#Look you don't hand me an old man with an eyepatch for me to NOT give him a pair of ravens

[gallusrostromegalus]

Okay but given that crows are ready to Throw Down with eagles at the slightest opportunity, I have to know- 1) are there crows in the Seireitei and 2) how much of their Daily Enrichment is causing problems for the 11th Division on purpose?

There absolutely are crows and jays and even ravens in the Seireitei and very nearly all of their daily enrichment is causing some level of mayhem at every division of the Gotei-13,

...except the 11th.

See, Zaraki has the distinct advantage over most eagles in that he is also a human, with a canny eye for social dynamics, and he's worked out a deal with the local corvids. He noticed the pair of ravens on the roof of the 11th the first afternoon he was there, made a note of them, carefully folded it up, and put it in his mental back pocket for later.

The ravens didn't actually notice him that much on the first day because there was an entire bisected corpse of the former Kenpachi and the medics were delayed in retrieving it for some reason so that meant lungs and liver and a spleen and gallbladder and a special course of freshly exposed brains before an eyeball each for dessert while some poor wretch from the 4th completely failed to chase them off with a broom. They did very much notice him in the middle of the afternoon on the second day, when he returned from the early morning captain's meeting they had slept through, on account of yesterday's food coma. -But even still sluggish with guts full of guts, they still sat up and took notice of a man wearing, loud, shiny and extremely steal-able BELLS.

A-ho, A-ho! Called the first raven from the middle boughs of the pine in the courtyard as the new Kenpachi sat down on the porch that surrounded the small and rather pathetic little garden, sighing deeply. What's this that jingle-jangles in like a jester and sighs and settles like a corpse at the bottom of a lake?

A great way for your mate to lose her beak if she gets any closer. He growled back, and the raven on the roof behind him startled, flapping away out of his blade's reach.

A-joke! A-joke! Don't hiss and rattle so! She huffed, joining her wife on the pine and ruffling her feathers.

It might be amusing sport on another day, but I have no humor to speak of. He clattered, turning his patch-covered eye to them in apology. I have suffered a bereavement.

A-no! A-no! Who is it who has died? Asked the first raven.

One who granted me the knowledge of letters, and further so, the wisdom of tales- in telling, and moreso in listening. Thrice blessed by her I was, and only now do I learn of her demise, fifty years too late. He explained, rubbing his temples and shaking his head, trying to soothe himself.

A-woe! A-woe! cooed the second raven in agreement. Any who teaches is a living saint, and their passing the most terrible loss.

A-woe, A-woe! the first raven cooed in sympathy. She didn't leave clutch or wife for you to look after?

She had a husband, but I do not know his name, and he is apparently deceased as well. The Kenpachi frowned. Her brother yet lives- he is my colleague even, and how I learned of this. A wretched way to meet someone she spoke so highly of- but you are right, he needs looking after. He is... unwell, and was never thriving to begin with, but the same sort of saint of words as she, and much braver than his body should allow. Of course, I will look after him for her, as is right.

A-woe, A-woe- A wretched meeting but the right and honorable thing to do. Nodded the second raven.

A-woe, A-woe, but this is not the source of your miserable sighing? asked the first. No, his care does not worry me- The Kenpachi shook his head, folding a leg up and resting his elbow on it and his cheek on his hand in turn. It's that I am left to wonder- If I had known sooner, or even before this catastrophe, if there was something I might have done. But you are interesting company so I will divert myself from useless morose- what do you call yourselves, carrion queens that live beneath my roof?

I am Mun-Yin! Declared the second raven, that spoke only in statements.

If she is Mun-Yin, might I then be Hau-Yin? Asked the first, who spoke only in questions.

You might. The Kenpachi nodded.

A-so? A-so? Who might you be that wears the shredded rags of a dead man like a pauper, but speaks with the grace of a prince? Hau-Yin asked, hopping from the pine to a closer boulder, cocking her head at him.

A-ho! A-ho! It may be your house that supports our nest, but we live above your roof, not under it! Mun-Yin laughed, hopping closer as well.

I am Zaraki Kenpachi, Captain of the 11th division! He smirked at the birds who rolled their eyes at him.

A-no! A-no! Pouted Mun-Yin We didn't ask for your NAME!

A-no! A-no! Sulked Hau-Yin Who ARE you?

The Kenpachi regarded them for a moment, then lifted his head from his hand and leaned forward, a conspiratorial grin on his face. Would you like to know a secret?

A-yo! A-yo! We love a secret! Said Mun-Yin, bouncing in excitement.

A-yo! A-yo! Do we not spend all day learning all the secrets of the city? Giggled Hau-Yin.

Then I will offer you a trade- The Kenpachi grinned, beckoning then closer. -I'll tell you who I am if you promise to leave my hair-bells alone.

Hmmm... the ravens considered, then shook their heads.

A-low, A-low, those are some very shiny jingle-jangle bells, and that's but one measly little secret. frowned Mun-Yin

A-low, A-low- Agreed Hau-Yin. That's not much of a trade is it?

On the contrary, it's a very good secret! Maybe the best secret in all of the Seireitei! The Kenpachi wagged his finger at them. Nobody knows it but me and my daughter, so it's very exclusive! And the risk is all on my end- some secrets are dangerous to know, but in this case, it would grant you great advantage- it would be DEEPLY embarrassing for me if any of the humans -and whatever Komamura is- were to find out.

Hmmm... the birds considered again, and nodded this time.

A-Quo! A-Quo! Very Exclusive and Deeply Embarrassing Secrets are The Best! We will take very good trade! Agreed Mun-Yin

A-Show! A-Show! Who are you, that we will leave your bells alone? asked Hau-Yin, hopping closer and bowing her head, looking up at him with a mischievously glittering eye.

I am Zaraki Kenpachi, Captain of The Eleventh Division, Father of Yachiru, Great Sword Bastard of the North 80th District, and most relevant to you- Youngest and Most Beloved Son of She Who Rules The Sky.

The ravens stared blankly at him for a moment.

What that fuck? Asked Hau-Yin.

Didn't realize we were speaking to ROYALTY. Muttered Mun-Yin

See? It's a VERY good secret! The Prince Kenpachi grinned, leaning back and lounging a bit- someone like him could make even a bare wooden porch look like a throne. -Also, you see how you DO SO live under my roof! He added, pointing up at the clouds.

The ravens shuffled a bit nervously, reconsidering him.

A-so? A-so? Hau-Yin asked, cautiously, shuffling a sideways to him.-How does Your Highness come to be a Shinigami then?

A-so! A-so! nodded Mun-Yin. Your Highness and We alike are strange enough birds for taking Names, but to take a JOB is unheard of!

It has it's benefits... The Prince Kenpachi shrugged. Alas, I may be Her Majesty's Son, but I did not inherit my mother's wings and guts, so I cannot live on the wind and whatever I might find by the roadside alone. Still- like a Name, a Job both restricts and offers opportunity- I am bound by duty, but I also am gifted a dry and sturdy nest and all the meat I may eat in exchange. And better still- My daughter now has her choice of tutors and scholars to learn greater Wisdom than I ever will.

A-sow! A-sow! Mun-Yin considered. You do reap well in that exchange!

A-though, A-though- considered Hau-Yin. Would you have the chance to reap in such fashion had you the wings of your mother? Are you perhaps Blessed in strange Human fashion?

The Prince Kenpachi laughed. Perhaps I am! Perhaps you may be even more blessed than I- you have wings and carrion-guts, but you are not bereft! I can offer you similar employment, if you should find it agreeable.

A-ho! A-ho! You are in a fine humor now, My Prince! Chirped Mun-Yin.

A-ho! A-ho! What is this Job you have in mind for the like of us? Asked Hau-Yin, intrigued.

I am in much better humor now, thanks to you both. The Prince agreed, offering Hau-Yin an outstretched hand and patting his knee to indicate Mun-Yin should join him too. There is naught you may do against death, but you may yet ease my bereavement- I am am saddened by the loss of my friend, but it's the lateness of the news that worries me. You say you spend all day learning the secrets of the Seireitei, and that you greatly desire Shiny Jingle-jangle bells?

A-so! A-so! Mun-Yin bobbed excitedly, hopping onto The Prince's hand. All over, all over from the high pillars of the execution grounds to the lowest grates where the sewers open up, we fly all over all over My Wife and I! And we see and we hear and we remember all the secrets of the city!

A-stow? A-Stow? You poses yet more shiny shiny bells? Hau-Yin clicked with interest, hopping onto his knee.

I happen to have two such golden bells, even bigger and louder than these, and will happily give them to you- with a Doll's shiny ribbon so you may wear them if you so desire- and other shiny and noisy things as I find them, if you tell to me all the secrets of the Seireitei.

Hmmm... the ravens considered.

A-yo, A-yo- It is a good deal. Nodded Mun-Yin. -But sometimes the winter is cold or the pickings are lean, and there is only so much comfort a shiny jingle-jangle brings when it is so.

A-yo, A-yo- Agreed Hau-Yin. Maybe sometimes a secret is worth a night out of the storm or a scrap of meat instead?

You are both very wise. The Prince Kenpachi nodded and the ravens preened with the praise. I am amenable- The ribbon-bells for all the secrets you know right now, and we can work out what payment is best in the future, when you discover more secrets for me?

A-Yo! A-Yo! crowed Mun-Yin, flapping with excitement. Your Highness is as generous as he is wise!

More, I hope! Laughed The Prince Kenpachi. I promise, I am a colossal fool!

A-Yo! A-Yo! crowed Hau-Yin What secrets would you like to know first? And may I have a Pink Ribbon?

I would like to know all you know about- hm, that's a tricky question actually.- There are so many things I wish to know! He considered, rubbing his chin, then jumped to his feet, making them hop, an Ancient Bird Game. Let me go get your ribbon-bells first, and make up my mind!

A-ho! A-ho! the Ravens laughed, hopping down the hall after him.

---

"Hey Boss, I found the payroll forms but fuck me if I can make heads or tails of- what's wrong?" Ikkaku called out as he came into the courtyard half an hour later, only to find Yumichika standing in the doorway, frowning pensively with his hand over his mouth.

"I'm not sure anything is wrong, per se-" Sighed Yumichika, waving at the scene before him.

Zaraki was seated on one of the boulders in the courtyard, delicately fastening one of Yachiru's shiny pink hair ribbons around the neck of an exceptionally smug-looking raven in an elaborate bow with a large golden bell in the middle. A similarly adorned Raven perched upon his shoulder, chattering excitedly between fondly preening where his eyepatch parted his hair.

"-but I can't help but think I've seen this scene before..." Yumichika muttered.

"They look like they're all having fun?" Ikkaku shrugged as Zaraki finished the bow and the raven ruffled her feathers into place, making it jangle and Yachiru giggle and applaud from where she sat on her father's knee. The Newly-belled raven hopped around to croak and click at him as well, flapping excitedly, and he put a hand up to stop her, asking her something in the shrill hiss and click of his native Aquiline tongue.

"You ever get the impression The Boss is way more articulate in Eagle than he is in Japanese?" Ikkaku frowned.

"Darling, he learned his Japanese from Bandits and Buskers and in Brothels, his Eagle has GOT to be better than that." Yumichika rolled his eyes.

"-ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Zaraki suddenly bellowed, shaking his finger at the raven in his lap.

Both ravens cawed in objection.

"-THIS IS NOT UP FOR NEGOTIATION! SO LONG AS YOU TWO LIVE UNDER MY ROOF, YOU LEAVE KANAME AND HIS EYEBALLS ALONE." he growled.

The Raven on his shoulder tipped her head, speculating.

"-He is TOO using them, they're there to keep his eye sockets and brain from getting infected with gods-know-what flesh-eating bacteria or whatever. NO. PECKING."

Both Ravens hunched up their wings and turned away, pouting.

"What's-His-Ass in the Fifth? The faintly greasy one that looks like a sad mop? His glasses are fair game, if it will amuse you." Zaraki relented, and both birds perked up. "-Might be worth a bag of potato chips if you can bring me a pair intact." he offered.

"Oh Gods, he's not gonna make me try to add a pair of BIRDS to the payroll, is he?" Whimpered Ikkaku.

#AEIWAM #an elephant is warm and mushy #Bleach #bleach fanfiction #kenpachi zaraki #Look you don't hand me an old man with an eyepatch for me to NOT give him a pair of ravens #long post #It's fun though

[sexiestpodcastcharacter]

Sexiest Podcast Character — Unscripted Bracket — Round 4

Propaganda

Glenn Close (Dungeons & Daddies):

#Propaganda for Glenn Close: one of the other PCs mentions multiple times how hot he is #Actually several characters point it out but especially Henry #Also the only person in a podcast that has to put a disclaimer about not being a BDSM podcast to have had sex during the course of the show

We didn’t do hot Glenn summer for him to LOSE. Spoilers for his story but MORE PROPAGANDA FOR YOU:

Young hot rocker dilf

Loyal to his dead wife <3

Does in fact smoke weed

BARD!! HES A BARD. HE WAS LEAD GUITAR IN HIS BAND (that he was kicked out of)

His band was a Christmas cover band btw.

Literally the fandom had hot Glenn summer which consisted of drawing him being incredibly hot and sexy

Anti government (ofc)

Kind of cringefail (Disney adult) (was on dilfs of disneyland)

Young and sexy not your style? Then how about HIM AFTER YEARS LOCKED IN A TIME PRISON WITH A DAMN HANNIBAL MASK ??

