Tumgik
#XD we're never calling him anything else again
luimagines · 4 months
Note
And a follow-up request: reader is the one being turned into a kid and they latch onto one of the links?
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Sure thing! I hope this one comes out cuter than the others XD
Masterlist
Part one will include Warrior, Hyrule and Time.
Content under the cut!
Warrior
"Hello Mr. Soldier Man!" You grin at him. You've clearly just lost your two front teeth as you salute him incorrectly.
Warrior's face softens but he returns your salute half heartedly. "Well hello there. You seem like respectable young citizen."
You giggle at his words and brighten. "Can you tell my Papa that? He says that I'm a menance."
You're clearly unbothered by this. There seems to be a little joke hidden in there- one that you wouldn't be aware that others aren't in on. Warrior snorts and ruffles your hair. "Sure thing. I'll let him know."
He's willing to bet your father is right though, if you're older self is any indication of how you were as a child.
"Any luck with undoing that magic attack, Traveler?" Warrior asks over his shoulder. You've taken to admiring his scarf in the meantime, playing with the edges and embroidery near the ends of it.
Hyrule looks distraught and tired. "I can undo most of it, but at best we're going to have to wait it out until they turn to normal."
Warrior frowns. He's never been fond of children on the battlefield- but the last one he took under his wing could defend himself, you're nowhere near fit for battle. "This complicates some things."
"Do you know where my papa is?" You ask, tugging on his scarf to get his attention. "I have to be home before sundown."
Warrior sighs and kneels to your level. "I don't know where your papa is. But maybe we can find him together, yeah?"
You still look unbothered by this. If fact, you smile wider. "I think I'll marry you when I grow up."
Warrior explodes into a blush. Some of the other boys start laughing but you said it so confidently. You nod, as if he's already agreed and take his hand, swinging it between you both. "Mama would like you too. I'll get big and strong and then we can get married."
Warrior tries to bite back his smile. You're very sweet- but how on earth does he handle this? "Maybe sweetheart. You've got a lot of growing to do before that happens."
Time snickers and Warrior has half the mind to glare at the older man. "What?"
Time shrugs, not answering him. There's a knowing glint in his eye. Warrior would pursue it if you weren't holding onto him.
You're humming a little tune to yourself, still swinging his hand gently. "Are we going to look now, Mr. Soldier Man?"
Warrior presses his lips into a thin line and look down at you. He smiles his most charming smile to you and he sees you soften once more. "You can call me Link, sweetheart."
"Link." You echo his name and a burst of pride puffs his chest up. You nod again and look forward. "I like that name."
"I like it too." Warrior sticks his tongue out at the others. It's childish but he thinks he's allowed it just this once.
Good thing he told you first. The others are stuck with their less than stellar nicknames. He can take solace in that until you grow up again.
Then he'll have to ask about that marriage thing. He has questions.
Hyrule
Hyrule laughed as you hung onto his wrist. He was trying to figure out the manner of the magic that affected you but you wouldn't sit still long enough for him to get a hold on it.
It would have been more frustrating as it was, but you were so cute and enthralled by his glowing hands that he couldn't find it in himself to even remotely be mad.
"Do it again! Do it again!" You cried, tugging his hand down to your eye level, watching with a wide smile.
Hyrule lets out a small breath and calls up a smaller version of his Life Spell. He doesn't want to use anything else just in case it might hurt you in the short term, even though he really has a mission to get to at the moment.
"How's it coming along Traveler?" Sky asked, looking over his shoulder.
"What do you think?" Hyrule looks back at him over your giggles. You've put your hand in his palm, feeling the smaller effects of the magic creep along your fingers.
Sky snorts. "At least you got them to calm down. We're lucky you're their favorite."
Hyrule sighs. He knows Sky has a point. When you were fist hit by that spell, you were so confused and lost that you broke down crying. You wouldn't listen to anyone and you wouldn't leave the area even though there were still many monsters around that haven't been dealt with.
Hyrule panicked and shot his thunder spell at the many monsters in front of you. You shut up instantly and clung to him like a life line. You've stuck to his hip since and have asked him everything you could think of about his magic.
He's thankful and admittedly touched by your innocent curiosity even if you won't let him continue his job.
"Were you always able to do this?" You whisper. He's not sure if it's because the magic has calmed you down where you think you need to whisper, or if it's because you think he's keeping it a secret. Either way, he finds his heart melting a little bit more as the seconds pass.
"I've been able to do it for as long as I can remember." He says in an equally soft voice. "I've had a few teachers but I've had to most of it on my own."
You make a face and Hyrule isn't sure how to interpret it. Suddenly, you smile. "So you're super strong, right?"
Hyrule snorts. "I'm not the strongest guy here."
"Lies!" Legend calls out from somewhere to the side. Hyrule wasn't even aware there were other listeners to this conversation. "He's just being modest."
"Modest..." You tilt your head. Hyrule sighs again. It's clear you don't know what that means.
"It means-"
"That he could probably rival the princess herself if they weren't such good friends." Legend continues/ Hyrule sends him a look.
"Not helping."
"But I'm right."
"No, you're not."
You laugh quietly, even though you move to hide behind Hyrule as Legend comes closer. The Vet sees this and backs up slightly. "Listen, he's awesome but he doesn't want to admit it."
Hyrule rolls his eyes. "Whatever."
You tug on his sleeve and he looks to you once more. "Can you do anything else?"
Hyrule bites his lip, keeping back his grin as much as he can. "Sure thing."
Time
Time watched at you fluttered around the group, laughing and seemingly unaware of what's happened.
His heart is in his stomach. He thinks he might be sick.
You were fine until you got hit with that spell. Granted, he supposes you're still fine but you've been turned into a child. You don't know what's going on or who any of them are.
The boys were quick to distract you and play a game to ease your tensions and panic.
Time on the other hand, kept spiraling.
He was trying to think about ways to change you back or to avenge you if this was permanent.
Suddenly your laughter stops, but he's too stuck in his own head to think much about it. He looks over sure, but it was no more than a passing glance as he tried to think about what this meant for you and the traveling plans and the battles-
"Excuse me, mister." A small voice tugs on his sleeve.
He looks down to you in shock, having been shaken from his thoughts. And aren't you precious? Wide eyed, still innocent and soft. You look concerned though with a small frown on your lips.
Time kneels by your side, meeting you at your level. "Yes? What is it?"
"What happened to your eye?" You point to your own, mirroring the side with his scar.
Time has to think fast. He's not sure that the truth is appropriate for someone your current age. "I got hurt a long time ago. This is just what happened."
You frown further and lean up, taking his face with your much smaller hand. You look at his eyes with such concentration for a young face. Time is almost amused.
You pout suddenly. "Did your mommy not kiss it better?"
Time has to bite his lip. Cute. "No, honey. My mama wasn't there when it happened."
You hum, not satisfied with that answer. Without warning to lean forward and kiss his eye gently. Time freezes. You pull back and stare at his eyes again, once again not satisfied with the results.
"...It didn't get better." You look upset with the beginnings of tears in your eyes.
Time stammers to try and avoid any tears. "It was already better." He explains gently. "This is the best it can be. But thank you... That was very kind."
You don't happy and kiss it again. "Maybe it needs more kisses."
Time sighs and shakes his head, smiling sadly. "I think it's a little too late for kisses to fix it."
"...Really?"
"Really really." Time kisses your hand in thanks. "I appreciate the attempt though."
Part 2
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gabetheunknown · 9 months
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not yet/love run!!
Giving me a good start, eh? An 8+ minutes combination of two songs of pure brilliance. I love this song so much. Get ready for an essay... this one is hard for me to analyze instrumentally/technique wise, but of the lyrics and use of dynamics and vocals, here's my thoughts
This song gives me personally a home-y feeling, lyric wise, a feeling of safety, lying in bed with your significant other and refusing to get out of bed to face the day just yet. Not yet. But also a feel of someone you love who has trouble sleeping, has nightmares, and you want to share in that dream and protect them from danger, so you wake up, or stay awake, next to them and soothe their anxiety, But instead we'll build a den, out of pillows and get drunk again. Let's drink away our problems and stay in bed together, because fuck the world that has wronged us, you, the one I love, so often. This song often makes me look at my partner and smile, because we've been through so much together but we always have each other's backs. The dynamic might change, sometimes I care for him, sometimes he cares for me, but in the end we're equals and we face shit together and that's EXACTLY what this song means for me.
Then musically, absolutely LOVE the changes in feeling and dynamic, which Joey and Madeleine are so good at. It's like one person is the one trying to soothe the other but the other is saying 'but have you forgotten about everything I'm dealing with, have you forgotten about the world' but the other takes their hand and says 'it's okay, love.' and they show that not only through lyrics but also through dynamic and buildup of instruments and percussion, and difference in range between Joey's little 'interverses' as I call them (It seems to me, that you can't sleep) Whereas Madeleine sings of her nightmares and her worries and things that anger her in lower tones and more aggressive lyrics and Joey just grabs her hand and says 'we will do it together then'
Then they shift and the way Madeleine sings soft, breathy and higher notes over Joey as he repeats 'Everyone knows, sex is better when you're unemployed' just adds that little bit of intimacy, and as he fades into Love Run, which is a sort of coming home to the first song of the album, she repeats 'not yet' as if she's calmed down from her nightmares. Using little lyrics from Elsa's Song to wreck us even more by the way UGH! Pardon me for losing my mind.
And then the part that never fails to give me chills, as the dynamics of the song progresses to a climax but instead introduces the end of Not Yet and the intro of Love Run and Madeleine sings so softly as their roles shift. With only guitar and no other instruments for a moment. The chorus of Love Run starts and I'm a sobbing mess, thank you, she sings all the things to you that others in your life have failed to and you just wish she was there to hold your hand as you run to what you love
All that matters Is that you're here All that matters
;_; (Which she sings so wonderfully by the way, the vocal harmony is SO PRETTY)
The way they add drums to both their lyrics and instrumental as you run while someone holds your hand and reassures you that from now on, you face your fears together. What else I find so brilliant about this song is that Madeleine sings the part Joey does in Love Run (intro), which is way more acoustic feeling if that makes sense, but then Not Yet/Love Run feels like a conclusion of the first song of the album, with the song building up beautifully to an ending
I can't say anything else than, oh my god this song fits so wonderfully into the rest of the album and the way they finish the album the way they started scratches an itch for me
I said there was going to be an essay, hope this is halfway coherent xd
Thanks so much for your ask! <3
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charlizard91 · 7 months
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Welcome to our blog!
