personal bathroom, hands shaking as you put a bag of ice on your fresh bruise, the small red and blue-ish area stinging. once again—you couldn’t avoid your husband’s wrath.

after having slept for a mere two hours that day in your bathtub, you’ve awoken to an empty house. daisuke was gone for work. luckily for you.

you hastily grabbed the business card in your purse and dialled the number. staring at the card, you’d think it was some kind of house cleaning service. that’s the kind of vibe it gave. little did you know that it was far from that.

a few rings later and you heard the same familiar deep voice in your ear; “good morning. with shiu kong.”

your heart was beating in your throat as you couldn’t gather the right words to say. maybe it was due to the little voice in the back of your head that warned you for something—you couldn’t pinpoint what the specific cause was just yet.

you answered eventually, “hi. uhm, you said i could call this number if i needed someone to get rid of my problems.” you pause and inhale deeply, “wh-what if my problem was.. a person? would you…” your voice trailed off, but the implication could not be missed by anyone if they heard the tone you used.

shiu seemed to recognise your voice, though stayed silent for a second or two at your request. when he replied, it sounded like he had expected you to ask him this—like he’s heard this many times before; “certainly.”

that’s when you realised what you’ve gotten yourself involved with. you were sweating and you had trouble breathing as you realised that.. this was your chance. to get rid of that man called your husband. your abuser.

you had decided to take on that opportunity and that’s how you ended up getting a phone call from an anonymous number right after your talk with shiu. the agent hadn’t told you anything other than the name of the person who’d contact you; ‘toji’, and said that he’d help you further.

you stared at the ‘no caller ID’ on your screen. this was him: the person who’d help you get rid of your problem. you gulped before sliding your thumb across your mobile to answer the call.

“hi, good m—”

“location.”

the husky male voice cut through your introduction and got straight to the point. your lips were parted to answer the man whom you guessed was ‘toji’, but your breath got caught in your throat for a second. do you just randomly give your address to a stranger? was that okay to do? you didn’t know—no, you didn’t care. if you got killed in the process or something similar, that’d be way better than to live another day in hell with your husband.

you dropped your address after some hesitation and toji just added a quick, ‘be there in an hour or so,’ before hanging up on you.

fast forward to 50 minutes later and you were pacing back and forth in your living room, trying to breathe properly and not have a second panic attack. daisuke wouldn’t be home until noon, so at least he won’t see whoever will enter your mansion in a few minutes. and if there’s a possibility that you get killed by this stranger, you’re sure that your husband would be more than happy that the job was done for him.

a loud tune. the sound of your doorbell. normally, you’d find the short melody relaxing, but now it sounded like something out of a nightmare. you made your way to your intercom and looked at the small screen—seeing a tall black-haired man with a compressed shirt and beige baggy pants standing near the gates. that must be toji—the man you talked to an hour ago.

he must be confident in his abilities since he didn’t cover up his identity at all when coming all the way over here.

you press a button and the gates open with a buzz. toji disappears from the little screen as he enters your front yard. the screen fades to black and you’re left alone with a sense of dread in your stomach. that only lasted for a couple seconds since the doorbell of your front door goes off.

“c-coming!” your voice cracks. you make your way over to the entrance of your home and breathe in. you open the doors slightly, peeking through the gap at the tall, intimidating man standing before you.

toji was kicking a rock to the side whilst waiting and looked up when you opened the doors. he seemed laidback, as if this was nothing but child’s play to him, “took ya long enough.”

you were appalled as toji simply barged into your home like he owned it. his strong, masculine cologne wafted through the air as he passed you by without giving you a second to process his intrusion.

your shaky eyes followed his bulky figure—the muscles that bulged through his shirt, which tensed every now and then. his aura was no joke either; it was horrifying to someone whom didn’t even know who he was or what he exactly did for a living.

“phewww,” the dark-haired man let out a low whistle as his eyes scanned the interior of the entrance hall, shamelessly touching a few expensive looking decorations, inspecting the material, “pretty damn rich, ain’t ya? this y’r daddy’s money?”

you shake your head and close the door behind you, staying there in case you needed to run. you are still wary of this situation, even when you had been the one that started this all.

“h-husband’s.” your voice was a quiet whisper. toji raised an eyebrow and turned his attention towards you. his eyes scanned you from head to toe. you looked pretty young. a fragile little thing, is how he described you in his head.

“husband? you?” toji chuckles dryly, before stepping closer to you, his body towering over yours. he lowers his head and stares at you from up close, his hands in his pockets whilst wordlessly looking at you.

you swallowed a bit of saliva and glanced back at the big man whom belittled you twice in just a couple seconds. you fumbled with the sleeve of your hoodie as the silence grew deafening—the only sound being your own soft yet shallow breathing.

your fingers scratched at the bruises under the fabric of your clothes, causing the cloth to slightly crinkle and glide up a few centrimeters with each rub before coming back down once your fingers stop. the instant you start touching those bruises, the itching just wouldn’t stop.

toji noticed this and looked down at your arm. his eyes caught a small glimpse of a wound on your wrist, but he didn’t seem to comment on it. with a sniff, he straightened his back and cocked his head to the right—face cold again as he glared at you;

“do ya know what kinda stuff i do?” his voice was booming, the deepness to it making you shiver. you press your lips together and search for answer, only to find nothing;

“n-no, i mean—“ your itching increases the more nervous you felt, “th-the man who directed me to you said you’d explain things further. all i know is that you can get rid of uhm— a problem of mine.”

toji scoffs and mutters something incomprehensible under his breath about his ‘stupid agent letting him do all the work’ before turning around. he lazily walks ahead as if he had all the time he needed in the world. once arrived in your living room, the man plops down on your couch, spreads his legs and leans back against the cushions. he really acted like he owns this place.

“i’m not the type to beat around the bush, little lady,” toji starts whilst his eyes follow you as you nervously sat on the chair next to the sofa, “so i’m gonna get straight into it. and if ya back down after this or get too scared ‘n call the cops, unfortunately, y’r pretty ass gotta go.”

toji swipes a thumb across his neck to indicate what that latter meant; killed. you’re gonna get killed if you learn his real identity and decide to expose it to anyone, especially the police. you blinked your tears away whilst thinking of that possibility and shook your head, putting on a determined face. you need to take responsibilities for your actions. you were the one who started this.

“all right. i promise that i won’t back down.” you reply after getting yourself together. toji’s eyes had left yours for a second to look around the grand living room—as if inspecting for something—before settling back on you. he quickly exhales through his nose; leaning his head on his hand while his piercing gaze burned holes in your skin,

“i’m an assassin.” toji says in a bored tone. he’s done this little introduction to his job so many times before to clients who hire him in for the first time, “i kill people in exchange for money. so, ya basically hired me to get rid of someone ‘nd i’m here to collect the money and information i need to finish the job. got that?”

there it was. the confirmation you needed and got without an ounce of hesitation coming from the man in front of you. you had expected this outcome (from the many you created in your head), of course, thus you weren’t that surprised. yet the fact that you actually have a hitman in your house, someone who can easily kill your husband, still makes you nervous.

“yes, thank you.” you eventually replied and nodded, taking a deep breath to calm your nerves. you looked up at toji and this time it wasn’t in a nervous way. this time it was in a determined way. toji notices this change and the scarred corner of his lip curled into a smirk.

“how much. . . money do you want for this job?” you go straight to the point. the dark-haired man grins whilst scanning your figure up and down shamelessly, enjoying the confident look on you. it suited you better.

“depends. who is it that i gotta kill?” toji asks, using his thumb to crack his index finger. you look around as if anyone could hear you. you were sure that no one was there with you, no maids no bodyguards no husband, yet your anxiety was still at its peak.

“my husband.” you reply quietly and point at the big picture frame on the wall near the chimney. it was a picture of daisuke and you. you seemed happy there, but it was all for show. that photoshoot was simply for his benefit, “daisuke. daisuke yamamoto.”

toji raises his eyebrow and stares at the picture. he’s heard of that name before. it was mentioned many times in the articles he reads. the assassin stands up with a grunt and walks to the chimney, letting out a small hum like he was thinking about it. not about if he could get the job done—no, his pride told him he easily could—but about the amount of money he wanted to get out of this.

there was a silence before toji turns around on his heels and walks over to the couch again, plopping down on the soft cushions whilst propping his feet on the table in front of him, “around seven million yen will do.”

that was about 50.000 dollars.

your jaw slightly dropped. it’s not like you haven’t seen nor heard of such big numbers before, it’s just that it was a little unexpected. but then again; nothing you can’t afford. with your husband’s money. the same money that ruined your life, is going to be used as a weapon to save it.

daisuke’s own money is going to be the death of him. and you’re the one to guarantee that.

“all right. i can get you that in cash.” you nod idly. your mind was clearly somewhere else—trying to remember the password to daisuke’s safe that was situated in a hidden room near his office. you recently found out that he keeps most cash, gold and other valuable pieces there, away from your sight. he was bad at hiding that fact from you, however.

one night, he came home drunk and it ended up with him confessing to you that he ‘won’t ever let a gold digger like you near his money again’ and proceeded to spill that he ‘has a secret safe which you won’t ever get your hands on’. eventually, you did. after a bit of snooping around, you easily found the hidden room behind a bookcase.

those fat stacks of money in there definitely add up to more than seven million yen. you’re sure of it. the only obstacle in your way is gathering that money. most of the time, daisuke locks his office before leaving home—or if he doesn’t—his maids will be in there cleaning.

“it will take me some time, but…” your voice trails off as a pensive look falls on your face. you bite your bottom lip and try to figure out something—a plan. toji catches your attention again by letting out a deep sigh. he dismissively waves your worries away with one hand;

“tha’s fine, lady. i need some time to prepare for this job too—it ain’t an easy one after all.” the assassin comments whilst scratching the scar near his lips, also seemingly deep in thought about his own plan, “bet he got lots of guards on his ass, too. tch.”

there was another thought in the back of toji’s mind that bothered him. normally, he’d be pissed off if his client didn’t prepare any kind of money beforehand. maybe some compensation bills, or at least a little thing he can have before they give him the full amount.

but with you, he seems not to mind. he wouldn’t be mad if he left this place empty handed for the time being. maybe he actually feels pity for your situation. or was it something else?

toji scoffs at his wandering mind and inwardly tells himself to shut up about such dumb stuff. getting his money is what’s most important to him. if you die afterwards, he wouldn’t care.

that’s what he tells himself.

“anyways. you should gimme all ya know about him. y’re his wife, right? ya should know his routine ‘n stuff that i can work with.” toji speaks up after the ten seconds of silence. you nod at his question—he wanted every single piece of information about your husband, so you’ll give him everything. no details excluded.

you pull out your phone and show toji pictures you took from daisuke’s computer in secrecy. pictures of his daily schedule for the upcoming month. your prior intention by taking those was to know when to be back home or when to avoid him, but they could be useful for this as well.

you continue to explain when and where daisuke holds his breaks, where his main office is located, the bodyguards that accompany him every day and when they leave him alone— all the information you gathered.

toji can’t help but be amazed by your memory. and the fact that you can recall everything, small or big, about your husband. it certainly did make his job easier; now he doesn’t have to pry out more hints on daisuke himself.

of course, you had your reasons for knowing all the miniscule facts about daisuke. it’s how you managed to survive those four years of marriage.

“good. tha’s enough.” toji nods and stands up with a grunt, stretching his arms—the muscles retracting. you couldn’t help but stare at them; he must have gone through a lot of training to become an assassin. a skilled one at that.

“before i go,” toji continues as he walks past you without looking back, heading straight for the exit of the living room, “you should delete all cctv footage that ya got going on ‘round here. i’ll take care of further evidence, yeah?”

toji moves his index finger in a circle, pointing at all corners in the house. he doesn’t want to risk anything, “i’ll call ya once i get things sorted out. then i’ll get to work when ya hand me the money.”

you nod and make a mental note for yourself to do that immediately once toji’s gone. you still had an hour or two before your husband would return. you don’t think he checks the cctv footage often (otherwise he’d have caught you sneaking into his office before), but it’ll be a big problem if he actually does and sees a random man in his home.

“will do. thank you.” you reply to toji and get up to politely see him out of your house. that’s when the realisation kicked in; your husband will be killed by this man right here in front of you. goosebumps appeared on your skin—not from fright. but from… happiness?

this stranger will end years of torment for you. yes, it’s his job. he’ll probably disappear after he’s got the money and completed your request, and yet, you can’t help but be extremely thankful.

without thinking, you reach out and grab onto toji’s wrist to stop him from moving. the assassin doesn’t stiff or tense up by this sudden touch. in fact, he’s already sensed it coming and allowed it.

toji’s actually more surprised by the fact that his mind and body allowed you to touch him. if it were anyone else, he’d probably have avoided their touch, broken their hand or worse—cut it off.

he moves his head to the side and looks at you from his peripherals, though not fully turning to you yet. he doesn’t speak up either; he’s waiting on you to go first.

your heart was somehow starting to beat even faster. you bit your lip and mentally cursed yourself out for pulling such an action; you could’ve just waited to show your gratitude through the phone.

well, either way, there was no going back now so you might as well spill your words of gratitude right this moment. you took a deep breath and parted your lips, ready to talk, but was then interrupted by your biggest nightmare.

a familiar, chilling voice. your heart drops. your body freezes.

“i knew it.”

a looming figure stood near the entrace to the living room. you recognised him instantly, as did your body, which went into an almost paralysed state. your mouth went dry, your hands started shaking and your eyes widened to the point you weren’t blinking anymore.

your husband, daisuke, appeared out of thin air in front of toji and you. his gaze was solely focused on the way your fingers were curled around toji’s wrist. to top it off, he had only heard the last bits of your conversation: something about deleting cctv and money. his brain hadn’t heard the entirety of it—he had already taken wrong conclusions in his head.

daisuke’s veins were on the verge of popping as he took two big steps towards you—you taking two steps back in response.

