#[ if we fail here; we will never get another chance | ic / in character . ]

[hopeformankind]

" Mm? Do you need something? If you do, then let me know immediately. "

#[ if we fail here; we will never get another chance | ic / in character . ] #[ i believe in those who believe in themselves | open starter . ]

[moonacrefarm]

anticipating love

summary: your parents marriage didn’t survive the test of time and neither did you first love. 

contains: childhood friends to lovers to strangers, second-chance romance, angst, hurt/comfort, slight miscommunication, fluff, 18+ series, mentions of stalking, mentions of cancer, no mention of y/n

authors note: it might be a second before the third chap is finished bc im in the middle of finals ^.^

series masterlist

previous part | next part. 03. fated ones

02. never hesitating

A biting chill fills the air, numbing your fingertips instead of warming your bones, a striking difference from the scintillating sun that scorched San Diego. You adjust your jacket, trying to fight off the cold as you walk through a graveyard. The place is meant for rest, for the souls of the living to find peace in their loved ones' death. Yet as you stand elbow in elbow with your mother, peace does not find you. It takes the shape of a man you had told off not even a night ago.

Bradley hunches in front of his mother and father's tombstone, hands moving wildly as he speaks to them.

"I completely froze! I was surprised she didn't slap me. Mom taught her a mean backhand when we were like 6 and I've been scared of it ever since." His voice carries through the graveyard, a few other visitors side-eyeing him with curiosity.

Your mom scans you up and down. "And you weren't going to tell me Bradley was back?" Eyebrow raised and accusatory, you have nothing to say but a shrug. You were going to tell her eventually, but it wasn't high on your priority list. It was just another way for you to run. She nudges you, slowing down your walking pace as if to give Bradley more time with his parents.

Since you landed back in California, your mom had a few things to do. Her long list of "do's before I die." You weren't a fan of the list name, but making peace and making amends was important to her. This was her second round battling cancer, and there was no guarantee she'd get another one. Visiting the Bradshaws' grave was one of the first things she planned to do. Carole was her right-hand from before you and Bradley were even thoughts. She pats your hand, letting you go as she approaches Bradley. You keep your distance as she gently squeezes his shoulder, softly calling his name.

You aren't sure how you expected him to react, but you didn't expect him to cry. His initial shock is washed away by teary eyes and tightly hugging your mother as if he'd never see her again. When Bradley officially cut contact with you, you hadn't expected him to ice your mother out. He didn't have family to spare, and it was out of character for who you thought he was. Seeing him now, you can tell that never changed. Maybe he'd been scared to reach out to her, maybe he felt ashamed, felt isolated. You weren't sure, and only he could tell you. But that would require being on speaking terms with him.

The sound of your name pulls you out of your stupor, eyes switching from your mother to Bradley's.

"I raised you better than that. Come say hello to the Bradshaws." Your mother's playful scold makes you wince. Here you are, a full-fledged adult, being scolded in front of the Bradshaws like you're still 3. You aren't sure what to say. Anything you had was lost to thought the moment you saw Bradley. You meekly sound out a greeting, staring at the pictures on their tombstones with watery eyes. You didn't know Bradley's father, but you knew Carole, and she never failed to tell you stories of whirlwind love.

Your mother launches into her update, chatting with Carole as if no time had passed. Updating her on the latest and greatest, from their old high school classmates to her argument with your father.

"C'mon," Bradley taps the back of your elbow, "Let's give them some space."

You walk off with him, the silence heavy between the two of you. Neither of you knows what to say, especially after the other night.

"Welcome home," is all he says, hands stuffed in his pockets as he searches your face.

"Welcome home," you answer back swiftly. You allow the awkward silence to engulf you, hoping it'll tear him down and he'll leave you to wander around by yourself.

"You're killing me, Bugs. Please say something."

"There's nothing to say."

"There's everything to say." He steps in front of you, blocking your path with scrunched eyebrows.

"You wanna hash it out here?" You question him, urging him to think wisely.

"No, I just—"

"Just what? What do you want from me?" Your whisper is harsher than you realize, a few glances from the other visitors catching your attention.

"I want to talk. I want to explain what happened, and...and I want answers too." He holds his chin high, knowing that if he caves for a second and loosens his resolve, he'll bend to whatever you will him to. He always does.

The thing about Bradley Bradshaw is that he gets straight to the point. He itches to resolve conflict, waiting for the right moment when he can swoop in and fix everything. The timing is never on his side, the moment never quite right. For whatever reason, Bradley Bradshaw couldn't understand the value in "time and place." So there he sits, snug on that perch of his, waiting for a sunrise that'll never come.

"You want answers?" You bark out a cold laugh, one that sends a chill through the back of his neck. Your finger prods his chest, enunciating each word as you speak. "You want answers? I wanted answers for the past 8 years, and look where that got me. Stuck, waiting for someone who never showed."

"Please..." He says breathlessly, "Please Bugs, just let me—fuck I don't know what you want me to say, just let me explain. Let me apologize."

"Why did you leave?"

His eyes flicker to yours, back stiffening as you take one small step closer.

"Well, what is it, Bradshaw? Why did you leave that night?"

"Bugs..."

"No, you walked right into this. Why did you leave?" The sharp edge to your voice has softened, weakening to a state that matches your heart: broken.

"I didn't want to, Bugs, but you were engaged." You flinch, stunned into confusion as he continues. "When we slept together I had no idea you were engaged. What’s worse? When I found out, I didn’t think you did anything wrong, I didn’t give a shit about your fiancé or his feelings. I just wanted you…in anyway you’d have me.” His voice became small, rubbing the back of neck and moving to play with his right earlobe. A habit he’s had since childhood.

"You had so much power over me,” He continued, “and it terrified me." He takes a pause, gazing at you as if he's debating on saying this last piece of information.

"I loved you so much, but I didn't know who I was. And when I found out you were engaged, I couldn't face you. It felt like you chose him, and Bugs, I regretted it the second I drove off, but I couldn't go back. I tried to call, text, and nothing ever went through. You never responded, and I was too ashamed to contact your mom. I was stuck, Bugs. I'm sorry I hurt you."

The confession leaves you in tatters. Engaged? You hadn't gotten engaged to River until a year and a half later. Did he try to call you? Text you? It was radio silence whenever you tried to contact him, so how did you miss all his attempts?

"Bradley?"

"Yeah, Bugs?"

"Where the fuck did you hear I was engaged?"

"What do you mean 'where did you hear I was engaged?' River told me."

Your conversation is now the center of attention on this side of the cemetery, the sound of your voices too loud.

"River told you? When the fuck did he tell you?"

“That morning. I got a message from him, called him and asked if it was true but he showed me your engagement photos. I didn’t know how react so I just…left.”

Your mind is a whirlwind of confusion. The only reason you'd even gotten engaged to River was because Bradley left you that morning. You didn't see a future with him and broke it off weeks before you'd even spent the night with Bradley.

Both of you stand stupefied, looking at the other for answers neither of you has.

"I didn't get engaged to River until a year and a half after you left. I had already broken things off before you even visited Virginia. What do you mean he called you? How did he even know you were at my place? He was in New York.” You rub your temples, feeling a migraine coming on. It’s sudden by the information send a splitting ache through head.

"That's why you left?" You continue, massaging your eyes from the sun. "You thought I cheated on my fiancee with you? Did you think I lied about the breakup?"

"He showed me the engagement photos, what was I supposed to think?"

"You were supposed to ask me. You were supposed to stay. That's what you were supposed to think."

"Bugs, I didn't want to leave, but in that situation, would you have stuck around? Finding out I was engaged after sleeping with you? Seeing the proof right there?"

He might've been right. You probably would've fled. As angry as you wanted to be at him, you felt that you couldn't. Putting this in perspective made you feel guilty for being angry at him in the first place. Did you have a right to be? Maybe not, but how did River know Bradley was at your place that morning when he was supposedly in New York and you both had cut contact. Let alone to send engagement photos.

"Are you lying to me?" The question falls from your lips as you try to make sense of it. He has to be lying. The timeline doesn't make sense.

"Now you think I'm lying? I may have left that day, yes, but you never reached out, you never returned my calls. You chose your 'fiancee' over me, and I didn’t have it in me to look at you after that."

The look on your face makes his stomach twist. Something doesn't add up, and you pale. Hands shaking as a shiver takes over your body. "Bradley. River was in New York that week. We broke up a while before you even came back to visit, and never took engagement photos. I called and texted and called and texted, and you never responded to me. Didn't you?" Nothing you do soothes the throbbing behind your temples and nausea whirls in your stomach.

Bradley’s hands are warm as they find purchase on your arms, pulling you towards him and tugging your chin to face him.

"You called me?"

You nod weakly, "For weeks. For weeks, I called. I got scared that something happened to you, and I couldn't reach you. One of our old neighbors said they'd seen you alive and well, and I had to accept the fact you didn't want to speak to me."

All the anger you had used to guard yourself is withering. Suddenly you feel cold, a cool tingle spreading in the back of your head. The puzzle pieces are there, but you refuse to put them together.

Why would River do all that? How did he do all that? It doesn't make sense. But if the look on Bradley's face tells you anything, he's as confused and hurt as you are. Both of you have been wallowing in resentment these past few years, only to find out it'd been built on a lie.

"Bugs, you're shivering. Let's get you back to the car, okay?" You nod numbly, allowing him to guide you. He sits you in the passenger seat of the Bronco, and you stare blankly out the window, watching fellow visitors clean their loved ones' graves and cracking open beers with them.

Everyone has their special way of dealing with grief. Others never visit, and some spend all their time here. Some people decorate with flowers and seasonal decor, while others pour out liquor and loud music while they talk with their tombstones. You'd grieved when you lost Bradley. Halfway convinced he was the love of your life and you'd never find anything more. You didn't, and that made the loss hurt even more. Years of resentment grew and blossomed, poisoning the relationship you had with River. But was it really ruined because of you? If all that Bradley said is true, your relationship was built on the same lie it died on.

You see your mother approach Bradley, her brows creased as she looks at you. You can't hear what they're saying, but at some point, they've moved you back to your car as your mom hops into the driver's seat. You can do nothing as the fear and anxiety freeze you. If River had planned all of that, what else could he have done? Did do? The thoughts consume you whole as they finish up their conversation with hushed whispers and sideways glances.

"Please drive safe. I'll call the number you gave me when I get back home." Bradley taps the car, watching as you two drive off.

#bradley bradshaw fanfiction #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x you #bradley bradshaw #top gun #top gun maverick #top gun fanfiction #top gun imagine #rocky’s masterlist⚘

[sparkbeast20]

Failed attempt to be sexy

Summary: Just some scenarios where MC or one of the characters try to be sexy and Above PG13 but failed in doing so.

Note: I do have NSFW blog but... Since this before the "Devil tango" I decided to put it here.

Warning: Suggestive, and Injury though not intentionally

Lucifer

It was a good idea in your head. The thought of using Lucifer's whip.

It was already hard enough to convince Lucifer. But you using his whip and especially on him?

His brothers might think that you or him had gone mad.

Never the less you were excited!

However it was your first time handling a thing like that.

So when you try to make a strike.

Instead of hitting his thigh or chest you end up hitting his face making him groan in pain.

You cry out his name and immediately drop the whip and rush over to him.

The whole night he try to calm you down while holding an ice bag over his black eye

Mammon

Handcuff? Handcuff!

Mammon handcuff your hands on the headboard of his bed. He grins and took a step back to enjoy his work (It was okay but don't tell him that)

You gave the cuffs a small tug and notice it was a little tight so you ask if he can adjust them a little bit.

He agrees and move over to unlock the cuffs however his expression shifted from cocky to horrified

You ask why and he told you that he had the wrong key.

You gave him a "What?" in a shock and high pitch annoyed tone

He confessed that he bought the cuffs from a friend he knew. He quickly jump out of bed and rushes out of the room while only where his underwear.

You look at the door with a deadpan expression. And hope that he can get the key for the handcuffs

Leviathan

Levi always wanted to do roleplay with cosplay.

However he didn't expect that it would take an hour to have you all deck out and another hour for him with get it costume.

You may ask why? Well because this is Levi we are talking about. He wanted this to go well.

But oh my friends do you thing waiting two hours would stop you or Levi? The answer is no.

But...

During the scene of your character getting close to Levi. one of the buckles of your costume got caught on Levi's costume. You lean in so you can undo the lock of your costume. But your wig got caught on to Levi's head dress.

And when you finally pulled back. Your wig was pulled away.

After that you said fuck and got up and left you lost your patience at this point.

Levi couldn't blame you.

Satan

Oh Satan. Why can you be like Lucifer?

He tried damnit! He tried to wear leather!

However just one look in the mirror he got extremely embarrass.

But he knows that you will like this! right?

He didn't told you what's he had planned all he can do is lay on his bed in a full body leather suite and once he got a text from you telling him that you were on the way.

He took his chance and sip on the leather mask.

You enter and froze when you saw a man wear all black (For the sack of the headcanon you only know Vanilla level things) You scream in fear.

Satan wave his hand for you to stop and try to unzip the mask so he can speak clearly however he realize that he was wearing the mask backwards.

Beel heard your scream and quickly rushes to your side and shock to see a thing that looks like a shadow demon but without horns, tail or wings.

His protective instinct kicked in and quickly charged and tackled Satan.

After a few punches to the face and gut. Beel manage to take the mask off to see Satan's face with bruises and a black eye.

You and Satan stuck with Vanilla after that night.

Asmodeus

You might think. Asmo is the king of "beds" so how could he failed on this?

Well it wasn't due to him or you.

It was him not paying attention to his surrounding.

He just finish with dripping wax on you. You were out of it to notice anything during all of it.

Asmo didn't blow the candle since he wanted to drip some more wax on you.

So he set the candle to the side and start his "magic" However you jolted from one his hand and accidentally bump the nightstand with the candle and it fell and roll off the nightstand.

Dropping next to the bed, the flames touch the bedsheet, catching on fire!

Asmo notice it quick and immediately pick you up. You were surpirse all of a sudden he picked you up and swung you over his shoulder.

He run out of the room yelling for help.

Lucifer was furious that a fire happened in the house again!

But the rest of the brothers where traumatized by seeing Asmo butt ass naked!

Beelzebub

He didn't even know that this was possible!!

His two favorite things in one? You and food.

Okay, I will never eat you. But eating off you!?! Sign him up!

But you decide that you start with him so as if a tease or before the main "dessert"

You pour some chocolate syrup on him but you forgot the sprinkles. So you got up and tiptop over to your bag and grab the sprinkle.

However when you were coming back to the bed.

Some of the syrup spill on floor by the side of the bed.

So when you were about to climb back up on the bed. Your feet step on the syrup making you slip and fall right on your back.

Beel yelp and quickly got out of bed and kneel beside you. Checking if you hurt fall. And you did a small bump on the back of your head.

Beel wasn't in the mood now since you were hurt. So the rest of the night he nurse you while muttering sorry every hour.

Belphegor

He doesn't feel like doing this guessing game... at least if he was the one who's trying to guess.

But you did won the rock, paper, scissors. So he had at least do his end of the bargain

So now he was laying on bed blindfolded and bound to the bed while you were getting things ready.

After what seem to minute. He gasps when he felt something tickling his feet. He chuckles and giggles which you wanted.

So you move on electric back massager. Yes because you don't have anything!

And you didn't want to borrow something from Asmo and have to tell Belphie. He would've decline on this whole thing!

So you continue and plug in the Massager, you smirk when Belphie jump as soon he hear the low buzzing of massager.

You brough in close to the side of chest and start. But you got the reverse reaction from him. He was smiling and saying to move it around.

You huff and did what he ask. But soon you were surprise to hear snoring and look up to see that Belphie fell asleep!

You pout, unplug the massager and put aside and lay on bed with you back turn to Belphie. You slept pouty that nigh :P

Note:

I had way too much fun with Satan's part XD

Again I'm knowledge on NSFW stuff is only surface and fan fic. I can't only write funny scenes before the actual act hence this headcanon being post here and not on my other blog.

If there’s grammar or spelling error, please let me know and don’t be shy to leave a comment or reblogging with cute tags. I just love to see you guys thoughts on this :3

#obey me #omswd #obey me headcanons #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me lucifer x reader #obey me mammon x reader #obey me levi x reader #obey me satan x reader #obey me asmo x reader #obey me beel x reader #obey me belphie x reader

[avampyone]

Our Separate Paths

Characters: Hemlocke, Tataru Taru and Inamorata Rillemont. Mentions of Mithus Greystone and Cosette Durendaire.

Synopsis: Hemlocke insists on helping Tataru and ends up in a chance encounter with a old friend from his past.

Setting: Ishgard during the events of Heavensward.

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

All words and thoughts failed Hemlocke to describe the feeling that weighed on him to return to Ishgard too soon. The city was as ever a cold beautiful monument that never seemed to change since that fateful day of the calamity. A chilly breeze crept out in an uncanny manner like tendrils that sought to entwine itself around the duskwight’s tall form- to squeeze and suffocate. Such was a feeling he couldn’t shake off no matter how many layers he wore.

There was a time when he was much like the cold ice that engulfed this city, untouchable at the core and seemingly unfeeling, ignoring everything in pursuit of a singular goal. Late at night when the work was finished, he allowed himself to ponder over if that ice had left him completely. All that mattered naught now. The only goal Hemlocke focused on now was to keep out of any trouble. The Scions had more than enough on their hands right now after the events of the Bloody Banquet.

‘He was truly a good and honorable man – General Raubahn did not deserve that.’ Hemlocke thought wistfully to himself with a sigh of impatience to follow. All the while, he trailed closely on the heels of Tataru whom he had been tasked to aid. She fervently rushed around the Jeweled Crozier with the pitter patter of her boots hitting in quick succession against the stone streets below, skillfully dodging the legs of passerby’s that gave her no notice. With a squint of concern and frown lining his expression, Hemlocke took several quick paces forward with the languid wave of his arm to flag her down, coming to stand to block her path in his desperation.

Naturally, Tataru easily bounded off around him, “Miss Tataru, please allow me to escort you through here – It would be imprudent for a young lady to be seen walking alone..” To that, she turned to him with a light furrow to her brows and her small hands waving in the air in a frantic gesture “Look, Hemlocke..You must stop with all of these formalities! We’ll get nowhere just standing about all day. We must hurry and see what we can do to help out our comrades!”

Tataru wasted no time at all in hurrying off to the next stall to make arrangements with another Ishgardian merchant to order more supplies. Heaving out another sigh, Hemlocke threw his hands up to acquiesce to the persistent lalafell in the humbling knowledge he would fail if he tried to go toe to toe with her. Hemlocke took one small step forward in her general direction, but found himself frozen to the spot to hear the delicate rasp of a voice he knew very well.