Okay so this may be confusing to explain, but i'll try my best. My friend Austin has this strange computer that can... connect to the future internet? Ok well to you guys it's not the future. For reference, i am from the year 2006, and yet whenever Austin over here accesses the internet, it's 2023??? Wowzas! Anyway, neither of us are really certain on how this works, but he always uses weird future internet slang that i don't quite get, so he let me create this blog to learn more about the future LOL? But at the same time, i don't think its our future? Cuz if so, then where's my future 31 year old self XD
Oh yeah, and Austin told me i should say my pronouns, which is something i never really thought about. I'm a guy, and you can just call me a he i guess? Sorry i'm still learning about this stuff, my best friend Reverie is transgender, so i'm glad i have her to rely on XD
Anyway, enough rambling from me, i'm gonna let everyone else introduce themselves! Feel free to ask us any questions about anything, this is going to be such a funky future experience LOL!
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hey, i'm reverie, known online as elegyEstranger (though all the social networking websites i use are from 2006 lmao). not sure what to really put here, but here are some of my interests: computer programming, making music, video games (nothing anyone would recognize this day), and whatever stuff my friends drag me into.
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Yo! I'm Jessica Hendrickson, but everyone just calls me Jess. My parents are pretty strict about letting me be on the interwebs, but Austin let's me borrow his computer in class. Everyone says I'm the big sister of the group, which is only really accurate if you exclude the many new friends we've made recently, haha. You never would've guessed this based on my outfit, but I like to knit, paint, and write, mostly because there's nothing really modern to do in my house. Man, I sure do envy you future dudes.
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[OOC: sorry the jessica and austin drawings are a bit messy, i just really wanted to post this before goin to bed xD. expect better drawings and more characters in a few days]
HAHAEHEHEHAEHEHAEHA WHATS UP CHUCKLEFUCKS its me. austin. call me CRAZY or CRINGE but i AM the ceo of funny. the most infamous escapee from the [REDACTED]. AND IT IS MY HOLY MISSION TO BLESS THESE fuckers WITH THE i wear a mask with a smileforhoursatatime!!!!!!!!! THIS IS modern internet humor BiTCH!!! take yo sensative ass back to 2006. laughing emoji laughing emoji laughing em
Okay this is Charlie again... Austin is having another one of his laughing fits. Honestly, him being able to access the internet 17 years into the future is the least strange thing about him. Anyway, we're all super looking forward to your questions, and i hope to finally leave the realm of being a newbie when it comes to internet memez XD
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blackjackkent · 4 days
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So, what Rakha really wants to do right now is go kill the people hunting Karlach, because they don't have anything else that would qualify as a direct plan other than the creche, and the "paladins" are closer. However, I happen to know that the paladins are level five and Rakha is level 2 and could be knocked over by a stiff breeze, so I think a better bet is a more full exploration of the Emerald Grove first.
I'm guessing that this is the result of a concerted effort on Wyll and Shadowheart's part, primarily - Wyll already knows the people of the grove and Shadowheart has fixated on Halsin as a useful lead. Gale doesn't seem to have any specific plan in mind and, left to their own devices, Lae'zel would already be heading for the creche and Rakha and Karlach would be after the paladins. But between them, Shadowheart and Wyll manage to convince everyone that at least TALKING to the healer in the grove would be a useful start before everyone goes off half-cocked.
Amused because I stopped in to talk to Zevlor and got a disapproval from Wyll purely for leaving the conversation without asking the question about whether the ritual could be stopped. XD Sorry, Wyll. I swear we'll get to a point where you like Rakha, somehow, but I doubt sincerely we're there yet.
Speaking of the ritual, down we go to the grove proper - with a quick stop to talk to the teeth-ling kids.
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"Whoa. Hey! Can't say I've ever seen someone like you before."
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Without preamble, he shows his hands to her, empty. Then a quick flick of the wrist, and suddenly he's holding out a tarnished gold ring between his fingers.
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"Go on," he says cheerfully. "Take this ring. It's lucky."
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Rakha, who has very little context for anything she experiences, has never seen slight-of-hand magic done before, nor is she familiar with the concept of a con man. So she watches this little display and is immediately fascinated. Magic - but with no surge of that visible tapestry around the boy, the network of power that Gale calls the Weave.
How?
"That was a fancy trick," she says slowly.
His eyes narrow and something subtle shifts in his expression, a flash of interest. "You haven't seen anything yet, lady," he says dryly. "Go on - take the ring and watch your fortune change!"
Take the ring.
She takes it and looks at it carefully. There is no magic on the ring either, nothing that she can sense. But the boy looks up at her earnestly as he draws a coin from his pocket. "Call it! Heads or tails."
She blinks at him, puzzled by the question.
Pocket the ring.
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"Hey, hold on!" the boy cries at once. "You gotta pay for that!"
She does? She withdraws the ring out of her pocket again and squints at the boy, incredibly baffled by the entire situation.
("The boy seeks to deceive you," Lae'zel says impatiently under her breath. "His magic is mundanity. The ring likely the same."
Wyll sighs. "Be kind, the both of you. He wants to show you a trick, that's all. Let him flip the coin.")
Rakha's eyes narrow. She stands there with the ring sitting on her palm and feels foolish. "It's only a joke," she says slowly after a long silence and trying to sort through the words from her companions. "Go on... flip your coin." If anything, she is curious to learn what that means.
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"Real sweet sense of humor you got there, chum." The boy looks as if he's starting to regret his choice of mark, but he presses on gamely. "Anyway, you gotta call before the flip. Heads or tails."
A long pause. "Heads?" Rakha says cautiously.
The boy grins, tosses the coin in the air, catches it, and then shows her the side with the head facing up. "Heads it is!" he crows. "See? That's the kinda luck you get from just one of my lucky rings! I've got more where that came from. Real cheap, too. Interested?"
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Rakha is starting to understand the situation now that she has seen it play out, and her lips twitch with irritation. [SORCERER] "If there was magic in this ring, I'd have felt it," she says bluntly. "It's nothing but junk."
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The boy flinches and raises his hands defensively. "Not so loud!" he hisses. "You caught me, all right? They're not lucky rings." His eyes grow wide, his expression twisting with sudden, exaggerated pathos. "I'm just... trying to earn money for my family," he whimpers. "My father left and my mother... she's so sick. I wish I had better things to sell than... trinkets, but it's all I have!"
Rakha squints. The shift in tone is abrupt enough that she is certain it's disingenuous and that Lae'zel is right - the boy is making a fool of her. There is nothing of value here.
Wordlessly she shoves the ring back in the boy's face.
Return the ring and leave.
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dragonrider9905 · 8 days
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Back atcha for the violence game! How about… 22 and 25?
Ahahahhahahha such great asks my friend!!!!! Hahahahha so, you reaaaaalllly chose violence XD I hope you know what you're askin for! I might get hated for this but here we go!!!! FULL HONESTLY!!!!! XD ;D I guess I went to bed and chose violence and you were like, nah, I woke up and chose violence, here you go! I love you for that!!!!
22. Your favorite part of canon everyone else ignores
Hmmmmm I really like this one. I gotta think XD I know there are things but once I'm put on the spot I'm like "I have no thoughts at all whatsoever for anything".
Hmmmmm
Ok, I got it.
So the Batch is a special forces group......it is sometimes funny but honestly, more often than not now, it makes me a little annoyed and rolling of eyes when I see so many fics, posts etc knocking them like "oh, how on earth did they ever accomplish anything without Echo, Omega etc" "Crosshair was their entire team, they can't do anything without him." "Oh, Cross and Hunter act like children and fight each other and parent Echo has to break them up"
They're completely missing the point.
Watching the Batch at their debut? They were flawless. They fought better than a well oiled machine together. The point of all their mess ups was they were USED to working as a TEAM. An integral member of the Batch left and trying to compensate for a lost limb? There's going to be problems. We're seen the problematic side but didn't get too much insight to how they were before, but the tell us they were legendary. We have to infere that this isn't normal for them to botch things up badly. Also, they pull off things no one else has, so that isn't botching anything. Cid even calls them her best people. And she don't compliment so that meant she meant it. As far as Echo being the only responsible one, again, they have a system for what works for their personalities. Hunter and Crosshair fight it out because that's how they handle it, then they're good. Before this, you have to infer, nothing like this ever came between them like this. They would never have acted like this before, and Echo wasn't an original Batcher so his wounds wouldn't be the same as someone who's grown up with each other.
Canon Batch with Hunter as the leader, Crosshair the obviously favorite youngest, Tech the nerd who has feelings but lots of thoughts, and Wrecker with intensive knowledge but a lovely childlike heart. Then Echo, who is a leader but respects his sergeant's command but challenges him like a brother.
25. Common fandom complaint you're sick of hearing
Ok, *takes a deep deep inhale* Are you sure you want this? Are you sure you're ready for this? Ok. SO.
I am SO sick and freakn tired of all the Hunter vs. Crosshair drama. Oh. My. Goodness. For one, they are trying to make up themselves so I think we as the fans can try to get along now? For goodness sakes? I'm so tired of seeing Crosshair fans and Hunter fans at each other's throats. I'm a Hunter girlie, no doubt about it, but that doesn't mean I can't be objective and know Hunter has some things he needs to sort through. And Crosshair does indeed have problems. That being said....I'm tired of hearing people say Hunter should have done more, that he doesn't care, that he has no character development and that Omega is his entire personality. I'm tired of hearing about everything he's done to fail everybody and how everyone else in the Batch is better than he is. He's always getting compared to in the worst ways possible and some of them aren't even fair or even canon compliant to his personality. I even saw one person say he had no problem leaving anyone behind and he didn't care about it.
