#I should make it clear by the way that my sister wasn't aware of this show

[citruscloudsandmoon]

My elder sister is so happy for Maiko becoming an endgame. She literally went 'awww' when Mai was helping Zuko wear his robes 🥹💛

After the episode ended, I told her all about the infamous war of kataang Vs Z*tara, which is still going on to this day. This was her expression;

Quoting her words here 'But you can't forget your first love. Mai was Zuko's first love'

Yes my sister, you are absolutely right. Mai was, is and will always be Zuko's first love 🤭

#Atla #avatar the last airbender #Mai #Zuko #Maiko #I should make it clear by the way that my sister wasn't aware of this show #She has no Tumblr and twitter account #So yup she was watching this show clearly with an unbiased view #I envy my sister by the way #Ignorant of all that shipping nonsense 🥹 #It's a blessing!

[mochinek0]

Daminette December 2023: 18-Hiding in the Shadows

Marinette looked around her pent house in Paris. She had everything she wanted as a teenager. Well, almost everything. She was a well-known fashion designer, to the people that were aware of her. She kept her business a secret and used an alias. Her clients all came from judgement on her other clients. Others designers knew her as 'Passion' after her store's brand. Very few knew her as Marinette Dupain-Cheng: Gabriel Agreste, Audrey Bourgeois, and Jagged Stone.

Marinette had enough money to pay her rent, her fabric, all of her equipment, anything a business woman could need. Marinette herself, not so much. She missed being able to walk out and go sit at a café for a bit. When she saw Wayne Enterprise opened a section in Paris, she came up with an idea.

'Wayne Enterprises is a place that usually pays big. Even a part time job should be fine. A little play money couldn't hurt. A few extra euros so I could eat out, get some comfy clothes so I'm not rushing between orders and messing up wouldn't hurt.'

Damian Wayne sat at his desk, looking through potential applicants. Many of them were attached to big names or had one of their own. As he rang background checks, he could see they were all connected to each other in one way or another. He smirked at his idea.

'Let's put on a show. I want to see what kind of people these applicants are around each other. Would they out themselves?'

Mari was escorted to a waiting room as Damian Wayne got through other interviews. When the door opened, the last thing she expected was to see some familiar faces: Chloe, Adrien, and Lila.

"I don't know why you're even here, Dupain-Cheng." Chloe snarled, after the door was closed, "This is a big company that would love to work with our families. You have nothing going for you."

Marinette sat down and smiled, "Is that right? I guess I must have sent the wrong order to your mother and that's why she wore my design down the red carpet at the MET Gala."

Chloe tensed up and refused to meet her gaze. She could tell Adrien and Lila were surprised as well.

Chloe cleared her throat, "You're lying."

"Call your mother and ask." Marinette shrugged, "Oh, that's right! She doesn't like you; she prefers your half sister, who can actually work and living on her own, instead of leeching off of her Daddy."

"This isn't you, Dupain-Cheng." Chloe declared.

"No. This is me." Marinette shrugged off the concerned looks, "I'm just not being forced to coddle you to make Caline Bustier's life easier. 'Oh, just show Chloe some love, so she'll know what it's like and she'll get better eventually. You'll see.' Even she knew you were a horrible person. She basically thought you were The Grinch. That with enough love, your heart would grow three sizes and you wouldn't be such a bitch anymore."

Everyone was speechless at Marinette's attitude. This wasn't the Marinette that they grew up with.

"Chloe Bourgeois." a security voice called.

Chloe held her head high as she walked into the office.

"Damian Wayne." Chloe stated.

"Sit!" he demanded.

Chloe was shocked by his attitude.

'Doesn't he know who I am?'

"Do you know who I am?" she shouted.

"A spoiled brat; Ive read the articles on the internet." Damian stated, "You are known for crying for your father when you don't get what you want. Even though you are the oldest, your half-sister is who your mother relies on to bring customers for Style Queen in New York."

"My father-" Chloe snarled.

"Isn't the mayor anymore. He hasn't been the mayor in three years." the Wayne heir spoke, "If you're thinking of blackmailing me, you chose the wrong person. Spread whatever lies you want or cry to your father, the hotel owner. I could make one post about how horrid his hotel is and he would go out of business. Could you live with that?"

Chloe stood there, speechless. The only person who talked to her like this was her mother.

"I'm in charge, here, and if it came down to it, your job would be scrubbing toilets all day." Damian declared.

Tears formed in Chloe's eyes.

'He's glaring at me, just like Mommy. He doesn't look happy. He looks at me like he wishes I was gone or someone else.'

"We're done here." Damian stated.

Chloe quickly rushed out of the office. The three saw her rushing away, crying.

'I knew she wouldn't last.'

"Marinette, I can't understand why you're like this." Lila spoke, as she took her seat.

'He made that Daddy's Girl cry. I better go at this carefully.'

"Oh, shove it, Lila." Marinette sighed, "All three of us, here, know you're a lying manipulative bitch. You don't have to fake it."

"I don't know-" Lila continued.

"Adrien already told me years ago that he made a deal with you. He made one with me, too. Did he ever tell you that?" Mari questioned.

Lila glanced towards Adrien, who kept his head down.

"Oh, he didn't." she giggled, "You see, I was already designing for Jagged Stone when you arrived to our school. Adrien even had me autograph things I designed for him."

The model had turned towards Adrien and was now glaring at him.

"I could have made your whole 'tinnitus-kitten bullshit' story go up in flames since day one." Mari smiled, "I could have video called him and you would have been labeled as delusional."

"I took all our friends away!" Lila cried out, in victory.

"No." Mari answered, "You took away people, who were finally talking to me. Chleo ensured that for seven years, I had no friends. Those 'friends' just went back to not talking to me. You didn't actually do anything. If anything, you helped me. You took away the class president duties from me and I had more free time. You turned Alya and Nino away, so I couldn't babysit. I designed more clothes and got more clients. You didn't make my life worse, Lila, you made it better."

Lila fumed. Adrien had played peace maker between the both of them. From what Marinette was saying, she could have won the war in an instant! She thought she had chased Marinette Duapin-Cheng out of school all those years ago and here she was smiling, practially laughing at her, saying it wasn't true. She had thanked her and said she made her life better.

'I need this job so I can rub it in her face! I need to win against her!'

"I do hope you at least did some research into Damian Wayne." Marinette stated.

"I've known Damian Wayne since we were children!" Lila announced.

"Is that what it told you, you should say when you looked up how rich his family is?" Mari inquired.

Lila stood up, in rage.

'How dare she!'

"Lila Rossi." security called out.

Lila smirked, "I'm coming."

"She really should have done her research." Marinette spoke out loud.

"Why do you say that?" Adrine asked.

"Lila likes to play off her tears and looks." Mari declared, "Damian Wayne hates going to galas because of girls that try to attach themselves to him."

"And?" Adrien questioned.

"He broke an Italian model's arm two months ago, for lying to him." the designer stated.

Adrien paled at her words. Marinette merely smiled and pulled out her phone and dialed emergency services.

"Hello, what is your emergency?" the voice asked.

"I think we need an ambulance at Wayne Enterprise." Marinette stated, "I think someone's arm is broken."

"Are you with this person?" the voice questioned.

"No." the designer answered.

"I have sent medical to your location." the voice declared, before hanging up.

"That was pretty extreme, Marinette. I have faith in Lila!" Adrien shouted, "I don't think he would do that! The Waynes have an imagine to uphold!"

"Maybe, you should have done your research." Mari shrugged, "You still have time. Maybe five minutes."

Lila sauntered her way into the office.

"Hello, Mr. Wayne." She spoke, calmly.

"Sit." He demanded, not looking up.

Lila waved off his decleration. She moved past the chair in front of his desk and walked her way to his side.

"Can I sit on your lap?" She asked, "You see, I have tinnitus and-"

"There is nothing in here that would activate your tinnitus. Tinnitus is when you can't here anything for a brief amount of time, but a loud ringing. It's usually followed after hearing an extremely loud sound. I should know; I went to medical school." Damian stated.

'Shit. My usual tactics won't work here.'

Lila nodded and made her way back to the seat.

"Why shoud I hire you?" The Wayne heir questioned.

Lila fluttered her lashes, "I'm a model for Gabriel Agreste."

"Former model." Damian interjected, "You now model on Instagram and Only Fans."

Lila turned red. She didn't expect them to aware of her new lifestyle.

"Now, Miss Lerouch-" he continued.

Lila paled, "Wh-What did you call me?"

"Cerise Lerouch." Damian stated, "Did you think I would not delve into your background? I have to know who I am working with."

Cerise quickly leaped up from her seat and rushed around the desk.

"Don't touch me." Damian demanded.

"I'll do anything." Cerise cried out, grabbing onto his arm.

The Wayne heir growled, "Let go."

"I can help you relieve stress in other ways, you know." Cerise pleaded.

Damian grabbed her wrist and twisted it behind her back, harshly. Cerise screamed in pain.

"I have no need for whores." Damian spoke.

He grabbed the back of her shirt, arm still twisted, and walked her to his office door. He grabbed the knob and threw her out, in front of his security team.

"Drag this whore out by the hair, if you have too, but I want her off Wayne Enterprise grounds and blacklisted!" Damian shouted.

"Yes, Mr. Wayne." they spoke simultaneously, as he slammed his door shut.

"Shit, I think her arm is broken." the one on the left declared.

"She would call an ambulance?" the one on the right asked.

"Please, help me! It hurts so much!" Cerise begged, cradling her arm.

"You shouldn't have pissed him off." the one on the right declared, "Damian Wayne isn't one to mess around."

A man rushed towards them with medical workers.

"Did you guys call for an ambulance and someone with a broken arm?" the new guy asked.

"No, but perfect timing." the one on the left stated, "Girl with broken arm right here."

Cerise was walked by the waiting room. Inside, she could see Adrien looked horrified before turning to Marinette. She was smiling at her. Then, the baker's daughter flipped her off.

'She knew! That bitch knew how this would end!'

Cerise burst into tears as she was carted off.

"I guess that just leaves you and me, Agreste." Marinette stated.

Adrien began to feel uncomfortable.

"I do hope you do better than they did." She spoke, "For your Father's sake."

"Huh?" Adrien asked, confused.

"Damian Wayne isn't one to back down, not even to his father. He can make his father bow down to him. You have no idea how......attractive that is to a woman, Adrien." Mari smiled, "A man with a spine."

The model gulped, watching Marinette lick her lips.

"You should grow a spine." she declared, "Maybe then your father won't force you to model for him. I' sure that's why Kagami chose Felix over you. Your cousin has a spine. It looks good on him. Maybe, that's why Kagami didn't take my advice on how to get back with you after the break up."

Adrien only looked at her in shocked.

"Alya told me you broke up and I went to see her." Marinette continued, "I tried to help, but she didn't want to. She said it was better that way and well, Felix and you did look alike as teens. The same face with a spine; kind of hard to resist. They're so happy and their twins are adorable."

"Adrien Agreste, Mr. Wayne will see you now." the voice spoke over the intercom.

The model looked over at the designer. She waved at him, but said nothing. Adrien stood up and stood tall.

Adrien walked into Damian's office. It was intimidating; Marinette was right. He was scarier than his father.

"Why should I hire you, Adrien Agreste?" Damian questioned.

"I hate modeling. I prefer computers and science. I want to break free of Gabriel." Adiren admitted, "You don't have to worry about me telling him anything because I never learned anything about fashion. I couldn't even tell you the names of two different shades of fabric. If anyting, you should hire Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Marinette has always been an amazing designer. She was recognized by Father and Style Queen when she was only thirteen. She's the one who would know everything about fashion."

Damian hid his smirk behind his hand and looked down at the papers about Adrien again.

'What a miracle worker you are, Miss Dupain-Cheng. Agreste grew a spine.'

"We may have an internship available in our science department." Damian spoke, "Do you still live with your father?"

"Yes." Adrien spoke.

"We have a company home we prefer our interns reside in." Damian continued.

He noticed Adrien seemed relieved about that.

"The internship isn't a guarantee." The Wayne heir continued, "We need to see you commitment and dedication first hand. If you can't keep up, we'll put you in a different department. If you keep failing to meet our expectations, you'll have no choice but to keep modeling for your father."

"Tell him we'll work with him for one year, as a test." Damian continued, "You have one year to get your affairs in order. You'll need to move in one month from now and if not, consider the contract cancelled. I will inform them you are expected."

"Thank you." Adrien smiled.

Damian waved him off and Adrine walked out of the office, happy.

Marinette stood up when her name was called. As she walked towards the office, she saw Adrien smiling at a paper. She entered the office and closed the door.

"Please sit Miss Dupain-Cheng." Damian ordered.

Marinette immediately took a seat in front of him.

"Why should I hire you?" He questioned.

Mari shrugged, "You don't really have to."

"Oh?" Damian pushed.

"I'm only here for a part time job." the designer answered, "You know, helping out on the floor, coffee grabber, secretary gig. That sort of thing."

"Excuse me?" he asked, shocked, " Aren't you a fashion designer."

"With my own clients and I can pay for my own things." She smiled.

"Then why are you here?" Damian questioned.

Marinette sat back further in the chair and got comfortable, "Play money. I spend my own on my deisgns, fabrics, equipment, rent. Why not have a little extra to treat myself to a night out or a night in, for once?"

That was not the answer he had been expecting.

Damian laughed, "What if I decide to keep you?"

"Keep me as in?" Marinette pushed.

"I decide I want to become one of your clients." he offered.

"Are you offering?" the designer asked, "I've seen some of those suits you wear to galas and it doesn't bring you out to your full potential."

"And that would be?" he asked.

"You're outshined by your father, your older brothers, and the company." She spoke, "You can stand out, but maybe you want to fade into the back, less people to grope you."

Damian chuckled and stood up from his seat. He made his way around the desk and rested on it.

"What would you dress me in, right now?" Damian questioned.

"Depends." Marinette smiled, "Do you always wear a suit to work or are you interested in a change?"

"Tell me about this hypothetical change." He demanded.

"Ever heard of quick change wear?" She asked.

"No." he replied.

"It mainly takes woman into factor. Clothes that can go from working at the office to going out on a date or partying." Mari answered, "Just a few adjustments and possibly a new shade of makeup and usually people tend to think they took all day to get ready."

Damian took what she said into account, "And for men?"

"Most don't really have the option." Marinette shrugged, "Shame, but on you.....your figure. Well, there's nothing sluttier than a man wearing a sleeveless turtleneck."

The Wayne heir couldn't help but think of his old League of Assassin's outfits.

"No one at work would know if you have a blazer on and buttoned." She continued, "It is your office so you can always install a closet here and keep an extra pair of clothes. Jeans, if you prefer. Who is to say that this whole time, you weren't wearing sweatpants and just dressed from the waist up."

He chuckled ather way of thinking.

'Effective, but true not the less. I could kick out anyone who entered my office, should I choose to dress comfortably, and there was a closet hidden behind the cabinets.'

"Another thing most people tend to do is incorporate their culture into their clothing, as well." Marinette spoke, "Personally, I use apple blossoms in most of my designs for myself."

"Miss Dupain-Cheng, you are not what I was expecting." Damian declared, "I like to expect everything."

Mari smiled, "I've been known to be...unpredictable."

"You want to work part time in the fashion section." The Wayne heir stated, "Even if it's just grabbing coffee or lunch for others."

"Correct." she answered.

"Fine." Damian spoke, "You can work here, part time, at least three days a week. I f you have a big comission, I want to know about it. You can keep the details to yourself, but I want a time frame."

Marinette nodded, happily.