“I-I cannot believe if. I would know your eyes from anywhere! It’s really you..Serap-“

“*Don’t* say it!” There was a timbre lined with the rise of hot anger that came uncharacteristically from Hemlocke in a growl of warning, those crimson eyes narrowing upon figure of the lithe elezen woman with fair hair. Such an outburst drew the glances of wary onlookers. He straightened himself to full height, adjusting the lapels of his jacket to regain his composure. The gleam of his eyes descending into a somber haze in their half-lidded guarded state, “My.. apologies, madam. Please if you would call me Hemlocke now- The man you knew before died in that fire. It is as simple as that, Lady Rillemont.” The directness of his tone would stand for no argument in this.

Despite the initial shock, Inamorata beelined towards him to press her gloved laced hands against the front of his chest. Her lovely eyes shone out pleadingly upward at him, like pale jewels of blue with the sheen of unshed tears, “You would treat us like strangers now?..We cried for you. Even, Mithus..! You had everything you sought for. Your engagement to Lady Durendaire, earning her love after so long and freedom from Gloucent... Why did you throw it all away..”

Those frail eyes searched over him, brimming in a concern that came naturally to Inamorata. She always been far too sweet for the likes of Ishgardian society having been married off to a drunkard of a man. Her along with the rugged Mithus, a former lancer turned gardener, he'd become close with the long years after his tutor had been dismissed. His only consistent lovers and confidants. There was nothing particularly remarkable about the either of them that would garner the attention of those that sought perfection- but to him, they exuded nothing but the pure honesty of themselves. Such a trait he had always admired and envied.

Ultimately, a love blossomed between Inamorata and Mithus that he stepped back from to see cultivate, not feeling the same even if he was grateful for the trust he had in them. Thinking on this, Hemlocke brought his hands up to cover her own in a light squeeze. He brought the lady’s knuckles close, bowing his head to press kisses against most affectionately. His thumbs grazed over after to urge warmth back against the chill he felt in her lacy hands, “..She loved my striking looks and the idea of me. It’s always been about appearances, love. But, never mind about me. I trust you are both well..?”

Hemlocke’s question ended with him bringing those hands back in her own space with a steady nod. She offered a smile even if it weighed heavy with emotion, “Yes, very well – My husband drank himself to death not long after the fire. With my new fortune, Mithus and I were able to marry. We have a little one of our own and another on the way..” The merry way of which she spoke of all these pleasant events with a maternal press to her abdomen eased something in Hemlocke. How could he look upon this return to Ishgard with such discomfort now? To know his old friends were in good health and well taken care of.

A genuine smile uplifted his features, murmuring silent gratitude to the Fury for watching over them so, “That’s wonderful to hear and I’m truly happy for you both.. For me, there is much that has changed..much I cannot tell you without risking you all. This is the last you will see of me.” Good byes had never been easy for Hemlocke even as easily he made the motion to turn away from Inamorata to head back towards Tataru.

The voice called out to him one last time giving Hemlocke a pause in his step, “Did you find happiness..?” It came out quiet but hopeful.

It would have been easier to lie. Yet, he had made the promise to try to live as honestly as he could in his new life even if he found the truths of the world outside weren’t always so easy to face, “I am content enough..I have the opportunity to see the world and hone the abilities I found I have as not to be a detriment to others. You have your own paths to follow now, so take care of one another, mm? It is all I wish.”

Hemlocke found his way back to Tataru, drifting along through the thrums of merchants and customers with none of the rush he had before and a noticeable droop to his shoulders. Even with his best efforts, the lalafell noticed this change in him with a press of hands to her hips and waggled her finger at him, “Oh, come on, no need to worry so for the others..We have to do our best in the meantime, right? And maybe we can stop for some Ishgardian tea on the way back!”

Hemlocke couldn’t help but to perk up a little to that, coming to kneel to reach and grab a few of the bags she had to carry. If he were to be honest with himself, perhaps there was more he missed about Ishgard than he had realized now that the heavy feeling in his chest had eased to some degree, “Aye, I would like that very much.”

#hemlockeffxiv #ffxiv elezen #ffxiv oc lore #ffxiv oc #hemlocke #ffxiv writing #oc backstory #exploring hemi's past connections #will do more story tid bits when time allows!

[revserrayyu]

2.1 Penacony thoughts [part4]

**BOSS FIGHT SPOILERS** Going to be rambling about the battle itself and the two cut-scenes that follow right after, but not quite the whole story’s ending yet. That will be the next post. If by any chance you haven’t beaten the boss yet and are still gazing upon this post then I urge you to come back later because I would never wanna ruin the experience for you.

I’m glad Himeko questioned the number of murders because I also sat there for a good minute wondering who the third death might’ve been, only to realize how stupid I was upon clicking forward to hear Aventurine’s response.

I still wish his hat & glasses were part of his usual attire. I’m glad he pulls the hat out of nowhere whenever he launches his follow up attack, but the glasses would’ve been real snazzy if he permanently wore them. It was nice seeing us wield the lance instead of the bat for once too.

So, the fight itself.. was a bit irritating, mostly due to the gambling. I believe I tried a total of four times until I beat him. The first three attempts I simply switched around different team members, using those who could easily score big against his dice and win those gambles. His first phase went fine no matter which team setup I had. It was that second phase that kept knocking me out, mainly because my healer and support units could never manage to roll higher or on par with Aventurine’s number seeing how they could only attack a single target at a time. It also didn’t help that I had no ice or physical characters properly leveled up to assist Serval in weakness breaking.. until I remembered destruction Trailblazer existed. So, after struggling with different teams for a good hour, I decided to do some relic farming (which basically resulted in me taking the first gold pieces I could get) while also getting materials to level up traces and a random light cone because I have literally not switched back to this path since we first acquired the flaming lance. Half hour later and my destruction Trailblazer was ready to come out of retirement with a hasty, last minute build.

Of course the stats are not the greatest thing in the world (all relics, traces and lc not even maxed out) and I wasn’t confident that I would do any better than my previous attempts against Aventurine, where the lowest I managed to bring him down to in his second phase was about 60% before biting the dust. After activating a pair of consumables and fighting through the first phase as usual, I would like to think everything was going rather smoothly with how well I was keeping everyone alive at least.

The team wide gambles during the second phase went as well as I imagined; Serval and Stelle would manage to score high with their AoE while Huohuo and Bronya would typically suffer and take a hit. They might’ve tied once or twice but the odds were certainly not in my favor whenever those two would roll the dice. By some strange stroke of luck though, I finally managed to beat the fancy gambler! Thank god too because if this team failed, I would’ve been all out of ideas.

The following cutscene is good and I wish I had taken more screenshots but I was caught up in enjoying it. Aventurine’s really out here acting like a Meowth using Pay Day twenty times in a row.

I do feel bad for Acheron, walking a path she doesn’t even want to tread on and endlessly looking for someone. Haven’t a clue on who she might’ve been talking to though.

Himeko and Welt protecting the kids like the good parents they are! We’re certainly going to have some crazy stories for Dan Heng once we return to the Express. Dude is probably just chilling in the archives, maybe having some snacks with Pom-Pom while we’re over here fighting for our lives.

Another moment where I was so invested in watching Acheron that the idea of screenshots left my mind completely, but ohhh boy, the extent of her power is grand indeed. It’s a bit similar to what was shown in her character trailer but seeing her ultimate like this in game is truly an experience.

Big fan of the brief moment where she’s shown to sheath her sword again..

..and the way it goes from the monochrome world to reality and it starts raining hard is so very nice. Can’t help but think back to what Aventurine’s sister said about rain though at this time.

Finally getting that confirmation of her path even though it was no secret to us.

I really hope so because the longer we linger here the more worried for Aventurine I become.

This gives me little hope that Robin might be alive? If whomever is behind this just wanted to cover up the truth about Penacony and its recent happenings, then simply taking away their ability to speak should be effective enough. Death seems a bit too extreme but perhaps that was merely an accident. Or at least I hope so. I want her alive if you couldn’t tell.

So Aventurine had this all planned out? Putting himself and Acheron on opposing sides so she would have to draw her blade against him, all to nullify that strange Harmony magic that Sunday placed upon him? This man is out here playing 3d chess.

And like a fool I feel for his bluff about wanting to make our stellaron explode. But if his stone is broken, does that mean he never planned to make it out of this fight alive in the first place? I know his future was grim due to the conditions Sunday placed upon him, regardless if Aventurine managed to solve Robin’s case or not, but I still don’t like the sound of this!

Yes, please, wake up pretty boy. In reality and alive, preferably. Also, I wonder how much longer we’ll need to wait until we can finally get an explanation behind the red text. I have my guesses, but wish to know for sure.

Both of them asking and giving such real answers.. ahh. Life and death truly are such frightening things.

I would like to know the meaning behind your words, ma’am. Why must you do this? Are you even aware of it? What if I uno reverse card you and give you anxiety instead huh??

I’m thankful Acheron reminded him of Ratio’s parting gift and that Aventurine still held onto it even now, but with how this whole scene ends.. I can’t be certain if our gambler decided to use it or not.

Oooohhh my heart.. here comes the pain.

I’m sorry sir, but you can’t just give us these real handsome and gentle smiles and seemingly disappear into a void afterwards?? I don’t wanna accept this!

AVENTURINE!! You better be walking your pretty boy butt back into reality somehow, I swear! If you’re still choosing to end yourself despite Acheron’s words and Ratio’s help I will SOB!

I seriously do not like the sound of this.. I know Aventurine hasn’t had the best kind of life by any means, but as poetic as this all sounds, I want the dice to keep rolling!

No doubt Aventurine assumed that he would be cut off from obtaining outside help at some point during this scheme, so leaving behind pieces of his stone to convey a message about whether or not his companions can proceed was clever.. but still upsets me because I really don’t wanna accept a “death” from him. I wonder how Topaz truly feels about this, like is it fine because his actions were towards the mission or is there any genuine concern? I know their phone call back during Belobog was a bit rough between them but at least Topaz spoke relatively highly of him when we saw her in the reality hotel.

So this is the achievement I read about last time with its connection to the “Sibyl, What Do You Want?” achievement.. and after witnessing everything that happened, it hurts even more.

Aaahh, my poor man. He deserved better and I truly hope he can return. This upsets me more than Firefly’s “death.” And speaking of which.. I got the whole ending to chat about next hm?

(originally written on 3/29)

#honkai star rail #aventurine #acheron #gameplay #revsposts

[missnight0wl]

Don't you ever get annoyed how the game literally deleted Bill Weasley in y6 and y7? I thought that since Bill is an actual professional Curse-Breaker he'd be more involved with the MC and the cursed vaults especially since Griphook knew the MC and her adventures with the vaults and I expected him to ask Bill to investigate these vaults especially since he was in every vault in from years 1 to 5 with the MC. but nah the game decides to forget about Bill and shove Merula into our face along with Ben (no hate I love Ben, I have no objections about him). It broke my heart going to the final cursed vault in y6 without Bill. He's been here for us ever since the beginning, we went to every single vault with him, we should've finished what we started together with Bill 😭. I didn't mind Ben and Jacob being present at the final vault since I love them both (don't murder me for loving Jacob since we know he's a fugly slut for you 🤣)

So how do you feel about Bill being less involved after his graduation, do you think it makes sense?

People “apologising” for liking Fugly Slut never fails to make me cackle 😂 It’s fine, guys! Like I don’t exactly approve of it… but you do you! 👍🙂

As for your question though – I think it makes absolutely no sense. I actually even ranted about it in my longer commentary about the Sunken Vault in this post. It covers more problems than just Bill, but yeah, Bill’s absence is just a misunderstanding.

That being said, I have to point out that Bill wasn’t necessarily with us in all of the Cursed Vaults. HOWEVER, he was the only character who had a chance to be in all of the Cursed Vaults. Bill was a set companion for the Vault of Ice and the Portrait Vault, and one of the options for the Vault of Fear and the Forest Vault. And personally, I always felt that it might be meaningful in the future. You know, even aside from the fact that he actually ends up being a professional Curse-Breaker.

Also, the thing that makes it even worse is that it’s not even that he was totally forgotten after he graduated. The writers went through the effort of bringing him back for our private DADA classes in the evenings. And sure, it could be simply explained by: “Oh, JC didn’t want to get rid of DADA classes and so they needed a teacher”. But no! It can’t be the only explanation! Because Bill was actually pretty damn involved in the main story after Rowan’s death! Like, remember this?

For a short time, Bill became the brain for this group of idiots – the brain that we really needed. And sure, our return to the crimes scene led to absolutely nothing, but still. Bill showed that he could be our PROPER leader. But nope! After that point, JC totally forgot about any plans they might’ve had for the eldest Weasley brother.

Honesty, that’s a big reason why I still claim that after Rowan’s death, JC started changing the original plans for the story in general, mixing Y6 and Y7. I still believe we weren’t supposed to reach the final Vault in Y6 yet. So, because the writers stopped following the set course, they also started forgetting things and messing everything up. And we got a dumpster fire as a result. I mean, look at this scene from before Rowan’s death:

Yes, Bill still wasn’t involved in the end (even though it'd make sense), but at least it was addressed. Before the Sunken Vault, we didn’t even acknowledge Bill’s existence – which is simply ridiculous.

Another thing that makes me believe that Bill was supposed to play a much bigger role overall is actually his relationship with Rakepick, which got quite a lot of attention in Y4 and Y5 and then never had any conclusion. For example, Y4:

And then Y5:

And sure, it might be just a fanservice referencing Bill’s future, but if you ask me, it got way too much screen time to be just that. The problem is that it makes absolutely no sense for Rakepick to be so invested in Bill if she was always evil. Like, she only wasted her time, really. It’s not even like it could’ve helped her manipulate MC or whatever because Bill was never like: “I trust Rakepick, so you should too”. In fact, he’s pretty chill about your different opinion if you choose that option in Y5Ch21:

So… What was the point of building that background relationship between Bill and Rakepick??

And you know what makes it even worse? When we go to see Bill in the DADA classroom after the Portrait Vault, he admittedly is very upset about Rakepick’s betrayal, but then we talk about his job at Gringotts, and he’s like… totally happy??

But like… YOU GOT THIS JOB THANKS TO RAKEPICK! AND WE DON’T EVEN MENTION IT!

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m certain that Bill’s own talent and hard work also played a big role in getting this job. But he literally said earlier: “She’s even getting me a job at Gringotts”. And now we’re pretending it didn’t happen??

So, to sum up, I believe that both Bill and his job at Gringotts were originally supposed to play a much bigger role when it comes to the final Cursed Vault. Interestingly, when Diagon Alley was added to the game, Gringotts was a location to open in Y7. They changed it much later when they decided to make the Adventures in Curse-Breaking TLSQ taking place in Y6. And look at that, it happens that this quest was released after Rowan’s death, too – so when I suspect they started really changing the original plans for the story.

#long post #hogwarts mystery #hphm #bill weasley #patricia rakepick #sunken vault #cursed vaults #jam city #ask #chiefchildangel

[xsparklingravenx]

from the heart

Title: from the heart

Fandom: Fire Emblem: Three Hopes

Characters: M!Byleth, M!Shez, Jeralt

Rating: T

Word Count: 4,682

Summary: Shez takes a blow for Byleth. While he's bleeding out the battlefield, he gives a gift, believing it might be his last chance.

Byleth doesn't necessarily understand his intentions, however.

AO3

Byleth was more than used to watching his own back. In battle, there was never any guarantee of someone looking out for you, never a promise of returning alive. It was one of the earliest lessons his father had taught him; if you wanted to survive, you had to be aware of every opening, every blind-spot. The first man to forget that lesson was the first to die.

Swords clashed. Metal struck metal. Blood scattered across the dusty stones of the little town they called their battlefield. It was easier with Sothis, admittedly. She covered his tracks, played with time when it suited her, gave him the edge when he would otherwise be at a disadvantage. She chortled and sang in his headspace, delighting in their prowess as their enemies left themselves open in disbelief. The Ashen Demon cleaved through their number like a mobile guillotine. There was naught they could do to stop him.

But, Sothis was not infallible. For all her power, for all her majesty, she had her limits. Time could only revert so far; seconds, rather than minutes. It could only stop every so often, and she weakened quickly. Her senses dulled, her insight failed. Byleth was still surrounded, soldiers on every side. She yawned behind her hand. Said, sleepily, “Take them all out. You can do this.”

A weapon was merely an extension of his own body. He swung the sword forward, magic setting the blade alight. Fire trailed through the air, screams following them. Above, storm clouds threatened to unleash their might. The first hints of rain caught Byleth’s cheeks. He turned, dragging his sword with him. Another life, ending at his blade. He did not feel the weight of it like many others in Jeralt’s band did. It was a job. His job.

His sword slid through ribs. Twisting, it caught another soldier across his throat. Fire. Ice. Lightning. He danced with the enemies, heavy and striking, never once letting up on the assault. But then, a gasp, ringing through his ears. Not his shout, but Sothis'. “Archer, south! Move!”

Byleth followed the order like she’d taken control of his body. The arrow bounced from his sword in a perfect deflection, magic swirling about his free hand as he sent a ball of fire straight back. It struck the archer front-on, removing the immediate threat, but Byleth knew that he’d made a mistake. His back was open. For every soldier he’d already cut through, three others were ready to take vengeance.

A blur shot past him, purple tones catching in his vision for only a moment before it was gone. There was no time to look; he was still in the fray, still taking sword blows from the front. His sword parried each strike in turn as a commotion erupted from behind him. Cavalry had arrived, though not on the back of a horse. Twin swords, impossible energy, a back hitting Byleth’s own. Two mercenaries, divulging paths, both converging on this battlefield.

“You’re getting sloppy,” Shez said. Byleth could picture the grin on his face just through his tone. He was free with his expressions, even if Byleth didn’t always understand them. “Good thing I was here, huh?”

“Thanks for the assist,” Byleth said as Sothis scoffed, silently. “We should clean up.”

There was no time for more than that. Byleth flew back into the fight, Shez’s back leaving his own. Magic and weaponry toiled again. Byleth fought freely, now, knowing there was someone looking out for him, knowing he could let loose. It was unlike before, the sense of comradery foreign but not unpleasant. Fighting was never for fun, it was always life-or-death, but this at least made it easier.

The skies opened as the final man slid from Byleth’s sword, as the area grew quiet. Rain plummeted. Shez fell against him, the back of his head knocking against Byleth’s own, his weight leant on Byleth’s back. They stayed there a moment, caught in the rain, taking it slow. Byleth could feel him breathing, rapid and uneven.