Honestly, I do want some more from him as well to see how he's grown but being the leader, he's stuck! I'm a middle child, true, but I'm the oldest girl. Being the oldest girl is kinda like being the oldest in a way. When you're the one who's responsible for everyone, it hits a lot harder when things happen. When you get to make decisions just to make decisions it is TOTALLY different than when YOU HAVE to make decisions for your family. I want him to be decisive, and I want them to show him be a little more proactive but I know that'll come with the story. Of course he's going to be cautious of Crosshair because he was hurt. Hurts that run that deep are hard to heal! Plus he's now looking out for and defending Crosshair......oh, it's not enough for some people. Well, guess what, Hunter is standing up for his brother but has enough respect for him and trust him to handle his own situations too. He respected Crosshair to handle certain situations in a way he'd be comfortable doing it.
In short, can't we pleeeeeaaaasssseeeee move past "well, Hunter's a failure" "well, Crosshair is horrible!" Hunter said it himself, all they can try to do is be better.
Trust me, I kept this short. I could go on for a while about this topic. I know I could get murdered for saying some of this buuuuuuut there it is XD and not as well put as I was thinking :D Oh well, my vomited thoughts on the topic XD
Thanks for the ask and for actually taking the time to read the ramblings.
Choose Violence Ask Game
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mygwenchan · 1 year
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Stray thoughts while watching Love Syndrome III - EP6
Got my Ginger Ale and Taokaenoi seaweed snacks ready. Alright guys, let's do this~
And we're off to a good start with the reappearance of the magical BL towel that can cure anything, be it the common cold, depression or broken bones! Get your BL towel now! Call us within the next 10 minutes and save 50%! And surprise! You'll get not one, not two, but three magical BL towels for the small price of 9.99 (+ 99.99 shipping service). Call us now at willdaygetnakedagain-666!
Day being nice feels weird though. Is it a trap or has he decided to be a decent person for once?
Oh no, the little one is crying :( Itt needs a hug, poor thing
That scene with them holding hands and looking deep into each others eyes and the romantic music... I'm sorry, but it really cracked me up 😂
Oh! My two best boys Night and Nik are back, nice~
More cake in this episode. But won't Itt feel sick if he eats a tiny bit of porridge and a whole damn cake? Also why are there so many people in that bedroom all of a sudden?
"Are you eating or crying. Make up your mind!" Apparently Day has never heard of multitasking
Awkward cake feeding scene. There's some kink going on there, me thinks (god I hope Frank likes orange cake, cause if not... poor dude)
Well, at least Day knows he's been terrible towards Itt. Self-reflection is the first step on the way to self-improvement ☝
Ball is such a good boy, so nice. And Day is jealous as fuck lol
Itt in the garden: Darling, you really want to water your garden with that small ass watering-can? Yes? Ok... will only take you like 2 hours, but you do you
Damn, Day really did everything for Itt. No wonder Itt ended up being so spoiled...
Sinister music, weird phone call were no one is answering... My spider senses are tingling!
Day, don't talk about dying... and that sinister music again. Yeah something is definitely afoot!
Uh, is that the long-haired dude from that bar in ep1? I can't remember faces for shit... but yeah, I think that's him. I sense more trouble!!
...and the guy just answered my question lol Yeah it's him, and he has a name! Korn. And Day is jealous again. That man's tits are never calm
Ooooohhh! Day called Itt his boyfriend! That is what jealousy can do to a man 😂
Itt, I'm sorry, but you really suck at cooking. I've never seen someone peel a carrot like that
Romantic onion chopping flashback~
Oh god that scream when Day almost fainted totally gave me a fright XD
And suddenly we've got a battle between alpha dom Day and alpha dom Korn while... one of them get's a makeover? That's random, but ok 🤨
Day, calm down. Don't cut off ears in your own shop, do it somewhere else! Think about the mess your employees would have to mop up. Think about the poor working class people!
Yeah sorry, but I liked Korn better with long hair. It fit his cunt aesthetics. Also Korn, I think pissing off an ex-mafia guy who has killed people isn't such a good idea, just saying
And suddenly it's cute nose rubbing time~ Well, that's a sweet ending for this episode 🌈💕
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voiceoffenrisulfr · 4 months
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Silver & Gold - Chapter One
CW: Possible risk of injury/death via motorcycle. Prompts filled: ‘Offering their jacket’, ‘Slipping on Ice’ (Alternate), ‘Winter Date’ – Winter Wonderland Bingo. ‘Romantic Gesture’ – Any Fandom Fluff Bingo. ‘Candle Light’ – Sweet & Spicy Bingo.
Multi's Lia finally gets to celebrate her birthday alone, with only the love of this life for company. A/N: Multitudes is our Marvel fic featuring Natasha Romanoff with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Lia, therefore, can be seen to be Natasha. Fandom. ... Mostly? It's complicated. XD Definitely canon-divergent, either way. So very, very divergent.
Cards below! Check it out on AO3 here, or below the cards!
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@anyfandomfluffbingo @sweetspicybingo @seasonaldelightsbingo
I guess this is an intro, of sorts? Slimmed down and with identifiers removed. Chapter one starts proper below this weird introduction as to how I met him. Y'all know me, and James (and Winter, and now there's Tem, too). We're part of Multi. Bug is... well, the love of the boys' life. But this is about Mine. My Yoshitsune. It was the worst day of my life to date when he found me. Two days out from August, the height of summer and discomfort. James had fled in distress, leaving me to find comfort in his partner – someone I did, in fact, find comforting. But then… Oh. The first thing Yoshitsune – Yoshi, as I knew him then – ever did was offer me his lap, metal arms spread wide, inviting me into his broad embrace. Curling up against him was the first time I had felt at home since this life began. He held me together without knowing it – without knowing me. He knew some things, of course. He knew about poor, tiny, broken Lia. But he’d never met me before, and yet offered me refuge in a storm that threatened to end me. I was smitten. And it was only the very same day that my hopes turned to ash before my eyes for the first time at her name. His ’one true love’. The fourth was the first time he blatantly flirted with me. He’d long been calling me ‘sweet girl’, but now he span me around and kissed my hair… And teased me about his black uniform. I asked about her, and he assured me that he doesn’t begrudge her doing what she likes. I…  Made my excuses. ‘You’ve been so good to me.’ ‘I just like to help.’ ‘She really wouldn’t mind, ‘long as you understand my heart’s only hers.’ It had been… It had been less than two weeks. But that line… It hit me like a truck, like a knife in my heart, an arrow to my soul. ‘I'm so goddamn sorry, little one. I do love you. I just can't... y'know.’ I know, Yoshitsune. I know. You loved me… But I was falling so very quickly, so very swiftly, in love with you. ‘He adores her. He’s just… Already got his queen.’ I’ve never felt so… So… Not-enough. So devastated over this man I barely knew – this sweet man who held me close and hummed country songs. This man who belonged to someone else, no matter how much I found myself belonging to him.
It took five days for him to see me again. I apologized, he forgave me. I made my excuses, my lied explanations as to why I’d been mistaken. ‘I misread my feelings – James is falling in love, it affected my brain’. I lied to him because I couldn’t face his wincing when I told him the truth.
But that didn’t stop his fury when he found out about this world being no kinder to me than that one. When Clint told him about me being harassed, he was furious. He held me – sang to me. Fast Car. It was that day that it became my favorite song.
The first time I told him I loved him, it was early September. I hedged – I said it wasn’t like the boys and their Bug. I lied to him. ‘I know, and I love you too, little one. Guess I was nervous to say so 'cause - not like they do, like you said, and I didn't want to give you the wrong idea. But you're precious and you deserve so much better than what's been done to you and it's great that I can make you feel safe.’ I hoped… Stupidly, I hoped, more than anything, that he’d tell me he loved me exactly like they loved one another. But he didn’t, and I broke. I couldn’t face the falling without him, and I couldn’t keep going. I broke in his arms, and I needed him to save me. I drew him a motorbike, and he drew me a sylveon. And then I… Broke. Then I realised I couldn’t hide my truth anymore. And I intended to leave – I intended to make it easier for him, but their Bug wouldn’t let me go so easily. And so I had to give him my letter. "...I love that you make this life bearable. I love that you make me not hate myself - that the way you see me is exciting and intoxicating and something I could spend my life hearing. I love that you protect me, and care about me. I love that you are so fiercely loyal and look after everyone around you. I love that you're so damn sweet that you panic about your sexuality in case it makes you intolerant. I love your crooked grin and that killer jawline and that I feel so very safe when you hold me. I love that you drew for me. I love that you know nothing about dance, and yet still really, really want to see me dance. I love that you call me beautiful and I feel like you mean it. I love that you are... Sometimes a bit of a dumbass and say things you maybe shouldn't. I love that you know me so well that you often say the exact thing you should. I love that you love her so much..."
And he… Oh, him. ‘...wow, I was right when I said I didn't have anything suave to say. Good thing you like me being a dumbass, I guess. I love you, Lia, very much the way they love their boys. I want nothing more than to take care of you...'
He kissed me. He kissed me and my heart broke in the most beautiful way.
We didn’t have it easy, of course. I’m not an easy choice. But we muddled through eating disorder flare-ups and attempted runaways, and for once, I had a love in my life that felt like mine. For once, everything felt… Possible.