"I also want you to make me something to relax in the office that could pass for office wear." he suggested, "I'll pay for fabric of course. I can send you the details of my heritage via email, later."

Marinette stood up, "I'll start on that and bring it by Friday."

Damian grabbed her hand and kissed it, "I'll see you Monday morning, at 9AM, for work. We can go over your schedule then."

Marinette felt her face flush as his lips connected with her hand. His gaze was piercing.

"Yes, Mr. Wayne." She answered, flustered.

Damian waved his hand, dismissing her, but he still followed her to the door.

"You know, Miss Dupain-Cheng." He whispered, pressing himself to her back, "They may not be able to see it, but I see what lurks in the shadows. I can see what you hide there. I can wait a bit longer for the side of you that wants to come out and play."

"Is that so?" Marinette whispered back.

"I'll enjoy getting to know you, in the future." Damian spoke, before opening the door.

Marinette took a breath before she walked out the door.

"Marinette, did you get the job?" Adrien asked.

"Yes." she answered.

The model sighed in relief, "I told him you were good. I told him about Father and Audrey."

"Did you think I wouldn't be able to get it on my own?" Mari questioned.

"That's not what I meant!" Adrien cried, surprised at the question.

"Then, don't belittle me and my work." Marinette declared, "He already knew who I was. The Wayne keep a check on everyone and everything. Did you seriously not expect him to know about our families? He was probably listening to us in the waiting room."

Adrien gulped in response.

"Besides, I wasn't apart of whatever you three were fighting over." Marinette smiled, walking away.

'What did she mean by that?'

Adrien turned to see Damian Wayne leaning against the door, wearing a smirk on his face. Damian took notice of the model and hardened his gaze. Adrien gulped as Damian stood tall and closed his door again.

'What was he staring at?'

Adrien turned his head back down the corridor and saw Marinette speaking to the receptionist.

'He was after Marinette the whole time!'

'He already knew who I was.'

'He was probably listening to us in the waiting room.'

'Besides, I wasn't apart of whatever you three were fighting over.'

TAGLIST: @maribat-calendar-events @animeweebgirl@a-star-with-a-human-name@meme991001@vixen-uchiha@abrx2002@alysrose-starchild@fandom-trapped-03@dood-space@moonlightstar64@saltymiraculer@marveldcedits20@09shell-sea09@icerosecrystal@animegirlweeb@insane-fangirl-of-everything@blueblossombliss@nickristus-dreamer@megawhitleycalderonpaganus@missmadwoman@meira-3919@princessdaisysolosyourfaves@blep-23@fangirlingfanatic@darkhinauniverse@ravenr22@im-a-satanic-ritual@ravennm84@bianca-hooks123@a-slytherinish-gryffindor@starling218

#daminette december 2023 #daminette #marinette dupain cheng #wayne enterprise #damian wayne #chloe bourgeois #adrien agreste #lila rossi #chloe salt #adrien salt #lila salt #mommy issues #cerise miraculous #daddy issues #mlb x dc #dc x mlb #hinding in the shadows #mochinek0

[mentallyisekaid]

「 ✦ Fatui Harbingers x Signora's Sister! Reader, PART 1 ✦ 」

---

[Part 1] Part 2 Part 2.5. Part 3

Pairings: only hinted/platonic (will change to something "more" later on if I decide to make more parts)

Warnings: spoilers regarding Signora's lore and a certain event in the Inazuma Archon quest, possibly some spoiler-ish stuff about other things too

Word count: 2.7k

This fanfic will include direct quotations from "Teyvat Chapter Interlude Teaser: A Winter Night's Lazzo" that belongs fully to miHoYo. I'll write these quotes in bold, so copyrights won't haunt me like Khaenri'ah lore :)

---

Even among the Harbingers, not much was known about the Fair Lady's (may she rest in peace) younger sister, except for the fact that you existed and had somehow managed to live for over 500 years, just like her. They were all aware of Signora's special circumstances that had made her essentially immortal, but Celestia knows how you had done it?

This is why you'd become something of a urban legend among the lower ranking members of the Fatui. Maybe La Signora had just been delusional, some of them thought - maybe there wasn't a sister, at least not anymore.

You were fine with that, though. You'd never wanted anything to do with your sister or her morally dubious organization anyway.

But she was still the only blood relative you'd had left, and now she was gone.

Attending her funeral was only appropriate.

You arrived at the grand doors of the cathedral, stopping for a moment to adjust the expensive-looking cloak that someone had sent you along with the invitation to the ceremony, requesting you to wear it. Much to your displeasure, it had the Fatui Insignia on it, though you were slightly more bothered by the fact that they'd somehow figured out where you live...

Or maybe they'd known all along.

But even if the invitation wasn't just out of courtesy, you had only showed up because Rosalyne was family, and only to pay your respects.

Their agendas meant nothing to you.

Pushing the doors open, you marched inside, the click-clack of your high heeled boots echoing in the eerie silence.

Curious gazes followed as this visitor, shrouded in mystery, made her way through the aisle - some of them curious, others a bit doubtful - but you ignored them.

Sitting down in the front row, you crossed your legs, leaning back with your eyes glued to the coffin highlighted by faint moonlight. A girl with child-like, seraphic features was leaning her head on its surface, singing a calming tune...

Spooky.

"Well, I never... this must be the Fair Lady's rumored sibling? And here I was starting to think you wouldn't make an appearance, dear."

You sighed, really having hoped that no one would bother talking to you; you had nothing to say to any of them. But for Celestia's sake, you still had some manners...

Glancing over your shoulder at the man who had just addressed you, you gave him a slight nod.

"It does seem my arrival was rather tardy. My apologies."

The man who you recognized as the Regrator, also known as Pantalone, chuckled a bit.

"No matter, it is rare a pleasure to finally meet you~"

"Likewise."

For a moment, your eyes wandered over each of the present Harbingers, these... co-workers of your sister's, before returning to stare in front of you just as indifferently as before.

You spoke a few more words, though.

"Everyone else as well, I suppose. Oh, and please pay no attention to my discourtesy... A lovely night for a funeral, is it not?"

Your charade was poorly put together, and intentionally so; you didn't know these people anymore than they knew you, but it was already clear that no one was here to pay their heartfelt respects for Rosalyne's memory, much less to exchange pleasantries.

A funeral? No, this was nothing but theatre - and here comes the first actor...

"We have gathered here today to remember our dear comrade. In honor of her sacrifice, all work should halt for half a day as the nation mourns her passing."

Hearing these words come from Pulcinella, the Mayor of Snezhnaya himself, you mentally scoffed. So now these crazy diplomats justified mistakes as sacrifice?

Pantalone seemed amused by this declaration, though you noticed a shadow pass over his face.

"Hehe, merely half a day... People say that Northland Bank's true currencies are blood and tears... But Mayor, even speaking as a banker, that sounds a little unconscionable."

Well, it was as you'd expected? Even in this situation, the Harbingers only cared about their own agendas, and Rosalyne would've been the same way.

The next words belonged to someone you found a bit more familiar.

"You speak of her as if you knew what she had to go through," the silver-haired woman started, a derogatory look in her dark eyes.

You glanced curiously at her. This was surely Arlecchino? Out of the Harbingers, your sister had seemed to trust her the most, so you assumed they must've shared some sort of a closer relationship.

The Knave noticed you gaze, and gave you a small nod before continuing.

"Rosalyne died in a foreign land. But you heartless businessmen and dignitaries, always with a convenient excuse to remain in the comfort of your homeland... You couldn't hope to understand. So why don't you keep your mouths shut!"

"Ah, bravo...~" you commented with a small chuckle, your sudden boldness slightly surprising some of them.

It seemed that La Signora's hardly known sister was indeed an interesting individual?

The ginger sitting on the other side of the aisle apparently found your remark entertaining, since he gave you an amused smile. But he threw his comrade's a much sterner look.

"Hey, c'mon now, even I don't think this is the right time or place for a fight."

Tartaglia, the infamous maniac always looking for a fight? Present~

"Utterly risible," a blonde woman scoffed from her place, sitting on the arms of a weird looking robot. Sandrone, you presumed.

And naturally, the oh-so righteous Capitano also had his opinion to share.

"Though her methods tarnished her honor, Lohefalter's sacrifice is still a great pity."

You sighed, shaking your head. There they go again, degrading her death as a mere sacrifice.

"Her loss shall not hinder our progress," the Captain continued, disregarding the matter. "But Dottore, what of Scaramouche --,"

...to which the crazy Doctor answered something incomprehensible.

Right. They weren't even talking about Rosalyne anymore. By now, the whole ceremony had turned out as a complete farce, and you wished nothing more than for Celestia to nuke it with another one of their divine nails.

Someone else had had enough as well.

"It's time to end tonight's foolish theatrics. This time, you have no captive audience."

The Jester's voice echoed menacingly in the cathedral, silencing his fellow Harbingers.

You gazed at him from your seat, raising an eyebrow when he gave you a look as well. In that short moment, unspoken words were shared between the two of you - after all, he knew things about you that the others didn't.

In any case, the speech went on for a while after that. Pierro's exaggerated sympathies, the Damselette needling Dottore about his segments, and... well, you weren't really listening anymore?

Once they finished and scattered from around the coffin, you silently walked over, placing a few frostbitten Cecilias on top of it. They were flowers from your homeland, though to you, Mondstadt was a memory at least five centuries old.

"Pretty flowers," a soft voice came from beside you. Columbina was back to presumptuously leaning on the casket.

You gave her a sidelong glance.

"Well, they're frozen to death by now - but that somehow fits the moment, no?"

"Mh-hmm~"

The ceremony was seemingly over, though you could still sense their presence. Your back was facing them, but it felt like they'd moved closer to the coffin again - or, perhaps, closer to you...

"I don't believe anyone has yet offered their condolences to this poor child," Capitano remarked solemnly, disregarding the fact you were chronologically speaking a living fossil.

Tartaglia sighed, "She doesn't want us to, I think."

You turned around to face them, crossing your arms.

"Well, firstly, you're calling me a child about 500 years too late. And no, I don't need your pity. It's hard to see your last family gone, but we weren't that close to begin with. Besides, Rosalyne knew full well what she was doing - when agreeing to a duel before the Shogun, and when joining the Fatui in the first place. You reap what you sow, and that's that."

The Doctor chuckled. "La Signora would surely turn over in her grave if she heard that."

"Let the dead rest, Zandik," Sandrone scoffed.

Columbina had scooted next to you.

"Poor thing~", she sang in that eerie voice, tilting her head. "How long have you been living by yourself? Maybe you could have Signora's former chambers in the headquarters."

Hmm? What a laughable suggestion, you thought. She was obviously toying with you.

Arlecchino gave the Damselette a warning look.

"Such a thing is something only the Director can decide. Though," she gave you an unreadable look. "I wouldn't be against it. In Rosalyne's honor, of course."

The usually ruthless Knave's comment was found somewhat unexpected among her comrades.

You gave her a weird look.

Something was clearly going on, the atmosphere was strangely expecting and you didn't like it in the slightest. It seems the theatrics weren't over after all?

Pantalone was gazing at you, an amused smile on his lips.

"You look a bit lost there, dear. Don't worry, Pierro will explain some things to you in a moment~"

You frowned. So, there was more in the game here - that letter wasn't just an invitation to the funeral of a sister you hardly even cared about, you'd doubted as much from the beginning.

Not that it really changed anything. As already mentioned, you'd only come for the ceremony...

And now that it was over, there was no reason for you to stay.

"That won't be necessary," you stated, nodding curtly. "I will be taking my leave now. Goodbye."

Your cloak shuffled as you walked past them, heading toward the exit. However, Childe, who had been standing the closest to the doors, now moved to block your way.

You looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Tartaglia, right? If you could move aside, that would be much appreciated."

"Sorry, no can do, girlie," he laughed a bit, scratching his neck in an awkward manner. "Boss wants to have a chat with you, so I can't just have you leaving like that, now can I?"

"Right," you sighed. "Well, I don't really care..."

You rudely moved past him, reaching the doors and about to push them open, when you suddenly felt a hand on your wrist. And the grip they had wasn't exactly gentle.

Glancing over your shoulder, you saw Childe still wearing that stupid smile of his but there was now a shadow over his usually cheerful expression.

"Look, you seem like a smart girl." His voice was soft and menacing at the same time. "Things don't have to get ugly here, if you just cooperate a bit."

Ugly? Oh, you could make things turn ugly.

But this wasn't the right time for that - not with the majority of the Harbingers present. It's not like you had a death wish, for Celestia's sake... though, it did seem like Tartaglia was only half serious about what he had said?

You looked past him, seeing the other Fatui diplomats standing there, all with hardly readable expressions on their faces. Your gaze stopped when it reached the Jester. If this was about Pierro having something to discuss with you, you were fairly sure you knew what he wanted anyway...

So, no harm in amusing him a bit?

"Ha. Well, it seems like I have no choice, then."

Childe smiled. "That's more like it."

He started making his way toward the front of the cathedral, while still holding onto your wrist - basically, he walked you back there like a toddler. After all, you might've had a change of heart any at any given moment and sprinted out of there like a lunatic.

You awkwardly sat down on one of the seats, wrapping the cloak around you tigther. The Harbingers were now standing in a semicircle in front of you, gazing down at you like their you were property. Pierro took a step forward.

"Now then, Y/N Lohefalter..."

"You are going to ask about my Visions, right?" you asked rudely. "As in, plural. Both of them. Is my assumption wrong?"

Pantalone chuckled. "Well, aren't you clever, my dear~"

"No, I always knew Rosalyne had told you, which is precisely why I tend to keep a lower profile than this. There's no reason to be so melodramatic over a couple of Visions."

Dottore seemed amused by your remark.

"But most humans never receive one. Yet, here you are, blessed with two."

"That, or cursed" you pointed out.

The Jester had allowed this interruption, but all it took was one gaze of authority from him and even you realized it was better to watch your mouth around this man. You tilted your head slightly downward.

"This assumption you made isn't necessarily untrue," Pierro stated in a low voice. "But it's not the whole truth, either."

It wasn't?

You heard footsteps approaching and carefully glanced up at Pierro who was now standing mere inches away from you. Things were getting more interesting, that's for sure.

"I asked you to come here today out of respect for Rosalyne's memory, and of curiosity toward the fact that you indeed bear the power of both Cryo and Pyro, much like your sister, albeit without a Delusion. My intention, however, was also to make a request of you..."

The Jester suddenly kneeled before you, his gesture confusing you. The infamous Director of the Fatui, kneeling before you?

You gave him a doubtful look.

"And what might that request be?"

"To put it simply, I want you to take Rosalyne's place as one of the Fatui Harbingers."

"...come again?"

The other Harbingers didn't seem surprised in the slightest.

You shook your head.

"You want me to join the Fatui?"

"We've been keeping a close eye on you, Y/N Lohefalter, ever since the Cataclysm and Rosalyne joining our ranks. Back then, she herself made the request that should she ever perish, you'd be asked to take her place."

"Ha," you chuckled. "That does sound like one of her selfish whims... but still, why would you even consider such a thing?"

You looked at Pierro, tilting your head.

"Can you really trust that my agendas align with yours?"

"Every person in this room has their own ideals and it has not proved to be a problem." The Director nodded. "You need not but work in the name of the Fatui, and swear your loyalty to the Tsaritsa. Of course, the latter is expected of you as a citizen of Snezhnaya anyway."

You crossed you arms, contemplating this unexpected proposal.

"And if I refuse?"

This earned displeased looks from the other Harbingers. Pierro's solemn expression, however, never faltered.