“Tougher than I expected.” Shez sounded like he was speaking through gritted teeth. “But, hey. We make a great team. Better than I thought we could ever be.”

“The battle isn’t over,” Byleth said. That meant the job wasn’t done. “We need to regroup, move on to the next area.”

“Yeah, I know.” Shez still sounded off, not as energetic as he so often was. “Can we take a sec here, quick? Won’t be a moment. Just, it’s raining. You’re warm. And I’m…”

His voice trailed. His weight shifted. Byleth realised he was falling only seconds before he did, twisting in time to catch Shez against his chest. His sword clattered to the ground, the other vanishing into nothing. Blood soaked them both; Byleth hadn’t noticed it sinking into his own clothes because of the rain.

“Where?” he asked, cool, calm. There was too much blood to identify the source. Maybe it wasn’t even Shez’s to begin with; just that of their enemy. Perhaps it had just been too much, the battle wearing down at him.

But Shez dashed those hopes with a grim smile, with a mild gesture to his lower abdomen. Byleth looked, spotting the break in his armour, where the sword had found is way in. He pressed his hand to the wound, only to incite a sharp gasp from Shez. “Warn a guy next time, would you?”

Byleth looked up. There was nobody nearby, nobody to call upon. Unlike his father, who could command light and draw forth from his faith to cast spells that knitted the skin back anew, he was only attuned with the reason and logic required to understand offensive magic. He’d given his last concoction to Ashe, who he’d seen struggling earlier after he’d been caught in close-combat. It didn’t seem like Shez had one of his own either.

“Can you walk?” he asked.

“Sure I can.” Shez slurred the words, stumbling the moment Byleth tried to move. He blinked hard, shaking his head. “Maybe not, actually. Did he get me worse than I thought?”

Byleth wasn’t one for reading body language in an emotional sense, but he wasn’t so dense as to not identify when someone was fading. He sheathed his sword, well aware of the stupidity of such an notion on an active battlefield, and pulled Shez’s arm over his neck. The movement prompted another gasp, followed by a barely audible utterance. “Shit, this hurts.”

Byleth recalled an injury years ago, before the war. It had been like this, an unfortunate happenstance of being caught on the wrong end of the enemy’s sword. He hadn’t noticed, not until Jeralt had ridden over with his fear in his eyes that looked unbecoming on such a stoic man, his name half caught in his mouth. It had been a slow realisation, to look down and comprehend that the blood was his. Like a broken spell, then, the pain had struck, crippling and sharp.

“I understand,” Byleth said, because Jeralt had told him that people appreciated sympathy when they were in pain. Shez snickered, which wasn’t the reaction he’d expected. “Is that amusing?”

“Yeah, ‘cause you say it like it you rehearsed it,” Shez’s grin was wide despite the pain he was in, despite how Byleth jostled him as they moved. “Like you don’t really know why you’re saying it.”

“It’s to make you feel more at ease.”

Shez laughed harder at that, to the point where he choked. His coughs rattled, and he gasped for breath. There was an alleyway nearby, and though Byleth didn’t want to risk the possibility of major infection or unknown quantities, he wanted to risk an ambush even less. Even as Shez struggled, Byleth dragged him there, settling him against the wall, away from the opening where Byleth would keep watch.

Sat against the wall, Shez went ahead and probed at his own wound. Byleth didn’t try and stop him; he knew well enough Shez’s impulsivity and was entirely unsurprised when he hissed in pain. While he kept himself busy with deep breathing exercises, Byleth began to shred his own cloak with his sword, keeping an eye out for any sign of movement in the street.

“What are you doing?” Shez asked him, his voice drifting.

“Making bandages,” Byleth replied. “We need something to staunch the bleeding. I have no medical supplies on me.”

“Thought you liked that cloak, though.”

“I do.” Byleth wasn’t sure what that had to do with him cutting it to pieces in the name of saving his life. He was certain that Jeralt would say that anyone else would do the same. Admittedly, he wasn’t very good at getting the cloak into a workable state; field medicine was not a strong point of his. Sothis had decided it was high-time to take a nap, so there wasn’t any help to be found there.

“Guess you like me more, then?” Shez asked.

“Yes,” Byleth pulled back Shez’s under-armour, examining the wound. It was short, thin, but that didn’t mean it wasn't deep. The sheer amount of blood it gushed made it difficult to see. Shez had gone quiet, so Byleth began to dress it. As he predicted, it brought some life back to him, Shez shoving the back of his hand against his mouth to muffle his shout.

“Damn,” he said, eyes squeezed shut, the rain running in rivulets across his skin. “Hah…can’t believe I rank higher than the Ashen Demon’s beloved cloak. If you told me two years ago that this was gonna happen, I’d have laughed in your face.”

“You have laughed in my face,” Byleth pointed out. “Just now, when I helped you here.”

“Eh,” Shez waved his hand weakly, dismissively. “Point is, you nearly killed me once. Now you’re here trying to stop me bleeding out.”

“After you saved me,” Byleth said, pulling back. The ribbons of his cloak were already dark with blood. He tried not to think about it too deeply.

“After I saved you.” Shez found it in him to laugh again, somehow. Byleth had never had much desire to understand what made others tick, but he wished to know what prompted these amused responses. There was nothing worth laughing about; not that he could tell just by looking, anyway.

The laughter didn’t last long, though. Shez’s strength left him quickly, his eyes turning glassy in the space of mere seconds, his gaze far away. As his amusement died, he rested his head back against the wall, body going lax. “So…hey. What’s the prognosis? I’ve got this annoying voice in my head that’s telling me I’m not gonna make it, that I’m an idiot for risking my life for you. What do you think?”

Byleth looked back out towards the street. Still, there was no-one. “Your voice is right. We need a healer, or you’ll die.”

“Wow. Great bedside manner.” Shez squeezed his eyes shut. “Can’t say I thought today would be the end…not even a big battle either. Or a major foe. Just some random guy.”

“Enough,” Byleth said, surprising even himself. The way Shez spoke incited something deep in his chest, something he didn’t quite understand. It made his ribcage ache. “You’re hidden here, which means you’ll be safe. I’ll go and find someone to help.”

He went to stand, only for Shez’s hand to catch on his wrist. Byleth looked back to him, unsure of what to say, to do. Was he supposed to pull away? Draw closer?

“Don’t go,” Shez said, voice a wispy, thin sound. He pulled on Byleth’s wrist with little strength, and Byleth let himself go in that direction, dropping back to his knees in front of him. “If I bleed out while you’re gone, that’d be a lonely way to die.”

The blood was watery, spilling onto the stone beneath them. Byleth looked at it, then at Shez’s face, raindrops dropping his hair into his pale face. There was nothing for it; he tried to pull back. “If I don’t go, then you really will bleed out. I…don’t want that.”

Shez’s laugh, this time, was breathy and empty. He still had his fingers wrapped around Byleth’s wrist. “Stay,” he said. “Please?”

It felt hideous. Final. Cold. Byleth had felt helpless before, but this was different; caught between what he should do and what was being asked of him. As he searched Shez’s face for an answer, Shez let go of his wrist, only to grab something from the pouch where his concoction should have been. “Give me your hand.”

“Why?”

“Just,” Shez gritted his teeth, wincing. “Give it to me.”

He gave it willingly. Shez put something cool and thin in his palm, closed Byleth’s fingers around it. “For you,” he said. “Just in case…”

Byleth pulled his hand back, looked down at what he’d been given. It was silver, dulled with age, but he knew its shape. A whistle, but he didn’t understand. There was no instruction given with it, no indication of its purpose. What was he meant to do with it?

“Why—?” he asked, only to cut himself short when he heard the sound of hooves, harsh against the stone. Byleth snatched his own sword from its sheath, the whistle held tight in his other hand. He was on his feet in seconds, marching out into the rain with blood cascading from his armour. He would hold the area even if it killed him. He had no choice but to.

But it was not the enemy. “Jeralt?” he said, half-disbelieving. Yes, it was his father, spear in hand, strong atop his horse. Fortune favoured them. Maybe the goddess herself, though he'd never considered himself much of a believer until recently. “Jeralt!”

His father's head snapped towards him, and there was the expression that Byleth recalled from years ago. Fear, panic, fleeting but undeniably there. He rode over in an instant. “Kid, what the hell happened to you—”

“Not my blood,” Byleth said, looking back at the alleyway. “Shez’s. We need immediate assistance, or he won’t survive.”

Jeralt nodded. Didn’t ask, didn’t waste time. He was like that, always had been; practical and calm, even in the worst-case scenario. “Got it. Leave it to me, kid, you carry on the fight.”

Right. The mission. Byleth knew his father would fix things, knew he could trust him, so he ran; to the next battlefield, to the next fight, the next unfortunate man to fall from his sword. But in his other hand, he held the whistle tight.

In battle, there was never any guarantee of someone looking out for you. But Shez had still looked out for him.

~x~

The ground outside the infirmary was drenched and dusty, but Byleth sat there anyway. It was busy, as to be expected after an operation, and he’d been turned away at the door when he revealed that he wasn’t actually injured, just looking to check in on someone. “Come back later,” Manuela told him, though her rushed tone hadn’t matched her gentle expression. “There’s no room for you right now.”

Time stretched onwards while he was outside, like Divine Pulse had lengthened the space between seconds. It had since stopped raining, the clouds lingering, but filtering some of the dying sunlight through the gaps. He held the strange, dull whistle up towards it so that he could have a better look, but nothing revealed Shez’s intentions in giving it to him. It made no sense.

“What’s that you’ve got there, kid?” Jeralt asked when he came by. He didn’t ask why Byleth was hanging around outside the infirmary instead of in the mess hall, or in his tent, or anywhere else where his time might have been better spent. “Someone lost something again?”

“No,” Byleth said, turning the whistle to see if it would reveal a secret or two. He came up empty. “It was given to me, but I didn’t get to ask why.”

“A gift?” Jeralt crouched down to get a better look at it for himself. “Looks handmade, if you ask me. Kind of old. Little crochety, just like your old man. Who gave it to you?”

“Shez.” Byleth’s hand in his. Words trailing. That glassy look in his eyes. “While we were in the alleyway. I was trying to go and get help, but he wouldn’t let me. I don’t understand why, I was trying to save him. If you hadn’t come when you did, he’d be dead.”

That thought troubled him. He’d lost allies before, of course he had; it came with the work. Why, then, was this different?

Jeralt hummed thoughtfully. After a moment, he asked, “You want me to explain why?”

“Why he gave it to me? Or why he wouldn’t let me go?”

“The latter. Don’t have a clue why he gave this to you, and I’m not one for guessing that kind of thing. You’re better off asking him outright.” Jeralt sat down next to him properly, knees up, hands resting on top. “He’s just a kid, like you. I want you to think about it this way; if it were you out there bleeding and he was with you, what would you want him to do?”

“Get a healer,” Byleth said. “I’m no help to anyone if I’m dead.”

Jeralt snorted. “Yeah, okay, maybe I should have expected that. Okay, let’s adjust the scenario a bit. Let’s say you’re wounded, and it’s not looking good. No allies around, no real chance of being saved, it’s just you and him, just like it was today. If you think you’re going to die, do you really want to be alone? Or do you let him go on the off-chance that someone might miraculously be around to save your life?”

Byleth clenched his fist around the whistle. “An off-chance is still a chance.”

“Are you angry?” Jeralt asked curiously.

“No.” Byleth knew what anger was, logically. He’d seen the rage of enemy commanders when their forces were on the losing side, remembered Jeralt snapping at members of the band when they screwed up, had been on the receiving end of many a furious lecture. Once, he’d asked Jeralt what it meant to feel so strongly, and Jeralt had told him that often, he felt it in his chest. Like his ribcage might split open with the intensity of it, anger, hate, love, joy, sadness, pain. Byleth still didn’t understand; the space in his chest that was supposed to contain those feelings was empty, and always had been.

Except there had been something, out on the battlefield.

“What is it?” Jeralt nudged his shoulder. “You can talk to me, kid.”

“I think I was…frustrated.” Byleth didn’t know which word he was meant to assign to that brief ache he’d felt, not really. It hadn’t made any real sense to him. “He was speaking like he was already dead. I didn’t know what to say to him.”

Jeralt listened. Nodded. “You wanted to help him, but he wanted comfort. If you were frustrated, then it’d make sense to me, especially when I know you can be stubborn.”

It wasn’t usually like this; Byleth was the one who listened, not the one who spoke, but this time, he needed it. “So, what you’re saying is that he didn’t let me go because he was scared to die alone. Is that it?”

“Probably,” Jeralt shrugged his shoulders, made to stand. “Can’t speak for him, but sounds the most likely to me. You don’t have to agree with what he wanted, I know you don’t, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t understand it. Sometimes, you have to look at things from all the perspectives, not just your own.”

His father left him with that, heading off in the direction of the mess hall, most likely for a stiff drink. Byleth returned his attention to the whistle. Stared at it like it might give him answers if he intimidated it into speaking. It didn’t, of course, but he wished it could be that easy.

He was still there hours later, when Manuela popped her head out and nearly shrieked at the fact that he hadn’t moved. She lectured him for several minutes on how he could better be using his time helping out around the camp, and then finally softened, inviting him inside. “Who were you here to see? We’ve got everyone patched right up, so let me know and I’ll send you on your way.”

Shez was right at the end of the row of beds, awake and laying on his back. He tried to sit up the moment he spotted company, though Manuela swatted at him and left them with a sharp warning to not make any strenuous movements. Byleth stood awkwardly at the foot of his bed, the whistle held in his hand while everything he’d wanted to say made a quick escape from his mind.

Sothis rolled her eyes from her throne, but he made the elective decision to ignore her.

There was no hesitant silence. No strange tension, never was, with Shez. “Glad you made it out okay,” he said, like he wasn’t the one who’d taken the sword, like Byleth was the one who’d ever been in serious danger. He looked paler than he did normally, his shock of violet hair contrasting starkly with his skin. “I thought I was a goner, for real. Was a relief to wake up here, let me tell you.”

Byleth held the whistle out to him. Jeralt had been wrong; it wasn’t been a gift. Shez had said, just in case before his voice had trailed off. He’d meant to keep it safe, to prevent it from being lost on the battlefield. Byleth was his method of doing so. “I think this belongs to you.”

Shez’s eyes widened a fraction as he realised what he was looking at. Then, he smiled, soft and sweet. “Nah, it’s for you. I meant to give it to you at some other time, but it never came up.”

Jeralt had been right? Byleth retracted his hand, looking back down at it. “Why?”

“You’re so good at open-ended questions, you know that? I never know what I’m answering.” Shez yawned, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. “Too exhausted for this, I swear…it’s my old merc whistle. I made it years back, but it means a lot to me. I figured I’d give it to someone who was important, but then I thought I lost my chance, so I had to be quick about it.”

It didn’t seem right. Shez had plenty of people that he surrounded himself with, people who’d been with him for far longer, people who made him laugh, people who looked up to him, people who hadn’t torn through his entire band of mercenaries and gone for his head too in the name of a job. Byleth didn’t understand, but he longed to. He wanted to know the meaning of it in the same way that others managed implicitly.

“But why me?” was the question he truly wanted the answer to.

“Same reason I jumped in front of ten swords for you,” Shez said, like it was easy, because for him, it was. “Same reason I drag you along for all those expeditions, too. And why I cook you food all the time.”

Admittedly, Byleth did favour those expeditions. He liked drinking tea on mountainsides or by lakes, liked answering whatever questions Shez decided to ask. He enjoyed sampling Shez’s cooking too, giving comments on the flavour, the texture. “Because we’re allies, is that it?”

“Guess so, if that’s what you want it to be.” Shez sighed. Closed his eyes. “I’d have said friends at the very least. For now, anyway. But you’re important. Can’t believe it ended up this way, but it’s true. I like you, Byleth.”

Byleth nodded, regarding the whistle again. There was another question burning in his mind, something he thought he now knew the answer to, but wanted confirmation on regardless. Before he could ask it, however, Shez beat him to it. “Oh, yeah, when I held onto your wrist…I thought I was imagining it, but I wanted to check. Can I have it again?”

He moved, sitting on the side of the bed, offering his hand to Shez. Shez took it, but in a deliberate way, his calloused fingers pressing into his skin. They were both quiet. Byleth rolled the whistle in his other hand, and finally, Shez said, “Knew it.”

“Knew what?”

“Your heart. I thought I couldn’t feel it before, but now I’m sure. There’s no pulse. Am I right?”

“You’ll never guess why,” Byleth said, thinking of Jeralt and Alois, how they joked and played with words when it suited them. Shez found amusement in everything, but he wanted to be the one to make him laugh.

“Wait, seriously? It doesn’t beat?”

“No, because I don’t have one.”

Shez didn’t snicker, as he expected. His mouth didn't so much as twitch in the faintest sense of amusement. Instead, something shifted in his expression, something so unbearably tragic that was entirely at odds with what he’d been going for. Byleth tilted his head curiously. “You’re not laughing.”

Shez blinked. “Wait, was that a joke?”

“Yes. Because people say I’m heartless. Don’t you get it?”

“No, I get it, I get it, but…” Shez pressed his hand to his forehead, a groan slipping past his lips. “That wasn’t even funny! I couldn't even tell you were making a joke. And, hey, you’re not heartless. Your face goes brighter than one of Ferdinand’s holy spells when I get you cake!”

Ferdinand’s spells were bombastically bright, Byleth strongly suspected that Shez was exaggerating. “Alright. I have a heart. At least, I think I do. But you’re right; it doesn’t beat.”

“Yet somehow, that’s still the least weird thing about you.” Shez shrugged, wincing when he apparently managed to pull at his wound with the movement. “Ow. Ouch, okay, I need to keep still. Guess I'll let you have that, seeing as I'm not much better. What were you gonna ask, by the way?”

“Hm?”

“Before I cut you off. I could tell you were about to ask something.”

Byleth hesitated. The whistle felt heavier than before. It was so small, yet it carried with it so much weight, unsaid words and unusual feelings. He knew he was meant to thank Shez for the gift, but there was something more he needed to know first. “I…wanted to know why you gave it to me then. At that moment. What made it right?”

Some of the colour returned to Shez’s face, his cheeks faint red. He covered his eyes with the back of his arm, and said, “It had to be then. I thought that I wouldn’t get another chance, and that whistle...I wanted to give it to someone as kind of a symbol. That I’d always be watching their back, you know?”

Like the final piece of a puzzle clicking into place, Byleth understood. He’d intended it to be a keepsake, if he didn’t survive. Just in case had meant, just in case I don’t make it out of here. Something to remember him by, if he was gone.