And we can’t ever have the life I wish we could. But I can certainly write about it. I can certainly establish what I would want, if we could. I can’t make my dreams come true with you, Yoshitsune… But I can tell you what they are. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our first date alone was my birthday. I’d never celebrated my birthday alone – being one of four was likely to do that to a girl. I was always one of four – and I was fine with that, truly. But here was this man, this incredible gentleman who loved only me, and I was blessed. He’d promised me for months that he would take me on his motorbike. Canadian winter was likely not the best time for it, given that temperatures in central Alberta rarely rose above freezing – but I trusted him implicitly. He'd never put me at risk, and if he felt confident enough to take me out, I knew I’d be fine. When he finally offered me a leather jacket and a helmet, however, I blinked in disbelief. “Yoshitsune… My hair took me over an hour, and you choose today to take me out on your bike?” With a theatrical sigh, I leant against his chest. “I suppose I’ll have to cope…” He grinned and kissed my forehead, lips curling higher on one side. “Swan, you’ll be beautiful regardless. Maybe I’m just trying to even us out a little.” My fingers trailed through his own hair tenderly, pushing a few stray strands from his forehead. “I don’t think that’s possible, Silver.” Chuckling softly, he pulled me closer, gentle kisses trailing down my throat. “No, you’re right. You’re far too gorgeous. I’ll never catch up.” It was predictable, but it still made me smile, my lips trailing his sharp jawline adoringly. “Sometimes I worry for your sanity, Yoshitsune. Or at least your eyesight.” He rolled his eyes fondly, steel fingers skimming my cheek lightly. “I’m neither insane nor sight-impaired, cutie. You’re simply the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” With a quiet purr of joy, I touched my lips to his tenderly, whimpering with need when his hand shifted to my hair, making him draw back with a weak groan. “Easy with me, my Golden Swan. You’re testing my resolve.” “Fuck your resolve,” I muttered, tugging him closer by the front of his shirt. “Fuck me... Please?” He let out a quiet, frustrated whine, but released me reluctantly, eyes narrowing. “We’ve talked about this, Li...” With a sigh, I nodded obediently, unable to keep from rolling my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I know. Date first...” I sighed once more as I smoothed the front of his shirt, nibbling on my lip. “I’ve just waited so long for you...” Groaning, he pushed a hand through his hair, nodding. “I know. And it’s taking everything I have not to say, ‘fuck the date’, and take you to bed. But... You’ve never really celebrated a birthday to yourself before. So, please – let me spoil you.” I whined petulantly, but couldn’t hide my secret delight as he offered me the helmet once more. “I suppose I can tolerate that...”
I should have expected it, really. Nothing about this man screamed ‘law-abiding citizen’. Even so, hurtling down winding country roads in the sunset would have been terrifying enough with the snow clinging to the ground, but it was exponentially more terrifying at 20 miles an hour over the speed limit. On a motorcycle. At least he’d had the sense to ease my legs into leathers, his hands gentle on my skin. My arms were clamped around his waist as I squealed into my helmet, his shoulders shaking beneath my cheek each time we accelerated around a bend and I held him tighter. If anything, my death-grip on him only seemed to spur him on, the bike gradually roaring louder in my ears as he flung us seemingly with abandon around the bends. But eventually, we hit civilization, and he was he forced to slow to a more reasonable speed, my breath rasping through my visor audibly and making him laugh aloud. “Are you okay back there, Swan?” I could only nod against him, breathless and exhilarated. Despite the speed and the ice, I’d never felt safer than with my arms around him. He'd never let anything happen to me. The back tire skidded to one side as he pulled into the lot, spraying ice-crusted gravel and making me yelp, earning a gentle chuckle for my surprise. When he cut the engine, I finally – reluctantly – released my grip on his waist, sighing just a little at no longer being able to hold him so tightly, but he simply raised an eyebrow as he slid from the bike, hands finding my waist to lift me easily and eliciting a giggle for his efforts. “Happy you finally got your ride?” “It wasn’t the one I was looking forward to most…” I breathed, grinning when he swallowed dryly. “Aurelia… You’ll be the death of me,” he murmured, tugging my helmet over my head gently to run a hand through my hair. “But what a fine way to go.” Purring, I leant into the gloved palm on my cheek, chuckling softly. “Mm. Later, Soldier. Remember?” I tapped my feet excitedly, leaning to peer around him, raising an eyebrow. “… Dinner? Bold choice, Yoshitsune.” He laughed aloud, tugging off his own helmet as his other arm draped over my shoulders. “I know. I was feeling brave, I guess. But I also know you’re very much a fan of Italian food and wine, so I figured I couldn’t go too wrong.” I looked up, taking in the cut of his jaw and oh, those eyes, please God, never stop looking at me, and beamed, before hesitating worriedly. “Wine? Yoshitsune, I-” He rolled his eyes dramatically, holding me closer against him when I shivered. “You can have a couple of glasses of wine if you want to, Aurelia. I’ll be fine. I promise.” Despite stretching onto my toes, he still had to incline his head a little for me to kiss his cheek, making him smile fondly. “Who needs wine? You’re intoxicating enough.” My words earned me a snort, but the sound was quickly cut off as my flats slipped on black ice, disguised beneath the gravel, foot sliding forward as my stomach dropped. He’d never let anything happen to me. No sooner had the jarring movement begun than his arm was around my waist, pulling me closer against him and halting my descent. “Are you okay?” I laughed softly, gazing up at him in wonder. “You always catch me, don’t you?” His lips brushed against mine, lopsided smile as captivating as ever in the low light of twilight. “Always, my sweet Swan.” I couldn’t help but giggle happily as he pulled me up against his chest, shivering minutely against the sharp breeze. His eyebrow raised, shrugging off his jacket quickly, shaking his head as I opened my mouth to object. “I’m used to the climate, little one. And there’s a lot more of me than you.” My cheeks heated as he draped the leather over my shoulders, the heat from his body seeping into my bones as his aftershave wreathed around me, my feet tapping happily in response. “You’re too good to me, Silver.” One metal arm sound around my waist as we continued across the lot, pulling me protectively against his side as we moved through the hidden ice. “You deserve the world, Aurelia. I’m just doing what I can.”
What he could, evidently, included a restaurant so eye-wateringly expensive that my mouth ran dry, and him kneeling before me in full view of the maître-d’, gently sliding the leathers from my legs as I blushed furiously at his romanticism. The place itself, despite the price, was refreshingly intimate, flickering candlelight reflecting on his arms as he watched me attentively, drawing my adoring touch despite myself and making him grin once more. “You’re so beautiful,” I murmured, eyes crinkling with joy. At his suggestion – and doubtless the result of intense research – I’d ordered lasagna while he tucked into something that even I couldn’t pronounce, slick with oil and topped with parmesan. He grinned back at me as he arranged his cutlery precisely; a remnant of enforced etiquette training, leftover from a troubled youth filled with expectations he’d baulked at. No… My Yoshitsune is a gentleman, no doubt, but certainly not the one his mother had expected of him, with metal arms and sniper training. He's perfect. “Isn’t today supposed to be about you?” he quipped, bringing my hand to his lips to press a gentle kiss to my knuckles, gray eyes shining as they locked on mine, making me flush predictably. “Well… You’re my everything. It can’t be about me without being about you, too,” I replied shyly, free hand toying with a strand of my hair. He chuckled quietly, one eyebrow raising. “Oh, I’m pretty sure I’m going to get what I want soon enough, little one.” His other hand lifted automatically to reach for the bill, and I swallowed dryly, eyes lowered demurely. “I agree.”
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dark-magical-ships · 2 years
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ASK GAME FOR VERRIC TOO GIVE US DETAAAIIILLSSSS
— @daydream-sequence
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Hiya mars!! ^-^ I'll tackle both of yours in one reply, shall I? :D LET'S GOOOOO <3
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Let's kick things off with VARRIC because I hardly ever get asks about the platonic f/os ^.^
What made me like them
It is very difficult not to like Varric, as far as I'm concerned. The first time we ever see him, he's being dragged across a floor by armed guards and shoved into a chair and the first thing he says is "I've had gentler invitations." like okay this guy has sass I love it. Add his first meeting with Hawke (who, for anyone unfamiliar with the Dragon Age games, is the player character and basically intended to serve as a self-insert, so naturally this was how Varric and I met as well) which is all suave and charismatic and I couldn't help but like him right away. That's true for most of the DA2 cast imo, but Varric had staying power. He and Hawke have such an easy friendship and way of joking with each other, it was almost impossible to play the game and not export Varric as a new best friend when I put the controller down.
My favorite thing about them
This man's skill at bullshit artistry is a sight to behold. He could probably sell you your own left shoe while you're wearing it if he wanted to. This could be a problem, but the man also has an absolute heart of gold and looks out for the whole team. He's the only guy I know who manages to get along with literally everyone and goes out of his way to get to know us all and make sure we're all doing okay. He's like the most chaotic mom friend ever. Love him.
Nicknames we have for each other
Fun fact, Varric is well-known for giving everyone a nickname, except the player and Aveline. The player, he relentlessly refers to as "Hawke." When questioned about this, Varric says something about not really needing a better nickname for you than that... "but if you want one, then sure, [Waffles/Chuckles/Killer], you can have a nickname." XD I play a purple Hawke, so the nickname is Chuckles, which works really well honestly lmfao. In the weird blended AU where all my f/os live in my head "irl" though, he's actually called me Blue for years. It's sort of a no-brainer nickname if you ever meet me in person lmfao. I'm terrible with nicknames and mostly just call him Varric, but "dude" is a universal nickname I use for literally everyone and everything up to and including the kitchen sink, as is "friend."
A headcanon of our friendship
Varric is that friend who makes knowing everyone's business his business, but uses this knowledge for good. I am convinced that, besides Mokuba, he is the only person who 100% knew Seto was planning to propose, and he's known it probably longer than Seto has... he might have even been the one to make him realize he wanted to, come to think of it. o.o With me, this translates to him being the only platonic f/o who can gauge my mood with 100% accuracy based on a single text message. He's also the only one who apparently never sleeps because somehow he's always awake when I text him—his response time is literally never more than two minutes, regardless of what time of day or night it is.
My favorite image of them
These questions are always the hardest because they tend to be fanart rather than screenshots, and I purged almost all of my Dragon Age fanart and links when I left the fandom so it's tough to find old favorites again. XD My favorite Varric screenshots tend to be from the Wicked Grace game in DAI, though. He's always most in his element at the bars and taverns, and it's good to see him just chilling out with friends and telling stories like he loves to do.
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Anything else!
Varric is scary good at Duel Monsters, btw. He gives ATEM a run for his money. Usually does it with out-of-the-box strats, too. Bringing him to Domino City was both a mistake and the best thing that ever happened to this town.
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Ahhhhhh Fenris. The one who caught me by surprise and turned my relationship into the weird almost-poly thing it is now. The one I rarely speak of in much detail, lest the DA fandom drag me back into a hell that has nothing to do with cardgames. Arighty.