Lost an eye and wears a fucking eyepatch

One incredibly buff arm

Has a pet rat named after his son <3

Immeasurable amounts of trauma in this man- becomes progressively more unhinged

OH OLD HUMAN BARD ISNT CUTTING IT? FINE

HE BECOMES A FUCKING DEMON

A COOL HOT ONE-EYED DEMON WHO WANTS TO KILL HIS DAD (also sexy)

HE CANONICALLY ENDS CHRISTIAN HELL VIA CHRISTMAS

IS ALSO WAY OVERLEVELED

Becomes a demon hunter for the rest of his existence

Also nonwhite !!! We are done with cringefail whiteboys !!!!!!!!!

I can’t put into words ok just know he is the best plz love him.

Listen, I don't know this other character but I've seem some good arguments for her However Consider Glenn Close winning through no effort of his own in a bullshit way despite being a dick is the most in character thing ever. He leveled up three times and got a crab mech, we GOT to give him this win, it's fitting

I don’t regulate if minors follow me or not bc I’m a pretty chill space but I hope the world is aware that’s the only reason I haven’t been downright nasty about Glenn close. I’m down bad. I’m NOT in the boat of ‘Glenn isn’t sexy but I want him to win bc it’s my fandom’. I would estimate I have 200+ drawings of Glenn on my phone that AREN’T safe for work. Way more that are. Where did they come from? That’s MY business. But I tell you this fact to assure you- Glenn IS sexy. I’m not voting to represent my fandom I’m voting out of TRUTH AND LOVE. IF YOU DON’T GET IT YOU DON’T GET IT!!! I just think my level of feral over this man is more powerful than y’all realize. If you don’t get his sex appeal that’s okay, but don’t doubt that this is my truth.

Okay but Glenn made a minivan cum by talking to her so

HE HAS A BOOK THAT HE MARKS X’S AND CHECKS FOR EVERY DAY TO SEE IF THAT DAY WAS A SUCCESS OR NOT. TO SEE IF HE DID GOOD THAT DAY. ITS ALMOST ENTIRELY X’S. HE WAS CUCKED OUT OF A SON. AND A DEAD WIFE. HE DIDN’T EVEN GET TO KILL HIS DAD IN REVENGE. There’s absolutely nothing going for him except his sex appeal in his life. Nobody he loved remembers him. He lost his eye. All he has is a pet rat and friends who admit they don’t really like him that much. He was kicked out of his own band. The band was named after him. He was kicked out of the Glenn Close trio. All he could do was deez nuts the big bad and be sexy. If nothing else, then pity him. Look in his eyes. Look at his heart and soul. Do you think pickman needs this to feel good about herself? Can she not accept a loss for the sake of a pathetic father? Can she shake hands with the minivan fucker and his human gun and just take the L on this one? He did not do the BDSM episode for this I’ll tell you what. Do this for my his sake. Do it for Nick Jr, who needs the prize money to pay for his rat snacks. Do it for his son. For Morgan. Ganbatte.

Mod Note: While I will still take "bad dads are sexy" propaganda and "bad dads aren't sexy" anti-propaganda, I kindly request no more discussion on whether or not he was a bad father. This is a sexypoll, not a parentingpoll. If you see a post you strongly disagree with, you can just not reblog it.

Mod Note 2: This tournament is about fictional podcast characters. Please do not vote for the real actress Glenn Close.

Lup (The Adventure Zone: Balance):

Is somehow the hot twin between her and Taako

Lup Bluejeans (née... Taaco? Tacco? Taco? Tako? who tf knows this is why I'm going with her husband's last name. doylistly she gets her last name from her brother whose last name is given as "Taako again but spelled differently"): Hot, funny, smart and undead. Is there anything else you could want in a woman?? Well, in case there is: she's also canonically trans

LUP IS THE HOTTEST. VOTE LUP.

#Round 4 #Glenn Close #Lup #Lup TAZ #Dungeons & Daddies #Dungeons and Daddies #Glenn Close DnDads #The Adventure Zone #TAZ Balance

[lemon-boy-stan]

KAEYA'S VOICE-OVERS AS YOUR BOYFRIEND

sfw

"It's dangerous today, YN, I don't want you to go out."

"Archons, that colour on you."

"If only I could beat up every man in Mondstadt who had their eyes on you..."

"Are your hands feeling hot? Let me cool them down for you."

"When I said I'd slaughter every man who looks at you, do you think I wasn't being serious?"

"I said to be careful!"

"Injured again? Well, I guess I could give you some private lessons in sword-fighting if you'd like."

"I will kill anyone that dares to touch you."

"It's not my fault I punched him! He's the one that looked at you too long for my liking!"

"Since when am I too old to build a fort?"

"Come on, just once... wear my eyepatch! Please?"

NSFW under the cut

nsfw

"What, can't take anymore?"

"Look how pathetic you are."

"Such a slut, hm?"

"Aw, you're so heated up. I know of a way to cool you down."

"Archons, I fucking love how tiny you are under me."

"You're so cute when you cry because of my cock."

"You can't even take it!"

"Look at me, whore!"

"That's right, louder."

"My pretty little slut"

"All covered in my cum."

"Come on, slut, beg for it more."

"I love when you cry because of me."

GENSHIN IMPACT MASTERLIST

NAVIGATION

#kaeya alberich #genshin #genshin impact #kaeya alberich x reader #kaeya alberich fluff #kaeya alberich smut #kaeya fluff #kaeya smut #kaeya x reader #genshin kaeya #kaeya alberich x reader smut #genshin x reader #genshin fluff #genshin smut

[outlawedmando]

PAUSE & PAWS?

pairing: modern!aemond targaryen x reader

warnings: aemond is a warning himself ok

summary: leviathan, your beloved cat is always putting her paws where she shouldn’t be.

a/n: i am obsessed with this silver long-haired boy. also that sapphire eye does something to me…am i right??

also! would really appreciate reblogs + comments!!

word count: 900+

COPYRIGHT © 2023 OUTLAWEDMANDO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS ORIGINAL WORK IS NOT ALLOWED TO BE REPOSTED ON ANY PLATFORM IN ANY FORMAT.

The wild wind howled as you made your way inside the apartment block. Straight towards the elevator, the button pressed and resounding ding encompassed the space. It was a desolate sort of silence. Standing in all your lonesome with only the generic elevator music playing in the background. What was only a couple of seconds felt like a never-ending tunnel, caging you in its depths. 

DING!

You sighed. You began to make your journey towards your apartment. Your keys jingle by your side as the door unlocks, letting in the warmth of your home to comfort you. Yet, there wasn’t a welcoming home like you expected.

“Levi? Here, girl!” You entered your space, tore your boots off and unwrapped your scarf. You hung your coat near the door, making your way deeper into your home, “Levi…Levi?”

The apartment held no life, no living creature. She must have escaped. Oh, Levi. What am I going to do with you? You checked the empty apartment for any sign of evidence. Nothing. Levi didn’t leave anything in her disappearance. What was supposed to be a calm evening filled with relaxation turned into the opposite. It was time to backtrack, boots put back on as the door shut behind you, and the lock clicked in place.

You hurried across the hall to Mr Salinger’s. He was an old man, lonely but he always asked about your day when passing by the mailboxes in the mornings. With two quick knocks and a moment of silence, Mr Salinger opened the door in his tired state.

"Sorry to bother you, Sal. But, is Levi here with you?"

"No, she is not." He opened the door wider, more inviting than when he first answered.

"Shit," your hands fidgeted all over your face, sliding down until they met the curve of your neck. "Okay, thanks for letting me know."

"I'll be on the lookout for you, dear. Don't you worry."

"Thanks, Sal."

The door shut. You sighed and continued. You walked across to the apartment next to Mr Salinger's. You knew someone lived there, but never saw who he was, it was obvious that a man lived in apartment 409. There was a significant memory of a man arguing outside his door once. He seemed to be drunk off his face spewing nonsense about not wanting to take over the family business.

You braced for impact as soon your knuckles met the wooden exterior. Looking down at your feet; tapping one foot with the other. Hearing a soft "hmm" made your head shoot up like a pin rod as you finally gazed at this stranger of a man. 

He was beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Terrifying in the way that his entire being would make you fall to the ground for him. His dead-straight hair fell gently against his body, all white in its glory. A stark contrast to his full black outfit, a structured fit that hugged his body in all the right places. However, your gaze lifted to his eyes and how one was covered with a loved but worn eyepatch. You bit your lip as you continued to admire him, eyebrows furrowing at this man.

He coughed. Your keen observation of him was broken. His lithe voice continued, "Hmm...402, never knew I held such sentiments from you."

"You know my number?"

"What? are you suggesting that I am stalking you?" he tilted his head, "I am merely observing my surroundings."

"I..."

"Didn't know I could make a woman so tongue-tied."

You glowered. "Do you happen to know where my cat Levi is? She decided to leave home and now I cannot seem to find her."

"What would I get if I help you find her?"

"A pat on the back."

He leaned against the door, "Hmm..."

"Well, 409. Thanks for your ever-gracious self and help."

"It's Aemond."

"What?"

"I don't like that you referred to me as a number. I am a human being too."

"You called me 402."

"Yes, because I don't know your name. Unless, you want me to call you, Spitfire."

"Don't you dare!"

"Spitfire, I do quite like that name."

After shouting out your name to Aemond, he started chuckling. He opened his door further and a black cat came into view relaxing on his armchair, "Is this your Levi?"

"You could have just led with that. That you had my precious Leviathan!"

"How was I supposed to know you won't cat-nap someone else's cat?"

You rushed into Aemond's apartment straight towards Levi. Levi cuddled in layers of blankets draped over his emerald green armchair. Levi purred contently. "What did you give her? She doesn't like most people."

"Nothing," he smirked, "you jealous?"

"Pfft, please."

"I am waiting for my reward. I helped you find your Levi. I wonder what I am going to get?"

"You'll be getting a slap."

"Ohh, Spitfire. I just met you."

"Not like that, you pervert."

The candles in Aemond's living room started flickering. A warm golden shadow passed onto the wall creating an even cosier environment.

"Well..." You scooped up Levi into your arms as she purred contently once again, head burrowing into your neck.

"I'm waiting for my reward, Spitfire."

"Not in a million years, Aemond."

You looked back at him and thanked him quietly for taking care of her in the time that she disappeared from your home. Aemond shook his head and said, "you think me of a monster, don't you?"

"No. I do not," you whispered. "How about I treat you to coffee...or tea? I don't know what you prefer. You know, as your reward for helping me..."

"I'll take you up on that offer, Spitfire."

#aemond x reader #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond x you #aemond targaryen x you #aemond x fem!reader #aemond targaryen x fem!reader #aemond targaryen one shot #hotd one shot #hotd x reader #aemond x y/n #house of the dragon #modern!aemond #modern!aemond targaryen #modern! aemond targaryen x reader #pause and paws?

[illuminatedferret]

One-Word Ficlet Prompt #6: Sick

Word Count: 593

Back to hualian... and writing ficlets that don't include their prompt

-

Xie Lian’s whole body ached as he woke up.

And not in a good way. His limbs were leaden and sore, aching not like a good day of exercise or a few rounds in the sheets, but rather like an old friend- unseen for years but once a bosom companion. Yes, this was...

He groaned. The pillow beneath him shifted, and reluctantly, he peeled his eyes open.

“Are you alright, gege?” Hua Cheng murmured. It was his chest Xie Lian rested his head upon, and he shifted one arm to draw his fingers through Xie Lian’s loose hair. The cool touch was soothing, but he resisted the temptation to fall back asleep.

“...San Lang, I...” he didn’t really want to say it. After years together, he knew that he should, but this was the first time it had happened since they came together. Thankfully, the years had only honed his husband’s eye for detail, because he quickly caught on to the issue himself.

“Gege, you don’t sound so good,” he said with kind concern. Gentle fingers brushed the scrap god’s cheek, prompting him to raise his aching head high enough that a cool hand could press upon his forehead. Hua Cheng made a soft sound, and cupped his cheek. “You’re warm, too. How are you feeling?”

“...Not great,” Xie Lian admitted, knowing he couldn’t hide it. It was a strange feeling- centuries alone had accustomed him to gritting his teeth silently and riding his illnesses out in isolation, but though the instinct reared its head now, years of love and support from this very man had softened him. The foundation of his perseverance had been dug up, broken apart until the urge to whine and complain reemerged.

He’d been spoiled.

Hua Cheng hummed, petting along his back slowly. Xie Lian couldn’t help but resent the current state of his body- his husband was laid out before him deliciously, hair tousled, face relaxed, and even his eyepatch missing, letting Xie Lian see the entirety of his beauty. But all his eyes wanted to do was close.

How unfair...

What was even more unfair was how Hua Cheng began to maneuver Xie Lian off of him, laying him upon the bed instead.

“San Lang,” he honest-to-god whined. He’d been so comfortable! Hua Cheng was so nice and cool...

“Oh, gege,” Hua Cheng said. As he laid his husband down, he wrapped one hand around the back of his neck and squeezed lightly. It was a welcome attack upon Xie Lian’s sore neck, and he groaned in appreciation. “I’ll be right back. Just let me get some things for you. Perhaps later we can go to Paradise Manor for a nice bath, hm?”

Oh, a bath in Paradise Manor’s bathing pool sounded incredible... reluctantly, Xie Lian hummed his assent. “Come back soon, San Lang,” he mumbled, already losing the fight to stay awake.

A cool pair of lips pressed to his temple.

“I will. I’m just getting some things gege needs.”

Xie Lian, now half-asleep, wasn’t truly present anymore. That’s why he said, “no.”

“No?”

“I don’t need it,” he slurred. “I just... need San Lang...”