"It's far beyond my dignity to be forceful here. That would be disrespecting Rosalyne's legacy, and risking to make you a powerful foe of the Fatui."

He paused for a while.

"But I should also clarify that with the kind of power you hold, you are facing but two choices - to be with us... or against us."

So that's how it was going to be?

You'd almost forgotten that Pierro was still half-kneeling in front of you; even though one of his eyes was covered by a mask, his gaze held such intensity that you were completely enchanted by it for a moment.

And to think you'd make this kind of a decision on a whim, just like she once had - you really were more similar to your sister than you'd care to admit...

You sighed, standing up and glancing at the other Harbingers.

"Is this how he recruited you as well?"

Sandrone made a 'hmph' sound, "hardly."

"Heh, to think the Jester would kneel in front of someone?~" Pantalone commented. "You're quite an impressive girl, my dear."

"Then again," Dottore chuckled. "she has yet to meet the crueler side of the Director, no?"

Tartaglia sighed, "now, now, don't scare her away..."

Pulcinella and Capitano didn't seem too amused by their comrades' antics. You, on the other hand, had their undivided attention.

Columbina was sleepily humming along to some tune, giving you discreet glances.

Arlecchino shook her head.

"Pierro still awaits for an answer, Y/N. Despite of what he may seem like, the Jester is not a man of great patience. It's time for you to decide."

You furrowed your eyebrows.

"..."

"Then, I'm in?"

But for the love of the Tsaritsa, you had no idea what you'd just gotten yourself into.

#signora's sister #fatui harbingers #fatui harbingers x reader #genshin impact #genshin #genshin impact x reader #platonic genshin x reader #platonic genshin impact

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

Hi! I know the requests are closed, but for when you can take requests again, I would like if you could write as a kind of part two for "A second chance" Lucien's reaction when he meets his new little sister. I think it would be a very nice story. Thank you!

Couldn't hold myself back... This can be read as a standalone but the first part is here. 🥺✨

A second chance II

It ate at Helion for so long because he wanted to tell Lucien himself. Son or not. Father or not. The girl growing within you was his sister and Helion wasn't going to pretend that she was the only child. So he tried to invite Lucien over more than once, just the male had come up with every possible excuse to not come. So as the weeks went on Helion had just accepted that for now, this would have to be the way that it was and you tried to comfort your lover the best that you could but a thread of sadness lingered.

Your pregnancy stayed a secret for a couple of months. Helion was rather paranoid that someone might turn against him still. Especially with the new laws intertwining day and night courts. So it's a long way down the line when he's raising a glass at one of his big gatherings, hosting multiple courts. His speech is strong and captivating as always as he cheers to every high lord willing to create strong alliances. Until he's turning your way, a bright smile on his face, "And to my wife", he says, "Who's been carrying my babe for the past couple of months". You flash him a smile just a bright, hand instantly moving to rest on your tummy. Oh, how good if feel to need need to hold yourself back from running your fingers against your growing tummy. Loud applauses ring out and Helion's closest friends are there clapping his shoulders, laughter fills the room and it all finally starts to feel even more real. It's just the fact that Lucien's chair is now empty that makes your own heart sting a little.

And it's a couple of days later when the servant knocks gently on your office doors, pulling you away from some of the paperwork you agreed to cover for Helion. "My lady, you have a guest", your eyebrows knit together because you weren't waiting for anyone. Had your baby brain made you miss something? "What guests, Larry?", you say, scattering your meeting book, "Lucien Vanserra, my lady". Your body freezes. He never visits unless it was court-ordered.

Jumping right up you move out in the lower greeting hall that you assumed he would be waiting. And he is there. His deep red hair is such a contrast to the light interior. "Lucien", you call out softly and the male turns around quickly, nearly knocking the vase he was looking at over. He takes a steps forward and the guards instantly leap from their positions. But you lift your hand, "Out all of you", they all linger but the glare you send them is enough to make them think twice.

"My apologies", you say once again turning to Lucien, "Everyone's kind of protective", you chuckle slightly, watching Lucien's eyes fall onto your now round stomach. "Helion is a way for a couple more hours. If you'd like...", but Lucien is shaking his head. It was clear that whatever that's going on in his head had been clawing at him for some time. "Is it a boy...", he speaks up finally and you quickly shake your head, "No, a baby girl". Your hands caress the swell of your stomach and you can see the gleam that runs through Lucien's eyes.

"Are you safe? Is he not harming you?", the question feels so raw and you know those fears had been engraved there by no other than Beron. "Your father is excited to have a girl", you reassure him, "Should have seen him covered in pink paint yesterday". You chuckle under your breath slightly as the images of last night's nursery paint testing flowed into your head. You step closer to Lucien, reaching your hand out towards him, "You know Helion wanted to tell you in person but...", and he nods quickly, well aware that he was the one dismissing Helion's requests.

"I would love for her to have a brother", you mutter quietly, trying to keep your own emotions at bay, "or at least to tell her about you because you are family to us". Lucien sucks in a sharp breath. You can't imagine how hard it all must feel to him. Finding out that the monster torturing you had never even been your father.

The silence falls upon you both and you suddenly feel like you might have overstepped the boundaries. Until Lucien mutters quietly, "I would love to", he startles, "Love to be her brother". Your eyes softens, picking up with tears ever so slightly. You drew your hand closer to cup the younger male's face, his almost desperate eyes looking back at you.

"Give me your hand", you mumble, reaching out to Lucien till he slides his hand into yours. You quickly pressed his warm palm to the side of your stomach where you felt the light kick last. "That's your brother, stardust. The one Dad and I've been telling you about", Lucien lets out a surprised gasp when a tiny hand pushes against your skin. "She can recognize voices now so", Lucien is nodding desperately before saying, "Hey, little one. Sorry that I've been away but I'm here now... I'll protect you", that's enough to set the stream of tears flowing down your cheeks as you watch the two siblings interact. Once again feeling more than honored that you can bring a piece of true family into Lucien's life. "Stay for some tea", you ask the fireling softly and Lucien nods without a second thought.

And the surprise on Helion's face when he steps into the dining room. Fully prepared to bring a plate up for you to your chambers but instead he finds you and Lucien deeply lost in a conversation. And now he understands where all that extra love and happiness was coming from the bond. Lucien quickly stands up at the sight of Helion standing there but the high lord shakes his head, "There's no need for you to stand up, my boy". He catches your gleaming eyes, and his own heart leaps. "Lucien is staying for dinner", you say happily, to which Lucien throws you a genuine smile. Helion's heart nearly bursts because is this a step forward? Does it mean his son is willing to give him a chance? To give his family a chance? "Oh, and he doesn't agree with the guard placement", you mutter, making Lucien roll his eyes, "As eager as you to turn my home into a prison", you cross your arms over your chest playfully. Protective. Already so protective. "I'm more than happy to listen to his thoughts", Helion says and his eyes meet Lucien's. For the first time trying meets his son's gaze.

#second chance universe #helion x reader #helion imagine #helion x you #lucien x helion #lucien vanserra imagine #lucien x platonic!reader #acotar imagine #acotar x reader #acotar x you

[yuniv-bluetea]

SVT!Dad HCS

->first time meeting the boyfriend of their teenage daughter (Part 1)

-> d/b/n visits them at home to eat dinner together

Seungcheol

"... took him long enough"

he was well aware of this boy who dated his daughter for several weeks now

but having literally no information about d/b/n nearly killed him

if it wasn't for his s/o Seungcheol would have already hired an private investigator

he's very protective over his daughter

one wrong move and the boy can say his prayers

wouldn't be easy to impress either

wears a poker face throughout the whole dinner

will observe d/b/n closely

to his daughter's despair Seungcheol would interrogate the boy without mercy

making very clear whose daughter he is dating

and that breaking her heart was no option if he treasures his life

would give his daughter his honest first impression of d/b/n after he leaves

Seungcheol would try to say good things about d/b/n -if there was anything that he saw as a positive character trait-, but would not hesitate to tell his daughter about the things he views as problematic about d/b/n

"And it's not only me who thinks that way... Kkuma could also sense d/b/n bad vibes!"

wants no "gangster boyfriend" to break his precious daughter's heart

Jeonghan

"So she's that age now...huh"

having a younger sister he should have seen such a situation coming

but why so soon??

knowing how significant the first relationship can be for a teenager, he tries to not scare the boy away

would offer d/b/n a weak smile and introduce himself

his s/o would be the one to ask d/b/n some questions and start a conversation now and then

while Jeonghan would observe the boy infront of him quietly

how is d/b/n treating my daughter?

is he politely to s/o?

what does these answers tell me about him?

how is his body language?

"You like Monsta X?"

it was the first time Jeonghan spoke in a while this evening

"Uhm.. Who?"

"You don't know this K-Pop Group?..... I see, so you´re that kind of guy....Interesting"

he then would continue eating

knowing very well that d/b/n would be so confused now

nobody said anything about not messing with the boy a bit

would ask his daughter later in the evening if she was pleased with how the evening went

their conversation would be filled with honesty

Jeonghan would carefully listen to his daughter´s impression of the evening

"So... do you like him?"

" He seems... decent"

"Dad!? Do you just dislike him because he doesn't know the K-Pop Group Monsta X ?"

"Nooo! ...It´s more because I'm not sure if I will ever think that someone is good enough for you"

his daughter rolls her eyes while smiling

"But now that I'm thinking about it... Not knowing Monsta X... How did you manage to find such a person?"

"........I was honestly shocked too Dad !"

Which member(s) should I do next? Thank you for reading it <3

#seventeen #svt #svt headcanons #svt hcs #svt imagines #svt reactions #jeonghan #choi seungcheol #s.coups #svt dad #svt as dads #svt daughter #seungcheol!dad #jeonghan!dad #hip hop unit #vocal unit #kpop

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Am I the asshole for outing my friend's relationship to their family?

I (25f) have a friend (30m). We aren't as close as we used to be, but we still hang out. I want to make it clear as this always comes up, I have NEVER wanted to date him. When I was 16 he had a crush on me, but NEVER asked me out. I always saw him as a brother, he saw me as a sister eventually.

His family loves me, and a few of them still believe me and him will end up together. He has went on to date other people and so have I; currently i am dating a guy (28m) who i think I'll marry. But that isn't here nor there. Me and my friend were hanging out (my bf was on his way but got stuck in traffic, tho it isnt uncommon for me and my friend to hang out without my bf as we have been friends for 10 years and done it prior to my relationship). While we were hanging out my friend dropped the bomb on me.

He has secretly been seeing someone and hadn't told anyone as he wanted to see how it went. I was excited for him! He has told his immediate family who it is, and told his extended family he is seeing someone but not who yet. Again, excited! Until he told me who it was.

It is a girl I babysat. She just turned 18 this week, but apparently they've been dating for 2 months. Her parents were aware (which in hindsight make sense why there were asking me about my friend a lot and why they mentioned her "growing up" and "getting a guy" in the same sentence- also, his and her family have known each other for a few years, meanwhile I've known her family my whole life) and they approved it (I verified later with them, and they gave the ok before she was 18). I felt sick.

I'm not sure what exact order happened next as it was a blur. I believe the order went me saying I thought I would be sick, my friend getting mad and yelling, and then me having a panic attack. However the panic attack could have come before the yelling. I had a panic attack because I have had adults take advantage of me when I was younger, and he knows this, and he knows I do NOT approve of those things at all.

My bf came home and obv was confused and protective of me. My friend got kicked out and I told my bf what happened after I calmed. He was also disgusted. I feel sick remembering when my friend had a crush on me, but he had never made any advances. My friend has always dated his age or women older then him.

This was last week. This past thurs (so four days later) I happened to run into his aunt and cousin at the store. They asked how I felt. I tried at first to just be all "my opinion doesn't matter. Good for him" just to get them out of my hair. They kept asking me. The cousin asked if I knew who it was. I must make it clear that I knew they had no clue who it was. They kept pestering me about it and I told them to drop it, but tjeh didn't. Finally the cousin asked if I had feelings for my friend. I blew up as they had been following me around the store. I told them "I dont give a fuck. I think he's a creep for dating someone still in high school."

Aunt was outraged. At him. Not me. Aunt had zero clue. Cousin was shocked. When I got home his other cousin from his uncle (not the same immediate fam) texted me asking if my friend was dating someone underage was true or not. I said she just turned 18 and left it at that.

I ignored it and was going to have a nice dinner with my bf when my phone blew up with calls and texts from my friend. I got called a bitch, a liar, etc. He was irate that I stole this and told his family. He claimed that I should have known better because I was outed as bi and how thst hurt me and he comforted me, I was hurting him the same. I told him it wasn't the same. He called me a ton of other names. My bf blocked him on my phone. I then got a text from the girl and she said "Aunt (she called me aunt because I babysat so often) I am super sad you did this. We won't be able to enjoy our relationship. You have hurt me personally".

That is where I wonder if I am the ahole. Apparently the extended family is pissed. I am pissed. But I have a pit in my stomach wondering if I did the right thing or not, because this girl MY NIECE (not by blood) is distraught. So AITA?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole #grooming cw

[darkmasterofcupcakes]

I think Abel at least always knew that Adam named Vaggie.

Do you use my suggestion that Abel usually call her Maria? If yes, there's serious potential for wholesome because he does that explicitly because he know Vaggie is a name that draw a decent number of mockery, and this help set up why Abel accept her as his sister when the reveal is done.

Though I'm pretty sure Abel and Seth definitely confronted not only their parents but Lute and Sera , because that should have been revealed to them earlier and not by Cain.

The way you describe Cain make me wonder, did he felt awful about how he revealed the connection? Because I can visualize teenage Vaggie crying before storming out of the party, and considering that Cain had known her since she was a baby, the characterization of CWF Human Cain make me think he likely felt awful once he realize he shattered the world of his teenage half-sister, especially since there's no ways Cain wouldn't have asked his mother on the matter, so by the point of the birthday party, even if he doesn't like this fact, he definitely would have known for a few years at least that his mother had no intentions to return with his father even before Adam and Lute first slept together.

He definitely did know that Adam named her. He couldn't help but ask about her name, because it was rather...unique, and was just told that Lute let Adam pick her name to thank him for helping her out when she first got pregnant, both by letting her stay with him for a while, and then convincing Sera to both find her a job and let her live with her until Lute could get a place of her own.

The truth is that what Abel calls her - Maria - was actually what Lute planned to make the baby's first name, once she came to the realization that she really wanted to keep and raise the baby for herself. But when Adam showed up at the hospital and pointed out that the staff wouldn't even let him into the NICU to see their daughter, much less hold her, because Lute refused to name him as the father on the birth certificate, she allowed Adam to choose the baby's name, and she'd make Maria the middle name instead.

Of course, when she saw what he put for the name, she immediately made it clear that she wasn't pronouncing it the way she knew Adam intended - but Adam was fine with that as long as she didn't take back the promise to let him chose the name. And that's how Vaggie got her name in this version of events.

Abel and Seth absolutely confront basically all the adults who actively covered up the truth once they knew. Seth partly does so on Vaggie's behalf, because due to them being so close growing up, he was pretty much always aware of how much it kind of bothered her that she just....didn't have a dad at all.

In this AU, Cain does feel pretty awful for how he revealed the truth to Vaggie, even if he tries his best to downplay how bad he feels about it. He is still kind of an asshole in general, but even he feels bad when he sees just how much him just blurting out to everyone the fact that Adam was her father - and so many of the adults they were closest to knew and just never told them - pretty much completely shattered Vaggie's whole life. Especially when he found out about her effectively becoming a bit of a runaway, refusing to go home for a while and trying to avoid Lute as much as she could.