What made me like them
The thing with Fenris is, I went into his romance blind and I should not have done that if I wasn't looking for a new F/O, but it is what it is. XD He has enough in common with Seto that I felt drawn to him initially—namely, an excruciatingly painful history that includes themes of family issues. What made me fall for him is how beautifully his character is written; he's an incredibly complex character with a beautifully accurate depiction of PTSD and the work involved in recovery, and his (friendship) romance arc with Hawke is so incredibly sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, put it down, and realized Fenris had followed me home and wasn't going to go away hahaha
My favorite thing about them
Fenris is amazingly rational and intelligent, refreshingly self-aware, and possesses just such enormous self-control, it's downright inspiring sometimes. He and Seto are opposites in many ways but very alike in others. I love those points of contrast.
Nicknames we have for each other
Fen and I mostly just shorten each other's names XD He's one of the few who gets to call me Amy, though he doesn't do so very often—my full name (Amata) actually means "beloved" in his native language of Tevene, so. He likes to use the full name a lot. 🥺 He also pulls out other Tevene endearments such as "cara" from time to time; he's absolutely adorable about it aaaa. Again, I'm awful with nicknames. It's mostly Fen from me or something like "my love" lol. We don't have the same sort of chaotic energy Seto and I have, so no flirting with insults for us.
A headcanon of our relationship/friendship
I cannot cook to save my life and I absolutely hate it, Seto cooks occasionally but mostly doesn't bother because it's both easier and preferable to just hire someone else to do it, but Fenris? Fenris actually loves to cook. He's spent hours in the kitchen ever since he moved in, learning new styles and our favorite dishes. He makes a damn fine smoked salmon, too.
My favorite image of them
I GET TO REPOST THIS ART BECAUSE I COMMISSIONED IT SO I OWN IT. It's Fenris with my Hawke and their pets. 🥺 art by @feralgoblintea, and I highly recommend commissioning her, she's my bestie <3
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Anything else!
Fen got a job at Kaiba Corporation in IT. He proved to be an extremely fast learner and is now mostly in charge of the entire SolidVision team. Half of the code for Link monsters is entirely his doing, and Seto passes his work with only a cursory glance over it because he knows Fen's code is always flawless.
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powerof3in1 · 4 years
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Rick Grimes < Sweet Summer Burrito 
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hangezoeenthusiast · 3 years
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You failed me
multiple x gn!reader
word count: 2,524
warnings: cursing, yelling, arguing, death, angst, blood, explosion, the egg (it deserves its own warning)
synopis: you guys failed me(us)
(the lyrics go with each person, might not get everyone, and also xd’s part is kinda wonky)
song: rät by penelope scott
I come from scientists and atheists and white men who kill God They make technology, high quality, complex physiological Experiments and sacrilege in the name of public good They taught me everything, just like a daddy should
Quackity, Karl, George, and Sapnap left you. Your mentors, your friends. The ones who taught you everything you knew. They went to build their little “Kinoko Kingdom” while you stayed in the ruins, the dust. “They’ll regret that.” you swore. You built something better, something greater.
It was called “Las Nevadas”. A place where everyone was allowed. They would remember not to fuck with you. They would soon realize that they should watch their back for the rest of their short, stupid lives.
“Watch out, you guys, I'm watching your every move.”
And you were beautiful and vulnerable and power and success God damn, I fell for you, your flamethrowers, your tunnels, and your tech I studied code because I wanted to do something great like you And the real tragеdy is half of it was true
Wilbur majorly fucked up. He was supposed to be with you to the end, your guys’ country, right? No. He left you behind. He went to find peace, find his heaven, while you stayed on earth, wallowing away until your flesh seeped off your rattling bones, rotting away by yourself, with no one to bare witness.
“Why didn’t you bring me with you Wilbur?” you asked his stupid grave on top of the once L’Manburg. “Why did you get the ecstasy, why do I get the remains?”
“I’m coming for you Wilbur, and when I do, we are going to wreck upon justice on everyone who wronged us, wronged you, they will feel our wrath.”
But we've been fuckin' mеan, we're elitist, we're as flawed as any church And this faux-rad West coast dogma has a higher fuckin' net worth I bit the apple 'cause I trusted you, it tastes like Thomas Malthus Your proposal is immodest and insane And I hope someday Selmers rides her fuckin' train
"Y/n!" Technoblade yelled. "I TRUSTED YOU, AND YOU BETRAYED ME, FOR WHAT, TO BLOW UP A STUPID COUNTRY, A COUNTRY THAT WAS DOOMED TO FAIL FROM THE START." He started to battle you, missing every single swing, blinded by fury.
“YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY SIDE.”
"LOOK AT ME GODDAMN IT."
You looked up at him in the eyes and boldly said, "No, Techno, don’t you see, you’re in the wrong here, you’re the one who betrayed me." You were blinded by friendship, you couldn’t see that Tommy had betrayed Techno, and that what the Butcher Army did to Techno was terrible.
"What do you mean Y/n, you know what they did, they wronged me, they used me, they tortured me, they gave me hell, so I gave it back to them, I destroyed the things they loved, the people they loved, you see Y/n, those who have treated me with kindness I will repay that kindness tenfold, and those who treat me with injustice, that use me, that hunt me down, that hurt my friends, I shall repay that injustice a thousand times over, do you understand?"
"No I don't, Techno, you can't do this.” you begged. He pushed you out of the way, "Get out of my way Y/n." “No, I won’t, I won’t let you destroy everything we worked for.”
“Well, then I have to fight you.”
And thus the battle began, Swords clashing against each other, blood spilling from open wounds, friends digging each other into a whole both of them couldn’t get out of. Techno was letting you off easy, he knew his strength, he knew that he could’ve beaten you in one swipe, but he didn’t want to kill you.
So when you had the opportunity, you swept from under his feet, and knocked him down. You placed your blade onto his neck, pressing down until a little drop of blood appeared, “Stay down Technoblade, or I’ll do something worse than try to put you on trial.”
He watched as you walked away from him, trying to save L’Manberg from a worst fate than death itself.
“One day Y/n, you’ll see, I’m on your side.”
I loved you, I loved you, I loved you, it's true I wanted to be you and do what you do I lived here, I loved here, I bought it, it's true I feel so stupid, and so used I feel so used
"Why would you do that Dream? You didn't have to do that." you interrogated. Dream had stupidly blew up the community house. You both didn't plan that, he had gone behind your back. "I had to Y/n, you wouldn't understand."
"What do you mean I don't understand, you went against my back, we were supposed to-" you cut off yourself, "Dream, don't you understand, you did something stupid, and what did you get, you got stupid jail." "The reason I did that is because I needed to isolate myself from humanity." he said, proudness lacing his words.
"What do you mean?" you questioned. "If anyone knows I can revive people, I'm screwed, so that's why I need to be by myself, yeah it sucks major ass, but at least no one else will know, well, besides you anyways." "I have a task for you Y/n/n, I need you to find a way to bring Tommy and Ghostbur in here."
"Why Dream?"
"I'm going to revive Wilbur."
I was your baby, your firstborn, the hot girl in your comp-sci class And I was Darwin's prep school dream, bred, born and raised to kick your ass I fell for circuit boards, rocket ships, pictures of the stars If you could only be what you pretend you are
"PHILZA MINECRAFT COME BACK HERE." you were chasing Phil, through the woody forest, covered by oak trees. He had information on Technoblade's whereabouts and you needed it. You chased him with your enchanted netherite armor, netherite sword and axe, and a few op potions. Your goal was to capture Philza and interrogate him on where Techno's place was. The thing was, you were his child. His own child trying to kill his own son.
He felt betrayed, his own child turned against him and their brother, their family. "The Butcher Army must've gotten to you somehow." he thought in his head. Surely, his darling Y/n didn't do it on their own will, right?
He was incorrect, you did it because you believed that Techno needed to be brought to justice, by punishment. You believed that your own sibling needed to die, because he was a "liability" to L'Manberg's growth and future. He needed to die because as long as he would live his long life with his little enderman Edward, retired, he would still cause trouble to everything you, Quackity, Tubbo, Fundy, and Ranboo had built.
He pleaded, "Stop Y/n, you don't have to do this." You argued, "I do Philza, as long as he lives, my plans for L'Manberg will forever cease to exist."
He felt like shit, you called him Philza, not Dadza, or Dad, or anything besides his normal name. "Did I screw something up?" he asked himself quietly under his breath. "Yes you did Phil, you took the traitor's side." you had heard Phil mumble.
"HE'S NOT A TRAITOR." Phil yelled at you. "Yes he is, he deserves what he is about to get, I will say it again, where is his base?"
"I'm not saying, Y/n, why are you doing this, Techno is your own sibling." "He's not my sibling anymore, that stopped when he destroyed L'Manberg, you're lucky I forgived you." you declared.
"Y/n/n, please don't do this."
"I have to Dadza, I can't let him roam free."
When I said take me to the moon, I never meant take me alone I thought if mankind toured the sky, it meant that all of us could go But I don't want to see the stars if they're just one more piece of land For us to colonize, for us to turn to sand
Bad had tried to convice you to join the Eggpire. You had no effect while being next to the egg, and he had to take you out. People who had no effect towards the egg had to be eliminated.
He was creepily following you, waiting until you stopped to get a chance to capture you. He had hope that you did have an effect, that you would join the Egg with him. He didn't want to kill you, you were his best friend, besides Skeppy of course.
"Come back here Y/n." he said. "No chance in hell Bad, get the fuck away from me." "HEY, LANGUAGE!" he exclaimed. "No language, get away from me, you're creeping me out."
He threw his trident, spinning in the air, trying to catch up to your frantic steps. You were trying to get to Church Prime, where no one could kill anyone, hopefully Bad would abide to that rule. You were just about to step on Church Prime when you bumped into a hard, armored chest.
You looked up shyly, and saw Punz, with his red eyes reflecting anger. "Where are you going Y/n?" he questioned. "Somewhere." you blankly stated. You were desperate, you didn't want to die, or anything else that Bad was going to do to you. You tried to dodge Punz, but he placed a hand on your shoulder, "Stay right here Y/n."
