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#maybe i should stay away from cat posting I don’t want to be known as the cat some crazy cat lady
dolletro · 1 year
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Exhaustion
Hello DMC tumblr! This is my first ever post on tumblr! 
My native language is not english, plus I am not really sure how to write Vergils character, so he might be a little bit OOC. Despite that I did try my absolute best! Please of you have any suggestions how to polish my skills and create aesthetically more pleasing works, don’t hesitate to DM me! Constructive critisism is always welcomed! 
I was  debating wether I should post it or not, since I wasn’t sure if it’s good enough, then I though what if this is exactly the thing someone needs? 
Anyways, please enjoy!
Word count: 1.5+K
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 He never meant to stay for this long in your room, all he wanted was to notify you about the training schedule change for the upcoming two days, but somehow your warm smell mixed with the vanilla scented air freshener pulled an unfamiliar kind of exhaustion out of him, so he sat down on your bed and welcomed your voice in. You talked a lot, he made a mental note in himself, about an hour into you talking about the game you were now playing, the frantic button smashing, the frustrated grunts  from time to time and your cats nestled on his chest purring away, lulled him to sleep even more.
"...And that's why I like him so much! OH, that reminds me, he is also wielding a katana just like you-..." you turned around with an excited smile, the dim, pink tinted LED strips and your TV's light illuminating your features. Eyes filled with joy looking down at him, taking in his reaction. When did he lie down on your fluffy pillows?
"You know, if you are too tired to move you can always just sleep here, I don't mind it." with that the weight from the end of your bed disappeared signaling that you stood up. Now humming the same tune as the music that was coming from the game, you began to search for something in your closet, checking an item out for whatever reason and then putting it back. Vergil averted his gaze to the bright screen, that now burned his eyes out, he certainly now missed the way you blocked a good part of it. There stood the character with a katana in his hand, body covered from head to toe in what seemed to be metal, hair similar shade to his. He had a faint idea what you might have called this warrior, but to be fair Vergil hardly paid any attention to your rambling, yet some of those tiny details that stuck made the blue devil wonder, if you liked him mainly because he reminded you of some of your favorite game characters, or if you like those characters because they looked similar to him.
'How foolish...' Vergil blinked once, twice then he moved his arm up to cover his eyes to block out any light. Why would that be the reason? You two had known each other for just a few months now, if not a year. The age gap too was quite wide in anyone's opinion, maybe twenty years give or take, and you, as if you had known eachother since forever, talk to him about everything from anything mundane to more serious or even exciting topics. Even when he used to push you away you kept on trying to befriend and create a connection with him. Maybe your unwavering determination is what led to this moment, him allowing his guard to be down around you. 
 When was the last time he was this...content? Both before and after destroying the Qliphoth nightmares often plagued his consciousness whenever he tried to sleep, often about the atrocities he had done not only to RedGrave but to the world in general, so he never really bothered to try to rest up in years. Yet now, he felt like he was in a drunken daze, everything felt surreal, like life cannot be this peaceful.
"Vergil..." a gentle hand on his shoulder pulled out of his train of thoughts. There you stood,a black sweater and a pair of gray sweatpants in hands, offering them to him. "...I don't really know if these will fit you, but hopefully they will. You can use my bathroom if you want more privacy." and with that the warmth disappeared as you sat back down in front of your TV and continued to play your game.
Vergil slowly lifted himself up from your bed, trying to shoo the cats off of himself. While he knew you had seen him half naked once before due to an incident, he didn't  want to make you uncomfortable.
"It's okay to change here too. No need to push yourself too hard." The blue devil could have sworn you were reading his mind just now if he didn't know any better. You have to be some sort of witch to know this much about his way of thinking and to occupy his mind for this long. Reluctantly he took off his coat and vest, and laid them down on your night stand. He was in the middle of unbuckling his belt when he heard rustling beside him, then once again your frame was right in front of him near the closet. You had taken his clothes and put them on a hanger.
"You sleep with socks on? I have some really fluffy pairs that will warm your feet up since this room can get quite chilly."
"There's no need for you to lend me such unnecessary items."
"Hm? You wear your boots without socks?"
"That is not what I said nor implied."
"Mhm, sure boss man." your giggles were nice, it could melt off any tension that was ever in his body. "So...no socks?"
"No need..." he sighed as he slipped off his boots, then pants in haste. The material of the sweater was soft against his rougher fingers. There was no way that it belonged to you, it must have been gifted or something because it would've been far too big on you.
"I once bought that for Dante, then I realized it would go to waste since he just doesn't wear things like that, so I kept it for myself, but you can have it if you'd like!" you chimed, once again smashing away on your buttons. The music in the game picked up as a bossfight began. Vergil tried to climb back in your bed after he put on every article of clothing without disturbing you, yet when he was almost settled you groaned loudly and put your controller down beside you. 
Silence began to set in. The only things that could be heard were the title screen of the game and your cats soft purrings as they inched closer to Vergil. The atmosphere was once again calming like the first time he sat down, but now he has a fresh set of clothes on and was buried under your two toned gray comforter, yet now somehow he felt an itch in his mind. When will you head to bed? He has only ever seen you in your pajamas when you showed up that one time in the kitchen at noon for a cup of coffee. Even then he just saw you briefly as he strolled by. Do you usually head to bed later into the earliest time of the day? Or do you ever sleep?
"Does the noise bother you?"
"No."
"Can I start a stream on youtube then? I can only sleep with some noise." Vergil stayed silent while he inspected as you scrolled through your YouTube recommendations to find an appropriate video. He was contemplating on what to say or rather ask you. He alway had been a man who spoke with well chosen words, and  right now he didn't know if he thought he didn't care enough for your emotions to question you about the matter or if he didn't want to put you into an even more sour mood.
" Has something upset you?" he ultimately decided to ask, resulting in a surprised expression on your face when you faced him.
"It’s kinda-, Well…I died in the bossfight, and I really don't feel like playing anymore." setting down the remote, you stretched.
"I see." he began to pet your lighter cat, Tofu, who fell asleep on his chest. Distant water splashed and the warm bathroom light now seeped into the room from underneath your door, then you emerged. Vergil looked at your digital clock on your wall in the same sleepy daze as he was in before, noticing that you were gone for exactly ten minutes. His eyes followed your every movement taking in your elegant gestures. Your face now appeared to be glowing, and you smelled slightly different than you usually do. You sat down in front of your mirror checking out your own skin on your cheeks and chin, before you pulled a bottle of lotion out of your vanity cupboard. The scent alone was enough for the blue devil to realize this is what made you smell the way you always did. Vergil was no expert in these kinds of things, but for him it matched your personality perfectly. It had a slightly spicy base, but some sweet undertones. You massaged the substance on your arms and legs, giving extra attention to your knees and elbows.
Your voice traveled in his ears and stayed in his mind. He recognised this tune, you hummed every once in a while when you were in a peaceful place, this meant you were no longer upset about your loss in the videogame. This melody pushed and pushed the bad thought right out of his head and filled him with an unfamiliar warmth he never felt. Vergil knew he was just right about to succumb to the sleep he oh-so desperately needed, yet he took one more glance at your calm form, he wished he could feel this content once he woke up in your room. 
Just about one and a half hours after arriving at your room to give you a heads up, the older son of Sprada welcomed the sweet slumber in.
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hurricane-heatt · 4 months
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okay okay okay first of all ty for tagging me cuz I really wanted to do that one
second
I wanna know EVERYTHING about apricity. it intrigues me :)))
yayyyy hello!!! below the cut :)
apricity is my ot3 fest eheee i probsssss shouldn’t have included it on here bcus obvs it will be revealed VERY soon (and i need to finish it oops!) it’s seb/mick/mark which i think is such an interesting dynamic
i’ll drop the prompt here and then a snippet of what i’ve written for it. i’ve never written smick before and honestlyyyyy i don’t think i will again (because i don’t think ive done mick justice/huge sebmark enjoyer that it just encapsulates it all) but the prompt compelled me like nothing else like shoutout to op bcus i thought it was so funny
sebastian/mick/mark in the style of this tumblr post:
“if you have a boyfriend and you start liking another guy you dont actually have to break up. basically you can put the first boyfriend in the bathroom and close the door, and then bring the second guy into the house and let them get used to each other's smells through the door. if you supervise them for the first couple weeks, they should eventually get along or at least not kill each other while youre away.”
like PLEASE of course i had to write this!!! what a dynamic!!!! here’s a snippet :p
Though Mark can only see the back of Sebastian, he can tell he’s still smiling, like a pleased little cat. The way he did on the top step, helmet off, champagne poured over his head. These things stay the same, even if now the only championships he’s winning are in bread buttering and beekeeping.
“You and Mick. I don’t know, it’s just nice. You both being here.”
(In retrospect, it’s exactly where Mark should’ve at least suspected he'd been 12 steps behind in Sebastian’s chess game. Hell, he should’ve known it was checkmate from here, and yet he’s clueless. Maybe he always has been, when it comes to Sebastian.)
Instead, Mark feels a sort of relief flow through him, kissing Seb’s cheek before going back through to the dining room.
and then CHAOS. excited yet also quite nervous for ppl to read it just bcus i struggle w ot3s so much… huge shoutout to the fest bcus i think writing for it has helped me a ton for my own skills
thank u sacha!!! <33
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mlwritersguild · 1 year
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For the march writing : "No. No more coffee. Now just go to sleep already!" (submitted by @thesandman1991)
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I Must Espresso My Concern, by @ladybugs-and-black-cats
AO3 link; Post-Reveal, Aged-Up Character(s), Pregnant Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Tired Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir, Sleep Deprived Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Designer Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Late at Night, Late Night Conversations
Summary:
Marinette asks Adrien to make her a cup of coffee so she can continue her late-night work on her fashion designs. Adrien, however, is tired and just wants to go to bed…and to convince Marinette that she needs sleep too!
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“No. No more coffee. Now just go to sleep already!”
Adrien Agreste was starting to regret agreeing to make his wife a cup of coffee to help her stay awake to work on her latest designs. That had been almost four hours ago and Marinette had requested several more cups of coffee since. It was now approaching 2:00 AM and Adrien just wanted to go to bed. 
It was a busy time of the year for the Agreste Brand, where both he and Marinette worked. As the Head Executive, Adrien knew well about the extra workload and had tried to delegate accordingly, splitting the work as evenly amongst his designers as he could. Although, he could admit that he’d given Marinette less than most of the designers because she did not need the added stress right now. Marinette was working extra hard, trying to get everything finished before her leave began in a few months.
“You don’t understand, Adrien!” Marinette replied back to him without turning away from her designs. She clearly was not happy with her husband cutting off (or, attempting to, anyway!) her caffeine intake for the night. “I need to get these designs finished and time is running out! There’s still so much left that I have to do before—“ She paused, her hand moving down to her stomach to soothe the area where their daughter was growing. Emma must have made her physical presence known (and a bit forcefully if the slight grimace on Marinette’s face was any indication).
Adrien came up behind Marinette and wrapped his arms around her so that his hands could also rest on his wife’s stomach. As he’d anticipated, Emma was quite restless tonight. “M’lady, your cups of coffee seem to have stimulated Emma,” he chuckled, but he knew the joke had fallen flat thanks to his fatigue.
“You sound tired,” Marinette told him. “Really, you should sleep. I’ll join you soon…ish.”
Adrien stifled a yawn. His eyelids were heavy, but he knew that he would not be able to sleep, regardless of how tired he was feeling. “As great as that sounds, M’lady, it’s impossible. I would just end up tossing and turning until you came to bed. Trust me, I tried already. That’s why I’m awake now.”
Marinette shifted to kiss her husband’s lips. “So, maybe you could make us both a cup of coffee?”
Adrien frowned and pulled away. ��No. You don’t need any more coffee.” He was resolute in this decision. There was absolutely no way that he would let Marinette convince him against it.
Marinette pouted and Adrien had to admit that her expression was super cute. “If I get these designs finished, I’ll be able to relax, especially if…” she trailed off, running her hands along her baby bump again.
Adrien knew what Marinette was thinking. She was constantly worried that Emma would make an early grand entrance into the world. Well, that might be the case if Marinette kept drinking so much coffee! “M’lady, I promise that everything will be fine. You do need sleep, though, for Emma’s sake. If you don’t get enough sleep, that could negatively affect her development. Remember, the doctor said that recently?”
He knew that his wife was likely to spiral out of control, believing that she was creating a disaster. Normally, Adrien would try to prevent Marinette from having a panic attack, especially now that she was pregnant, but he was tired and he really needed her to understand her need for sleep right now. Adrien could see, in Marinette’s eyes, that she was worrying. He did regret making her feel this way, but it seemed to be the only way to get her to understand. “Please, M’lady, just come to sleep. There’s plenty of time to finish your designs, I promise.” 
Adrien could see that his begging was starting to wear down Marinette. The effects of her most recent cup of coffee were fading and her eyes looked to be as heavy as Adrien’s own. “But…” she started, glancing back at her design.
“Everything will be fine,” Adrien encouraged her. “Emma won’t come early. You’ll finish your designs and they will look amazing as always. A little sleep won’t hurt, I promise. In fact, getting some sleep will help. If you work like this, when you’re tired, there’s more chance that you will mess up and have to start over again.”
Marinette made a noise that sounded a bit like an “eep!” and Adrien knew that she understood what he meant. “Okay, okay, I understand,” Marinette moaned, looking back at her designs again and probably imagining all the mistakes that she could end up making if she worked on them while she was tired. “Still…just one more cup of coffee, please, Adrien? I promise this will be the last one!”
Adrien had to bite back a groan. “Marinette, you said the same thing last time when you asked me to make you a cup of coffee.”
“Um…I really mean it this time. One more, that’s it! Then I’ll go to bed!”
“You said that last time too,” Adrien pointed out to her. “I stand by what I just said. No more coffee for you tonight, Marinette. You need your sleep.”
Marinette pouted (but Adrien knew that she wasn’t actually that upset with him) as she looked back at her designs again. Then, Adrien saw her perk up a little bit.
“Wait, don’t you dare do what I think you’re going to do! Marinette!”
Of course, Marinette didn’t listen. She turned to Adrien and gave him the puppy dog eyes face that she had learned from Manon. Adrien hated when Marinette did this because it worked. It didn’t matter what she wanted; Adrien would cave every time when she pulled out that look. Marinette used to bemoan about how she could never say no to Manon when the girl would give her the puppy dog eyes but then Marinette tried it on Adrien and realized how effective it was. Why did that look have to be so stinking cute? When he would look at that face, Adrien felt bad for even thinking of denying Marinette what she wanted; he didn’t want to disappoint her.
“F-Fine, one more cup of coffee. That’s it, okay! Promise me, that, Marinette. One more cup of coffee for you and then you’re going to come to bed.”
The smile that broke out on Marinette’s face gave Adrien the instant gratification that he craved. He’d do anything to see her face light up this way. 
“Yes, of course, I swear on my Miraculous!”
Adrien knew the bargain that he had just made. It was an endless cycle. Marinette’s “promise” would be forgotten again as her mug emptied. Eventually he would get some sleep and so would she, but Adrien knew also that there was no convincing Marinette when her mind was made up about something. So, with this in mind, Adrien walked back to the kitchen to brew the coffee that he’d promised his wife. This time, I’m making it decaf!
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nirikeehan · 1 year
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happy Friday!! For DADWC, might I suggest Thalia/Blackwall and this prompt from the Invisible Cities list: "The routes of cats, rats, and swallows through a city"
YES YOU MAY. This fits perfectly with my Kingdom Come au where Thalia is visiting Thom Rainier in Markham post-Trespasser.
Here is a bit from the next chapter. Mostly sexual tension and a bare man torso. 😏
for @dadrunkwriting
WC: 2029
CW: Themes of death/grief and reference to major character death
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Thalia paces the length of the table, listening to the drone of the rain. Her eye catches on a wooden display case, tucked away beside the large hearth. Set with glass, inlaid with a metal lock. She approaches, sliding her fingers along the polished wood, nail snagging on the keyhole. 
Inside are trinkets she hasn’t thought about in years: a griffon feather, untouched by time; a small glass vial, rumored to be full of archdemon blood; tattered parchment, an untold segment of the Deep Roads scribbled upon it; the fragments of a sword with the Grey Warden sigil on its hilt, and more still.
Before her lay the artifacts she traipsed across Thedas to find for him. Even when it took them out of the Inquisition’s way. Even when Varric had to pick a difficult lock in a torrential downpour, in a mire so fallow everyone who visited vowed never to return. Even when she found them in Thom’s absence, and carried them in her pack over hill and vale, to bring them to him like an offering, and the only thing he gave in return was a non-committal shrug. Would have liked to have seen it, he’d say, and her heart would clutch with a mixture of pride and shame. 
“Should have known I’d find you here.” 
Thalia jumps and whirls around. Thom is behind her, and he is soaked. Tendrils of hair stick to his face and neck. His doublet drips rainwater onto the stone floor. 
“I can’t believe you kept these,” she says, trying not to stare. 
“Why not?” His gaze dips from her to the cabinet of curiosities. “They were gifts from you.” 
“They belong to the Wardens, for one,” Thalia points out, a little archly. He looks like he should be cold, but he radiates heat. His proximity has blotted the chill out of the room.
Thom snorts. “Yes, well, maybe I’m planning to open a museum.” 
They stare at each other in silence. His eyes are as she remembers them: a pale, stormy grey. He still looks at her the way he used to, like a man drowning. In what, she never understand, because she was young and unaccustomed to being coveted. Her stomach tightens. 
“You’re getting water all over,” she says, breaking the spell. 
Thom turns from her, unconcerned. “It’s all right. The housekeeper will get it.” 
He strides away, and Thalia’s feet follow of their own volition. She nearly admits she noticed he has one, but thinks better of it. “Is she, you know…” Her mind scrambles for a polite term. “Discreet?” 
“She won’t question you about your reasons for being here, if that’s what you mean.” Thom crosses the threshold to the kitchen and enters the washroom. He grabs a neatly folded towel from a stack and vigorously rubs his head. 
Is that what she means? He said himself this won’t be anything she doesn’t want it to be, and Thalia believed that… until Sera walked in and looked at her like a desire demon summoned to ensnare him. 
“Did you sort things out with Sera?” Thalia searches for something to look at aside from him inside the washroom, wringing out his hair. The kitchen is spotless. 
“I did. She won’t be bothering you again, I can promise you that.”
Thalia fails to see how this is possible, if she’s staying in his house and Sera works with him. “She hates me.” 
“She doesn’t hate you. Just worries about me, is all. Over things long buried.” His tone takes on a cheerfulness she suspects is fabricated. “Don’t worry about it. I set the record straight.”
Thalia bites her tongue until it goes numb. She turns and opens her mouth to ask what, in his opinion, the record is. 
He stands in the threshold, bare-chested. 
She has never seen him like this outside her imagination. She stares at the broad curve of his well-muscled shoulders, the sculpted torso, the triangle of coarse dark hair leading from chest to navel, a pale scar slashing his clavicle, another along the edge of his rib, echoes of old battle wounds. She feels her cheeks flush, and again it’s unbearably hot, even though it’s the turn of autumn and the day has been raw. 
He catches her looking and inclines his head, the slightest hint of a smirk on his lips.
Thalia cries, “There’s a door you can close at any time, you know.”
“Aye, and it sticks something awful when it’s damp.” Thom’s grin widens; she sees a flash of teeth. “Be a love and fetch me a fresh tunic and doublet from the wardrobe upstairs?” 
He’s enjoying this. Her heart beats wildly. “Can’t you have your housekeeper do it?”
“She won’t be in for another couple hours, and I’m needed down at company headquarters posthaste.”
“Fine,” Thalia says, and leaves, seething. Never mind that she does not actually know where she’s going. The main hall has a staircase and that seems as good a place as any. 
She stamps up the stairs and into the loft from which she is eye level with the chandelier above the hall’s long table, its tapered candles well-used. He probably hosts many a party here, she thinks with a flash of envy. Sera cannot be his only friend in Markham. He has lieutenants, soldiers, associates — some of them must be women, pretty and buxom and possessing both arms.
Shoving aside her petty jealousies, she looks for the wardrobe. The hallway is empty, with only two doors at the end of the hall, both closed. She tries the one on the right; inside is a narrow room with a diamond-shaped window looking out on the alley below. There is a small bed, a writing desk, a bookshelf, and an aura of disuse. 
Thom did say he has a room for guests. Thalia bites her lip and imagines lying in that bed tonight, knowing he’s across the hall. She feels a frustrating pang of desire, and pulls the door shut with more force than she intends.
The other door looms, and her pulse quickens as she enters. This room is larger, but just as neat. Along the far wall is a four-poster bed, framed on either side by bedside tables and above, long-pane windows. A high-backed reading chair sits poised in front of the cold fireplace. The colors are dark, masculine, the decor tasteful. She could picture this bedroom belonging to a petty lord — quite a step up from a bedroll in a barn loft. 
The wardrobe stands in the far corner from the door. She approaches, ignoring the urge to peek at the title of the book sitting in the hearth-side chair. Thalia feels humiliated for allowing herself to fall for this — for any of it. It won’t be anything you don’t want it to be, he says, and then stands before her half-naked. Sends her to collect his clothes from his bedroom. Damn Thom Rainier and damn his charm. 
The inside of the wardrobe smells of cedar. Tunics hang in neat rows on one side, jerkins and doublets on the other. All black. He can clearly afford finer clothes these days, yet keeps up the look of a wandering spectral knight anyway. You seek the Man in Black? asked the boy at the reception desk when she inquired at his company, voice tinged with reverence. 