The thought hurt. Byleth’s breath snagged in his throat. He caught Shez’s other wrist in his hand, just like Shez had grabbed his in the alleyway. He was warm, where Byleth ran cold. Full of life, still. Possibility, too; trips to the forest, food shared over the dinner table, battle side-by-side.

“Don’t go,” Byleth said, echoing Shez from hours before, understanding now why he’d said that, why he’d held on so tightly. “I think I need you.”

Shez raised his arm from his eyes, eyebrows a fraction higher than usual, mouth parted in surprise. But then, there was his smile again, and there was his laugh, everything where it should be, soothing the pain in his ribs.

“Yeah,” Shez gripped his wrist back. “I think I need you, too.”

Notes:

#Fire Emblem Three Hopes #male byleth #male shez #fe3h #shezleth #My Writing

[axels-corner]

Meetings with Fintan

Notes: @gay-otlc I was your secret Santa! Thank you @song-tam for organizing this event!

characters: Marella, Fintan, Linh, Bronte

words: 1708

Fintan woke up slowly when he heard footsteps coming down the hallway of his icy prison. He listened for a moment before recognizing the footsteps of Bronte.

“So are you here to ask me more pointless questions about the Neverseen that I don't know?” Fintan asks without looking at Bronte, he clears his throat

“No, I'm here because the council has officially decided to grant your request to mentor Marella Redek. But the council will be monitoring your meetings and sending nobility members to question miss Redek after each session so don't get any ideas for recruiting her to the Neverseen, or teaching her to spark everblaze.” Fintan's eyebrows raise, he didn't expect them to come to a decision this quickly and if they did he thought it'd be denied. He puts his hand on his chest in mock offense

“Me? Recruit people or teach them everblaze, how preposterous. I've never done that in my life.”

“I don't believe that for a second considering what happened with Jolie Ruewen.” Fintan goes back to tracing patterns in the ice

“I assume that you voted against this?”

“I did, considering that when we had Sophie heal your mind you killed one of my colleagues, and friends-”

“Bronte has friends how shocking,” Bronte's voice cut off his sarcasm

“But the girl needs to learn proper control and restraint,” He heaves a sigh not looking at Fintan “and as much as I hate it you're the only pyrokinetic alive and willing, but that doesn't mean I won't be keeping a very close eye on you to make sure you're not doing anything like manipulating her.” and without waiting for his response he turns around and walks out of Fintan's prison. That didn't stop him from yelling back

“Oh, I would never my dear Bronte.”

He had his first ability session with the girl in about thirty minutes. Contrary to what Bronte probably thought considering his last words to him, he didn't have any plans to try to get the girl to spark everblaze or join the rebel group that failed him.

But the council wouldn't have to worry about the last one because thirty five minutes later the girl appeared outside his prison with a black swan necklace around her neck.

“So I see that you've sworn loyalty to the swan group miss,” he already knew the girls name but he would rather give her a chance to introduce herself.

“Marella Redek, and yeah, it's to assure Forkle that I won't be consumed by my craving for fire, plus it's probably smart to have them on my side if the council decides to come after me.” Fintan laughs a little

“Finten Pyren, though you already knew that. I would shake your hand but the ice wall prevents that.” He looks away from the ice wall meeting the girls eyes for the first time, the same blue as her mothers, “it appears that you and I have more in common then I thought, miss Redek.” and though he was a pyrokinetic he could feel how much colder the room got after that sentence, and how the goblin guards clutched the hilt of their swords, this was going to be interesting.

It was the day of Marella's weekly meetings, but instead of the usual hushed whispers between the guards he heard two voices, after a moment of listening he realized one belonged to his prodigy and the other to another girl. He didn't have to wait long for an answer. As they come into the view of his ice prison and the other girl had silver streaks in her hair, the girl of many floods. He coughs as he sits up

“Well if it isn't the girl of many floods, maybe Marella can melt the walls and you can flood this place.”

“My name is Linh Song.” She corrects him

“Yeah, and we would never help you escape.” Marella says

“And there's the council way of thinking, they and the blackswan have convinced you that I'm a bad guy.”

“Because you are,” Marella cuts him off before he can give them another speech, he waves his hands like he's fanning away the words.

“Never mind that, then why is she here?” He points at Linh with the last words.

“To make sure that no fire's get out of control, because you seem to have a history of that.” he scowls

“Fire and water can not work together they are opposites, like shades and flashers.”

“If that's true then why do elves need shades and flashers to work together to make illusions?” Linh asks

“Plus we're already working on combining our abilities.” Marella says crossing her arms with a smirk, Fintan rolls his eyes.

“Fine she can stay,”

“That's not your decision.” one of them interrupts.

“But,” He says ignoring them, pointing at Linh “do not interfere unless I tell you to.”

“she'll interfere if the flames get out of control.” Marella corrects, Fintan grit his teeth

“Fine, today we will be discussing balefire vs normal flames.” and the lesson began

“What would it take for me to convince you to open your cache?” Fintan sat up and stretched

“Hello miss Redek, how are you on this freezing day on the mountain.”

“Answer the question.”

“Freedom.” He told her tracing symbols shaped like fire into the frost on the floor

“That's not possible, and you know it.” She said crossing her arms, he rolled his eyes, she acted like he wanted to burn down the lost cities and dethrone the councilors for revenge of what they did to him. She was right but how dare she assume.

“Well it seems like my knowledge of how to open the cache is lost to my mind like my freedom is lost to this prison and your council.” He looked up at her hoping his eyes conveyed his hatred towards the council for keeping him here, for denying him his flames, his power. Branding him as a talentless.

“Even if I could get your freedom even though we both know the council will never agree especially after what happened to Kenric. I would never let you out because you would just burn everything to the ground.”

“And what ever gave you that idea?” he asks going back to the frost

“Uh, maybe because you caused the death of a councilor and burned a city.” he shrugged

“Sometimes things need to burn to come back better and stronger, like phoenixes, isn't the city much more beautiful now? Plus he was going to die eventually, after all the security there was murder.” He grins into the floor remembering saying the exact same thing at the peace summit to Oralie.

“How can you make jokes about the man you murdered?” Marella yells at him

“Because he ruined my life so I ruined his!” Marella shakes her head

“I would say I couldn't believe you but, this seems in character for you.” and without she walks out of the room

“Running back to your moonlark?” Fintan asks, the only response he got was her flipping him off.

“Would noxflares be enough to convince you to open your cache?” Marella asked in the middle of their ability session.

“Well that came out of left field.”

“That's not an answer.”

“No, it's not.” Fintan takes a breath “Do you have noxflares, better yet do you have my cache or the fake that the Sencen boy foolishly stole?”

“Yes to both your questions.” Marella says.

“Then I would except your deal.” Fintan tells her. After the noxflare was moved in Fintan held out his hand for the cache “I get to choose what memory I show you.”

“That wasn't part of the deal.” Fintan shrugged

“You also didn't say you got to choose which memory I showed you.”

“How do I know that you're not going to burn the cache the minute I give it to you?” She asks

“I guess you should've thought of that, you'll just have to trust me, clocks ticking.”

“What?” Marella asks

“Oh, I didn't tell you? This is a timed offer, fifty seconds left.” Fintan mimcks a ticking clock for about ten seconds when Marella gives him the cache

“Fine, but this better not be a waist of my time.”

“That depends on how much you pay attention.” Fintan tells her before whispering under his breath as he selects the memory “Here we go.”

“Hello Fintan.” Bronte's voice cuts through his sleep,

“What is it with you people and coming to talk when I'm finally asleep?” Fintan grumbles

“You opened your cache.” Fintan yawned

“Why is it your business?”

“Because I am a councilor and those where forbidden secrets, and you where supposed to open it for the council, not your prodigy.” Fintan sat up gathering his hair into a ponytail the motion muscle memory because he had done it so often.

“Why does it matter? She probably showed it to the moonlark and isn't she your regent? Or do you not trust her?” Bronte ran his fingers through his cropped hair, Fintan remembered when they where on the council together and Fintan would help him cut his hair despite the fact that Fintan would tell him that he looked good with curly hair.

“Fintan, are you even listening to me?” Bronte was snapping his fingers in front of Fintan's face, well as close to his face as he could get with the ice wall. “Did you even her what I just said? Sophie Foster, Keefe Sencen, Fitz Vacker, Maruca Chebota, and Marella Redek all went to Elysian with Vespera.” Fintan shrugs, and Bronte's mouth drops open “Do you not care?” Fintan sighs

“Bronte, those children have gotten me arrested multiple times, caused my mind to be broken once, and ensured that I will be stuck in this ice prison for the rest of my life. Plus there smart kids they'll get out of this alive, plus Vespera's with them which means they probably have an alliance I ensure you they will be fine. Relax, sit down do fancy paperwork, you're freaked out over nothing.” He heard Bronte's footsteps fade as he walks out, maybe Fintan will finally be able to get some sleep without people talking to him.

#keeper of the lost cities #kotlc fanfiction #kotlc fanfic #my writing #marella #kotlc marella #marella redek #councillor bronte #kotlc bronte #fintan pyren #kotlc fintan #kotlc linh #linh song #kotlc secret santa 2022

[grasya-sky]

JUST ANOTHER EPISODE OF MY SILLY WHAT IF

Today is All Souls Day, and just last week, I completed watching the Korean drama "Hi Bye, Mama," which I had been putting off for years. I'm not going to rate or comment on the drama here; instead, I'll be talking about my foolish what-if idea.

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t watched the drama, better skip this post.

So, Cha Yu-ri from this drama is a dead character. She became a ghost after dying and stayed as it is over the years to keep an eye on her family, especially her daughter Seo woo. One day, a miracle happened and she came back to life again. Literally as a human. In order for her to fully restore her life, she was given 49 days to return to her life as a wife and a mother. And if she failed to do so, she’ll be dead forever again, either as human or a ghost. Anyways, I won't dwell anymore on how it ended, so here’s my silly what if…

I was only ten years old when my father died, and I'll be twenty in a few months. He missed so many things in our lives: our birthdays, especially our debut, my high school graduation, us entering college, us having our small successes in school, my sibs having their jobs, and everything else that happened over the past 9 years. And even though I am 100% sure that it never happens in real life, after watching Hi Bye, Mama, I couldn't help but wonder, "What if He is also watching us as ghosts?" like how Cha Yuri watched her family, And what if he's given the opportunity to live for 49 days as well? What would I do?

As I’m writing this I've been thinking about a few things. The first thing I'd probably do is stare at him all day, memorizing how he looks, sits, eats, talks, and moves, and everything else that I'm slowly forgetting right now. Next, I'll ask him to take a photo with me and the rest of the family because I barely remember the last time we took a family photo. I'd definitely ask him to join us for ice cream, as we used to do, and to prepare food for us, whether it's soup, pancit bato, or whatever he wants to feed us.

I'm not sure why I'm having these thoughts right now when I thought I'd moved on and accepted that things like this happen for a reason. Perhaps I just miss having him around.

So, if by some miracle this shitty thing of mine happens even in my dream where I’d get a chance to meet him again, I want him to redo things he used to do, because to be honest...the only memories I have with him are starting to fade. It's quite hazy.

[joonie-beanie]

The OM! Boys + first kisses (which you initiate!)

Masterlist

I didn’t explicitly mention it being the first kiss in each scenario, but please assume that it is! 🥰

Lucifer:

Your feelings for the Avatar of Pride are undeniable. In fact, recently, they’ve become very hard to keep in check.

He’s already on your mind when you walk past his study, and see him hunched over his desk--working hard, like always (and that worries you a bit). Your heart is so full of love for him, and it aches whenever you think of his long, exhausting days.

Even if it’s cheesy, you want to be a pick-me-up to him during those busy times.

“Shouldn’t you take a break?” you quip, silently making your way inside. Lucifer blinks, and his gaze softens when it falls on you.

“Perhaps you’re right,” he sighs, but doesn’t set his pen down. He frowns at the stack of papers in front of him, not paying you any mind as you slowly scoot your way around the side of the desk--stepping up behind him.

You watch him as he works, eyes trailing from his gloved hands, up his arms, and across his strong jaw line.

Lucifer never fails to enchant you. Even just being here, so close to him, has your heart racing.

...you want to kiss him.

“Y/N--”

And the minute Lucifer turns his head ever so slightly, moving to look at you, you do just that.

Without giving yourself much time to think on it, you reach your hands forward and cradle his face--closing your eyes as you press your lips against his own.

You feel Lucifer still in surprise, and you’re quick to try and pull back--but then a grin is spreading on his lips, and his gloved hand is curling against the back of your neck.

He kisses you for a few more moments, goosebumps rising on your skin. Then, he finally releases you--only allowing you a few inches to breathe as his thumb soothes through your hair. 

“I’m a bit upset you didn’t allow me the chance to kiss you first,” he says with a bit of a frown, but soon laughs. “However, as long as I get to keep kissing you, I certainly won’t complain.”

Mammon:

Despite your affections for the Avatar of Greed, they never seem to be enough.

Tonight, he’s pouting because you’d spent your afternoon with Asmo--having a shopping day together--and not him.

“I mean, ya could’ve invited me,” he says, pointedly ignoring you as he rolls onto his side and occupies himself on his DDD. You sigh.

“Mammon, Asmo wanted it to be just the two of us. I assumed you would be okay for just a few hours without me at your side.”

Somehow, he manages to pout even harder.

“I’m supposed’ta be your first...why are ya spending so much time with those guys?”

Your gaze softens as you regard him. He should know by now that he’s got a special place in your heart, and yet, that’s still not enough for him.

No, he’s the Avatar of Greed. He’ll only continue to crave more, right?

“Mammon.”

He grunts, not turning to face you. “What?”

“Mammon, look at me, please.”

You speak quietly, tenderly--letting any annoyance disappear from your tone. Then, finally, Mammon gives in, and rolls onto his back.

“What? Are you ready to apolo--mmph!”

He literally goes stiff as a board when you lean in and capture his lips. Your cheeks are hot--you’re embarrassed despite your sudden burst of confidence.

“There--,” you say, sitting back after a few seconds. “Is that enough to make it up to you?”

Mammon blinks at you, face getting redder by the second. Then, his gaze is darting away, brain catching up to what has just occurred. However, it’s clear that he’s far from unhappy.

“Uhhh...well, maybe if you give me a few more, I’ll think about forgiving you.”

 Levi:

It’s a spur of the moment type thing.

You’re hanging out with Levi, watching him play a video game, when things start to go wrong. He hops to his feet, cursing up a storm as he attempts to regain his footing in the match he’s suddenly now losing.

You decide to stay calm, to not worry, because surely Levi will calm down in a moment--but when his power starts to seep, an aura growing around him--you know you have to do something.

After all, he can’t summon Lotan again. 

“Levi, hey! Why don’t we calm down!” you try, smiling at him. You shift yourself into his field of vision, hoping to distract him from the game that’s only continuing to go south.

“There’s a special reward for beating this level!” he hisses, his amber eyes ghosting right over you. “I have to win!”

“You can try again once you’ve calmed down!” you argue, taking a step forward, with your hands held in front of you. Your fingers skim the fabric of his jacket, and you look up at him, but he’s too immersed to realize exactly how close you are. (After all, if he did, he would definitely be scrambling backwards right now).

“No, I--”

You sigh at his adamance, fingers curling into his shirt. You had been hoping your first kiss with him would at least be a little more romantic, but here goes nothing!

Gathering all of your courage, you press up and connect your lips with his. It takes him a few seconds to register what’s going on, but you feel the controller in his hands slowly drop. And then, he’s jolting back--arm raising to cover his tomato colored face.

“Y-Y-You!! You kissed me!”

“I’m sorry!” you immediately say, feeling hot as well. “You wouldn’t listen to what I was saying, and I didn’t want you to accidentally hurt yourself, or your games, or your brothers, so!” You take a deep breath, trying to calm yourself, but it doesn’t work well.

“Listen...I’m sorry if you didn’t like it, I just--”

“W-Well...I never said that...,” he mumbles, interrupting you. His gaze darts between your face, and the wall nearby. “But I didn’t really...feel...it the first time, so...m-maybe we should do it again…”

Satan:

Satan is a pretty good cook, so you tend to hang around him when it’s his night to make dinner.

It's not uncommon that you try to steal bites whenever he’s not looking.

Today, however, he warns you just a second too late that he’s making spicy curry (like, really spicy curry), so you should steer clear of any taste-testing.

Of course, a beat later he turns and sees you over the stove with the wooden spoon shoved into your mouth.

Even before you start to sweat, and tears form in your eyes, Satan is at fridge--pulling out the carton of milk and pouring you a big glass. 

As you down the soothing liquid, Satan stays by your side--unable to help it when he chuckles. You send him a glare, letting him know you don’t appreciate him laughing at your pain, and he lifts a hand to pat your hair.

“Oi, Oi~ It’s your fault for not listening to me.”

He breaks into another fit of giggles, moving past you to return to the stove. Your eyes follow after him, heart beating surprisingly fast at the sound of his laughter, and the slightest bit of physical contact with him.

Setting the glass on the counter--your mouth now successfully not about to burst into flames--you steel yourself and make your way towards him.

Without warning, once at his side, you reach forward and grab two handfuls of his sweater vest. Satan’s eyes widen in surprise as you drag him into the impromptu kiss, but it doesn’t take him long to reciprocate.

With little thought, he matches the firmness of your lips--his cheeks dusted pink when he pulls back to smile at you.

“What was that for?”

“Just felt like it,” you mumble, glancing away. Your eyes fall to the bubbling pot of curry. “...will you make a separate batch that won’t kill me?”

He hums. “Maybe for the price of another kiss.”

Asmo:

Although Asmodeus teases you all the time about how much he wants to kiss you, and to shower you in even more intimate forms of affection--he never acts on them.

Sure, he’s  the Avatar of Lust, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t understand boundaries.

He loves you a lot, and doesn’t want to mess your relationship up by moving too quickly, and for that, you really appreciate him.

However...while his consideration is appreciated, you’re starting to go stir crazy at the fact that he won’t make the first move.

So, you decide to take it upon yourself.

You spend hours--days, even--building up your courage. And today, your courage meter is finally full.

Asmo and you already have plans to hang out, so it’s not strange when you knock at his door. It is out of character, however, when he pulls the door open to greet you, and you immediately lurch forward--wrapping your arms around him as your lips connect.

Even if it’s unexpected, Asmo is reciprocating without missing a beat. He hugs you tightly, kissing you back until you’re gently pushing him away--in need of some air.

“Oh, I loved that,” he says dreamily, taking a step back into his room. “You should do that more often!! I love seeing this confident side of you! It’s such a turn on!”

You cup your hot cheeks, stepping inside after him--still in shock that you’d actually kissed him.

“I don’t know, Asmo, it took me a while to work up to that.”