#Hazbin Hotel #Vaggie #Lute #Adam #Abel #Cain #Seth #Hazbin Vaggie #Hazbin Lute #Hazbin Adam #Hazbin Cain #Hazbin Abel #Hazbin Seth #Vaggie is a Guitarspear Baby AU #Cradle Will Fall #Human AU

[tihgnari]

ꕤ 05. nice meeting you

tw: none / wc: 1k

"ah shit," you mutter below your breath as you stand by the threshold, staring at ayaka's figure walking down the hallway. you would've barreled down after her if you weren't so hyper aware of her older brother's presence sitting cross-legged on one end of the couch, scrolling through his phone.

his indifference makes you want to crawl inside a dark hole. maybe he's heard all the hushed "don't leave me alone with him!" and "it'll be awkward!" lines you said to ayaka no matter how much you tried to keep your voice down.

well, you sure hope he didn't.

you purse your lips, trying to hype yourself up and giving yourself a mini pep talk before you gently shut his apartment door close. this'll be okay. it'll be fine. it was just one kiss. we were both drunk and he was probably too tired yesterday to even remember me, right?

as soon as you step into the living room, ayato turns his head towards you with a small smile on his face. he pockets his phone.

"i'm guessing ayaka went down for the pizza?" you nod. he hums thoughtfully. "well, you're our guest, after all. it'll be improper to make you fetch it yourself."

you settle on the other end of a couch, sitting an arm's length away from him, completely unlike last night where personal space was a concept you both didn't know–thighs touching, his hands on your jaw, your arms around his neck, and your lips–

whether or not ayato remembers, you can't say. his face is too unreadable. are all business students this way?

silence slowly engulfed you both.

what should you say? what should you talk about? the weather? now, that's too cliché. what's his major? what's his year? but ayaka told you all those things already. is it hard being the prestigious and ever powerful kamisato group's heir? ah, that's a tad too personal, isn't it?

oh. right. you can just introduce yourself!

"uhm, nice to meet you. i'm yn."

"ayato," he offered you a hand to shake, and you took it, butterflies fluttering around your stomach over how soft and big his hand was compared to yours. "uh, this may sound weird but… have we met before?"

OH, FUCK. ABORT MISSION!

"n–o?" your voice cracks. you clear your throat. "no? haha, i don't think we have?"

"oh, i'm sorry! it must still be jet lag…"

he laughs and you swear to become a good person until the day you die if it means rising to heaven because you know for sure that's the sound one hears when you enter god's promised land.

"nah, don't worry about it! i get that quite a lot. i guess that's what happens when you have a generic face haha."

ayato opens his mouth as if wanting to say something before eventually shutting it close again.

"so, yn," hot damn he sounds so perfect when saying my name. "i heard you're part of the student council, right? what's your position then?"

any position you want.

you want to scream.

"i'm, uh, their s–secretary."

"i see. ever since ayaka became president?"

"yup. so it's been… almost two years? the students seem to be fond of ayaka. she got re-elected and won as president again this year," you steal a glance, only to quickly look away when you find his eyes already on you. "i'm just lucky i got appointed."

"quite fascinating, really."

your brows unconsciously furrow. is he somehow implying that you don't deserve the position or something? its 'fascinating' that you got appointed?

as if reading your thoughts, ayato suddenly turns to you with widened eyes.

"oh, no! i'm not implying anything negative about my sister appointing you or anything. i mean it's fascinating that in other universities–like the one i previously went to for the exchange program–vote for the whole council selectively. meanwhile here, they just vote for the president and let them choose the rest of their council."

"do you want to know a secret?" you smile. "it wasn't actually always like that. i heard the deans agreed to make it this way five years ago when the pres and vp got into this huge fight. they say it was inevitable considering they hated each other and it kinda sorta maybe led to the doom of their whole council? it was crazy and…" you stop, feeling your cheeks heat up. "i'm sorry, i was rambling."

he laughs and you can't help but stare. "hey, i mean as long as you're letting me in on the gossip, right?"

ayaka finally arrives with her hands filled with two boxes of pizza, placing them down on the coffee table. as she flipped the top open ayato receives a phone call and quickly makes his way to the front door.

"yeah, okay… no, i still know where that is… i'll meet you at the entrance? alright, see you there."

only now did you notice he's dressed to go outside. with an all-black ensemble of a turtle neck paired with an unzipped fur hoodie that probably costs more than your total living expenses over the past three years of being a college student–if the subtle louis vuitton monogram all over the fabric was anything to go by.

"you're leaving?" ayaka asks before taking a bite of the pizza, looking over her shoulder.

ayato nods, eyes busy typing messages on his phone. "yeah. childe invited me to go bar hopping with him, kaeya, and itto. do you still have the keys for the lexus?"

aw, he's leaving already?

you see the incredulous look on ayaka's face before throwing the car keys over to him and ayato caught it effortlessly.

"thanks."

"why not bring that new ride instead?" she asks.

"well, i think i wanna put that new mclaren on display for a little while longer. anyway, feel free to take whatever car you want as a ride home."

ayaka rolls her eyes and you would've thought she was annoyed if it hadn't been for the amused smile on her face.

"alriiight, whatever. just be home at 12am."

"great work, sis, you're starting to sound more like mom," he grimaces, turning around to slip on his shoes by the front door.

ayato stops halfway, as if he had forgotten something, before turning around, eyes meeting yours and for some reason, you can't avert it.

maybe it had been a trick of the light but he looked pleased to finally catch and hold your gaze.

"it was nice meeting you, yn."

LOWKEY » previous : masterlist : next

a kamisato ayato social media au

summary — it was only recently you found out kamisato ayaka was, in fact, not an only child after all! seeing ayato for the first time gave you the severest case of the butterflies but according to ayaka, he’s off limits, especially to you as her most treasured friend. well, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt, right?

notes — here's a picture of ayato's jacket btw

🏷 i. @rinrinchin @nejibot @mich-cola @viiolettee @katsumikumo @kaz3yo @starryeyedkoko @xingqiusliegee @cherri-bomb-ash @et3rn4lp4rad15e @boxdisappeared @lovelyycherries @ferumie @m1kotsu @love6cks @yukanazz @luvvmeilin @blackberri-jelli @moonlightbqe @kazooms @tricethecharm @lynnforever @kaedear @xiaoisahawtie @crowbird @apotatouwu @xinii @euryrue​ @aequha​ @nuttytani @plinkuro @choco-rei @aixaingela @milesluvrrad @windasteriaa @cherrytomato2 @zannivrs @k4miyato @eishtar @wccycc @ceylestia @sweet-almonds @ayatobro @animewolflover278 @queenaveryrules @veyu002 @ittakestw0totango @ventis-dandelion @ventis-dandelion @adeptusx @x-xxiaos

#genshin imagines #ayato kamisato imagines #kamisato ayato smau #genshin smau #genshinimpact smau #genshin impact x you #genshin impact x y/n #genshin impact x reader #genshin x you #genshin x reader #genshin x y/n #ayato kamisato x reader #ayato kamisato x y/n #ayato kamisato x you

[katana-no-neko]

Call Me By My Name

Chapter 2 | ao3

"Hello!" Natsu cried to his new friend, diving into the lake they'd promised just yesterday to meet at again. Still in his dragon body, he swam to shore, shaking the bulk of the water off of him and letting his naturally high heat take care of the rest. "You're here!" he shouted excitedly, becoming human mid-leap and tumbling over to the fae. She was sitting on a mossy rock, in the middle of braiding her hair.

"Hi, Natsu! You're wearing clothes today," she teased with a giggle.

He nodded. "Yup! As long as I put some on in my human form, they stay there!"

"How convenient," she smiled, then hesitated. "I... Never gave you my name yesterday."

"Oh you don't hafta give me your name! I know you guys keep them secret like we do."

She shook her head as her ears twitched nervously. "You should still have something to call me by. I'm... Lucy."

Natsu grinned. "Lucy... It's pretty! It suits you!"

She smiled shyly, running a hand through her hair, continuing to work the strands together. "Thank you," she said with a light flush.

"Of course! So how are you today? Did you sleep well? I couldn't stop thinking about you, I was so excited to visit again today..." Natsu continued chattering on, Lucy chiming in where needed, as he watched Lucy methodically braid her hair together. Her hair was so lovely - the color of gold. But something about her pulled him in far more than the vast horde at home. "Can I do that?" he suddenly asked, fingers itching to touch her strands.

"Hm?" She flushed a little deeper as she realized he wanted to do her hair. "Ah, sure! Do you know how to braid?"

He nodded eagerly, sitting up behind her and pulling her golden strands together to run his fingers though them. "Yeah! I braid my sister's hair sometimes!"

"Your sister?"

"Mmhm! Wendy - not her true name." he confirmed as he separated her hair into three locks again. "She's about ten years younger than me. Inherited mom's sky magic." Lucy gave a slight shiver when Natsu's unusually warm hand brushed the shell of her ear, deft fingers starting the new braid.

"Dragons have different kinds of magic?" Lucy asked, curious about the creatures she'd never had the opportunity to really learn about.

"Yup! There's all sorts of dragon magic types! There's fire and sky, iron, light, shadow..." Lucy smiled as Natsu excitedly listed out all the dragon magic he was aware of. "What kinda magic do you think *I* have, Lucy? I'll give you a hint, it's the best kind," he asked, proudly.

Lucy laughed, then thought back to the little time they'd already spent together for clues. His dragon scales had glimmered pink and red in the sunlight as he'd dove into the clearing, but Lucy wasn't sure if the color of his scales equated to his magic at all. What else? Well, there was the way he had near-instantly dried after coming from the lake, which pointed to something with heat, like fire - the magic he had listed first.

His hot hand grazed her back. Lucy determined there was only one kind of magic that would make his body heat so high.

"Fire," she answered confidently.

"Yeah! You're right!" He let go of part of her hair to put his palm out ahead of her and display a small flame. "You're so smart, Lucy!" She smiled, thanking him as he pulled his hand back to continue working. "I got it from my dad - he's a fire dragon, too. The strongest one ever! He's trained me in magic and combat since I was a kid; everything I know came from him," he smiled wistfully. "I'll definitely beat him some day though, become the strongest myself!" Lucy giggled at his certainty, making another grin stretch across Natsu's face. "I told you about my magic, do you wanna tell me a little about yours? You don't have to, I'm just curious how it works is all."

"Okay..." Lucy started. She supposed if they continued their friendship, it was good for him to understand her magic, even if she never planned to let it affect him. "You know that fae can control you using your true name. What they're doing is taking hold of your very soul, because your soul is attached to your full first name - the name your parents give you when you're born to bind your spirit to the earth," she explained. He nodded, that was something he was well aware of. Growing up, his parents and the other dragons had grilled into him the importance of keeping his first name a secret. His mom, dad, and himself were the only ones that knew it, and he only knew his own. He and his sister didn't even know each other's. "Once one knows your true name, they can invoke it with a command at any time, and your soul is compelled to listen. The fae's emotions and will is sent to you. If you're physically able to, you will do what the fae commands." Lucy shivered, hating the level of power her nature gave her. "I've been told when a fae learns someone's name, that person feels a constant pull to the fae, like a chain."

"So that's why you got so worried when you thought I'd say my true name..." he responded.

"Mhm. Even if I never commanded you, you'd still feel attached to me, constantly." Natsu hummed his understanding. "But it goes the other way, too. If a fae's true name is discovered, the fae can be commanded, too."

"Ohhh, no wonder you keep them secret! I've always kinda wondered, no one ever mentioned that part to me."

"Yeah," she confirmed. "But if it was as simple as that, fae wouldn't be so dangerous. Our aura compels others to let their guard down, so that a fae can more easily trick them into revealing their true name. I'm told that even if someone is wary, our magic prevents them from truly mistrusting a fae in their vicinity, unless that person has a particularly strong spirit."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that with me," Natsu declared. "I trust you and I like you, but it's not because of some 'aura'."

Lucy smiled. "I'm glad. Because I trust you and like you, too."

Natsu grinned, his heart light at her words, ecstatic about this new friendship. "And... I'm done!" Natsu announced, pulling the last few twists of her braid together and tying it with the blue ribbon she'd already handed him.

Lucy stood up, running her hand along the braid. It was messier than it typically would be when she did it herself, but the fact that someone had wanted to do it for her gave her a smile. She twirled on her feet, letting her skirt and hair briefly spiral around her. "Thank you, Natsu," she grinned, as he stared in awe of the way the sunlight sparkled on her. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn she was glowing.

A loud growl from his stomach tore him out of his reverie.

"Ha, I guess I forgot to eat breakfast this morning." Natsu and Lucy laughed. "You wanna go eat?" he asked, and the hopeful smile on his face was hard to deny.

"Of course," Lucy responded, and then her eyes widened. "Wait, you're not gonna just catch something and grill it with your breath, are you!?"

Natsu chuckled. "Aw, what's wrong with that?" he teased. "No, I know that's a little 'unrefined' to non-dragons. There's a town nearby, we can get something there!"

"There is? I've been in this area a little bit now and as far as I'm aware, there's nothing for miles."

"Yeah, there's- wait where *have* you been staying??" he questioned, suddenly concerned for his friend.

She gestured into the woods. "There's an abandoned cabin a little ways in. A few magic items from home and it's as comfortable as I need it to be," she smiled. "And merchants travel through all the time, I pick up necessities from them. The ones who'll work with a fae, anyway." When Natsu's concerned frown didn't let up, she continued. "Hey, I'm okay. I've been traveling a while," she said, flexing her arm. "I can take care of myself. Now, the town?"

His eyes lit up. "Oh yeah! You're right, there's not one for several miles, but," he chuckled and shifted into his dragon. "A few miles is nothin' when you're flying."

Her mouth gaped as she stared at his form, taken in by his beauty and might but also shocked by his suggestion. "Natsu, do you hear yourself!? I can't ride you!"

"Why not?" he asked, genuinely.

"Well, what if I'm too heavy, or can't hold on? What if I hurt you? And have you ever carried someone before?"

"Of course I have!" He responded. "Well... No, we don't really carry people... But it'll be fun!" He gave her the grin that was so familiar already, even though it was currently created with the sharper teeth of a dragon. Lucy weighed the options, but ultimately - it did sound really fun.

"I suppose we can try it... But fly slowly! And low!"

"Sure, sure!" He exclaimed as he crouched to the ground to make it easier for Lucy, his dragon back reaching her shoulders when he stood straight. Placing a hesitant hand on his side, she was shocked by the relative smoothness of his fiery scales. They had a roughness to them, certainly, but they weren't sharp as she might have expected. She carefully clambered on, using his offered shoulder to help pull herself onto him.

"Where... How should I sit?" She asked, gingerly resting in the divot of his spine. "How do you want me to hold on?"

He craned his neck back to look at her as best he could. "The way you're sitting now is comfy for me if it is for you! And you can wrap your arms around my neck!"

"If you're sure," she responded, adjusting herself to do just that. Lucy was in awe of the way his body rumbled under her as he spoke, the strength but security it evoked gave her a sense of ease that she couldn't explain. And in the next second when he laughed, it was that much more comforting.

"You ready? Hang on!" He shouted, standing up, raising his wings into the air and trotting toward an emptier space. "Alright yet, Lucy?" She nodded and squeaked a 'yes', holding tightly onto him. Natsu grinned, and then flapped his wings. Lucy gasped and closed her eyes, ducking her head down to avoid the force of the gust his wings created as they slowly rose into the air. Natsu snickered as he felt her tighten her hold, and tried to fly much slower and steadier than he typically did, not wanting to scare or harm the precious friend on his back.