She grabs at the clothes haphazardly, willing herself to not to pause, not to hold the fabric to her nose and breathe in. She did that with Cullen’s clothes, every day for weeks, trying to hold on to him through his scent. It faded so fast it felt like a cruel trick. 
With no warning, a wave of sadness hits her. Tears spring to her eyes. I shouldn’t even be here. What am I doing? 
She repeats this to herself all the way downstairs, the clothes draped over her prosthetic arm. She’ll tell Thom she’s changed her mind, she’s not going to stay after all. She stabled her horse at a local inn; her luggage is already in a room there, awaiting her return. She’ll return there, eat a hearty stew to combat the weather, and leave on the morrow. If she can find her way back through the labyrinthine streets.
She stands to the side of the washroom door and hugging the wall, so that she won’t catch sight of him again. She grabs the clothes with her good hand and holds the clothes out in mid-air. “Here.”
“Much obliged.” Thom takes them, fingers brushing her palm. She shivers. 
“Do you know the way back to the inn from here?” She hears rustling. 
“Which one?” Thom asks, voice muffled by fabric. She does not think of how she would like to trace her fingers along the length of his scars, his collarbone. 
“The Thirsty Scholar.” 
“Near the university?” 
“That’s the one.” Upon entering, she immediately liked the feel of the place, thought she would feel at home there, amid feverish students studying between bites in the tavern downstairs. 
“The main thoroughfare would do it, but you’ll be stymied by foot traffic. It’s market day, and the place will be bustling, even in this weather.” He pokes his head out of the doorway, strands of damp hair sticking to his cheekbones. She is close enough to smell him, a muskiness that reminds her of nights around campfires and Skyhold, that damned stable in which he insisted upon living. She can count the grey hairs at his temple, in his beard. “Go out the back alley, follow it till you reach a well. Right, left, left again. There will be a terrace with a marble fountain of a woman carrying a jug. Go up the stone staircase behind it and you ought to be there.” 
Something about his intimate knowledge of the city is deeply appealing. Or maybe it’s just the way he’s watching her. Of course he would know; he grew up here. She forces a smirk, grasps for a witty retort. “What am I, a stray cat?” 
“You did turn up on my doorstep unannounced, don’t forget.” Thom steps out of the doorway, smirking and fully dressed, thank Andraste. He buttons the cuff on his doublet and looks down at her from his great height. “And you’re in luck. Rain’s finally letting up.” 
Thalia glances past him to the window over the kitchen sink. The sky is lightening, the downpour reduced to a drizzle. 
This is where you tell him you’re leaving, Thalia thinks, but he’s gazing at her like he wants to cup her cheek and kiss her. 
He does neither. “Do you have much luggage?” 
“Hmm?” She feels a little queasy, imagining his lips on hers, his calloused fingers tilting her chin upward. 
“Luggage,” Thom repeats. “If it’s a lot, I can pay to have someone bring it.”
“Oh. Oh, that’s not necessary,” Thalia stammers, turning red. “Listen, Thom—”
He tilts his head, eyes narrowing. As if sensing her desire to flee. I’m not a cat, I’m a rat. Cowardly and scurrying. I’d go down a drainpipe if I could. 
Or maybe a swallow. If she could just take flight, she could soar over Markham and all the way to the Montilyet estate in Antiva City. Or farther still, to some leftover tear in the sky, to where Cullen waits for her. 
“—Will you be very long? At the company?” 
He relaxes, just a little. Thalia feels as though she may combust.
“There’s some supposed emergency I need to handle, but I’ll get away as soon as I can. By dinner, certainly.” He pauses. “If you need time to settle any affairs.”
“Right.” Thalia forces a smile. “I ought to write a letter to Josephine, tell her I’ll be delayed.” 
“I’m sure she’ll understand.” 
She might be the only one. Thalia feels her escape window closing, closing— and she stands, knowing she’ll feel relieved when it’s shut. “See you for dinner?” 
Thom takes her hand in his and kisses her the back of her palm. “Until then, my lady.” 
Thalia gets lost in Markham’s narrow alleys twice, thinking about the jolt of electricity his lips sent up her arm. 
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dinosaurtsukki · 4 years
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haikyuu!! buzzfeed unsolved AU
OK THIS IS THE LAST BUZZFEED UNSOLVED RELATED HEADCANON SET I PROMISE 
[edit: check out the link at the bottom of the post for more buzzfeed unsolved au content :)]
hinata and kageyama:
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90% of the show is them yelling and nobody watches it with earphones on
both of them believe in ghosts but that doesn't mean they want to see one
hinata will literally go to the bathroom five times before going to the spooky house and kageyama gets mad at him for it but there is Fear in his eyes
producer: 'were you scared?'
kageyama: 'pfft, no'
cameraman: *points camera down to show that kageyama's legs are shaking*
they also bring a shit ton of food with them when they stay the night at a place and they'll deadass be eating while talking about the history of the place
‘this house *crunch crunch* was built in *crunch crunch* 1972'
the producers tell them to stop bringing snacks but fans of the show love it
sometimes they'll shoot a mini mukbang video
SPICY, BARBECUE POTATO FRIES | Mukbang at the Waverly Hills Asylum'
hinata: *looking up how to do a seance on wikihow* it says we gotta offer some food for the spirit
kageyama: *spills the doritos he was eating on the table
*after 20 minutes*
kageyama: fuck this
hinata: *starts eating the doritos*
producer: ...
the ghosts: ..................the, audacity
tsukishima and yamaguchi
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pretty much a ryan and shane duo right here
yamaguchi: we'll be visiting this place as part of our ongoing investigation on the question, are ghosts real?
tsukishima: *shakes head*
yamaguchi just wants to see the look of fear in tsukishima’s eyes at least once
yamaguchi: *hears a random thump sound* fUCk tSuKkI a gHoSt!!!
tsukishima: *sees a chair being tossed across the room* huh, the wind is pretty strong today
he likes to stick his head into attics to scare yamaguchi
yamaguchi always carries a water gun full of holy water
yamaguchi: i have holy water with me and i'm not afraid to use it! but i'm also sorry you had to die such a horrible death i hope you find peace soon
tsukishima: *walks into a basement that is supposedly a portal to hell* fuckin’ take me already
so many 'yamaguchi being an angel and tsukishima being a demon for 10 mins' video compilations 
daichi and sugawara
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a very chaotic buzzfeed unsolved duo
suga, who is satan’s child himself, and daichi, who needs a raise
daichi: hello everyone! this is daichi,
sugawara: and suga
daichi: and you’re watching...
sugawara: jackass!!
daichi:...buzz...buzzfeed unsolved??
daichi started out being afraid of almost every place he had to walk into but after having to deal with the chaotic mess that is suga for an entire season, he no longer Feels Fear
this is because suga will deadass film a tiktok dance video no matter where he is
daichi: suga, someone was literally axe-murdered there
suga: *dancing along to ‘I’m a Savage’ or whatever that tiktok song is called*
daichi: *at cameraman* do you see what i have to deal with every day?’
suga is only genuinely scared by ghosts when his followers point out that a ghost was caught on camera in one of his tiktok videos
suga: *watching the video*
that was the end of suga’s tiktok career
tanaka and nishinoya:
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another bunch of loud bois but they are much louder than kageyama and hinata
they’re very much into proving the existence of cryptids and are most known for that episode they spent hunting bigfoot by dressing up to look like bigfoot
tanaka: ‘you know that thing they do in cartoons where they stack on top of each other under a coat so they look like just one big guy?’
nishinoya: ‘ryuu i love you so fucking much’
other guy there who is also trying to catch bigfoot: oMg ItS bIgFooT *takes picture with the blurriest camera he could find*
both of them are very committed in their investigation of the supernatural and they’re very unconventional approaches
nishinoya: *lying on the ground in a creepy basement* EAT MY HEART DEMONS! WE’LL PUT THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE!
tanaka: *takes out a spirit board* *spells out O-M-A-E  W-A  M-O  S-H-I-N-D-E-I-R-U*
ghost: *spells out N-A-N-I*
tanaka and nishinoya: *screaming*
kuroo and kenma: 
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kuroo deadass flirts with any ghost or demon they encounter and kenma would sleep over in a haunted asylum for ten bucks
kuroo: *sidles up to the infamous annabelle doll* hey there little lady, what’s a pretty thing like you doing in a locked, glass case with a ‘don’t touch’ sign like this?
kenma: kuroo, there’s a demon inside her
kuroo: well, i’m a bit of a demon myself
kenma: she attempted to choke a guy in his sleep
kuroo: oooh, choking. i can get behind that...
kenma: *looks at camera*
the demon in annabelle: d-daddy??
“kuroo flirting with demons and kenma looking at the camera for 5 minutes”
kuroo’s actually a huge fucking scaredy cat and kenma secretly tries to push him over the edge
kenma: *plays computer-generated screams of the damned on his phone*
kuroo: WHAT WAS THAT?
kenma: ...I didn’t hear anything *looks at the camera as if he was on the office and plays the sound again*
kuroo: i was too scared to close my eyes last night
kenma: i was actually able to catch a bunch of pokemon last night. who knew the winchester mansion is such a hotspot
producer: did you catch any evidence of ghosts?
kenma: ...i caught a gastly
bokuto and akaashi:
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bokuto is a die-hard mothman fan and akaashi is emotionally involved in proving that ghosts exist he will stop at nothing
akaashi: all of the evidence on the shadow figures and orbs spotted in this place can only suggest one thing...
bokuto: mothman did it
akaashi: no
bokuto: yes
akaashi: mothman is literally five states away
bokuto: he has wings
during their individual investigations, akaashi has already foreseen how bokuto is going to react
producer: it’s been quiet for a while. do you think bokuto’s no longer scared?
akaashi: oh no. he should be screaming right about now...
bokuto, inside the haunted house: *screams and waves his flashlight around*
akaashi:  and then he’s gonna call for help
bokuto: AKAAAAAASHIIIIIIIIII
*few hours later*
bokuto: i saw my life flash before my eyes in there
akaashi: *muttering incoherently near his ‘evidence wall’ full of blurry pictures and red string*
bokuto: i must’ve stared into the abyss at one point
akaashi: this place is fucking haunted. can i go back? it’s for sale right?
ushijima and tendou:
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ushijima’s knowledge of ghosts is based on hollywood movies and tendou has exorcised places just by vibing
ushijima: *brings out a pottery wheel* if there are any ghosts in here, you know what to do
he’s actually never watched Ghost he just knows That One Scene
tendou: *naruto-running through the goatman bridge with a go-pro strapped to his head* IT’S MY BRIDGE GOATMAN, IT’S MY BRIDGE!!!
the Goatman Himself: i’ve never felt so fucking scared in my entire fucking life
ushijima believes that chanting in latin will Summon the Ghosts and tendou takes full advantage of that
tendou: *handing ushijima a slip of paper* here, apparently this will summon a full-bodied apparition
ushijima: thanks *begins chanting*
producer, interviewing tendou to the side: okay, what did you make him read this time?
tendou: i typed out ‘let me eat your ass’ in latin on google translate and went from there
cameraman: *zooms in on ushijima chanting*
the ghost haunting the castle: *is confused in French*
in the end neither of them get evidence on ghosts
ushijima: well, we'll have better luck next time
tendou: maybe even revisit this place ?
the ghosts: i know i'm dead but this is the first time i've been scared for my life
[EDIT: for more buzzfeed unsolved au content written by me, check out The Search for the Mysterious Mothman, a headcanon set feat. bokuaka]
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modernmagdalene · 3 years
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Saint and Crystal Associations Part 2
Once again, I’m posting this as a potential resource for other Christian witches or Christian mystics (whatever you call yourself). These are my own personal associations, not official associations of any Christian denominations, so if they don’t feel right for you feel free to use different crystals with different saints. Thanks and enjoy.
Saint Francis of Assisi --> Amber
Francis is best associated with Amber. While not technically a crystal it still is used in a lot of crystal magic. Francis is a very complex saint who helps with a lot of different things: voluntary poverty, helping the poor, antiwar, and oneness with nature. Amber is very old and connected deeply to the earth. It helps with grounding, clarity, patience, wisdom, dissolves negativity, eliminates fear, and balances emotions. All things Francis needed to leave his life of privilege behind and follow God. I think it represents much of who Francis is and can help support the same virtues that Francis represents. 
Saint Brigid --> Opal
St. Brigid would be associated with Opal. Brigid is a saint that is very connected to the goddess Brigid. Their stories are extremely intertwined that you can’t really talk about without the other. Both are connected to fire, love, and hope and that’s all things Opal is connected with as well. I also personally tend to associate Opal with the divine feminine and Brigid connection to a goddess makes that work as well.
Saint Julian of Norwich --> Moonstone
Julian of Norwich I said in a comment that I associated with Lapis Lazuli but then relaized I was already using that crystal with St. Perpetua and Felicity. So I did some more research and decided that Moonstone would work really well for Saint Julian of Norwich. Moonstone is obviously associated with Lunar magick and the moon is also regularly associated with femimine energy. Which works wonders with St. Julian who often depicted God as femimine. One of the things that made her contraversal. St. Julian of Norwich had visions and was a prolific writer. Moonstone helps those seeking wisdom and strengthens psychic abilities. St. Julian of Norwich is also a known cat lover so have moonstone carved into the shape of a cat is even better. 
Saint Mary MacKillop --> Obsidian
(Trigger Warning Mentions of sexual abuse in this.)
Mary MacKillop is the first saint of Australia and one of my favorites! Mary MacKillop reported a priest who was abusing children and not longer after a friend of this priest used his connections to get her excommunicated. Her excommunication was eventually lifted. I have always admired her strength and resilience. That’s why I chose obsidian for her. Obsidian shines a light on the negativity and clears it away, helping us to choose the path leading towards light and love. It is also a protective stone as it used to be used for weapons. If you need to fight the devil obsidian is up there with tourmaline as an excellent crystal to clean house.     
Saint Raphael the Archangel --> Ametrine
St. Raphael the Archangel is another favorite of mine. If you use a Protestant Bible you might not have read about him. Raphael is featured in the Book of Tobit which is only in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. The Book of Tobit is an epic love story between Tobias and Sarah that also features thievery, exile, and fights with demons. Where Michael and Gabriel tend to appear to humans briefly then leave. Raphael, disguised as a human, travels with Tobias throughout the whole book. Raphael is most associated with healing and I connect him to the crystal ametrine. Ametrine is associated with healing, harmony, strength, balancing physical and spiritual life, and aids in contacting spirit guides. This works with Raphael’s connections to healing. Furthermore, Raphael’s role guiding Tobit and being a spiritual being working on earth makes ametrine perfect in helping to connect with him. Use this stone and ask him to help find balance in your practice and assist you with finding spiritual guides.
Saint Rita --> Smoky Quartz
St. Rita is the patron saint of impossible tasks. She is someone I rely on when I really need to overcome an obstacle or problem in my life. She is also prayed to when someone has a deadly illness or serious problem helping with things that seem impossible to deal with is just her jam. Because of this I associate her most with smoky quartz. This crystal is super powerful and is a great grounding and balancing stone. It absorbs negative energy like a sponge (because of this it should be cleansed often-ish use your best judgement). It’s so useful and can even cleanse other crystals. It keeps all the negativity away from you which is something that one really needs when dealing with impossible situations.
Saint Mary Magdalene --> Celestite
Mary Magdalene is one of my favorite witchy women in the Bible. She wasn’t scared away like the other disciples when Christ was crucified, she was the first to preach about the resurrection, and was active in preaching and teaching others about Christ. One of my favorite stories about her comes from the Orthodox tradition where she was preaching to Emperor Tiberius Caesar about Christ and turned an egg red to prove to the emperor that Christ’s story and power was true. I associate Mary Magdalene most with Celestite. Celestite raises spiritual vibrations, promotes spiritual growth, and aides in communication with the spiritual realm. This crystal also boosts self-worth and self-expression, all things Mary Magdalene had in abundance. Mary Magdalene also seems to be the most connected to the spiritual world out of all the apostles (with the exception of maybe John) so this crystal is perfect for her.
Saint Joan of Arc --> Bloodstone 
St. Joan is a warrior and protector. I also consider her a trans and/or genderfluid saint who will naturally protect trans and genderfluid peoples. Because of this I associate her most with bloodstone. Bloodstone promotes justice and strength, it is also good for healing and renewal, but bloodstone is probably best known for boosting spells and banishing spirits. Or as I prefer to use it, boosting protection spells and banishing TERFs.
Saint Francis de Sales --> Kyanite
St. Francis de Sales is one of my favorite saints purely because he is the patron saint of writers and I am someone who greatly enjoys writing. Kyanite is the crystal I use with this saint. It promotes creativity and also dispels negativity aka those negative thoughts that tell you that you can’t write. It’s also supposed to sharpen your focus which can be especially helpful with writing or any creative work, especially if you are easily distracted like me.
Saint Anthony of Padua --> Amazonite
St. Anthony was one of my grandmother’s favorite saints and probably the saint I use the most in day to day life. He is the patron saint of lost items. He was a devout priest and taught students from a book of psalms. He once tried to preach to people who refused to listen to him. He instead decided to preach to the fish who all started to gather near the shore to listen to him. When people saw this they decided they should listen too. So you know when in doubt preach to fish I guess. Anyway, I associate St. Anthony with amazonite. Amazonite helps sharpen the mind, aids communication and promotes good luck all of which are great attributes for learning and teaching, finding lost items (that’s the good luck bit), and aiding communication could help you talk to people or fish, your call. 
Saint Valentine --> Rose Quartz 
St. Valentine did a lot but he is most associated today with marrying couples in the Christian church during the height of Roman persecution. So naturally I associate him with rose quartz, a crystal that promotes love and fertility, dispels loneliness, opens the heart to compassion, and even strengthens faith. The perfect stone for this romantic saint. 
Saint Scholastica --> Citrine 
St. Scholastica was the twin sister of St. Benedict, and was the founder of the women’s benedictine order. As someone who went to a benedictine college I have a fondness for her. If you are a storm witch in particular I think this might be the saint for you. At one point Benedict and his monks visit Scholastica and her nuns. Scholastica didn’t think she would live long enough to see her brother again after this meeting so begged him to stay the night, but Benedict didn’t want to spend the night outside his monastery and told her he couldn’t. So Scholastica prayed and a massive thunderstorm suddenly came making it unsafe for Benedict and his monks to travel. And here is my favorite bit:
“Realizing what had happened, Benedict reproached her: "What have you done, my sister?” Scholastica answered simply, "I asked a favor of you, and you refused to listen to me. So I asked my God, and He, more generous than you, granted my request.” Once again Scholastica’s pleas won the favor she was seeking.” 
With Scholastica I associate the crystal citrine. Citrine is all about manifesting change, protection, creativity, and success all things she needed to live the life she did.
Saint Dymphna --> Blue Lace Agate
St. Dymphna is one of my favorite saints and she is one I utilize often. She is most associated with mental and emotional illnesses. If you are a spoonie witch this is the saint for you. Because of this I associate her most with Blue Lace Agate, which helps people express themselves (helpful when going to therapy or a doctor) and also helps with dealing with any sorts of fears or anxiety. (Reminder: That utilizing this saint and crystal is meant as a prayerful way to ask for help dealing with mental and emotional illness. It is not a replacement for therapy or meds.)
St. Sara-la-Kali --> Jasper
St. Sara-la-Kali is the patroness of the Romani people. She is said to have helped the Three Marys of the Bible arrive safely in Gaul after she had a vision of them arriving. She used her dress as a raft and helped the women get to shore despite the tumultuous waves. She was also extremely generous and often collected alms for the poor. I associate her most with jasper. A crystal native to Romania it aids in peace and wisdom and also is particularly helpful during times of transition by providing stability and protection. It also supports perseverance and acceptance, something we definitely need Sara's help with right now.
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bestiesenpai · 3 years
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youtuber Sukuna
I beg you to read the shitposts I made about this, they are delicious. You don’t have to of course but...if you loved me you would :) s/n = screen name, and I hope you chuckle at Sukunas screen name
Content warning: uhmhm lowkey incel shit(mean internet comments and whatnot)
part two --- part 3
Name: Sukuna. Age: 25. Height: 6 foot 5 inches. Occupation: toxic Youtuber, fitness trainer and hot guy.
Sukuna wasn’t exactly known for being kind. He wasn’t nice to others, rarely having anything good to say about anyone, and he’d made a successful Youtube career out of it. First starting as a fitness trainer at his gym, through encouragement from his clients and the notion of a quick cash grab, he started Youtube.
He didn’t care about it and that reflected in the quality of his videos and editing. He didn’t have consistent uploads, just filming and posting videos whenever he wanted, analytics be fucked. But somehow, that worked out for him, and he quickly found himself with over two million subscribers just frothing at the mouth for his next video.
And those subscribers were some of the worst people. Sukuna didn’t care about fostering a safe space online for others, not in the slightest. His comment sections were atrocious, both on his Youtube and his Instagram. It was full of toxic men one-upping each other constantly and dragging on each other for not being able to work out as much as Sukuna did.
Sukuna was a large part of why his fanbase were so toxic. He himself often made bad comments about others, whether fellow creators or people that happened to appear in the backgrounds of his videos, and on more than one occasion he’d been ‘cancelled’. None of that mattered though, all he cared about was shitting on other people and making money.