He giggles a little at your statement, and you blink when he reaches forward and grabs a strand of your hair--tugging you forward. His eyes sparkle.

“Well...even if you don’t have the courage to initiate right now, since the ice is broken…,” he gaze falls to your lips. “Is it okay if I kiss you instead? I promise it’ll be enjoyable~ After all, I’m good at this stuff.”

Beel:

Most of the time, you’re alright with giving Beel your food. You love him to the moon and back, and seeing him eating his favorite dishes with that happy look on his face makes your heart soar.

Today, however, you’d purposely stashed your desert to the side--intent on eating it yourself, for once, considering it was a limited time flavor from Madam Screams.

You’d hoped that putting it out of sight, and quite literally stashing in behind all the food in the fridge, would help keep it from the Avatar of Gluttony--but food never gets past him.

You’re in the middle of finishing up your turn on dish duty when you hear the fridge pop open. Immediately you’re whipping your head around--gasping in shock when you see Beel sticking his head into the appliance, sniffing around with a hungry look on his face.

“Beel no!” you abandon the dishes and rush over to him, trying to stop him from devouring your dessert in one bite. However, your efforts are futile, and soon your precious sweets are gone. The only remaining hint of them is the dusting of sugar on Beelzebub’s lips, and in a moment of foolish bravery, you grab him by the collar of his jacket and tug him down.

Your lips connect, and you can taste the dessert on him--sweet, and rich--everything you’d been hoping for. 

After a few seconds, you pull back for air, and find Beel staring at you with surprise written all over him. You feel your face begin to heat up--realization at what you’d just done hitting you--but before you can think to apologize, or run, Beel is dragging you back in.

His palms cup your cheeks--his lips meeting yours once more.

“I’m sorry for eating your dessert,” he mumbles, regret in his tone. “I’ll buy you another one. But.. until then, I want to keep tasting you.”

Belphie:

You’re struggling to fall asleep when Belphie stops by your room, and asks if you want to go for a walk with him. The offer sounds heavenly, so you say yes.

It’s a simple thing--walking side by side with the Avatar of Sloth, through the uncrowded streets of the Devildom--but it still makes you feel...smitten.

Over the last few weeks, your feelings for Belphie have only grown larger, and larger. And now, even simple gestures like this--that don’t have any special meaning--cause your mind to wander.

Seriously, he’s not even talking, but your gaze is zeroed in on his mouth. On his soft lips, which are parted ever so slightly as he sighs--his eyes trailing around the familiar scenery.

“Hey,” he speaks, turning to face you. He smiles, and the expression has your heart jumping into your throat.

Without thinking--acting solely on a split second of courage--you step towards him.

“Do you wanna get some--,” his voice cuts off abruptly as you press your lips to his. He makes a quiet sound of shock, and you can only imagine that he’s staring at you like you’re crazy. (Luckily, you can’t confirm if he is since your eyes are squeezed shut).

After a few seconds, you decide to pull back--feeling a little dejected since Belphie hasn’t made a move of his own. Then, just as you peel your eyelashes back open, Belphegor is grabbing you by your waist--dragging you against him as he captures your lips.

His kisses are much hotter than yours, and you whine at him, gently knocking your fist against his chest when you notice that the two of you are starting to draw looks from some nearby demons.

“What?” he asks cheekily, his grip loosening enough to allow you some room for air. “You’re the one that suddenly kissed me in the middle of the street. First kiss, too. How daring.”

Your face flushes, eyes darting away. “Y-Yeah, well…”

“Well,” he continues, reaching down to grab your hand. He intertwined his fingers with yours, tugging you farther down the street. “I say we get somewhere more private, and then continue.”

Diavolo:

It just...sort of...happens.

Diavolo invites you to have tea in his office during your free period, and things go so well, that for a moment, you have a lapse in sanity and actually forget that the goddamn Prince of Hell isn’t your boyfriend.

You’ve had feelings for him for a while, and sometimes--when he’s in front of you, looking so handsome, and being so charming--it’s easy to lose yourself in those feelings.

So when your tea time wraps up, and Diavolo escorts you to the door of his office, maybe you--without thinking--press to your tiptoes and plant a kiss right against his lips.

“Thank you for tea, I--,” your words die off as a sense of dread washes over you. You raise a hand to your lips, realizing what you’ve done. “Oh my god--”

Your eyes flit to Diavolo’s face, and you can tell that he’s at a loss for word--his golden eyes wide with surprise. 

Oh god, why are you like this??

Freaking out, you hurriedly reach for the door handle. “Lord Diavolo, I am so sorry. I wasn’t thinking, I--”

But before you can run into the hall and away from your current nightmare, Diavolo is grabbing your wrist and tugging you back into the room.

“No, no! No need to be sorry,” he beams, his free hand lifting to brush a few stray hairs from your face. “I was just caught off guard, that’s all.”

You flush, looking away and mumbling. “But I kissed you out of the blue like that…”

“True,” he chuckles, gaze tender as he regards you. “I was surprised, that’s for sure.” He leans down and looks you in the eyes--your faces just inches apart. 

“So, next time, maybe don’t jump at me. Simply asking me for a kiss will work just fine.”

Barbatos:

You’re helping Barbatos out in the kitchen of the Demon Lord’s Castle when the urge to kiss him suddenly overwhelms you.

Because honestly--how dare he look so kind, and handsome all the damn time. In everything that he does, he always manages to hold the same poise, and grace, and it drives you mad.

Even now, as he stands over the stove--watching dinner cook, with an apron tied around his waist--the energy he exudes draws you in, and makes you fall all over again.

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you slowly make your way around the kitchen island, and step up to his side.

Sensing your presence, he turns to face you with a gentle smile.

“Dinner is almost finished,” he says. “Thank you for your help. If you want, you can head to the dining room where the others are.”

You nod, but your feet don’t move. Barbatos blinks, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly.

“Are you alright, Y/N?”

Taking a deep breath, you gather all of your courage, and then reach forward. Barbatos pauses as your fingers brush against his cheeks--his eyes going wide when he feels your lips press against his--warm, and soft.

“I…,” you stutter when you finally pull back. “I just...I want to do that, so…”

Barbatos chuckles at your darkening face, his gloved hand moving to cup your cheek.

“It’s quite alright. I’m flattered to know that you wanted to kiss me.”

His thumb soothes over your hot skin, and he smiles a bit wider.

“If you ever feel like doing it again, then please, by all means, you have my permission.”

“Same to you,” you mumble, causing him to laugh a little more. Leaning in, he presses a kiss to your forehead.

“Duly noted.”

Solomon:

You choose to blame your actions on the atmosphere of the party, and the fact that the sorcerer is looking fine as ever--dressed in a dark button down shirt, with the first few buttons undone.

He’d dragged you to The Fall with him, wanting a companion for the night, and you’d agreed.

Now, it’s been hours since your arrival, and the entire time, Solomon has kept you close to his side--fingers curling around your waist when you accidentally begin to stray too far.

The contact has butterflies fluttering around inside your tummy, but you try your best to ignore the sensation--the way being so close to Solomon is making you feel.

Your feelings boil over, however, when Solomon makes a point of defending you from a pushy demon.

Following the encounter, he drags you to a more private area of the club to create some much needed space.

“Jeez, I know you’re a human, but that was pretty rude,” he mumbles, eyes straying to the dance floor as he adjusts his shirt cuffs. But your gaze is solely locked on him, a frenzy of different emotions running through you in response to him, and his actions. 

In the end, though, you can only think of one thing to do. One thing you really want to do.

Solomon makes a quiet sound of shock when you suddenly press up--pushing your lips against his for a few long beats. And when you inch back for air, you find Solomon grinning at you, looking quite satisfied.

“Oh? Giving a kiss to your prince charming? I like this type of payment.”

You scoff and push against his chest, but he’s already grasping your waist--keeping you near.

“I want that kiss back.”

“No refunds,” he laughs, his forehead knocking against yours, and the look in his eyes makes your melt a little. Then, he’s the one initiating kisses, and you swear your heart is beating in time with the bass of the club music. 

Simeon:

With a school dance right around the corner, the angel had kindly offered to help you learn how to...well...dance. Properly dance. Not club dancing, or anything of the like.

No, from what you had heard, the RAD school dances were much more formal than the dances you had experienced in school back in the human world, so you’d been searching for a dance teacher.

Simeon had been more than happy to offer his services.

“Look at you!” he says with a gentle laugh--your hand on his shoulder, and his fingers curled around your waist. There’s music playing from your DDD, abandoned on his dresser as the two of you waltz around his room.

“You’re really getting the hang of it!”

You smile as you glance at his bright face, heart fluttering against your ribs as you’re once again reminded of how pretty he is, and how close the two of you are at the moment.

Seriously, as much as you appreciate him for offering to teach you, you’re pretty sure you’ve already staved off half a dozen heart attacks during your lessons.

And today, as heart attack number seven looms, you reach your breaking point.

As the song comes to a close, you step forward--breaking your rhythm--and kiss him. You can feel his body still--his brain catching up with reality.

Just as you begin to pull away, Simeon is closing the gap--hugging you tightly as he reciprocates your affections.

“You won’t kiss the others like this when you’re dancing with them, will you?” he whispers with a smile, making you laugh. “Our first kiss should be special, I think.”

“Kisses while dancing will be reserved for you,” you reassure him, giggling more when he pulls back and pouts at you.

“All kisses should be reserved for me.”

#om! #obey me #obey me headcanons #obey me hc #obey me swd #lucifer #mammon #leviathan #levi #satan #asmo #asmodeus #beel #beelzebub #belphie #belphegor #diavolo #barbatos #solomon #simeon #obey me scenarios #obey me reader insert

[hopeformankind]

Open Starter.

" Well... I was thinking... when I grow up... that I could prove my dad's theories right! There HAS to be other people outside the Walls!... "

" You're... gonna laugh, aren't you? It's not funny-- I mean it! "

#[ if we fail here; we will never get another chance | ic / in character . ] #[ i believe in those who believe in themselves | open starter . ] #ask to tag tw #//KIDWIN KIDWIN KIDWIN KIDWIN KI

[lovee-infected]

Hello! Recently I've seen a lot of twst blogs arguing on how twst characters are mischaracterized, especially Malleus. So do you have any ideas on how he is mischaracterized? Also, is it okay to ask for your general opinion on questions like a short character analysis or how a healthy a relationship with each twdt guy might be? Hope it's okay to ask!

For your first question anon, it's a GREAT thing to ask and to be honest I've been waiting for a chance to talk about him! And for your second one, yes, of course! I just love writing character analyis and it's totally okay to ask for character/personality/relationship analysis here! I've got a lot to say about Malleus so this is going to a detailed analysis about his whole personality.

There are commonly two popular opinions on how Malleus is which divides the fandom into two groups:

Group A:

Those who consider him to be an absolutely soft, baby dragon who just wants to be invited and have a friend. They believe that Malleus needs more attention and can be quite affectionate at the time, he can also be sometimes idiotic toward simple stuff like working with a computer or trying to talk with others which makes him even more adorable. "Despite Malleus's harsh and emo appearance and terrifying powers, Malleus is just a small baby inside," is also a common belief of this group.

Group B:

Those who argue that group A is totally shading everything important about Malleus's personality and true self just because he looks cute and plays with a childish tamagotchi. These group also comes up with rather strong points about his personality such as his status as a crown prince, his naturally dark personality as not only a dark fae but also Maleficent's grandchild, his maturity and cold nature and also, the aspect of his hellish powers which can make him look like an absolute monster at the time.

I believe most of you are familiar with these points of view but the question is, which one of them is the real Malleus?

And the answer is: Neither of them; yet both of them do have a point.

The main problem is how the fandom portraits him as either an emotional tamagotchi baby or an absolutely cold and heartless mister of evil, while the true Malleus is far beyond than just being either good, or bad.

Now let's discuss some of the important facts and common mistakes about Malleus's personality:

(1) Malleus isn't a baby, but he isn't a monster either

This is supposedly the main idea here which will be continued to be discussed through the rest of this analysis. This is often how many end up mischaracterizing him because: the way the describe Malleus is either too dark or too childish. What we need here, is a balance. This is the grandson of one of the most important Disney villains that we are talking about, and don't forget that Maleficent herself was confirmed to consume the powers of Hell, as she was indeed the mistress of all evil. So this dragon boy here surely isn't one to underestimate, and he clearly has inherited that hellish power of her grandmother. It's obviously seen through the story as well, from the way he was presented in chapter 2 and beans day event to how terrified other students always are to even talk about him.

But the thing is, there are softer aspects of his personality as well which prove that Malleus isn't just designed to present an undefeatable force of evil, and this is exactly what makes his personality a lot more interesting.

(2) Malleus is actually hard to approach and talk to

Let's be honest, Malleus isn't as soft and easy to befriend as many fans consider him to be. He doesn't get too friendly or chill as he speaks, and even his close allies like Silver and Sebek fail to get close to him as much as they wish to. When we talk about his dark aura, we aren't just talking about his horns and fearsome magic, it's also because of his personality itself. His calm yet cold tone always remains still regardless of who he's talking to. No need to mention that he isn't an ordinary student either, he not only comes from a well-known family but is also the crown-prince of valley of thorns. Out of all twst characters Malleus is the only one who is directly connected to the great seven by being Maleficent's grandson. His family and people on the other hand are overly protective over him, to the point of not letting him to even have a fake proposal in the ghost marriage event which means that Malleus has also got each and every of his actions under watch.

(3) He's slowly getting used to isolating himself

In his ceremonial robes story, he's obviously upset that he never had a chance to wear his ceremonial robes because he never got invited, but when Lilia says he'd one day overcome his ill fate and gets to wear them as he always wanted to, he says that he's fine. Then again when Lilia tried to bring him to the singing test in chapter 5 he avoids showing up. In his voice lines he also said: "Are you as well scared of me?" which is clearly shouting that he's no longer surprised to see people being afraid of him, he's getting used to being feared and at some point, hated. That's probably one of the bitter sides of his personality which he's slowly giving up on trying to change it.

(4) Malleus has got a great confidence and isn't shy at all

There many fanfics in which Malleus is presented as a shy boy who's scared of confessing to his s/o or asking them out, while he's the total opposite in reality. Just like Maleficent herself, he speaks calmly and in a formal tone, is very respectful as he speaks, and isn't one to ever have problem while talking to others.

It's others who always avoid talking to him while Malleus himself isn't the least uncomfortable with presenting his ideas and asking others for help when he needs to.

He isn't ever shy over his lack of ability to work with machines or asking others for help for seemingly childish issues like having his tamagotchi fixed or finding a friend for the GaoGao dragon.

The only thing left is how Lilia described him as "Kind of shy" in chapter five, which is most likely because of another reason discussed in part (3)

(5) He doesn't eat ice cream and play with a tamagotchi for no reason

Malleus explained that everything is ran by magic back in the valley of thorns and no one really uses any machines there, that's how he's pretty new to both technology and complicated tools.

I believe that the tamagotchi part was given to him on purpose, because else than showing the fact that he's bad with tools, it's great contrast to the harsh picture that his power and personality gives him!

Admit it, it's a funny and somehow, adorable contrast to see one of the strongest magicians who can burn the room to ashes in just a matter pf second playing with a children's toy. And I believe that it was given to him on purpose. They meant to give him some soft and cute features as well instead of just presenting him as an evil fae. He is indeed evil and his powers are terrifying, and that's how watching him play with a tamagotchi is rather surprising to many. If you saw Ortho or Cheka playing with one it wouldn't have gone any further than a simple "Awww" or "How cute" because it's something you'd expect to see from a kid, but when you see Malleus of all people playing with it, you can't help but to fascinated and flustered over how cute this fae's habits can be.

Ice cream on the other hand doesn't really have to do with cuteness, it's something Yana Toboso discovered while doing her researches on fae mythology which discuses that Dark faes enjoy cold and sweet foods, especially cream. So it doesn't really have anything to do with him being either a soft or a cruel boy, it's just a normal part of his nature as a fae.

(6) He might be crazily old to humans, but he's still pretty young as a fae

This one has really been getting on my nerves, come on people! It's true that he's probably been living for decades and possibly, centuries but don't forget that it isn't that much compared to a normal fae! Even Sebek calls him 'Young master' which means that he's still a pretty young one, no need to mention that he hasn't yet became the king either so he's not much different from the rest of the students in NRC.

I've seen people saying: "No Malleus won't do that he's -too old-" and I've got to say: What?

Come on even someone like Lilia who's been living for over 5 centuries can act like a nasty 14 year old at the time, so for faes at least, age isn't a limitation.

Malleus on the other hand is still a teenage fae! He needs to discover new things and talk with more people, just like a normal human being does. So if he doesn't enjoy doing anything too silly or stupid, it's because of his 'personality', not because he's too old. Even when tells Lilia that he isn't a child anymore, it's like how an 18 year old says it to his father.

(7) Malleus won't take insult easily

He is polite and respectful in general, but when he's offended, he'd seriously respond to it. Remember that a single swipe of hand from him can set the whole room on fire.

Rook and Leona were probably one step away from being burnt and when Leona really got on Malleus's nerves by humiliating him, Malleus stopped respecting him as a prince of an ally kingdom and humiliated back.

He is calm but to a specific point, and you can make sure that he won't be any soft or forgiving if you offend him, and it'll probably end in no good if he gets mad. So better not think that Malleus is one to just keep it in and later cry in a room because he's sad baby when someone dares insult him.

(8) Angelina Jolie's Maleficent has nothing to do with his story!

Nope, Malleus never had a lover who cut off his wings and sent him to a hell of depression and loneliness, and no you cannot find those two wounds on his back regardless of how romantic it may seem.

I admit it, it's a lovely Au, but it's JUST AN AU! I can still see people saying stuff like "Ohh!! Will we discover if Malleus too had his wings cut off in chapter 7?" and the answer is NO. While Angelina Jolie's Maleficent is surely a great one on its own, it needs be understood that twst's source of main information and characters designs is nothing else than the original Disney villains.

Malleus cannot be associated with any Maleficents else than the version we saw in 1959's sleeping beauty and it's an important fact to look through.

(9) Malleus is NOT Maleficent!

While they are a lot more similar than you can imagine(in both power and personality), let's not forget that Malleus is NOT Maleficent! He's a total new character on his own, and is unique in his own way.

He is twisted from Maleficent which means that no matter how similar they are, Malleus is a new character with a new personality.

Saying that he isn't soft at all and the fandom will see his true face when he overblots ( It's supposed to mean that the real Malleus is an absolutely evil and destructive one, just like Maleficent) is nothing different from denying all of Yana's hard work on designing him and his personality!

Malleus himself said that his grandmother's skills were far greater than his and most importantly: Malleus still has chance to have a better fate than Maleficent did.