Getting some distance from the ground, his wings adjusted to catch the air. With the constant flapping finished, Lucy hesitantly opened her eyes.

"Wow!" she shouted, sitting up and taking in the view. They weren't incredibly high, Natsu heeding her request from before, but she was still much further from the ground than she ever had been. Natsu laughed and circled the clearing to test her further comfort, just above the height of the trees. Lucy carefully leaned out, caressing his neck to get his attention. Turning his head slightly, Natsu grinned widely when he saw her own smile. "This is amazing!" she told him.

"Isn't it!?" he cried. "You wanna go higher!?"

"Yes!"

Natsu gave a mighty flap with his large wings, shooting them higher in the air. Lucy screamed with both glee and alarm, clinging to his body tightly as she closed her eyes again, thankful her hair was braided or it would have become a tangled nest. Lucy felt her ears pop as Natsu took them above the clouds. "Look, Lucy!" he cried, straightening his wings to glide.

Lucy sat up and loosened her grip as they steadied on the wind, grinning wider as she looked out at the beautiful blue sky surrounding them. She put her hand through a cloud as they passed it, surprised to find it full of moisture and not near as fluffy as it appeared. "I never could have dreamed of doing this!" she shouted, patting his neck again, appreciating the warmth his body provided in the chill air. "Thank you, Natsu!"

Natsu gave a loud, happy roar, his excitement bubbling out of him. Just a couple days ago, he would never have considered carrying someone on his back like this, but now that he knew Lucy, he yearned to carry her around the entire world, every single day. It didn't matter that he couldn't twirl and dart like he so often did as he flew, because having Lucy there gave him all the energy and adrenaline he could want.

#nalu #nalu fanfiction #fanfiction #call me by my name

[jjkeverlast]

congratulations ugh!!💖💖💖

for the request: I'd like it if you can write a drabble with the dialogue (it's from the list of prompts u mentioned : angst, as I'm a sucker for it 🙂)

“You can cut me, bruise me and skin me alive, but you will not take her from me.”

any member from the hyung line ;)

pure galaxies | ksj

-> pairing seokjin x f.reader

-> genre best friends brother!au, cabin trip!au, secret relationship, angst angst angst

-> summary taehyung wasn't supposed to find out on your annual cabin trip, that you were hopelessly in love with seokjin, someone who's in the zone of 'do-not-date.'

-> word count 586

-> warnings age gap!! (reader is a few years younger) | taehyung is close to fighting jin | no happy ending (lmfao i'm cruel)

-> author's note ahhh baby thank you for requesting, I'M SO LATE I KNOW. but yeah, here it is. short and heavy because why not hahahah

prompt is marked in bold and i do not have taglists to requests! thank you <3

You were certain that Taehyung wouldn't find you here, which is why you had agreed with Seokjin to take a stroll in the near forest besides the cabin, to have some time for yourselves.

Dating in secret was hard, but with Seokjin it just happened. Naturally. As if it was always supposed to happen between you two, despite Taehyung making it clear that his best friend was off limits. Not only did it create such a strained tension between the three of you, but it involved secrets and the guilt was starting to surpass the surface.

And sooner or later, Taehyung was bound to find out his little sister was seeing his best friend. Secrets can't be held forever, you just weren't expecting for it to happen on this trip.

The pain in Taehyung's voice is evident, cutting right through you.

"How the fuck could you?! That's my little sister." Taehyung pulls Seokjin by the collar towards him, rage seeking through his eyes as he stared him down.

"Taehyung..." Seokjin's voice is laced with guilt, letting Taehyung scream at him while you're stuck in your place.

"No! You promised me, Jin. You fucking promised." He lashes out, letting go of Seokjin's collar, making him stumble slightly.

The worst is that Taehyung doesn't even seem mad, he's disappointed. You're aware of how bad the situation is, after all the two closest people beside him, lied to him, betrayed him for months.

“Listen, Taehyung, it just happened. I fell in love with her, you can’t change that. I’m sorry. I know I hurt you, disappointed and betrayed you but please, you have to understand that it just happened.” Seokjin explains, moving towards you as he can sense how much pain you’re starting to gain the longer you stand. 

“Fuck you. I’m leaving. Y/N, come on.” Taehyung grabs your wrist with zero warning, beginning to pull you back to the entrance of the cabin. 

“Taehyung, what are you doing?” 

“If you both want me to someday forgive you for this, you’ll stop this immediately. Jin, if I see you near my sister, I won’t apologize for what I’ll do.” It’s a clear threat, and you wish there was a way out, that everything had sorted out differently but it doesn’t seem to be going this way. 

“No. Absolutely not.” Jin grabs your waist, making Taehyung turn. 

“What?” 

“I said no, Taehyung. You can cut me, bruise me, and skin me alive, but you will not take her from me.’’ He’s persistent, something you always found yourself swoon over. Seokjin had a lot of bravery, which showed when it was needed but now? You’re not sure it’s the right thing to say or do. 

“Jin, it’s okay.” You finally have the courage to speak. 

“W-what?” Jin hadn’t expected such an answer from you, not after everything you’ve been through. 

“It’s better this way… We should stop.” Every word is a lie, you just can’t lose Taehyung. You have to sacrifice someone, or else this whole situation will turn upside down and you’ll lose both of them. 

“Y/N… you can’t.” Seokjin’s eyes begin to glisten, tears prickling at the edges and you decide to look down on the golden leaves, knowing it’ll break your heart even more seeing him like this. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Taehyung receives your signal, returning to his tugging on your wrist, but this time there’s no one stopping you. Seokjin is standing where he is, watching you leave him. 

The only remaining thing left are memories. 

© jjkeverlast 2023 [do not copy, translate or repost any of my works.]

#bts seokjin #seokjin angst #jin #bts jin #jin fic #jin angst #jin fanfic #bts fanfic #bts fan fiction #bts fic #jin bts #jin x reader

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Chapter Seven

Rainy Night

Warnings: it's mostly just hurt/comfort

Word Count: 4566

  Shortly after the Hashira meeting, Tanjiro was cleared to head home by Tamayo. What would've taken a normal human to recover from the blood loss and severe pain-which would've taken a few days or even weeks-was only a fraction of the recovery time Tanjiro needed. This is due him being a half-demon of course.

  "Thank you so much for taking care of me and my sister, Miss Tamayo." Tanjiro bowed politely as he stood at the entrance of the Butterfly Estate. Nezuko was holding his hand and bowed as well. "No need to thank me." Tamayo said warmly as she waved her hand. "I should be the one thanking you. You've done so much for both me and Yushiro." Yushiro stayed by her side and nodded, agreeing.

  Tanjiro returned with a warm smile. "I just felt like you two deserved a better life. So, make sure to enjoy it the best you can!" His voice was sharp with determination. Tamayo nodded and bowed. "We will! Have a great day, Tanjiro!" The couple waved as the Kamado siblings walked out of the estate and hit the road.

  "Should we head back to our home?" Tanjiro turned to Nezuko. During his time as a demon slayer, Tanjiro did his best to save up his money to buy both him and his sister a warm, safe home. He was able to afford a small house that was in between the Butterfly Estate and where the Infinity Castle was located now. It wasn't much, but it gave them everything they needed. "Sure!" Nezuko said excitedly. "I do have some projects I want to show you."

  "That's great! I can't wait to see them!" Tanjiro smiled with warmth and love. The walk back home was calm and tranquil. A moment like this was rare for a demon slayer, so the siblings treasured these moments whenever they occurred. They walked across the dirt path, looking out over the golden valley. Tanjiro looked up at the fiery, yet cloudy, sky and hummed. "It's getting late."

  By the time the Kamados got to their house, the sun had almost completely set and the clouds started to rumble and flash with light. "Hmm, looks like it's going to rain." Nezuko watched the lightning dance in the clouds. "We better get inside then." Tanjiro quickly ushered his sister into the small house.

  The two siblings sighed in relief when they finally entered their home. It looked very similar to the one they lived in when they were kids. Tanjiro wasn't really aware of that fact when he bought it, so his subconscious must've known it. The white walls and the light brown floors provided great comfort for the siblings.

   They had bought and installed a fireplace that was placed against the right side of the main room. Tanjiro even bought rocking chairs-that were put in front of the fireplace-for both him and his sister. Ultimately though, they lived a pretty simple lifestyle. "Alright Nezuko." Tanjiro turned to his sister. "Lead the way."

  Nezuko giggled as she took her brother's hand. She led him through the white walled hallways all the way to her bedroom. "Wait here." She said excitedly. Nezuko then entered her room. Tanjiro could hear her fumbling around with some of her things, seemingly trying to find something. "No..Not it..Aha! Found it!"

  It was only a few minutes later when Nezuko emerged. Her outfit looked like the exact same out that she used to wear, but..she was in her awakened form! Nezuko smiled at her brother as she swayed her arms. "I made this to better cover myself when I'm in this form. It makes me feel more comfortable using it. Do you like it?"

  Tanjiro smiled sweetly. "I love it, Nezuko. You look really pretty." Nezuko couldn't help but grin and fidget with the sash on her kimono. "Thank you!" Something then popped up in her mind. "Oh! Hang on a second, brother." Nezuko then ran back into her room, so Tanjiro waited patiently.

  Nezuko then came out with a large, fluffy blanket draped over her shoulders. It dragged on the floor due to its sheer size. The pattern on the top resembled the night sky. Swirls of purple, blue, and black gave the blanket a comforting feel. Plus, the small white spots-meaning to resemble stars-tied the whole piece together. It was like a work of art. Perfectly executing just how talented Nezuko was.

  "Wow.." Tanjiro was in awe. "That looks amazing, Nezuko!" He put a hand on the pudgy blanket. It felt as soft as silk. "And it's soft too!" Nezuko smiled with glee. "Thank you. It's meant to help keep someone warm during the winter. That's why it's so bulky. I have to finish up some of the seams, but it's almost done!" She looked at the blanket, then back at her brother. "I just don't know who to give it to."

  Tanjiro hummed and tilted his tilt. "Don't worry. We'll find someone! Just enjoy what you've made until you find someone to give it to." Nezuko nodded. She went up to her brother and hugged him tightly. Due to Tanjiro's new height-which was measured to be 6'7" by Shinobu-he managed to be taller than Nezuko in her awakened form. Tanjiro wrapped his arms around her as well. He even swung her around, causing her to giggle like a child.

  Tanjiro set her down after a few seconds. He then sniffed the air, catching a rather expected scent. "It's raining and it's coming down rather hard." Nezuko looked up at the ceiling that was sheltering them from the unforgiving weather. "Good thing we made it inside when we did."

  Tanjiro nodded then looked down at her. "Does Udon sound good for dinner? I think it sounds perfect for a rainy night." Nezuko grinned and nearly jumped up and down. "Yes! Yes! Your cooking is great!" Tanjiro chuckled at his sister's enthusiasm and pet her on the head. "Good thing I learned how to cook from Aoi then. Alright! I'm on it!"

  "Damn it, brother! How did we get lost?!" Daki growled as she tried her best to block the rain with her obi sashes. "Don't ask me! Now that the Infinity Castle has a set location, we can't ask the biwa lady to take us there." Gyutaro also tried to use his body to defend his sister from the pouring rain.

  The duo had been trying to find the Infinity Castle since they were revived. Gyutaro originally asked Tanjiro where it was, but the answer that he got didn't really clear things up. He was told that the castle was located where the master's old mansion was. Unfortunately, Gyutaro figured that they might run into another Hashira on their way there. Especially since they might be trying to monitor the half-demons' activities, so he didn't ask for any further directions.

  This of course turned out to be a big mistake. Both of the siblings were extremely exhausted and hungry and now..they were stuck out here in the pouring rain. "This is just great." Daki grumbled as she trudged through the mud. "It's alright. I'll try to find us somewhere for shelter." Gyutaro's voice was faulty and weak. Daki shook her head. "There's not even a cave in sight! Where are we supposed to take shelter?"

  Both of the siblings looked up to see a decently sized house. There was a light that could be seen through the sliding doors. Daki looked entranced, but Gyutaro only snarled. "Don't get your hopes up, Ume. No one is going to help us." Daki looked up at her brother and sighed heavily. "Just the story of our lives."

  Tanjiro was boiling the noodles in the noodle basket that was given to him by Aoi. He had already boiled two eggs for him and his sister and he also set out tempura flakes and togorashi spices. Despite all the colorful scents from the spices, Tanjiro was still able to pick up two strange, yet familiar scents.

  "Hey, Nezuko." Tanjiro called out to his sister. She peeked her head around the corner. "Could you watch over these noodles for a second?" Nezuko nodded and walked up to him. "Sure. Is something wrong?" She asked with a bit of concern. "I'm not sure." Tanjiro said honestly. He walked over to the entrance of their household, opened the door slightly, and peered outside.

  There he saw the Shabana siblings trudging through the mud and rain, eyes widening with guilt. Tanjiro opened the door completely. "Hey! What are you two doing out here? You're getting soaked!" Tanjiro called out to them. The Shabana siblings turned to face him, confused. Neither of them fully trusted him yet, especially Daki. So they didn't know what he wanted from them.

  "Come inside!" Tanjiro gestured for them to come inside the house. Daki looked at her brother. "Should we trust him?" She sounded both nervous and a bit aggressive. "It's better than staying out here, isn't it?" Gyutaro asked. Daki huffed, knowing he was right. A loud explosion from the sky startled her and she quickly started to run to the house with Gyutaro following behind her.

  Mud covered the floor as the two ran into the house. Tanjiro shut the door behind them. "Are you two alright?" He asked with concern, placing a hand on Gyutaro's shoulder. The siblings said nothing as they tried to catch their breath. Nezuko peeked her head around the corner to see what was going on. Her eyes widened when she saw them. This wasn't out of fear though, she was just surprised to see them.

  "We're fine." Daki hissed. "Just lost." Gyutaro stretched his arms. "We couldn't find the Infinity Castle," Tanjiro covered his mouth with his hand. "I'm sorry. I probably should've given you a map." Daki shook her head. "We didn't want to go the traditional way. There could've been a Hashira there!" Tanjiro raised an eyebrow. "There weren't any Hashira there."

  "There weren't?!" The Shabana siblings yelled angrily. Tanjiro only nodded in response. "Great! This is just great!" Daki huffed in aggravation. "We could've just asked for directions!" Gyutaro scratched his neck as he listened to his sister. "Yeah..I should've just asked."

  "There's no need to beat yourselves up about it." Tanjiro interjected. "We all make mistakes. You two could stay here tonight if you'd like. I could even lead you to the Infinity Castle in the morning." The Shabana siblings looked at each other. They weren't sure if they could completely trust him. Finally, they sighed. "Just don't pull anything on us, otherwise we'll rip your throat out. Got it?" Daki growled. Tanjiro smiled despite the aggression. "It's okay. I'll make sure that you will be comfortable."

  "Hey, Nezuko." Tanjiro called his sister again. She perked her head around the corner. "I'll take care of the noodles. Can you start the bath water?" Nezuko nodded and smiled before running off to their sento. "You have your own sento?" Gyutaro asked curiously. Tanjiro nodded. "It's nothing too fancy. Since we aren't close to any towns or cities, this is just how we stay clean."

  The siblings nodded, understanding the situation. Water could be heard splashing and running while Tanjiro went back to his noodles. Luckily, the batch was pretty much done. So, Tanjiro poured the noodles into two bowls. He decided to repeat the process of making the eggs and noodles for the new guests.