Sometimes he played video games and posted it, but not too often. Sukuna often stated he wasn’t so much of a fucking lonely loser that he’d play video games all the time, and so the gaming videos he did post were few and far between. He played angry shooter games and GTA, mindless button clicking he could get lost in for a few hours for a video.
Laying in bed one night after uploading his most recent video, one where he rages at 12 year olds on GTA online, Sukuna was just scrolling through his phone mindlessly. After he uploads video game content, like clockwork, he gets recommendations for gaming channels. He only watches a few of them, mostly leaving mean comments saying what losers they are, but one catches his eye.
He’s never been recommended this kind of video before. The thumbnail is light and bright with some pink aesthetic lights in the back. But the most enticing thing is the person in the middle, cute pink cat ear headphones on and a bright smile.
“Let’s see…” Sukuna mumbles to himself, mindlessly clicking the video. He hasn’t even read the title, he only clicked it because they were cute, and here he is nearly blinded by the bright setup they have.
“Hi everyone, it’s (Y/N) here and I’m really excited today! We’re going to be playing this new game I found!” Sukuna is immediately enraptured by the sound of your voice, watching how your face changes as you talk. His eyes drift off to the decor behind you, cute plushies and healthy plants, and some twinkling fairy lights. There’s books as well, and your chair is one of those ergonomic gamer chairs he has as well but in pink.
Sukuna watches the video dumbly, totally in the dark about whatever you’re doing, but loving it all the same. All he knows is that he likes the sound of your voice, and when you laugh and smile at a funny part in the game, it makes a light flush come to his cheeks.
It only takes one video for Sukuna to spiral into more of your content. He watches a video on your gaming setup, and he’s surprised that so much technology can come in pink. He watches a video on how you edit, a few of you cooking in your kitchen, and even a few vlog videos.
He quickly subscribes to your channel, and when you plug your social media, he immediately goes there. Pulling up your Instagram, he stares at your profile picture and almost audibly coos at you for being cute.
Your profile is just as cute as your videos are and Sukuna barely remembers to follow you before he’s going through your whole feed, liking every picture he sees. Sometimes he leaves comments, only one word though, ‘cute’. He’s never liked something so outright cute before, it wasn’t who he was and it definitely didn’t fit with his brand.
Falling asleep after following you on every platform, Sukuna wakes up thinking about you as well. And he also wakes up to hundreds of comments from all his accounts, bombarding him with questions and screenshots from last night.
‘SUKUNA WHY WOULD YOU LIKE THIS SHIT?!’
‘OMG Sukuna liked (Y/N)s posts!!’
‘Sukuna is so gross and toxic, you better stay away from (Y/N)!’
‘SUKUNA YOU GAY NOW’
‘EW why the fuck do you like this bitch?’
There were hundreds of comments that he waded through. Most were from his fans, expressing disgust at how many photos of yours he’d liked and wondering why he, Sukuna, most heterosexual alpha male on the planet, would like a pretty in pink Youtuber who had bubbly intros and whined when their animal crossing villagers wanted to move away.
Other comments were from your fans, some in awe that he would like you considering how much he said he hated overly cute things. Other fans expressed concern, worried what this might mean for their favorite Youtuber. Did Sukuna want to cause problems, potentially hurting you? He did have a reputation of bullying others, so this wasn’t far fetched.
Checking your Instagram, you didn’t make any comment about it. There wasn’t any update or anything, but on his end he was being tagged in endless Twitter threads with screenshots of him liking your posts and commenting under them.
“For fucks sake.” He grunted, clenching his phone in his hands. The amount of notifications he was getting were starting to upset him and he nearly threw his phone to get them to stop.
Ignoring his phone for the rest of the day, Sukuna went to the gym like he always did and trained with his clients. Some of them brought it up to him, asking him if he had a mind break last night and forgot what he was doing. Sending them harsh glares, Sukuna refused to talk about it.
“Oh my fucking god.” Sukuna nearly wailed when he got home, finally checking his phone. His name and yours had begun trending, and the hashtag #protect(Y/N) was also. Muttering angrily under his breath, Sukuna turned on Instagram live.
“Okay what the fuck!” He shouted, seeing the live become instantly flooded with people all screaming about you and him. “You’re all fucking annoying, you know that?” Glaring harshly at the camera, he read some of the comments that went by.
‘WHY’D YOU LIKE (Y/N)S POSTS FROM 2017’
‘Are you two secretly dating??’
‘COLLAB!’
“Who gives a shit why I liked their stuff, you’re a fucking weirdo for keeping track of me. And we aren’t secretly dating, dipshits.” Rolling his eyes, Sukuna scoffed as more comments came in begging for a collaboration. “And think about it you morons, why would we collab? Our shit is too fucking different, what would we even film about?”
Sukuna stayed on Instagram live for nearly an hour answering questions asking about you. Every time he had to answer that you weren’t secretly dating, he got a little more annoyed. Not at the comments themselves but at the fact that it was true; you didn’t even know he existed.
Ending the live in a huff, Sukuna didn’t feel any better than before, and it was made even worse by the fact that everything he said was being relayed to Twitter, and you were tagged in every tweet.
“These idiots!” Staring at his phone, Sukuna couldn’t believe what he was seeing. On your Instagram stories, you’d posted a q&a for your followers, and nearly all of the comments were about Sukuna.
“Hi everyone! No, me and Sukuna aren’t dating!” You said, laughing a little to ease how uncomfortable you were. “To be honest, I’ve never even heard of him before! As you know, my content is very...different from his, so our circles don’t exactly intersect. But I’m always happy to have new followers and potential friends!”
“Fuck me.” Sukuna groaned, cringing at how uncomfortable you looked having to address the sudden onslaught of questions. For once he wished he’d actually given a shit about his online presence, so that maybe one day your circles could intersect. He knew he scared you, he scared a lot of people, and this was just proof.
“Uh, Sukuna if you see this, hi it’s nice to meet you!” You said in the next slide, puffing out your cheeks and waving cutely at the camera. It made Sukuna blush, and he hated it. “Thank you for following me and liking my content! I was very surprised that you found me!”
“Of course I did, idiot, you’re fucking cute.” He muttered under his breath.
“I know a lot of people are asking for us to do a video together and I know our content is really different, so don’t feel pressured to respond or anything, but the offer is open! If you’d like, we can collab on something.”
“On what?” He asked like you were there.
“I cook sometimes, and I know you cook too! Maybe we can make a cooking video? You can teach me how to make healthy food or something!” Sukuna could tell a fake laugh when he heard one, and you definitely had one right now. “Anyways, thank you! Bye Sukuna!” But hearing you say his name cutely like that made him not care.
He nearly responded right away, accepting the collab offer now that you’d spoken about it, but he didn’t want to seem desperate. He watched through the rest of your Instagram stories, going back and replaying the parts where you talked about him over and over and his heart clenched every time when you said his name.
In the dead of night, Sukuna DM’s you after watching your latest video and leaving the simple comment ‘check your DM’s’.
“Fuck, what should I say?” He’s suddenly stumped as he looks at the keyboard. Typing and retyping a message, in the end all he can say is hi. He doesn’t expect a reply, ever, but when he gets a vibration on his phone two seconds later he jumps to read it.
(S/N): hi Sukuna! :)
(cursedgod): hey
Real fucking smart, repeating what he just said.
(S/N): is there something you wanted to talk to me about?
(S/N): I hope you haven’t been annoyed at all the notifications you’ve been getting!
(cursedgod): No it’s okay
(cursedgod): we can collab if you want
Good Sukuna, good. Play it cool, don’t let them know that your fingers are actually trembling because you’re nervous.
(S/N): do you want to?? I don’t want to pressure you! I know we’re pretty different haha
(cursedgod): yeah, let's do it. Cooking?
(S/N): sure!
Looking around his home, he was suddenly assaulted with the fact that he didn’t have any furniture. He barely had a proper bedroom, just a mattress on a bare frame and a dresser. His lounge room was the same with his computer setup in one corner and then nothing else. There was only a couch, a mounted TV and a fold out table and chairs for his dining room.
(cursedgod): I know a studio kitchen we can use, I’ll send you the address
Thank god he’d done promo work for a brand in a studio one day, otherwise he’d be fucked.
(S/N): awesome! I’m free next Saturday!
And just like that, it was a date. Well, a meeting. Sukuna knew it wasn’t a date, but his heart still thumped like it was one. Confirming the time, he ended the conversation with a curt goodbye and obsessed about it throughout the night.
When the day to meet you came, Sukuna nearly ran late trying to pick out his clothes. He’d never cared about looking good or presenting himself well in front of others, whatever version of him he turned up in was what they got. But for you, he wanted to try a little harder.
Waiting outside the studio space, Sukuna rubbed his hands together nervously. You’d messaged a day or two ago offering to put the video on your channel since it probably wouldn’t fit his aesthetic, so he didn’t have to bring his shitty camera equipment.
“S-sukuna?” Snapping his head up, Sukunas mouth fell open looking at your curious face a few feet away, an Uber driving off behind you. You were even cuter in person, just his fucking luck. How was he expected to act like a normal person when his recent obsession was here looking better than he could have imagined.
“Hi.” What comes out is a grunt, not the smooth word he’d hoped. He can see you eyeing him up, taking in all the thick and corded muscles of his body. It made his chest puff out a little, he worked hard for this physique and to have you so openly looking at him made him happy.
“It’s nice to meet you!” Sticking your hand out, you smiled politely at him.
“Same.” Shaking your hand with a firm grip, Sukuna could feel the difference in your palms. Yours was soft and nicely moisturized and he had callouses everywhere and a few cuts and scrapes.
Opening the door for you, Sukuna led you to the studio space he’d rented out. It was a clean and modern kitchen, not unlike his own, but it had appliances and looked actually lived in. Helping you set up a few camera angles, Sukuna felt a pang of nerves hit him in the stomach.
“Sukuna, can we take a picture together?” You asked before starting, and Sukunas brow furrowed deeply. Why would you want to take a picture with him? His expression must have scared you, because you quickly backtracked. “F-for promo for this video, on Instagram and stuff!”
“Sure.” God, did he feel bad or what. He shouldn’t have made that face at you, now you wouldn’t look him in the eye. Crouching down to get the right angle for you, Sukuna watched you pick a cute animal filter.
“Just do what I do.” Throwing up a peace sign, you cutely tilted your head from side to side and smiled. Sukuna tried to do the same but he looked awkward, and most of all he was blushing pretty bad.
You snapped a multitude of pictures, some at different angles and some with different filters, and in all of them Sukuna was blushing at least a little. He managed to smile more as it went on, even laughing at one of the filters.
“Thanks! I’m going to post these really quick and then we can get started!” Giving him a brief smile, you turned back to your phone and set about editing some of the pictures. Looking over your shoulder, Sukuna could see that he looked like a blushing high schooler meeting their idol for the first time and not a grown man.
Once the photos were posted and you tagged him in everything, it was time to start. Setting up your marks on the floor, you took a generous drink of water and cleared your throat.
“Are you ready for the intro? I’ll start it and introduce you, okay?” You’d actually prepared a script for yourself, and showed Sukuna as well.
“Okay.” Stepping in front of the camera, Sukuna bristled at feeling you so close to him. Your arm brushed his casually as you were fixing your shirt, and Sukuna was glad he’d worn his most expensive cologne for this.
“Hi everyone, welcome to today's video! As you know, I’m (Y/N), and today we have a special guest today!” Throwing your arms in the air, you motioned to Sukuna.
“Hi.” He nodded, barely cracking a smile. He could feel you looking at him like you wanted to say something, but he didn’t look.
“So, many people have been asking for us to do a collaboration and it’s finally here!” Clapping your hands lightly, you rocked on your heels and nudged his shoulder with yours. “Do you want to tell them what we’ll be doing today?”
“Uh-” The playful nudge you’d given him was enough to make Sukuna short circuit. “I-I-” He suddenly couldn’t remember how to speak. “Rice?”
“Let’s try that again.” You laughed. “Do you want to tell them what we’ll be doing today?” This time, you didn’t nudge him with your shoulder.
“We’re gonna…” the words were on the tip of his tongue, they wanted to come out and be spoken but he couldn’t do it.
“It’s okay, it’s okay!” Nodding reassuringly, you took a deep breath in and out, and Sukuna shakily copied. “One more try?” When he looked at you, Sukuna expected to see a hint of annoyance in your face, but there was none. You were just smiling softly at him, waiting for his answer.
“Yeah. I’ll uh, I’ll get it next time.” Stepping away from the camera, Sukuna took a drink of water and cleared his throat. Cracking the bones in his neck, he took a deep breath and came back. “Let’s do it.” No more fucking embarrassments.
“Do you want to tell them what we’ll be doing today?” You asked for the third time, slightly swaying your body side to side this time.
“We’re gonna make katsudon today.” Finally, the words he wanted to say came out.
“That’s right! As you can see, Sukuna is really fit!” You immediately hopped in, giving his arm a brief squeeze. “And he knows how to make a ton of healthy meals!”
“Mhmm.”
“So I asked if he could help teach me, and all of you at home, how to make it!” Smiling at the camera, you waited a few seconds before relaxing and turning it off. “Did you like that? We can refilm it if you want.”
“No, it’s okay.” Running a hand through his hair, he pointed to the bag of rice he’d brought. “Let’s get started on this shit.”
Taking fifteen minutes to film the two of you filling up the rice cooker, when it was over, you set about getting aesthetic shots of the other ingredients. Sukuna tried to seem casual off to the side on his phone, but he was really watching you.
Getting started on chopping the ingredients, Sukuna somehow managed to say the things he was supposed to without stuttering too badly. He was amazed that you could make the things he was doing sound so interesting, your narration as you held the camera and tried to do things yourself was impressive to the man that barely knew anything about cameras.
“Sukuna, I need help cutting the meat.” You whined, tapping the meat on the cutting board with a knife. “I don’t remember how you showed me.”
“Here.” Without thinking, Sukuan grabbed your hand with the knife in it and moved it for you. “You just have to move your wrist more, it’s not that hard.” Doing it a few times, when Sukuna felt your chest expand with air against his, that’s when he realized how close the two of you were. “S-sorry.” Immediately jumping back, he stared at the floor.
“Thanks!” Giving him a smile, you kept at it.
“I’ll fry the meat.” Stepping in as soon as you were done, Sukuna already had the hot oil ready. He was eager to cook and do something with his hands instead of - what he felt like - was awkwardly watching you off to the side.
“Okay!” Grabbing the camera, you focused on the pan. “You’re really good at this, Sukuna!”
“T-thanks.” Staring directly at the pan, Sukuna didn’t look away. Even with the hot oil popping up from the pan a few times and burning his fingers, he didn’t flinch at all.
“Ow!” But you did. Your hand had gotten too close, and when Sukuna flipped the meat, some of the oil had gotten on your hand.
“Shit.” Abandoning the pan, Sukuna was ready to drag you over to the sink for some cool water.
“I-it’s okay, it was only a little.” Shaking your stinging hand, you point to the food. “But I think the meat might burn.”
“Shit!”
Narrowly avoiding disaster with the meat, when it came time to cook the eggs, you made a joke about how you liked your eggs in the morning and Sukuna burnt them almost immediately. While not an overtly sexual comment, the implications of the words still affected him.
Somehow, he managed to make the dish come together and while his plated dish didn’t come out the best, yours looked at least halfway decent with overcooked meat and burnt eggs. The only things not messed up were the rice and vegetables, and even then Sukuna was surprised.
“We did it everyone, we made katsudon!” Holding up the bowls, you smiled big and nudged Sukunas shoulder again. “You saw we had a few mishaps along the way, but that’s okay, that’s what made it fun.”
“Yeah, it was fun.” Sukuna chuckled. Despite him being more nervous than he’d ever thought possible, he had fun cooking alongside you.
“Sukuna, will you try mine? I made it super pretty and everything.” Holding your dish up to him, Sukuna wasn’t expecting you to do that. Now he felt bad that his looked so ugly and like a teenaged boy made it; he almost said no.
Eating yours though, somehow it tasted better than he was expecting. It must have been how you prepared it, and the fact that you cared so much about the presentation. Eating it in silence, he let you eat in peace as well for a few minutes and compliment the food to the camera.
“Alright, that’s the end of the video!” Putting your bowl down, you turned to Sukuna. “I had so much fun today, thanks for filming this with me.” Now was his chance to make everything better. Putting his bowl down and bolstering himself with confidence, Sukuna threw his arm over your shoulder and pulled you close to him.
“Thank you (Y/N), I really did enjoy today. I hope we can film again soon!” He squeezed your shoulder and smiled really big at not only you but the camera as well. He knew he was blushing, he knew that even the tip of his nose was a nice rosy shade, but he didn’t care. If people teased him for it, then so be it. But he wanted you to know how he truly felt.
“R-really? You want to?” You asked, looking up at Sukuna from your place smooshed against his body.
“Really.”
“Aww, well you heard it here first everyone! Sukuna wants to shoot another video with me!” Clapping your hands a few times, you waved at the camera. “Okay, bye everyone!”
“Bye.” Sukuna waved too, waiting a few seconds before letting you go and turning off the camera.
“Sukuna, did you really mean it? You want to film another video with me?” You were in utter disbelief. All this time, he’d just seemed very standoffish, if not a little awkward around you. You were happy to film this video with him, he had way more followers than you and it would help boost both your channels, and to hear him say that just made it even better.
“Yeah, I was serious.” Sukuna spoke around stuffing his mouth with the food he still had left. He was more hungry than he thought, the nerves doing a good job of twisting his stomach during the video. Now that it’s over, he can finally relax.
“That makes me really happy.” Eating the rest of your food as well, you leant against the counter. “This is gonna sound kind of mean, but I was really scared to film with you today. I thought you were going to be really mean.”
“Shit, you did?” He grimaced, letting out a sigh. “Sorry I had you worried.” He could already imagine the comments you would get from his fans.
“It’s okay! You’re actually way nicer in person, I was surprised!”
“That’s good.”
“And you’re really buff, you have muscles in places I didn’t even know were possible!” You laughed bashfully at that comment, and avoided looking at him when he stared at you in shock. “I couldn’t help but notice…”
Were you checking him out? Had you been checking him out this whole time and he didn’t even realize? He had seen you eyeing him up when you first met, but were you looking at him like that at other times as well? Now he’d really have to watch your video to see if it was true.
“Thanks, it’s my job.” Could he have said that any lamer? “My job outside of all this, I mean. I’m a trainer at this fancy gym downtown.”
“Oh, I’ve seen some of your videos at your gym! I know which one you’re talking about.”
“You do? You’ve seen my videos?” If he wasn’t surprised before, he was now.
“Yeah, you know I had to do a little research beforehand.” You nodded, beginning to clean up the dishes around you. “And I know you’ve already watched almost all of my videos, so it only seemed fair.”
Did you have to bring that up? Now Sukuna was embarrassed again.
“Y-yeah, I did.” Clearing his throat, Sukuna helped gather the dishes. He took up washing them, another task he could do to get his mind off you. As you took down the camera equipment, he nearly broke several dishes and utensils from scrubbing too hard.
“I’ll call you an Uber.” He said when all was said and done and you were back at the front of the building.
“You don’t have to, it’s okay.”
“No, I want to.” Quickly calling you a ride, Sukuna fiddled with his phone a little more. “Uh, could I- could I-” His voice kept leaving him, and he had to cough a few times. “Can I get your number? I really liked your camera shit and I want to improve mine.” Okay, it wasn’t a total lie. He did like your setup and wanted to make his just as good, but he really wanted your number to potentially talk to you more about things outside of Youtube.
“Sure! Go ahead and type it in.” You were quick to give him your phone, a cute pink phone case on the back of it. Typing it in, he can’t help but notice the little devil emoji you add by his name. He wants to ask, but your ride is already pulling up.
“Bye!” Setting all your camera gear inside the car, you turn and wave goodbye.
“See ya.” Just as you’re about to close the car door, Sukuna gets a burst of confidence. “Text me when you get home, okay?”
“Okay!” And off you go. Sukuna watches the car drive off until he can’t see it anymore. He takes his time getting to his own place, eagerly awaiting your message with every step. But even when you do message him, all he can do is send a thumbs up back and nothing else.
It’s about two and a half days after that that you text him again, letting him know you’re done editing and that you’re going to post the video soon. It wasn’t a very long video to begin with, so the editing was simple enough. Sukuna replied with what appeared to be a lackluster ‘can’t wait’, but on the inside he was shaking. He’d already screenshot all the pictures the two of you took together and added them to a folder.
“Here we go.” As soon as the video went live, Sukuna watched it. He was mortified as soon as it started at the blush so evident on his cheeks, and how it stayed throughout the whole thing. He groaned at the part where he helped you cut up the meat, he almost wishes you’d cut it out. Every little detail that made him embarrassed was there, every little nuance of his actions you’d managed to capture and make it cute.
(Y/N): How do you like it??
You texted him after twenty minutes, eager to hear his thoughts.
(Sukuna): it’s good, good editing and stuff
(Y/N): yay! I’m going to read comments in a few hours, you should too! I bet people will be really shocked!
(Sukuna): yeah no doubt
Oh, he was definitely going to read the comments. Whereas you were going to wait for a fair few to come in before commenting, Sukuna frequently refreshed the page and read the new ones as they came in. You were right, a lot of people were surprised, but he also saw a lot of his fans as well.
‘Ew Sukuna really cooked for that bitch? They can’t do it themselves?’
‘Yeah, why do they have to rely on him? Useless as fuck lol’
‘Sukuna only did this to get laid, (Y/N) looks like an easy fuck’
All of those comments, and many more, made his blood boil. Usually, he wouldn’t care at all about the comments, letting them fester in his comment section and spiral out of control. But for you, it was different.