"No, get away from me, I don't know what's wrong with all of you, but go away, I don't want anything to do with your stupid Eggpire." He raged, and grabbed your wrist heavily, "DON'T TALK ABOUT THE EGG LIKE THAT, IT WILL TAKE CONTROL OF THE SERVER, AND YOU ALL WILL BE ITS SERVANTS." "LET ME THE FUCK GO PUNZ." you screamed. You were wiggling in his grip, trying to escape his lunatic self.
While he was holding you, you saw two other shadows behind you. It was Antfrost and Bad. "What do you guys want from me, I didn't do anything wrong."
"You are against the Egg Y/n, people who are like you and Tommy have to die."
"Well, I'm not dying today." you murmured under your breath. "What was that you said?" Antfrost asked you.
You smirked, "I'm not dying today, I'll tell you one more time, let go of me."
Bad and Antfrost walked closer to you, Punz right behind you, all of them cornering you into a tight spot. "What you going to do about it Y/n, you're cornered."
"You'll know when they get here, but for now, you better run boys."
'Cause we're so fuckin' mean, we're so elitist, we're as fucked as any church And this bullshit West coast dogma has a higher fuckin' net worth I bit the apple 'cause I loved you, and why would you lie? And then I realized that you're just as naïve as I am Oh, you're so traumatized it makes me want to cry
"Tubbo, don't do this." Schlatt had unfortunately found out that you were a spy, that you were on Pogtopia's side. He had ordered Tubbo to kill you with fireworks, to light you on fire, give you blisters all over your body. "Please Tubbs, you're my friend." you pleaded.
"I can't Y/n/n, or something worse will happen." he whispered to you. "What do you mean?" you asked. "He can-" he trailed off, looking somewhere else besides your eyes. "Tubbo, you don't have to do what that stupid bastard tells you to do, you're your own person, with your own thoughts and actions."
"I'm sorry Y/n, I hope you can forgive me."
"TUBBO N-" you was cut off by firewords hitting your skin, making blisters and burn marks all over your body. You lost your second canon life, feeling betrayed by Tubbo. He killed you for what, a stupid father who never cared about him in his entire life, a father who exiled his friends that actually treated him like a person, and not like some random piece of trash.
You respawned in your bed, feeling bruises and bumps mostly on your forearms and your back.
"I'll help you Tubbo, I’ll get rid of him.”
You dumb bitch I loved you, I loved you, I loved you, it's true I wanted to be you and do what you do I lived here, I loved here, I bought it, it's true I'm so embarrassed, I feel abused
“Come on Y/n/n, come with me.” Punz begged of you. He wanted you to visit the Egg. You didn’t want to be controlled by a stupid omelette. "I'm not Punzo, why are you so obsessed with that stupid thing."
"DON'T SPEAK OF THE EGG LIKE THAT."
You put your hands in front of you, accidentally touching Punz's chest, "Ok calm down buddy." He didn't calm down and instead yelled at you on why you had to join the Eggpire.
"If you join, you will be forever happy."
"If you join you'll get whatever you want."
You were tired of the members of the Eggpire to convince you to join them, you didn't like eggs anyway. "Punz, for the last time, I'm not joining you, stop telling me."
“Then you have to die.”
So fuck your tunnels, fuck your cars, fuck your rockets, fuck your cars again You promised you'd be Tesla, but you're just another Edison 'Cause Tesla broke a patent, all you ever broke were hearts I can't believe you tore humanity apart
“XD!” You were pissed at him, he had destroyed your house, made your friends pissed at you, just everything you liked. All because he wanted you for himself.
He wanted you to be dependent on his every word, and he was being a manipulative psychopath. And you didn’t tolerate that, it was like he was his human counterpart, Dream.
He walked to you with confidence, waiting for to get a hug from you, well, he didn’t get that. You slapped him so hard his head swung to the left.
“WHAT THE FUCK.”
“That’s what you get you stupid son of a bitch. You fucking ruined everything.” “Calm down Y/n/n, what is wrong?” He acted concerned, but you knew that he was faking. He would do anything to get someone’s approval.
“DO YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT’S WRONG, IT’S YOU, YOUR STUPID PRESENCE IN MY LIFE. YOU KEEP ON WALKING AROUND LIKE YOU FUCKING OWN THE PLACE.”
“Calm down darling, just take some netheri-” you interrupted him by slapping the ore out of his hands. “I don’t need jack shit from you XD, you know what, take back the necklace, I don’t want it.” You pulled the shiny, green emerald necklace off your neck, and pulled XD’s palm out.
You placed the necklace filled with memories, and put it on his hand. You closed up his palm, and walked away, leaving XD to his own accord.
“We could’ve had evertything X.”
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ohmykazuha · 3 years
Text
GENTIS MEDICUS SCRIPTOR | CH3.
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a team is formed. part 1/part2
"What do you mean, you can't find then? Search the whole area again!" Kaeya growled, panic rising and bubbling in his chest.
"I'm calling Acting Grand-Master Jean to get help from the other areas of Teyvat, sir. She's already contacted a few people to help and they should be arriving soon. Meanwhile, our forces have been dispatched to look around Dadupa Gorge and Brightcrown Mountains. Sir Albedo and Miss Fischl will be arriving to help us in a while." Ezia reported.
"Alright. Go with the group to Dadupa Gorge and scout out the area. There's a good man."
"Sir, yes sir!" The knight ran off to join the group.
"Sir, The Millelith in Liyue have been tasked to search in Nantianmen and Tianqiu Valley, because of the recent monster sightings. The Resistance in Inazuma are helping us keep a lookout, according to Captain Beidou. She and her crew will be keeping a lookout for us at Guyun Stone Forest, but she and Kazuha may stop by to help if they have the time." Lawrence added, saluting Kaeya.
"Alright. We'll wait for them here, then." Kaeya exhaled. That was good – they had many people coming to help.
"You know, there are better ways to seek out our enemies than... well, standing here." A ginger male dropped from a tree next to them, holding his bow tightly.
"I'm sorry, who are you?"
"You mean you haven't heard of me before?" The male looked surprised. "I'm No. 11 of the Fatui Harbingers, codename Childe, but I also go by Tartaglia. And you... something tells me we're going to get along splendidly."
“Good to meet you… Childe. I assume you’re here on the business of (Y/N)’s case?” Kaeya shook his hand, Childe returning the handshake friendlily.
“Yeah. La Signora and I were placed on the lookout as well by the Tsaritsa. We’re here to help look for (Y/N). I have a few reports that may help, but I want to introduce you to someone else first, who may be of even more assistance.” The tall man replied, nodding.
The Lifebringer had helped the Tsaritsa a few years ago, and the archon had owed them her life – many people owed the Lifebringer their life. The cryo archon had vowed to help (Y/N) in every way possible. Since (Y/N) had been travelling around Teyvat, helping people and bringing them back to full health, they had made a lot of acquaintances along the way. Even one with the stone-hearted cryo archon.
“Alright. We can look them over with Jean to decide the best course of action for now. Albedo, our chief investigator, and Fischl, one of our investigators, will come with us. Your friend may also join us in the discussion – if he can bring anything to the table.”
“Captain Kaeya!” A new voice greeted – from a sauntering, blonde young man followed by a puzzling-looking girl with a raven.
“Albedo, Fischl – meet Childe. He’s here to help us with the investigation.”
“Good to meet you. I am Albedo, chief alchemist and investigator of the Knights of Favonius. This is Fischl – she’ll be assisting us with the investigation. Shall we proceed back?” Albedo smiled.
Back at the headquarters, the group, with Jean and Lisa, were huddled around the table, looking at the various reports and such. The investigation of (Y/N)’s disappearance was still ongoing – the citizens of the various nations were left shocked. (Y/N) was well known throughout the lands, and many knew of their powers and the possibility of their powers falling into the wrong hands.
“There’s no way they could have gone somewhere else in such a short period of time. Granted, teleportation does exist, but it’s impossible. It would take an extremely high level of skilled magic to teleport that quickly. You said that no one had realised that they were gone, right? Even the guards who were protecting them?” Lisa looked at the report curiously.
“Yes. The guards looked away for a split second to fight off the band of rogues who had infiltrated our camp – the next second, (Y/N) was gone. No one knows how it happened. They just... disappeared. It was as if they had never been in that tent all that while.” Kaeya furrowed his brows in thought. How exactly had (Y/N) disappeared? No one saw them leave the tent… unless...
“They didn’t leave the tent. They were ambushed within it. Someone infiltrated (Y/N)’s tent and took them from the inside.” Kaeya thought aloud, the realisation dawning on him and his cheeks paling.
“Then we need to find out who it was. Knights, friends... time is of the essence. (Y/N) is in danger, and you know what that could mean for us if their power falls into the wrong hands. Lisa, find all you can about the teleportation magic in the library. I’ll go with Kaeya, Albedo and Childe to further investigate the surrounding area. Once you’re done at the library, can you come find us?” Jean looked at Lisa, then at the others. Lisa nodded, hurrying off to the library.
“My friend will meet us there. He can help us with the investigation.” Childe added.
Meanwhile…
“What do you want? Why are you doing this? You haven’t answered my questions yet.” You growled, a low hiss emitting from your mouth.
The Khaenriah’ns stepped back, the man in the middle smiling calmly. He walked up to you, a menacing grin on his face – full of twistedness and a.. wrong sense of happiness. You could feel it. This man was evil to the core.
“We want you to revive our nation. Our fallen nation, which the gods cast their gazes away. We’ll make them see us once again. But first… oh, darling. We’re just getting started.” He held your chin tightly, turning your gaze to him.