  Daki tried shaking the mud off of her. "Ugh..I feel so disgusting." Gyutaro surprisingly didn't do the same. "Don't get the mud everywhere, Ume." Daki looked up at him. "Why?" Gyutaro sighed. "Because we shouldn't make then regret their choice in letting us stay." Daki huffed in annoyance. "They don't are about us."

  Gyutaro was about to make a rebuttal when Nezuko came into the room. She was carrying two towels and two elegant kimonos. One of them was hot pink with black stripes around the cuffs and edges. The other was very similar, but the pink color was swapped with black and the black stripes was changed to green. Even Daki couldn't deny that they were quite beautiful.

  "Your bath is ready." Nezuko smiled at them. "You two can pick which one goes first." Before Daki could say anything, Gyutaro already spoke up for her. "My sister can go first. She deserves to keep her cleanliness." Nezuko nodded and walked over to Daki. She gave her the pink kimono and one of the towels. "We can wash your clothes if you'd like."

  "Oh there's no need for that." Daki laughed. "Our clothes are apart of our bodies. We can manipulate them to do whatever we want. Very few demons actually wear clothes" Nezuko tilted her head curiously. "Really? I didn't know that." She smiled at them with warmth.

  "Where is the sento exactly?" Gyutaro asked, scratching his neck. Nezuko points down the hallway. "It's the farthest door to your right." The Shabana siblings nodded. "Thanks." Daki said flatly. Nezuko only hummed. "You're welcome!"

  Daki carefully walked down the hallway, trying to avoid getting mud everywhere. She looked around at her surroundings. Everything was clean and neat, providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere. It was nothing too extravagant, but it was comfortable. Daki smiled to herself as she walked into the sento.

  The sento was just was clean and tidy as everywhere else. A decently sized tube was brimming with warm water. Daki stuck her back into the soothing water. She closed her eyes and hummed softly. "Not bad, Kamados. Not bad at all."

  While Gyutaro was patiently waiting for his sister to finish, Nezuko was setting out futons for them. Both she and Tanjiro agreed that the boys would sleep in his room while the girls slept in her room. At the moment, Tanjiro was finishing up making the new batch of noodles. He hummed his mother's lullaby as he did so.

  Daki stood in the sento mirror, admiring the beautiful kimono that she was given. It was just as soft as it was pretty. The kimono managed to keep her warm and it also had another quality that she couldn't quite describe. "I'm going to have to commission the person who made this. It's just beautiful!"

  She walked out of the sento and headed back to the living room. Gyutaro smiled at her when he saw her. "Wow Ume..you look great." Daki gave him a happy smile. One that he wished he could see more often. Tanjiro finished up with the Udon and peered his heard around the doorway. "I'll go change up the water for you, Gyutaro."

  Gyutaro was just confused by his kindness. "Thank..you." Tanjiro smiled at him before going to the sento. Within a few minutes, Tanjiro came back from the sento. "It's all ready!" Gyutaro then headed to where Nezuko had pointed to before. All of this felt rather odd to Gyutaro. He couldn't believe that the Kamado siblings were treating them with that much kindness. Especially with what happened at the Entertainment District.

  In the end, Gyutaro just shrugged it off as a ploy to get him and his sister to do whatever they wanted. So he kept his guard up. Gyutaro entered the sento and breathed in the steamy air. For some reason, this was..refreshing. He had never felt this sensation before. "What the-?" Gyutaro then peered down into the water of the tub and became mesmerized.

  Tanjiro was cleaning up the mud in the hallway when he saw Gyutaro. The door was still open, so he was able to see the frankly beautiful scene. All Gyutaro was doing was dipping his hand into the warm water and playing with the ripples. Despite this being a rather simple act, it spoke miles to Tanjiro of how this poor demon grew up. He could see how fascinated Gyutaro was by the water and how it calmed him. Tanjiro smiled to himself as he got up, went over to the door, and quietly shut the door.

  It took quite a while for Gyutaro to finish up. When he did, he looked like he was in another plane of existence. Gyutaro felt-for the first time in his life-clean and taken care of. He gripped the front of the kimono he was wearing. The soft material provided great comfort and warmth to him as he walked out to the living room.

  Everyone turned to look at him when he came in. "You look like a kid in a candy shop." Daki smirked. Gyutaro only hummed in response as he sat down next to his sister. Tanjiro and Nezuko smiled at the two of them as the older one of the two stood up. "I've actually made food for all of us, so I hope you like it."

  Tanjiro went to the kitchen to gather the Udon. Daki and Gyutaro looked at each other nervously. They hoped that it wasn't contaminated. Tanjiro came back with four bowls of Udon and chopsticks. He set down a bowl and a pair of chopsticks in front of each one of them before taking a seat himself. Both him and his sister picked up their bowls and chopsticks. "I hope you two enjoy your meal and don't worry, half-demons can eat human food."

  That wasn't exactly what the Shabana siblings were worried about. They nervously picked up their bowls, hesitant to take a bite. The Kamados took quick notice of this. "It's okay." Nezuko said reassuringly. "The food isn't poisoned." With the sound of their stomachs growing, the Shabana siblings nervously took a bite.

  To say that this was great food would be an understatement. Due to them being poor as humans and then being limited to eating humans as demons, the Shabana siblings never had a good meal. So, this was the best meal they've ever had. All the nervousness completely vanished from them as they ate their meals with a voracious appetite.

  "This is great!" Daki purred as she ate. "Do you two like the Udon?" Tanjiro tilted his head. "Like it? This is the best meal we've ever had!" Gyutaro laughed. Tanjiro smiled at them, feeling both glad and upset by their reactions. "I'm glad to hear that."

  Then it came time for them to go to bed. The rain was pouring heavily outside, creating a rather soothing sound. Gyutaro and Daki were rather nervous about being separated, but they understood why the Kamados would decide to do that. Thus, Gyutaro walked by Tanjiro's side and Daki went with Nezuko.

  Daki immediately went to her designated futon-which was right in front of the door-and climbed in it. The fabric was just as soft as the kimono she was wearing. It was purple with a lovely floral pattern on the top. She stretched her arms as Nezuko went to her futon and laid down as well.

  Truth be told, Daki was not expecting this level of kindness to come out of the Kamados. Both her and her brother expected them to try to enact revenge on them for what they did to them at the Entertainment District, yet the siblings never did. They treated them with the most kindness they have ever been given. They treated them like they were..human.

  "Hey, Nezuko." Daki said softly. Nezuko turned in her Funtime to face her. "Thank you for..letting us stay. We know it must not be easy to have us here." Nezuko sat up in her futon. "It's no problem really. We didn't want you to suffer out there." Daki smiled at her. "You're the only people who have ever done that for us."

  The room went silent for a moment as Nezuko soaked that in. "To be honest.." Daki continued. "I was more worried for my brother." Nezuko raised an eyebrow. "How come?" Daki sighed with a heavy heart. "His body is extremely sensitive to the cold. If we stayed out there for another minute, he probably would've gotten hypothermia."

  Nezuko knew that Gyutaro's skinny body not only caused him to feel insecure, but now it caused him to suffer. She wondered how much they must've suffered as humans. Nezuko then looked over at her blanket-which was hanging on a rack near the back of the room.

  Now knowing what she wanted to use it for, Nezuko got out of her futon and headed to the blanket. She slung it over her shoulder and grabbed a needle and some thread. Daki watched her curiously from her futon, wondering what she was going to do. Nezuko sat down on her futon and began to close up the final seam on the blanket.

  Daki's eyes widened. "Wait! You made that?!" Nezuko nodded. "I actually make a lot of the clothing for me and my brother. I even made the kimonoy that you and your brother are wearing." Daki instinctively touched the soft fabric of the kimono. "Wow..who would've guessed."

  Daki looked down at the floor then up at Nezuko. "They're actually really beautiful." Nezuko looked up from her work. "You think so?" Daki nodded. Nezuko smiled, feeling warm and satisfied. "Why, thank you." She then returned to her work. Daki watched curiously as Nezuko was sewing the blanket. She fiddled with her hands, wanting to ask her something.

  "Nezuko?" Nezuko looked up at Daki. "Could you..teach me how to sew? I was never taught how." Nezuko gave Daki an excited smile. "I'd love to!" She scooted both herself and the blanket closer to Daki so that she could watch. Daki paid close attention to Nezuko as she explained the different types of stitches and their different purposes. She even let Daki finish the seam when she was halfway through.

  Once they were done, the two girls stood and held the blanket up to examine their work. "It looks great!" Daki smiled to herself. Nezuko nodded in agreement. "Do you think your brother would like it?" Daki turned to her with a puzzled look. "Hm?" Nezuko looked back at the blanket. "Well, I originally had no idea who I could give this blanket to. That was, until you told me about your brother. I figured that this might help him with the coming winter.

  Daki's heart melted when she heard this. "You'd really do that for him? You worked so hard on this." Nezuko returned the smile. "He needs it. Do you think he'll like it?" Daki nodded. "He'll love it."

  While they were mending the blanket, Gyutaro was pawing at his own futon with a dreamlike smile on his face. The luxurious material wasn't like anything he had felt before. He was almost in denial that he was actually sleeping in a bed, let alone a soft and clean one!

  Tanjiro came in wearing his normal bed kimono and checkered haori. Gyutaro looked up at him and tilted his head. He couldn't believe that this boy was being so kind to him. After all they've done to them, any normal person would've just tortured them for vengeance.

  "I'm sorry if staying here made you uncomfortable." Tanjiro said sweetly. "We know that we didn't really get off in the best foot." Gyutaro widened his eyes and shook his head. "Why are you sorry? I should be the one apologizing." His voice was soft. "You two gave us good food, warm baths, and a temporary roof over our heads...even after all we've done."

  Tanjiro sat down in front of him. "I just wanted to help you." Gyutaro scratched his neck in confusion. "But why?! I don't deserve it! I only wanted to keep my sister safe, but I only made it worse.." 

  Tanjiro pointed at the half-demon. "There, right there." Tanjiro spoke with a soft and gentle voice. "That's why I started this project. Despite all the things you've done..all the unforgivable actions you've committed..I know that you are more complex beings than we have given you credit for."

  "I don't understand." Gyutaro whispered. Tanjiro grabbed a lamp and put it beside them. "Gyutaro..I've noticed and have learned quite a lot about you two while you were staying here." He looks up at Gyutaro. "You didn't have much when you were human, did you?"

  The question threw Gyutaro off quite a bit. This boy was a lot more intelligent than he thought he was. "You're quite observant." Gyutaro chuckled. "You're right..We didn't have much. Despite that, I always tried my best to make Ume happy."

  Tanjiro could feel his heart breaking as he listened to him. He stood on his knees and quickly hugged Gyutaro. "What the-?" Initially, he was very confused why he did this. Then, he let the warmth of Tanjiro's body sooth him. This was something new. No one else-other than his sister-ever embraced him like this.

  All of his pent up pain and suffering caved as Gyutaro gripped Tanjiro's haori tightly. He sobbed into the boy's shoulder, letting all of the anger and envy wash away. "It's okay. You can let your emotions out safely here." Tanjiro whispered reassuringly. "I'm so sorry for hurting you. I'm so sorry!"

  This lasted for about a minute before Gyutaro let go of Tanjiro's haori. They pulled away from each other. "Do you feel any better?" Tanjiro asked with a sweet smile. "I do..thank you." Gyutaro sniffed.

  Tanjiro knew that this was proof of everything he believed. The fact that demons were and still can be human. That demons really could be redeemed. That just a little bit of kindness can change someone's life.

  "Even though what you two did was unforgivable, you and your sister deserved better lives as humans. You didn't deserve to be treated so poorly. I'm so sorry.." Gyutaro gave Tanjiro a warm smile. "You don't need to apologize for anything. You're the only two that have ever shown us kindness."

  A knock came from the sliding door, causing them to turn their attention to it.  Nezuko and Daki then emerged from the doorway with the starry blanket draped over their shoulders. "Brother! Brother!" Daki cheered happily. "Nezuko made something for you!"

  "Oh? She did?" Gyutaro tilted his head. Daki then carried the blanket over to her brother and wrapped it around him. "She said that she wanted you to have it so you can keep yourself warm." Gyutaro looked up at the both of them as he clutched the soft, thick blanket around him. "Thank you, Nezuko. You didn't have to do this."

  Nezuko walked beside her brother. "I wanted to make sure that you would be warm during the winter. My brother and I know how cruel winter can be." Tanjiro pet her on the head, being proud of his little sister. Gyutaro lifted up his arm, making the blanket around his arm to look like a bat's wing. Daki immediately snuggled up against her brother as he wrapped the blanket around the both of them.

  "Kinda reminds me of a certain promise, huh?" Gyutaro chuckled. Daki only giggled and hugged her brother. Both Tanjiro and Nezuko smiled at the Shabana siblings. "Do you think we could be friends?" Tanjiro asked softly. The Shabana siblings both looked up at him. "I don't see why not. We could probably help you with the others." Gyutaro said as he ruffled his sister's hair. Tanjiro smiled with utter excitement. "That'd be great!"

Author's Note: This is the first sort of slice of life chapter. It's one I've been thinking about for a while and I have put a lot of effort into this. It made me cry..multiple times..probably because Gyutaro is my favorite demon, but who knows.

#half-demon! tanjiro au #demon slayer tanjiro #demon slayer nezuko #demon slayer gyutaro #demon slayer daki #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba

[algumaideia]

The scene where Nico told Percy he had a crush on him was so terrible. I mean the entire arc was a dumpster fire in my opinion, but this is one of the few aspects I can tell everything that bothered me.

Also those are just my opinions.

Nico and Percy's relationship

In my opinion the beginning of their relationship is marked by Percy's sense of responsibility for Nico. He promised he would try his best to keep Bianca alive, he saw her dying, Nico put all the blame of her death on him. Percy decided to be the child of the prophecy so Nico wouldn't be. One of the reasons Percy entered the labyrinth was because Nico was in danger. Throughout the battle of labyrinth, Percy constantly tried to help Nico, be there for him.

For Nico things were a little different. One of the few things (maybe the only thing) I think the cupid scene got right was how amazed Nico was by Percy the first time he saw him. Percy was like a fantasy hero coming to real life. He was so excited. Then it makes sense Nico would trust Bianca with Percy. Percy was a hero, he fought monsters, Nico saw him in action and he was incredible. When Percy told Nico about Bianca's death, Nico put all the bad emotions he had about his sister's death and abandonment into Percy. It was an easier way to deal with the situation. After that Minus fomented the resentment Nico felt for some time.

Basically Nico was very antagonistic towards Percy and Percy was very protective of Nico. But after Nico talked with Bianca and then processed his feelings, he and Percy bonded. Percy encouraged Nico to feel more free to be a kid, he made it clear he was on Nico's side.

I believe Percy started seeing Nico as more than a little kid to protect on his birthday when Nico came with the information about Luke. I mean, the sense of responsibility and protection was still there, but it was like Nico gained more agency in Percy's eyes?? He was more than just a child who liked cards and lost his sister. He was traveling alone in the world getting information about a war.

And I just would like to say that I'm aware that Percy wasn't really good at this thing of being there to Nico (like when Nico told Percy he didn't belong and no one wanted him and Percy was like: you're right) but Percy was also a kid.

In the last Olympian we see their relationship have a problem: Nico lied to Percy. This obviously hurt and angered him. The war was about to start and Nico made the deliberate choice to lie to Percy, to fool him. And of course that Percy, whose fatal flaw was loyalty, would have a problem with any sort of betrayal (that is why i think he should be angrier about Silena).