‘Fuck off and die you pieces of shit. Leave (Y/N) alone or say it to my fucking face’
Sukuna sent that message, along with a variety of other threats, to all the people that insulted you. He didn’t care that this wasn’t his channel and that you would deal with it in whatever way you wanted to. He needed to defend you against the unwanted audience he’d brought you.
Luckily, after seeing Sukunas messages, all of his fans backed off. They knew how serious he was about his threats and there were many rumors that he actually did go and beat people up who said things he didn’t like. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of his torment.
With Sukunas name attached to the video and his heavy presence in the comment section, the video easily went viral. It was easily the most viewed video on your channel, getting on the trending pages of several different platforms.
(Sukuna): hey
It’s nearly a week after the first video that Sukuna messages you, and the hype is still going strong, and your follower count grows greatly from it.
(Y/N): hi! What’s up?
(Sukuna): do you want to film a video for my channel now? We can play a game, I have a few
(Y/N): sure that sounds fun!
Oh how wrong you were. The game Sukuna chose was a scary game, a shooter game with scary zombies and a lot of possible jumpscares. He doesn’t tell you either, so on the night of filming - he insisted on it being nighttime to get the full scary effect - you were caught off guard.
“I don’t know about this.” You whined once you saw the title. The two of you were video calling alongside playing the game together, and Sukuna’s eyes flicked to your figure on the screen.
“It’ll be okay, I’ll carry you, don’t worry.” He had started filming as soon as he’d set up the game, and you were filming yourself as well for him.
“You promise it won’t be too scary?”
“If it’s too scary just close your eyes and I’ll protect you.” Smiling softly at you, he started up the game. The beginning was fine, just a quick introduction to the game, but as soon as things started to get moving, you were scared.
“Sukuna a zombie is eating me!” You screamed, frantically pushing buttons in an attempt to get it off.
“It’s okay!” He quickly got rid of it, and made sure to stay close to your character as the story progressed.
“(Y/N) stay by me, there’s about to be a whole lot of them.”
“Close your eyes there’s about to be a jump scare here.”
“Don’t worry about getting that item, I’ll grab it for you!”
Sukuna nearly forgot he was being filmed, saying sweet things to you to help encourage you and make sure you weren’t overwhelmed. There were many parts where you screamed in fright and Sukuna was there to coo at you and tell you it was okay. He made sure that your character never died, making sure to keep you close until the end of the game.
“Sukuna, that was so hard!” Squishing your cheeks in your hands, you looked at him through your phone.
“It was fun though, wasn’t it? I had fun with you.” Completely abandoning the game, he stared down at his phone with a soft smile on his face.
“Yeah, when there weren’t so many zombies.” You stuck your tongue out at him, and it made him laugh. Leaning his head into his hand, Sukuna grinned when you yawned.
“Aw, are you tired? Better go to sleep soon.” His voice dropped to a lower volume, like you were right next to him.
“I will.” You yawned again and it made Sukuna yawn as well.
“Get off the phone and go to bed, you’re making me tired too.”
“Fine.” Whining out the word, you waved sleepily. “Goodnight Sukuna, I’ll send you the video files in the morning, okay?”
“Night.” Waving back, Sukuna waited until you hung up to turn his stuff off as well.
In the morning, Sukuna was ready to edit. What usually took him a week to edit out of laziness, he took only a day to edit this video with you together. Rewatching the footage, he nearly gagged at seeing how soft his face got when he looked at you, and most of those parts were left in because he couldn’t stand to watch them and fix them.
(Sukuna): videos up
The next day, he messaged you. Once again Sukuna patrolled the comments, swiftly deleting any that said even a hint of a bad thing about you. There was less this time, what with Sukuna adding a warning at the beginning of the video threatening anyone that talked down at you.
This video, like the first, went viral. But for a much different reason. Since Sukuna was emotionally unable to deal with how sappy he was and edit those parts out, everyone got to see how soft he was for you. If the comments weren’t mean, they were screaming about how you and Sukuna must be dating now, because why else would he look at you and talk to you like that?
And much to Sukuna’s dismay, there were also fancam edits of you two together. Any clippable moment of him being sweet on you in the videos you’d made together along with the photos you’d posted on Instagram were edited together and posted on Twitter. You both were tagged in every single one, making sure Sukuna saw all the videos of you and him together. He saved all of them too, delighting in the way you looked with him with all those pretty filters.
By the end of the day, people were trying to put a ship name together for the two of you and he’s seen you repost a few fancams with cute messages of thanks as well. Seeing you receptive to the fans screaming about the two of you made him happy, even if he was still too nervous to text you about anything outside of Youtube.
As more comments came in, people on Twitter were begging him to do a vlog with you. You had quite a few on your channel, going to cafes or filming what your day or week was like. Sukuna had watched them all and was jealous of every single person that appeared alongside you.
(Y/N): hey I’m doing a live on Instagram if you want to join me! I know people really like us together lol it’ll be great for views
(Sukuna): sure
Did you want him to join now? He’d just gotten out of the shower and thrown on a pair of sweats, he wasn’t exactly decent. But he didn’t want to waste time getting ready only for you to end the live.
“Hi Sukuna!” You smiled and waved when he appeared on the screen.
“Hey.” He waved back, not caring about the angle he was holding the camera in. He saw hearts begin to fill up the screen and comments started to fly by, almost all in caps about the fact he was shirtless talking to you.
“Guys, don’t be weird! Who cares that Sukuna is shirtless?” You tried to stop them, but it was clear you were flustered as well. You weren’t looking at him, peeking at him through the screen a few times.
“God you’re all thirsty as fuck.” Sukuna finally looked at himself on the screen. He was shirtless and in bed, hair slightly damp and tousled on his pillow. Reading a few comments, he shot up. “Of course I’m wearing pants, you nasty fuck!” Storming out of bed, he stood in front of the only mirror in his house that wasn’t in the bathroom and turned the camera around. “See, look!”
“Oh.” Gasping softly, you were glad Sukuna didn’t notice you screenshot the live. Clad in only gray sweatpants, Sukuna’s freshly cleaned skin gleamed in the light of his bedroom and every single muscle and edge of his body was on display.
“There, told you I wasn’t fucking naked.” Rolling his eyes, he flopped back down on the bed. None of the comments had gotten any better, all of them talking about how hot he was and how you were so lucky to know him in real life.
“L-let's talk about something else.” You stammered, not showing your face on camera for a few minutes. Sukuna laughed at the comments teasing you for being embarrassed, agreeing with some of them under his breath.
“So, what the fuck are you all doing here?” Sukuna posed the question at the chat, but at you as well.
“Well before you came everyone was talking about you...and you know how everyone has been begging for us to vlog?” You started off slowly, peeking an eye at his face.
“Yeah?”
“I wanted to call you to ask how you felt about that?” How he felt? Why did you want to know?
“You couldn’t have texted me that?” That wasn’t necessarily what he wanted to say, but it made you chuckle, so it was okay.
“No! I wanted to ask so everyone could know!”
“I don’t mind it.” If you wanted to vlog with him, he would do it in a heartbeat.
“So…” Worrying your lip, you looked off camera for a few seconds before looking directly at Sukuna. “Would you like to be in a vlog with me, at a cafe? It’s outside the city, kind of far, but we can rent a car or-”
“Yes.” Sukuna interrupted, nodding his head quickly. “I’ll come. We don’t have to rent a car, I’ll drive.”
“Really?” The comments were just as shocked as you were. Sukuna never filmed anywhere but his home and the gym, this would be a monumental occasion.
“Did you want me to say no?”
“No!” You screamed immediately, nearly dropping your phone. “I just- I wasn’t expecting you to say yes!”
“Well I did.” Sukuna bit his lip, running a hand through his hair and flexing his arm. “So I guess it’s a date, huh?” His normal asshole confidence was back now that you were appearing through a screen and not right next to him. A surprised sound came from the back of your throat, and you nearly dropped the phone again.
“Y-yeah! A date!” It felt good to have you flustered for once and not Sukuna. Laughing heartily at you, Sukuna smirked at the comments.
“Was that all you wanted to ask me or was there something more?”
“No, that was it!”
“Alright.” Licking his lip and letting his tongue hang out of his mouth a little, Sukuna watched you bite your lip as well. “Well I’m gonna go, I got stuff to do, but I’ll text you later (Y/N).” Dropping his voice as he said goodbye, Sukuna left the livestream.
“Holy fuck.” As soon as his phone was off, Sukuna let out a breath he’d been holding in. His heart was pounding hard despite how confident he was in his actions. Flirting was nothing new to him, but with you it felt different and like he’d never done it before in his life.
He watched the rest of your livestream while he finished getting ready for bed, laughing at the comments still teasing you about getting flustered with him. The notifications for Twitter were going off as well, and he knew for sure that there were new fancams for him to check out later.
(Y/N): Sukuna!! You’re so embarrassing!
Texting him after your stream, your cheeks were still burning at the memory.
(Sukuna): hey, you said it would be good for views and it was
(Y/N): I know…
(Y/N): did you really mean it, about coming with me?
(Sukuna): of course. If I didn’t want to I would have said no
(Y/N): that’s good lol!
There was a lull in conversation, and Sukuna nearly fell asleep waiting for you to either text him again or for him to figure out what to say next.
(Y/N): so, a date huh? Are you going to bring me flowers?
Now he was awake. He didn’t expect you to bring that up again, and his eyes flew open. Sukuna’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, mind going blank on what to say.
(Y/N): lol just kidding! I know you only said that for the stream! I’ll text you later about the details, I’m about to knock out
(Y/N): goodnight :)
Well shit. Now he definitely wanted it to be a date.
970 notes · View notes
creweemmaeec11 · 3 years
Note
When person A is trying to be mad at person B, so person B tickles person A juuuust enough to make not smiling hard, while teasing them until they eventually crack a smile
Saw this on one of your posts and loved it....so...and uh....villain as person A and hero as person B? And could the hero and villain be lovers? Though it...would be cute.
So sorry for such a long wait! I really don't want to be known for this topic so I'm trying to space them out xD anyway, hope you enjoy!
Original prompt came from this list.
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"Hey, I'm going to make some pasta for supper, is that alright?"
"Yup. Don't break the stove while you're at it," the villain in the bed monotoned, not taking their eyes off the tv as they flipped through the channels.
The hero blinked, before fully stepping into the bedroom as they tilted their head with a lopsided smile, "you're not still mad about earlier are you?"
"Nope," the villain replied sarcastically.
There was an exasperated sigh, "I already said I was sorry! I didn't mean to break your little figurine of me, it was an accident!"
"Mhm,"
"I don't know why you even need one when we live together, it's not like you don't see me enough," they tried to joke, but the villain didn't even bother to reply.
"Come onnnn," the hero groaned, "It was only a cheap little trinket anyway-"
They were cut off by the villain full-on glaring at that comment.
"Wait- no! That's not what I-" The hero sputtered, before catching themselves and taking a breath, "I can just get you another one, okay? There's like hundreds in the hero academy's gift store. Regardless, I can assure you the real deal is way better anyway,"
The villain just rolled their eyes as they glanced back at the screen and flicked to a different channel carelessly.
The hero narrowed their eyes. Something was... off. They knew the villain like the back of their hand, and the other didn't typically get like this.
Usually, if they were upset about something, the villain had no problem being blunt and upfront about what was wrong, and they were rarely petty after whatever dispute had been settled between them.
Which meant, something hadn't been settled yet. The hero was clearly still missing a piece of the puzzle.
"I cleaned it up already, you know, there's no mess," the hero tried.
The villain just hummed in agreement. Nope, it wasn't the mess.
They thought back to the incident, remembering being taken aback at how genuinely upset the villain looked.
"What was so special about it?"
Immediately, the hero saw the villain stiffen slightly, catching the ever so slight red that appeared on their cheeks.
Bingo.
"Nothing," the villain dismissed, "You said yourself it was only a cheap trinket,"
"Uh-huh," the hero drawled, slowly stepping closer, "to which you responded by glaring at me, meaning you clearly disagreed,"
"No, I was-... just saying it-... wasn't helping your case," they argued, "Anyway, weren't you about to go make supper?"
"An obvious lie followed by trying to distract me? Wow, apparently that thing was *very* special,"
Wait, when had the hero gotten that close‽
Before the villain could react the hero grabbed their ankles, pulling them downward on the bed so they fell backwards before jumping up and straddling their waist.
"And apparently," the hero continued, smirking mischievously as they loomed over the other, "you *really* don't want me to find out why,"
The villain paled slightly, looking up like a mouse that had been cornered by a cat before steeling their features and crossing their arms over their chest.
Alright. If that's how they were going to be, challenge accepted.
"Maybe I should talk to the hero academy about making a little figurine of you," the hero commented, while their index fingers began drawing slow circles along the villain's sides.
"Nobody would buy one," the villain grumbled under their breath as they tensed but tried not to make it obvious.
"I dunno about that," the hero replied, fingers creeping higher, causing the villain to twitch whenever the hero brushed over a particularly sensitive spot. "I could imagine kids playing with them like dolls. Maybe they would act out me finally catching you," they teased.
That... was admittedly a pretty funny mental image. But they weren't going to be giving in that easily.
Suddenly the hero's fingers fluttered along their sides, and the villain had to bite their lip to keep from smiling. They couldn't help the way they squirmed slightly, unable to sit completely still any longer.
"Are you gonna tell me yet?" the hero questioned playfully, yet tauntingly, lightening up on their soft tickling momentarily.
The only response they got was in the form of a sharp glare.
The hero shrugged, smirking, "suit yourself," they replied in a tone that was infuriatingly confident the villain would break eventually, and that they were perfectly content to wait. Some perfect balance between mischievous and innocent.
Immediately the villain could feel the sneaky fingers returning to dancing lightly along their sides, and they had to bite their lip to keep from smiling.
The hero above them laughed at this, "Gods you're adorable,"
Okay now that was just plain evil, the villain thought. The hero knew they were still terrible at taking compliments, especially direct ones, and even more so from the hero.
They also knew "adorable" was one of their worst ones. They could take being called smart, clever, even charming, but they'd never get used to being described as sweet, cute, kind, or most of all; adorable.
Unfair. It was completely unfair.
The hero only laughed again as the other lit up bright red beneath them.
They hadn't even done that intentionally, the hero just couldn't help the comment when the villain truly did look the part right now. However, if they were going down the path of flustering the other....
"I love you," the hero suddenly stated out of nowhere, voice and expression sickeningly earnest and genuine. Their eyes were shining as they tilted their head slightly.
Unfair. It was unfair. How could the hero just say things like that so easily?
They only got redder.
The slow circles were *just enough* to make not smiling difficult already. But it was so hard not to smile when the villain heard those words aloud. They were words the villain never thought they'd get to hear! Even hearing them normally caught them off guard!
Still, the villain stayed quiet.
"Last chance," the hero drawled warningly, "Don't make me do something you'll regret,"
They waited a moment, but still got no response. The hero gave an exasperated sigh, "Have it your way. What do you call a tailor that specializes in superhero costumes?"
The villain glanced up in confusion.
"Very *cape-*able,"
The punchline was accompanied by the fingers on their sides speeding up, and the villain broke, hands darting down to stop the hero's fingers as a smile broke out on their face.
"You're an idiot," the villain chuckled lightly, shaking their head.
The hero laughed, genuinely, before leaning down to kiss the villain beneath them, "I'm * your* idiot though,"
The villain hummed mid-kiss in agreement.
"So, what was so special about the figurine?" The hero asked when they broke. Their partner blushed, having momentarily forgotten the consequence of giving in.
The villain sighed, glancing away, "It was the first thing you ever gave me..." they explained quietly, "even if it was only meant as a joke at the time. It was the first thing *anyone* had given me in years, and it happened to be from you..."
There was an unbearable beat of silence, which forced the criminal to risk a glance up. Their lover was looking down at them with the most charmed smile they'd ever seen, which only caused them to blush more.
"I had no idea," they replied, "I promise I'll get you another one, okay?"
"It's alright, don't bother," the villain replied, causing shock to flash on the hero's face. The villain smirked, "You were right anyway" they explained, reaching up to grab the fabric of the hero's collar, "The real deal is so much better,"
With that, they yanked the hero back down again.
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puppypeter · 3 years
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✨ All fics are complete! ✨
He Loves Me Cause I’m Cute, He Thinks I’m Pretty Funny | 2588 words 📱
He watches it back one more time after it posts, checking for typos in his subtitles and captions, and has to laugh again.
Steve fucking Rogers? His brain thought he could pull Captain America, literal superhero and America’s favorite sweetheart?
“Hello I’m a 35 year old amputee living in New York and I think that I could get Steve Rogers.”
OR
the one where bucky posts a tiktok and steve is utterly smitten.
Summer Slipped Us Underneath Her Tongue | 10712 words 🧳
Bucky is a tour guide who enjoys sharing the rich history and culture of each city they pass through with a bunch of early-20's college students who just want to know the cheapest place to get drunk.
Except for Steve, who asks Bucky for a personal tour around his hometown.
The rest is, as they say, history.
You Make My Heart Skip A Beet | 3853 words 🧑🏼‍🍳
“I made soda bread.” Steve lets out the 6’2” supersoldier equivalent of a squeak. “Oh, I love soda bread,” he says eagerly, rolling forward on the balls of his feet like he does when he gets excited. “My mom used to make it all the time when I was growing up.” The tips of Barnes’s ears turn red, and he mutters something that sounds suspiciously like, “I know.”
Ollie Meets Bagel | 5517 words 🥯
He was a skater boy, Steve said let's get bagels, boy.
Steve wants to start doing this twenty-first century thing properly. He gets help in the form of skateboarding, skateboarders, bagels, and Sam Wilson.
Taxi | 5113 words 🚕
Bucky Barnes was, he hoped, a good taxi driver.
He's so good, he actually tries to return lost property that ends up left in his car and... well. It has some unexpected consequences involving a National Icon.
Enough said.
Leg Day | 12157 words 🏋️‍♂️
“So talk to him,” Sam says.
“I can’t,” Bucky groans. “I can’t, Sam, I. He just.” He fluffs his hair up and stares at Sam, distraught. “I want him to bench press me.”
“Okay, so it’s serious,” Sam interprets. “Got it."
(Or: The one where Sam is Bucky's long-suffering roommate, Bucky is a hot mess of a millennial, and Hot Steve spends far too much time on the Lat Pull-Down machine.)
Love In Aisle Four | 2127 words 🛍️
When Bucky needs to swing by the supermarket after a long, hard day of work, the last thing he expects is to meet a cute grocery clerk named Steve…
Coming Up Easy | 45515 words ✍🏻
“Listen, I was just thinking,” Steve says, his face open, eyebrows raised in a tentatively hopeful expression. “Why don’t you come stay at my place for a while? I’ve got an office that I barely use, and a change of scenery might do you good, right? Help you beat that writer’s block?” With a crooked smile, he adds, “I promise I’m not a serial killer.”
While Bucky would normally crack a joke about how that’s exactly what a serial killer would say, right now, all he can do is blink at Steve in surprise, heart tripping over itself in his chest. Steve wants him to come and stay at his place. In Massachusetts. Just the two of them.
"Oh," Bucky croaks. "I- Wow."
“I mean, no pressure,” Steve says hastily. “Totally fine if you don’t wanna. I just thought I’d offer, in case it might help, y’know?”
“Yeah.” Bucky ignores the little voice in his head that sounds an awful lot Nat and Becca, telling him he’s setting himself up for heartbreak. “I mean, if you’re sure, that would be amazing.”
Anywhere The Wind Blows | 8845 words 👨‍🚒🎖️
After a catastrophic fire that shakes him to his core, Steve Rogers quits his job as a Brooklyn firefighter and relocates to a cabin in the remote Canadian wilderness, wanting quiet and solitude and to maybe never have to speak to another human being ever again. He gets his wish, more or less, until a recently injured Bucky Barnes is discharged from the Army and rents the cabin next door.
The Safer Course | 7918 words | Part 1 of Won’t You Be My Neighbor 🏡
When Steve moves to the suburbs in 2033, he intends to retire from superhero life.
He does not intend to fall in love with his pain-in-the-ass neighbor.
Every Year I Have You | 7064 words | Part 2 of Won’t You Be My Neighbor 🏡
Steve set the bar pretty high, as birthday presents go.
Bucky is determined to outdo him when July 4th comes around.
Beneath The Mistletoe | 21203 words 🎄
Bucky had a bet with his sister that if he didn’t have a boyfriend to bring home for Christmas by the time he was 25, he had to give her $200 and go blonde for a year. But now he's 25, it’s nearing December, and not only is Bucky as single as ever, but he’s also running low on cash. He doesn’t exactly want to bleach his hair, either.
At least Steve is willing to upgrade their relationship from best friends to fake boyfriends.
The Settler | 52203 words 🍞
“What do you want to do?”
Steve pauses and looks at them.
What he wants is to stay with them. He doesn't have any family left, they all died before he even joined the war and became... this. Captain America turned whatever he is now. But Natasha and Sam have become his family over the years. Not just because they're on the run together, fugitives and vigilantes, but way before that too.
He doesn't want to leave that.
But he knows that, realistically, he can't stay with them and they can't stay with him.
So he looks at them with a smile and lies. “I don't know.”
OR; In which Steve retires and finally finds a place to call home.