Kaeya, our prince… we will bring you back.
oh man. tbh i was a little stuck here, but i think it was a relatively good filler chapter. what do you think of kaeya's connection to the story? :"D (p.s. @noirkkat can you spot your cameo? XD)
taglist: @eternism, @starglitterz, @oreoz-unfortunately, @lucult , @melkxsh, @solarpearl , @yua1106, @tokyii-e, @yeetmeoffjueyunkarst, @hq149, @shxnosuke, @dilucbar, @mika-zuko, @clouds-rambles, @the-gayest-sky-kid, @velionqs, @the-name-is-loser, @xingkiitty, @abyssheart, @fuhuashandholder, @almondto-fu, @cynettic, @noirkkat
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slashingdisneypasta · 3 years
Note
Ok, ok - it's so great that we're sharing this enthusiasm here ❤
So, how about period sex with Jerome, Jervis, Oswald, Edward, Jonathan, Victor Z., Beetlejuice, Spike, Billy, Pennywise (2017) and J.D.? That's not too much is it? Sorry!
Oooh. Okay, hm. 
For you or anyone else who wants to see my other post about this- Horror Villains And: Period Sex
Jerome Valeska: Well man he’s for sure up to give it a go!! And he’s going to give it his best go, too. I mean, he likes blood! He likes your body! What's not to like about this, really? He’ll use his fingers, his cock, and his tongue- what? He just wants to get the full experience, Y/N! He calls it a free sample. 
Jervis Tetch: He’s happy to try, if it’s going to make you feel better!! Anything for his Alice. (As soon as y’all get into it though he’s genuinely into it. Its so much warmer, and gooey. You lost him. Enjoy) 
Oswald Cobblepot: Oz is like Drayton in that it’ll take some convincing. He’s not scared, uncomfortable or disgusted at all, he just doesn't.. particularly... want to see you covered in blood? You know? He’s seen a l o t of people covered in blood, and its never a good thing- so he doesn't want to see you like that- even if he knows, logically, that its natural. He’s afraid it would bring bad memories to the table. 
Edward Nygma: He’s a forensic scientist, so he is certainly not afraid of getting up close and personal with blood of any kind. He’s more nervous about the actual sex part, but I assume by this point you and him have done it at least a couple times so he’s gotten more comfortable, and knowledgeable about pleasuring you. Similar to Jervis, he’s glad to help if it’ll lessen your discomfort factor during this hard time of the month! Its not really any different to non-period sex for him, though. Except he must put down a plastic sheet so you don't mess up the bed XD
(Separate part for) Riddler: Let him just get outta his strictly dry clean green suit quickly and then you’re on. He’s on it, Y/N. He’s on it. 
Jonathan Crane: Yep. Haha XD He likes all things gorey, bloody, and taboo. This is his favourite kind of sex. 
Victor Zsasz: Vic is in Jervis’ and Ed’s boat in wanting to care for you when you’re not feeling too hot- other then that, he’s indifferent to the fact that there is blood. 
Beetlejuice: Are you kidding. Disgusting gremlin man will even eat out his partner when they’re on their period with PLEASURE. Will take it upon himself to try and lick you clean, even though that’s not going to happen depending on the time of your cycle- which bleeds into some serious overstimulation for you. He’s just enjoying himself so much!! ...  slurp. 
Spike: Uhhh... this might be a Jerry Dandridge kinda situation. Then again Jerry didnt have had that chip that would stop him from hurting you and he does like to torture himself a bit sooooooo... he actually might be into it ha ha. Don't take advantage though, you’ll hurt him. 
Billy (Loomis? I assume Loomis): Already did him but just saying, once he does try it... he probably likes it. Perfect for when he’s mad- he can take his anger out without actually shedding anyone’s blood. And he gets to do it with you! Bonus. 
Pennywise 2017: Like Billy I’ve already done this but just to add- they’re really into the smell. Unlike his older counterpart, he will probably steal your freaken bloody underwear (No chill. Filthy.). 
J.D: I don’t generally write for JD because... secretly he annoys me... but whatever, this is short, so I don’t mind ^^ I can so see him loving to get his fingers right in there, and show you the mess you made. Such a tease. Such an ass. 
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dreaming-twist · 2 years
Text
2. WEB
Some random oneshot for TwstOBer ~ Enjoy please xD
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“Sebek, you need to find some other hobby. Do you want to try playing with my PC?”
“Human inventions that have nothing to do with magic? Hmpf! Sounds disappointing.”
“Well, well, at least give it a try, okay? It maybe surprises you.”
“... If you say so, Lilia-sama...”
That was how it all began. A simple proposal from Lilia had been his first and until now last contact with that world. And he still didn't know how he had gotten to the point where he was right now.
That day, in Lilia's PC, he found a program on the web that caught his attention. "Pass on your thoughts or knowledge!" It said. Sebek arched an eyebrow, and ended up creating an account outnof curiosuty with the first nickname that came to mind (Best Bolt) until he came across a recording function. Then he realized what this must be.
“I understand. It should be something like a journal, but instead of writing it by hand, you speak directly to it. Interesting invention, not bad for humans...”
And then, after clearing his throat and hitting the 'Record' button, he began to speak.
“... Hello? ... I don't know how this works, but I will try to adapt. This is my first time using one of these... inventions. It's interesting, but... Hm? Wait, why is there a light that is blinking on the side? Okay... I'll try to fix it. I don't know how the recording is turned off...”
Sebek began to investigate what happened to the computer, and in that time he wasn't seeing suddenly the counter of 0 that appeared on the side of the recording screen went up to 1, then to 2, and thus it began to rise. increasingly.
Once he finally fixed it, he returned to his starting position.
“Done. It was not a problem for me. What could I talk about today... Huh?”
As he was thinking, he suddenly saw an alert glow red on the screen, next to a speech bubble. Sebek brought the mouse to it and opened it, finding the words: "You can talk about anything you want."
“I understand. It even gives you suggestions... What a useful program... I'll talk a bit about myself in that case.” Despite this, Sebek decided not to speak the names of anyone he named... for his own sake. He didn't want to be embarrassed later if he listened to his own diary... “Right now I don't live with my family, so to speak. It's not that I get on badly with them at all; I went away to study and to fulfill my duties and my work. So now I'm living somewhere else, surrounded by... ahem, people. However, the ones I am closest to are... the family of a person I have known since childhood.”
He leaned back in the chair.
“One of them treats me almost as if I were his son, and sometimes I think he cares too much about me and pampers me too much. He has taught me so many things, and I feel that every day I learn a little more from him. I respect him a lot... although he sometimes takes advantage of me and plays practical jokes on me. I don't know if he wants me to feel comfortable and enjoy all of this despite being away from my family... or he just wants to play with me. He left me all this... equipment to test it and 'have fun'. Hum. I think once again he was right. His advice is always helpful.”
He made a mental note that he should thank Lilia.
“And then there is... the one who is the only person my age who has always been by my side. He is a very decisive... person, and too calm, I'll say. That is what makes him fail so much in many things. However... he is the person I have been with the most since children, and despite his failures and the fact that we argue so many times... he is very important to me. We do not consider ourselves nor have we called ourselves 'friends' before, rather it is that in addition to being one of the same rank as me, he is my rival and someone I like to continually surpass. I think he may feel the same way.”
For some reason he was saying things that surprised even him. He had never spoken so openly about Silver. How was this happening? Was he so comfortable talking to himself...?
“And there is someone else, who is who I am doing all this for and for whom I strive every day. He is the most incredible being I have ever met. Always correct, with the greatest power I have ever seen, diligent, perfect... It is directly my reason for being, I am SURE of it. I want to become stronger for him and be by his side to serve him whenever he needs me. I'm lucky that someone like him recognized my worth. He is my role model... Although...”
He bit his lip.
“... I think I'm not good enough to help him, protect him, and still be worthy. But I will be. Not because I started showing results later than others am I going to give up. That is something I am not going to do. I want to make the world see that I can become the best in my course... No; the best ever. And prove that he was not wrong with me. It doesn't matter where you come from, whose son you are, or if your power came to light sooner or later... WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS YOUR PASSION, AND STRIVE EVERY DAY TO KEEP WALKING!”
After blurting that out with a big smile and clenched fists, he soon realized that he had lost his composure a bit. He returned to his starting position, clearing his throat.
“... Ahem. For now I feel like I'm on the right track to achieve that goal. The first step is to be the best in my course. Or so I think. The people I... hang out with, from the same course as me are... peculiar. There is one who seems to be pursuing the same goal as me. But he still has a lot left. I notice conviction in his words but I don't see any improvement in his studies. However, he is stronger than I expected at first, and he excels at P.E. There's another... thing who wants to become the best too, but... I'm not even going to talk about him. That one is a lost case. There are two more who instead appear to be quite normal, but one only seems to have an interest in one thing, and the other... honestly, I don't know what to think of him, but he's very strong. And besides the four of them there is a... person who does not seem to want to improve on anything at all. Or rather, he doesn't seem to have an interest in it. But he is not an idiot, rather he seems like one, and I have learned from other sources that when he proposes it to him, he is capable of being the best student in his class. Perhaps he is the most suitable to call him a 'rival' among them. Although as long as he continues to seem so bored of everything that comes his way, there should be no problem... He also shouldn't like me too much. Although he keeps talking to me. He is an interesting guy.”
Sebek then took a breath to talk about the last person he was missing, after talking about Deuce, Grim, Epel, Jack and Ace.
“And lastly there is this… ahem, person, that came along all of a sudden. They doesn't have the capacity to be here, but they somehow got in and we're on the same course. When I learned of their existence, I felt that I had tried very hard to get here, while they had a special ability, although not the one that everyone else possesses, was able to enter without problems. It was unfair. I have ever thought that they were making fun of everyone.” He paused. For some reason, even though he had blurted it out, he didn't feel good about himself... Was that the whole truth...? It was then that he recalled certain moments that he spent with them from then on. “... But they are very clumsy. I feel like I have to be there to hold them if they falls. Studying with them is not unpleasant, they are capable to follow my advice and understand things quickly. I do not dislike those who strive to achieve their goals...”
Another notification appeared on the side of the screen. Sebek stopped speaking, a half smile adorning his face, and looked at the message, taking advantage of the stop in his monologue. Would it be another suggestion from the program...?
“How beautiful is love.”
The boy jumped.
“WHAT?! NO!!” He yelled at the screen, totally flushed. “H-How can a program say these things?! This is a joke?!”
The notifications came out again and Sebek managed to read some.
“Program? What are you talking about man?”