His voice dropped, as did his consciousness. So he had no way of seeing the surprised, pleased look on his husband’s face, nor the tender smile he wore next. Neither did he feel the soft brush of cool fingers against his cheek, or a second kiss to his temple.

“Not this time, Your Highness,” the ghost king whispered to his slumbering god. “Rest. I’ll be back before you know it.”

#tgcf #xie lian #hua cheng #hualian #illuwrites #tian guan ci fu #heaven officials blessing

[itjazzbicch]

Beneath The Surface

Pairing: Shunsui Kyōraku x Reader

Summary: Considering that the reader has been dealing with an illness, they are not as strong as they once were, desperate to be strong again as the war against Quincy's rage. Becoming hopeless, they begin to find some hope beneath the surface when their best friend lends a small hand with their emotions...

Warnings: The reader is sad, and mentions of death & illness (it's just a hurt/comfort fic) TYBW spoilers if you haven't watched!

Word Count: 0.9k 

My heart was breaking with every step when I dragged my cane along the rubble-covered ground. These Quincy's must've gone all out. Meanwhile, I was sick and barely able to walk.

I had never been so disappointed in myself, unable to bear the horrific sights that were now the Seireitei. Dragging myself back to my grounds, I wasn't allowed to due to my illness, but I took my zanpakuto, then went out to the shriveled-up garden where I once trained daily.

Pulling my zanpakuto from its sheath, it looked dull, the memory of the first time I held it in my hands flashing in my mind. How strong I was back then and how that strength led me to be a captain, once upon a time the strongest.

The longer I stared, the more I hated being who I was now. Fragile and weak, a burden rather than a fighting force, considering everything we knew was at stake. Those thoughts made me angry, sick, and shaking as I used all my strength to wield my zanpakuto.

"Talk to me, please," I whispered, trying not to cry, the shaking growing worse, "P-Please."

Nothing.

No matter how badly my body tried to give way on me, I stayed in stance, breathing heavily as I yelled in an attempt to build some motivation:

"I refuse to be so weak! Please! I need you!"

Again, nothing.

Using up my energy, I fell to a knee, the tip of my zanpakuto in the ground and clinging to it as I cried, begging it to talk to me somehow, to make me strong again.

"I'll do anything, just-"

"Y/N flower?"

Shunsui's voice brought me to silence despite the tears rolling down my cheeks, only listening:

"You know that you shouldn't-"

"I can't sit around and tolerate this anymore, Shunsui!"

It was becoming hard to breathe from the tears making my throat close. I knew precisely what Shunsui would tell me, and he should've known how I would react.

"I know that you're dealing with much more than your illness," He sighed, joining me on his knees, a hand on my back, "But we both know that-"

"What? That I'm weak? That I'm useless?" I couldn't look at him, clinging to my once mighty zanpakuto, "It won't even speak to me anymore."

"Stop talking like that," Shunsui was always trying to keep me optimistic, but given the times we were going through, that was impossible.

"It's the truth," I wept, drowning in those negative thoughts, "If I was strong enough, I could've done something. We lost so many, and Old Man Yama-"

The devastating memory of when I learned about Captain Yama's death made me start to sob, collapsing, but Shunsui caught me, holding me to his chest.

He knew that I needed to get this out of my system, only rubbing my back and hugging me as I cried:

"I hate this. Why did I have to get sick?"

"If I could change things, I would," He whispered as my cries settled, "But know, sick or not, you're much stronger than you think."

Finally, growing the courage to look at him and seeing his eyepatch added to that guilt as I was always protective over him. I tried my hardest to take in his words profoundly and believe I was strong like in the past, but it was challenging.

"You've had a lot to deal with since you took charge, Shunsui," I sniffled, cleaning my face, "Don't-"

"Crazy to think that after all the long years we've spent together, this is the first time I'd ever seen you cry," He realized; the thought never occurred to me, and our gazes connected, "I may be head captain now, but you're still my flower too."

His words made tears swell again, an arm wrapping around my head and holding me tight, clinging to his floral robe. Despite what little tears I had left coming down, I finally saw some light in my dark world:

"Flowers aren't just delicate, you know? They're not just beautiful, either. They weather through storms and may lose a pedal or two, but they grow back as beautiful as they were before. They have an unspoken strength."

I stared off into space as I related to his words. It may not be happening as quickly as I'd hoped, but maybe the strength I once possessed was slowly returning to me.

"How many terrifying challenges have we conquered, huh?" He whispered, kissing my cheek, "Remember that you're strong."

"I'll try," I whimpered, watching him place his hat down so he could hug me tighter, our heads together as I whispered, "I love you, Shunsui. Never forget that."

"That's good to know. Thought I'd have to wait another century or two to hear those words," He joked, and it did get a slight chuckle out of me, but seriousness settled in, thankfully the good kind, as he stroked my cheek, "I love you too my beautiful, strong flower."

"I promise from now on," I breathed in deeply, looking towards becoming better rather than drowning in sadness, "Every day till I'm gone, whether if it's this illness or by someone's hands, I'll never give up."

"Finally got some fire in your eyes," He mumbled with a smile, giving me more motivation to keep that promise as he kissed me softly, "I know you won't. You never have." 

2023 © itjazzbicch — do not repost or translate my work. Likes, reblogs, and comments are always welcome 

#bleach #bleach x reader #bleach imagine #bleach fic #bleach fluff #bleach comfort #shunsui kyoraku #shunsui kyoraku x reader #shunsui kyoraku imagine #shunsui kyoraku fluff #shunsui kyoraku fic #shunsui fic #shunsui x reader #shunsui imagine #shunsui fluff #shunsui comfort #shunsui x y/n #shunsui kyoraku x y/n #bleach x y/n #read and enjoy

[glitteringcrab]

Evil Morty's ability of attachment

In Evil Morty's first appearance, my initial reaction was that I found it absolutely hilarious that Evil Rick (who looked kinda cartoonishly evil, at least by Rick standards, what with the scar and the black shirt and the bags under his eyes) also had an "Evil" Morty (also cartoonishly wearing an "eyepatch of evil" lol).

Then as that episode progressed, I realized that Evil Morty is... probably as much of a victim here as the other Mortys.

He didn't just wear a cartoonishly evil eyepatch; he was wearing an eyepatch because Evil Rick had poked his eye out!

He didn't go along with Evil Rick's plan because he, too, is evil; he went along because if he didn't cooperate, then he would be the one strapped on the dome and tortured!

His retort to Morty Prime when asked for help to free all the trapped Mortys cemented that to me. He didn't mock Morty Prime for whishing to escape, he didn't say anything cartoonishly evil. Instead he said: "it would be pointless. Mortys have no chance of defeating a Rick".

His parting expression in undecipherable; you can't really tell if he's just being mean or if he's simply exhausted and miserable by everything he has to do.

And if you go back and watch the very first scene where he assaults other Ricks and Mortys, you see him holding a rifle; one that is nearly as big as he is. One that was made for adult hands, not child hands. He looks like a child soldier in this scene.

All in all, he looked just like a traumatized kid who was thrown into circumstances WAY out of his control and had no option but to cooperate with his tormentor if he wanted to survive. I was even reminded of the older boy in the movie Changeling; that boy had to comply with an insane mass murder who targeted little boys, acting a bit like a bait... because if he didn't cooperate, then he'd get killed as well.

Of course, by the end of the episode, it is apparent that all this was a cleverly designed ruse to induce that exact reaction. Although he looks like a victim, he is the one in control here.

Except... there is a "but".

Sure, Evil Rick didn't poke his eye out. But another Rick messed with it instead in the past.

He was in no danger of getting strapped on the dome... but he was in danger of being paired with a Rick who (like that guy who held Hammer Morty in front of him as a shield while the federation soldiers tried to gun him down) would casually let him get killed.

The rifle he was holding was to promote his own agenda, nobody forced him to hold it... but he had been made a child soldier countless times in the past.

It turns out the reaction I got was quite close to the truth, just... Evil Rick wasn't the one personally responsible for it.

Which leads to my first point: it seems to me that Evil Morty may have a... continuous... view of other people. As in, all Ricks share responsibility for the abuse, and all Mortys share responsibility for enabling it.

He says to Morty Prime that "There aren't infinite versions of our grandfather, Morty. He's an infinite smear of one shitty old man. And he's attached to us infinitely through his weakness and our forgiveness."

I didn't really know how to read that sentence. How can a person be an infinite smear?

Well... Rick has been saying things in a similar (continuous) vein. For example, when Morty Prime said "My mums are in trouble!" Rick's answer was:

"Those versions of them are."

To Ricks, there are infinite realities. The people are interchangeable. Ricks don't form connections. It doesn't matter if it's this Beth or that Beth. And, apparently (given the Citadel's Morty Market) it doesn't matter if it's this Morty or that Morty. Everyone has infinite versions, and you can pick and choose.

Not only people are interchangeable to Ricks, but universes are. You can skip universe, consequences, everything (A+ metaphor of narcissists' discarding phase).

There aren't infinite Beths: there are infinite versions of Beth. It's okay if you have one more or less.

In the same vein, there aren't infinite Ricks: there are infinite versions of Rick, each leaving their trace in the universe; but all traces are equally shitty. An infinite smear of one shitty old man.

And... infinite Morties. Evil Morty wasn't torturing hundreds of Morties, he was torturing hundreds of versions of Mortys. There were many, many versions that didn't get tortured (I can almost hear Rick saying this)! Don't think about it.

And, while Evil Morty seemed to pick and choose which Rick would survive and which die after he was elected (so he could tell that the Ricks that made fun of him during the debate were different from Cop Rick who did the right thing) he had no qualms about killing every Rick in the citadel when he blew up the CFC... along with every Morty in the citadel. Who he also hates just as much ("you sellout Mortys kill me").

I feel like, despite his hatred of Rick, Evil Morty has actually listened to Ricks' lessons and worldview. Like it was the only thing he was ever taught and has therefore taken it too close at heart... attachments included.

Which leads to my second point. Unmortricken got me thinking... Up until that episode, we didn't really know what kind of life Evil Morty wanted to live outside the Curve. He might have wanted to be the overlord of a Rickless galaxy (booo). Or he might have wanted to get himself adopted by a kind and loving family (awww). But he didn't do either. He built a home for himself in the middle of nowhere (quite literally), with zero companions (the robot butler doesn't count... It is of course, very sad, but at the time I thought it was mostly pragmatic: the robot butler does his chores for him lol). He didn't even get a pet.

And that's kind of the thing... Why not get a puppy or something? Would have been nice. That's quite a low-risk attachment. A puppy loves you unconditionally. No ulterior motive. You can't really get a safer companion for a traumatized lonely boy in the middle of nowhere.

But Evil Morty didn't do this either. And then I thought; if he was moving constantly, switching universe after universe, switching Ricks, switching families... his ability to get attached to anything must have been quite ruined. It's hard to make friends with your classmates, only to move to a parallel dimension where they don't give a shit about you and you have to start all over again. It must be quit devastating to have an emotional and cathartic discussion with your sister only to move to another universe where this much needed heart-to-heart never happened. Or managing to get your mum to accept you as a replacement son, only to move to another house, with another Beth, who knows her real son is dead. Or to get a cat, only to have to leave it behind because the new household doesn't have a cat and therefore you can't take it with you. Or to get a girlfriend, only for Rick to cronerberg said girlfriend by mistake; or get a bunny, only for Rick to shoot it in a fit of pettiness.

(In a similar-ish vein, the only people who we have ever seen being on Evil Morty's side were people he had personally manipulated in one way or another (either by puppeteering them or by tricking them). We haven't seen someone genuinely trying to take his side; using mind control was the only way he could get someone to take care of him. I wouldn't be surprised if he... has learnt not to expect a genuine relationship to ever be an option.)

...I suspect Evil Morty's ability to form attachments has been damaged; if not completely then at least up to a point. I can't figure out any other reason he wouldn't attempt to have SOME sort of companion once free.

I'm leaning towards this ability not being completely damaged; originally I thought he was being a jerk about the second seat in the spaceship, but now I'm tending to believe that his offer for Morty Prime to join him was in fact genuine, and he lied about it being fake only so he could cover this sudden show of vulnerability. Because... if he never intended for Morty Prime to be able to join him, why even offer? I remember being surprised at that moment in the episode, because we had no indication that Evil Morty might have wanted a companion; the idea was absurd. And if he never intended Morty Prime to be able to join him, why admit that Morty Prime's decision was the correct one?

And Morty Prime's rejection might have stung quite a lot, whether the offer was genuine or not! Because he told Morty Prime almost everything; he told him about the Morty Factory, about the Central Finite Curve, showed him the reality of their existence, and gave him the choice between staying with Rick in the citadel (a choice accompanied by (almost) certain death) and escaping with Evil Morty; and Morty Prime still chose Rick. In spite of everything. In spite of all the evidence of Rick's constant abuse.

Up to that point, Evil Morty's attitude in that episode had been quite energetic and determined. He had a lot to say, a lot to explain. As another fan mentioned, he giggled constantly before and after sentences; Rick's C-137 sudden arrival meant he could finally leave that day! He was eager to meet Rick C-137 and get what he needed! And he must have wanted to get all the secrets he knew out of his chest and share them with Morty Prime, who might understand. He, too, has been sick of Rick. He knew what this was about!

And after Morty Prime rejected him, his expression when he entered the spaceship that would take him to freedom, his expression when he was so close to finally achieve the thing he had been working so hard for, and for so long, was this:

That's not the expression of a cool and bored villain successfully doing whatever they had planned all along.

To me he seems defeated and exhausted. Like he was so tired by then he couldn't even feel any exhilaration at his escape.