You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory | 1148 words 🐈
"Alright, Bucky," Steve slows his steps, watches his neighbour stop at the bottom of the next flight of stairs. There's a canvas bag in his hand that Steve didn't notice earlier, cream coloured with the figure of a sleeping, black cat painted on it. "Have a good day."
He thinks Bucky's cheeks pink up a bit right then and there, but Steve can't tell. He's too distracted by his pounding, foolish heart, by the way Bucky smiles bashfully, and ducks his head. The way he seems like he wants to stay.
To Believe In Tomorrow | 3959 words 👨🏻‍🌾
Bucky's mornings at the community garden get a little more interesting when the new guy shows up.
Maybe This Christmas | 24873 words | Part 1 of Maybe ❄️
Bucky’s not going home for Christmas. But it’s fine. He’s spending Christmas alone in his apartment, but it’s cool. He’s not feeling up to seeing his family after his accident anyway, plus he has to work. He’s totally fine with it. But then he runs into Steve, literally, and suddenly his Christmas isn’t looking so empty after all.
-----
Hurrying was a bad idea. Bucky’s foot hits a patch of ice and slides out from under him in what would have been a comical cartoon banana-peel-like trip, if it wasn’t happening to him, and he braces himself to hit the ground. This is going to hurt.
“Fuck,” Bucky screeches, but as he lands on his back, it’s not the cold hard concrete he expected, but a solid mass beneath him. Oh god, Bucky thinks as he realises he smacked into the person behind him and took them down with him.
Maybe This Year (Will Be Better Than Last) | 133868 words | Part 2 of Maybe ❄️
Last year, Bucky Barnes met Steve Rogers. Well actually, he slipped and fell on him. What followed was the best Christmas either of them had ever had. But what happens when Christmas is over and life returns to normal? What happens after the Christmas miracle?
-----
Bucky should have known. He did know. When things seem too good to be true, they usually are. And Steve is the best thing that has happened to him in a long time, possibly ever, so of course it couldn’t last.
Maybe This Time (I Hope I Get The Chance To Say Goodbye) | 34561 words | Part 3 of Maybe ❄️
Steve and Bucky Barnes are happily married. They've made it through some hard times and come out stronger and happier, together. Then Steve gets called on to come out of retirement for the most important mission of his life and everything changes. Everything.
-----
“Have yourself a merry little Christmas…” Steve starts singing along softly, and Bucky chuckles, before leaning his head onto Steve’s shoulder, always happy when he’s in Steve’s arms.
“From now on, our troubles will be miles away…” Bucky joins in.
Dancing round their living room, just as in love as ever, their troubles seem light-years away, if not non-existent.
Sadly, they’re closer than they think.
The Unexpected Gift | 9504 words | Part 1 of When Winter Comes 🐕
Steve Rogers is fine.
After ending a long-term relationship with Sam Wilson, Steve moves back to New York. He's tired and lonely but depressed? No. At least, that's what he thinks.
From the window of his apartment, he watches a dark-haired man and his service dog sitting in the park, wondering what his story is.
The Winter Storm | 2218 words | Part 2 of When Winter Comes 🐕
"If I could give you one thing in life, I would give you the ability you see yourself through my eyes, only then would you realize how special you are to me."
After Bucky and Steve confessed their feelings for each other, life has its own twisted way to challenge the most profound love.
One January Night | 4213 words | Part 3 of When Winter Comes 🐕
Before going back to work, Steve Rogers still has things to learn: 1- Depression is a bitch and the battle against it isn't an easy one. 2- Dating a person with disabilities comes with its share of challenges.
Bucky Barnes Has His Shit Together (And Other Lies He Tells Himself) | 14159 words 🔒
You’d think a guy who owns one of the most successful bakeries in Brooklyn, has a million-dollar smile and that antiquated good ol’ boy charm, blond hair and blue eyes and biceps for days, would know what’s what.
But don’t let that fool you: Steve Rogers is a mess.
Obvious | 917 words ☕
"Oh, I have a prompt! So, it makes me laugh how painfully obvious Steve and Bucky's feelings are to everyone when they're in that pining, slowburn, does-he-doesn't-he phase. But imagine Steve and Bucky working in a coffee shop together and constantly bickering, nudging and playfully flirting with each other. And all the employees and patrons are so invested in their relationship and just want them to kiss already but no one realizes that Steve and Bucky have been married since they got out of HS."
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emmikay · 2 years
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Emmikay’s CATS Field Notes
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Okay, I finally got everything typed up!
First I want to say that I’m so happy that I got see the show! The cast did an amazing job, and it looked like they were having fun. I hope they were, the audience loved them. It was absolutely worth both the wait, and the stress of getting there. 
These are my thoughts on the individual songs, and fun moments I noticed during them! I tried to write these out as clearly as possible. And I know there’s probably so much that I missed in the background, but this is what stood out to me!
Act One
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Opening
The opening was a lot of fun. I did spend some of the time pinning down who everyone was, but it was a lot of fun picking them out of the crowd. It actually took me awhile to find Tugger/ Bill Bailey.
I also feel sorry for the person in the seat they picked out for ‘the man over there’. Maybe they had already seen CATS, but I think if it were me, I’d still be scared. They made it sound very accusatory as well, which I found pretty funny. ‘The Naming of Cats’ was still appropriately creepy. I think one of the ladies in front me had never seen CATS, because she turned to friend as asked “What is happening?” It was too bad they couldn’t go into the isles during this tour, but I still enjoyed the eyes appearing on stage during the overture.
Jennyanydots, the Old Gumbie Cat
Jenny seemed really sweet, and was acting with a lot of energy. The whole number was very cute as a whole. I noticed that Skimbleshanks brought out the mouse masks, called over the mice, who I think were Victoria, Sillabub and Rumpleteazer, and handed out their masks. The cockroaches were Tumblebrutus, Pouncival and either Plato or Mungojerrie, but I’m not sure which. Both the mice and cockroaches stayed on stage for quite a bit of the number.
Another very cute thing I noticed, is that Misto was helping Jenny out a lot during her number, guiding her around, helping her sit down and get back up when she was in the first costume. There was also a moment where Jenny seemed to space out, and Misto was trying to gentling get her attention again.
Throughout the entire musical, it seemed like Misto was trying to help out and be as useful as possible. I interpreted it as Misto trying to prove he’s a mature adult now, who should be taken Seriously.
The Rum Tum Tugger
Tugger! Zach Bravo was delightful, of course. He’s just so much fun to watch. The whole number was very fun. I’m pretty sure Tugger flirted with most of the cats on stage in one way or another, other than Munkustrap, who he was definitely trying his best to annoy, as any little brother would do. I noticed Munkustrap and Alonzo plotting by the car just before they did the ‘Terrible Bore’ line.
There were a lot of cute moments between Tugger and Misto as well. At the start of the number, Misto and Skimbleshanks were sitting of the car together. Skimbleshanks seemed to smooth down Misto’s white neck fluff, before Misto joined the dancing. My friend and I agreed that it had very strong ‘Dad straightening his son’s tie before he goes on a date’ vibes. Tugger and Misto had great chemistry, which made the added choreography of them dancing together very fun to watch.
After Misto made the spotlights for Tugger, he crawled through Tugger’s legs. Tugger was pelvic thrusting while he was doing this, and if that’s not symbolism, I don’t know what it was.
Do to the lack of kitten characters in this production, most of the female characters were in the ‘squealing circle’ at the end, including Demeter and Cassandra. Misto was also part of it.
Grizabella the Glamour Cat
I’ve made my feeling about post-revival Grizabella known, so I won’t repeat them. That being said, Tayler Harris did a really good job, and I felt legitimately sorry for Grizabella. In this show, Jenny seemed to take the leading role in shooing the kittens, and everyone else away from Grizabella. Jellylorum helped out a bit, but it was mainly Jenny. Tumblebrutus and Pouncival both bullied Grizabella quite a bit and had to be shooed away.
In this show, Munkustrap was being played by Taylor James Rosenberger. He did a really good job, and had a really nice voice. One thing I noticed is that he plays Munkustrap as being very aggressive towards Grizabella. While other Munkustraps have seemed sad or resigned towards her, it was clear that he actively disliked her. It was actually an interesting twist, because usually it’s Tugger who really dislikes her, but in this show it was almost like the roles reversed.
Bustopher Jones, the Cat about Town
Bustopher Jones was quite a bit of fun, he was played as a very jolly, good natured guy. It seemed like he was very much enjoying entertaining all the cats, and all the attention they were giving him. I actually really like the part where several of the characters, I believe it was Munkustrap, Alonzo, Skimbleshanks, Mistoffelees, Victoria, and someone else who I can’t remember start offering food for him to try. I also noticed an interesting moment where at the beginning of the song, Tugger is lounging on the car, and he and Demeter seem to a have a little chat before Demeter goes to join the dancing.
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were pretty good. I read their interactions as best friends rather than siblings or in a relationship, which was fun to watch. In the show, Bustopher Jones doesn’t say his “Toodle-pip” until after Jerrie and Teazer scare everyone,then immediately ran off.
I will say, this is probably the number that entertained me the least. It may just be that I was spoiled watching the 1998 version, but there weren’t a lot of the acrobatics and more entertaining dancing that previous shows have had. The actors themselves did a great job, though. Also, at the end, it was Munkustrap and Plato that hold up their loot bags instead of Alonzo.
Old Deuteronomy
This was a very sweet number, as it should be! Old Deuteronomy seemed like a very warm and happy character, and all of the cats seemed very happy and excited to see him. As I said earlier, Munkustrap had a very nice voice, and did a really good job with this number. And it was very cute when Munkustrap and Tugger started singing together. Tugger had been annoying Munkustrap since his number, so Munk seemed relieved that Tugger was actually acting on his best behaviour for once. Of course, as soon as Old Deuteronomy appeared on stage, Tugger did his mane shimmy, but Old Deuteronomy seemed to find it more amusing than anything else. Tugger also was the one helping Old Deuteronomy up and down the tire. He loves his dad!
The Jellicle Ball
I mean, what can I say? The dancing was amazing, and lighting was fun, and there was so much happening it was hard to take in. All of the cast are really talented, and it was so impressive to see it in person!
I picked up on a lot of little moments in between the dancing. Throughout act one, Misto hangs out with both Skimbleshanks and Cassandra quite often, usually on top of the car. I noticed Tugger hanging out with Cassandra a few times as well. There quite a few interactions between Demeter and Munkustrap. They danced together at the ball, and I noticed that the moves weren’t dissimilar to the choreography between Misto and Tugger one of the times they danced together in The Rum Tum Tugger. There were also several instances where they seemed to check in with each other during scene transitions throughout the act. When Gus entered for the first time towards the end of the Ball, Jellylorum held his hand to help him onstage.
There was one really funny thing when Grizabella appeared after the Pas de Deux. When Misto spots her on the car, he makes all the hanging lights turn on, then jumped on the car himself to try and scare her away. He immediately turned to Jellylorum like: “Did I do a good job?” Grizabella, however, wasn’t scared away, and Munkustrap had to go up and shoo her away. Poor Misto, you tried your best.
Memory: Prelude
All the cats vacated the stage when Grizabella showed up again. Munkustrap stayed the longest, and as he was leaving he was still trying to keep an eye on her. Tayler Harris has a really amazing voice, and I was already excited for how Memory proper was going to sound. Also, during the song, when Grizabella was facing the audience Old Deuteronomy was watching her sadly, however several times she glanced behind her, and whenever she did, he would turn away from her, which I thought was an interesting detail.
Act Two
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Moments of Happiness
There was a guy in my row who never came back during intermission. Weak.
Old Deuteronomy entered the stage a bit before intermission ended, which was cool. It’s too you couldn’t get pictures of him because of COVID, but I was happy I was able to get some photos from my seat.
This song also sounded amazing. It was portrayed as though Old Deuteronomy was trying to lecture the cats, but they just weren’t getting it. Jemima also sounded really good during her solo. One funny moment, right at the beginning, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer skipped onto the stage, only to get a look from Old Deuteronomy, and immediately looked guilty.
Gus, the Theatre Cat
Another sad number, but again, it’s supposed to be. Jellylorum did a good job, and also sold me old the fact she was happy to be talking about Gus’s past, but also sad, because it was likely he would be chosen tonight. At the beginning of the number either Tantomile or Coricopat set out a row of tin cans across the front of the stage and Misto used magic to turn them into stage lights. During the number, most of the cats were gathered at the back of the stage, but a few of the younger ones were sitting around Gus. Jenny and Skimbleshanks were sitting on top of the car together. Skimbleshanks, actually, was the one who looked offended when Gus said that jumping through a hoop doesn’t make you special. Misto was sitting on top of the pipe, and when Tugger entered part way through the song, the two of them seemed to have a quiet conversation.
The Aweful Battle of the Peakes and the Pollicles
This number was very fun! Gus was having a good time living out his glory days, and was acting pretty goofy while he was portraying the Rumpus Cat. During the number Tugger didn’t participate, but moved over to the tire to sit with Old Deuteronomy, and watch the show with him. During the part where everyone is barking at each other Munkustrap almost got trampled, which is when he yelled at everyone. Poor Munk. It’s not even his show anymore, and he still can’t catch a break.
Skimbleshanks, the Railway Cat
Another really fun one! There was a lot of energy, and everyone seemed like they were having a good time. It doesn’t matter what the production, Skimbleshanks is a very popular cat. At the beginning, both Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer helped sing lines, which was adorable!
Tugger didn’t dance for most of the song, only joinng in at the very end, but he was vibing the entire time. Throughout act two I kept glancing up at Tugger, and he was never out of character. Even if he was just standing there, it still felt like he was standing in a way that fit the character. The woman from before seemed amazed when they built the train on stage, which is the absolute correct reaction. Misto was the one holding the train light, which I know he usually does, but it was still adorable.
Macavity the Mystery Cat
When Macavity first appears everyone seemed frozen in place. It was pretty heavily implied that Macavity does have magical powers in this version. Munkustrap stepped forward to confront him, but Macavity glared and pointed at him, and Munkustrap froze, then collapsed on the stage, as if Macavity had forced him to pass out. It was only after that he grabbed Old Deuteronomy. I’m not sure if other productions have included that, but I really liked it. As well, for several of the Macavity scares, it looked to me like Tugger had a more active role of helping to look for him.
Both Demeter and Bombalurina were amazing in the song. It felt really jazzy, but also like they legitimately trying to warn all the other queens who were onstage. Munkustrap and several of the other toms entered towards the end of the number and watched the last bit of it. I’m not sure because I wasn’t focusing on him, but Munkustrap seemed relieved when he was back onstage, either because all of the queens were safe, of because Demeter and Bombalurina were warning everyone.
Macavity Fight
Again, Macavity has pretty apparent magic, because when he enters again he seems to forced several of the queens to start preforming the dance moves from his number again, before Munkustrap intervenes. I always find that really creepy when productions add that detail, and I’m happy it was included here.
The fight itself was intense as well. Poor Munk took quite a beating. After they swiped and threatened each other a bit, Macavity knocked Munkustrap to the ground. He got up pretty quickly, but seemed shaky. He immediately tried to reenter the fight, and then Macavity grabbed him and pinned him against the car, where he slashed at his throat twice. Munkustrap staggered a few steps before collapsing and staying down. It was actually pretty brutal, and I legitimately gasped when it happened. After Munkustrap went down, Macavity went after Demeter, and Alonzo pulled him off of her. That was when the entire tribe started going after Macavity, and he knocked the light out with the jumper cables.
Demeter and Munkustrap still had their cuddles after Macavity disappeared. Poor dears, I think they both really needed it.
Mister Mistoffelees
It’s my boy! Paul Giarratano and Zach Bravo both did an amazing job, and I was so excited to see this is person!
At the beginning, which I think is probably in most productions, the cats turned away from Tugger when he first suggested asking Misto for help, and he had to call them back. Tugger was so supportive of Misto, as any good Tugger should be. I can’t be completely certain, but I’m pretty sure Tugger didn’t take his eyes off of Misto for the entire number, which was so adorable, in my opinion. He loves him so much! I liked all the tricks they did with the lights to create magic effects. It would have cool if they had used flash paper and smoke effects, but this was still fun to watch. The dancing was a lot of fun as well, especially with Misto’s colour changing jacket, and the strings of light around the stage flashing rainbow colours.
Also… (Deep inhale)
I SAW THE CONJURING TURNS! IN PERSON! I SAW MISTO DO THE CONJURING TURNS, AND IT WAS AWESOME! VINDICATION! SWEET SWEET VINDICATION!
Anyway…
The way he brought back Old Deuteronomy was interesting. Instead of using the sheet Misto used magic to give everyone a candle or a like to hold, or something like that. They all gathered together, and when they separated, Old Deuteronomy was in the middle of the group.
When Tugger started singing again, after Old Deuteronomy appeared, it looked like Old Deuteronomy though he was singing about himself, but Tugger immediately redirected his attention to Mistoffelees. Then, after Misto hugged Old Deuteronomy, he and Tugger shimmied and nuzzled together, which was adorable.
The number ended on a funny moment, with Misto making the spotlight get smaller and smaller until it was just illuminating his face, before turning it out completely.
Memory
As I was hoping, this was beautiful, and sounded so amazing. Also, basically the entire thing was performed with Grizabella hunched out, and holy crap? How are you getting those high notes in that position?
When Grizabella first appeared again, Munkustrap stepped forward to chase her off, with Old Deuteronomy stopping him. He stepped forward again, to stop Victoria when she started to approach Grizabella after the number, and Old Deuteronomy had to hold him back again. This Munkustrap really did not like Grizabella.
I noticed that in this production Sillabub often acts similarly to Tugger, spending a lot of time watching the action from one the higher perches. She was doing the same thing in Macavity.
Journey to the Heaviside Layer
Very nice, and it’s always heartwarming when Grizabella is welcomed back into the tribe. Tugger actually reached out to her very quickly. Conversely, Munkustrap was the Second last to touch her, and didn’t actually moved towards her, he only touched Grizabella when she went to see Old Deuteronomy. He never looked her in the eye either, and was acting extremely guilty about the entire thing.
The tire rose up, but they also had what looked like a star bridge descend for Grizabella to climb up, which was a detail I liked.
The Ad-dressing of Cats
Very well sung, by both Old Deuteronomy and the rest of the cast. The lady in front of me seemed confused again, though I don’t know if it was about this song, or what had just happened to Grizabella. Skimbleshanks seemed very excited at the mention of cream.
Bows
Very entertaining! My hands hurt from clapping so much!
A final funny thing, after all the individual bows both Munkustrap and Jenny were teasing Tugger, and trying to steal the spotlight from him!
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So that is that! I had so much fun! If anyone wants to talk more, or ask anything, I would enjoy that, but I hope you liked my field notes, as my friend called them. (I was typing them on my phone during intermission, and immediately after the show)
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theodora3022 · 3 years
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Playing tricks with the trickster
Summary: Failed escape attempt from yandere Childe. He lets you play your cards, even playing along, just for his own amusement.
Notes: My first genshin piece yay... I had a sweet and terrible dream of me running from Childe in the woods. Also some inspiration was drawn from @cinnamonest‘s this post, one big virtual hug to her! I hope I did Childe justice, what can I say I love manipulative smiling boys. It has become a pattern as I dash from one fandom to another. This is had turned out to be longer then I expected...Ginger boy demands my time and energy too much omg. Mind the warnings, although there is nothing extreme in this.
Fun fact, I was looping to Nintendo game by Alessia Cara when writing this down. I believe it fits the theme of this fic quite well.
Tagging: @akutaguagua a great friend who patiently beta-read this mess of a horror dream and gave me lots of kind praises! 
(Offical art belongs to miHoYo! This is a cover page of this video, if there is any issues, contact me and I will remove it at once)
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Warnings: Implied past abduction,dub-con touching, mild degradation, drugging(not on reader), implied non-con/dub-con at the end, this is not healthy love and I do not condone this irl.
It has been nearly a month since the youngest Fatui Harbinger had “taken you in”. After a few tries, you were too horrified by the punishments to continuously fight him. You learned on the first day that Childe’s smiling, the friendly mask would come off towards you. Your behaviour would decide if that is a curse or a “blessing”.
So you had quieted down, struggling to restrain yourself from yelling or screaming, carefully not to provoke his anger. Despite being compliant to his orders, you never truly showed him any affection either. Sure, you would sit on his lap if he asked, but you never initiated anything intimate with him. No matter how much Tartaglia spoiled you with clothes, books, jewelry or other luxuries, he is still the one who holds the commanding end of your shackles. It’s the best not to get used to all of that when your sight is set on the door.
Although he has taken your freedom away, you are not kept in a windowless room. On the contrary, you have too many outings now. Wherever he goes, you have to be present in a 2m radius, including meetings. Being a Harbinger is no easy job, so he prefers not having to worry about your safetly during buisness hours. The best way to do that is never let you out of his sight.
“Love, no one should witness our little problems. Well, no one alive that is.” Of course you wouldn’t want to put innocent people's lives at stake. You never dared to act out when you two are in public, and no one would bat an eye if a Fatui had taken a lover. 
You had taken an emotionless approach towards him. If Childe wants a kiss on the cheek, you’ll give him a quick light peck. If he wants breakfast, you’ll go make some pancakes with the topping he likes. Luckily, Childe had not done anything too extreme yet. If cuddling to sleep does not count as extreme that is. The only time you slipped up is when he suddenly hugs you from behind when you’re cooking.  
You thought maybe, just maybe, by being as boring and dull as you could, this bastard might just get tired of you and let you go. Childe only loves the fun of it right? Or maybe it could lower his guard.