Once again: He's still young! He still has a chance to be saved from turning into a heartless and isolated creature like Maleficent. No matter how cold he is, he hasn't yet got to the point of hating the whole world and losing all of his emotions. And that's why it's totally wrong to deny all the good that he might still have inside by saying that he isn't soft at all. He isn't a baby, but he isn't a monster either. Not yet.

(10) Even Lilia agrees that Malleus is still learning and his personality is in development

Can't you see? Malleus isn't attending to this school for no reason. His magic is already top notch, and his knowledge goes far greater than anything they might teach in NRC.

If you take a look at the story, you'll see signs of Lilia indirectly giving us signs of why Malleus still needed to attend to this school. In Malleus's SR robes' story, Lilia told him that he still has a lot to learn and knowledge isn't everything. And what might he find in NRC which has nothing to do with knowledge? People.

Lilia is trying to hold him back from isolating himself like Maleficent did, and is indeed trying to help him make friends and learn to get along with people without thinking that it's useless because they'd fear him anyway.

Also, he clearly wants Malleus to learn and experience new things in NRC by taking part in activities. In Malleus's Halloween SR story Lilia, who was always the one to choose Diasomnia's Halloween costumes, asks Malleus to choose this year's costume instead of him. Lilia first says that he wants Malleus to do it but later tells him that he has other reasons as well, he was trying to put Malleus into trying something new therefore he can have something learn from the experiment! (What a cute papa he really is...)

This is another proof of him not having the cold and unapproachable picture some imagine him to have, he isn't against experiencing and trying new things.

(11) He's still looking for a true friend

Malleus needs a friend, that's a fact. During his chats he mentions how Maleficent always had her loyal pet crow by her side as the only reliable creature she could always trust, and how Malleus wonders if he can ever find such a worthy ally of his own.

Even as he has Lilia, Silver and Sebek by his side he doesn't feel like he has such a friend.

People have been avoiding him through his whole life, and you can see how excited he got when Cater asked him for a selfie as he was one of the very first people who ever tried to approach him.

While he's slowly getting used to being feared by everyone, he'd still appreciate a friend and he needs one. Not even Maleficent herself could've made it all on her own without a friend by her side.

(12) Malleus isn't heartless

While he won't easily fall for anything or anyone, it isn't impossible for him to love.

We haven't yet seen anything that directly gets us to the point of love in the story but it's something you can tell through his actions and words.

When he cares for something or someone, he'd be serious about it.

Two obvious examples would be his tamagotchi and the ramshackle dorm. He'd certainly get out of his way to find someone to fix his dear tamagotchi and as we saw in the Halloween event, he furiously stated that he'd burn anyone who tries to the ramshackle dorm any harm, because he likes that place.

There isn't much he holds dear in life, but when he does, he won't let a single soul to take it away from him.

When he can be this protective over something that just entertains him, just try to imagine how far he might go to protect the one he loves. He falls in love very slowly and it'll probably take him a while to realize it if he actually does. He can begin with small interests and repeated meetings but at some point, it'll turn into a routine, an obsession. He won't easily fall in love, but when he does, he won't be able to easily let go of it either.

(13) His relationship with MC is far more important than you're thinking

Just by going through his voice lines, you can tell how MC is effecting Malleus's personality and life. I'm not saying that it's love or anything but the thing is, MC is changing Malleus nonetheless.

Their relationship has been a totally new thing for Malleus to experience from the very beginning, because MC didn't know him. Malleus is obviously used to being well-known as the infamous prince of the Draconia family by almost everyone, but MC was an exception.

He asked MC to talk to him and tell him stories, it can be clearly see that he enjoys talking to them.

He also mentioned that MC has made him feeling lots of things he hadn't felt before, which can also be connected to part (10) where we discussed how he's still young and needs more of communication and friends because he needs to learn.

Some argue that Malleus couldn't care less about MC and the only reason he shows up around them is because of the ramshackle dorm, which can be easily proven wrong by two hints:

1) Malleus sent a Happy holiday card to MC after the winter holiday.

2)What Malleus told Lilia at the end of the Halloween event stories after all the troubles that was brought upon the ramshackle dorm: "I want that human to enjoy Halloween too"

While it isn't necessarily romance that we're talking about, his relationship with MC is clearly telling us that he's a lot more of emotions and humanity inside him than what we were expecting.

At this point, it's important to see that in spite of his cold nature and mature personality he is slowly beginning to feel more and more emotions as the result of meeting newer people in NRC, especially MC. Saying that he is nothing but a heartless fae who is wrongly thought to be a soft and emotional boy is nothing different from judging him the same way as most of the people in twisted wonderland itself judge Malleus, it's important to see that he's a lot more.

His personality itself is surely amazing and as a Malleus hoe stan myself I can't wait to get more of his background in chapter 7, although it's probably going to be dark as well. They really did give his design a twist and that's how he's a balance of and menacingly powerful magician and a young boy who's just learning to deal with emotions.

For now, that's all I had in mind! Hope that I didn't miss anything. This was a general character analysis which also discussed some of the common mistakes about Malleus's personality but-

In case that you're wondering how he's being mischaracterized in reader insert fics, that'll be a totally different issue to discuss which would also need another post to be discussed through.

Small note: Just saying that there's often a dark lore to twst x reader fics (Especially for Malleus/ Leona x reader) which is usually better to be ignored while reading/writing for them...

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst theories #twisted wonderland theories #Twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #malleus draconia #malleus draconia x reader #Character analysis #answered

[pineapple-lover-boy]

Can- can I just talk about the Victuuri relationship? Pretty please?

I just…. I’ve never seen a healthy relationship that starts from idolization and a need to get out that has ended in a satisfying way.

Let me elaborate:

We all know that Yuri idolized Victor. It’s why he was so nervous in the beginning and why it took time for them to build on their relationship, he saw Victor as a god.

Victor? He was depressed. He loved the ice so much but he longer found excitement in competitions. He didn’t have any worthy opponents that had a chance of beating him (sorry Chris).

I believe Victor “fell in love” at the banquet. He was attracted to Yuri but, even though he lost, he also saw potential in him. That night was probably the most exciting night for him in a long time. I think he felt genuine affection for Yuri but also saw a way to get out of his predicament.

Then, of course, Yuri didn’t show up the following season (a year had passed before the present timeline). He was most likely annoyed that someone who had gave him excitement didn’t show up. Did he think Yuri had a chance of beating him at first? Probably not. Did he see potential or at least someone he could have fun with during the season? Hell yes!

And then when he saw the video of Yuri skating Stay Close To Me, something that awarded him a gold medal. That’s all he needed. He saw how Yuri not only skated it perfectly but I bet he thought Yuri skated it better. Let’s not forget that emotion is a huge part of skating. If you don’t skate with the passion your supposed to hold for whatever theme you have, your performance can almost seem futile. Victor obviously won because he perfected it but if it was based on how he presented it alone, he would’ve lost. He saw someone worthy of skating an gold medal piece while also having the heart to do it. That’s talent.

Anyways, because of this, their relationship doesn’t hold well in the beginning. He’s passive aggressive towards Yuri because he doesn’t see his own talent and Yuri is just going along for the ride because holy shit it’s Victor fucking Nikiforov.

As they get to know each other and Yuri opens up more (plus Victor getting info on Yuri from the others) Victor starts to see Yuri as an actual person and not someone he can use to project himself onto and then later skate against. And Yuri starts to see him as an actual person too.

I saw on another post talking about how we didn’t see them during the summer and how the end credits of every episode suggest they got to know each other better as both in the credits and in the show they (Yuri) are able to touch each other more. I 100% believe this.

I also believe they might’ve had an argument or two on this topic. It’s not easy to switch from inadvertently seeing someone as anything but a person to an actual person with emotions and feelings. I believe Victor would’ve tried to back away from this subject but Yuri wouldn’t let him. It wasn’t big arguments like in episode 7. It was probably little quarrels that annoyed them both but after having a long conversation they finally started to become more comfortable with each other.

Yuri started letting go of the notion that Victor was a god like creature and Victor saw him as something other than a pawn. Yuri stopped getting as embarrassed with Victor touching him and Victor stopped trying to seduce him as much just so he could see the man from the banquet.

This most definitely leads the way towards a healthier relationship but episode 7 was inevitable. Yuri’s anxiety was at an all time high when he comes out on top. The fact that he needs to stay on top and not mess up is getting to him. As a person with anxiety, it’s pure hell. The thoughts of failing won’t get out of his head and even as he turns off all the monitors he can still hear everything.

Victor takes him away from prying eyes and has no idea what to do. Despite an obvious change that would’ve had to include some emotions from both occurring over the summer, he still has no idea how to help someone in distress.

Then he makes his first mistake. Yuri is visibly shaken by someone’s scores (can’t remember who) and Victor, who is at his wits end, yells at him to stop listening and puts his hands over Yuri’s ears. This tells Yuri how nervous Victor is too and despite knowing that Victor wouldn’t leave him now it shows to him that Victor doesn’t have faith in him (even if he does).

Victor tried to shatter Yuri’s heart. He must’ve expected Yuri to maybe sign heavily but tell him that he’ll do everything in his power to win (probably something that’s happened with him and Yakov). Instead he see’s the consequences of his carelessness. Yuri rightfully lashes out at him and even through all that Victor stills says “should I kiss you?”. Idk what Yuri was thinking but if I were him I would be extremely offended that Victor would try and use me like some doll he can play with and can assume that physical affection and love can fix everything, which was probably what Yuri was thinking.

There’s something off about Yuri and Victor when they emerge but Yuri is surprisingly better now. Cathartic crying can do wonders, kids. There’s also my favorite part of the entire show (couldn’t find a gif):

*head jab* “Hey, fuck you.”

*more head jabs* “Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you. I know you don’t like this you unempathetic dicknip.”

*head pat* “You’re forgiven.”

We all know what happens next: Yuri ends his love story with Victor’s signature move and Victor kisses him out of joy and the need to one up him (with love, of course).

I’m gonna get a little sloppy here with the timeline because I have the memory of a female protagonist that needs to go back to work to get something only to accidentally bump into the jerk CEO of which she will develop a toxic relationship for fan service, so forgive me.

Gonna skip ahead to the scene where Yuri tells Victor that he’s leaving skating, and basically Victor too. (At this moment I realized I’ve been spelling Viktor with a c and not a k which is really fucking with my brain but it’s too late to go back). Victor starts crying and realizes just how Yuri felt when he was rejecting him.

I believe Yuri found some light in the situation because of that fact, which Victor was not having. They’ve been closer than ever now. They’ve kissed, they’ve also announced they they’re getting married, so what the hell?!

Yuri, as we know, feels he’s keeping Victor from the ice. Victor, while he misses the ice and wouldn’t mind being competitive again, has found meaning and if he’s going to be Yuri’s coach to stay where he is than so be it.

He wanted to coach Yuri because he wanted a worthy competitor and while he still wants that, what matters most now is his relationship with Yuri. If he stops being Yuri’s coach and Yuri goes off the ice he knows it will be the end. Yuri loves the ice too and I’d bet he’d try to distance himself from Victor as to not feel regret from leaving without actually knowing that he’s doing it.

They’ve grown so much at this point. But that doesn’t mean it’s over. After all they’ve been through Yuri doesn’t realize that consequences of parting from one another. While being too dependent on your spouse isn’t good, it’s what they both need right now. They are what caused the other person to be happy again and while I hate those types of storylines this one executed it perfectly.

I find Victor’s silent plea to Yurio absolutely heartbreaking. He knows it’s bad to put pressure on people but now he’s doing that to a 15 year old boy. He’s putting his relationship and his life into this child’s hands because he knows there’s nothing else he can do.

I do think Yurio had a crush on Yuri but even if he didn’t: Yuri has taught him so much. He, although being an ass most of the time, has really come to love Yuri as family. It’s clear that Yurio was always lonely (Otabek being his first friend and all) but once he came to Japan and lived, truly lived there, he wasn’t lonely anymore.

Yurio wins, Yuri gets silver and all’s well that ends well.

I guess my point of this was to show how well the relationship in YOI was. I could’ve included some more detail on some points but I usually write stuff in one take (it’s very hard to revise without my mind shutting on itself).

I just love how an implicitly toxic relationship can come out so healthy. They don’t do any of that miscommunication bullshit and when they do it’s because the characters don’t know what to do or how to handle something. Like humans do!

They could’ve easily made this the hot famous guy thinks the kawai girl boy is just so adorable and the kawai girl boy is absolutely infatuated with the hot guy. Hijinks ensue which includes the kawai girl boy thinking the hot guy is in love with someone else. She He gets pushed into thinking that she’s he’s more independent in the end and happily ever after for the couple that will divorce in less than five years! Yay!

Seriously, I thought that was what was going to happen but YOI subverted my expectations so much. They are people that grew from their bad mindsets. And you know what? Yuri still has anxiety! Victor is still bad with handling emotions! And that’s ok! We don’t change that quickly. It takes time and hopefully another season.

I’m definitely using this show as a template for healthy relationships. It’s so hard for me to properly write them when I’ve never been in one and I’m not given the chance to see it happen in different environments (when searching it up all I get is “they trust each other. They blame each other. They’re compassionate.” Like ok but can you show me how?)

Yuri!!! On ice…. I love you so much. You have done so much for my mental health and my writing. Thank you.

#yuri on ice #yuri katsuki #katsuki yuri #victor nikiforov #viktor nikirofov #please tell me if you want me to elaborate on some sections #long post #yurio plisetsky #yuri plisetsky #healthy relationships

[millenialfanfictionaddiction]

Please Me Oikawa's Oasis: Part 1

⚠️THIS FIC IS 18+, MINORS DNI⚠️

Welcome to week 4 of the Please Me Series!  A collaboration with @axoxtxhxh! This weeks theme is Virginity Loss featuring Oikawa and Goshiki!  This weeks fics are broken into 3 parts! Please check out Joey’s fic, Guiding Goshiki!  I will link it in the Please Me master list!  

Warnings: Swearing, bad pick up lines

Word Count: 2,000

The sound of Volleyball hitting the floor and shoes shuffling around in the hard wood is all to familiar to Toru Oikawa.

He was finally, living out his dreams as a professional volleyball player. It’s all he ever wanted to do, all he had ever thought about from the time he was a young kid.

After high-school, his goals became centered around making his dream a reality. To accomplish this, he knew he would have to sacrifice a lot. Forgoing his personal life in order to pursue his main objective.

The thought never really bothered Torū. He was always popular with his fans, however none of them seemed to understand his deep desire for the sport he loved so much.

After countless failed high school relationships, he put his personal life on hold in order to pursue something more favorable.

He was given the opportunity to move to Argentina and become a member of Club Atletico San Juan. He jumped at the chance to further is professional career and move abroad, gaining citizenship to a country world renowned for its athletes. His dream was finally becoming a reality

Entering the training gym, Oikawa was anything but nervous. He knew his skills as a setter were exceptional and he always aimed to improve in any way he could. His specialty outside of setting was serving, which is what attracted the recruiters to him. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the bright gym for the first time, preparing to achieve his goals.

“Ahh Oikawa! It’s great to finally meet you” the San Juan teams head coach said as he greeted Oikawa with a smooth smile and a firm handshake.

“The pleasure is all mine sir” Oikawa says as he watches the various members begin to practice.

Oikawa was amazed at the level of skill he saw. These players were on an entirely different level, a level that only served to excited him more.

“Well, it’s probably best if you just join in. I’d like to see your abilities up close” coach says as Oikawa nod, running over to great the members of his new team.

“Hello everyone! My name is Torū Oikawa and it would be my pleasure to set for you” he smirks as the players study Oikawa closely.

Torū had always had a rather flamboyant personality. Often being the stand out character in a room. It never bothered him when others made comments about him because he was confident in himself as a person and as a setter.

The team looked at him, nodding as the captain made his way towards Torū.

“Show us what you’ve got Oikawa” the captain says as he signals for the spikers to form a line “the best way to learn is by doing.”

“I couldn’t agree more” Oikawa smirks as he turns heading close to the net.

“By the way, I prefer if you can get the toss as high so I can have time to correct the positioning if needed” he remarks as the men prepare for spiking practice.

One by one, the players toss the ball to Oikawa as he sends set after set to the players.

“I’m sorry, that one was a little long” he signals to one of the spikers “I can tell by your approach, you favor balls close to the next. I’ll adjust.”

The player nodded to Oikawa and the next player stepped up, tossing the ball to Oikawa.

“Man his adaptation skills are incredible” on of the assistant coaches says as the head coach watched Oikawa closely.

The door opens as the men shift to see a figure pushing open the door with their foot, emerging into the gym with a basket full of freshly laundered jerseys.

Letting out a deep breath, you sigh as you set the basket down, moving onto your next task of refilling the now empty water bottles.

You had been the team’s manager for almost 3 years now. You loved your job so much. The perks were fantastic and the pay was stellar. You worked long hours and traveled a lot but that never hindered your life. You actually enjoyed seeing the world with your team.

Grabbing the bottles, you begin to head for the fountain when the coach approaches you.

“YN, I’m going to need you to prepare a jersey for our newest team member. His name should be on the sheet I gave you this morning. Please have it ready by the end of the week” the coach asks as you nod in agreement.

“I’ll work on it as soon as possible sir”

“Thank you YN. We would really be lost without you” he says as you smile back, eyes glancing towards the gym floor.

You knew a new member would be starting soon. You had heard rumors of one, Torū Oikawa. You had seen his skills on many videos as the team prepared for his arrival. You took notes from what you could see so that you could immediately start helping the promising new setter.

You eyes glanced towards the net as they were met with gorgeous chocolate orbs. The young setter stared at you in wonder as you smiled sweetly, moving towards the door to fill the water bottles.

God you are so pretty Oikawa thinks to himself as he fails to hear the shouts of his teammates, as a tossed volleyball hurls straight for his head.

As you reach the door, a loud SMACK sounded causing you to turn your head towards the men to see the new setter rubbing his head feverishly.

Oh, this one’s a klutz you think to yourself as you roll your eyes, setting the bottles down and running to see if the setter was ok.

“Are you ok?” You ask running up to the new setter, trying to ignore the snickers of the other players as you check him over.

Oikawa rubs his head as he looks up to you.

“I hope you know CPR” he says looking up to you.

“Omg is it that serious?”

“No, it’s because you just took my breath away” he says smiling at you as you roll your eyes walking away as the rest of the players laugh at Oikawa’s cheesy line.

You get up, moving back to the door grabbing the water bottles and walking out.

Great another Romeo you think to yourself as you snicker lightly, remembering the young man’s pick-up line.