It was only when he was nearing the rift that he closed his eyes and smiled, and I gotta say that during that scene, as the hole of the rift got larger, I wondered if the plan would even work. Were his calculations correct? Would he physically be able to pass through whatever distortion was awaiting for him, or would it kill him? It didn't seem like this thing (a rift opening in such fashion) had happened before in the past, was he sure it was going to work?

...The way he closed his eyes as the rift was approaching seemed to me like he wasn't sure either, but was embracing whatever came for him next anyway.

It was the incredible spectacle of the rift that finally seemed to manage to shake him out of whatever he was feeling. That was the first moment that he looked like a child... like an awe-struck Morty.

...and it took a while for him to manage to close his mouth lol

ANYWAY where I'm going with this is: I feel like Evil Morty's ability of attachments and healthy relationships has become so skewed, that...

...I'm not sure he will get a happy ending. That kind of trauma at such a young age will not be something that can be easily dealt with. I feel like, if this was a real-case scenario, he'd need years, decades of therapy, constant reassurance and steady relationships, which... I'm not sure he'll be able to get in the three remaining seasons of the series.

There doesn't really seem to be anyone who understands what his mental state is, nor anyone who is capable of approaching him any time soon.

And his theme song is just so sad... Is that the theme song of someone who gets a happy ending?

(I can't get Evil Morty out of my head)

#rick and morty #evil morty #eyepatch morty #evil morty's well-masked emotions

[deatheatet]

What if Z-Dog lived but got to stay with the Na'vi?

Warning:Blood,swearing,Neteyam doesn't die,Z head cannons on her backstory and relationship with spider,Neytiri being a bit of a bitch,understanding,some angst.

Might do part two. Tell me if you want part two

-3rd Persons POV-

"Man,fuck this shit."Z muttered keeping herself up on a bag or something so she didn't drowned. She could barely move her fucking leg and couldn't see shit put of her right eye. "MAMA" Z looked up,it was Sully's littlest one,the one that bit her back in the woods. Kid wasn't doin good,blood was in the water around her.

"........"Z watched "Gah. Fuck this!" She hissed at herself and dove into the water swimming over to Tuk who was coughing.

"M-mama?" Tuk coughed thinking it was Neytiri who wrapped an arm around her.

"Not anywhere fucking close kid"

Z-dog snapped at her before pulling tuk up to where the kid was lying on her shoulder, sort of. Tuk's eyes widen, and her mouth fell. She started to say something but started coughing her lungs up again.

"Come on, kid." Z muttered.

God fuck her mama instincts for kicking in now. Tuk knew she shouldn't probably trust the woman but she did. Tuk coughed and clung onto Z while the woman swam them over to a rock. Z pulled them up onto the rock and near the center. It was more shore actually but didn't matter. Tuk coughed her little lungs up for another minute before turning to Z with a not understanding expression

"If you hate us so much,why did you save me?"Tuk asked

Z-dog stared at the kid for a second. What did she say? That she was a mama and her instincts kicked in? That she wasn't gonna let a kid die? Finally

"All that matters is you're alive, so why should it matter. Besides. Your old man and bitch mother will probably kill me anyway. So why bother? "Z said, holding her now missing eye,well holding her hand over the empty socket.

"......."Tuk stayed quiet. She didn't actually want her mama and daddy to kill Z,the woman had saved her and never really hurt her when she captured her. Tuk thought back and realized everytime she got captured,Z was the one who held her. Z had never been rough or hurt her like the others had her siblings.

"Kehe."Z looked up and cocked an eyebrow at Tuk

"'Kehe'? The fuck does that mean?" Z asked. Tuk crossed her small arms and proclaimed

"No. You saved me,and now that I thought to it,you never actually hurt me. So no. I won't let Mama or Daddy kill you or hurt you! OW!" Tuk yelped, grabbing her arm. There was a nasty gash on the kids' arm from a spear, maybe,probably. Z grabbed a roll of bandages out of her vest. Thank God they were water proof,and pulled Tuk over to her.

"What are you doing?" Tuk asked

Z ignored her and wrapped the bandage tightly around the gash on Tuk's arm. Tuk stared in surprise,but she let Z help her. As Z-dog fixed her arm, Tuk looked at her hip and eye,injuries from her Mama's arrows. Tuk picked up the bandage and stood hesitantly in front of Z and mumbled "Can I help you?'

Z watched the kid, and she sighed and nodded. Tuk wrapped Z's hip after Z moved her cargos and belt down so she could see the wound. Then Tuk made an eyepatch of sorts from a wad of bandage,then used medical tap she got Z to hand her from the vest to cover her eye.

"Thought y'all used plants and shit for medicine?"Z said. Tuk smiled a little and said, "I know some forest stuff, but I don't know anything about the sea medicine. So I learned to use this stuff from Norm and Max at the lab when they babysat me."

"TUK!" Screamed a voice,male. 'Sully' Z-dog thought looking up as the bastard himself,his bitch,his two boys,his older girl and some Metkayina girl came running over.

"DADDY! MAMA!" Tuk yelled, running and jumping into Jake's arms. Jake spun his daughter around. Spider looked past Kiri's shoulder and choked in surprise,Z looked the boy up and down,growling a little when she saw his bleeding chest. Her growl caught everyone else's attention, and Jake sat Tuk down. Neytiri snarled and tried to lunge at Z-dog with her knife,Spider started to move, but Tuk beat him there and put herself between her mama and the recombinant woman yelling "KEHE!".

"Tuk move!"Neytiri snarled, her eyes locked on Z-dog. "Tuk tuk. Listen to your mama and move. "Jake growled in a stern manner glaring at Z-dog. Z-dog sneered at Jake just to piss him off. "She saved me! I won't let you kill her or hurt her!" Tuk said, stubbornly keeping her spot in front of the tattooed recom.

#jake sully #neytiri te tskaha mo'at'ite #miles socorro #spider socorro #recom squad #kiri sully #tsireya #tonowari #ronal #tuktirey #tuk sully #neteyam #lo'ak sully

[favoniuscodex]

prompt: happy birthday to the most underrated genshin boy! warnings: reader wears a dress/makeup, but is gn. i might mention hair in here (no length specified) -- i don't remember tbh.

Sometimes, you wonder if you’re too mean to your boyfriend, Kaeya Alberich.

Others might say that the Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius is sly, and sometimes even untrustworthy. They’ll tut about how he’s a bit of a charmer, silver tongued and ready to say whatever reaps him the most benefit in the end, even if it isn’t true. And, perhaps, at one point, you might have agreed with them. But now, you know that their words are misguided, fueled by false rumors and misinterpretations of the most wonderful man you’ve ever known. After all, the wicked person in your relationship with Kaeya is none other than yourself.

You don’t intend for it to be that way (okay, well, maybe that’s a lie, but it's too fun to pass up the opportunity to bully him), especially not on his birthday. But here you are, jumping on your boyfriend after loitering in his office and waiting for him to arrive.

“Oh?” Kaeya says slyly, a grin slowly forming on his face as you practically pounce at him, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and peppering kisses all over his face. “You’re here early. To what do I owe the occasion?”

“Well,” you hum in between your assault of kisses, leaving shimmering marks of lip gloss across every inch of his face (you hope he likes the scent of cherry and vanilla, but he’s always been eager to kiss the lip gloss off you when you’ve worn it before). “It’s my boyfriend’s birthday, so I thought I’d stop by and see you before going to see him, y’know?”

When laughter escapes Kaeya’s lips, it’s usually in the form of flattering chuckles and amused scoffs. Yet, in recent times, only you’ve been privy to his true laughter. The melodic sound blesses your ears once more, playing your favorite tune for a brief moment as Kaeya bursts out into a fit of uncontrolled laughter at your joke.

“Ah, so I’m just your little side piece now? You wound me, darling,” Kaeya croons after you finally place a quick peck on his lips. His arms have long since enclosed themselves around your waist, holding you close to him. Kaeya’s fingers interweave themselves together, sitting at the small of your back, while his pinkies toy with the ends of a ribbon that cascade down your spine. Before Kaeya, touch from others made you bristle, warning anyone off with a stern look. Now, you find comfort in the cool touch of his hands, including all of his newfound habits of playing with your outfit and your hair (in fact, any part of you) that arise whenever you are within reach.

“Don’t give me that attitude,” you tease, unable to keep the smile out of your face and voice. “I see you wooing all of those little old ladies every day. I’ve been a side piece to everyone in Mondstadt’s grandmas for ages.”

"Ah," he says, lips curving upwards to display bright white teeth. "Looks like you caught me. There's no adrenaline rush quite like bingo night."

You giggle, utterly enamored with the way he plays along with your teasing. Years ago, both you and Kaeya would have scoffed at the idea of being so comfortable in the presence of another, but today, you can't help but lean into him, hands splaying across the vest partially hidden beneath his coat. The stiff fabric brings a familiar comfort. Despite his Vision, Kaeya's body still remains warm enough for you to find comfort (although he finds much more comfort in your own body warmth, frequently clinging to you like a leech most cold evenings and whining about how it isn't fair that you get to be warm when he isn't). You break your gaze from Kaeya's own for a brief moment, stealing a glance at his lips before returning to the familiar pairing of an eyepatch and indigo galaxies that you adore so much. Understanding your unspoken desire, Kaeya moves a hand from your waist to gently cup your jaw, pulling you in for a kiss.

Kaeya's lips mold themselves against yours in a familiar waltz of passion, guiding you through the steps of all the affection he cannot easily bring himself to say without your partnership. When he pulls away, he leaves you breathless, but his touch does not leave you as his thumb swipes affectionately across your cheek, cradling you gently. His arm around your waist tightens more, hesitant to let you go despite the rising of the sun outside that signals the beginning of his daily duties.

"Happy birthday, honeybun," you say, receiving a sweet giggle from Kaeya in return.

"'Honeybun'?" He echoes. "That's a new one."

"Mhm," you hum in agreement. "And it's just for you."

Kaeya kisses you once more, but the kiss is chaste this time. It's a brief flutter of all the affection he holds towards you, and you miss the feeling of his lips upon yours once he pulls away. This isn't the first birthday of Kaeya's that you've spent with him, nor will it be the last, but you're determined to make it one of his best. The surprise party you have planned later can wait, along with the bottle of expensive wine and the snow globe of Windrise that you'll gift him once the time comes. For now, you can enjoy this early morning moment with him. Kaeya might not ever say it out loud, but he doesn't care much for the material gifts when you've already given him the best present possible by staying by his side each and every day.

#kaeya x reader #genshin impact x reader #axia.writing #writing.kaeya #kaeya fluff

[tonberry-yoda]

Once Upon A Dream - Julian Devorak

Pairing - Julian Devorak x reader (a dress is mentioned to be on reader, but clothes dont mean nothin frfr)

Warnings - Julian getting drunk lmaoooo but nothing other than that lol

Word Count - ~1,270

Notes - this is old... LIKE REALLY FLIPPIN OLD like SO OLD OMG. it was rotting in google docs and I found it and I actually love it. I kinda miss my old writing style ngl... that's okay tho lol, I still love my writing now dont get me wrong, but this was in a time where i had a ton of free time, so i could write all day if i wanted to. anyway, enjoy!!! <333 (i did edit it a bit tho lmao)

You were never around the palace often, considering the people there didn't like you much. You were poor. You worked in the marketplace.

But occasionally, You would find yourself in the garden on a gloomy and foggy day playing with the frost covered, half dead flowers with a smile on your face even though your feet were covered in mud and there was no saving the brim of that dress that had dirt and grass stains collected from the past couple of years.

You smiled as you ran your hand over the ice covered fountain humming to yourself, Once Upon a Dream. The tune has been stuck in your head all morning.

As you was getting through the chorus, watching a bird eat the seeds you threw, you felt something warm next to you and another voice joined in. “But if I know you, I know what you’ll do…”

You turned over, shocked and a man laughed. “My apologies. I love that song. Been stuck in my head all morning, I just had to get it out. I thought it was a nice opportunity.”

You smiled, tilting your head. “Are you… Doctor Devorak?”

“Ugh, formalities. Call me Julian, dear. Or Doctor Julian. Formalities.” He shook his head as he repeated that word.

“What are you doing out here, doctor?”

He smiled, looking at the crisp grass. “Nothing like a morning walk, don't you think? Sometimes one man can get sick of the plague.”

“I would imagine,” you pulled you cold legs towards your chest, sitting down. “Are you getting close to a cure?”

He shrugged, looking off before sighing, putting his head in his hands. “God, I just feel like I'm a failure.”

“A failure? No! You’ve helped a lot of people!”

“There’s only so much I can do before there’s hoards of people! More and more people get infected every day. More people are dying and I can only heal so many at a time.”

“Doctor, you’re doing fi-”

“That’s what you see on the surface! Do you see this?!” He threw off his eyepatch revealing the plague.

You gasped and backed up.

“It's not contagious, love… I apologize… I just let out everything on a stranger, huh?” He sighed, laughing sadly to himself and sat back down, putting the eyepatch back on. “I'm fine. The plague doesn't affect me or anyone around me.”

You sighed, sitting next to him. “I'm sorry about that. You’re doing the best you can do right now though and that’s enough for the town for now.”

“I'm trying.”

You grabbed his warm, gloved hand and rubbed your thumb over the back of his hand. “You are. And that’s good enough. At least you’re putting in effort.”

He laughed and looked directly into your eyes. “I just realized that I never learned your name, dear.”

---

“Can I get another salty bitters over here?”

The bartender leaned over the table, laughing. “Another one?! Dr. Devorak, you’re going to die off of those things!”