“i knew you were cheating on me, you fuckin’ slut.” daisuke spits with his finger pointed right at you. he was ignoring toji’s presence for the time being. he had to deal with you first;

“i work my ass off all day and night to provide for you and this is how you repay me? by inviting a random dude over whilst i’m gone? ungrateful bitch.”

two insults in a row; one more and daisuke’s putting his hands on you. it always went like that. your mind felt like it was emptied, but you somehow felt relieved that your husband didn’t seem to know the real reason of why toji had come over. daisuke really thought you were just cheating on him, and that your words of ‘deleting all cctv footage’ was to hide that infidelity.

“it’s n-not.. like that, daisuke.” you try to soothe the raging man in front of you, but your attempts were futile. he was just three quick steps away from resorting to physical violence.

toji, in the meantime, had stepped off to the side. you were only his client, thus there was no need to interrupt a couple’s ‘dispute’. you weren’t anyone dear or special to him—just a client. a stranger that owes him money to perform a job.

the assassin leans against a nearby wall, crossing his arms over his chest whilst watching the scene unfold. it was unfortunate that toji’s target was right there in front of him; he could just kill him right now. get the job done and over with. but, once again, toji only got to work if he had the money. he only assassinates when his skills are paid for. not any earlier and not any later. those were his morals—the rules he lives by.

if toji wanted to, he could simply walk away and let you handle this stuff by yourself. daisuke accusing him of being your ‘thing on the side’ didn’t bother him. as long as your husband doesn’t know his real identity, he’s fine with whatever accusations that get thrown at him.

but, for some reason—the same reason from earlier—his body was yelling at him to stay. toji sighs; he knows he won’t ever win a battle against his heart’s needs. he decides to stay.

daisuke still doesn’t seem to care about this; all the man wants is to out his anger and accuse you of things he now has enough ‘evidence’ for. he was seething and fuming at this revelation.

“god knows what else you’ve done behind my back. i bet he isn’t the only one you’ve fucke—“

“stop! i’m not cheating,” you finally yell back. it was the first time in a while that you had gathered the strength to do so. it felt good now that you had stuck up for yourself, but you knew how this would end for you—probably on the floor. crying.

despite all of that, you decided to keep on going. it’s now or never: all you have to do is make up a lie, probably withstand daisuke’s anger again and hope it doesn’t kill you. just this once; all you have to do is survive this once and then you’ll be freed from him.

you’ll give toji his money and he will do the job for you. just a few more days—

“he’s.. he’s my friend’s husband. i invited them both over and he just arrived earlier than expected.” you quickly made up. it sounded a little convincing to you. toji’s low snicker of amusement in the back confirmed that it maybe was the opposite of convincing.

daisuke scoffs at the pathetic attempt of hiding your ‘infidelity’. with another step forward, he raises his voice a notch; “yeah, right! what a pathetic excuse.”

a second step—you were waiting on that third curse. that third swear word that would set hell loose in this house, “do you really think you can fool me with that? huh?!”

it hadn’t happened yet. you still had time to think of a plan to perhaps escape this situation. your eyes flickered over to toji, although it didn’t seem like he’d be of any help. of course, he’s just an outsider after all. a stranger whom you just met today.

assassins have already disregarded their heart emotions the moment they decided to go down the path of killing for a living. you wouldn’t even blame toji for not stepping in. you’re also but a stranger to him.

toji could see the glimmer of hope in your eyes when you looked at him. or maybe it was a call for help. a desperate look. he can’t tell the difference. though, what he can tell, is that there was a gnawing feeling in the pits of his stomach. a gut feeling that told him it’d be smart to interfere.

but there’s his rational thoughts that tell him to not get involved—to avoid any more trouble than needed. besides, what other benefits would it bring him if he did? toji doesn’t want to be seen as a hero or saviour by anyone.

his jaw clenches as the time ticks. only a couple seconds left before the cold-hearted assassin has to make a decision.

daisuke’s patience was running low. the tension was increasing and could burst at any given moment now. one wrong move and you’re done—

one wrong breath could result in the worst possible outcome.

your silence spoke volumes to daisuke. the way you held your head low, your eyes that flickered from the floor to the ceiling, your fingers that nervously fumbled with your clothes and your bottom lip that trembled unstoppably. that pissed him off.

everything about you pissed him off. daisuke didn’t see any benefits of having you around anymore. he hadn’t for the long time, however didn’t know how he’d get rid of you.

divorce? no, he’ll have to give some of his earnings to you. kick you out? a possibility, but that would ruin his reputation. blackmail? that option was now the best choice. he’s caught you with another man after all. with camera evidence.

but, daisuke wouldn’t be satisfied with that outcome. his rage was blinding him—more than usual. he has to make you learn your lesson. in a way that will have you begging for your life to be spared.

and thus, the last step was made. the deciding hands were raised—aimed for your neck. the final curse had left his lips;

“come here. i’ll show you how whores like you should be treated.”

killing intent. it was the first time you’ve seen daisuke’s gaze darken that much, his demeanour emotionless yet full of rage. you close your eyes and expect for the worse.

“tha’s enough.”

everything went blank to you. it was silent, your vision was black, your hands were above your head, your heart felt like it wasn’t beating anymore—had you met your end? had you already been murdered?

in that same instant, you could feel drops of liquid splatter on your face. a faint ringing sound in your ears—it sounded like fireworks had been set off. a loud ‘pop’ sound.

something hit the ground right after. it wasn’t your body since that someone or something landed right at your feet.

after that: utter silence.

you gathered all your strength once more and slowly opened your eyelids. your vision was a bit blurry, though the first shape you could make out was one of a man on the ground. and not just any man—it was the man whom you hated most. at your feet.

you would’ve never thought of seeing that image before. of your husband laying at your feet; both literally and figuratively. a red liquid gushed out of his head and soaked into your shoes.

a normal wife would’ve let out a blood hurling scream at the sight of her lover laying lifelessly near her. a normal wife with a healthy relationship, that is.

you did let out a scream at the sight of your husband laying lifelessly near your feet. but that wasn’t done out of panic for your husband’s life—or due to the pain you were in to see him dead.

it was purely because you hadn’t seen a corpse before.

“d-daisuke..?”

a normal wife would’ve called out her husband’s name in a futile attempt that he’d answer back. that all of it was a dream. that her beloved wasn’t dead.

your reason wasn’t anything close to that. you called out that name in hopes he wouldn’t answer back. that all of it wasn’t a dream. that your abuser was dead.

it was real. you were glad, yet extremely disturbed by the fact that there was a corpse at your feet. you didn’t want to see all of it happening—that wasn’t part of the plan.

you stumble back a bit, hands clutching onto the chair you bumped into as you did your best to avoid the gruesome scene before your eyes. you just wished someone would clean the mess as soon as possible.

it’s then that your gaze fell on the other person present in the room; the man who was standing with a gun in his hand. toji scratched his head with the barrel, cold eyes looking down at the corpse with a faintly visible disgusted expression.

the assassin clicks his tongue as he walks towards the lifeless body and puts the sole of his shoe on daisuke’s cheek as if he was stepping on a pile of dirt, moving the head back and forth to check for any possible ounce of life in there.

there was none. the soul had left its body almost instantly after that bullet went through his brain. toji sighs; this time at himself for acting irrationally, “should’ve tortured you to death for tryin’ to put y’r hands on that lady instead of givin’ you the easy way out.”

with a harsh kick to the head on the floor, toji gathers some of his saliva on his tongue before spitting on the man. doubling the disrespect; “consider yourself lucky.”

toji cocked his head to the right. that’s where he spotted you with a familiar look on your face. the expression of someone who just went through a traumatic experience. he’s seen many people react like you when facing a near death experience or when witnessing somebody die before them.

usually, he’d tell them ‘it’s normal, get used to it’ and leave it at that. this was different. it felt different with you.

“are you okay?” the words slipped out of toji’s mouth before he could hold them back. his tone was a mixture of genuine concern and confusion. the latter was due to his own state of mind at the moment.

you didn’t answer, but you put your hands on your mouth as if you were going to puke any moment now. your vision was getting blurry with tears, head spinning and body feeling numb and weird.

toji hesitates before stepping towards you. his hands reached out to hold you, though he stopped them. he’d figured you wouldn’t be comfortable with him touching you in any way or form. he just killed someone in front of you—

it’s not like you cared that it was your husband. that much was clear. you sniff and glance up at toji with such a relieved yet devastated expression that his arms instinctively wrapped around you and pulled you into his warm embrace.

it was an awkward hug since toji doesn’t really know the basics of comforting someone. he was a bit stiff, but you didn’t show any discomfort due to that fact. instead, you clung onto his body and left tear stains on his black shirt.

“shhh, shh. it’s fine. it’s okay.” toji whispers, whilst his big hands indecisively move around, trying to find a spot to rest on. one eventually lands on the back of your head whilst the other starts to slowly rub up and down your spine, “it’s over, yeah? all of it—it’s over.”

toji doesn’t have a clue about the exact details of what your life was like. why you asked him to kill your (now ex-)husband was none of his business. all he knew was that he was going to get paid for it, so he didn’t care what the reason was.

it wasn’t like he hadn’t noticed the scars and bruises on your body throughout your conversation either—but that as well—was none of his business. assassins do their job without any further questions. there was no need to have personal connections or relations with their clients.

yet, toji was going against those unspoken rules once more. all because of you. for you.

“thank y—you.” your voice was weak as you speak up. it sounded hoarse and tired, though the sense of gratitude was undeniably there, “thank you, thank you, thank you.”

a series of ‘thank you’s’ leave your lips whilst your body and mind were still trying to recover from the whole ordeal. toji was trying his best to keep by your side until you calmed down. that’s the least he could do—after the fact that he singlehandedly got rid of the main problem in your life.

“no need to thank me, lady.” the dark-haired man whispers, allowing you to mess up his shirt with your tears and tugs, “i did what i had to do.”

toji didn’t actually have to do what he did. he never does his job before he’s guaranteed the money. however this time, it was a different story. he did it without thinking. he had to. his body was telling him to move—and in a flash—it was done.

he tries to tell himself that it’s just him slacking off. that he isn’t possibly starting to care about another person. he shouldn’t; those complicated emotions would stand in his way. and yet. . .

“c’mere.”

toji lifts you up bridal style while you keep quivering against his shoulder. his hands had a tight grip on your body, his eyes a sharp gaze on the mess he created. with a sigh, he takes you upstairs to a random room—kicking the door open.

toji carefully puts you back on your feet and guides you to sit on the edge of the kingsized bed. he absentmindedly brushes a few strands of your hair back after wiping some more tears away from your face;

“i know it’s a lot to take in,” toji kneels down before you, looking up with an unreadable expression whilst wiping the tears from your cheeks. his warm palms make contact with your skin and it’s like you’ve forgotten all about what just happened, “but is it okay if ya stay here while i go take care of the rest? i’ll come back once i’m done.”

toji has his own ways of cleaning up after he’s done a job and most likely wants to put one of those techniques to use before any maid or guard comes to check in on the house situation. you sniffle and hiccup afterwards, trying to form a verbal response through your broken sobs, but to no avail.

you simply nod and lean into toji’s calloused hands—such rough and masculine hands—ones that were meant to protect instead of hurt you. you weren’t able to trust men after your marriage, however this one in front of you was unlike any other. even if he may not seem like it on the outside.

his touch was gentle yet firm. the pads of his thumbs swiped the wet skin under your lower eyelashes and you could’ve sworn toji’s gaze had softened for a split second before he caught himself.

he had to stand up, get rid of the mess and leave the place before he got too attached to you. the assassin cannot make such a grave mistake.

“i promise,” toji speaks up after a bit again, standing up after giving you a soft pat against your shoulder, “you’re fine. i’ll be back—ya have my word.”

there he goes; making promises he knows he probably can’t keep. ‘i’ll be back’, will he? he can’t. for your own safety. he has to treat you as just another client. none of what he did in this house could be spoken of anymore.

he slipped up this once. it needn’t to happen again. money. he does his jobs for money—when he obtains the money. he doesn’t kill his targets for the sake of others, for the protection of others.

he doesn’t kill for love.

toji wishes that all of this had never happened, because he knows that his heart will lead him back to you at the end of the day. he knows he won’t leave once he cleans up the mess downstairs. he’ll come right back to you.

and you have faith in that. you trust this stranger whom had practically saved your life with just one shot.

“i don’t know how to repay you.. thank you.” you manage to mutter through shallow breaths. you stare at the back of toji’s head as he makes his way to the door. he stops in his tracks to reply to your comment.

he stands still at the doorway and looks over his shoulder at you—the scarred corner of his lips twitching;

“prepare the money. tha’s how you can repay me.” toji replies and you don’t know if he’s joking or being serious because of that little grin on his face. a breathy chuckle follows and then the assassin disappears.

the door closes and you’re left alone in this space. left alone in the silence of the home that had treated you as its prisoner. you remember how your husband used to lock you up in your bedroom whenever you had done something to piss him off; taking away your freedom by keeping you in a room.

now it’s yours—your life is yours. you’ve fully gained your freedom back and can decide what to do for yourself. it seems like a foreign situation, a foreign world, a foreign concept; you can now actually do whatever your heart desires. without any restraints.

“what is a successful marriage?”

well, to you, it’s one with a satisfactory ending.

🏷️ : @satoruhour @squicksquak @omgeto @xmintpie @cursingtoji @obsidiannero @elmoees @x1aosg1rl @fushironi @ceceher @ajax1230 @toji-is-hot @jayugh @rinshoe @sligerate @satoryaa @luveblad3 @happystrawberrytyrant @ezraiix

#sttoru writes. #jjk x reader #toji x reader #jujutsu kaisen #jjk x you #toji x you #jjk fic #jjk x y/n #toji fushiguro x reader #i tried my best : #:(…

[gojos-thot-patrol]

Ok, LISTEN. I'm about half way through seven minuets in heaven pt.2, but because I'm working on it while watching season 2, I got SatoSugu on my mind. so...