“He is pretty funny I’ll have to admit” you under your breath, smiling a little as you fill the teams water bottles.

“Hey Oikawa, are you sure you’re, ok?” the captain says laughing lightly.

Oikawa shakes his head smiling “if there’s one thing I’m accustomed to, it’s getting hit in the head with a volleyball.”

The team laughs as Oikawa looks to the door where you exited.

Of course, you were stunning. Oikawa had seen his far share of women but none quite gave off the radiance you did.

“Hey man” the captain said placing his hand on Oikawa’s shoulder “don’t worry about YN. She just takes her job serious. She’s not really one for screwing around.”

Oikawa nods as he looks back at the door, watching you reenter the gym. He had to admit, he admired how determined you were to do your job. And your cold tone wasn’t going to deter the great king, Torū Oikawa.

“Okey doke then guys, let’s get back to it” he says shaking his hands as he returns to his spot at the net as the next spiker tosses to him, sending a set perfectly to the spiker.

You watched in awe at the new team member. You have to admit, the man was good. He seemed to take the sport of Volleyball more seriously than his pick up game. You smiled as you watched the men hit spike after spike, kill after kill. It was refreshing to have such an invigorating member join the team.

“Alight guys, time to wrap it up” the coach yells as he grabs his clipboard “YN will you lock up tonight after your done please? Also leave the nets up tonight. We will have the gym open early for practice.”

“Of course, coach” you say smiling as the team grabs their towels and water bottles, leaving to change.

You went about your business, finishing laundry, logging notes and filing a few pieces of papers.

“Just mopping left” you say as you sign, leaving your office and heading to the gym.

The sound of volleyballs hitting the gym floor radiated from down the hall way.

What is someone still doing here you wonder to yourself as you walk into the gym, checking your watch.

You see a panting Oikawa, tossing a ball up, serving over the net with such intensity.

Your eyes widened as you body jumped at the power he held. His serves were so strong, so intense and so fast. How can anyone stop them?

“It’s not polite to stare” he says as your concentration is broken as you look over to him, smiling at you as he wipes his face off.

“Oh, I wasn’t staring- I just came to umm, I just came to mop up the gym floor” you said stuttering as you walk in, putting your bag down.

“Oh, I apologize. The coach said it was ok for me to practice” he said as he continues to try and cool down.

“No worries, I have sometime. I can wait” you say as you turn heading to sit down. “Oh and by the way, that last serve was out by like a centimeter” you say sitting down, pulling your phone out of your bag.

“Ughhhh” Oikawa says as he grabs his hair and pulls on it as you snicker.

You continue to watch Oikawa practice, 10 minutes turns into an hour, which turns into an hour and a half. While you didn’t want to interrupt his practice, you knew he needed to rest. You could tell he was overexerting himself.

You got up to talk with him when he sent up a serve, landing incorrectly on his leg and wincing.

Your eyes widen as you run to him.

“Ok that’s enough tonight, Oikawa. You’re going to hurt yourself” you said as you grab the ball from him.

“It’s fine YN, this happens all the time” he says wincing at the pain radiating from his knee. He really did overdo it.

“Alright well I don’t care how often it happens, I’m closing practice” you say grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the bench.

“YN –” he says before you interrupt him.

“It’s my job to make sure you don’t overdo it. I’m not doing my job if our setter can’t set after his first day” you say as you help Oikawa to the bench, running to grab an ice pack and a hot pack.

“Here, we will do 15 minutes cold, 15 minutes warm. Then I’ll wrap it” you say as you check his knee.

“Thanks, YN” he says sweetly as you smiley at him.

“No worries, Oikawa, it’s my job” you say as you out the ice on his knee, helping to reduce the bit of inflammation that was forming.

“When you get back home, you’ll need to take anti-inflamories. Do it every 4 hours and you should be ok!”

Oikawa looks at you as you help ice his knee, you really were something else.

“Alright” you say as you wrap his knee up “let’s get you home.”

You help Oikawa to get to the changing room, as you quickly go to mop up the gym floor. You turn off the lights to see Oikawa waiting for you at the doors.

“yoo-hoo Yn-chan” he says waving frantically at you as you roll your eyes at him braking into a smile.

“Yn-what?” You say as you help Oikawa out the front doors, locking the building behind you.

“It’s a personal greeting in Japanese. Often used for close friends” he says smirking at you.

“Oh so we are close friends now are we?” You say as you walk with him towards the dorms he was staying at

“O f course, we are YN-chan! Why wouldn’t we be!” he says smiling at you as you laugh lightly.

“You really are something else Oikawa” you say as you wave him off, heading towards your own dorm.

So are you YN, so are you.

Taglist: @serostapesweat @chaotic-nick @lovelyzabrak-meadow @yep-seeyalaterbranflakes

#haikyuu oikawa #haikyū!! #haikyuu!! #haikyuu #please me #please me series #seijoh #aoba joshai #oikawa toru x you #toru oikawa #oikawa torū #oikawa #oikawa toru x reader #oikawa x reader #oikawa x you #oikawa x y/n #haikyuu fan fiction #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu fic #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu smut #oikawa smut

[gale-gentlepenguin]

ML Fic: Soulmate Survey Part 33

Sorry this got delayed for longer than expected. I had a lot of things hit me like a truck (and distractions). Hopefully you all enjoy this. Please comment your thoughts on the chapter. And if you really liked it, Reblog it. Thats the best way to get others to see it.

(Master Post)

_______________________________________________________________________

Nathalie cautiously walked into the school, careful to not stand out. She needed to be quick and quiet, she didn’t know how many akuma were lurking in the building. Hawkmoth has akumatized a good chunk of the student body at this school, so expecting at least a dozen within such a short time frame wouldn’t be out of the question. She was relieved that the akuma alert hasn't gone off, which means no one has caught on yet.

The assistant moved down the hall, stopping once she noticed two akuma heading down the hall. One she recognized as the akuma dark owl, and the other as Lady wifi. Both akuma wearing masks that covered their faces. It was clearly the handiwork of Masquerade. She quickly moved into the nearest room to hide.

“That was close.” Nathalie whispered.

“What was?” a voice from behind her called out. Causing the on edge assistant to jump.

She looked to see it was not an akuma, but an adult with a perplexed expression.

“Nothing, what room is this?”

“This is the nurse’s office, I’m Nurse Angela. How can I help you?”

Nathalie took a sigh of relief. Seems that the nurse hasn’t noticed the akumatized individuals in the hall. Which means that no one has figured out there are akuma active.

“I am fine, I simply stepped into the wrong room.” Nathalie eased herself. “Could you tell me which way Ms. Bustier’s classroom is?”

“Oh its down the hall, make a left and it’s the last classroom on the...”

“Nurse! My ice pack melted!”

The nurse took a calming sigh.

“One moment ma’am. I have a student in here.”

Angela quickly moved to fetch more ice for her patient to help her out.

“Chloé?” Nathalie spoke aloud, recognizing the voice.

Nathalie moved into the room and took notice of the mayor’s daughter watch the nurse impatiently as she waited for a fresh icepack.

“Wait, your Gabriel Agreste’s assistant. Natasha.”

“Nathalie.” The assistant corrected, clearly annoyed.

“Why are you here? Does Adrien have some photoshoot or something?”

“Or something.  Now why are you in here?”

The question struck a nerve with the blonde, causing her annoyance to turn into anger.

“Better question, how could you allow Adrien to date that loser!?”

Nathalie blinked.

“Excuse me?”

“She is going to bring down the Gabriel brand. That nobody has no right to be dating Adrien. Does his father know about this?”

Nathalie felt a twinge of annoyance. But kept it in. She remembered the akuma that were out in the hallway. She would hate to have them run in here just from the commotion.

“I think you should keep it down. This is not an issue that concerns you.”

“Doesn’t concern me?! I am Adrien’s childhood friend. You bet your poor dye job it concerns me!”

“I must insist you be quiet.” Nathalie repeats. “This is not the time or the place for such meaningless complaints.”

“Like I am going to listen to Gabriel Agreste’s rebound chick.”

That caused Nathalie to snap.

“Listen here you spoiled brat! There are akuma running the halls and I am trying to find Adrien to get him out of here before things get worse. If you don’t shut your mouth in the next two seconds. I will throw you out there and let them tear you apart!”

Chloé felt her eyes go wide at the out of nowhere outburst. It took her a second to process what just happened. Did she really get told off by this nobody?

“You can’t just…”

Nathalie suddenly fell to the floor. She barely used her hands to catch herself.

“S***, not now.” She mumbled over gasping breathes. Her body was failing on her again. She did not need this of all times. She felt her consciousness fade.

The nurse turned around once she heard the sudden thud.

“Oh dear.”

She rushed to the collapsed woman’s side and helped her up.

“Chloé. Help me get her onto the bed.”

“You want me to…”

“This is not the time for questions! Help me get her on the bed now!” Angela commanded.

Chloé’s protests were snuffed out by the nurse and she moved to help get the woman on the bed.

The nurse quickly checked her for a pulse. Thankfully she had one.

“Okay, she has a pulse. She is breathing, but her body just collapsed. A fainting spell?”

Angela started checking the assistant to make sure there was nothing else wrong.

Chloé watched as the nurse examined Nathalie. Her previous anger fading as she sees the woman that just snapped at her just drop.

“Okay… seems that it is over exhaustion. It’s not uncommon in people who work long hours with demanding jobs. But I have never seen a case like this. I can’t put my finger on it, but there might be another medical issue involved in this. When she wakes up, she should get checked into a hospital for a deeper dive into whatever she has.” Angela explained.

“So… she will be alright?”

“Well she is exhausted. She will need to rest for a bit.”

“Well at least she didn’t die. I can still be mad at her for yelling at me because there is an akuma and junk here.”

“Well you shouldn’t hold a… did you just say there is an akuma?”

“That’s what she was yelling at me about before. Weren’t you listening?”

Angela felt herself go pale.

“Oh that is not good at all. We need to alert the authorities.”

Chloé picked up her phone and started texting.

“Don’t you think you should use that to call the cops.”

“Im texting my dad. He will have the cops here faster.”

Angela remembered that the annoying spoiled blonde in front of her was the mayor’s daughter and for the first time, was happy that the girl was here.

_______________________________________________________________________

For what is a teen, but a pile of hormones and insecurities.

Masquerade delighted as she watched her classmates stare at her. They all were trying so hard to be strong, but she could feel their emotions, they were afraid. She knew that taking the most emotionally secure one in the group would rattle them..

She noticed the teens rushing to their pockets to get their phones.

Masquerade touched the cellphone charm on her bracelet and all of the phones started showing they had no signal.

“Nice try, but no calling for help.” Masquerade commented.

Even the chill Nino couldn’t maintain a steady calm in front of her with that little display. She now removed any chance of calling for help or setting off that akuma alert system. Did she have access to other powers? What kind of monster did Hawkmoth turn her into?

“I’ll save you for last Nino. I want you to watch closely.” She flipped her hair, taunting the cap wearing teen.

The masked theme akuma smiled as she moved her hand, as if deciding on who would turn next.

“Now we know who will be last, but who will be next?” Masquerade asked, watching as her bracelet was glowing. The class was a gold mine of akumas. It was not a matter of how, it was a matter of which one.

“You don’t have to do this Lila.” A soft higher pitched voice pleaded.

The class turned their attention the short haired blond with a fondness for pink.

“Rose…” Juleka spoke up in worry.

Masquerade focused her attention on Rose.

“Oh? And why is that?”

“We know you are hurting. We know that you lied to us and did some nasty things… but that doesn’t have to define you!”

Masquerade found herself a bit surprised at the statement.

“If you are willing to stop all of this, we can help you. We can work through all of the things you’ve done. If we can throw a party for Chloé, we can certainly give you another chance.”

Rose stuck out her hand, a soft smile on her face.

Masquerade took a moment to process before speaking.

“Wow… I had no idea you felt this way.”

Rose walked forward.

“See Lila, we can all get along if…”

“You’re so incredibly depressing.”

Rose stopped.

Masquerade’s mouth contorted to a twisted glee. Her charm bracelet glowing brightly as she held her hand up to Rose.

“You always force a smile even when things are downright miserable. You’re terrified of being sad, so you paint this image of a fantasy land filled with stuffed animals and storybook characters. You realize all of the awful things around you yet you simply push it back, push it away as if it can’t harm you if you don’t acknowledge it. You can’t even acknowledge the emotional problems and insecurities of the people you care about because you know you can’t help them even if you did address them, so you give them some encouraging saccharine speech about pushing through, because that’s all you can really do. I have never seen anyone so deep in denial. One day you will wake up and realize that all of that delusional thinking will have pushed everyone away from you as you sit in plushy made prison of your own design.”

Rose felt her lip quiver.

“N-No. That isn’t true. I can …” Rose stumbled over her words.

But before she could say anymore, a mask flung onto her face and Rose shifted into Princess Fragrance, the green skinned perfume super villainess.

“Rose! No!” Juleka cried out.

Masquerade grinned as a perfume bottle charm now adorned her bracelet.

Juleka tried to get the mask off of Rose, but the newly made akuma pushed her aside and jumped to her master’s side.

“Oh, poor Juleka. Don’t worry. I’ll have you join her.”

Masquerade pointed her hand at Juleka.

“Oh wow, social anxiety and a fear of being forgotten. How original. Is that why you dye your hair purple and wear those gaudy clothes? You want to stand out so that you don’t get dismissed like the wallflower you are? Your bad luck with photos really puts a damper on your dreams of modeling. But that’s probably for the best, considering you are constantly overwhelmed. You don’t have the guts to do anything you want, so you just do your best to keep quiet and pray people will still notice and care about you.”

Juleka felt her anger shift to sorrow as she tried to speak up, but sure enough. Masquerade sends another mask out and it makes contact with Juleka.

The purple haired teen shifts into the image replicating akuma, Reflekta. Who after changing moved next to Princess Fragrance. A compact mirror charm appears on Masquerade’s bracelet.

The class couldn’t help but feel the despair in the room. The large drummer tried to keep his small girlfriend behind him as a means to protect her, but unfortunately, Masquerade noticed.

“Oh Ivan, sweet misunderstood Ivan.” Masquerade taunted. “You really think I don’t see what you are trying to do.”

Ivan kept his eyes focused.

“You aren’t turning me into one of your monsters. You already turned my bandmates into them, you aren’t turning me!”

The akuma laughed.

“Monster? I don’t need to turn you into an akuma to do that. The rest of the world already sees you as one.”

Ivan felt a pang in his heart.

“No… no they don’t.”

“Even your own girlfriend is scared of you. You’re a big brute that is loud and bumbling. Ever since your growth spurt, you could see everyone look at you differently, like you were some kind of large freak. But what’s worse is that you’re afraid that everyone else is right. That you a large rage filled monster, undeserving of love.”

“Don’t listen to her. She is lying to you.” Myléne pleaded as she tried to pull her boyfriend out of the quicksand trap of emotion that the akuma was setting up.

“I am not a monster.” Ivan spoke, more to himself than to masquerade.

The akuma capitalized on that moment of weakness and a mask made its way to Ivan, transforming him into his stone giant akuma form, Stoneheart.

Myléne looked in horror of her akumatized boyfriend and took a few steps back. Her fear of remembering this form taking hold.

“Oh, that works too.”

Masquerade flings a mask at Myléne, transforming her into her more monstrous akuma form, Horrificator.

“I was planning on playing on her fears about how she is afraid to face the real world and her insecurities about losing Ivan, but that worked better.”

The two new akuma mindlessly made their way to Masquerade’s side. A piece of paper and a button charm appeared on Masquerade’s bracelet.

The joy the akuma attained from watching her classmates squirm was unnerving. And it was only going to continue.

_______________________________________________________________________

“So, you are certain you left it there Kagami?” a woman with a cane asked sternly.

“Yes mother, I remember I left my text book in the locker room during fencing practice. I was studying between breaks.” Kagami answered. She felt a bit ashamed she had misplaced her book. But was relieved her mother was fine with giving her a ride there to get it. Even if it meant she was late to her lessons.

“This is not an excuse to see anyone, is it?” Her mother questioned.

“No mother, I will be in and out quickly.”

“Very well. I need to make a quick stop at the bank. So be sure to be outside waiting when I come back.”

“Yes mother.”

Kagami got out of the car and the car drove off.

“Well, I could stop by to say hello to my friends if I am quick with getting my book.” Kagami smiled a bit as she was about to make her way into Collège Françoise Dupont.

But before she did, she heard the sound of a bike approaching, she turned to see the cyclist stop short of her.

“Made it.” He said with relief as he took off his helmet to reveal familiar blue dyed hair.

“Luka?”

The cyclist looked and noticed his new fencer friend.

“Kagami? What brings you here? I thought you didn’t go to this school.”

“I don’t, I come here for fencing practice, I left a textbook here and was planning on retrieving it. You don’t go to this school either. So what brings you here?”

“My little sis grabbed the wrong lunch bag, then texted something about an akuma being in the school. I wasn't able to reach her after that. I plan on getting her out and letting the heroes handle the akuma.”

Kagami blinked.

“There is an akuma?”

“Apparently.”

The fencer smiled.

“Alright, let’s get in and try to evacuate everyone. Then I can grab my book.”

Luka looked at the determined girl and smiled. He didn’t even say he would help her. But he knew he would.

“So, what’s the plan?”

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Adrien stared down the Volpina duplicate. He was not going to let it pass him and get to Marinette. He realizes that if he had been the one to run off, he would have been able to transform quick. If this didn’t work out, Ladybug might have to take on Lila solo, and that was something he was worried about. If Ladybug is on her own and she gets overwhelmed, who would be able to protect Paris? He needed to figure a way to give this Faux Fox the slip and fast.

“It would have been better if I snagged both of you, but master will be more than happy with your capture.” The sentimonster smiled as it moved to grab him.

The blond jumped back, but the difference in speed was far too great for him to overcome. And he was quickly pinned against a wall. The sentimonster shifted forms, looking similar to the owl akuma that Adrien was familiar with.

“What the…”

“I am not bound to one form. I can shift my form and access to any akuma’s power set that my master has under her control.”

Adrien realized he was far outmatched. If it came to it, he would need to transform. He wished there was some way out of this mess.

But as if the heavens above heard him, a yo-yo wrapped around the waist of the buff owl.

“What the ...”

The sudden pull from the yo-yo made the sentimonster lose it’s grip on Adrien and get flung to the other wall, dazing it.

“Looks like I made it just in time.” A spotted heroine stated with confidence.

“Ladybug!” Adrien called out in relief.

Ladybug rushed to his side.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m a lot better now.”

Ladybug helped the teen up from the ground.

“Lets’ get you somewhere safe first, handsome boy.”