“The great Dr. Devorak doesn't die over alcohol!” He hiccuped and stood up on his table. “I am the great Dr. No. 069! Got it, barkeep?!”

The whole bar burst out into laughter, including Julian who slipped off of his table.

All of a sudden, the whole bar got quiet when a small silhouette walked in and over to the bar. “Excuse me… can I get a salty bitters please?”

The bartender looked at you with a very skeptical eye, laughing along with the rest of the bar. “The little one… wants a salty bitters?!”

“Yes please.”

“Where did you come from?”

“None of your business. Can I have my drink please?”

He laughed so hard that he fell over along with the rest of the bar and you stood there, rolling your eyes.

Julian scattered up and ran next to you. “A salty bitters, you say?”

You smiled, turning to Julian. “Yes, a salty bitters. Does everyone and their mother have a problem with that?”

He laughed, banging his hand on the counter. “You heard the lady, barkeep! Get her a salty bitters!”

You were standing so close to him that you could smell the alcohol on his breath.

The bartender got up and handed you your alcohol. “There ya go little one! A salty bitters… in a teacup!”

The whole bar broke out into insane laughter as you took your drink.

It all stopped when you slammed it down though.

“I'll take one more and be on my way, thanks.” You threw the money on the counter and the bar went back to normal.

“Did you used to be a pirate or sumthin?” The bartender slid over your drink, flashing you a toothy smile.

“I did.”

“Cute. Enjoy the drink, okay?” He winked and you smiled and walked away, rolling your eyes.

Julian ran after you and grabbed your shoulder. “You look familiar… Do I know you?”

You studied his face for a minute, only a flash of a memory appearing for a second. “I… I don't know.”

His hand slid down your shoulder, falling limply. “Okay… sorry.”

You grabbed his fallen hand, looking into his shaky eyes. “It's okay.” You smiled, sending a shockwave of familiarity through his body that made him shake.

“I'll… see you around?”

You turned over, the smile only turning brighter. “Yeah.”

---

He stared at his plague doctor mask, looking off to the sea with a sad look striking his eyes. “Who needs a plague doctor if there’s no plague? …”

He threw his mask into the ocean and a small tear fell down his cheek. He let himself cry with his face in the palms of his hands, calling himself things like a failure and a murderer. He didn't want to be seen as these things, but he figured they were true based on the words of the people. The people he tried to save, only to let down.

“Dr. Devorak?” He turned over, seeing you, who he met at the bar. You, whose shop he broke into. You, who patted him down and he subtly flirted with.

“D-Dear!” He realized that when he looked at you, his face was red, puffy, and tear stained. “S-Sorry.”

She sat next to him, looking out at the sea. “Sorry for what?”

“N-Nothing. Nevermind.”

You sat in silence for a moment as you scooted closer to him, your hands almost touching.

“Julian?”

“Yes?”

“Did you actually kill Lucio?” He looked over to you with shock in his eyes that turned soft almost immediately. “I don't remember.”

You hummed in response, scooting closer. “I hope this doesn't sound weird… but Julian… it feels like we’ve known each other for years.”

He laughed, moving his hand to his hair, brushing it out of his eyes. “You’re telling me!”

You smiled and stood up, stretching your hand out. “Julian, let's go get some dinner.”

Tears pricked the corners of his eyes and he stood up, pressing a kiss against your forehead. “Yes please.”

---

Julian, I love you. I didn't tell you… but I have the red plague. I don't know when you’ll read this, but please know that even in death, I will be with you forever. I promise that we’ll see each other again. Even if it takes an eternity. To be honest with you… I love you. I always have. You’ve had nothing but respect for me and I hope that I showed you the same. Good luck. You’ll always be the best doctor in my eyes. I believe in you. Even in my last days I look at you with dreamy eyes. I love you, Dr. Devorak.

XOXO

the arcana masterlist

@tonberry-yoda

#writing #my writing #fanfic #fanfiction #the arcana #the arcana x reader #julian #julian x reader #julian the arcana #julian devorak #julian devorak x reader #julian devorak x mc #julian devorak the arcana #OLD WRITING #this took forever to edit omg #<3 #i need to write for him again frfr

[tanmono]

GILBERT VON OBSIDIAN EVENT STORY....

EPILOGUE.

The True Love of Beauty and the Beast.

translations are not 100% accurate. expect mistakes.

spoilers from gilbert's route.

trigger warning: smut.

minors and ageless blogs dni.

The nickname "Gil" was also familiar in the old days.

The name my brother and mother often called me had a special warmth to it, and I loved it even as a child.

However, there is no family in this world who calls me "Gil" anymore.

I had to force a wounded boy I picked up at Rhodolite to call me "Gil",

As he grew up, he rarely called me by that name.

(I thought I'd never hear someone call the trampling beast by its nickname again.)

(It was a symbol of family for me.)

Emma: Gil……

And yet, Emma, who has become my official fiancée, calls me with that nickname.

There are some awkwardness, but I have not heard "Gil" in a long time,

It was so full of happiness that my heart seemed to melt.

(This is bad…..when Emma calls me "Gil," it's like I'm not myself anymore.)

The bane of the world, the trampling beast, the man who has terrorized the entire continent in this way,

The mere mention of my nickname in bed makes me want to bury my face in my pillow.

I couldn't do that, so I just covered Emma’s lips with mine.

Gilbert: Can you say it again?

Emma:….When you’re urging me like that, it’s difficult.

Gilbert: Just say it naturally.

(It’s your fault for giving the bad guys a good bait, you see?)

I pushed Emma onto the sheets and bit into the skin through her jet-black dress.

I avoided kissing her lips so that she could call my name at any time, and I slowly made more and more bite marks.

(…..I've got time today, and I'm not going to make you feel better right away.)

Flicking my tongue over the bite marks, avoiding the places where Emma’s body is pleasurable.

Emma: Aahhh, Lord Gilbert——

Gilbert: You’ve said it wrong, you know?

(You're the one who wanted to get to know me better.)

Emma:…It's hard to say that without being aware of it.

Emma: Not to mention, I’m…embarrassed.

Gilbert: Then let's practice until you get used to it, okay?

Gilbert: Come on, I'll make love to you until the end of the night, just like you wanted.

Emma:….I don't want——

Gilbert: No?

Emma:…….

(I like that you don't shy away from denying it, Emma.)

Gilbert: I'll make you feel good every time you can call me that. But if you can't do that——

I lightly pressed her breasts against the top of her black dress.

I tried tickling her many times, but everything seemed to be blocked by the dress,

Emma began to sway her body in frustration.

Gilbert: Shall we do this forever?

Emma:…..Gil.

(I can't stand it. ….Hehe, I'm sure I'll hear a lot of names today.)

As promised, I pulled down her dress and bit into the swollen spot where she wanted to be touched.

While repeating such a games, before I knew it, the color of the sky had changed——

Gilbert:…Night came early, isn’t it?

(I got carried away too.)

I removed my eyepatch and looked down at Emma, who was lying helplessly in the darkness with no lights on.

The sheets were so stained that it was a good thing I had taken off her dress during the day.

(All I did was chew and lick and tease her for a long time, and she turned out like this.)

I’ve been teasing her and making her feel good….her body has been twitching and aching just a while ago.

Gilbert: After all that love, you still can't get enough?

A quick stroke between her legs caused Emma to shriek and jump up.

Emma: Aah…Lord Gilbert…..

(….You’re stiff.)

Gilbert: I'm not going to stop you like that, okay?

Emma: Gil……

Gilbert: Even if you fix your mistakes, I won't stop as well.

(How many times are we going to repeat the same mistakes? I'm not used to it at all.)

I hugged Emma from behind and put my hands around her waist to prevent her from escaping.

Tears trickled down the corners of Emma’s eyes as I deliberately stirred the surface between her legs.

Gilbert: Don't cry.

Emma: Nn…I can't...my body is already….

Emma: Everywhere you touched me was.…weird…..

Gilbert: Hmm.

Emma: Ah...ahhh….

I slipped my finger deep inside and started stirring again.

I stirred the hot and tender spot until I almost got burned, but I stopped when I heard Emma’s sweet voice.

Gilbert: I'll stop being mean to you when your awkwardness goes away.

Emma: Gil…..

Gilbert: That’s still not up to par, because it's more like you’re "trying too hard to say it first," right?

Emma:….It's tough.

Gilbert: I'm also in a good mood. I'll make you stop using honorifics soon, okay?

(I'm royalty, but I don't want you to be the only one who sees me that way.)

Emma:….I'll get used to it….little by little.

Gilbert: Wouldn't it be better if you called me Gil even in public?

Emma:….No.

Gilbert: Is it no good?

Emma: That’s right.

(I was told more clearly than I expected. I'm a little disappointed.) // (You said it more flatly than I thought. I’m a little disappointed.)

When I took a blatant breath, Emma, who only turned her face, laughed softly.

Emma: Lord Gilb—— Gil, I don't want anyone to see that relaxing face of yours.

(Relaxing face…?)

(……)

(….I wonder if I am. Because it's true that I got carried away)

Even without looking in the mirror, it was easy to imagine that my face was far from that of a trampling beast.

(And not for such a cute reason. .....)

Emma: I see….you've transferred your jealousy to me as well.

Emma’s languid yet joyful smile made my cruel feelings blow away.

Gilbert: Hehe, compared to me, you're not even close.

Gilbert: You should be so jealous that you want to kill everything around you.

Emma:….If you treat me with jealousy like that, the country will perish.

Gilbert: But that means, we can be alone in the true sense, right?

Emma:…..

Gilbert: Ahaha, just kidding.

Gilbert:….For now.

Emma: Please keep joking. // Please keep up with your jokes.

Gilbert: I suppose it's up to you.

We laugh at each other, and then our lips meet in an involuntarily closer view.

We've been flirting for a while now, but it’s been a long time since we’ve kissed.

(I'm at my wits end, so I'll call it a night.)

(….I got her to call me Gil 49 times, so I guess that's good enough for me.)

I made Emma, who was dazed by the afterglow of the kiss, sit on my lap facing each other as I penetrated her body

I felt like I was going to lose consciousness because I had endured it all this time.

(But Emma doesn't seem to be able to afford more.)

Tears fall from the corners of Emma’s eyes again as I rock my hips.

Emma: Nnhh….ahh…Gil….

Gilbert: Hehe….50 times now.

Emma: Haa….what……

Gilbert: Nothing.

When I embrace Emma, I am enveloped by the sweet scent that is unique to the night.

I felt a strong clinging to my shoulder and her fingernails digging into my shirt.

(I've…. lost everyone who called me "Gil" once, Emma.)

(But I will not lose you by any means necessary.)

The shackles of engagement and the chains of love.

I’ll tie you up so you don't leave me forever…..

The engagement ceremony and the only obsidian rose ring worn by the naked Emma are all part of that.

(….But there were some miscalculations.)

(It was supposed to be an engagement ceremony for me to tie you up…..)

(Every time you call my name, I feel like I'm more tied to you than you are to me.)

(I wonder which one of us is bound to another….?)

 ▸       [  previous ]

#ikemen prince #ikepri #ikemen ouji #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri jp #ikemen gilbert #gilbert von obsidian #ikepri gilbert #ikepri translations #ikemen series #cybird

[animatorweirdo]

When the dragons fly(book 2)

With Helena's encouragement, you leave the village to investigate the strange pulling you felt toward the forest. Aelon and his friends end up facing a peculiar problem.

Chapter 3

Warnings: mentions of medicines, an injured eye, someone being a creep, sensing strange calling, orcs, panic, being bitten once, an angry old man and his turtle.

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

You dropped down the pile of wood into the stock. The wooden blocks clacked against each other while you brushed your hands from the wood dust and dirt. You looked up to Dwenn, who leisurely rocked on his chair and held his pipe in his hands, releasing small puffs of smoke. 

"Alright, that should be all. The floors are clean, the orders are ready to be delivered, and you have enough wood to warm up the house for a few days,” you said as you stepped beside him. 

"Thank you, (Name). I have nothing else for you to do, so you are free to go and spend the day as you like," Dwenn blew a pillar of smoke from his mouth before pulling the pipe between his lips. His once-injured eye now covered with an eyepatch. 

"Have you remembered to take your medicine for today?" you asked. 

Dwenn growled, slightly annoyed by the mention of his medicine. "I think I will be fine today without that nasty liquid in my body. I don't want to feel tired all the time," he complained, making you shake your head with a smile. "That medicine has helped you heal from your injuries, and do not forget that I've already allowed you to use your pipe against Eda's strict orders," you said with a scolding tone while handing him the medicine you carried on yourself, in case he forgot or ignored it on purpose. 

"Fine..." Dwenn grabbed the vial. He popped off the cork and drank the medicine with one gulp. 

Helena walked over to you with a positive attitude. "You're looking better every day, Dwenn," she stated. "Maybe a few more days, and you will be already running around like before," she added. 

"I hope so, Helena. Unless I fall asleep and never wake up since I already sleep so much." Dwenn replied with a dramatic tone. 

"Rest is good for you. Once you're all better, you can stay awake as long as you want," Helena said, then slipped her hand around your arm. 

"Can I rob (Name) for a moment?" Helena asked. 

"All the day's work has already been done. She's all yours," Dwenn waved his hand. "Great. Come along," Helena smiled, pulling you away before you could protest. 

You two then walked through the village. "What's on your mind today?" you questioned as the woman beside you was more energetic than usual. 

"I just need someone to complain to and share certain rumors," Helena grinned. 