Now Presenting...

A little SatoSugu themed supplementary material.

Ok, so let's start standard 

Suguru is a psychology major with a minor in musical performance 

Satoru is a theoretical physics major with no minor because "ew, minors."

Suguru joined the ABO frat because fraternity housing is wayyy fucking cheaper than living in the dorms. Plus, easy access to booze.

Gojo did it for the memes and cause his best friend was joining. 

Suguru is for sure an alcoholic and in denial about it

Gojo smoked weed once and won't shut up about it. He does take a weak ass edible every once in awhile to sleep though.

Gojos tolerance is absolutely shit. Two shots and three puffs in and he is gone!

Suguru on the other hand could drink an entire bottle of tequila and smoke 12 joints and only really be kinda buzzed. 

Suguru is definitely in denial about his bisexuality. Everything that he does with Gojo is just for female attention, ya know?

Especially when they're making out alone in their shared room. That's definitely for attention. Source:just trust me bro

Gojo is very comfortable in his pansexuality, and has been known to use "are you a frying pan? Cause you're so fucking hot" as a pickup line.

Ok, now for their background!

Suguru and Gojo actually grew up together, and are the closest anyone can get to childhood friends,

Which morphed into the well documented phenomenon of an all too intense friendship that blurs the line of friends and dating, where if one of them were the opposite gender they would totally be together, but because they’re both boys there using that as a shield to avoid confronting their identities beyond the default settings

They were each other's first kiss 💋 

Gojo actually had really kind and loving parents who were very supportive. 

Sugurus' mom died when he was young though, leaving him and his dad to struggle. His dad wasn't necessarily bad, but he did have to work constantly and therefore wasn't home often.

Gojo was naturally smart and school came very easy to him. Meanwhile, Suguru struggled a lot, specifically with anything math related. 

This led to Gojo, with his great grades and generational wealth, being able to go to basically any college he wanted to. 

He still decided to go to the local community College in the end, at least to get his gen-eds and the first few years of his major out of the way at a heavily discounted price.

Yea, Suguru had no such opportunity, his options were community College or to start working with his dad as a mechanic immediately. 

And while he's not opposed to the idea of working with his father, and will even work with him for some extra spending money in the summers, he really wanted to give the whole higher education thing a shot. 

He's very proud to be in his community College, as he's the first person in his family to even attempt to get a degree

Now, here's how they are in a relationship because you can't have just one.

These boys have historically shared everything: their hot wheels, their Xbox, their bed, and their women. You are no exception. Lucky you 💜💙

When it comes to the three of you together, you find the boys actually work extremely well as a unit.

Where one struggles, the other thrives. Gojo isn't great when it comes to emotional venting and stuff, always looking to "fix" it.

Suguru is better at actually listening and only offering advice when you ask. He’s always willing to just cuddle and listen.

Suguru is terrible to try and watch movies with, he gets bored so fast. Meanwhile Gojo is obsessed with movies. 

Gojos fixer attitude also comes in clutch whenever you need to get something done, but just do not have it in you to do it. Need to call a doctor but have phone anxiety? Gojos your man.

Suguru craves to be the primary partner for both you and Gojo. Yes he's aware this is irrational, no he's not sure what to do about it. All he knows is that he gets jealous when he sees you with Gojo, and has to find ways to cope.

To his credit, he's never made this a problem for anyone other than himself, and he is actively working on it. 

Gojo on the other hand fucking loves to see you and Suguru spending time together. Those are his two favorite people in the god damn world, aren't they cute?!

Sugurus love language is music. He'll make you playlists, old fashioned mix tapes, and has forced you to listen to vinyl with him. He's written songs about you too, though he's too shy to show them off.

Will play his guitar for you only when asked because he knows the optics of 'frat guy with a guitar' are not ideal.

Gojo shows his love by sharing his candy. Splitting a Kit Kat, giving you a handful of skittles, sharing a sleeve of oreos. If Gojo shares his sweets with you he wants to marry you.

They two of you bond by baking together. You buy new cute molds and cookware together and set up entire spreads based on one theme.

Suguru was probably the first one to be in your life: I.E. the one that you agreed to date before realizing (and agreeing to) the package deal.

But Gojo said I love you first. He feels everything at 100% and hides none of it.

He said it loudly and in front of the rest of the frat, showing you off to everyone. 

When Suguru said it for the first time though, it was quiet; whispered to you late at night while you were curled up in his arms.

Both of the boys are massive cuddle bugs!

You call them Sugubear and Satotoro. Gojo loves it and Suguru does too, but he pretends he doesn't. 

#jjk #jujutsu kaisen #satoru gojo #suguru geto #satosugu #gojo x reader #geto x reader #satoru gojo x reader #suguru geto x reader #satoru x reader #suguru x reader #satosugu x reader

[cherry-froggie]

lament

summary — [Name] and Xiao become friends and eventually develop feelings for each other, but are hesitant to act on them. Xiao seeks counsel from a wise figure, Morax, who may not give the advice he expected.

tags — angst, this does not end very well, rip in pepperonis

notes — more anemo boiiiiis

words - 1k

MASTERLIST || REQUESTS

When you were younger, you had heard the tale of a yaksha named Xiao who roamed the lands of Liyue. This powerful being was feared by many for his immense strength, capable of defeating any enemy that dared to cross his path.

One day, while out for a walk in the forest, you stumbled upon the very yaksha from the tales. At first, Xiao was hesitant to engage with you and did everything in his power to avoid your company. Undeterred, you continued to visit Xiao in the forest every day, bringing him food and trying to strike up a conversation.

Over time, Xiao began to grow more comfortable in your presence and even looked forward to your daily visits. He started to enjoy your company and the two of you became friends.

As the months passed, you and Xiao spent almost every day together, exploring the forest and enjoying long walks along the beaches of Liyue at sunset after a hard day of work.

It wasn't long before both of you realized that you had developed feelings for the other, but were hesitant to make a move due to different fears and uncertainties. While you were worried about the possibility of rejection, Xiao struggled to understand the implications and consequences of these newfound feelings.

In search of guidance, Xiao turned to a trusted, wise figure - Morax, the wise, ancient being with a wealth of knowledge and experience. He listened patiently as Xiao poured out his heart.

Zhongli stood before Xiao, his regal bearing exuding a sense of wisdom and authority. His long, flowing robes seemed to almost glide as he walked, a testament to his refined and cultivated nature.

Xiao looked up at Zhongli, a sense of worry in his eyes.

After a long, thoughtful silence, he spoke, "My dear friend, I understand your pain and your dilemma." Zhongli said, his voice deep and calm.

Xiao kept still, a hint of worry in his eyes.

Zhongli's expression softened, and he placed a comforting hand on Xiao's shoulder. "I have seen the way you and [Name] look at each other when you're alone. It pains me to say it, but it is best to reject [Name]'s feelings. It would be unfair to both of you to seek a relationship when you do not have the chance to live together for long."

Xiao let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I understand. But hard for me to let go of something that brings me so much joy."

Zhongli nodded understandingly. "I understand the feeling of losing someone that brings light into your life like the sun breaking through the clouds on a rainy day, and I do not want you to go through such a thing with [Name]. Getting involved with them will only lead to a storm of heartache in the end. You will eventually outlive them, and the pain of losing them will be agonizing. It would be like trying to hold onto sand slipping through your fingers."

Xiao looked down at the grass, his eyes showed a loss of hope. "Is there no other way? Could I not become human and join them? Could they not extend their life?"

Zhongli's expression turned somber, and he shook his head. "I wish it were that simple, Xiao. But alas, it is not. The best thing you can do for [Name] is to let them go and find someone who can share their entire lifespan with them. It may be difficult, but it is the ultimate act of love and selflessness for the one you care for."

Xiao let out a heavy sigh, his heart feeling weighty in his chest. Having to turn you away felt like trying to cut ties with a part of himself, but he still felt grateful for Zhongli's words.

Moons passed and suns rose, until you eventually decided to make the first move as you mustered up the courage to confess your love to Xiao. You knew it wasn't going to be easy, but you couldn't hide your feelings any longer.

Xiao was torn. On one hand, he loved you more than anything in the world and the thought of being with you filled him with joy. But on the other hand, he knew that your time together would be limited and the thought of eventually losing you was too much for him to bear.

"I'm sorry, but I can not accept your feelings, [Name]," Xiao said regretfully. "As much as I care about you, I cannot risk the pain of losing you in the future. It's not fair to either of us. Please, give me some time for me for now."

You were heartbroken by his rejection, but you understood where he was coming from. You knew that Xiao was trying to do what was best for both of you in the long run, even though it meant sacrificing your happiness.

Despite the pain, you knew that you had to respect Xiao's decision and let him go. You couldn't force him to love you if he wasn't ready, and you couldn't keep holding onto something that was never meant to be.

As the days passed, you tried your best to move on and put the pain behind you. You threw yourself into your work and your hobbies, trying to fill the void in your heart.

But no matter what you did, you couldn't shake off the memories of Xiao and the love that could have been. You missed him every day and wished with all your heart that things could have been different.

As for Xiao, he lived the rest of his life with a heavy heart, regretting the decision he had made. He knew that he had let the love of his life slip through his fingers and he would always regret it. But it was too late. [Name] was long gone, lost to the passage of time.

Xiao lived the rest of his life in solitude, haunted by the memory of [Name] and the love that could have been.

MASTERLIST || REQUESTS

thanks for reading!!

#xiao x you #xiao x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact #genshin impact headcanons #genshin imagines #genshin xiao #genshin xiao x reader #xiao x y/n #xiao #genshin impact xiao #genshin x you #xiao x fem!reader #genshin drabbles #genshin angst #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact scenarios #genshin headcanons

[ereardon]

Come Back [Chapter 6][Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x OC]

Summary: Eight years ago, Bradley Bradshaw was just a college boyfriend who broke your heart. Now, he’s back in your life after a coincidental reunion, and he’s adamant about starting up a friendship. Will it be possible to be just friends with Bradley, or is he inevitably going to end up ruining everything you’ve spent the better part of a decade rebuilding?

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x OC [Nurse Maggie Brooms]

WC: 3.7K

Warnings: Cursing, angst, fighting

Series masterlist

Bradley was different in California.

You were used to the dense woods and Southern tendencies of Charlottesville. 

But Bradley, despite loving UVA, always seemed a little out of place. At the bar wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, he stuck out compared to every other guy in there, all clones wearing a Vineyard Vines button down and Chubbies with a pair of loafers just ratty enough to show their generational wealth status. 

So when he invited you to California for spring break of your senior year, you leapt at the opportunity. Not only did it mean a week away from campus and the looming threat of graduation. 

But it would be a chance to see Bradley in his comfort zone. 

Your mother insisted on getting you a hotel right on the beach, and a rental car, despite the fact that Bradley’s childhood home was in San Diego. She wanted to control where you stayed, and as always, you let her. Bradley stayed with you at the hotel, saying he didn’t want it to go to waste. A part of you knew that he wasn’t ready to share his memories yet. You respected that. 

Bradley looked happy. At peace. Driving with the top down of your convertible rental, you watched as he let one hand fly out the side, whipping down the freeway over the bridge toward the beach. 

Later, at dinner, saw the easy way he smiled and joked with the waitress, how he didn’t even squirm when you reached for the check and dropped your Amex gold on the table. 

He felt like a different person. You could literally see the stress lift off of him. 

It made you wonder — what did that mean for the future? 

You had two months. Neither of you had talked extensively about what your plans were after graduation. But you really only had a few options. Move home, find a husband, get married, be a housewife. Your mother’s preferred option. Or yours: find a job you loved and strike out on your own. Leave the South and its unspoken rules and formality. 

But Bradley. You didn’t know where his head was at. And you were terrified to ask. 

You loved the way the ocean lapped against the sand, and how one morning Bradley woke you up to watch the sunrise with him, his hand gripped tightly in your own, his hoodie soft and baggy over your swimsuit, the way he held you in his lap on the Adirondack chair on the hotel patio.. 

You loved the way the air smelled fresh and salty and how everyone seemed to take their time. It wasn’t like back East where everyone was in a rush, for no reason at all. 

Slowly, over the course of the week, you understood why Bradley felt like a different person in California. You did, too. You were more casual, more fun, more carefree. The weight of expectations had fallen off somewhere on the flight over. 

You were left to rebuild yourself. And you wanted that so desperately. 

“I love it here,” you whispered to Bradley on the last night of the trip. The two of you were laying in bed, his arm wrapped around you while you traced a finger up and down his bare abdomen. 

“Yeah?” 

You looked up at him. “I think I want to move here after graduation.” 

“Leave Virginia?” he asked, shocked. You had never lived anywhere else. Your family was generations deep in Richmond. It was almost unheard of that you would move somewhere else. 

You nodded. “It’s time to get away. Get out from under my parents.” You skimmed a finger over his jaw. “What if we move in together?” It came out in a whisper. 

Bradley shifted and you sat up, crossing your legs on the bed and facing him. “Here?” he asked, sweeping his arm out, gesturing toward California as a whole. 

“Why not? You love it here, that’s obvious. I need a fresh start.” You leaned forward and took his hands in yours. “I love you, Bradley. I want to make this work.” 

“Don’t you think we’re too young?” he asked. 

“I’m not saying let’s get married,” you replied, frowning. “I’m saying let’s move in together. Start a life somewhere. Together.” 

“You’d move here for me?” he asked quietly. 

You tipped your head, placed your hand on his knee. “Bradley, I don’t think you understand. I’d go anywhere for you. With you. I love you. That’s a permanent thing in my book.” 

Bradley pulled you into his arms, gently turning you until you were lying on the bed and he was hovering above you. He peppered kisses along your neck up to your ear, and finally pressed his lips against yours, one hand coming out and brushing the hair off of your face while his other arm kept him supported on the bed. “Let’s do it,” he said quietly. “Let’s move here after graduation. I don’t care if we don’t have jobs or things planned out. I just need you.” 