For Percy, their relationship couldn't go back to what it was, they needed to be apart. Percy didn't trust Nico anymore and for him that is an integral part of a relationship.

As for Nico I think he was already preparing himself for the consequences. Again, he made the deliberate choice to lie to Percy. He could've told the deal so he and Percy could come up with something together, so Percy would go to Hades voluntarily. But he didn't. So I do think Nico was ready to deal with the consequences although he didn't expect such an emotional response (or his father fooling him). I also believe that if Hades had stuck to the deal, Nico wouldn't regret his decisions. Just like what happened in the books, he would accept Percy didn't trust him and try to gain Percy's trust again.

I think in the end of pjo, their relationship was on good terms. We don't get closure, but the set up to a future where they become close friends again. Percy also asked Nico to convince Hades to help them and saw Nico courageously and fiercely doing so. Besides, when Percy, Nico, Annabeth and Rachel interact in the end they kind of feel like a team to me, like Grover, Annabeth and Percy are.

The ending was written in a way that a happy ending would be the natural progression of their relationship. Actually that was the case of everything related to Nico, his arc ended with him not being alone, deciding to be at chb, having support, and being in a place where he could deal with his trauma properly. The ending was tied with a bow in a satisfactory way at least for me.

And then hoo comes.

For me when it is about Nico and hoo, it feels like Rick killed all arcs Nico had and then spit on their graves. It is not different with Percy and Nico's relationship.

The build up pjo had and what we should have explored was their journey to be on good terms again. But no Rick decided to make Nico lie to Percy again (I don't understand Nico's behavior on son, someone please enlighten me bc it makes no sense) and cause friction on their relationship again. But in my opinion he just remade it worse (like all of the other arcs Nico had).

I don't have much more to say about their relationship because it involves the crush storyline and I'm gonna talk about it later in the post.

I just would like to end this part saying that Nico and Percy's relationship is complicated and complex. It is important and impactful for both characters, although in different ways.

The traumatic outing

My problem with the outing scene is not that Nico is outed, but how it didn't have a purpose and the impact it had on Nico wasn’t explored. 

In the Cupid scene Nico was physically assaulted, Cupid forced him to talk about his crush when he wasn’t ready in front of someone Nico didn’t want knowing about his feelings, made it look like it was Nico’s fault he was lonely, called him a coward, mocked him.

I don’t see how after an experience like that Nico would be able to talk about his feelings again without problems. It seems it was his first time talking about it and he did it while being attacked. It was obvious Nico was struggling to admit to himself he liked Percy.

After this experience I believe the weight of Nico’s crush on Percy should go heavier. The interaction with Cupid was marked by violence because Nico liked Percy and how he felt about his feelings. How could he feel secure talking about it again if even the Love god was so aggressive? 

That was just another unnecessary traumatic event Nico experienced who wasn’t written well in the story.

Nico's love for Percy

I’m aromantic and it is not like I understand much about romantic love and crushes but I guess it makes sense Nico had a crush on Percy. He was a person who was friendly, his support, nice, and well a hero, someone Nico looked up to. But I deeply dislike how the crush became such an essential part to Nico’s decisions and his relationship with Percy.

For example Hades commented how Nico talked a lot about Percy when he was trying to convince his father to help in the last olympian, and, for me at least, it is implied that Nico’s crush on Percy was a key factor on how fiercely he tried to convince Hades. And that bothers me because before it was about Nico trying to regain Percy’s trust. When Nico decided to guide the crew to the Death Doors the impression was that Nico said yes because of his crush and not because of the complicated story he had with Percy or because it was the right thing to do.

It is like the love story corrupts Percy and Nico’s relationship, at least on Nico’s side. Because, yes Percy is important to Nico, but reducing this importance to a crush diminishes their complicated story.

Percy was the first real life Greek hero Nico saw, Percy was linked to Bianca’s death and Nico’s negative feelings about it, Percy was linked to the end of Nico’s toxic relationship with Minos, Percy was linked to Nico improving his relationship with Hades. Percy was nice to Nico, supported him, and tried to help him. Percy is the only person we see Nico bonding with in pjo the rest are just off screen scenes.

Nico having a crush on Percy is not the problem, but making his relationship with him revolve around the crush is ridiculous.

Why those things make the confessing scene horrible

Considering how important Percy is to Nico, how traumatizing his outing was, how Rick tried to reframe many things to the crush, how Nico was barely able to admit to himself he liked Percy, this scene being treated as a joke is a punch in the stomach. Not only his arc of getting over Percy was terribly done, but considering all the story Nico had with Percy and all the things Rick did on hoo, it just doesn’t make sense to it be treated so lightly.

Why is Nico suddenly totally okay with talking about his crush to Percy? In public? Nico, who has a problem with rejection?? With people not wanting him?? Who had such a traumatic outing?? Why was his crush being treated as a small thing when Cupid said it was the reason Nico was lonely and didn’t stay at Camp Jupiter?? Why Nico and Percy did not even talk about the situation?? When their relationship was in such a bad place in hoo and had no closure or nothing near to it?? 

It was just such a bad way to end the arc that didn’t respect or paid off neither the things established on pjo nor on hoo.

#percy jackson #nico di angelo #hoo critical #since i'm on a break lets do an analysis #after the first part this is just bad #as we say in brazil eu perdi o fio da meada #i hope you didn't lose your time though

[figuringitoutasigoalong]

You ever feel like you're entering a season of preparation? Like, that a decision has been made, and things are being taken care of, but now you have to prepare?

Although I don't make it as obvious on here, I'm not quiet about the fact that I am a Christian. If you're friends with me, you know it. What most people don't know is that the past few years I've felt a disconnect and growing distance. Don't get me wrong, my faith never floundered! But it was like I was wrapped in something that made it hard to see and hard to move, like some sort of shroud.

At first I attributed it to grief over mother's death. Then I chalked it up to stress at work. Then I thought it was the loss of my job. It affected me enough that both my father and sister started to question if I was depressed, which, yeah, maybe I was, a little.

But in truth, while all of the above were factors for sure, at the crux of it, the main problem was, I had let myself slip in my walk with Christ. I went to church. I went to Sunday School. I sang on praise team, taught missions in VBS, showed up for things. But I wasn't connected.

A few weeks ago, I took a break from the internet. For a week, I stayed away, and focused, instead, on my relationship with God. It was a fast of sorts, where instead of thinking about God every time I was hungry, I thought about him every time I went to open Discord, or thought about mindlessly scrolling tumblr. It was honestly a very good thing for me, in so, so many ways, and it helped me reconnect. While I'm still struggling some, it made a big difference.

Last night at church, we prayed for our mission partners. Some are new churches. Some are groups. Some are just people. But during that a clear thought from my heart came across. "I wish I could do that." The moment the thought came across, so clear and articulated, I knew it was true, and it had been for a long time.

Mama always knew that one of us--my sister or me--would be a missionary of some sort. That hadn't seemed to have happened. But if I've learned anything, it's that things don't always happen when we think they should.

I have a very high loyalty to my family. I have always looked out for them, helped to take care of them, felt it was my duty to take care of my family. I've helped raise my little sister. I've been a caregiver for my mother for years at a time. I worry about leaving Dad alone.

None of my jobs have ever worked out long-term. I'm always let go or forced to resign at some point. I work, and I work hard, but I can't seem to keep a job, which is frustrating.

Today, as I was doing my prayer time, I focused for a moment on what my heart had articulated. "I wish I could do that." And that's when it occurred to me.

My sister is married with a family, and wonderful in-laws. She's taken care of.

Mom died three years ago. She's with Christ. She's taken care of.

Dad is dating a great woman, and wants to marry her. He's taken care of.

I'm not locked into a job, like I would have been, if I was still at the school and had gotten tenure.

I'm not married, I have no family of my own, and I'm not even dating.

By all accounts, I have no duties or obligations anymore that hold me in place. Yeah, I'm about to start a new job on the 8th, but it's not the same as a carrier. I'm not tied to it in the same way. Everything that would tie me down, that would keep me in place is taken care of. And this job just fell in my lap.

I don't think everything is ready yet, for whatever is coming. I think that maybe this is all a step. But God is taking care of the things that tie me down, making sure they're cared for. And He's giving me what I need for the moment. I think that I'm entering into a time of preparation. Preparation for what? I'm not sure. Something with missions. How long will I be in preparation? I don't know. Could be a day, could be a decade. I'll find out.

But I think I'm being prepared for something. And it's scary. But it's good. I just need to stay aware, and keep moving forward.

And yes, the fact that I'm realizing this during Passion Week, right before Good Friday, just before Easter, a time of dedication, change, renewal, and celebration, is not lost on me.

But God knows I enjoy some good symbolism, lol!

#Katie's strange life #faith #this is definitely something ngl

[emcant]

Can't sleep, clown behavior will get me

I wouldn't call it a nightmare per se, but just dreamed this and am shaken enough to be sleepless now:

I walk into my dad and stepmom's house, and it's suddenly circa 2002. Their garage home office is lowkey audibly buzzing because it's got late 90s computers everywhere. Everything is visibly timestamped right around then - even the packaging on their food products looks older.

Having come in cold, I find this fascinating, and am trying to tell this to my stepmom. She squints at me like I'm not making sense. Fair enough; I'm probably not. I can feel a tension build.

Then, evidently, my mom calls the landline. Stepmom and I are talking about the future, so we let it go to voice mail. Mom is irate and narcing on me because of extremely normal kid behavior, something like: we went out to dinner and I said I wasn't hungry and proceeded to not eat... which I guess was embarrassing and something I should be punished for. (Note: for the era, this would be extremely typical on her part.)

I can feel stepmom preparing to read me the riot act, not for my mother's pride but because they don't want to communicate with each other. Trying to remain calm, I ask her to please hold on, I have to take 2002 all in again. Don't we have a camera?

My dad walks into all this to jump to his wife's side and I beg him to stop, listen, and let me take photos of everything first. I'm really upset that no one's listening - no one's hearing the priorities. I plead, "Please- in twenty years the sky won't look like that anymore".

He's visibly concerned but hands me a very early digital camera and lets me go for it. I'm approximately aware I'm dreaming, and I don't know how to get these photos to 2023 me. I make my dad swear he'll try.

-

When I moved out for good, it was into a film program, where I ultimately learned the hows but not the whys, and I've been pretty unsatisfied with it since. Due deference to my school, I don't blame them at all. Watching my little sister go through it now, it's clear that I was looking for a place for myself for the rest of my life, not just until I got the diploma. Ideally, that isn't what your degree is for.

I landed on film almost entirely for the escape aspect. I didn't want to exist, and thus, I wanted to help create little capsules of things that didn't exist. I needed them, but didn't have enough of myself to offer to make them need me.

The urge to document is creeping back in lately, but not for the sake of fiction. I'm finally at a point where I want to take photos because I'm in love with my world and want to share it as it is. I work with the most beautiful souls I know - and a pigeon who makes me laugh because he won't leave us alone. I want to make you feel the way I do; I am at peace.

I think I'm hoping I'll want to remember it 20 years down the line.

#dream interpretation #i'm spooked #i'm right though #the sky really is different now

[thetinylittlespider]

Tearing Up: Season 1

Chapter 6: A meeting

Finally some interaction! Im awful at writing xD

Cw: Dehumanizing treatment. Mature language. Blood.

KUM9's POV:

I dont remember when did my eyes closed, the fall was something I was terrified of, I didn't knew if I could survive. And all my senses shut down probably because my body assumed my dead already...This was exactly what I didn't want to happen!

For a few seconds, I believe I opened my eyes again, I felt my surroindings again...Hear, well...The sounds were being supressed by something, my ears felt strange, like being smothered by the space, where was I? The answer to that was answered really fast.

The cold feeling in my body...I couldn't breath...My lungs were filled by water! An unfortunate scenario that I was more than familiar with.

Transported back in my memories, I was 6 years old again, the scientists in charge of me started to tap the glass of my box, they wanted me to stay awake even after I just slept less than 3 hours. I could not make up the meaning of their words at the time, I just recall being scared, my legs couldn't stand the sight of them...Their size, how those eyes aimed at me, knowing full well they could dispose of me with ease if I did something wrong.

ー"Hey buddy! Ready for your next test? Are you excited?" ーA femenine voice asked with enthusiasm...My answer, was just a weakened nod of agreement.

The next thing I remember...Was her fingers, holding my head with too much strenght, I believe I started crying due to the pain and pressure over my skull. This was back before my resistances showed up, I could've been easily broken at that exact moment, a stain of blood in her hand...

Her grip got loose, I was falling to a glass container of water...

And then...in a flash...I was 15 again...

I tried to find air, to swim my way out, attempted to stick to the glass, crawl out before I drowned in here...apparently I landed on a cup of water, but if there was a cup in the middle of the big forest I was meant to live in...Did I finally found the camping area!?

Finally! Yes! That means humans should be here!

ーEw! Did that thing just fucking moved!?ー A voice boomed from above.

Oh, no...Humans are here.

My heart beated faster than normal, panic overtaking my senses, and the cough to clean my lungs from the water got complicated...My brain, ached...That smashing feeling of dread and danger. I didn't need it now! I can tell there is a human right above me! That is more danger than I expected in my plan to come see them in the first place!

But it didn't matter how much I tried to escape, using all my might, there was not enough time for me to get away from the clear view those humans had upon me, the same humans my sister always warned me about, the same species of the people who created me, who subjected me in torture every single day since I got memory, the ones who were ready to trash me and considered me a failure...The same creatures were now fully aware of my existance, and the tone of their voice was mixed in emotions, none of them were positive, not that it could save me from an awful fate.

ーI-Is that a fairy?ー The same voice asked in disgust, it was a male...

ーThose things got extinct like 2 years ago...And this one doesn't even have wings!ー A female voice started to freak out while I was trying to get some air.

My movements were full of panic, I wasn't good in water, I could try...But the longer I stayed there the more memories came to mind to remind me how lethal the liquid can be.

"What do you want me to do!? Kick it!?"

"Call Civil Protection! They'll know what to do!"

Words that I wish I could give more attention to the moment I finally fell off the edge of the cup. The ground welcomed me unceremoniously, and I took most of the water I could out of my lungs with deep and heavy coughs that probably did more damage to my throat.

Once I recovered from almost drowning, I remembered the couple of humans who were right above me watching my every move without an ounce of joy. Casting their shadows on top of me, by the look of their faces, they didn't plan to let me go like if nothing ever happened here.

ー"There goes our only fucking turn in this place, it will take months to get another reservation!"ー The masculine voice said with clear annoyance. What was a reservation!? I was just learning new words the last week! Hold on...I should not be worrying about that, I needed to get out of h-...

As I turned around slowly, trying to stand up from all the mud and filth in the ground... I could see the giant hand of the man getting closer and closer...No, no...He was going to pick me up, a human, a human that seems angry enlugh to just squish my head in between his careless fingers. Just like in the laboratory, just like them...

I felt like a kid again, one that gave up any hope of freedom, a kid who's tears already ran out...As painful as the tortures were, it was impossible for me to even tear up, I've been doing it so much that my own body grew tired of it, unable to produce the tears because I had none left...

Begging was pointless, my creators usually got mad at me if I did that...A tendency to inflict more pain upon me was clear. Always being reminded how that was what I needed, how much of a failure I was to be taken to those extremes...I was their worst mistake, a waste of resources...

Everything was still so fresh that even without being touched yet, I could feel my muscles aching because of the grip of humans hands, my bones shattered to dust by their pressure, and feeling like I could explode at any given moment...

I was lucky if I died in one of those tests...

I should've never come here...