"I've heard from my father that orcs have been appearing in these parts more frequently, sometimes even in packs," she began. "According to my father, they've been behaving strangely. All he could discern was that the orcs seem to be searching for something," she explained, gaining your interest. 

"What could they be looking for?" you asked. 

"No one knows yet. All we know is that they are looking for something here. It started happening a month after Aelon and Samuel’s return, along with the well’s water,” Helena answered as your attention drifted toward the forest, the strange feeling from yesterday coming back. 

You do not know why, but you have been bothered by the strange sensation since you returned from your trip to the town. It was like a pestering call. 

"I have also seen Ennard looking at me strangely again. I hope he's not up to swooning me again, as he likes to call it," Helena said with a tone of annoyance. "When will he understand that I am not interested in him? He's just as old as my father," she added as you continued looking toward the forest.

"I have also heard that Mr.Figwitt's pet turtle has gone missing again. I wonder what's that about," she said as you two arrived at your house. She then notices your absent attention and sees you staring at the forest. 

"(Name)! Are you there?!" she waved her hand in front of your eyes, startling you for a moment. 

"Sorry..." you quickly uttered as you turned your gaze back on her. 

"Is there something bothering you today? You have been rather distracted lately," Helena asked, crossing her arms. 

"No! It's just…” you tried to think of a way to explain it. “I've been having this odd feeling since yesterday, like... I have a strange urge to go out and find what is causing that feeling," you described. 

"Now, that is interesting. Maybe you should go there and find it," Helena suggested. "I... don't know if I should," you hesitated. 

"You're not doing anything for the day. If it's Aelon you're worried about, I could watch him," Helena offered, pointing at herself.

"Okay... alright. Are you sure about this?" you asked, slightly dumbfounded.

"Yes! What's the worst that could happen? Now go!" she pushed you toward the village.

"Okay… I might as well go buy the duck I forgot," you said, turning toward your house, where you could hear Aelon practicing in the backyard.

"Aelon!" you called out. 

"Yeah!" his voice called back. 

"I'm leaving to get some duck! Helena will watch over you!" You yelled. 

"Okay!" Aelon yelled and continued his training. 

"Make sure he doesn't get in trouble," you said, glancing at Helena, who only grinned in return. “Yeah, yeah, now go find the source of that mystery feeling,” she added as you walked away.

Aelon practiced hard with his training sword, focusing on his movements and footwork while trying not to let anything distract him. Beads of sweat formed on his skin as he slashed through the air, maintaining controlled and steady breathing.

His ears then picked up someone running around his house. 

"Hey, Ae!" Eweniel called out in a hurry. "Rodrick asked us to meet," she exclaimed. "Why? What's wrong?" Aelon asked, stopping in his tracks. "I don't know, but he said it was an emergency. Come on!" she said hastily. 

Aelon's eyes widened. He dropped his training sword and followed Eweniel as the two ran around his house. 

"Where are you two going?" Helena questioned when she saw them. She was sitting on the porch, doing stitching. 

"To see Rodrick. Can I go?" Aelon asked. 

"Sure. Just stay in sight of people and stay out of trouble. Your sister won't be happy if you do," Helena pointed at him. 

"I will, thanks!" Aelon replied as he ran off with Eweniel. Helena only shook her head with a smile as she continued stitching the cloth in her hands. 

The two arrived at the tree, where they usually met to play or plan pranks together. Rodrick, along with Ramuel and Samuel, were waiting there. Rodrick bore a panicked expression, pacing back and forth while fumbling his thumbs—something he did when he was nervous or scared.

"What's the matter? What happened?" Aelon asked as he arrived with Eweniel. 

"Thank the Eru! You're here!" Rodrick said with relief. "Okay... umm... have you guys heard about Greeny going missing?" he asked. "Mr. Figwitt's pet?" Ramuel questioned with a confused tone. "Yeah. Greeny— she went missing, and Mr. Figwitt is not happy about it," Rodrick nervously said. "Alright... and why are you so worried about it?" Aelon questioned with a frown. 

"I might be responsible... why she's gone missing," Rodrick answered. "And Mr. Figwitt doesn't know it yet," he added, and his friends groaned and yelled in surprise. 

"No wonder you called it an emergency. Mr. Figwitt will eat you alive if he finds out you lost his pet turtle," Eweniel remarked. 

"I know! I need your help to find her!" Rodrick said, flinging his arms like a panicked bird. 

Aelon and his friends remained quiet, thinking about the situation. Personally, Aelon would stay away from Greeny since the little monstrosity had bitten him since the first time he saw it, but he did not want to leave his friend at the mercy of Figwitt, who was known to dislike children. He was a grumpy old man, who looked closest to a feral goblin if Aelon ever came to see one. And the only thing that ever made him happy was his pet turtle, who was just as mean as him. 

"Okay... I help you," Aelon sighed, dropping his shoulders. 

"Really? Oh, thank you, Aelon! You are a real friend!" Rodrick cried tears of joy. 

"Whoa, you're brave! I thought you were scared of Greeny?" Eweniel grinned. " I am, but I am more afraid of Figwitt, and it would be pretty cruel to leave Rodrick under his mercy," Aelon said. 

"Alright. I guess I'll help too," Eweniel said. 

"We would help too, but..." Samuel hesitated, glancing nervously at Ramuel.

"Our parents said we need an adult if we want to go anywhere," Ramuel explained, looking at the ground.

"But then they would probably tell Figwitt if they knew I lost Greeny," Rodrick said fearfully.

An idea then popped into Aelon’s head: a possible solution. 

"We could ask Helena. She's supposed to watch me and she likes keeping secrets," he suggested. "Okay. She should be fine," the twins said. 

"Alright, let's go," Eweniel declared as the group left their meeting place to find the missing turtle. 

After leaving the village and traveling some distance, your horse whined as you came to a stop.

You stared at the forest on the spot where you first started feeling the strange sensation to follow and find. The mysterious pull of the forest intensified, its call growing stronger the longer you fixed your gaze upon the wooded expanse. The enchanting allure beckoned you with an irresistible potency, tugging at the threads of your curiosity.

Climbing down from your horse, you secured the reins to the nearest tree, ensuring your companion would wait patiently behind while you went to investigate the forest.

As you wandered deeper into the forest, the strange pulling tugged you toward the direction it wanted you to go. 

You arrived at a rugged stone hill. As the pulling told you to climb,  you cautiously stepped over the rocks, ascending higher till you began to hear scratching and chirping sounds, piquing your curiosity. 

As you scale the uneven rocks, the source of the commotion becomes clear as your eyes fall upon a large nest. Your eyes widen in a mixture of shock, surprise, and excitement. "Oh, hello—" you begin to say as the small eyes focus on you.

Taglist: @natchayaphorn​ @kimnamnu@thatrandomidiot182 @springfountain

#silmarillion x reader #silmarillion #tolkien #silm fic #middle earth x reader #when the dragons fly #hotd x reader #hotd #middle earth #silmarillion imagines #various x reader #targaryen reader #silmarillion x targaryen reader #maedhros x reader

[safely-in-vhagars-belly]

Aegonxocreader

Dark stuff

Warnings: dark non con slavery kidnapping arranged marriages and animal abuse sort of.

Word count: mine says about 4251♡

Chapters published:2

Title: the first night.

Concept: You got married without permission from the royals and they don't like that so they decide to bring back a horrible old tradition from the grave where it shouldve stayed.

Not my gif. Idk how to make any gifs. Credits to who owns it.

The dress you wear is a simple white gown. It was made by your friend. She had to work every day in the tavern to earn enough coin to buy the silk from the tailor.

You slowly walk down the aisle to your future and to your soon to be husband. The cheap tavern you both rented for the festivities is filled with his friends and some of yours. Your family couldn't attend.

You didn't even tell them you are getting married. They don't know you are, in fact, alive.

He smiles and takes his hands into your own. You feel his heartbeat through his hands, and you feel your soul slowly connect and intertwine with his as the septon speaks the words you dreamt of hearing ever since you were little.

'We stand here in the sight of gods and men to witness the union of man and wife: one flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever.' You happily kiss your husband on his cheeks. Faybaen kisses you gently on your lips, and you feel him cloak you. The septon spreads his arms to address the crowd.

'Let it be known that Bessie Stone and Faybaen Stone are one heart, one flesh, one soul. Cursed be they who would seak to tear-'

The door of the tavern is pushed upon, and unexpected guests enter. You back away slowly, assuming your family finally found you. You take Faybaens hand into your own and whisper something in his ear. 'In case it is my father, stab me before he can drag me back. I rather die here with you than live with my awful family.' You whisper in your husband ear. He nods and prepares a small dagger ready to end your life.

Faybaen shakes his head and puts it away moments later. You feel uneasy. Gold cloaks. Only one kind of person has that. The king. 'It is not your family. I know those kinds of cloaks from the capital. This is the Kingsguard.' The cloaks are indeed unmistakably gold with white. You don't understand what they are doing here. This is an illegal wedding, perhaps, but surely they have bigger fishes to fry with the queen in open rebellion and the usurper on the throne? With the former Kings funeral and the wars?

A man comes to you.

He has silver short hairs and wears impressive armour. You know him as Aegon of house Targaryen. You suppose it's King Aegon now.

Next to you, Faybaen already curses before getting to his knees, kneeling for the king of the seven kingdoms. He hates kneeling for other men. You fake a smile and curtsy, like you did so many times. Most of your friends here are supporters of Rhaenyra. Most of them kneel for now and await their turn.

Another taller figure follows the king; He has also silver hair, but it's much longer, and he wears a very unstylish eyepatch. Faybaen gulps. 'Oh no.' He stutters softly before getting up and walking to the two brothers.

You lift your skirts before rushing and quickly follow him with your fake smile still on your lips like its armour. 'M'lords, Welcome to eh ...The tavern of my uncle, Gibsen.' Faybaen points to his uncle, who has already fled and is no longer where Faybaen points to.

Faybaen lowers his arms and nods half before eying the royals.

'Thank you, Mr-' the prince speaks before the king, and that does surprise you.

You walk to your husband and join him. 'Oh, I'm just Faybaen Stone, m'lord.' He says with a nervous little laugh. You know he is terrified. You subtly show your support by taking his hands into your own. Faybaen is a wanted criminal, after all.

The king looks around the ceremony hall that is decorated with small and cheap decorations to make it feel festive like paper doves and white simple flowers. 'Is this supposed to be a wedding?' He asks, clearly not fond of the decorations and the location.

Faybaen laughs forced and nods. The prince's eye falls on you, and he narrows it. For a moment, you see him think like he knows who you are. You smile back calmly and pretend to be just fine when inside you are nearly breaking under the pressure. This is just a test. You tell yourself.

'You must be the bride.' The king says, taking in your simple white wedding gown. He eyes you as Faybaen does. Full of desire.

You nod and make a curtsy. You still haven't forgotten how to do that. You do it too well, and Aemonds brows raise in suspicion.

'Indeed, your grace. Welcome to our humble little town. What brings you here, if you don't mind me asking so?' You can't imagine anyone stopping here anyway without good reason. Perhaps they heard rumours about the treason plot, or they are looking for Faybaen.

Come to think of it: They are not here for Faybaen. He is wanted for murders. They wouldn't send the King and the future king regent to him.

The king shrugs a bit before taking a glass of wine that is handed to him by Faybaen.

'We were passing by and needed to rest somewhere.' That could be true. And it could also be a lie.

You clap your hands, pretending to be delighted and calm. You force a smile at both of them, masking your fears very well.

'I won't keep you long, then. Please, enjoy yourselves.' You gesture to the cake displayed and the buffet of simple delicious baked goods.

Aemond steps closer to you before taking in your face very carefully. You stare back, still smiling.

'You look familair. Have we met?' He asks. You did not meet him. You do know who he is, and he might know who you are as well.

You laugh gently, a bit nervous, perhaps. 'No, I have been told I have a very common face. Perhaps that is it.' You say like that should the end of it. Aemond nods like he accepts that must be it and walks off to enjoy wine and some delicious cake.

Faybaen, meanwhile, talks to Aegon. 'My uncle wants to give you both free stay, free of charge. We planned to take the bridal suite but ...well, it is the only decent room here. You should take it, my king.' He says like he is a noble servant.

Aegon wants to already walk away, but Aemond quickly turns to Faybaen. 'Thank you, that is very generous. Are you sure your uncle is fine with us staying here? We can pay. We have no shortage of gold.' He already searches for what you assume is his wallet.

You know Faybaen a while now and now when he is spinning a story or a lie. 'Honestly, my Prince, think of all the good customers this will attract. That you both spend the night here will do wonders for our little town. It is our treat, really. Of course, your guards are welcome here as well. Food and beverages are on us.'

That makes Aemond very suspicious. 'What do you get out of this, besides publication and attention? It can't be profitable for you to give 30 men free food and housing.' He argues.

His brother sighs like a whiny little brat. 'Listen, Aemond. They want to feed us. What did they tell you about looking a horse in its mouth? If they try to kill us, we'll kill them first. It is that easy.'

Faybaen has that scoffing little glimmer in his eyes but keeps his voice neutral and grounded when turning his back to both of them and escorting them and the guards upstairs to the rooms.

You take a drink nervously. You hope you fooled them enough. Tomorrow, they'll be both gone.

Faybaen comes back to you and takes you with him to the stables. You know of the secret hidden room and enter it, and he follows. Inside, he lights a candle and sits down in one of the chairs. You join him and sigh.

He rubs his face with a towel before sighing deeply. When he speaks, you hear not the common tongue but the hoarse and throaty language of his family. The Dothraki. You have not heard the words in so long, but you still understand it just as clear when you were a little girl. 'They are onto us.'