You wrapped one arm around his neck, pulling him in closer. “You have me. Nothing is going to change that.” 

Bradley leaned in and pressed his lips back against yours. You felt him pull the sheet away, press himself against you. You opened your legs, an invitation. 

You had decided a lot that night. 

That Bradley was your future. And that you were his. 

You had expected that decision, that night, to change everything. 

And it did. 

***

Despite your better instincts, you checked in on Bradley a few days after his twenty-four hour flu. Maybe it was the nurse in you. More likely, it was the part of you that for some reason refused to give up on Bradley Bradshaw. 

Either way, that’s how you found yourself out to dinner with the exact people you had embarrassed yourself in front of at the bar a few weeks earlier. 

You had dressed more modestly this time in a simple sweater and midi skirt and a pair of sandals. Taking a deep breath, you entered the restaurant to find that everyone else had already arrived. Bob spotted you first and blushed and you had to smile through the discomfort of remembering the last time you had seen him, your hands all over him in your sloppy state. 

Bradley spotted you next, jumping up from his seat and meeting you halfway. 

“Hey,” he whispered, kissing your cheek lightly and you let him. He put his hand on your low back and steered you toward the rest of the team. “You guys remember Maggie.” 

You blushed and took the empty seat next to him, which unfortunately was also next to Jake, or Hangman as the team called him. 

Jake flashed you a brilliant grin. “Hey there,” he said, Texas drawl on full display. “How are you sweetheart?”

You went to roll your eyes but realized you still needed to get back in the good graces of Bradley’s friends. Why, you weren’t sure, but a part of you craved their acceptance. 

“Fine,” you said, snapping open the menu. “How are you?”

He laughed and tossed an arm over the back of your seat. “You’re an uptight little thing, aren’t you?”

Bradley shot him a death look. “Hangman,” he said and his voice came with a warning. 

Jake lifted his hands up, palms facing you. “Sorry. I’ll just be over here, minding my own business.” 

You looked down at the menu like you hadn’t already scoured it at home and picked out your top options. You would wait and see what everyone else ordered before you made your final decision. 

“So, Maggie, we heard you pulled a Clara Barton and nursed Rooster here back to health.” 

You looked up and squinted. “Rooster?”

The table erupted in laughter and Bradley leaned over, sliding his hand easily over the back of your chair and whispering in your ear. “It’s my callsign. Kind of like a nickname for pilots.”

You nodded. That explained the weird names. Phoenix, Fanboy, Hangman. Your eyes floated over to Bob. “What’s your callsign?” you asked. 

He blushed and hung his head. “Bob.”

“Bob is your callsign?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He looked so sweet and nervous you wanted to wrap him up in a blanket. “I like that,” you said and he perked up, tips of his ears turning pink as he smiled beneath the wire glasses. “At least you don’t sound like a barnyard animal.” Bradley and Jake howled and you shot Bob a small smile. 

A waitress came by to take orders and you watched how easily Bradley pulled you into conversation with his friends. His hand remained on the back of your chair, fingers occasionally brushing against your shoulder, but you never asked him to move it. 

What you didn’t notice was the rest of the team silently taking in your body language with Bradley. How you stared at him for a moment too long after he told a joke. The way his eyes followed you when you told a story, so focused that he didn’t even flinch when the waitress dropped an empty tray a few feet behind your chair. 

By the end of the meal, you had gotten over the embarrassment of getting absolutely smashed and having to be carried out of the bar. They were a genuinely nice group and you could see why Bradley was willing to be friends with them outside of work. 

“So we never did hear why you two broke up,” Jake said, signing the check. The group had decided it was his turn to pay, something about a pool game bet gone awry. 

You froze and could feel Bradley stiffen next to you. Across the table, Phoenix raised her eyebrows in intrigue. 

There was a silent beat before you opened your mouth. 

“Just didn’t work out,” you said finally. “Senior year of college, you know how it goes. We had different paths.” 

You turned to look at Bradley. There was a pensive look across his tan face. The moment his eyes locked onto yours, you felt the room shift. There was an apology there, without any words passing between you. 

No matter how many times he said he was sorry, it still hurt. 

“Yeah,” Bradley said after a moment. “We were young.” 

You swung back around. The rest of the table was quiet. Jake had his head cocked to the side, an unreadable expression on his face. 

“I should go to the bathroom before we leave,” Coyote said, smacking his hands on the table and pushing his chair back. You nodded and stood as well. 

“Same here.” 

In the bathroom, you splashed cold water on your wrists before lifting your gaze to the mirror. Sometimes you avoided staring into the mirror for too long. It was too easy to pick at your flaws. 

As you pushed open the door, you spotted Jake leaning against the wall, toothpick clamped between his lips. He raised a hand, grabbing it before giving you a smile. 

“Hey there cupcake,” he said and you groaned, forcing a laugh out of him. “God, you’re sassy. I see why Bradshaw likes you so much.”

“I think the men’s room is that way,” you said, hooking your thumb over your shoulder. “If you’re lost.” 

He shook his head, inching nearer. You were dwarfed in a cloud of his cologne, it was borderline overpowering. “I came to say I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For asking about you and Bradshaw. Your history. I could tell by the way y’all tensed up that it’s still a touchy subject.”

You crossed your arms over your chest, drawing Jake’s eyes to your breasts momentarily before he shifted back up to look at you. “It was a long time ago,” you said. “Nobody likes to talk about breakups, so not sure why you would ask in the first place.”

He smiled. “You keep saying it was a long time ago, that it’s in the past. But it isn’t really for you, is it?” “What do you mean?”

He reached out and brushed some hair behind your ear. “I can see it in the way you look at him. You still care.” 

Jake’s green eyes centered on yours. “I loved him once,” you said quietly. “We needed each other. It's hard to forget something like that.” 

Jake dropped his arm, turning halfway to let you past him. You spotted Bradley standing at the table beyond Jake’s shoulder, his back still to you but you could tell he was laughing at something someone else said. “I think you still love him,” he replied and you looked up with shock. “And I think he loves you, too.” 

With that, Jake centered the toothpick back between his lips, taking off toward the bathroom. 

Back at the table, you grabbed your purse and Bradley put his hand on your arm. “Do you want to get a drink?” he asked softly. “We could go out, or my place. Up to you.” 

You nodded. “Yeah, sure.” 

You followed him in your car back to the bungalow with the blue door. It was a lot cleaner than the last time you had been there. No clothes on the ground or stray dishes on the coffee table. Bradley headed toward the kitchen and you followed on his heels. 

“Wine?” he asked. “Vodka. Gin. Diet Coke. I got it all.” 

“Wine,” you said, watching him select a bottle of red from a shelf and uncork it seamlessly. “Do you remember that dinner I took you to with my parents? Family weekend, junior year.” 

“How could I forget?” he asked, pouring you a glass and sliding it over. You turned the bottle in your hands. Leonetti Cellar 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from Walla Walla Valley. You raised your eyebrows. That was a really nice bottle. He had come a long way from scoffing at the taste of a pinot noir. 

“I see your taste for wine has changed,” you murmured and he smiled. 

“Yeah, one of the Admirals got me into it. Although I can’t say it was worth what I paid.” 

“Well, I like it.” He took a sip of his glass. “Then it’s worth it.” Bradley turned his gaze on you and you felt like you were sitting in a spotlight at a comedy show. He could be so intense and say so little at the same time. “That’s not the only thing I remember from that night,” he whispered. 

“Oh yeah?”

He walked around the counter until you were only a few inches apart. Your hand was shaky on the stem of your wineglass and you placed your hands in your lap. “I still think about it, Mags.”

“What, the sex?”

He laughed softly, putting his glass down next to yours and running one hand down the side of your face. “That, too.” 

“I’ve had better,” you quipped and his eyes widened. “You can’t seriously think you were the best fuck I ever had. After all this time?” 

He dipped his head and you let out a laugh. 

“Oh my God, you really do have an ego.” 

He shook his head. “No, I know that I was young and inexperienced and didn’t know what it took to really please you.” 

“You had slept with half a dozen girls by then, minimum.” 

“But I didn’t care about any of them the way I cared about you,” he said and it made your breath catch in your throat. “Maggie, I have never loved anyone the way I love you.” 

You caught the grammatical slip, but you were worried that it wasn’t an error. “Bradley,” you whispered softly. 

“Let me finish, please,” he said and you nodded. “You telling me you loved me that night meant more than anything in my life up until that point.” He paused. “Even now, it’s still the singular best day of my life. I don’t think you understand how much it meant to have you say that.” Bradley ran a finger through his hair and took in a deep breath. He was so close you could almost feel his heartbeat in his chest. “You’re the only person in my life who has ever seen me for who I am and loved me despite it all, Mags. I should have spent my entire life dedicated to loving you. I should have spent every minute figuring out how to make you feel a fraction of the amount of love that you gave me that night.” 

You looked up at him. “So why didn’t you?”

“I didn’t realize what I had,” he whispered, pressing one large thumb to your cheek, “until you were gone.” 

You turned your face away, sucking in a deep breath, but Bradley’s hands came out to cup your neck, pulling you back to face him. 

“I lost you before,” he whispered. “And it was my fault, it was all my fault. I hurt you, and I’ve spent years trying to atone for the way I treated you. But you’re here, now. And I don’t want to fuck this up.” 

You closed your eyes briefly, felt the wet tears start to roll down your cheeks, over Bradley’s fingers where he held your face tightly. “Back then I thought you would be the guy who would never hurt me.”

You watched the pain flicker over Bradley’s face as your words sunk in. 

“And I hated to learn how wrong I was.” 

The flood gates had opened. You tilted your head down, letting the tears spill across your cheeks and Bradley’s fingers. He let go of your neck, pulling you into his chest, winding his arms around you. You folded into him easily, molded to his embrace. It was so familiar and intoxicating and you were mad that it felt so comfortable to touch him again. 

“Baby,” he whispered, pulling back and wiping at the tears below your lash line. 

“Don’t call me that,” you said, standing up from the stool and walking across the room, putting distance between yourself and Bradley. As if that would solve all of your issues. 

“Maggie,” he begged, stepping closer. “I still love you. For eight years I’ve never once stopped loving you.”

“Stop,” you said, putting out a hand to block him. “Just stop, Bradley. We can’t do this. We’re not twenty-two anymore. We have lives. We’ve moved on.” 

“That’s what I’m saying,” he said, exasperated. “I haven’t moved on, Maggie. I have thought about you every day for eight years. I don’t care about anyone else, I don’t want anyone else. I just want you.” 

“You had me!” you screamed and it stopped him dead in his tracks. “You fucking had all of me. I was ready to give my entire life to you. And you wasted it on some slut.” 

“Maggie.” His voice was a strained whisper. It was the same tone as the day you saw the text on his phone while he was in the shower and confronted him. “Sweetheart.”

“Don’t fucking call me pet names,” you yelled. “You lost the right to love me eight years ago.”

He shook his head. “It was a mistake. I was wasted and I’ve regretted it every day since.” 

“That’s it? You regretted it?” You put your hands on your thighs and tried to catch your breath. “Bradley, you walked out of my life that day and I never even got a reason.”

“There was no reason!” he yelled and the magnitude of his voice shook the house. You looked up in shock. You had never seen Bradley like this. Like he was overcome with anger and fear all wrapped into one. “I was fucking wasted and she was there and in the blink of an eye I ruined everything I had ever let myself want, Maggie. I thought I didn’t deserve you. That’s why I left and never looked back. I didn't deserve you. And you fucking deserved better than me.” 

Bradley leaned both hands on the wall, hanging his head, before pushing back and smacking the wall with an open palm. You heard the slap as it echoed around the small living room. His palm was pink with exertion, but when he looked up all you could focus on was his face. How drawn his features were, the tears flooding his lash line, the anguish that somehow etched its way into every inch of his skin.  

“Maybe I did it because I wanted better for you,” he roared. “Because I knew that you should have more than I could give you.” 

“Don’t fucking flatter yourself,” you bit back. “You did it because you’re a selfish asshole. You wanted someone new. Someone sexier. Someone smarter.” You sniffled. “You did it because you wanted to ruin things for us so you didn’t have to go through the fucking hassle of breaking up with me.”

“Maggie,” he begged, taking a step forward and you moved back instinctively. He dragged his palms over his face. “Why would I break up with you? You were my whole fucking world.”

“I knew you didn’t want to move to California with me,” you sobbed. “I saw your face when I suggested it. You didn’t want me here. You were desperate to graduate and make me just a part of your past.”

“No,” he said, crossing the room so quickly you didn’t have time to react. His hands burned where they touched your arms, his voice shaky. “Baby, no. The only thing I ever wanted was a life with you. Was I terrified? Yes, absolutely. But I never for a fucking second doubted how much I wanted you.” 

“You’re the one who left, Bradley,” you whispered. “The one who never looked back. Not as I lay there on the floor, sobbing for you. Begging you to stay. Desperate to make it work. You just stood there and watched me collapse and did nothing to explain yourself.” “Maggie,” he choked out. 

“What about that showed that you loved me?” you asked. “What about you letting me find out that you cheated on me by reading some girl’s message on your phone screen was you declaring that you wanted to spend your life with me? What kind of man just walks out on his pregnant girlfriend without a care in the world?” 

Bradley’s eyes flashed and his fingers dug into the tops of your arms. “What do you mean pregnant girlfriend?”

“I was two months pregnant when you left, Bradley,” you said quietly. 