Oh, how naive you are. You should have known better than to underestimate a Fatui harbinger. See, this is exactly why he needs to keep you around. Yes, unfortunately for you, Childe loves you, so very much. Speaking to him with a monotone voice isn’t going to alter that fact.
You have been devoid of emotions as of late. While Childe does appreciate fewer screams for the sake of his eardrums, this schemer can sense you are up to something. Perhaps this is the peace before your “storm”(he thought of it more like a drizzle)
You want to play a game? Okay, why not? Childe cannot wait to see what tricks you got on those sleeves. Are you ever getting away? Does an amateur ever win when they play a game with a professional trickster? Never.
Still, nothing bites like a cornered rat. You are no airhead, and he is fully aware of that. Just not as cunning and observent as him, that’s all.
The way you just kept your emotions sealed up is impressive, even to someone like him. Even when he got hansy, you did not flinch and just stared at the corner. Childe can only catch faint glimpses of anger when you thought he wasn’t looking.
Hm, when are you pulling your trigger? Tonight, or tomorrow night? Not that Childe is impatient, anything from you is worth waiting. But he would need to dismiss his patrolling underlings in the nearby woods beforehand. No extras would be allowed to disturb this game.
There is no chance during the day, a somewhat mutual understanding for you two. Night time in comparison, is a different story. 
Anyone’s sleeping hours is their most vulnerable time of the day, Childe is no exception. You do not plan to harm him, not that you don’t want to. But you are willing to swallow the pent up frustration towards him if you would never see his face again after this. Maybe beating up some slimes would help with the release?
You somehow managed to slip a mixture of herbs into his tea. Since he would buy cooking ingredients for you from time to time, you had requested a bunch of herbs along with the ingredients of a sleep inducing medicine you remembered. Although Childe does all he can to keep you near him, there are inevitable hours that he needs to be somewhere without you. He cannot jeopardize your safety with troublesome monsters. On a side note, he loves showing you off to anyone, his colleagues, acquaintances, business partners, anyone he does not deem a threat.
Enough time for you to make those herbs into powder and cover it up with a few spoons of milk. Tea with milk has become quite popular in Liyue as of late. Childe has grown to love them, so you have learned how to mix it up. He always let you handle his food and drinks, saying that he “trusts you”. What you do not know is this is one of the openings he exposed on purpose. It’s not like you can aquire anything deadly under his suffocating supervision.
Your plan will work, or so you think. Childe will not wake up when you wiggle out of his grasp, because dreamland will keep him occupied. All you need is a glider and a usable sword from Liyue and you’ll get your life back. Bottling up extreme emotions has certainly taken a toll on your mind, but it will be worth it if that is the prerequisite of being free.
Something about this being so easy sits ill with you. Have you really been with the youngest Fatui Harbinger this whole time? But that was brushed off your shoulders by the sheer excitement of regaining your long lost freedom. You know Liyue is in walking distance, all you need to do is cross these woods and-
The moment you dive into the forest, you think you heard an amused chuckle. 
That smooth voice terrifies you to no end, the same voice you took orders from for the past month.
Oh, how Childe loves seeing you happy. It’s priceless, both literally and figuratively. No matter how many things he buys you, you had not shown him even one small smile. Enjoy your sweet freedom, because it ain’t going to last. You certainly will know your place after this right? If not you are just dumber then he give you credit for.
That glow of relief in your eyes is worth every last bit of this intense dizzying feeling to Childe. To make sure your plan go through, he had drunk the tea without hesitation, quick enough to catch the momentarily excitement you expressed. He knows the game is on, therefore he had given the night patrol guards the entire evening off. Forcing himself to stay concious by digging his nails into his palms, Childe followed you into the woods.
Your potion is quite strong. Excellent, you’ll have to give him the recipe for informational purposes later. Especially how you managed to achieve such effects with a few herbs you had. He never took you to be anything less than a smart girl, but this has exceeded his expectations. Where’s the fun in a game without challenges?
How you storm through the forest wearing that cute terrified expression looks so endearing, it’s surely not his fault if he wants to enjoy this sight to be longer right.
So, each time you feel the slightest at ease due to whatever reason, expect Childe to make some sound to send you running like your life depends on it again. The sadistic man is hunting you down playfully, like a cat chasing a stray mouse to the inevitable corner.
You know he is toying with you. There is nothing you can do to make him shut up though.
“Love, you had scratched your leg. Must hurts by the looks of it.”
“Liyue is that way, you know.”
“Are you tired? If you want to jog in the middle of the night, you should have called me to come along!”
How can he say those things nonchalantly while you are trying to escape from him?  Here he is, daunting you with that signature smile he wears so very often. That is when reality slaps you right in the face. No matter how hard you plan, no matter how fast you run, there is no getting rid of him.
When your stamina runs out, a simple pull and push on your left wrist is enough to let you fall onto the ground panting. Even now, you still refuse to beg for mercy. You would take the cold grounds to the warmth of Childe’s embrace anyday. 
“Aw, burnt out already? Pathetic. Looks like we need to work on your stamina more. But this is not the place for exercise.”
“Look at me.” His slender but forceful fingers tilt your head up, making you look into those ocean blue orbs. There is anger present in his eyes, but those emotions are more a mixture of delight and that. His smile had also been replaced by a mocking smirk. “You, trying to leave me? Your sense of humor is...well, let’s just call it unique. Lucky for you, you amused me nonetheless.”
“I know what you’re thinking. How I’m a selfish jerk and you hate me. Why be so ungrateful? You get to live in luxury thanks to me, you know. I am selfish, yes, but look how stupid you are. I know you added something extra in my evening tea, my beloved.”
“Come now, we are going to do some exercises suited for a night like this once we’re back home. It is our one month milestone, after all. You had already given me your gift, it is only fair for you that I do the same.”
Childe is not making a sarcastic remark. The thrill of that chase was the best fun he had in months. And you are going to love his gift too, maybe not right away, but surely sometimes after. 
You have to mentally prepare yourself for the worst as he dragged you back to the prison, hopefully you’ll still be able to walk properly after whatever Childe got in store.
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whisperlullaby · 3 years
Text
Concentrated Sunlight
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Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader
Warnings: Fluff, some angst (?) maybe a curse or two
Word Count:  1362
Summary: Steve Rogers owns a flower shop and is smitten with a regular customer. What happens when he finds out she has a boyfriend?
A/N:  This was done for @syntheticavenger​‘s challenge! It was a lyric prompt  “ If I told you that I loved you, tell me what would you say?” (The Neighbourhood ‘The Beach’) And I made up a little flower shop AU to go along with it! I want to thank @syntheticavenger​ for reading my story and @river-soul​ for hyping me up to post this! This is my first EVER fanfic for any fandom and the first time I am publishing my work anywhere. If I forgot any warnings let me know!
Friday, 4:00,  like clockwork you walked into Steve Rogers flower shop. The sunflowers always seemed to lean into you when you passed their cooler. You had been coming every Friday to pick up what you called “weekend flowers” for 6 months now and simply knowing you were coming seemed to make the weeks go by a lot faster. 
“Hey Steve! Got anything fresh this week?” you teased. You knew he went to the wholesale market daily to make sure each arrangement held the freshest flowers. You had asked about it the third time you came into the shop and he made it a point to tell you about his daily trips to the wholesale market. What he didn’t tell you was that he made a point of going 6 months ago when you started coming in, just in case you needed flowers any other day of the week.
“Hey doll, got some orange dahlia’s that look pretty good. Wanna take a look?” He moved towards the cooler that held the special find. Orange was your favorite. He noticed how you always seemed to pick out orange day lilies, poppy’s, marigolds, and orange Gerber daisies. There weren’t many impressive orange flowers so when Steve found eye catching ones at the market he would always buy them out of stock.
“No, actually, I’m not picking up flowers for me today.” You paused and looked at Steve who seemed to stiffen. “I’m meeting my boyfriend's family for the first time tonight and I think they prefer white flowers with lots of green filler, maybe roses? I don’t know though, do you have anything a bit more traditional?” You shifted around to where Steve stood at the cooler a bit nervously. You loved his flower shop and didn’t want to go anywhere else, but admitting to needing something to bring to another man's family seemed unsettling. 
Steve’s face visibly dropped and his hand white knuckled on the cooler door. You had a boyfriend. Of course you did. You were concentrated sunlight, even the flowers noticed. Each bloom always opened up a bit more when you were around. He knows he sure as hell did. “You have a boyfriend? How long have you guys been together?” His voice threatened to break, and his grip on the coolers handle somehow tightened. 
“Not long really, about a month? My co-worker kind of set it up, thought we would be a good fit. I’m not sure though it seems to be going a bit fast. Isn’t it a bit soon to meet the family? We’ve only been on a handful of dates. I'm not even sure why I agreed to it.” You mumbled while chewing your lip raw. Your eyes were looking all around the shop until they finally landed on Steve. “Are you okay Steve? You seem a bit flushed. Maybe you should sit down.” You moved to grab Steve's hand off the handle. He immediately relaxed at your gentle touch. You led him to the back office where he could sit while the color came back to his face. “Can I get you some water? Or do you have anything to snack on back here?”
“Don’t go. Tonight. To meet his family.” Steve spat out breathlessly. He couldn’t let you go. You said so yourself that it was only a handful of dates and you thought it was moving too fast. Surely there was a reason you hesitated, right? He had to say something, anything to get you to get your orange dahlia’s and stay for a few hours. He loved your Friday afternoon conversations and the thought of those coming to an end made him nauseous. He didn’t enjoy anyone’s company more than yours, you had to know that by now.
“Steve what are you talking about? I already agreed to go, what will they think of me if I cancel at the last minute without a reason?” You were fidgeting with your hands unsure why you cared what they thought of you. You knew very little about the guy as it was, he wasn’t much of a talker. He wasn’t much of anything really, but he was polite and punctual. When he asked you to go to dinner with him at his parents house you felt your brain start to cloud over. You had just taken a sip of the bitter coffee he had ordered for you when he dropped that bomb. What were you going to do, say no? You were caught off guard! He was a perfectly lovely person. Just not the one you had your eye on.  
Steve could see your hesitation, he knew you were uncomfortable. He saw the way your eyebrows knit together and how you were fidgeting with your fingers. You only did that when you were unsure about something. You did the same thing when you were trying to decide between the peonies and the anemone’s after you had a hell of a week at work. He knew that you thought buying flowers for the weekend gave you more time to enjoy the colors. He knew that you moved here after cutting off ties with your family, looking for a fresh start you said. He knew you preferred tea to coffee but he knew you wouldn’t pass up a peppermint latte during the holiday season. He had to tell you how he felt, he couldn’t let you start this relationship with this guy without having you know how he felt about you. 
“If I told you that I loved you, tell me what would you say?”
You stared at Steve in shock. Your mouth hung open with a gasp. You had a huge crush on the town's florist but thought he was way out of your league. After that revelation you finally caved and said yes to your coworker’s attempt to set you up. You always did have a problem saying no to people and now it was biting you in the ass. Steve made your Friday flower shop visits the highlight of your week. He taught you so much about each flower and the day he told you that you reminded him of a peony in bloom you could have kissed him right there. You knew he preferred coffee to tea after the hour long debate one afternoon ending in you storming out only to bring back a chai tea for him. He said it smelled like bells of Ireland and you had to agree. You knew he was taking care of his mom after her stroke and he had a best friend named Bucky who used to get him both in and out of trouble. You stared into his crystal blue eyes full of hope and adoration. You brought your hand to his face and he sighed leaning into your warm touch.
“I would ask you what took so long.” You teased as he smiled. He grabbed the hand that was resting on his cheek and pulled you into him. You felt his soft lips kiss the top of your head and you let out a breath you didn’t realize you had been holding. 
“So, how about I wrap up some orange dahlias and bring them by your place tonight.” You looked at Steve confused. “What? I don’t think you’re still planning on going to meet that guys family tonight and I want to take you to dinner. Call it a date”
You laughed incredulously shaking your head, “Ha I guess you’re right. Should have known it wouldn’t work out when he got picky with the flowers.” You spot a pen and paper on the desk and scribbled your address on the page. “Pick me up at 7:30 and don’t forget my weekend flowers.” You pulled away from Steve and headed towards the door.
Steve stared as you left his office with a cheshire cat grin. He walked back into the main store and grabbed every  available orange dahlia he had and closed up shop. He had a date to get ready for. 
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skellebonez · 3 years
Note
With the prompt list, how about someone seeing MK with Monkie King with number 15?
Picking prompts back up with a nice dose of Dad Wukong! I needed some fluff! This is set in *shrug* post-season 2 because despite us only having 2 episodes so far I’m going to pretend season 2 wraps up just enough to give us a hook for a possible 3rd season but everyone is doing ok. For now. I just want everyone in the show to be safe and happy dang it!
Oh god, you’re just like your dad.
"Where to next?" MK asked, looking around the shopping district in excitement. It had taken him so long to convince Sun Wukong to actually join him on a day of just hanging out, outside of a couple short trips to the Anti-Gravity Arcade, and he wanted to cram as much into the day as humanly possible. "Video game store? Cheese tea stall? The new bakery, th-!?"
"Whoa, Bud, slow down!" Wukong eased with a smile. "We have all day. We can go wherever."
"And you’re sure you’re doing good?" Despite the Monkey King's soft tone, MK couldn't help but practically vibrate in equal parts excitement and worry. "There aren't too many people or anything?"
His concerns weren't unwarranted. Sun Wukong had been nearly completely isolated for centuries, company kept only with the monkeys of his mountain home and the odd outing into the world outside. And, of course, online correspondence with his lawyer after a time. Typically he was transformed in some way, a butterfly or bird or cat or something easy to blend in, and though he had made a couple short stops in a human disguise in the past. A quick drink here, a bun or fruit cup there. Nothing that required more than a quick transaction, however.
Now he was in the city, Wàn Qiān Chéng, in that human disguise and staying around. In jeans and a t-shirt and jacket (that MK was genuinely shocked to know he owned, until he realized that they were all branded Monkey King merchandise... including his jeans). Surrounded by people and cars and all manner of things the Monkey King would typically avoid. Despite the gradual introduction to being out and about MK was trying to ease him into, he couldn't help but worry that it would be overwhelming.
"Like I told you before, I'm doing fine!" Wukong put a hand in MK's hair, ruffling it gently with a soft smile.The sudden contact was... well, not that unusual actually. Nor was it unwelcome. The Monkey King always seemed to be a tactile person after all. "But, uh, now that I think about it I am getting kind of hungry. There was a little food stall pretty close by that I’ve been to a few times..."
“Oh, yeah!” MK exclaimed in glee, any place that his mentor frequented (however rarely) must be somewhere nice and he absolutely wanted to experience that! “Lead the way!”
Wukong laughed at MK’s exuberant response, smile softening as he indeed lead the way. “It’s, uh... actually the only place I’ve gone to for food when I’m checking in on you. So don’t be surprised, they’re going to recognize me.”
Ah, that made sense in MK’s mind. Had this been a few weeks ago MK might have been surprised to know that he was being checked in on, Heck, if this was before the Lunar New Year festival he would called anyone who told him a liar. Sun Wukong was not protective of him and he always left MK on his own because he trusted him!
And that last statement was very correct. Wukong did trust MK, more than enough. He knew he could handle just about anything that he would have gotten thrown at him. But not protective was a lie. Maybe it was Macaque, or maybe it was the Spider Queen, but after a while something in his mentor changed. He went from being aloof but helpful to being nearly non-existent (and when MK learned exactly what he had actually been doing he was not happy) and then “I’m just checking in, Bud, my dude, my student who I am not at all protective of what are you talking about” upon his return from his “vacation”.
Wukong trusted his student to handle himself. But that didn’t mean he didn’t worry about him now that the full extent of the danger he had put him in was known. And while some parts of it had been frustrating at times (he had been way too eager to stay at the Noodle Shop at first for Pigsy’s liking) it was kind of nice to have him around in just a casual way. Like when they watched the fireworks.
But beside that point, they finally arrived at the food stall. It was a street vendor, the booth decked out in bright colors and rows of food on offer, mostly...
“Baozi, should have known,” MK chuckled. The Monkey King didn’t make a lot of food at his home, but he made more than enough. Baozi was one of his favorites. “Well, they have got to be good if you keep coming back!”
“They’re not the only reason!” Wukong replied as they stepped up, the lady vendor doing a double take before smiling wide at him. “Hey!”
“Mr. Cheung!” She smiled wide, turning her full attention to the customers. “Well isn’t this a pleasant surprise, you’re a day early! Would you like your usual vegetarian order again?”
“Yes, please!” Wukong’s smile was wide, and if his tail had not been wrapped around his waist MK was certain it would have been swishing wildly. He’d clearly gained some kind of rapport with the vendor of this stall if they were on a “human disguise name” basis. “And, uh, something for my bud here too. Doesn’t have to be vegetarian for him though.”
“I’ll take whatever you think is tasty!” MK stated excitedly, nearly bouncing on his heels in the spot.
"Oh god, you’re just like your dad," the vendor laughed out with a smile as she turned away from them, and Wukong froze beside MK in response.
MK froze in response.
The Monkie Kid was almost certain he had never seen his mentor go this still. Ever.
" Oh no, he's n-"
"He is, huh!? Peach doesn't fall far from the tree!" Wukong laughed almost giddily and almost excessively loud, suddenly wrapping an arm around MK's shoulder and reaching around with his other arm to ruffle his hair once again. “He’s kind of embarrassed anytime someone points that out.”
MK could hear the vendor chuckling and responding with something else, but he couldn’t really understand it as he mulled over what Sun Wukong had just said.
“He is, huh!?”
He didn’t deny the vendor’s assumption at all. He just... went with it. Sun Wukong... just went with someone assuming MK was his son...
He barely paid attention when they were handed their food, the vendor insisting that since he was such a loyal customer that it was free of charge for finally introducing his son to her. Wukong did not deny it again, making pleasant conversation for a short while before they headed off. Wukong’s free hand was firm on his back as he led him away.
“Bud?” Wukong said once they were out of earshot, his tone oddly soft and uncertain for someone of his status. “That uh... I mean... you see... I wasn’t expecting her to just...”
“Have you been bragging about me like I’m your kid to a street vendor every time to check up on me?” MK asked softly, unable to keep the hopeful tone out of his voice.
“... maybe?”
“... you adopted me and you didn’t tell me?” MK asked with half joking offense in his tone, pointing his baozi at his mentor. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he said it.
And it seemed that somehow the combination of the way he said that and his exuberant expression drove the Monkey King into a fit of laughter that drew the attention of many passersby.
(The baozi were, as expected of a place that Sun Wukong would frequent, some of the best that MK had ever tasted in his life. Though, perhaps, they were made all the tastier knowing that he was eating them with someone who he had long secretly considered a father figure to him who had seemingly adopted him without meaning to.)
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coeurdastronaute · 3 years
Text
The Cover Story, Ch. 1
Greetings! This is a preview of my first chapter that I’m posting exclusively on my patreon. If you like it, I hope you follow along as I work on it there. I appreciate your time and thoughts and would love to hear what you think. 
Without further ado, or perhaps much ado about thing...
Lucy Madani was not going to cry. 
That was a lie. She might cry. She wanted to cry. She was known to cry very easily, but not without reason, and there certainly were more than enough reasons already for her to tear up as she stood on the corner and felt a wave of water from a bus going through a puddle splash her legs and skirt. It was only just after eight in the morning, and she was ready to crawl back into bed, admit defeat graciously, and sleep straight through to tomorrow. 
“I can’t talk right now, Baba,” Lucy muttered into her phone as she resumed her quick walk down the street. 
“You are mad, and we need to talk.” 
“Let me rephrase it. I don’t want to and I also can’t. I’m going to be late for my meeting.”
“Your big interview pitch. I wanted to wish you good luck, but you stormed off.” 
“Yes, that is what one tends to do when their father informs them that he is getting engaged,” she fumed, her anger coming over her once again at the thought as she darted across the street, waving her hand at the honking car. 
She was an adult, she tried to remind herself. A full, grown adult. An adult-adult who barely had a stable job, had heaps of student loans, and still lived with her widowed father. She didn’t throw tantrums and she wasn’t going to cry about any of it. Today was too important for that, and she was going to nail the pitch and finally move on from puff pieces for teen magazines. She was going to make the jump to serious journalist. She was going to be requested, by name. 
Today she was not going to cry. 
At least not on purpose. 
“Will you be home for dinner?” 
Luckily, he knew enough to sound sorry, though it wasn’t enough of a victory for her, only fueling the prickling behind her eyes. 
“No, I’m going over Laila’s. I’ll just stay there. Wouldn’t want to interrupt your time with her.” 
“Lucy joon, please talk to me. I know you’re mad-- you have your mother’s temper, but I think we should talk about this.” 
“I’m going into my meeting. We’ll talk sometime this week,” she offered, shaking her head. “Just… I have to go.” 
She didn’t wait for much of a reply because she knew he was playing low, dragging her mother into it. It only made it worse. Shoes sloshing against the tile of the lobby, she made her way to the elevator and decided firmly, once again, that she was not going to cry. 
Her phone chimed with a handful of well wishes and good luck’s from the group chat and she thanked them quickly before trying to find the meeting information from her calendar, head down and lost in her own world as she stepped into the elevator and right into a stranger. 
“I’m so sorry,” Lucy hurried, looking forward and then following the chest and then long pale neck up a few more inches to an amused smirk and eyes hidden by wayfarer sunglasses. 
“Not a problem. I was in the way.” 