You sigh and master to speak back in his tongue. 'Onto you, or me?' You ask, uneasy with both options.

Your uncle in law enters. Faybaen gets up and rushes over to him. Gibsen warns him with a single glance. 'Both of you should leave. This town is not safe. The pirate is asking about you.' His gaze falls upon you.

Pirate? He must mean Aemond.

You nod and gulp. 'Aemond did say he thought he recognised me. Which should be not possible. I never met him.' You were shipped to Essos when you were three. Before that, you never met any Targaryens.

'One of the guards has requested that you go to the royals. Now.' Uncle Gibsen says before helping you both out of the secret room again. 'You'll just be a good wife and keep your background as vague as possible. I don't know how long I can protect you, but by tomorrow we'll need to find a new house for you both.' He says.

He looks at Faybaen. 'You two should be outside tonight. You know it is what the great Stallion would want, Draezho. A Khal must ride his Khaleesie under the stars.' You heard that title before when you were a prisoner, but you never realised that your marriage to Faybaen would make you a Khaleesi. You feel pride and smile at Faybaen because of the exciting suggestion of him taking you under the stars far away from anyone to hear you both.

Like always, when his home is mentioned, Faybaen gets defensive. 'I am no Khal. Vazzo made sure of that when he slayed my entire Khalasar.' You accept that Faybaen has let his past be. But his friend does not. He finds the Dothraki exciting and thinks that Faybaen or Draezho should return to Essos and murder Vazzo.

You leave the stables.

You walk to the rooms of the royals and knock on the door. 'In,' you hear Aegons voice. You brace yourself and enter. Faybaen growls and follows.

Faybaen is very charming. It is one of the reasons why you fell for him. 'My king. How is the room?' He asks after he has been told to get up.

Aegon groans. 'It's the worst bed I ever laid on.' He says, and you don't doubt him for a moment. He is spoiled.

'What is your name, darling?' Aemond asks you suddenly. Faybaen raises a brow in offence by that little nickname, but you know he knows better than to hook Aemond on his nose for calling you darling.

You curtsy before introducing yourself. 'Bessie Stone.' You say softly. 'Why, my Prince? Do you think you saw me milk a goat somewhere before?' You joke.

Aemond shakes his head with a chuckle. 'I heard rumours once. About a beautiful rich house richer than the Lannisters. House SilverBone.' Your house. He is very close to finding out the truth. 'Where a girl was shipped off to meet her betrothed, but her ship got attacked by pirates who sold her allegedly to the Dothraki.' He studies your face for any reaction. Any giveaway that it is, indeed, you.

You try to keep him away from it.. 'That is a horrifying tale. I hope it is just a tale and not true.' Except you know all too well that it is true.

He does not believe you. He is busy studying the cloak that covers your shoulders. 'Hmm.' He says. He grabs you by your shoulder and pulls you to his chest. You try to break free, but he already has what he was after. He rips your cloak off on your left shoulder and exposes a small silver moon tattoo with golden lines.

A tradition in your house. They mark their babies and children to avoid kidnapping and ransom. Not that it works, but it is a tradition.

Aemond chuckles. Aegon stares at it, impressed.. You get another idea and try it. Another lie. 'It's a fake one. My parents tried to convince the SilverBones that I was their lost daughter and-'

'Except you aren't, Ayroara.' A guard softly speaks up from the wall he was leaning against. 'I did some questioning. A certain girl was very happy to pay for both information on you and your husband. She does not like foreigners.' He says so mostly to Faybaen, who bites his lips.

You eye Faybaen, and he understands. He drops his smile and gets serious. 'How much gold do you two want to keep quiet?' Faybaens voice is rough and darker.

You hope they take the money and leave. You have no interest in your former house and glory.

'Quiet? We assumed she was dead. The SilverBone heir was sent to Volantis to marry a high slave trader, but House Hightower and House Velayron and even House Targaryen all made marriage proposals.'

You scoff covering yourself with your cloak again. You roll your eyes as well. He is making it sound like it was your fault. 'Take it up with my parents, I was three summers old when I was shipped of like some common whore.'

The guard meanwhile whispers things in Aegons ears, and he chuckles cruelly and nods sometimes. Faybaen keeps biting down his lips. 'When were you going to tell me that you fuck horses?' Aegon grins at Faybaen. Oh no.

You quickly eye Faybaen, and he just scoffs at that common belief before ignoring the king.

Faybaen keeps up his lies. He protects you no matter the costs. 'Hm. I am afraid I don't know much about that, my Prince. Will you take gold, silver, or coins?' He asks.

Aegon gets up and leans in close and studies the neck of Faybaen. He smiles darkly.'Perhaps...Horses?' He jokes. He most certainly knows. Horses are a very common trade way in the Dothraki culture. 'Aemond; we are in the present of royalty. That man here is a Dothraki Khal. He has run away from his Khalasar to wed her, who was his whore.' Aemond looks up suprised by that information.

You shake your head. You were never his whore. He was kind and good to you. He never raped you. Not once. 'I was his gift!' You scream at them in anger.

Aegon shrugs carelessly. 'That is the same thing, darling. You were meant to be his whore. His plaything and his toy. You are lucky he didn't let his horse fuck you first.' He chuckles. 'Speaking of Dothraki things: Your hair damn short and not braided. Were you beaten recently?'

Faybaen gets in Aegons face. The guard surrounded him, so don't grab hold of him yet. 'I am fine with you mocking my culture and my family, but she is off limits.' He groans.

Aegon and Aemond share a long look.'I think I'm going to leave you both a wedding gift. Brother, do you have any ideas?'

You think you know suffering, but what comes out of his mouth is the cruellest thing you ever heard.

'Indeed. Long ago, there was this tradition. Where a king or even a Lord could claim a married maiden's ...virginity.' You. Your virginity. You shake your head and nervously chuckle thinking they are joking. You eye the guards. They vowed to uphold the good. They will never let this happen.

You freeze and tremble. Aemond continues before softly touching your face and staring you down until you shake. 'It was seen as a sign of honour and respect if the king was to bestow his seed upon the bride. Any babies born from it were considered heroes.' He mostly tells his brother, but he keeps his attention on you.

The king licks his lips. 'How lucky you are, Lady SilverBone that I am to bestow you with this gift.' You hear the scoffing in his voice. You growl like an angry cat.

Faybaen pulls his dagger and shields you. But he is outnumbered. Ser Criston and his friends take him into custody and smack him across his face.

You beg Aemond to let the torture stop. 'Let them stop! He is unarmed.' Surely that must do something.

He simply glares at you before nodding to the direction of the smirking king. 'Go to my brother, and I will.' You realise you don't have much of a choice or a say anymore. You wish for the beating to just end.

'Hello, darling.' You don't bow. Aegon grabs your arms and drags you to the bed, throwing you on your back. He grins before letting his hands touch and grab your breasts through the cheap fabric of the dress. He groans when he squeezes you painfully, and you whimper out loud. Faybaen quits fighting the moment he hears your whimpers.

He drops your cloak to the ground and takes off the protective little pins, keeping your dress up. The fabric doubles over exposing your breasts. The king grins and comes closer with his face to your breasts before harshly biting down on your nippels. You smack his head angrily.

He looks up, and is blood coming from his nose. You see the anger in his eyes and gulp. You cower a bit before he grabs your throat and roughly slams you against the board of the bed before ripping your dress open.

The king kisses your lips before forcing his tongue down your throat and roughly squeezing your breasts again. He chuckles when you try to resist and punish you for it by spanking you. 'Faybaen, I am so sorry.' You cry out between the smacks in Dothraki.

Faybaen is very quiet and hangs between the two guards who keep forcing him to watch.

The prince has moved next to you and watches nearly in the trance how you are touched and abused. You scoot away from him.

Your legs are spread open, and they both glance at your wet, soft looking entrance. Aegons fingers eager trace down between your entrance and you gulp soft.

He has a almost pernament smirk on his lips and slams his fingers in you roughly fucking you with pure his hand. You are confused and scared. The other brother grabs your hips and rolls them to the hand making your entire upper body move. He breaths in your ear and kisses your tear stained cheeks.

You do not like how your body likes it. You feel shame and disgust. Aegon grins as his fingers have a small white see through layer of your juice on them. 'Your Khaleesi's cunt sure is tight, Khal. You'll have to do with seconds, or if I see how invested my brother is, maybe even tirths. Perhaps we take her with us and sell her to a brothel. The Savage Queen. That makes a wonderful whore name does it not?' You grunt and try to break free.

Faybaen boils with rage.

'You are both cruel and don't deserve to lay with anyone! She is sweet and innocent. Why are you both torturing her?!' He yells.

Aemond traces a finger down between your legs too and keeps your face still so you are forced to look at him when he does this. He chuckles very softly. 'Because she looks very pretty with her legs spread wide and her cunt bare.' Aegon groans at his torture and wants to make himself the bigger torturer.

He grabs your ankle and drags you to him before taking his clothes off with a annoyed groan and a pant. 'On your knees, Khaleesi.' He mocks you. 'I wish to have you like your husband fucks you. Like a savage.' You don't feel like a khaleesi. You feel scared and unsafe. Just like when you were first introduced to Faybaen.

You obey. Aegon pets your hairs and softly kisses your wet cheeks before muttering some compliments about your body and all the dirty things He will do with you after this. You nod, softly and cling your shaking legs together. Aegon grabs you by your hips and kneels behind you. You lost faith in the gods so you don't bother to pray.

With a chuckle and a very dark twisted grin he enters your body and takes your maidenhead. You grab hold of the edge of the bed to feel a little bit of safety during this unfamiliar and strange event. Your hips are grabbed and pushes to his front with painful shameful trutst and he keeps entering you and you feel as if he is entering you to exit you from the other side out.

He slows down and breaths in your ear before speeding up again. You go up and down with him and softly whimper. 'I am going to make your Khaleesi bleed. She'll be the first Khaleesi to be blessed by a king in Westeros.' Blessed? You don't feel blessed.

You have had enough of his boasting and smack his hands that still rest on your hips. He lets go briefly and slips out. Your body has rest for a moment. 'The great Stallion and both the old gods and the new will damn you, Aegon of house Targaryen. You will die a miserable death.' You promise him.

He is not impressed. Instead he grabs you more roughly and fucks you this time. It is not gentle taking. He shoves himself deep inside you and roughly fucks your body against his. Your body likes it. You feel so disgusting. You enjoy the hard savage sex he gives you. He thinks it's punishment but your body loves it. A little bit of saliva drops down your mouth and he softly changes the rytm.

'So you do talk. I thought that my cock had took your tongue away.' He boasts before softly touching your hairs again.

You try to think of another insult, but Faybaen shakes his head. He does not want you to risk it.

'O, you naughty girl.' The king knows. He knows you are turned on. You lower your head in shame.

'Don't tell him.' You beg soft.

Aegon grins cruelly.

'What? Doesn't your husband deserve to know? I think he does.'

He turns to Faybaen.

'Your wife is enjoying herself. She is wet.' To prove his point, he shows his wet fingers.

You want to explain yourself, but the moment that you do, he takes you again. Your words get caught up in your throat, and only a pathetic little strangled sound comes out. 'Nhn!'

Aegon is stiff. 'This is going to be a little unpleasant. Just be calm.'

You cry out as your head rolls in pleasure. You roll back your hips and let him fuck You. Aegon groans. 'Disgusting savage whore.'

You cry out again this time brief little cries in a row. Both the king and the prince and your husband watches as you discover new foreign emotions and mind states.

You cry out loudly before finding peace and pleasure. Your soaked head is petted. Your legs are grabbed again and a new cock finds itself inside you.

You turn around and see that the prince has decided to also leave you a wedding gift. He pushes your head down and smacks you on your behind. You obey and let him have you your pleasure still high and your body wet and ready for the taking.

He does so, fully pushing himself in. He kisses your cheeks and mutters. They both stretch you out, and you are certain you can not walk tomorrow. You hear yourself grunt as he speeds up and begins trying to get pleasure, too. You are pushed and rocked on the bed that cracks under the two of you. Your legs are hurting, and you feel pain in your neck as well.

You moan in pain and whimper.

'It's been enough! She is hurting.' Faybaen says, trying to break free. His attempt is useless.

Aegon grins and smacks your ass painfully when Aemond is grunting and groaning like a beast. You feel small and little and crawl away to safety. You are dragged back by your feet and pushed back into the position. You drag your nails in the mattress to have some sort of safety.

'A little pain is good for brats like her. Teaches her some manners.'

The prince groans and he feels you up like his brother did before him. He chuckles and smacks your ass painfully. 'We should take her with us.'

You hesitate and shake your head at both of them. 'You did what you wanted. Let us both be now.' You beg.

Aegon sighs before eying Aemond. 'Do you want to tell her, or shall I?' He asks when dressing.

'Tell me, what?' You ask as Faybaen is finally released. He rushes to your side and protects you.

Aegon tells with a little bored chuckle. 'House SilverBone didn't had permission from House Targaryen. In fact; The crown wanted you to become betrothed with someone else. Someone closer to the throne to ensure that we had enough silver for the coming century.' Closer to the throne...

It hits you like a slap in your face. He means himself.

///a/n suffering from the flu here please excuse any errors.