Tag list: @abaker74 @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @luckyladycreator2 @marantha @tayrae515 @xoxabs88xox @mak-32 @bradshawsbitch 

#bradley rooster x reader #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster top gun #rooster fanfic #rooster imagine #top gun imagine #top gun fanfiction #jake hangman fic #hangman fanfiction #hangman top gun #bradley bradshaw x oc #rooster x oc

[lynnuvo]

Money Can't Buy Love

Characters: (Y/N) x WealthyML

Falling in love for the wealthy was not an easy task. For one, you needed to make sure your life partner wasn’t with you only for money. That’s why WealthyML’s family lived in a two-story house with memories as decorations. Sure, the memories include a refined clock of gold and a portrait commissioned from one of today’s famous artists, but only trusted individuals were allowed in the home. The children of the family were raised humbly, not knowing their true wealth until they began high school. WealthyML never talked about money, but the clothes he wore & the car that came to pick him up screamed rich. The praise that came with others’ observations only made him horrible. Suddenly, everyone wanted to either be his friend or bully him. How was he supposed to know whether the former truly wanted a genuine friendship?

You acknowledged WealthyML's existence but didn't interact with him until you both were assigned seats beside each other in English class. The conversations started with peer review assignments. He complimented your personality through your words, and you complimented his sophisticated language. On another assignment, he questioned you about your paragraph on a hobby. He'd never heard of it before and wanted to learn more. This was how the conversations started getting more personal.

HEAD CANNONS

Friendship Beginnings Head Cannons

the most important indicator of a genuine friendship was when he didn't sense bad energy from you or feel like he was forcing himself to converse. he may not be the best at getting vibes correct, but he knows a thing or two after his experiences

appreciates the hesitation in your expression when you ask about his lifestyle

shows curiosity about your own lifestyle and interests with a lot of questions

once the questions about his wealth concluded, he appreciated that you didn't bring his wealth up again unless it was relevant to the conversation

is super giddy when you ask for his phone number to share a link. you tell him it's okay if he's not comfortable but he reassures you he's just doesn't talk to much people over the phone. he'll get used to it

Romance Head Cannons

after a year of being friends, he confesses to you over text and you joked about it being rude that he confessed in that way. he apologizes and messages that it's a joke and to not bring it up again. you try to and even though conversation turned back to typical topics, you were worried he was upset. asking him only left you being swayed away

you don't have to worry too long, though. he walks into class the next day with a "Love Basket" consisting of a bouquet, the finest chocolate he could find, stuffed animals, a piece of merch of your favorite fictional character's, miscellaneous items to fill the basket up. everyone watches as you accept his confession and start dating him (it would have been so embarrassing to him if you declined, but he didn't do it on purpose. he doesn't have many female friends to learn from).

the most PDA he will do is handholding. everything else is private

when his parents found out WealthyML had a partner without telling them anything about them, they convince (force) him to invite you for dinner

they question you a TON about your goals, your family, what attracts you to their son, etc. they don't expect you to act wealthy, but they do have standards. you pass & they invite you over for holidays and family events. One time, they even invited you to a cruise

feels guilty about being touched when you offer to pay for stuff. sometimes he lets you, either by your insistence or because a part of him is still worried it's a bluff

showers you with gifts often

arguments do happen, but he learns from his mistakes and changes his behavior

he HATES it when you tell him you feel bad about the value of his gifts vs yours. he appreciates anything you give him. to combat this, he tones down the severity of his gifts (though splurges on special occasions)

if you work, he visits your workplace whenever he gets and plays games on his phone or does homework until you leave

does his absolute best to convince you to work with him once years pass

your family adores his bright personality and converse with him often. somehow, they found his parents' social media profiles and joked about younger photos of him

is a dreamer. will mention daydreaming living in a house together five months into the relationship.

takes you out on dates every two weeks, fitting it as best as possible into you two's busy schedule

(will spend months mourning your loss if you break up with him. who knows whether he'll be able to pick himself up?)

#fanfic #fanfiction #writing #writerscommunity #x reader #x y/n #gn reader #reader insert #male reader #female reader #golden retriver boyfriend #boyfriend

[ask-the-tale-of-kingdoms]

{ Responding to this }

"I see that we share similar ideals." Symania chimed, fully agreeing with the Simbobeon. She too would never side with harm, nor abuse towards another child. "However, please duly note that I wish to remain vigilant. As even with one's appearance, I cannot eye of a Pokemon's true intention. So I must state what needed to be spoken."

"Now, as for your wish of being convinced to linger within my kingdom…". Wait… Was that… A flaming gleam in her eyes? And was the queen… Ambitiously grinning? It would quite clearly appear to seem that she is determinedly ready to fill the flying hybrid's ears with a slew of words upon words. Excruciatingly dedicated and willing to do what she could to persuade Lief.

"• If you are someone who only prefers to stay on the basis of sight-seeing, I'd happily advise to visit areas within Valinthea. Such as Gliodus Pond, Celestidea Garden, the four Meteor Pillars, The Statue of Origeon, and the field of blooming Starlight Fruits. There are many others, but this is simply my recommendation~. Hm… There is but one other small landmark I truly wish to suggest to take sight. However, it is something that doesn't normally stay put and solely requires flight to access.

The majority of livable structures from within my land purely focuses on the comfortability, satisfaction, and safety of my citizens. Should you move from this plaza and take sight of the living quarters, you will take immediate notice that most homes are designed base on the diversity of the Pokemon. From marble to stones to mud blocks and to even pure crystalize materials. The focus is never solely directed towards aesthetics. To put it simply, I want to ensure the piece of land that the resident chooses to live on would fit directly towards their ideal environment. Granting them a freedom of choice towards their desire home.

Should you ever be harmed to the point of injury, I would always set forth my own finances to treat my people to achieve full medical services from Valinthea's doctors. To both citizens and outsiders, I will always do what I can to grant them the utmost of proper health. This while ensuring that the doctors are paid well for their services.

There are no mandatory curfews. Regardless, a selection of guardsmen are set to become more active during the fall of night. For those who are more of a night-Noctowls, it is an absolute must to protect them from danger and observe to prevent anyone from causing said danger.

We wield a place for children who had become lost, abandoned, and have no home to turn to. With the aide of both a Flygon and an Absol, the Pecha Sprouts facility is under care. I solely brought up this particular information, as I have a rather instinctive feeling that you may hold some form of entertaining joy with the little ones. They do hold quite a fond interest towards outsiders~.

If you ever are in need for a hearty meal and an endearing closed-quarter environment, I'd highly recommend visiting the newest resident's inn, Nobuyuki. Many are welcomed and always leave feeling satisfied. My, I cannot deny how divine the meals are, hmhmhm~. Due to the more outgoing stylistic choice towards the building, it is quite an easy location to spot. Most notable is the angelic-like winged roof.

Within this land, you will be treated as an equal. No matter where you were born, no matter your wealth, no matter the type of Pokemon you are, you will always be set within the same stance as others. While yes, the royal status may be seen as greater by most, you will not be treated nor seen as someone beneath by said respective royals. You will be treated as a person, as a fellowship, as someone who matters like the rest within this world. Discrimination will not be tolerated, as it holds no place here.

My citizens are kind, friendly, and welcoming Pokemon. For a considerately handful of residents that you would meet here, you will be greeted with open arms. It is of a community whom strives for their homes to retain a loving atmosphere. I am confident, as long as you are accommodating and civil, that you will not be plighted in a unfavorable situation."

"While it would be ideally pleasant to have someone new here, I will not force you to remain. It is by your choice if you wish to stay or depart."

{ @ask-team-misfit }

#Pokemon #Pokeask #Response #Simbobeon #Lief #Symania #Stardust Glacetarene #Symania remains to speak rather respectfully to Lief #Even if she is well aware that he doesn't seem to hold high regards to her and her family #Well... Minus Ondorus since he seems to at least wield a positive response to him haha

[vidma-kazhe]

Also, people who say "I know I won't have anything under communism, but at least so will everyone else, so that's fair".

You're wrong.

Yes, you won't have anything - anything that's truly yours, at least, and not kindly lent to you by the ruling party (which can also easily take it away if it wants). Your neighbors, too, won't have anything. No matter how talented you are or how capable you are, it won't affect your quality of life - and the bar for quality will be kept quite low to keep you easy-to-satisfy. Of course, good luck trying to compare notes with other countries -- you'll shape your perception of the world based only on the party-approved media. No access to other sources - why would you even want them? What are you, a spy?

But the ruling party? The ruling party will have it all. Private property. Cars. Luxury items. Access to goods and services that it would jail you for having. The billionaires and privileged people you hate so much won't dissappear - they will be officially ruling over you and creating comfortable conditions for their families at your expense.

While lecturing you on the importance of hard and honest work, of sharing wealth, and enjoying moderation in everything, they will be anything but moderate. While deciding where you will be living and working based on your loyalty score and threatening you with all kinds of punishment for enjoying things and content not approved by them, they will treat themselves to all the benefits they denied you. You won't even be allowed to dine in the same restaurants party members go to -- because you're out of your league.

And, let's not forget, that in addition of not owning property, you won't be owning your life too. The state will be entitled to poke its nose into every aspect of your existence if it feels it should -- and you won't be able to stop it. You won't have the leverage, the mechanisms to prevent the ruling party from going too far -- and you'll be taught that you don't need them.

After all, the party works for the best of the people -- and if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be resisting them.

There is a reason why Eastern European countries bolted from under the Soviet rule the moment they had a chance. And why Lithuania endured a blockade by communists to finally be free from them. Communism isn't about equality or fairness or anything like this -- it's about oppression, obedience, and gaslighting you into believing that if you complain about unfairness, then you are the problem.

#eastern europe #communism #please stop wanting to bring it back. if we could switch places with my country getting entirely teleported to your region #and your country getting placed next to russia in all her nazi-soviet delusions i wouldn't mind. no backsies tho #we'd get some peace away from a fucked up neighbor and you'll get a firsthand experience of being next to the “heir of ussr”

[patron-minette]

Are there any crumbs of backstory between Montparnasse and Éponine in your fic that you would like to share or elaborate on? You capture their dynamic so well and it’s so fascinating and entirely canon to me!!!

Hello, thank you for your lovely compliment! It means so much, especially coming from you (I remain in absolute awe of your brilliant writing!)

And— oh boy— this is going to end up quite long, so I apologise... I’m not really giving you crumbs, at this point I feel I’m presenting you with an entire baked loaf of backstory to my fic!

In the summer of 1829 Éponine and Montparnasse's paths cross for the first time, courtesy of an unexpected collaboration between Babet and Thénardier on some inconsequential criminal endeavour. (I’ve taken loose inspiration from details in the novel that possibly allude to there being more history between Thénardier and Babet compared to other Patron-Minette characters, since Babet has a surprising wealth of knowledge about Éponine, Azelma, and Gavroche whereas the other rogues do not).

At this particular point, the Patron-Minette were not yet formally established and remained far from ruling the dregs of Paris. In fact, Babet had only just recruited Montparnasse to serve as an amateur accomplice to his crimes— and this is how he ended up regularly frequenting the Thénardier family’s lodgings in the latter half of that year, and therefore meeting Éponine.

At the time, Montparnasse— being between the ages of 15 and 16— certainly had a much more boyish look compared to his appearance in 1832. Rather than being a polished dandy of the sepulchre, he was still a scrawny, teenage lout who'd only recently been picked up by Babet from the streets and given a sharp knife + a fresh set of clothes. His slick appearance and pomaded, oiled hair was not yet in existence, and instead a messy mop of inky curls hid his bright, springlike eyes.

Éponine too was significantly more youthful in this period. As she navigated through puberty's tumultuous stages, the weariness of spending the last few years steeped in squalor had already etched itself upon her face. However, amidst such hardships, she still was able to retain some of the natural beauty of youth that her circumstances had so cruelly tried to snatch from her. Her skin freckled over in the summer sun, and a warm glint lingered in her dark eyes when she laughed.

Naturally, Éponine was already brimming with an intense yearning for the homely luxuries and comforts she had once had as a little girl at the inn in Montfermeil. As her life plummeted further into the depths of poverty with each passing day, the desire for a better life only burned deeper within. It only seems fitting, then, that when she first crossed paths with Montparnasse that summer, she would be instantly taken to him. Thanks to Babet, Montparnasse was then beginning to scrub up well in nice fashions— gradually transforming his appearance, although without the foppish extravagance that would later be used as his identifier in 1832. He possessed a modest selection of fine but plain garments that enhanced his appearance.  And, in 1829, Montparnasse had a much softer, sweeter temperament… seeing as he did not yet have any proper criminal reputation attached to his name.

Throughout the latter half of the year the pair became increasingly close— the way that teenagers do— with each time that they were able to see each other, aka whenever Babet and Thénardier collaborated on a criminal plot. And, on Christmas Eve in 1829, as they stood outside in the snow together, Éponine told Montparnasse that he was easy on the eye— and the pair shared their first kiss together. With Éponine being the first girl to ever tell Montparnasse that he’s handsome, the moment was extremely important for him. As a scraggly, overgrown gamin that had lived on the streets for as long as he could remember up until a few months previous (when Babet purchased him some meagre lodgings), no girl had ever looked at him properly or said any words to this effect until this point.

Not only would this encounter surge Montparnasse’s affections for Éponine— for she’d made him feel desirable— but receiving this compliment, and that kiss, was the spark that made him realise that he was naturally good-looking. And, with this newfound confidence, a familiar tale unfolds. Possessing the knowledge that he is handsome only encouraged him to become more arrogant and cocky… and, well, that’s where all his other girls come in when we get to 1832...

Anyhow, by the time that 1830 rolls around, Montparnasse and Éponine find themselves rarely seeing much of each other. After all, the collaboration between Thénardier and Babet was only temporary, being confined to small-scale schemes. And, with the Patron-Minette now gaining momentum and beginning to establish their formidable reputation it was only natural for Babet’s focus to shift entirely towards conducting greater, large-scale criminal endeavours that did not involve the old innkeeper. During this period, Montparnasse also started his formal induction into the ranks of the gang, beginning to commit murderous crimes and quickly establishing himself as one of the four heads of the group.

The pair thus drifted apart, and their youthful affections for each other were long forgotten.