The stranger ran her hand through a mop of curly copper hair atop her head, faded on the sides and shaggy on top, decidedly better put together than any tiktok boy’s. Her small smile pulled at bow-shaped lips and left dimples on both cheeks, and there were too many freckles to even begin counting. Lucy gulped before moving to the side and slinking to the back corner. 
Of course she would get into an elevator with the hottest woman she’d ever seen. Of course she would nearly plow her over in her hurry. Of course she would be sweet and smile like that and have an adorably shaped chin and face. Of course Lucy would do all of that while looking like something the cat dragged in after a bad night. 
But luck wasn’t with her today, and she was unable to hide too long, as no one else got on behind her and she heaved the heaviest sigh before looking down at her ruined stockings, spattered with mud and whatever else was festering in that puddle. Her skirt was soaked still and dripping and she was beginning to really feel it sinking into her skin. Phone clutched tightly in her hand, she felt the weight of it all and didn’t know what to do with it. 
From under her brow she looked up to study the back of the stranger, their long legs and black jeans, their primly tucked in black t-shirt that stretched slightly across her shoulders, and the softest looking hair in the most beautiful shade of red she’d ever seen. 
The elevator ascended approximately three floors before she started crying. Alligator tears slipped down her cheeks before she could do anything to stop them. And then the stranger cleared their throat and quietly turned around to verify what was happening, was actually happening, only making it worse. 
But she didn’t say anything, just turned back around, and with the smallest movement stretched an arm forward to hold the elevator between floors, and quickly, Lucy turned herself around and faced the wall. She took a few steadying breaths and wiped her cheeks, mentally preparing to leave everything else behind and focus on the moment-- when she would be selling herself to one of the largest companies of all time to be the writer of the profile of their Director of Creative Design before they went public. She’d prepared. She was ready. Nothing else mattered and she was a goddamn adult. 
The stranger, the kind, hot stranger pushed her sunglasses up into the messy curly hair and offered a smaller smile than before, the communal ‘it’ll be okay’ without saying anything. Lucy didn’t register much of it, just stared at the grey-green of her eyes, forgetting all else, and especially that she was a goddamn adult who desperately needed a payday to move out of her father’s place and away from whoever was moving into her mother’s side of the bed. 
“I’m not usually,” she began, but bit her tongue because she didn’t want to lie. She was usually like this, just occasionally less muddy. “Thank you.” 
“We can stay a few more minutes if you’d like. I don’t really want to go to work today.” 
For the first time all day, Lucy smiled genuinely and felt lighter. It was that quick and that easy. 
“It’s okay. I’m ready.” 
A curt nod led to a stretch again and the elevator started once more. Lucy leaned across and pressed the button for her floor, catching a whiff of a distinctly woodsy smell, like sandalwood perhaps? There was a hit of lavender? Maybe cedar? It was wonderful. She wanted to breathe in more of it, but retreated before she was the girl who cried and sniffed people in the elevator. 
The silence was oddly comfortable for a few more seconds until it dinged and she took the step out. The stranger politely held the door and offered one final smile, complete with just one dimple this time. 
“Good luck,” she winked before pulling back, hands clasped loosely in front of her before the doors closed forever. 
It couldn’t get better than that, Lucy decided, staring at the elevator doors and steadying herself once again. But she was hoping it couldn’t get worse either. 
XXXXXXXXXXX
Quinn Sullivan wanted to die. 
Not really die, but she might have taken a good coma. Just for like a week maybe. Or six months. Something long enough to beat out this hangover she was sporting, courtesy of her very thoughtful best friend, and if she was lucky, long enough to survive the offering and release of the new game. Maybe a year-long coma? Was that too much to ask for, honestly? Maybe the universe could toss her a bone, just this once, especially after the previous year of her life. 
But in lieu of a swift and merciful death and/or coma, she was just going to have to survive the giant hangover that was currently attacking her body. All she needed was a quiet day and an extra large piece of leftover pizza she was certain was waiting in the staff fridge somewhere. Maybe some birthday cake--
And then a five-five wrecking ball of a human barreled into her chest. 
The rest of her ride up, Quinn thought about the weird trip it’d been, and if she should have done something different. And then she beat herself up for winking. Who winked? Why did she wink? She’d never done it before. But she earned a smile from a cute girl, and there was a tiny flutter at the base of her rib cage, one she hadn’t noticed in a long, long time. She pressed her fingertips there for the rest of the ride to her floor. 
With a groan, she put her sunglasses back on as the elevator dinged to her floor and took a deep breath to prepare for her day, not allowing her brain to trace out an entire life with the cute, crying stranger where they bought peaches at the farmer’s market on Saturday’s and danced in the kitchen. Romance was dead and dreaming was forbidden. 
“Aspirin is already on your desk,” Jenny greeted her cheerfully. “With an egg sandwich and some fruit.”
“No leftover pizza?” Quinn didn’t pout, but she might have for that.
“Trust me, this will fix you up much better. I went to a state school, remember, MIT?” 
“We partied…” Quinn trailed off as she pushed open the door to her office. 
She hadn’t partied, but she was certain people had to have partied. It was college, and though it was many moons ago, she certainly couldn’t remember hangovers feeling like this. Maybe this is what almost thirty felt like. That thought didn’t help with the headache.
“All-night coding sessions don’t count. Eat the food. I’ll hold the wolves at bay as long as I can, but Chris and the Exlust team are adamant you have the meeting today to resolve story issues.” 
Quinn tossed back the aspirin before she even sat down. Maybe Jenny was her universal compensation. The shades were already drawn so her normally bright office was much more tolerable. Even the eggs didn’t make her stomach swirl, and she was grateful her assistant learned something useful while studying biomedical engineering.. 
“I just need like an hour to work something out. I had an idea last night--”
“Before or after the sangria?” 
“During. Definitely during, but still. I just need to work through it and then they can tear me to shreds. Can you add to my calendar a warning to never drink again?” 
Quinn was fairly certain she’d texted her assistant that at some point in the morning. Probably before the shower, but after the first cup of coffee. 
“Gladly,” Jenny smiled softly. “You doing okay? It’s been a while since you tied one on like this.” 
“I’m fine. Just celebrating with Darcy. No more sad drinking, I believe was the rule you came up with and I follow all of your rules.” 
With a roll of the eyes, files were placed on her desk and her assistant retreated to the ringing phones, which when the door was held open, were actual torture devices to Quinn’s brain. 
“Sadie wants your afternoon free. I think it’s another reporter.” 
“She’s relentless.” 
“Maybe you’re impossible?” 
“It’s genetic then,” Quinn sighed, munching on a grape and tugging open a notebook. “One hour, please?” 
“I got you, boss.” 
“Thanks.” 
Never quite sure how Jenny did it, Quinn chose not to ask any questions. But when she asked for an hour, she got it. And despite the headache and laziness in her muscles, the food and aspirin did help so that by the end of her allotted time, she felt like she had captured the breakthrough that appeared to her the night before. 
Before she could admire her work though, her team filed in and she was prepared to start her day, finally, even with the nagging idea of a reporter nipping at her thoughts through it all. 
Somewhere between her breakfast and lunch, Quinn felt better. She fired off a few texts to see how Darcy was handling it and received only pictures of a half obscured but obviously still in bed face and chuckled to herself. It was a slower day, and she wasn’t about to waste it with a hangover. She should give Jenny a raise, she decided, because the woman could cure hangovers. Maybe submit her for the Nobel for Science. 
“Sadie is here,” her assistant buzzed and Quinn lost all forms of motivation. 
Her head hit her desk dramatically as the door opened and her sister walked in. Slightly shorter, but older by two years, Sadie was nearly everything Quinn could never manage to be despite her best intentions. She had the MBA from Harvard and the doting husband that came with it, a cute brownstone near White Hill and the park, and her first baby on the way. But even past her resume, Sadie Sullivan-Hawkins was personable and charismatic. She was adored and shrewd, capable of disarming anyone and eviscerating the others. It all came so easy to her, to have people around, to talk and be listened to, to be loved. She was a shark in business, and at the same time warm and put people at ease. 
Quinn could barely tie her shoes and Sadie was running a marathon in life. 
“Want to talk about it?” Sadie smiled as she took the seat across from Quinn’s desk. 
“About what?” 
“Why you’re getting drunk with Darcy on a Tuesday?” 
“She got the job at Taylor and Vine. We were celebrating.” 
“So not about Chloe’s announcement in the Times?” 
Quinn played dumb, typing gibberish into her phone because she didn’t want to look at her sister’s kind and caring face. If she looked, then she’d have more feelings, and for the life of her, she just wanted the incessant tinnitus of the break up to disappear completely. 
“Nope, I caught that this morning though, so I was in the right physical and mental place to really wallow. I don’t care about her.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard.”
“I have these notes to get done for the Shadow Operation team before our meeting with design. I’m fine. My ex can marry whoever she wants-- God knows she didn’t want to marry me. Good luck to the next sap.”
This made her sister chuckle, and Quinn smiled quietly to herself. There was still a bitterness there that she couldn’t get rid of. It was masking potentially the worst hurt imaginable. She preferred the bite of the bitter though. Easier to navigate. 
“I have someone I want you to meet with.” 
“Oh, fuck off Sadie,” Quinn moaned, knowing full well what was about to happen. “I’m not talking to anyone. You’re the face of this outfit. That’s what you told me.” 
“You’ve run off three other reporters. Our public offering is going to underperform if there is no faith in the heart of our company,” she explained, sitting up a little straighter. “And that’s you. I might crunch the numbers and keep the lights on, but you are what people are buying.”
“Then you tell them about me. I don’t even have to be there.”
“If only that were true, my job would be a lot easier.” 
At a stalemate, the sisters stared at each other for a few moments before Sadie broke, making a face as she smiled towards her lap, running her hand over the smallest bump barely showing. Quinn shook her head and looked away. Anywhere else was better than the damn disapproving look leveled at her now. 
“I don’t know what to say,” Quinn finally muttered. “I don’t want to-- I can’t--”
“Chloe was an idiot. She broke your heart. Now, you barely exist, but I know that you’re still you. And we need this.” 
“I can’t. I really can’t. I wish you’d get it.” 
It hurt too much all over again. In a weird way, Quinn missed the feeling of the hangover because at least that was a useful ache. The dull throbbing in her chest and bones just felt hollow and haunting. 
“We have a meeting with her. I’ve already walked her through the contracts and final edits, as well as shown her around. Please just rip the bandaid off and get it over with. She’s good. I’ve read a few of her pieces and Donna recommended her to me.” 
Sadie had their mother’s eyes. It drove Quinn crazy, that she looked like she didn’t belong in her own family. It also meant it felt like her mom was staring at her and reminding her to do her chores. She rubbed the back of her neck, letting her head lull to the side. 
“I’ll… I’ll try.” 
“Yes! I knew it. Thank you. Seriously, Q. It’s going to be great. This is going to--”
“I said I’ll try. I didn’t say I’d do it.” 
“It’ll be great,” Sadie ignored the warning, hopping up from her chair and moving to the door to beckon the reporter in. “Come in and meet the genius of the whole outfit.” 
Quinn rubbed her face with her hands, digging her fingers into the corners of her eyes under her glasses before steadying herself. She could do it for her sister, she reminded herself, and that stupid niece or nephew she was incubating. 
Maybe it would be as simple as ripping off a band-aid. Maybe she could just let a stranger rifle through her entire life and being, except that she wasn’t sure there was anything there anymore. Everything felt like she was going through the motions, and it was terrifying to Quinn to let someone see that she was barely stitched together. How could she explain that there was nothing behind door number one? Let alone number two or number three. 
“Quinn, this is Lucy Madani. She’s a freelancer hired by New York Magazine. She did a great piece on the Attorney General last month and her article on the director who went on to win Cannes went viral.” 
There was still mud on her skirt, but her stockings had been disbanded, gone forever, but it was unmistakable the stranger from the elevator standing in her office. That felt like an entire lifetime ago, and yet Quinn tried to swallow. 
“You have longer hair, in the pictures I found of you online,” Lucy offered, overcoming her surprise much quicker. She stuck out her hand over Quinn’s desk and waited for her to shake it. 
She was a reporter. A reporter who cried in the elevator. A reporter Quinn had, if she were being honest, checked out. But foremost, she was a reporter. She wanted to dive into the deepest parts of Quinn’s brain for profit, mutual benefit and all. It sounded dreadful. 
The universe did not owe her anything, Quinn remembered, but the perpetual mocking was getting a little over the top. 
“Quinn Sullivan,” she shook the hand presented and tried to breathe. Lucy’s hand was warm and felt soft. She wasn’t sure how to let go. “How’s it going?” 
Fuck! Her mind blared as she dropped the reporter’s hand and mentally beat herself to a pulp. Who talked like that? And still, she could not answer, winked?
“It’s been a day,” she smiled, nodding to herself as she accepted the seat Quinn offered. “Your sister has sung your praises all morning though. I feel like I could write about your without even meeting you.”
“Great. Let’s do that.” 
Sadie laughed but gave Quinn a stern look. 
“I’m going to go grab you some passes and copies of the contracts,” Sadie smiled graciously at Lucy before turning to her sister. “Listen to her pitch.” 
“Seems it’s been decided,” she muttered to herself before plastering on a smile. 
“Don’t have too much fun. I’ll be right back.” 
And with that she truly was gone, and Quinn was left in her office with the reporter who had pretty eyes. They felt like syrup-- warm and deep brown, gooey and sticky. Her face was longer, her nose thin and long, her lips full and bitten-- and Quinn snapped herself out of her perusal and felt her chest warm too much. No, the universe didn’t owe her anything, and the punishment for thinking it did was sitting across from her in a muddy skirt and gentle smile.
For just a moment, Quinn held her breath and willed a coma..
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megumitski · 3 years
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hello these are the bnha fics i’ve read so far and i just made this to track them for myself. favorites are marked with a 💥! more bakudeku plus tododeku and other ships under the cut.
bakudeku
💥 Bluebird - EtherealBeing (53k)
Dialing a wrong number was no unusual occurrence. Everyone did it once in a while, and Katsuki was well aware of that fact.
However, possessing this knowledge made it no less aggravating for him to discover — a full two minutes into his rant about his day — that he’d been venting his frustrations to a complete stranger. As if that wasn't enough, said stranger was also inexplicably determined to hear his story to its end.
Let’s Be Alone Together - lalazee (3k)
Prompt: Deku being aggressively forward in his pursuit of Bakugou, and how that big oaf would react to someone else actually making the first move.
“Are you going to spend your entire life wishing you’d kissed me or are you gonna grow some balls and fucking do it?”
Bell Pepper - ticklishivories (7k)
Midoriya knew they wouldn’t talk about it. He was right. But he never thought it’d happen again.
spilling over every side - failbender (6k)
No good deed goes unpunished, not when there's a crazy lady with a complex and Lust Quirk parading around the city. By now, Katsuki should probably be used to things blowing up in his face.
be loved - bonnia (5k)
They sit there, in the darkness of the common room, about a few centimeters between them, but miles apart. Somehow, the quiet is companionable. More than it has been in many years. Katsuki knows he’s responsible for the rift between them, and he knows even more that it can’t only be Deku who attempts to mend it.
“Hey,” he says, after a while, and Deku turns to him in question, but Katsuki refuses to look his way. “Touch me again.”
(or: the kidnapping incident leaves bakugou traumatised about being touched on the back of his neck, and midoriya decides to take matters into his own hands)
Leftovers - brichibi (6k)
“Did you two make up?”
That. That’s why that fight felt like it was worth it, even if, technically, Izuku can’t answer her. Have they made up? Is this making up?
He actually doesn’t know.
[Or: the house arrest fic where it is, somehow, more awkward to talk through feelings than it is to fight]
lust-drunk - theboykingofhell (8k)
The one where Bakugou tries not to lose his mind to lust, and Midoriya is the useless gay who does nothing to help that matter at all.
💥 Quiet Rapture - lalazee (261k) - inc.
That A/B/O fic where cocky Alpha Bakugou falls in mate-love at first scent, while Midoriya is just a poor bookstore-owning Omega who got his nose punched in is a kid and can't smell a damn thing. Also known as: That time an Alpha had to use his actual personality to woo his mate instead of relying on his scent.
💥 A Demolition Boy & his Cryptid BF - kewltie (8k)
Bakugou of the Demolition Squad is famous for running one of the most popular Youtube channels on the web that regularly blow shit up and jumped off a perfectly good building for shit and giggles. He's also famous for his Cryptid BF™, never appearing on camera except for a few bodyshots and all information on him is kept locked up tighter than Fort Knox, therefore drawing all sort of attention and curiosity toward his mysterious boyfriend.
Deku from Deku Explains is a hopeless chatterbox who is known for uploading 20-30 minutes video that talked about his favorite shows and comics and have one of the most devoted following on Youtube. He also can't seem to shut up about his boyfriend Kacchan, who regularly make his presence on the channel as a disembodied voice.
They should theoretically have nothing in common except a shared platform to host their content and an army of fans with an endless curiosity and devotion to their Youtubers. Vidcon is where we lay our scene and the internet is about to get a rude wake up call.
What The Fuck Did You Just Call Me? - reading_raindrop (8k)
“A-ah B-Bakugou! You dropped some pencils!”
Katsuki stiffened. Kirishima and Kaminari froze. Basically, everyone within earshot stopped what they were doing to look at Izuku like he sprouted a second head. What did he just call him? “What the fuck did you just say to me?”
Katsuki whipped his head towards Izuku with his signature death glare as he stood up from where he picked up the fallen supplies.
“U-um I said you dropped some pencils! I think this eraser might be yours to-”
“No. What the fuck did you just call me?”
Izuku starts calling him Bakugou and it pisses the explosive teen off a lot more than he thought it would
💥 take care - Chrome (2k)
There are words to say stay safe, I’ll miss you, I love you, but Kacchan has always preferred to leave things unspoken. Izuku isn’t much with languages, but he thinks he’s figured out this one.
---
“Emotional constipation manifested as over-the-top housewifery?” Mina asks. Before Izuku can say that is not what he meant at all, she nods. “Yeah, I can see it.”
Just Look At Me - Colourcubify (52k) - dnf
Midoriya is completely happy with his life. Nope, not one single regret in his twenty-seven years. He especially doesn't regret running into his old childhood friend/bully after almost ten years, nor does he regret spilling coffee all over his very expensive looking suit. How nice it will be to die with no regrets. ~~~~ AKA the sugar daddy AU I meant to be a one shot, that turned into a full fledged story.
A Nest for the Best - Camellia_Sinensis (1k)
Deku’s been nesting and asking everyone in 1-A for pieces of clothing for his horde. Everyone, that is, except Katsuki. Cue the jealousy.
unforgiving - i_write_emotion (19k)
Deku is hit with a quirk that takes away his ability to forgive, and Bakugou’s world comes crashing down. Quirkless!Deku. Pro-hero!Bakugou.
@ Deku WRONG CHAT - katyastark (16k) - inc.
Deku: THE LENGTHS I WOULD GO TO JUST LICK THE SWEAT OFF HIS ABS hnnnnnghhh
Deku: or! like! It doesn’t even have to be his abs! It could be anywhere else! I’m not picky!
Pinky: excuse me what
ChargeDolt: OMG
Uravity: @Deku WRONG CHAT
I love you. I’m completely and utterly in love with you. Please don’t get married. - InkspillsNotebook (6k)
Ta-Da!!!! I hope you all enjoy the finished product!!! I'm sorry (not sorry) I broke a lot of you when I first posted this to tumblr!!
Procrastination - capncapk (5k)
But it is still surprising to see his more-than-friend-but-also-lover-he-guesses in his office seeking attention though Izuku already turned him down.
Usually he'll get a text of 'wyd?' followed by a time and place if Izuku responds with a confirmation, and silence if he's busy.
Or slammed into the wall in the agency's shower for a quickie if no one was around, which despite his anxiety, he often acquiesces to.
While You Were Sleeping - Belkacaramelka (71k)
The one where quirkless fanboy Midoriya Izuku rescues Pro Hero Todoroki Shouto, gets mistaken as his fiancé while he is in a coma, and gets caught up in the most unlikely fake engagement... until his childhood enemy and Todoroki's classmate Bakugou Katsuki tries to catch him out, and they both end up discovering a lot more about each other than they'd expected.
Quirkless AU based on the film; endgame BakuDeku. -- Katsuki didn’t know when the change had happened: how he had gone from asking why Todoroki chose Deku of all people, to wondering why it was Todoroki that Deku chose. Troublesome Deku, who cooed like an idiot at cats, tripped at a random catcall and sang badly. Who, despite everything, proved that it wasn’t the quirk that defined a person. Deku, who was too much, not his, and undeniably off limits to begin with.
briar roses (and hundred years of sleep) - vannral (16k)
In complete honesty, no one who knows the Class 3-A should be surprised anymore. Izuku is asleep.
In which Izuku is hit by a ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Quirk, Class 3-A tries to find his True Love and get them to kiss him, and Katsuki’s very angry about it all.
Yes, They’re All Safe - teaandtumblr (5k)
Villains have entered UA grounds and are disposed of just as quickly, but that doesn't mean a headcount of the students doesn't need to be done. Toshinori would admit, he wasn't quite prepared for what he found in Bakugou Katsuki's room.
💥 all choked up - spicyrabbit (5k)
Bakugou Katsuki had a habit of turning away from the heard. At 16, he does this by coming to terms with wanting, desperately, to see his childhood friend cry.
💥 May I take your order, dipshit? - supercrunch (6k)
So, like, maybe Bakugou wasn’t really the best choice for this whole pizza delivery shindig.