ーD-Dont touch it! Are you insane!?ー The high pitched female voice snapped me back from my little flashback, and as soon as I was brought back to reality, I felt my breathing getting cut short.

The man who picked me up had no idea of how much strenght he had, he raised his hand all the way up until I could meet his eyes, in any other situation I'd be just crying by just having a human this close...But he was making breathing really hard when his thumb and index finger were pressing my chest like a button of some sorts.

ーWell this thing sure looks like one of those fairies...But it doesn't have wings...Maybe they were not extinct! And this little one just lost their wings to some animal!ー The man explained to the woman, who seemed to ease a little bit with the small reason his "partner" gave her.

Now both humans started to inspect me, every single part of my body, the way their hands got closer to move my head for a little, to check my back for any trace of wings, everything was causing an inmense level of claustrophobia, their fingers were everything my eyes could perceive, the woman used one finger to lower my jaw, exposing my fangs...thing that had the reception I expected...

ーT-Those are fucking fangs!?ー She said with a clearly concerned tone on her voice, pulling her hand back and taking to massive steps away.

ーJust put it inside the cup! What if it's poisonous!?ー She remarked him, they had already call some kind of security...I didn't knew how much time I had...

Yes, I could bite the hand of the guy holding me, the pressure was enough of a factor to convince me to do it...I needed to do it, or else I was back into a laboratory, back to have my body under all forms and shapes of pain.

But I didn't want to hurt them, I can't do it...I don't want to do the same...I don't want to be the same. My sister already told me how dangerous my venom could be, I didn't wish to cause that suffering...All I could think about the concept of killing was the faces of my siblings, taking their last breath...They all died while fighting each other. Why? Just to show someone we were worth living? To show the torture we've been in all those years wasn't for nothing?

ーP-Please, stop...I-I don't want to hurt...you, just let me go...ー Words, I finally released words, this could feel amazing if my chest wasn't about to explode by the pressure.

And somehow...by the grace of some god, they stopped poking me with their huge fingers, and holding me like if I were some kind of toy, the grip of the man eased a little bit, probably out of surprise ... or...where they mad? Oh no, the last thing I needed besides curious humans were angry humans.

Back in the lab I would've been placed in a test chamber, expecting flames to burn my skin, or be electrocuted for the fifth time a day...

But nothing happened, I was still on the human's hand, unable to figure what thought could cross their minds, what they would do to me now that I showed them I could talk.

They seemed as lost as I was at that moment, no words, no panic, no fear...They were just looking at me, and then back at each other.

ーD-Did you just...Speak?ー The female said with a whispering voice. Of course, it was unbelievable to find a similar creature to another that in a certain moment was believed to be extinct, and on top of that, unlike their extinct counterpart...this one talked, like a human..

It took me a fat second to find a simple word to answer that question, It was the first time I was holding a conversation with humans, even when I learned their language...It was far too late for me to be able to speak with them, the scientists already installed a natural reaction of fear and submission that I had to show if I wanted the pain to be over soon...

ーYes...ー I said softly with an almost broken and shaky tone of voice. I hoped for their reaction, I needed it in order to know what was going to happen to me next. But their fast blinking was hard to translate.

ーWhat are...you?ー The male replied to me while he checked to his back, making sure his friend was also as amazed as he was.

And what was I? This was hard to tell...A test subject? Was that all I was?

"A predator, a superior to these weaklings"

That's what my sister would say...But I wasn't a predator, unlike her, I was yet to know what it felt to hunt a prey, to test my power and watch the contrast against my "victims". But it never crossed my mind, I was so lost trying to understand the few books I read, the nature of the humans who created us, it was enough for me to overshadow the thinking my sister tried to instruct me with. But none of that gave me an answer...What was I?

ーI-I'm a...An experiment, co-could you please let me go? I-I didn't want to be so...close, sorry.ー It was true, my plan was just observe this gigantic creatures from a safe distance, enjoy their conversations, watch their behaviours...Not have a talk with them, as much as I saw this as an achievement, this was far too risky...Specially with my memories bombarding my brain with the previous human interactions of the past years...

Probably out of pity, the hand that held me was getting closer and closer to the ground, the man was crouching, his look of confusion met my eyes, of course...they didn't meant to harm me, they were just curious. I could understand that...

ーJack, the fuck are you doing? We already called authorities to come check that thing out...You think they are going to let us go home if we are empty handed? We might even go to prison for wasting their time!ー Those words coming from her were enough to stop the guy who's name was...Well, Cool, god why didn't I thought of that name for me!?

But Jack thought of it, the ground was close, my only escape without hurting anyone! Come on Jack! Jackie? Release me! You will never, ever know about me, not because I want to, but because I will probably won't have the chance to come here again...

ーH-Hey, fuck that, we can just tell them that it escaped and we couldn't follow...Give fake directions, it's not the first time we have done that! And there is no way you want to take this thing back at home with us, Bethー Jack seemed reluctant to let me go, I was glad, I didn't expect a human to finally show some kind of respect...for my freedom, he was a good guy...Right?

ーUgh, fine...then we better get things ready to go...Not that they ever give any reward for finding weird stuff anywaysー I could sense that Beth was annoyed, apparently I messed up their camping day, and they were in trouble with some sort of authority...tho, I didn't knew much about it. It was better that way, the less we knew about each other. The less trouble there was.

Right?

#g/t #please give me feedback #amateur writer #macro/micro #g/t ocs #tiny #size difference #KumorianOC

[slaveofemma]

10 Years of Slavery - Ch.19

By that time, I was already preconditioned to get sexual arousal from Ellie's stories. Retrospectively looking it's quite understandable; as I wasn't getting any proper sexual relief, I was imagining myself in the position of the Ellie's partners. When listening, it wasn't someone else but myself who's having sex with Ellie. So I was getting less and less annoyed from the situation I was in. It was the way I'm destined to experience sex; from second-hand stories from the voice of the woman I loved dearly.

Even though I made a total peace with being cuckolded, the night she had with Dylan still annoyed me. The romantic side of the events was hard to ignore. So, the same night I called Ellie to talk about it. But, she reminded me that I had already agreed to call Dylan her "boyfriend" until the end of the summer break, so it's completely normal to have some romantic nights with him. I told her that I was OK with her having romantic time with his boyfriend, but what I was actually afraid was to see her distancing from our relationship. She ensured me that I will always be the most special relationship in her life. It was clear for both of us that no one would love her as much as I do to agree on being a slave and suffering day and night for her. So, not any boyfriends or romantic nightouts would be good enough to replace me. But I should always be aware of my status as a slave, which makes me that special in the first place. I had nothing to complain about. So I thanked her, and hung up the phone.

After a couple of uneventful days, Ellie told me that she'll be seeing Dylan that night. They were going to see a movie together, and some drinks afterwards. And she told me that she was hoping to sleep together but they couldn't find a place as both of their parents were at home. So she wasn't sure how the night will end, but she was pretty sure that she wasn't looking for an outdoor adventure like last time, and hoping to have proper sex in a proper bed. Then we proceed to picking her outfit for the day. She wanted to prepare a suprise for Dylan, so picked a very casual outfit - an oversized jeans with a black t-shirt. But underneath she had a very sexy lingerie; a red mesh bra that shows her gorgeous pink nipples, matched with a seductive thong. She told me that she wasn't giving him a preview this time, but if he'd manage to make her happy throughout the night he'll be rewarded greatly. I wished her a great night before hanging up.

The night wasn't easy for me. I was unable to think straight, only thing that I could focus on was my rock-hard dick. I tried everything to take my mind away. I tried to go to sleep as early as possible, but it's hard to fall asleep when you are horny as hell. After some googling I found out that ice helps, and grabbed a bowl of ice to stuck my balls in. A very painful way to calm your dick, but hey, it works.

But obviously I was rock-hard again in the morning. And trying to keep it hidden around the family is a tough job, especially in the summer where only thing I was wearing was shorts. I didn't want to break the rules again so I was trying hard to keep myself soft and focus on different things, but I decided to ask Ellie for a relief if she was in the mood. And I was hoping her to be in the mood as she was with Dylan last night.

Ellie called me around 1pm and I answered immediately:

"Hey sweetie, good afternoon!"

"Hi babe. You alright?"

"Not too bad. Yourself? How was your night?"

"Well, it was weird. It started well, we went to a movie and then had a burger. Then Dylan took me to a pub for some drinks. I decided to ask about what her sister told the last time, about the other girls. He was suprised that I brought up the topic but yeah, apparently he was seeing other girls. He told me that he didn't have a date with anyone since I returned, but he was also not thinking about being exclusive. Honestly I'm a bit disappointed as I was planning to spend the summer with him."

"Did you tell him that?"

"I did actually, yes. I told him that I was planning to be with him until the end of the holiday season."

"Sounds like he didn't agree?"

"Well he was polite enough to not be straightforward rude about it, but the message is simply that if he finds an opportunity, he would score. And I don't know how should I feel about that."

"There is no shoulds with feelings baby. Just tell me how do you feel."

"Jealous."

"Rightly so. But, you never supposed to be exclusive anyways. In a month you'll be back with me. Should Dylan feel jealous about it as well?"

"But it's not the same thing."

"Yeah I know, no need to rub it in my face." I said with a painful smile. "But you'll see other people when you're back. So, Dylan is just a summer fling for you anyways. And vice versa, you're his summer fling."

"Should I date with other people as well then?"

"If that's what you want."

"I don't know. It was supposed to be a chill summer, where we just hang out together, have casual sex and have fun. Now I don't want to go into all the shenanigans of dating."

"Let's think it from a different perspective. Assuming you'll see him 3 to 4 days per week. Which is quite good, right?"

"Yeh, maybe even too much haha" She said with a cheerful voice.

"Then, as long as you can see him that often, why do you care about what he does in the other days?"

"You have a point. But it still bothers me."

"You want him to be exclusive to you, which is totally normal. You're doing the same with me as well. Maybe you're just being possessive with your relationships."

"Didn't like the bad undertone but maybe you're right."

"Sorry babe, I didn't mean anything bad."

"I know. But I think it still requires a proper punishment."

"Sounds like you're just looking to let off some steam."

"And fortunately I have a slave. How's your no-jerking going?"

"Terrible. I was actually hoping to talk about it."

"What's that?"

"I don't want to disappoint you, but I feel like I can't continue. I can't think straight, or concentrate properly. It's unbearable. May I ask for a release at least once a week?"

"I was actually thinking about that too. But no."

"But why?"

"Two things. First, you're prioritizing yourself and it's unacceptable. I'm telling you about my problems and immediately after you're asking to masturbate. Disgusting. Did we solve my problem first?"

"No."

"True. And you also said that I'm possessive. I don't say that I'm not, but it's still unacceptable for a slave to talk about his owner like that. So that makes it two good reasons for you to suffer a bit more."

I stood silent on the other end of the line.

"Do you agree with me?"

"Yes."

"Good. You're a great slave. So, no pleasure for you."

I thanked her, and we hung up. I was glad that she didn't tell me about what they did with Dylan after the pub. ...

I admit I broke the rules that night once again. But funnily enough, I was looking at a picture of Ellie's beautiful feet while jerking off.

... Waking up with a feeling of guilt, I started looking for methods to distract myself from sexual thoughts that morning. I was hoping to find a way to overcome my urges and stick to the orders. When I shared this with Ellie, she told me that she's proud of me and I deserve a reward. Then, I received a very appealing picture of her naked body. It was taken from the standing mirror in her room. She was holding the phone right in front of her face, and her other hand was lightly touching her clit. Her smallish breasts were almost shining in the morning sun, and her nipples were the pinkest of the pinks. Everything in her body was so familiar to me, yet so distant. I replied her message with saying a simple "Thanks". She replied saying that she wants to see the results of my research by the evening.

The basic idea was staying away from the porn and distracting myself with some other stuff. Being in public spaces instead of my room would also help. So, I decided to hit the gym in the morning. And for the afternoons I was hoping to attend to a course, preferably for playing guitar. For the evenings, I was planning to pester all my old friends and see someone every day. And hoping to get exhausted for the night and just fall asleep.

Ellie was impressed how determined I am to keep myself distracted. I was really feeling proud of myself. With her approval, I started looking for actual gyms and courses nearby. But after a couple of hours, I got a call from Ellie:

"Hey babe, why don't you do something useful instead of a guitar lesson? Do you research on nail technician courses. If you prove yourself as a good nail artist you'd be very useful for me."

That was clearly a clever idea, from her perspective. And from my perspective, it was a total shame. I had to find a way to discourage her from the idea. So, I told her that it would be hugely awkward for a young man studying in college to attend to a nail technician course, and I could've been seen as a total pervert. But she didn't give up easily:

"You can come up with a story. Maybe you're opening up a nail salon with your friends and would like to learn the actual stuff before making such an investment?"

"And that would be even worse as it's obviously a cover story for a pervert trying to sneak in."

"Haha you're right. A man taking a nail technician course is definitely a pervert. Anyways I don't care. Do your research and find courses, and give them a call. Maybe they don't mind having a pervert?"

"But Ellie, wouldn't it be insulting for me in front of other people?"

"Is it more important than me?"

"No of course not, but it's against one of our ground rules, to not expose ourselves to other people."

"Don't be a drama queen! They don't know you, they don't know our relationship. It doesn't count as exposing. Just be a good slave and find a nail technician course. Didn't you promise me for that? You told me that you'll be focusing your energy on how to be a better slave and spoil me. So do it now."

"Ok."

"And?"

"And I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"I'm sorry for not focusing on you and prioritising myself."

"Now you're talking. Chop chop!" And she hung up the phone.

... I did my research, and thank god there were no nail technician courses that I can attend nearby. I found three courses actually, but two of them were starting in the autumn, so I wasn't able to attend. And I called the third one for getting information, and they informed me that it's women-only course. I was lucky. So lucky.

I prepared an email to Ellie to show that I did my research but no avail. I was trying to show her that I did whatever I can to find something, so that I might impress her and get rewarded with a release.

But, soon after I sent my email, I got a message saying that I should be looking for the courses in the autumn then. I could only say "will do!" with a heart emoji. And got a kiss emoji back.

... I started hitting the gym and I was pushing myself hard. I had my worst muscle pain the next day, which kept aching even the day after. But thankfully it was keeping my mind busy with the pain and I wasn't thinking about Ellie all the time. She went to a house party with her friends -including Dylan too obviously- and spent the night in there.

So, there were more than 10 people, which Ellie knew most of them but not all. There were two more couples except Ellie and Dylan, and they were at one of the couple's flat. Ellie laughed hard when telling me about how one of the single guys tried to flirt with a girl all throughout the night, and how everyone else encouraged them and in the end they went to the spare bedroom together. Then I listened how they spent the whole night like a couple with Dylan and ended up having sex on the couch. Then how they got caught naked in the morning when people woke up before them, and they covered themselves with a blanket while their friends were teasing them. And then how the lucky guy from the previous night had pulled the blanket and exposed Ellie, how Dylan snapped at him and how much she liked being defended by Dylan. I asked her didn't she got annoyed when that guy exposed her naked, but she told me that it was just a friendly banter and just for a couple seconds, and then she teased him by saying he owes Ellie a nude, which annoyed Dylan even more and in turn made Ellie even happier. Also to my suprise, they all made a plan to rent a holiday home with a pool the next weekend. They were planning to rent the place for 3 nights, and have proper party all together. So, when we had a chance to speak on the phone the next day, she was still cheerful. And I was lying there with sore muscles, and a pulsing cock.

#girlfriend #boyfriend #college #footworship #slavery #submission #cheating #worship #friendzone #slave