Things went on in this way until the cusp of 1831, when Thénardier offered both of his daughters to Babet to serve as informal look-outs for the Patron-Minette. He saw it as a way for him to get involved and perhaps even make a profit by occasionally working with the gang. (This occurred around the same time that Thénardier first comes up with the idea of informally soliciting his daughters out to men through his letter scheme also, and he spends the coming months planning and organising his idea).

With Babet and Thénardier partially collaborating again, Montparnasse and Éponine stumble upon one another once more.

Of course, they'd both grown up by then. Since 1829, Éponine had become womanly, and Montparnasse had shed himself of those last remnants of boyhood.

After that fateful kiss in the snow on Christmas Eve, life has only gotten harder for Éponine. In an attempt to appease the Patron-Minette, her father had allowed Babet to take some of her teeth, further diminishing her already worn appearance, and her rags were even more worn than they had been a couple of years ago. By contrast, Montparnasse has only gotten grander in his foppish appearance and notable reputation over the years. Yet, despite such differences, they both yearned for the same thing— attention. Montparnasse revelled in being noticed by the young women on the boulevard who giggled and called him desirable as he passed them, and Éponine—seeking escapism from her miserable life— remained desperate for any affection that she could obtain which made her feel seen.

Therefore, it did not take long for the pair to pick up where they left off in 1829, and by the early months of 1831 their evening flirtations had transgressed into them sleeping together.

Although neither of them would ever openly acknowledge it, the bond forged by their first kiss in 1829 continues to bind them together. It is what draws Montparnasse back to Éponine, even when he later begins enjoying affairs with numerous other grisettes. And, for Éponine, this bond is what compels her to continue indulging in Montparnasse, even as he becomes colder and more cruel than before.

However, the most profound of these invisible threads of unspoken significance that keeps the pair returning to one another is the fact that they were each other's firsts. Éponine admitted this to Montparnasse at the time, but he never voiced the sentiment aloud— nor would he ever confess such a vulnerability to her.

By February 1832 Éponine and Montparnasse are extremely familiar with each other, since they had been rendezvousing in alleyways at night for about a year. However, their relationship— though rooted by a need to feel desired and be seen— is loaded with complicated emotions that persist beneath the surface. While they use each other as a means to fulfil their own wants, seeking solace in the temporary intimacy they share... these odd feelings persist between them; feelings that they are both too stubborn and embarrassed to acknowledge or admit to themselves...

...that was until the Gorbeau ambush failed, and Éponine began lodging with Montparnasse...

—One last point; the pair’s night-time trysts are something they (naïvely) think they’re doing discreetly, but absolutely everyone around them is actually aware of it. Babet, in particular, possesses knowledge of their affair and at least for the moment views it with mostly with approval, for he sees the relationship as something that can entrap Éponine and further entangle her in the Patron-Minette’s criminal operations. Other characters also certainly see corrupt benefits to the pair being an item... but I cannot speak any more on this else I might end up spoiling some future plot points...

#I LOVE being asked questions like this— thank you for letting me release all of the pent up thoughts in my brain #montparnasse #eponine #montparnasse x eponine #les mis fanfic #I did not proofread this— if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes no you didn't #ask response #épines d’une rose

[isobelleposts]

The Flawed Women of Gilmore Girls

by Isobelle Cruz [October 30, 2022]

After spending two months' worth of days and nights with the Gilmore Girls—Emily, Lorelai, and Rory—I could finally write my review and thoughts about the rollercoaster and hold these fictional characters had on me for quite some time. Other than motivating me to take my education more seriously and providing me with something to look forward to at the end of a long day, the show unexpectedly made me reflect on some of the life decisions I would inevitably have to take some time into the future.

The original plan was to write up a post discussing which Gilmore boyfriend was the best and deserved to stay until the end, until I reached the final episode and realized how much more the show is than just a mother and daughter featuring the men in their lives. I see myself a lot in Rory Gilmore—with not only her same bursting passion for writing but with her pride that leads to her flaws and mistakes.

RORY: See? I hate that. / Everyone thinking I’m doing an amazing job all the time, like it’s a given. It’s not a given. What if I’m a terrible reporter?

Gilmore Girls S7:E22 “Bon Voyage”

Rory Gilmore, painted as an intelligent girl ahead of her peers in the education and literary field, grows up with people constantly sharing their praise which leads the girl with high standards and pride for herself. Although I don’t necessarily live in a community as open and supportive as Rory’s world, I find myself deep with pride at times and struggle to shake it away for my own good.

Rory had a sort of victim mentality, refusing to associate herself with the luxury that her grandparent’s wealth gives her or refusing to embrace her privilege, which, no matter what she does, she will always have and benefit from.

LOGAN: Whether you like it or not, you’re one of us. You went to prep school. You go to Yale. Your grandparents are building a whole damn astronomy building in your name. 

Gilmore Girl S7:E8 “Introducing Lorelai Planetarium”

Although Logan wasn’t exactly the best guy out there, like all of Rory’s other beaus, I admired him at least for acknowledging his privilege and wealth and using it to uplift himself in terms of business and career. Despite not being on the best terms with his father, Logan didn’t deny the easy head start he got into the working industry due to his connections, unlike Rory who would constantly deny her privilege while continually benefiting from it.

Rory’s greatest villain was herself.

No matter how frustrating the situations may have been at times, especially in the later seasons, I was kin to the idea of throwing away some fantasy fairytale-ending in exchange for the truth of life’s hardships.

I hated Rory the same way I would have hated myself when stuck in a situation wherein the wrong would obviously be pointed at me, with a mix of bittersweet understanding and guilt. You’ve witnessed this person grow up from being a perfect daughter and student, experience their first kisses and days at school and college, and only makes it awfully harder to turn against them completely when they’ve become a flaw-filled wreck just like everyone else.

The Gilmore Girls are more than just two women with mouths that speak in nothing but references, but is an accurate representation of flawed female characters, with topics such as teenage pregnancy, family trauma, and privilege amongst others which bring depth to the story.

I was comforted, conflicted, and given a piece of mind for what the writing industry would more or less be, especially for someone so full of willpower to make her extremely high dreams come true.

#rory gilmore #lorelai gilmore #gilmore girls #logan huntzberger #alexis bledel #logan x rory #dean x rory #paris geller #tv shwo review #gilmore girls review #lauren graham #jared padalecki #milo ventimiglia #scott patterson

[12thperigeeball]

Another sweep, another ball! Trolls young and old have come from light years away to the latest iteration of the grand 12th Perigee Ball, hosted in the wooded wilds far from the polluting lights of the cities. Out there, it's easy for trolls to shed their normal lives and troubles, exchanging them for luxury and glamor and joy. Out there, any troll from any caste could be a king or queen...

This season's ball has made quite a stir among the guests. Art of War speaks to the soul of every troll who has read the words, boiling the blood that flows through their veins in the conquest hungry fervor. Fashion itself may be considered passe by the youth of Alternia, but the ball was never for the teens. Those with older, more refined tastes have relished whetting their claws and teeth on this year's theme!

Even the groundskeepers have enjoyed decorating for the ball this sweep. The closer trolls got to the mansion deep in the mountainous woods, the more they saw glittering chains and great embroidered banners pointing the way - until the trees parted and the grounds were uncovered. Great outdoor heaters kept the snow at bay, and the ground that could be seen was lush and littered with grand statues of great soldiers past and future, faces gleaming with gilded gems as trolls passed.

Was this a ball, or a museum? Trolls could only wonder as they gathered outside and waited for the doors to open. Scholars and weapons dealers stood by the statues and instruments of war, eager to speak of the deeds of the fallen to those who would listen - or help pose beside gleaming battle mechs.

Indeed - It could easily be forgotten what one was here for! But the host wouldn't dare let anyone get too comfortable outside.

A great thundering drum begins to beat across the mansion grounds, and the scholars and dealers gently directed the attention towards the mansion doors. Grand, red curtains parted before the dark mahogany doors as the beat picked up tempo and other drums joined in. It was like a heart beat - tying every troll there into the same rhythm, directing their blood to pump faster and faster, until -

- Until the door opened with one final crack, and Kilran Barbas stepped forward to address his guests.

Dressed in a halo of daggers, and a finely woven coat printed - no, woven - with delicate snowflakes, he looked decadent. Red hair and gold glinted in the light of the courtyard, and he basked in the attention of those before him, a smile on his face and gauntleted fingers spreading as he welcomed those before him.

"Welcome!" He called out, "To the 12th Perigee Ball! I am yet again honored to host again this sweep, and I am excited to see the enthusiasm everyone has brought to my hive. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing your smiling faces! This event isn't about wealth, or notoriety, or connections - but rather, the warmth we all share by being together this time of the sweep. Whether you came with a date or if you came alone, know that you are what makes this night truly special."

"So please, come inside - and enjoy the Art of War I've prepared for you this evening."

With a bow and a clink of his metal fingers against his waist piece, Kilran stepped aside as the guests surged forward to enter the mansion.

Drums dictated the pace of everyone's feet, leading them in a grand, steady march through the grand hallways and bringing them past grand paintings and photos of Alternia's history. From the tyrian rebellions of the 1st century, to the modern day conquest of Deutostal on the edge of the galaxy, every inch of wall was covered in tapestry or painting! Statues separated them all - and in the foyer, some of the grandest pieces were there to be seen.

After all, what could be grander than the massive portraits of every past king and queen, lined up and light with lavish red curtains and swords lined up beneath their frames?

As lovely as that all was, it was all just decor. No, the greatest, grandest piece of the ball stood at the back of the foyer. Raised above the rest upon a pedestal stood the King and Queen's crowns and the Couturier's cape. Glinting and rotating upon their golden stands, no troll could miss them from wherever they stood - after all, wasn't that the goal of this event? A war of popularity, of looks, all to conquer the rest and claim them as their own spoils.

It would be a rough, long battle, but to win - ah, you would just go down in history, wouldn't you?

But until the battle is resolved, why not enjoy yourselves?

What will your character do?

#12th perigee ball 2022 #12th perigee ball #homestuck #hiveswap #friendsim #fantroll #fantroll community #fantroll event #GOD LONG POST #and not my best but THE BALL IS OPENNNNN #AND THAT'S ALL THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME

[writ-in-violant]

🍐🥬

What is their current social standing? If they could change it, would they, and to what?

Vivian's currently a Person of Some Importance, which they're pretty happy with. Gives them a lot of ability to do things that interest them and means they're high enough that a lot of their strangeness can be dismissed as acceptable quirks. They just dislike how difficult it was to get there and how fickle being Known can be, but as things stand now they're content.

Blake is not yet a person of some importance and frankly is most comfortable out of public acclaim or spotlight. Before the Neath he was a spy, meaning public positions are always uncomfortable for him. His original life goal was "spouse to a country doctor" he does not want to be famous. Unfortunately, he has to buy a boat, and you need to have some acclaim to do that...

Art is fairly low on the social totem pole, being one of a scattering of rat-catchers and wannabe monster-hunters who can be found in Watchmaker's Hill or the Docks. The only reasons he'd want to be higher is because it opens up new exciting places to explore and enemies to make; it's not easy making a living where he is now, but he's a Vake-hunter. Making a living is not necessarily a top priority.

Celestine is similarly lower-class; she fronts as higher and uses the fake "lady" title to gain clout, but she wants to be in Society. She wants to be Important. She wants people to Know her and she wants all of that in a way that nobody can take away. Give her wealth and standing and all the trappings of that, please, or she'll be stealing them herself.

How mundane are they? Do they like it that way?

Vivian is...not very mundane at all. Their day job is studying the language of stars that tries to drive you mad. They also write poetry, often on the beauty and grandeur of the various things in the Neath that are super cursed and hostile to human life. They're studied in the Shapeling Arts and the Red Science, and spend hours in their lab extending those studies. And they love it this way. Life as a normal professor would have been far too dull for them.

Blake is fairly mundane for Fallen London, but still less so than he would like. He's got a transplanted eye that makes him better at intrigue. That's helpful but not ideal for leading a "normal life." One of the many tragedies of Blake's life is that he wanted, so badly, just to be a fairly normal man living with the man he loved, and was willing to leave behind all the unusual parts of his life as a spy...and then Liam got murdered, and in order to figure out who did it, Blake can't be that mundane man in love he always wanted to be.

Art is not very mundane either. He was unusual even on the surface for his albinism. Since coming to the Neath, he's only been leaning into the strangeness of it all, because it finally feels like somewhere he can, for lack of a better term, fit in. Nothing is mundane, here.

Celestine, somewhat hilariously, is fairly mundane for the moment. She's just a burglar. She's just a con artist. That's not a supernatural job, and so far, very little she's gotten herself wrapped up in is supernatural except that her old friend's sister is pregnant and the baby seems distinctly unusual...but that's not Celestine. Celestine is currently peripheral to several strange things, but she herself is just a con artist doing her worst/best. I sincerely doubt that that will continue to be the case.

Feel free to send me more asks from this list: https://www.tumblr.com/writ-in-violant/727454306787278848?source=share

#oc: the comely cat burglar #oc: the pallid pugilist #oc: the sharptongued stormwatcher #oc: the acrimonious agent

[mystories123321]

She reminded me of Julia the first time I walked through her blog and had talked to hear. Julia the most beautiful female character I leaned to know in the book Brideshead Revisited.  A perfect woman in a perfect world if you only look superficial but for those that look closer and get to know her surroundings they will find out that the perfect world is merely a facade of wealth, taste and beautifull things and the she struggles to cope with that for her person doesnot fit into that. Besides that  being the wrong person for the perfect setting she also has more than just the typical characteristics of a beautiful young woman.