The blond felt his cheeks turn red at the comment.

The sentimonster managed to get back up, it shifted forms, to a smaller form. One that made ladybug experience a chill go down her spine as she saw the roller blades and familiar helmet.

“Timebreaker… We need to hurry!”

Ladybug started rushing with the teen. With the speed of the akuma, she knew Adrien wouldn’t be fast enough to avoid it on his own. So, she quickly picked him up in her arms as they fled.

“Timebreaker? But isn’t that what Alix turned into when she was akumatized.” Adrien inquired as Ladybug ran down the hallway.

“It means that things are getting a lot more dangerous.” Ladybug answered.  She knew that timebreaker appearing could only mean that Lila has made her way to the classroom, and this was going to be one of the toughest akuma battles yet. She needed to get Adrien to safety and then make her way to the classroom, hopefully save her classmates before they were all turned into her masked servants.

She made a quick movement into the bathroom. Standing at the door, prepared to fight the akuma if it noticed their quick duck into the washroom.

Ladybug listened closely as she heard the sound of skates roll up to the door. Her eyes went wide as she realized the it figured it out.

“You really think you can hide from me!”

The Timebreaker imposter kicked in the door ready to attack, only to see no one was in the room.

“Like I said….”

“You!” Kicked the first stall door open.

“CANT!” The second stall was kicked open.

“HIDE!”  The last one was open, and all of them were empty.

The sentimonster growled in frustration.

“Seems I was mistaken.” The sentimonster grumbles, skating off to find the two.

As the door closes, Ladybug and Adrien sigh in relief. They had taken to hiding over the small statured sentimonster’s line of sight. Ladybug;s yo-yo making for a secure web to hold them up.

Ladybug undid the secure snare and lowered them both to the floor.

“Thanks for the save Ladybug.” The blond smiled. His face a bit red being so close to Ladybug.

‘Easy there Adrien! Remember who you are dating now!’ He mentally told himself.

“N-no problem.” Ladybug smiled sweetly. “Now, you stay hidden and I will take care of this crazy shapeshifter.

“Wait Ladybug!”

Ladybug paused.

“Yes? Is there something…”

“My girlfriend is out there. Well I mean… dating since we didn’t officially say girlfriend and… Look She is out there and that akuma thing is also after her.”

Ladybug’s eyes went wide at that statement.

He called me his girlfriend! Inner marinette screamed. Inside her head, but Ladybug kept her face from showing it. Though a small smile was growing despite herself.

“So the akuma is targeting someone else? Why wasn’t she with you?”

“She went to get help, I was trying to hold off the akuma so she could escape. The akuma was more focused on me thankfully, and you showed up just in time.”

“Oh? And who is the Lucky girl?” Ladybug questioned, a bit bubbly but doing her best to hide it.

“Her name is Marinette, she is around your height and she has these cute …”

“No need for more description, I know her. Well, she is a cute one. Aren’t you lucky?” Ladybug teased a bit.

“I really am.” He smiled sweetly. He remembers that Ladybug did pick Marinette to be a temporary hero, so she should know who she is. Though he isn’t supposed to know that.

Ladybug put a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure your ‘girlfriend’ is safe. I’ll also be sure to tell her you were worried as well. She will be happy to hear that.”

Adrien felt himself in a bit of a bizarre situation, was ladybug helping him by being a wingwoman for him? He couldn’t help but find it a mix of ironic and funny.

Ladybug rushed out of the bathroom, realizing that chat noir was rubbing off on her a bit, teasing Adrien like that.

“He called me his girlfriend.” She smiled as she thought this to herself. Though she knew the task at hand was important and would dwell on this happiness much later.

Adrien watched as she ran off, feeling a bit flustered.

“Really needed to let her know you were off the market now.” A voice from his pocket teased.

“I panicked.” Adrien felt his face flush.

“Seemed Ladybug was happy for you. That’s good.” The cat kwami popped out of his pocket. Hiding the fact, he knew a lot more than he let on.

“We do have more important things to worry about. We have an akuma and sentimonster to stop. “

Adrien punched his fist out.

“Plagg. Claws out!”

_____________________________________________________________________________

Masquerade laughed, loving how she was turning everything back on her classmates.

When something smacked into her head.

“Ugh!” She grunted as she grabbed the metal object that flung into her.

“What the hell?!” Masquerade’s eyes focused to see it was Max’s ai companion, Markov that head-butted her.

“Your actions have far exceeded what is acceptable.” The robot responded.

“Markov get away from her. She will akumatize you!” Max called out in worry.

“Akumatize the toaster? How could I akumatize…” Masquerade muttered until she noticed her bracelet glowing.

“Oh, you have got to be f***ing kidding me. You akumatized a sentient rice cooker but not Marinette?! The f*** hawkmoth!?”

“I will have you know that I am an advanced artificial intelligence.”

“And you despise that.” Masquerade points out.

“Quite the contrary, I find my intellect exhilarating.”

“But you already calculated it, the two logical conclusions. That you will either become obsolete and be tossed out for a newer model, or you will advance and grow until you outlive Max.”

Markov paused. He could not come up with a response. The robot felt stumped byt the statement.

“Too easy.”

“Markov!’ Max cried out as a mask landed over his visual face plate. Shifting him into his angry red coated akuma form, Robostus.

Max moved to get to his robot. But Kim held him back.

“It’s too late man.”

Max growled at the akuma.

“Damn it Lila, why are you doing this? You must know that Ladybug and Chat noir will arrive ready to stop you. The chances of you beating them are 0%.”

Masquerade lifted her hand as her bracelet began glowing again.

“Oh. smarty pants Max, the one with all the formulas and the data. You have to be the smartest one in the room or else you have nothing.”

“I know what you are trying to do. It won’t work.”

“Out of everyone here, you have the biggest inferiority complex. Your need to be the best at what your ‘good’ at. Robotics, video games, data analysis, and of course, calculations. You need to show to everyone how smart and skilled you are, because the moment you don’t, they realize there is no personality underneath.”

Max tried to focus on not letting the words get to him, but Masquerade knew exactly what to say to cut him down.

“Go on Max, tell them how to ‘Beat’ my power. Or do you not know?”

Max felt his lip quiver, he couldn’t stay strong. He didn’t know how to beat it. He could feel the horror of not knowing slip into his mind. She had nailed his insecurities like an expert marksman.

“I thought so.”

A mask flew and smacked onto Max’s face. He dropped to the floor only to get up in a black and green spandex suit, His akumatized form, The Gamer.

A game controller charm appeared on her bracelet.

A sudden squeak caught her attention.

Masquerade turned her head to see an orange haired girl trying to sneak away.

“Sabrina, I had forgotten you were here. Just like everyone else usually does.”

Masquerade was about to really lay into her, but a book out of nowhere smacked her in the face.

It was the athletic dare maker himself, Kim.

“I am done sitting around and letting you turn everyone into masked zombies.” Kim exclaimed.

Nino felt himself zone back in as Kim called it out. Now was not the time to lose his head. He needed to focus. Masquerade didn’t mention Adrien, so maybe his best bro was still out there. Maybe they can get to the heroes and have them fix this. But first, he needed to escape.

“Kim’s right. We won’t let you turn anyone else anymore. Sabrina get help!” Nino exclaimed.

“Like she is going to… HEY!”

A waste basket covered the villainess as she stumbled back, with the basket stuck to her head. While she had been too busy gloating, she had failed to notice the tomato haired artist sneak behind her and the mindless akuma line up. He had slammed it on as hard as he could to ensure it was difficult to remove.

“Let’s Go!” Nino announced as the rest of the class rushed to the door. Time breaker being the only one actively ordered prepared to stop them.

“Don’t let her touch you.” Sabrina spoke as they tried to figure.

Kim grabbed a chair and used it like a make shift battering ram in order to keep Timebreaker at a distance, but the akuma reacted quickly by pulling the chair away and kicking the teen in the gut with her roller blade. Sending him flying back into the other teens.

“Ugh! That really was gross!” Masquerade retched as she pulled the waste bucket off her head.

“Well, I hope you enjoyed your little escape attempt. Because you won’t get another chance.”

Masquerade pointed at Kim.

“Since you started this little thing. I will change you next.”

Kim looked at the Akuma with a smile.

“Good luck with that. You don’t have anything that could make me feel gloomy.”

Masquerade’s bracelet started glowing again. She was clearly ready to speak, but stopped herself.

“… Wait.. THAT’s your biggest insecurity?”

“I don’t have an insecurity.”

“You are afraid everyone will realize you’re not smart.”

“What? No, I am not. I am plenty smart. I watch the Alternate Truth all the time.”

“Everyone already knows you’re an idiot.”

Kim looked at the akuma with shock.

“That’s not true! People do think I’m smart. Chloé has called me ‘Genius’ multiple times.”

Masquerade didn’t know how to respond to this.

“I… do you not know what sarcasm is?”

“Of course, I do.” Kim lied.

“Just … just wear the mask you moron.”

Masquerade sends a mask to attach to Kim.

The swimmer did his best to resist but felt himself succumb to the mask and become the dark winged akuma, Dark Cupid. He joined the rest of the akuma in the lineup, and a bow and arrow charm appeared on Masquerade’s charm bracelet.

“I actually feel dumber because of those last few minutes. Okay next one.”

Masquerade points at the Artist.

“Let’s bring the mood back with you Nathaniel, what is your biggest insecurity?”

“Listen Lila, there is still a chance to stop what you’re doing.”

“You’re afraid of opening yourself up to others. That’s the reason you didn’t want to join Soulmate searcher despite Marc’s insistence. You were afraid of putting out all that information on yourself and seeing that you and Marc aren’t meant for each other. You can only express yourself with art. And you know that it’s only a matter of time before he realizes your issues and leaves.”

Nathaniel wanted to dispute the statement, but felt his words die in his mouth.

“Such a pity Nathaniel, I’ll make sure to go after him once we are done here.”

“No! Don’t you…”

Nathaniel tried to say more, but a mask latching onto his face interrupted him.

The artist transformed into his heroic yet villainess akuma form, Evillustrator. Just like the others, the recent akuma joined the line.

A tablet pen charm appeared on Masquerade’s bracelet.

“And next up is Sabrina. I was interrupted earlier. But don’t worry. I have everything I need to get you.”

Sabrina tried to put on a brave face and covering her ears.

“Oh, you think It won’t work if you cant hear me.”

Masquerade’s bracelet glows.

“You don’t get it Sabrina, I am not just saying mean words, I am reading your greatest insecurities. And I am projecting them out.”

Sabrina could hear Masquerade’s words, as if they were in her mind. She couldn’t escape them. Her hands dropped.

“Very good. You learned how futile it is. It’s rare that you have someone’s attention like this. You always never stood out much, but you never minded that, your biggest insecurity is that no one will want to spend time with you. That’s why even with Chloé being mean and nasty, you like the fact that someone is willing to talk to you. You would accept humiliation and embarrassment over being alone. It’s truly pathetic.”

Sabrina felt tear stream down her face.

“Sabrina don’t let her get to you…”

“Im sorry. I don’t want to be alone.”

The mask flew onto Sabrina’s face. But something happened. She wasn’t changing right away.

“What’s this?” Masquerade commented.

“It seems you have more than one akumatizable form? Alya had something similar, but I was ‘missing something’ to access the other one so I didn’t bother with that. But this is different.”

Masquerade felt a malicious glee take hold.

“Why not give you both.”

Nino watched as the masked Sabrina shifted into a costume that looked familiar to him. The power stealing Miracular.

But suddenly, she vanished from his sight. Only to then appear with the other akuma.

“Invisibility and power stealing. Sabrina you maybe my favorite servant yet.” Masquerade exclaimed. Two charms appeared on Masquerade’s bracelet, vanishing cream and a tonfa.

Nino took a look at the line up of akuma.

“Dude… this is so not cool.”

Masquerade started to walk towards the DJ with a confident stride, stopping short, looking down at him. An aura of malice emanating from her presence.

“Don’t worry Nino. You’ll be joining them.”

_______________________________________________________________________

(End of Chapter)

So all the pieces are coming together. Will Nathalie be okay in a school filled with akuma? Will Ladybug and Chat noir be able to fight the army of akumatized classmates that Masquerade has been building? Will Kagami be able to get her text book. Will Kim learn that everyone loves him because he is a himbo? Find out by staying tuned. 

Thanks for reading and be sure to comment if you want to see the next part. I am an author and live off validation.

#ml #miraculous ladybug #ml fic #soulmate survey #ml au #soulmate searcher #miraculous fanficiton #ladrien #adrinette #miraculous #masquerade #masquerade akuma #adrien agreste #nathalie sancoeur #chloé bourgeois #ladybug #chat noir #max kante #kim le chien #sabrina raincomprix #nathaniel kurtzberg #rose lavillant #juleka couffaine #julrose #Ivan bruel #mylene haprele #angst #fluff #drama #ml fics

[thunderheadfred]

🤚Shigaraki HC's🤚

Part 1 of my Shigaraki Thesis HCs. The Second Worst: 1 - 2

This was rough because even though Shigaraki is one of my favorite characters of all time, I have nothing sexy to say about him canonically.

that's a lie, i'm lying. i had to break this post into parts, that's how much of a liar liar pants on fire i am

Warnings for quite possibly everything. Minors do not interact.

- - - - -

Okay first of all:

You know it. I know it. We all know it. This man is not boyfriend material. He disintegrates boyfriend material for fun.

You don’t want to date this man.

Frankly, you can’t date this man.

Seriously. Run.

If you’re a villain, you’re his underling. Maybe, if you squint, you’re kind of like his... um... least-hated workplace associate. What do you want, a trophy?

If you’re a hero, good luck not dying horribly. Maybe you’d make a cute hostage. Hope you can escape cuz he is NOT letting you out alive.

If you’re a civilian, perhaps that’s the best case scenario. He stalks you a little before he becomes infamous. You go on the worst date of your life but luckily you don't tell him where you live. Later you see him on the news standing in a pile of rubble and you just think, “ohhhhhhh.”

If he somehow, impossibly, against all odds, manages to develop a single affectionate feeling toward you, AFO is going to hunt you down for sport. You are NOT getting in the way of world domination. Again, good luck with that.

If somehow you managed to clear all those hurdles and kiss Shigaraki Tomura square on the lips, I can see one of two things happening.

1) You’re his body pillow now. Goodbye sunlight. You live in his room. He doesn’t have to chain you to the bed, because you know escape is pointless. Congratulations, the end is nigh.

2) Total mind break. At the first sign of genuine human affection, his trauma vault is instantly unlocked. Memories come rushing in, his quirk goes nuts. There’s like a 99.9% chance he’ll accidentally kill you and it will destroy his soul forever. But let’s say you’re the lucky 0.01% - then it’s time to fuck off together to a foreign country. He’s terrified, traumatized, and possibly broken beyond repair, but I guess he’s not a villain anymore? Have fun nursing him back to... semi-sanity.

Moral of the story: you’re better off getting hit with a quirk that takes you to an alternate universe where the worst thing Shimura Tenko ever did was throw a Playstation controller at his sister’s head. He’s an aspiring video game journalist with zero charisma and severe self-image issues. He has no earthly idea how hot he is. Please, for the love of God, fall for that guy instead.

haha just kidding

join me in hell, fellow Shigaraki fuckers:

- - - - -

Scenario the first:

so apparently you enjoy living in a cage?

Listen. He does not smell right. He doesn’t need to bathe much because his skin is constantly annihilating itself. So he’s not exactly dirty, but every instinct in your body is screaming in confusion, unsure if he’s alive or dead.

Breath of the damned. Sweet as moldy lemons. Whatever he eats just... rots. He doesn't produce enough spit.

He will kiss you very deeply. Until you choke. Forget the cold, chapped lips because they're the least of your problems. He's got those skeleton hands caging your face and you're trapped against a wall and his gigantic biting teeth are prying you open. He licks inside your mouth like he's trying to steal your soul. He'll probably succeed.

His hair is exactly as soft as it looks. Too bad you'll never get to touch it.

He’s either got no sexual impulses at all and will laugh at you for trying, or he’s a full-on incel. I don’t know which one. I don’t want to find out. Apparently you do, and I salute your resolve.

You will be lucky if Shigaraki treats you like a pet. He loves his Nintendo DS more than you.

Consent is not applicable. You showed interest in him once, now you're his plaything forever. There's a power imbalance between you so wide you could chuck a planet in there.

Safewords? lol

Doesn't want to break you, because what would be the point? He's already broken enough things. He wants to keep you around for a good long while. He'll take good, good care of you.

Unless you disobey.

Obsessed with making you cum whether you want to or not. Yes, this IS a high score thing. It's just so flattering. Say hello, orgasm torture. Was that another one? Aww. You barely moved. Oh, what's that? You're begging him to stop? Haha. He won't.

Don't cry. He'll drink your tears.

He'll touch you everywhere with bare fingers. Slow, feather-light strokes, like some kind of demented ASMR artist. This is not a trust exercise. He knows exactly how much it terrifies you.

Oh yeah. You're getting finger FUCKED. Do you fantasize about having a loaded gun shoved inside you? Same difference.

Will eat you out like nothing else, but not in bed. That's the kind of shit he does on a boardroom table where anybody could walk in and see you writhing. Spreads you WIDE open and sucks on you. Makes out with your asshole. The whole nine yards. It's wet and loud and nasty.

Only time you're out of his sight (and not locked in your room) is when he shoves a remote control vibrator where the sun doesn't shine. Operates it through an app while he calls you and jerks off. Wants to make your knees fail on a crowded train.

Come here. You get to sit on his lap like a dog. Four fingers on your throat, dick hard under your ass. He'll dry hump you in front of God, the Devil, and everyone else.

If he's playing video games, you're cock-warming. He does not care which hole. He won't even look at you.

He might get hard but he does not get naked. You do not know Shigaraki Tomura on a personal level. You have only the vaguest idea what his dick looks like. It feels long and thin, almost sharp. Maybe he's actually been fucking you with an ice pick this whole time. His hip bones dig into you and bruise. He likes to kiss and bite the marks he leaves.

He mocks you for being so fucking pathetic. Have you always been a such a needy slut or is he really that special? What is wrong with you? Even he thinks you're crazy.

Shigaraki won't kill you, but All For One will.

- - - - -

The Second Worst Scenario:

The half-mad ghost of Shimura Tenko is in love with you, and your life is about to become a tragic wreck.

(this half of the post went completely off the rails and turned into like... a whole-ass Victorian Novel)

#Shigaraki #shigaraki tomura #shigaraki x reader #shigaraki x y/n #shigaraki x you #gender neutral reader #mha #bnha #shigaraki headcanons #bnha headcanons #mha headcanons #smut #fred writes