#house of the dragon #aemond targaryen #dark aemond targaryen #house of the dragon fanfiction #dark aemond targaryen x oc #aegon ii targaryen #dark aemond targaryen x reader #dark aegon ii targaryen #dark aegon ii targaryen x reader #dark! #head the warnings #dubcon #possible triggering content #She/her reader #AFAB Reader #DarkFantasy #Possible noncon #Possible gore #Old work

[jojolovesdogs00]

Witch's Curse

Relationship: Wanda x Reader

Chapter 1

After being called by Director Fury, you were waiting anxiously in front of the elevator, tapping your feet, trying not to fidget. You knew this was it, you just had to get through the door and then you would find out exactly who you were working for. A small part of you was nervous about that fact... The thought of having to work for the Avengers seemed unreal even though you were one of SHIELD's top agents.

The elevator dinged open and you walked inside. It opened up into a long hallway lined with doors. At the very end was a door with a nameplate reading 'Director Fury'. You felt your stomach twist into knots as you approached the door. This was where it would happen, right here in front of Director Fury. You could feel your palms sweating and your fingers shaking.

Taking a deep breath, you reached for the handle to open the door. As you turned the knob, it swung inward, revealing what lay beyond the door.

You saw him straight away. Director Fury looked like any other old man standing by the large desk. With his bald head and a eyepatch, he looked quite intimidating but the look in his eye gave you shivers down your spine. His piercing gaze made you take a step back involuntarily. Your heart raced as he stood up to face you and you couldn't help looking down at your feet so as not to make eye contact. There was a moment of silence before he spoke.

"Agent L/n?" The tone of his voice made you snap your head up again.

"Yes sir." You squeaked out, forcing yourself to keep your head still.

Fury stared at you intently, assessing your response. "Well, Agent L/n," he continued. "I am sure you have heard many rumors about me."

His question took you by surprise. It certainly wasn't a question you expected. You didn't know how to respond. All your previous thoughts about being an agent disappeared. All you could think about now were rumors about how many people Fury killed, how many people he destroyed without batting an eyelash. How could you answer such a question? Was it a test? Would you fail because you couldn't even talk in front of your boss?

Luckily, Fury answered your unspoken question. "Don't worry about those rumors. Those are mere rumors."

He held up his hand and started talking again. "Let's cut to the chase: I want you to bring someone home with you." Fury told you flatly and bluntly.

"Who am I bringing sir?" you asked.

"Scarlet Witch." He said simply, like the question shouldn't bother him. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited expectantly. "Do we understand each other Agent L/n?"

You nodded your head. Your mouth was dry as you tried to remember how to form words. "Yes sir...". Scarlet Witch? Bringing her home? That was a big deal... Didn't she attack Avengers member last time? Had something happened that required Scarlet Witch to come back from exile? Did he plan to use her against stronger enemies or was he going to lock her up somewhere? But you hadn't seen or heard anything about her since Kamar Taj so why would she show her face here? Or would she come back willingly? If not how tf you could bring her back? The thought made you sweat a little.

You felt your heartbeat speed up again as Fury studied your face closely. What was it that he saw? What kind of expression did you have on your face? Did he see hope? Did he see terror? Fear? Were you thinking of running for the exit? Did he see confusion? Anxiety? Did he sense your anxiety or was there another emotion lurking underneath all the fear and panic? He sighed when he realized nothing was showing.

"Alright, Agent L/n." He said with a sigh as well. "Come find me in my office when you're done."

Your eyes widened as he dismissed you. "Um... Yes sir!" You replied hastily, bowing once as quickly as possible. You turned on your heels and left the room, heading straight towards your office in a rush. You weren't sure what tf you should do. 'How could you bring Scarlet Witch with you' you started to think. What would happen if she didn't like it? Would she be angry, would she murder you like she did with Kamar Taj members? Then you remembered that she was still human, she had a lover and showed compassion towards him. Also you remembered about a magic book. Rumors said she was influenced by this magic book. So, maybe she'd be willing to cooperate with you.

It didn't take you long to reach your office. You stepped inside and shut the door gently behind you, letting out a sigh and rubbing your hands together nervously. 'I can make it' you promised yourself. 'I can bring her home... yes I can.' you added mentally, taking a few deep breaths to calm your nerves. You leaned against the cool glass and closed your eyes, hoping that you could calm down enough to focus on your mission. 'Clint and Nat worked with her once! I can talk to them.' you decided. After a moment, you pushed away from the wall and grabbed the handle. You took another deep breath before swinging the door open and walking towards Barton's office.

#scarlet witch #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff x y/n #female reader #lesbian #scarlet witch x reader #scarlet witch x you #scarlet witch x y/n #marvel x reader

[pain-in-the-butler]

you said you've been a kuro fan since 2009, I have to know what got you into the series and what has made you stay with it for so long?

what about the fandom did you enjoy back in the old days?

Ahahaha, oh wow, these questions feel loaded. Thank you for asking them, though, I haven't fully considered them before...

I'll start with the second question, because it's easier to answer. What did I enjoy about the fandom in the old days? I didn't enjoy the fandom in the old days! Not on the whole, at least. I was just on the outskirts of it, more observer than participant. I wrote fanfiction, but most people didn't read it because it wasn't romantic. The memes weren't funny, the shipping wars were insane, and SebaCiel was completely unavoidable. The current fandom is way better than the old one! (I'm sure there were cool people around back then too, but I didn't go looking for them because I didn't think they existed.)

I kind of started dipping my toes in the fandom water in 2012 in the midst of the Campania arc. But even then, by 2014 I felt a little meh from all the cricket and I varied in my interest during Green Witch, so I really didn't participate much until around 2017. The Blue Cult stuff had me bored, but then when things started ramping up towards the twin reveal, I was back in the game. Or rather, in the game for the first time. The explosion of actual good memes had me hook, line, and sinker.

Now for your first question. My initial exposure to Kuroshitsuji was season 1 of the anime. It had wrapped in Japan less than a year ago, and my sister told me that she sort of liked it after seeing the first few episodes at our high school's anime club. She gave me a brief rundown of the premise and I guess the seventeen-year-old me was interested because I went to anime club for the first and last time next week. It was the episode with the corset scene and I was appalled. I was also appalled by my peers, because the teacher hadn't shown up that day to moderate, so a lot of kids were making out and drawing on each others' bodies with sharpies, and the few people watching the episode were wolf-whistling and clapping. It was a lot for a dweeby little goodie-two-shoes to take in.

But for some reason I persevered and watched the rest of the series on my own time. The first episode also appalled me. I think the whole show did. I don't really know why I watched it, other than perhaps a fascination with historical anime, but I definitely found Sebastian and Ciel worthy of parody, because a few months later, I was writing fanfiction about them. In high school, I wrote solely humor fanfics, and they were always about Sebastian and Ciel trying to make each other's lives worse through japes and antics.

Then in early college, I started reading the manga when I caught wind of Sebastian being "dead" and thought that sounded like an interesting development. I gave the earlier chapters a try and shocker, it was so much better than the anime (though I skipped the curry arc for some reason, only read it for the first time like a year ago). Then I got to the Circus arc scene where Sebastian has to help Ciel with his eyepatch strings and I felt the epiphany grow. Dadbastian is love, Dadbastian is life, etc. It was hard not to feel like a one-man army at the time, but a handful of others enjoyed the concept too.

And then the Campania arc happened and I was absolutely gobsmacked by how good it was. I will never forget what it was like to be there for the badass Lizzie reveal. That day, anime and manga fansites and subgroups across the net were all united in Lizzie love. It was so real 🥹😭

Moments like that kept me going, as well as a hope for small Dadbastian-esque moments and the promise of more Victorian flair. Over time, I've only gained more appreciation for the side characters and the themes, and I love the current fandom to pieces, so even though the story is slow, I'm more invested than ever.

I'm sorry that was such a damn essay, thank you for your interest in my little Kuro journey! 😊 I hope you are enjoying fandom life too!

#ask

[aseriesofunfortunatejan]

Jan finally learns Brawler's backstory

(In 2024) (After being tortured by at least two separate people who were weird about it)

In case you don't know, two specific, major (albeit short) scenes from Brawler's backstory are presented in Chapters 16 and 25 of the manga. In case you're not interested in reading the manga, they're summarised very plainly in his History section on the Wiki.

I genuinely recommend you read the manga, however, because the way it presents parallels is... unparalleled... by the anime.

Here is my breakdown! I'll try not to spend too much time on it because I've been awful at organising my time today, but if you know me, you'll know you're in for a few long paragraphs.

So - in the first scene presented in Chapter 16, Brawler's grandpa tries to teach him the type of lesson a mama cat might also try to teach to her young. He attacks an overly confident young Brawler with a boring haircut with chopsticks, and Brawler dodges, but he's obviously jumpscared by it. The lesson is: an attacker might come even when you feel safe, such as when you're eating! It's unclear what kind of life they're living, but what's for sure is that Brawler already has a habit of fighting, and is being instructed by his grandpa. Another element I noted is that their meal is fairly sober, and the house they live in is undecorated, with cracks in the walls.

Embarrassed that he got jumpscared, Brawler considers reciprocating the attack to scare him back. Just as his grandpa had, his grips both of his chopsticks.

The next two pages aren't a continuation of this scene. Instead, the both of them have clearly aged and Brawler's hair is cooler. His grandpa is wearing an eyepatch. When he repeats the same lesson again, Brawler points out that he doesn't have eyes to spare: it's strongly implied what might have happened.

Why didn't he dodge? "He wasn't going to chicken out and lose like he did." It seems that his grandpa is teaching him to have a strong ego more so than he is teaching him survival instincts. It's not about surviving the fight, it's about winning... at having the best fight possible. His grandpa teaches him masochism... I mean, his grandpa tells him to put his life on the line for a good fight.

This is giving me a second reason not to acknowledge Shikoku Arc as canon. One other theme ruined.

Brawler has very much learned from his grandpa's pride. He grabs his hand, holding his chopsticks, and points it to his eye.

Remembering these conversations is what inspires his strong reaction to Master in the Shinkansen.

Brawler did step back and look upset in the anime. What was missing was his point of view.

Not too long afterwards, Brawler says the same thing (although differently translated, which makes sense considering the added context of the manga) he had in the anime. The difference is: we now know why he says it.

He continues with: "the two of us are fighting with our lives on the line". This is what he just recalled his grandpa telling him.

About 9 chapters later, Brawler is about to die in a fight against Master. Staring at his opponent, he remembers that first conversation with his grandpa again. The very next minute, in fact: his chopsticks are bloody, and his grandpa's eye injured. Young-boring-hair Brawler stares in shock, while his grandpa calmly instructs him to... be a masochist... I mean, enjoy getting hurt as part of his enjoyment of a fight.

"You only live once. Enjoy fights to the fullest." There is an implication here that at least I am reading into: Brawler is in pain. We later learn that his injury was slowly reopening due to Doctor's purposefully botched surgery. The injury being shown in a previous panel is that same injury. Remembering his grandpa's words, Brawler decided to ignore the pain and let it kill him.

Famously something you should avoid doing. Except if you have a uterus, in which case, give it 7 years on average before it gets diagnosed. [...]

And then, telling his old man to watch him, he fucking dies.

This was a good chapter overall, even beside the flashback - like I mentioned above, the manga does a great job of showcasing parallels. In this chapter, Boss also explains to Pupil that Executioners like Master don't differ much from Akudama.

I genuinely didn't know this was what Brawler's flashbacks were like. All I knew was that he had a grandpa some people are weird about. What I now know is that Brawler had the worst grandpa on Earth??? He's like if your boomer grandpa were proud about getting dropped from a great height rather than about drinking from the hose when he was younger.

It really seems that this man's advice actively cost Brawler's life. And I don't think the manga shies away from implying that it's not right.

Boss' speech is from her point of view and about the Execution Division. But what ties it to Brawler is not only her own comparison of Executioners like Master to Akudama, but also, Hoodlum being paralleled to Pupil.

Hoodlum and Pupil are different people with different personalities, so it makes sense that their reactions would be different either way. We know Hoodlum shuts down up until he grabs the sword to attack Pupil, whereas she was crying the entire way. But I think the fact that she's actively aware of what is happening might lead to her stronger reaction, while Hoodlum is only just guessing and unsure.

In any case, what's clear is that Brawler's grandpa's advice was dogshit and clearly biased towards his own interest. Did Brawler really carry out what he himself wanted, or what his grandpa wanted? Was he bound to end up this way, learn this lesson, regardless? What doesn't change is that this stance is selfish - and leaves the ones you care about and who care about you behind. Plus, is this fight really worth the many other fights you could have had, had you lived longer?

It wasn't just Doctor, it wasn't just Master, it wasn't just himself - all of them, plus his grandpa, killed Brawler in that moment.

("This is not a children's playground, go home"... Oh, you're trying to be a sensible grandfather figure now, shithead? Why are you alive? This sucks!!!)

Most importantly, this puts emphasis on Brawler's ego. Brawler is a man with a great ego, which we now know he was taught to have. He doesn't just happen to be the best fighter - he aims for greatness. He wants to have a very long prison sentence just like Hoodlum. [...]

Much of his circumstances are still missing. First off, why was he taught to fight in the first place? And why was he separated from his grandpa? And did he have other family beside him? (Is Akudama Drive implying that if you only have one adult guardian, you're bound to become a criminal? I'm in deep shit. /ex) His flashbacks imply a fairly humble lifestyle. We know Brawler can eat a lot - were his needs and wants not met because he couldn't afford them? It's not like the quantity he was eating had increased by the later flashback, so the humble food, compared to his liking for huge servings of meat, was probably not a personal choice. That being said, we don't know his grandpa. Maybe he wanted that for him - he clearly had a lot of influence over Brawler.

I don't think these questions need to be answered to tell a good story. I do think all of these questions would have been more interesting to tackle than whatever Shikoku arc was about, however.

#long post #akudama drive #akudama drive comicalize