She 's not a typical girl but sometimes maybe even an outsider to her own gender.  She s braver than an average girl, more curious, she s not the type of girl that you will find driving a pink cinquecento. She likes danger. She s the kind of girl you can take to clubs in Berlin , Anwerp or Budapest where they do not only dancing but also things that decent girls do not even dare to dream about and a lot of people would consider as strange or wrong. But she isn t wrong. She is highly sensitive for fairness, for real right and real wrong and that sensitivy was there when she was young already and made her realize how rotten the world is in essence. Even the apparently perfect world she lives in. She likes men. Men not boys. Boys are too easy, they want her for her body , her looks and she can have them whenever she wants but they do not give her what she needs.  She likes men, older men preferably , men with someting to say and something to loose.  She lives on the edge. If she would have had a middlename it would have been "too" . Sex , drugs and alcohol with sense enough to stop just before the point of no return.  Because she s not a dumb girl, she not a weirdo, she knows what she s doing and it is especially that, that kills hers. She knows what she is doing. And she keeps on doing it, because she wants it or even worse, because she needs it.

He is attracted to her. Her body is a great bonus but it s her mind and style that attract him like weightless iron to a strong magnet. He is her legal Humbert. He fucks her in a way a boy can t fuck her. He takes her to places a decent girl will never come. He s the right Mr Wrong for her.  The way he pulls her hair when she s on hands and feet doggy style in front of the big mirror , how he strokes her back and butt is glowing from the spanking he gave her while she was fiercely riding his cock in cowgirl position and shouting out the words of all the things she is when she takes the drug of being fucked as a slut. And then the moment when he puts his cock againt her anus and gently slides , with his hand pulling her hair and his eyes looking in hers. Seeing the horny pain in her eyes of slowly penatrating her place of sodomy and then after the first two inches there is the relief. No pain but a feeling of sheer usefulness , totally controlled by a cock in a place of her body that was not designed to be filled that way. He doesn t fuck her hard or fierce, he fucks her by looking in her eyes, force on her hair and slow trushes that make her feel so fucking wanted and desired that nothing else matters anymore . Two souls sharing the comfort of sin.

[hiranandanihospitalpowai]

Move Your Body, Preserve Your Kidneys: Hiranandani Hospital Kidney

Dr Sujit Chaterjee CEO Hiranandani hospital in Powai, Mumbai shares some of the most effective tips for maintaining kidney health. Prevent yourself from kidney related issues as in today’s time we have abundant opportunity for growth and wealth accumulation which eventually makes an individual enter an unexpected level of comfort where he walks according to his wishes and neglects the overall wellbeing and health which in long run attracts critical diseases.

Kidney is another vital element of the human body which functions on a daily basis and requires utmost attention and growth. If we look into the daily functioning of our spirit. Hiranandani Hospital Powai has worked hard immensely to reach a level where they have guided their customers with utmost value and growth proposition in the aspects of kidney and welfare. Healthy habits always help an individual prevent their overall body from attracting diseases. In this article we have shared tips from the top professionals of Hiranandani hospital Kidney Care which are simple yet easy to follow in everyday routine. These tips would ask you to get and shake your body, switching to healthy habits, taking proper hydration as a medicine, etc which are not easy at the beginning but are effective. You can witness a huge change in your mood and routine once you switch yourself to different habits. Implement these tips daily, continue with me in this journey and scroll the page to learn more about maintaining proper kidney health.

1. Stay Cool, Keep Yourself Hydrated!

This is one of the basic habits which will help your kidney to get cleansed on a daily basis. Start detoxing your body by consuming lots of fluid which includes fruit juices, water and healthy shakes. Experts advise drinking at least 6–8 glasses of water. Water will clean the kidney on a regular basis and prevent this tiny organ from attracting unnecessary germs. Here, your mind may wonder and consider alcohol as a drink but no if you want to keep yourself healthy, stop drinking alcohol. This difficult yet effective habit is going to protect you in the long run.

2. Stick To Healthy Lifestyle!

Next comes, maintaining a proper lifestyle which will keep your kidney healthy and will help you to be in proper shape. Start by joining fun activities such as aerobics, swimming, walking, running in your nearby garden. Once the habit is formed, you will not resist one whole day without exercising. No one is asking you to start by lifting weights from day 1. You should start little but gradually increase the whole course in small chunks. Being active will prevent you from attracting serious diseases such as obesity or diabetes or renal disease. Eating healthy and staying fit is a medicine before any disease.

3. Abandon Smoking

Smoking is not only injurious to health but also affects the overall wellbeing of your body. Today many people are sitting in the queues of hospitals waiting for their treatment so that they can live healthy and properly. You won’t believe how their families suffer and cry witnessing their scary condition. Love is not shown just by giving presents or giggling around. Instead if you want to show your love among your family and friends you should start from yourself. Taking good care of yourself and your health is one of the biggest gifts you can ever give to your family. Chew a gum or distract yourself with the work you love doing or simply opt for new hobbies. These activities will help you live healthy and happy for a longer period of time.

4. No Body Shaming, But Keep Your Weight Balanced

When you are active throughout the day, your body will experience different things around you. Let’s look into the weight segment of the topic. To keep yourself healthy you should eat a healthy and balanced diet. It will directly impact your weight. A nutritious body always performs better in its daily regime. Begin this simple yet fruitful journey toward a healthy you right now!

5. High Risk Spots, Kidney Function Test Is Must

Major people do not have kidney disease but when it comes to studies, data shows how people get affected due to their genetics. This is because symptoms are unnoticed beforehand but when it comes to people who are affected by obesity or witness high blood pressure, or have a family history related to diabetes or kidney disease, it becomes difficult for them to cope with such diseases lately. Hiranandani Hospital kidney transplant has helped many patients across the country to cope with these diseases.

6. Sleep Well, Stay Healthy

You will get to know people who are awake the whole night, develop insomnia without any knowledge. So check your sleep patterns and maintain a good sleeping routine for yourself, as this will improve your work massively. Ensure your body gets sufficient rest for at least 7 to 8 hours a day. Problems like fatigue, chronic sleep may stress your body including kidneys. Your kidney demands a break time from the regular filtration process so live healthy.

7. Calculate Your Salt Intake

Having high salt content in your food leads to high blood pressure attracting unnecessary diseases. So, higher your salt intake would lower your chances of getting kidney stones. Avoid munching on unhealthy food, including chips, pickles and salty food. Opt for ones with lower levels and better options, switch to green leafy vegetables, juicy fruits etc.

Conclusion:

When your lifestyle changes it decreases the risk of attracting any diseases to your body. When your stress is unmanaged it may attract chronic kidney illnesses which ultimately results in renal failure. Obesity, dehydration and toxic exposure can damage your kidney in no time. Ensure regular health and checkup from Hiranandani Hospital Kidney to reduce the risks of kidney damage in near future.

#hiranandani hospital kidney transplant #hiranandani hospital kidney #hiranandani hospital powai news #hiranandani hospital reviews #hiranandani hospital powai covid #hiranandani powai hospital #hiranandani hospital kidney care #hiranandani hospital powai #hiranandani hospital kidney tranplant #hiranandani hospital

[the-wytch-is-back]

The Origin of Magic

[[ Short story from 5.4.2018 that I was thinking of expanding on at some point. Maybe I still will, the concept is still really special to me. ]]

There always has been and there always will be only two true types of magic. Magic that borrows, and magic that takes. Some choose to call magic that borrows white magic, while some call magic that takes dark or black magic. They are far simpler, and far more dangerous than people choose to believe. 

Dark magic takes, and dark magic leaves a bloody stain wherever it sets its hand. Yet, the first user of dark magic remained more beautiful and lovely than any other woman in the land of Heln. One could take more easily if they appeared kind and beautiful. 

Dark magic took forcefully from the lives of others, and that often meant getting one’s hand dirty. Dark magic, like white magic, is temporary. There was a rumor of a stone that might amplify the effects of one’s magic, allowing one to thrive off the lives of others and gain immortality. The stone was said to be held by the family that bore twins who were so different, yet in such a harmonious state that they would never leave the other’s side. If the twins had been royal princesses or brave knights fighting together on the battlefield the quest would have been easier, but when was fate known to make things easy? Instead, fate set the twins down where she thought they might be safe, but fate underestimated how selfish and resilient dark magic could be. 

There were two sisters, Alayne and Selena. The eldest sister Alayne woke early with the sun and thrived in its morning light, her golden hair silhouetting her face in a halo as she embraced the outside world. The younger of the sisters, Selena stayed up late into the dark night, writing and reading until she fell asleep at her desk. Her raven hair was often pulled up and away from her face, her eyebrows always furrowed in a look of deep concentration. The sisters existed beside one another in harmony. Alayne and Selena shone differently, but brightly all the same. 

Their parents were not noble, but they did not want what they did not have. They ate when they were hungry, and they had a warm bed to lay their heads down when they were tired. Their home was simple, yet comfortable. Their only wealth was the small treasures and heirlooms that had been passed down from each generation to the next. The family knew not the worth of the treasures they held, and the greed of others would be their downfall.  

*** 

“Selena… it’s time to wake up.” Came a soft voice as the young woman sat up at her desk. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and turned to look towards her sister with a playful scowl. She loved to sleep, especially when the sleep came during the early hours of the morning. The sun filtering through her shudders made her groan as she stood from her chair. Her sleeping gown brushed softly against her ankles, as she attempted to ease the stiffness from her back. It was a bad habit to fall asleep at her desk, but she couldn’t help being drawn to her writing desk in the comfort of the night. 

Selena often did not know where her ideas came from; only that they came to her at night. The full moon aided her hand, and let her ideas flow freely. Their family did not have much to read, but her mother and father brought her back what books they could afford. The ideas that spilled from her quill hardly seemed inspired by the books that she devoured. They were random and full of things she had never seen and never heard of, yet they presented themselves in the form of poetry and stories.  

“Oh, come now, Alayne. Just a few more moments of sleep would not have ended the world.” Said, Selena, as she shook her head at her sister. She stepped over to her to their shared dresser and retrieved a pale blue frock. She changed quickly since Alayne was already dressed, and judging by the state of her bare feet already out and about. 

“Sister, you cannot just sleep the day away.” Said, Alayne, as she shook her head and looked towards Selena with a more serious expression. “I know I was a bit quick to wake you up… but there’s a woman here, and she’s saying that Mama and Papa are to be away for a few weeks selling their goods in the capital.” She said, her hands wringing together before they went to brush through her golden hair. The look in her eyes showed her twin how suspicious she was… it was too early in autumn for their parents to be selling anything. Their mother and father often traveled north to sell crops' yield, which mostly consisted of pumpkins, carrots, and turnips. One would hardly guess it from looking at their fields, since the pumpkins were still small and green which made them blend into their vines. No crops had grown large enough to harvest, and while their mother did have some fur clothing she had made before the end of winter, it was not something that would bring in much money on its own. 

“A woman?” asked Selena, her dark eyes widening. “Mother and father said nothing of going to the capital… that’s a few days ride north, why would they not have told us?” she asked, her lips pursing as she opened the shutters and glanced at her reflection in the small window beside their bed. She took the dark green ribbon from her hair and held it between her lips as she brushed her hair out and tied her hair back into a tight ponytail. 

“I do not know! It seems so strange… it’s not the right season, and Mama and Papa seldom act so rashly.” Said, Alayne, as she let out a sigh. She glanced towards the door of their room which was slightly ajar, a voice rang out calling her name from downstairs. 

“So… you just left the strange woman in our kitchen, then?” asked Selena, cocking an eyebrow as she shook her head. She started towards the door, beckoning her older sister to come along after her. Despite being born a few minutes earlier, it always seemed that Selena was acting the role of an older sister. Alayne was far too carefree and forgetful, but the same might be said about Selena’s seriousness and biting attitude.  

As they approached the small kitchen a woman came into view. She sat beside their hearth, and they did not think they’d ever seen somebody who looked more outlandish in their small home. The style of her clothes was not strange… but the materials they were made of were lavish and looked soft to the touch. The green of her gown was more vibrant and shiny than anything either of the sisters owned. Her perfect curves hinted at a corset, finery that the sisters only wore on special occasions. A farmer’s daughters would be too confined in a corset if they were trying to work fields.  If a princess was ever to play the part of a peasant in jest, they were sure this is what she would wear. Her hair fell loose around her face in dark brown waves and her eyes were a piercing emerald green. Her face was especially odd, it seemed young and old all at the same time. There was only the slightest hint of crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes, yet her skin was smooth and unmarred. Her eyes seemed wise, but her body was too delicate and well-manicured to hint at old age. 

“Oh, my darling nieces. How good it is to see you out of the cradle and standing tall and beautiful.” Said the strange woman as she rose up to her feet and rushed over to embrace them both. Her eyes flashed to both of their necks for a moment before she moved back to retake her seat. They both stood, dumbfounded and unmoving. Their shared glances spoke volumes to one another, and it left the stranger in uncomfortable silence. 

“Of course, you two would not remember me… you were only wee babes when I last saw you.” She said, shaking her head. “It is I, your aunt Layla. I am sure your mother mentioned me, we are dear sisters just like yourself, after all.” She said.  

“Yes, of course! Aunt Layla, Mother speaks of you so fondly.” Said, Selena, as her eyes seemed to haze over for a moment. Alayne looked at her in disbelief before she looked back at the woman. People were always mentioning how she forgot things… perhaps this was just another of those things. 

“Yes, most fondly.” Said Alayne, her bright smile lighting up the room as it finally graced her face. This seemed to cause their aunt to smile in return and eased some of the uneasiness from the room. Layla looked towards them with a similar smile, although it seemed… different from Alayne’s. It did not hold the same kindness that the younger woman’s smile did and was so easily wiped from her face after a few moments. 

“We shall be spending most of the autumn together, it seems. Your parents are gone to the capital since your father is interested in some new business venture there.” She said, acting as if this was common knowledge. Her expression turned to a slight frown as she looked over the two young women, “Oh… did he not tell you?” she asked, “He probably just wasn’t sure it would work out… don’t blame the man, I’m sure he’ll write in a matter of days. Perhaps you’ll receive a letter by nightfall tomorrow.” She suggested. The way she spoke made it seem as if everything she said she was sure of, and the sisters didn’t doubt they’d have a letter in their father’s hand by the end of the day tomorrow. 