(Midoriya in love, Bakugou in denial, and way, way too much cheese.
A BakuDeku romance in thirty minutes or less. )
blooms every hour - dynamighttiddy (7k)
“It’s you, okay?!” Deku screams. “It’s you. And I know you’ll never love me back, so -” Deku wipes his eyes and straightens. “So just leave it.”
-----
Deku has hanahaki, and Katsuki doesn't know how to save him.
all choked up - dynamighttiddy (7k)
“Deku, what the fuck are you doing?!”
Izuku asks Kacchan to help him train blackwhip. Things don't exactly go according to plan.
A Fight To The Death - iknewaman (10k)
Izuku isn’t competitive by nature, but when the blond, cocky asshole from the other table’s team gets involved he suddenly becomes hellbent on winning.
Rival Pub Quiz AU
💥 Like the Moon - osakakitty (15k)
Katsuki Bakugo is having constant, erotic dreams about Izuku Midoriya. He isn’t sure why, but they won’t go away. In order to make them stop, he needs to figure out what Izuku Midoriya means to him.
Canon-verse story in which Bakugo is confused about his feelings for Midoriya, and doesn’t know what he wants. Besides a good night’s sleep.
💥 We Wear Chains on the Weekend - surveycorpsjean (35k)
Well, in a day of revelations, it turns out that Izuku isn't as vanilla as Katsuki previously thought. Unfortunately, that fascinating discovery is overshadowed by Izuku's dumbassery, because he has zero concept of aftercare.
"Don't go to anyone else," Katsuki says, because screw it. He can do a better job anyways.
Or; Katsuki finds Izuku on a bad drop.
take me out to dinner first - dynamighttiddy (3k)
“Kacchan,” Deku chides. “What’s going on?”
Katsuki takes a deep breath.
He trusts Deku with his life. He can trust him with this, too.
“Have sex with me.”
-----
Katsuki Bakugou is one of the only virgins left in class 3-A - and with graduation just around the corner, he's desperate to change that.
💥 that ultra kind of love - dynamighttiddy (11k)
“So, uh,” Kirishima starts. “Was that your first kiss?” he whispers, almost sheepish. Katsuki’s stomach drops, and he freezes. Memories of green eyes and freckles and soft lips flash behind his eyelids. “Yeah,” he lies easily. “That was my first kiss.”
-----
In which Bakugou pretends Kirishima is his first kiss, amongst other things.
to the moon and back - kewltie (1k)
"He gets stupid when he's drunk," Katsuki seethes in his seat as he watches Izuku croon love notes into Uraraka's throat. He’d never met a worst lightweight then Deku, who become some kind of demented affectionate monster.
💥 Bridges - supercrunch (18k)
Yaomomo sighs. “We’ve got a little bit of a situation, Bakugou. Ashi—uhm, somebody might have accidentally signed you up for that modelling gig.”
Katsuki holds up a hand. "So what you’re telling me here," he says, "is that you told Calvin Klein I would model for them. In my underwear.”
Ashido sinks behind a desk to hide. “Yes.”
(The thing is, they really do need the money. And Katsuki's technically the leader of this bunch of morons, so he finds himself taking the job even though his pride will never recover. And even though nobody thought to tell him that he'd be working with his ex-boyfriend. You know, the cute freckled guy from high school who went and broke his heart.
So, yeah. This whole situation kind of sucks.)
Crescendo - supercrunch - inc. (4k)
(Izuku's band is on their way to the top of the charts. But the real star, he thinks, is the drummer.)
Guilty Kiss - osakakitty (1k)
He could feel Midoriya's eyes on him. Even though he knew it was wrong, Bakugo still wet his lips in anticipation.
(Canon-verse) A short story about making out in a closet. It's messy, but so is their relationship.
💥 Surfaces - surveycorpsjean (25k)
Katsuki has a new girlfriend, but something isn't right.
As impossible as it is, Izuku can't help but wonder what it'd be like to be called Katsuki's girl.
Classical conditioning - supercrunch (8k)
(or: how to trick a boy into going out with you.)
Alright. Maybe his idiot friends had a point, Katsuki thinks as he shoulders open the front door. His mother’s in the living room drinking coffee. Katsuki kicks off his shoes and stomps over. “Am I charming?” he demands, blocking the TV.
Mitsuki pats his cheek. “Oh, hon. Not at all.”
💥 Dance Bunny - EllaBesmirched (17k)
Katsuki Bakugou spends most week nights by himself, sitting in a corner at his local strip club and passing time until he feels tired enough to sleep. Work leaves him stressed and the new city he moved to a year ago is just different enough that he can't sleep at night and can't seem to get comfortable no matter where he is.
When he finally changes up his schedule and decides to head to the club on a Saturday night, he is instantly infatuated with a part-time dancer who can do things with his body that Katsuki didn't even know were possible. The dancer calls himself Bunny. By the second lap dance, Katsuki realizes he is in trouble.
but the entrails are the best part! - supercrunch (15k)
The boy straightens up. He’s about half a head shorter than Katsuki, face soft and youthful and sweet. He turns to look at him properly. His dark hair shines in the dying light, basket of blooms looped over one arm and mouth quirked into a tiny half-smile. The sun hits his face and makes his eyes a bright greeny-gold, just like emeralds.
Katsuki likes emeralds.
“Pretty,” he says, reaching out and picking the stranger up around the middle. He’s surprisingly heavy, although Katsuki doesn’t mind. “I like you. Come see my nest.”
The boy hits him.
He’s stronger than he looks, turns out. Katsuki drops him and falls onto his back, pain blooming across his face. Birds sing. The sky’s a lovely shade of orange, clouds floating lazily by. The boy scarpers. He leaves his basket of flowers behind, footsteps thumping on the ground and fading away as he escapes.
The sun sets. Katsuki, lying flat on his back with a bloody nose, decides he’s just fallen in love.
tododeku
(You Know You’re Really) Cute - ladyhoneydarlinglove (2k)
Kirishima poses the question, who’s the cutest boy in Class 1-A? The answers kind of surprise everyone, especially Midoriya.
Everything Except - Pouler (28k)
"In retrospect, Midoriya probably should’ve realized the moment they were enveloped in a glittering pink cloud that something was about to go Very Wrong."
After an encounter with a unique villain threatens to change the nature of their partnership, Midoriya must find a way to get things back to normal between him and Todoroki. That is, if he's certain that getting 'back to normal' is what he really wants...
count your blessings, not your flaws - PitViperOfDoom (7k)
Midoriya Izuku has never been asked out, confessed to, or flirted with, except as a joke.
Riddles in the Heart - PitViperOfDoom (19k)
The law is clear: whoever correctly answers three riddles will marry the prince, while all who fail are to be executed. The people live in fear as more challengers try and fail, and the throne grows bloodier with every passing year. But a young prince, nameless and in exile from his home, believes there may be more to this brutal challenge than meets the eye.
Of course, there's only one way to find out: ring the gong, and take the trial.
Late bloomer - Nohaljiachi (10k)
That’s why when they’ve found themselves face to face on the ring of the sport festival once more, for the third time ever since they’ve met each other, and Izuku smiled at him, eager and challenging, self-confident but never full of himself, Shouto blinked, dazed and shocked, in realizing just how blindingly beautiful his best friend was. The way Izuku’s white shirt clung on his muscles, the little peek of his collar bone and the hard lines of his pecs visible under it, the way his thighs curved and filled the school gym uniform.
‘Oh, fuck—‘ Shouto thought, his head spinning, feeling like he just got run over by a freight train. ‘Shit. He’s- hot?’
Burn and Breathe - PitViperOfDoom (11k)
Soulmates are connected through pain, and some bonds have more to share than others. Todoroki Shouto wishes he could reject his soulmate. Midoriya wants nothing more than to protect his own.
one string, fit for a bow - furihatachlookie (5k)
There was no magical moment that played a part in Midoriya's realization that he liked Todoroki. The thin red string that greeted him every time he looked down at his hand was an obvious factor, yes, but it wasn't love at first sight either.
It sorta just... happened over time.
fire and feelings - kagshina (8k)
“Uh…” he starts, eyes widening. “Your finger’s on fire.”
Todoroki’s face scrunches together, confused, and then he looks down, noticing the flame. Midoriya watches as shock flashes across Todoroki’s face, and then horror, and then finally settles on embarrassment as he puts out the flame.
“Shit,” Todoroki mumbles, and Midoriya’s lip curves upward.
bakutododeku 
💥 Fire in the Mountains - EllaBesmirched (168k)
“I’ll do it.”
Enji froze, fingers curling into a fist at his side, and didn’t turn around.
Shouto froze too, feeling his own eyes widen in shock at the words that had come out of his mouth, at the fact that he had actually stood up, followed his father out of the room, and dashed after him all just to say… he’d do it? He would do it? Him. Shouto Todoroki. He would--
Enji finally turned around and fixed Shouto with an expression so scathing, Shouto had to fight to keep his chin raised. “You’ll marry the Barbarian King.”
Shouto blinked. “Yes.”
The Ballad of Love and Hate - EllaBesmirched (6k)
After eight painfully long years, Katsuki finally has Izuku back. He's determined to keep him this time, and to do that, he knows there are some things he has to say.
(mis)matched - ethydium (12k)
Midoriya doesn't hate the idea of finding one's soulmate, even though he had long since given up on finding his own. And then Bakugou and Todoroki match, and while he's happy for them, his heart breaks from all the unsaid things he feels for them.
Or:
Midoriya pines and suffers his way to his own happy ending.
pillowed by love - ethydium (21k)
As a prank, Uraraka gets Midoriya a body pillow (dakimakura) with the image of Bakugou printed on it. Then another one with Todoroki's picture. Chaos ensues.
other
For who could learn to love a beast? - supercrunch (4k) - bakutodo
Bakugou takes a deep breath and steps out into the living room, eyes automatically adjusting to the change in light. There’s a boy hanging up his coat in the hall. He’s handsome, albeit in an annoying way, hair dyed two colours to match his heterochromia and skin pale and perfect and smooth. He looks expensive. “Bakugou.”
“That’s me,” Bakugou says. “You’re younger than I expected.”
“I’m older than I look.”
(Deku was right, damn him. Pretty boys are Bakugou's type.)
Want it All - surveycorpsjean (29k) - kiribakutododeku
“Hey, so..." Eijirou grins. "Can we ask you guys a question?"
Frankendick and the Great Acid Fiasco - EllaBesmirched (11k) - shiggyxdabi
Dabi had been intending to spend a very nice Saturday getting stoned and plotting murder, thank you very much, but when a trio of UA brats on enough L to kill a Beatle accidentally dose him and two other unsuspecting homicidal maniacs, Dabi has to change his plans a bit. Apparently no else around here knows how to trip balls and fucking enjoy it.
The Twitter - EllaBesmirched (8k) - tododenki
Shouto never really intended for anyone to find his secret Twitter account. He certainly didn't intend for Kaminari to see Shouto's thirst tweets about him. Luckily, Kaminari doesn't seem to mind.
pray you catch me - supercrunch (4k)
Katsuki pushes her shirt up to kiss her stomach. It’s silly, how it makes her heart flutter, how Izuku’s whispered I love you threatens to make her cry all over again. They’re unwrapping her from her clothes. They won’t let her hide, she thinks numbly. Won’t let her curl in on herself like she’s something dirty, Katsuki’s hands tugging off her underwear so she’s naked and exposed between them. “I,” she says breathlessly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be crying. I’m just being dumb.”
Izuku shushes her. Another tear trickles down her cheek and into her ear. He kisses it away, humming, brushing her bangs off her forehead so he can press his mouth between her brows. “You have every right to be upset. We’ll deal with him later. For now just let us take care of you.”
“She’ll get the message once you stop talking and fuck her,” Katsuki says, slipping his fingers into her. She clenches around him and shudders. “Gonna eat you out ‘til you forget how to move. Now put that fucking motor mouth to good use, Deku.”
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ikeromantic · 3 years
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Bonding
A Mitsuhide Akechi fanfic, approx. 1800 words. This scene takes place well after the events of the Romantic Epilogue as part of my post-route headcanon storyline.
First: Mitsuhide and the Maiden
Previous: In the Spotlight
Mitsuhide sat on the edge of a stuffed chair, a ‘sofa’, across from his little one’s father. Minoru, for his part, didn’t look any more comfortable with the company. Neither of them said anything. Mitsuhide found that his usual silver tongue had run out of witticisms when faced with the twin challenge of a world 500 years in the future and the need to impress the father of his beloved.
In the kitchen, the chatelaine and her mother Youko were making dinner. Their lively chatter was the only sound as the two men studied each other.
Finally, Minoru cleared his throat. “So. How did you two meet?”
“The answer to that would require additional explanation. Suffice it to say, I met her in the course of my work. Initially, she was a responsibility of mine. To train her so that she knew enough to stay ali- ah, safe.” Mitsuhide smiled. “She was quite a handful.”
Minoru frowned. “Safe? Safe from what? What kind of business are you in?” He leaned forward.
“Intelligence and information gathering.” He silently thanked Sarutobi for the modern words to describe being a spy and torturer.
“You work for a government?”
Mitsuhide nodded. “That is a good way to put it. Yes. For a government.”
His little mouse poked her head through the door. “Everything going ok, you two?”
Both men cleared their expressions and smiled over at her. “Yes,” they replied, almost in unison.
Her bright smile lit up the room. “I’m so glad. I wanted you two to get along. Anyway, dinner is almost ready!” She disappeared again and the smiles the two men wore faded like snow under a noon-day sun.
Minoru turned back to Mitsuhide. “How did my daughter get tangled up with some government agent? She designs clothes. She left for a job in fashion.” His voice is strained, half a year’s worth of worry and frustration pushing at the seams of his soul.
Mitsuhide nodded. “She is amazing at making clothing. That is a career she continues to pursue. But I met her the night she pulled my superior from a burning building. Had she not arrived when she did, he would have died.”
“My baby girl . . . pulled a man from a burning building?” Minoru’s eyebrows shot up, his expression one of incredulous disbelief.
“Yes, and after, he thought she should stay with our forces. For her protection and because he believed there was something special about her.” Mitsuhide’s thin smile reappeared. “He wasn’t wrong. She is very special. A wonder.”
Minoru coughed. “Well, yes, but . . . a burning building? She isn’t, that is, she wouldn’t just -”
Mitsuhide leaned forward. “You know her from her childhood. If she knew someone was going to burn to death and she had a chance to save them, would she leave them to die? Is it so unbelievable?”
He shook his head slowly. He knew his daughter was exactly the kind of girl to put herself at risk for another. “I should not be surprised. When she was five, she ran out into the street to stop traffic for a kitten. Almost got hit by a car. And it wasn’t until after the cat was safe that she even realized how close she came to dying.”
Both men chuckled.
“That sounds exactly like something my little mouse would do.”
Minoru scowled. “Your what?”
“A nickname,” Mitsuhide waved the comment off.
And then the call came for dinner. They all sat down around the table. A spread of familiar and strange foods that piqued Mitsuhide’s curiosity. He wondered which of these his beloved had made, and which her mother. To be safe, he thought, it would be wise to compliment every dish.
“So,” her mother began after everyone was served. “My daughter tells me you’re a warlord working for Oda Nobunaga?”
Mitsuhide choked in surprise, the bite of food sticking in his throat. He glanced at his little mouse for confirmation.
“It just sort of popped out while we were talking.”
With effort and a glass of water, Mitsuhide swallowed and cleared his throat. “I didn’t expect to bring this up until after dinner, but yes.”
Minoru scowled. “You’re telling me you work for a man 500 years dead?”
“I don’t know, he seemed pretty lively last time I saw him,” Mitsuhide quipped.
His little mouse grinned. “Papa, be nice! I told you, we will tell you everything.” She took a deep breath. “It started the day I arrived in Kyoto. I went sightseeing . . .”
Mitsuhide listened as attentively as her parents, this version of the tale filling in gaps and details he hadn’t known. Her timely rescue of Sasuke Sarutobi, her run-in with the forces from Kasugayama. It appeared his little one was better at keeping secrets that he’d credited.
Through the story, her mother made little sounds of agreement or surprise, but Minoru was deathly silent. His expression turned darker at every part until he couldn’t hold back anymore. “This sounds like some ridiculous cartoon! You can’t expect your mother and I to buy this. Tell the truth! What is he, some mafia? A gambler? What?”
Youko frowned at him from across the table. “Now you just hush and eat your food. If our little girl says this is what happened, I believe her. She has no reason to lie. She knows we support her no matter what. Don’t we, dear?”
Minoru’s brows lowered. “You can’t be serious. This, this man shows up with our daughter after months with no word! Not a letter! Not a post card! With this crazy story and we’re supposed to just -”
“Accept it. You know as well as I do that if our girl didn’t write or call, it’s because she couldn’t. When you think of it that way, it makes perfect sense.” Youko nodded to emphasize her point. “Besides, when have you ever known her to lie.”
“She’s terrible at that,” Mitsuhide added drily.
Minoru’s scowl deepened. “Don’t talk like you know her. Maybe you drugged her or something, and now she thinks all that is true.”
Mitsuhide sighed. He’d expected this kind of reaction after Sasuke and his little one explained what ‘meeting the parents’ entailed. He was beginning to wish he could have simply sent some gifts and a contract, or better yet, left that to Nobunaga and simply married the girl. “We did bring some proof with us today, and we have friends tomorrow who can vouch for everything.”
Youko gave Mitsuhide an encouraging smile. “Why don’t you go get it? I’m sure it will make Mino a little less grouchy.”
“I’m not grouchy,” Minoru grumbled.
“You are, papa. But it’s ok. This is really all my fault. I wish I’d been able to call you both. I missed you so much.”
Her father swallowed whatever he’d planned to say, touched by his daughter’s affection.
Mitsuhide went to their bags and grabbed his sword and the clothes he’d arrived in. He carried them back to the dining area. These were unlikely to be enough, he thought, but it wasn’t as if they’d planned to be swept to this time that night.
“Our clothes -” he set them down, “and my sword.”
Minoru poked at the clothing, unimpressed. The sword, however, got his attention. “This . . . it isn’t just some decorative piece . . .” The words were quiet, said more to himself than anyone.
Still, Mitsuhide answered. “No. That blade has taken many lives.”
“And saved some too,” his little mouse added. “Mine included.”
Minoru looked between the two of them. “Maybe you’ve both lost your minds. This thing -” He pointed at the sword, “is clearly an antique, but that proves nothing.”
“You are so stubborn,” Youko huffed.
Mitsuhide was beginning to see where his little one got that quality. Sweetness from her mother, stubbornness from her father. It made him smile.
***
Miyake and Sasuke sat at a nearby bar, drinks in hand.
“So this is called karaoke?” Miyake eyed the screen with words that moved and then emptied his sake cup. “And I can sing whatever I want?”
“Not whatever. I doubt they have any songs you know on file. But I think the enjoyment quotient will still be high.” Sasuke began tapping through the song selection, his expression focused. He stopped when he came across one with the image of a pink-faced girl. “This one.”
Miyake shrugged. “Alright.”
The music started. It sounded nothing like the instruments Miyake knew, or the rhythms and beats that were familiar to him. Still, he could pick out the melody, and it was nice - if strange.
The first word on the screen lit up and Sasuke started singing. His voice was surprisingly pleasant, even though the lyrics were senseless.
Miyake joined him on the next verse, nodding to the beat. It was a cheerful tune, he thought. Perfect to drink to. He poured another glass for himself and the ninja.
They emptied that and another as the song ended. The next pick was Miyake’s. He chose one based on the picture, a cute girl in a ridiculously short skirt.
“This is the theme song for my favorite anime,” Sasuke grinned.
“Then I picked a good one?”
Sasuke patted his arm. “A great one.”
Two hours later, both of them were too drunk to walk straight. Their singing got louder as their ability to pronounce the lyrics dwindled.
“Todokete atsuku naru omi . . .” The song dissolved into drunken laughter.
Miyake threw an arm around Sasuke. “Y-you’re my besht - besht fren.”
Sasuke leaned into the hug. “N-now I have two! Two besht frienz - friends.” He grinned but the expression slid into a sad frown.
“Wha - what ish it?” Miyake peered at the ninja’s face. “Need more sake?”
“I - I wish my other fren wash here,” Sasuke hiccuped. “An Shingen. I wash goin- going to take him to a hoshpital.”
Miyake nodded, though he didn’t understand. “Maybe nexsht time?”
“If he livesh,” Sasuke sighed.
“To Shingen,” Miyake poured them another round of sake. “And nexsht time!”
They drank to the toast.
Sasuke poured another. “And to friendsh we lef-left behind.”
They drank to that too.
After several more toasts that grew further away from the original point - to short skirts and lady’s stockings, to coffee, to the karaoke bar - the two men finally paid their tab and stumbled to the hotel.
Miyake nearly puked on the elevator, as the movement made his stomach flip. He would have taken the stairs, if he thought he could find the steps. He leaned on Sasuke as they walked down the hall. It felt like their room was miles away.
Sarutobi fumbled with the lock, and when the door opened, they fell inside.
Between leaning on each other and the walls, they managed to stand again.
“I’m go-gonna shower,” Miyake mumbled.
“Me nexsht,” Sasuke agreed. He tripped toward the beds and fell into the nearest one, face first.
Miyake made it to the shower, but didn’t manage to turn it on. He slumped to the floor and leaned his head back on the cool tiles, falling into a deep sleep.
Next: Middle Ground
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