Layla stood and walked to the window, “I am a dressmaker… so if my appearance surprises you, that is why.” She said, “Sometimes I come across strange and beautiful fabrics and cannot help but make them into something beautiful.” She suggested. “This also means my clients will visit your home… I hope you do not mind.” She said, turning back to the sisters, her hands clasped politely in front of her.  

“Oh… that will be no problem at all!” said Alayne, seeming rather excited at the idea of having a dressmaker stay in their home. It might mean all sorts of interesting characters stop by, and maybe she’d even get to meet a princess or a prince… but they had people to go and fetch their dresses for them, didn’t they? 

Layla clapped her hands in excitement, “Oh, this is going to be wonderful! I do hope we might become the best of friends.” She said, stepping to her two nieces and clasping their hands in her own. 

#writing #fantasy #fantasy fiction #short fiction #short story #spilled ink #my writing #writer #author #prose

[blackhorrorthoughts]

Blog Post #2: Earthseed

Explain two real-life issues that make it necessary to create your Earthseed community. What are you seeking shelter from?

My Earthseed community would be escaping from bigots that are intolerant of different minority communities, as well as the overarching capitalistic society. The current system benefits the White, heteronormative class that has built capital through a corrupt system and my community would aim to shed themselves of this system and perhaps even overthrow it entirely.

Quote two Earthseed verses from Parable of the Sower and show how you apply them to your community. You may be creative in your interpretation.

“A tree cannot grow in its parents' shadows.”

This verse would apply to my community, as it provides that we are constrained by the beliefs and limitations of our predecessors. We cannot only strive for what the generations before us considered to be “normal,” as there is no room to grow in boxed ideas.

“Kindness eases change.”

Lack of understanding and open mindedness in bigots and conservatives leads to a lack of kindness, which festers into hatred on both sides of beliefs. It is worthwhile to be kind, as it allows you to understand those different from you. Kindness does ease change.

Explain WHERE you will create your Earthseed community to be safe.

My Earthseed community would be created outside of American territories, so that we would not be targeted for anticapitalist sentiments, most likely somewhere remote 

Who can join your community and why? Who can’t join? Why not?

My Earthseed community would be open to all, but if a person expresses that they cannot be tactful, respectful, or aligned with views of my community, they would not be allowed to continue as a member. I assume there would be a natural wariness to those that espouse conservative viewpoints, but unless they create direct harm, I would not want to create requirements for joining.

What will your leadership model be for your community?

I would hope that the model for my community would be communal, where there is not one central leader but multiple that contribute equally.

Create a future technology to help improve life at your Earthseed community.

A future technology that would improve life at my Earthseed community would be a language device that makes translating and speaking to people native in different languages easier. I think this would improve life at my Earthseed community because it would mean oppressed individuals from other societies would be able to live comfortably in my community, allowing for a wider range of ideas and leadership.

Explain/show how your Earthseed community will survive.

Since my Earthseed community would be incredibly communal, I think the combined skills and ideas of many different people would allow it to be easy to survive. Some may be better at technical skills, some may be better at things like harvesting, so ensuring that everyone feels they have an equal share and equal benefit in the community would make things go smoothly.

Explain/show what two steps your Earthseed community will make to build a better future, i.e.  education, conservation, farming, etc.

My Earthseed community would focus on education, in planting kindness into the future generations of those that are born in my community. This would be aided by the Earthseed verses mentioned before, where kindness and open mindedness are essential. Development of a communist/socialist society in my Earthseed community (and/or an overthrow of capitalist norms) would also build a better future that doesn’t instill issues inherent to our current society, like the wealth gap and systemic racism.

[bratz-kitten]

jupiter through the houses

jupiter in the 1st house: you have a very strong, bold, larger-than-life personality! your generosity and love for helping others is what attracts them to you. a strong desire to achieve and live life to the fullest. tendency to over-indulge in food, exercise, anything of the sort. youthful, glowing quality to your appearance. the more optimistic and honest you are, the luckier you feel. you might feel like the universe helps you overcome any obstacle. be careful with trusting your luck too much, you need to still always make things happen for yourself and to trust reason and logic while remaining confident. a love for traveling. leadership and people skills, you only want to focus on self-improvement and what truly matters; you have no time for insignificant problems. people can feel lucky for having met you because of your soothing aura. you feel like if you ever lose faith in yourself, then you have nothing else. strong morals. careful with trying to "fix" people or situations who don't even need fixing in the first place... you can overstep others' boundaries in your attempts at generosity. 

jupiter in the 2nd house: jupiter here gives a lot of abundances when it comes to finances, but this also means that you love overspending. your first instinct when you feel sad or empty might be to go shopping. you might buy things that aren't even useful for you. luckily, money seems to come to you without any effort. you're very giving, romantic and poetic; you don't want to see the ones you love suffering and you do all you can to aid them. because of that, your friends are very loyal to you and always quick to defend you. you can be terrifying when crossed, your intimidation is no joke. a talent for business and for convincing others to do what you want. very dependable and trustworthy, you keep your word and you make sure to always put in your best when doing a job. you want comfort and the power that is obtained with wealth. you're a hard worker with a need to develop your talents, you want to be proud of what you're doing for a living. you possess a lot of knowledge about art. be careful not to put too many responsibilities on yourself. people in authority positions love you. 

jupiter in the 3rd house: you're very talkative and open-minded; your charm makes you very sociable, people always want to hear what you have to say. you love to learn and even more to teach, you have a special capability for turning a complex piece of knowledge and present it in a way that's interesting and easy to understand. people always see you as happy because you're capable of hiding your feelings of sadness. very hard-working and great at making decisions. sharp intelligence. talent for writing and a love for reading, you might want to continue your studies until older. you need to be careful with absorbing too much knowledge because some of it can be useless, your mind is like a literal sponge but you need to tend to it properly; you might be the type of person who wants to learn one hundred subjects at once but then you don't understand much out of all of them because you did it so hastily, it's suggested that you focus on one thing to learn at a time. very imaginative and with a need to get along with everyone. your siblings, if you have them, will play a very important part in your life. people might come a lot to you for advice. you get bored when you're not learning and exploring new things because you want to grow deeper every day. 

jupiter in the 4th house: the 4th house rules our inner experience, so you might have a very rich inner world. you're thoughtful about everything and you love exploring and coming up with new philosophies because you want to take all the lessons you've learned and use them to guide you through life. strong morals. you're understanding of all those who are different. a need to heal from all your childhood trauma and to grow an independent person. your earlier years were very good and exciting, with a large family, feasts, and a busy atmosphere. even if those times are long gone, you long to experience a sense of family again, so you're very protective of your friends and want them to feel like family. loud and bold, vibrant personality. you might act like an emotional vampire in the sense that you feel the need to experience every emotion the world has to offer. a need for a cozy home and to build a family. be careful with letting family problems destroy you and with being manipulative, you receive luck when you keep the morals that are so embedded in you. 

jupiter in the 5th house: you value expressing your individuality and creativity above all else in life, you can't stand having a job where you don't get to pour your personality and talents into it. you value having fun with your friends and you're very confident. courageous at heart. you might overwhelm the ones in their life by being too open and you might be seen as arrogant for being confident, but you can't help it that you're so unapologetically yourself. you want to have experiences with many partners before settling down - you fear falling in love and getting truly close to someone and, because of that, prefer casual dating. you're in touch with your inner child. you love to entertain, but you can tend to overindulge in life's pleasures and forget to work hard. the more creative you are, the luckier you feel. a talent for motivating and supporting others, you're a true leader. warm and caring nature, you're the happiest when you're around your loved ones. you have many talents that you'll discover through the years. your life stories are fascinating. 

jupiter in the 6th house: you love to help people and you put a lot of pride into what you do, and because of that, you have a very attentive eye for details - you hate making mistakes of any kind and this can make you a perfectionist, but be careful with overworking yourself due to that need to take on others' burdens and make them your own. very generous, you wouldn't hesitate to share your wealth and to inspire others to be better. witty and talented, you have a dry sense of humor that's fucking hilarious. make sure you're doing things for yourself instead of only putting your energy into what others want. taking care and having a routine is important for you because you want to feel like you're bettering yourself. pets can be very healing for you. honest... to a fault sometimes, you can hurt others with your words. pets can be healing for you, especially one that's independent like you, a cat for example. working hard makes you feel proud of yourself. you value getting along with everybody in your workplace. very strong bodies, you easily heal from health issues. you have incredibly high standards, so be careful of criticizing yourself and others. 

jupiter in the 7th house: you're very charming and you have a talent for softening up harsh edges, in the sense that even your enemies have respect for you because you're so diplomatic, caring and humorous. you need a partner to evolve with, someone who's as thoughtful, deep and open-minded as you. you fall in love with someone's sense of humor, intelligence, and someone with whom you share your many interests. someone to travel the world with. you're persuasive and can get others to easily compromise in your favor. you're very in tune with your emotions. a lot of luck when it comes to business. be careful with being too giving because you might be taken advantage of for your kindness, and with glossing over things because you're optimistic and only want to look at the good side of things and people. you're loved for your empathy and those closest to you find you very attractive. you have to set your priorities and boundaries straight for luck to come to you. you always look at things from both perspectives before making a decision. 

jupiter in the 8th house: this placement is perhaps the most easy-going to have in the 8th house because most 8th natives have a difficult time with having sex because they need a lot of intimacy and trust, but jupiter placed here makes for someone who loves having one-night stands and can even be overindulgent when it comes to this; you might have numerous partners throughout life, jupiter brings freedom to this part of your life. you love mystery and complicated things that most would run away from. incredible survival instincts, intuition; aware of others' true intentions. problem-solving skills. sociable and warm-hearted. easily heals from emotional problems. you can be manipulative because you feel paranoid when you're not in power, losing control of your life terrifies you. being spiritual content is necessary for your fulfillment. strategic skills. you're very enigmatic, people want to know you but it's incredibly hard for someone to get close to you, you're very loyal but you fear opening up to others about your weaknesses and deepest thoughts - yet, you have the talent to read others like a book. deep and intimate relationships, even if rare, will be the most soul-changing for you. 

jupiter in the 9th house: you place a lot of importance on your beliefs and finding your life purpose. you want to travel the world and to experiment all sorts of new things, like food. a love for learning and philosophy, that's what makes your soul feel full. luck comes from having faith, being hopeful with an optimistic mentality, you need to believe in yourself if you want to attract good things and being stuck in a negative mentality of self-doubt and hatred is quite possibly the worst thing that can happen to you. you want to expand your mind and soul, to know all about yourself and the world around you. freedom is very important to you because you hate conforming, and so are honesty and self-expression. incredibly intelligent and giving. talent for writing and teaching. you might often hurt others with your bluntness. you hate feeling stuck in one place which is why you love traveling, but be careful not to use this as a way to escape and run away from your problems. you're able to grasp very complex notions, you're a visionary at heart. remember to nurture your relationship with your loved ones and not only the one with yourself and the universe. 

jupiter in the 10th house: you have a lot of luck and blessings when it comes to your career and your relations with other people, but be careful with becoming too lazy because you're so used to everything going your way... in those cases, your luck can turn against you. you need to put in the work and to have whatever you do and achieve aligning with your sense of purpose. confident and optimistic. you might attract a lot of jealousy because people believe you get everything too easily (which is not true!). you're open to making new friends, charming and convincing. opening your own business would be good because as much as you value social status, you also value freedom and expressing yourself through your work. leadership skills. amazing sense of humor and ability to make the best decisions. you might have a talent for manifestation because you know exactly what you want from life, aren't shy to ask for it, and confident enough to believe you'll get it. you want to share with others who have less than you. dependable and resourceful, you only want to associate yourself with those who are as ambitious as you. remember to listen to others' opinions to gain more knowledge and expand your horizons. 

jupiter in the 11th house: very strong and progressive opinions. you have high ideals and want to help better the world, you're a humanitarian at heart. you feel the most cared for when you're around your friends, and new ideas and imagination might run freely between you and them when you're together. you dream of new philosophies and utopias. you do great in teamwork. very creative and non-conventional, you reject tradition and outdated ways. here, the danger of becoming too dependent on your own luck is the most prevalent! be careful with growing too lazy, you need to make things happen for yourself because that where you truly get abundant. very loving energy, you want your friends to feel protected and cared for but be careful with becoming too dependent on them. you're a ball of sunshine that brings happiness wherever you go, but don't spend too much time hanging out with your friends and identifying too much with them - you need to keep cultivating your individuality always. very knowledgeable about any subject. rich social life. big dreams and big ambitions. bravery. being generous to others not only helps you heighten your sense of self-worth and self-love but it might also prove to get luck and opportunities on your side. social causes are very dear to your heart. 

jupiter in the 12th house: when you tap into your spiritual side, you’ll gain great wisdom. great intuition, you’re very in tune with your psychic nature and your surroundings; you feel a deep craving to be generous and to be a part of the collective, you’re very giving. interested in psychology and healing; you’re a deep thinker and you want to understand everything about yourself, even the dark parts because that’s how we gain knowledge and wisdom. self-doubt and getting stuck in a cycle of self-hatred can be very dangerous for you and only when you believe in yourself, your intuition and talents will luck start coming your way. be careful with trying to escape too much and with running away from your problems because this placement indicates escapism through traveling and not only physical, it’s through daydreams as well. you must stand up for yourself always. your intuition has you being very sensitive to even the most subtle of energies, you can often feel drained and with a need to recharge. meditation is recommended. using your sensitivity to help yourself and others can bring a lot of healing energy all around you. 

#jupiter in the 1st house #jupiter in the 2nd house #jupiter in the 3rd house #jupiter in the 4th house #jupiter in the 5th house #jupiter in the 6th house #jupiter in the 7th house #jupiter in the 8th house #jupiter in the 9th house #jupiter in the 10th house #jupiter in the 11th house #jupiter in the 12th house #jupiter through the houses #jupiter in the houses #capricorn #leo #pisces #aquarius #aries #sagittarius #scorpio #gemini #libra #cancer #taurus #virgo #astrology