“Hey, there is nothing wrong with you liking someone, I support you!!!”
“Is Story Time over? I was really enjoying listening to you, Best Bolt”
“I have become a fan of yours! Will you talk about more things another day?”
“Your words are very inspiring!♡”
“Best Bolt u r the BEST!”
Sebek began to check the screen, and saw that next to a symbol that represented an eye appeared the number "5000".
5000... eyes?
WERE THERE 5000 PEOPLE LISTENING TO HIM AT THAT TIME ?!
“Hey. Did you listen to Best Bolt the other day on this popular app with podcasts that premier live?” Ace asked, as he ate his burger.
Sebek stopped eating when he heard that.
“No, but I have heard people talk about him to class people. He seemed interesting” Said Epel.
“I had listened to podcasts, but few that talked about personal life... And he spoke so calmly and in such a sincere and focused way... I wish I could do something like that” Deuce commented. Epel smiled at him, he felt the same way.
“I don't know who you're talking about” said Jack confused. (Y/n) and Grim were just like him.
“He cut the recording suddenly the other day, something may have happened to his PC... But hey, if he comes back I'll let you know for sure.”
Sebek ate without saying anything, next to them, who were talking so happily about Best Bolt, until...
“Sebek, youuuu... well, I don't even know why I ask, in Diasomnia you all are very old-fashioned, right? You don't use technology much... except Lilia-senpai.” Ace started to say, looking at him.
Sebek tried to avoid him as best he could.
“HUH?! A-Ah... No, n-no, I don't have interest in that kind of human-made things...”
“Heee... Well, I'll let you know when Best Bolt comes back anyway. Maybe it surprises you.”
“Y-Yes, okay, thank you” He replied, looking away... where he met the watchful gaze of (Y/n), quite close to his face.
“Sebek, are you okay?”
That was the last straw. Sebek quickly rose from his chair.
“PERFECTLY! AND NOW IF YOU ALL EXCUSE ME, I HAVE TO GO SEE HOW THE YOUNG MASTER IS!”
And with that said, the boy ran towards the exit, while everyone else looked at him.
“... Hey now that I think about it, doesn't Best Bolt look a bit like Sebek? That way of speaking, and everything he said...”
“Ha, ha. Good one, Deuce.”
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toujoursmiraculous · 3 years
Text
Thoughts and Reaction to Mr. Pigeon 72!
I knew this was going to be a really good episode, just because the synopsis we got and the trailer seemed pretty bland. Whenever ML does that, a lot of big things happen in that episode. I screamed and choked on my water in the opening scene where Ladybug's with Alya in Marinette's room. I've been looking forward to Alya and Marinette scenes sooo much since Gang of Secrets! Wayzz & Alya: Hey Marinette, you should take a break and rest. Marinette: Nah, I'm good I gotta keep working Alya: YOU'RE LOSING IT, GIRL! Marinette: Don't care, must work Alya: Okay... you know Adrien and Kagami broke up, right? Marinette: Wait what?! Oh no, Kagami needs me! Alya: Not the reaction I was expecting but okay "Let's not wait for the storm to pass, but let's dance in the rain." I really like this quote! Even during bad times, you need to find the good and enjoy it. And Marinette reaaaally needs to do that. But in a literal sense, please don't dance outside during a dangerous storm.
ALYA AND TRIXX ALDJFSLJDS oh I love them, I'm so happy we'll get to see more of them. The way they both reacted to Marinette saying she has to go console Kagami, they weren't expecting that. xD But I was! I find it very amusing how in episodes like Frightningale she was more upset with Chloe being Ladybug than Chloe being in a video with Adrien that Alya's shocked by her decision, and in Frozer where Marinette was putting Adrien's wants before hers. I really don't understand why people think just because she likes Adrien, she'd not want to help make those around her happy even if it wasn't what she wanted for herself. I'm not surprised at all that Marinette would do this for Kagami, but I'm very happy that she is. "Alya, in Paris, Kagami has no other friend except me. Only I can console her." This makes me so happy. The only times in this show I like Kagami, is when she's with Marinette. After watching this episode, I'm more and more thankful she finally told Alya about being Ladybug I don't even want to know the state she'd be in had she not. O.O She almost ran out of her room as Ladybug (whoops), then almost ran out in her pjs (again, oops). Thanks to Alya, she didn't do either. xD That little detail where Marinette runs out and the sun's really intense, letting us know she's been inside a really long time, so everything outside is really bright. I really appreciate the little things like that. Or at least, that's what I take it as. Unless they're hinting at summer coming up soon... Dang Marinette, just jumps on Kagami's back LOL Kind of reminds me how Chat Noir likes to come up on Ladybug. xD "Your so original friend." Marinette is pretty original! I know the tone implies that's not a good thing, but eh. She's letting her go with Marinette and spend time away, so who cares! Marinette trying really hard to convince Kagami to get back with Adrien and how she's going to help her. I think it's really sweet of her, but Kagami of course clearly doesn't want to. Plagg: What's wrong with you, jumping into ice water! YOU'RE LOSING IT! Adrien: *exposes duffle bag full of Camembert* Plagg: I take back everything I said about you Also huh, Alya just told Marinette she's losing it, now Plagg tells Adrien he's losing it...hmmm. Bob Roth is a horrible person and each time we see him, he does something else to show it. Poor Adrien's allergic to pigeons specifically. I guess he's okay with some birds but not others? Idk? But he told Gabriel it'd be doves, so he approved. But it turned out to be pigeons instead. To be fair, at least in the US, Mourning Doves are often mistaken as pigeons, at least where I live, so they'd make a decent substitute... if it wasn't for Adrien's allergy. Adrien in Gorizilla to Wayhem: If you stop following me around screaming, I think we could be good friends! Wayhem with Cardboard Cut-out Adrien in Mr. Pigeon 72: ADRIENNNNNNN! :/ Marinette has a bag full of everything she may need in all kinds of situations. Comes in handy but good grief girl! How do you lug that all around??? What kind of scenarios do you think up to think of
some of that stuff!? Marinette's so adorable in her bathing suit awwww! Dude. Bob Roth. He said he's allergic to pigeons! And you blame Mr. Ramier because Adrien sneezed and it scared the pigeon away? How is this man successful again? He doesn't listen to anything or anybody. Marinette's like hey Kagami, look at Adrien. You'll start liking him again. Do you feel your heart beating fast now? And she's like "I feel especially bad for the trainer (Mr. Ramier)". I mean same though. He's being treated horribly! x.x Next take, Adrien dives and he sees Marinette with Kagami. But I think he only saw Marinette. Because he says he thought he saw a friend from school (Kagami doesn't attend their school, just the fencing class, as far as we're aware) and also he makes no mention of Kagami at all in this episode. Which means...
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Why's your jaw dropping at the sight of your "just a friend" in a bathing suit, Adrien? And, you know, Kagami's literally right there in a bathing suit, too. Just saying. But it's like she's not even there to him. Hmmmmm. Poor Kagami's like, this entire thing is embarrassing, I feel embarrassed for me, Adrien, and this situation. Kagami: Marinette, stop! It's getting crazy! Marinette: Love is crazy! Don't think about it! I love how the more Marinette tries to help Kagami, the more things are working out in Marinette's favor. Interesting, isn't it? The more she tries to tell Adrien her feelings and make opportunities for them, the more they fail. The more she tries to help Kagami, or someone else, the more opportunities for her land in her lap. Hahahahaha the way they both fall LOL "Marinette? 😮" *guilty smile* AND THEN THEY TAKE DOWN POOR EDGAR! :( Mr. Ramier's in the background giving the poor bird CPR as he's drowned and Marinette and Adrien are just casually talking not paying attention lolol "What are you doing here?" "I came to surprise you." Kind of, she was hoping to help Kagami get back with Adrien. So that's a kind of surprise! "Uh, well to relax!" True too, actually. Alya did send her off because she needed to get out of the house and relax from her Ladybug and Guardian duties. Marinette, everyone needs to be careful when at a pool. Clumsy people like you especially need to be careful! lol Good thing Adrien's already seen her fall so many times, it's nothing new lol Gabriel: It's a failure Bob Roth: It's not my fault, it's his! Mr. Ramier: You are under arrest! Edgar is my best friend. He's the most intelligent of the pigeons! Gabriel: It's a pigeon Bob Roth: WHAAAT? IT'S A PIGEON? RAMIER, YOU LIED TO ME. Sorry Gabriel, I'll replace this man! I know a shark trainer First off... LOL that whole scene XDD I actually knew Bob Roth was going to say that entire thing before I heard it lolol Second... awww Edgar's okay! c: and third... I'M SORRY, YOU WANT OUR PRECIOUS BOY TO BE AROUND SHARKS?!?!? Who keeps this man employed?!?! Idk why but this whole time I thought that everyone would turn into giant talking pigeons lol ah well "I realized my mistake! We'll recreate the moment where you fell in love!" ohhh? Like I mentioned earlier, whenever she tries to do something to help Kagami (or someone else) that's when her intentions work out best for her. 😉 One of my favorite things from Style Queen was Plagg and Ladybug working together. Now they're working together again and just... ahhhh I gushed so much at that scene! x3 YESSSSSSS what I've been waiting for! Ladybug can just call Alya now and be like hey, I need your help! And Alya can just be like okay cool, and either goes to her room to get the Miraculous herself, or finds her and gets the Miraculous. So cool! Of course, I'll be most excited if she ever gets to just keep it on her, but... baby steps. Rena did a phenomenal job speaking as both Ladybug and Chat Noir lol. She's such a fan of them both, she knows just how they are around each other. Oh, oh no. We're trapped against a wall by a few pigeons. Looks like our only option is to give up and remove our Miraculous and reveal our identities. Are you seriously buying that, Gabriel? Plagg's like HELLO I'll be taking this! Alya did everything from inside Marinette's room. Ladybug was trapped in that room at the pool the entire time. All it took for this akuma to be defeated was Illusion that can be done from anywhere and Plagg getting the object off Mr. Pigeon. That's amazing! Also, this is the first time Ladybug didn't have to actually see things around her to know what to do. She just focused and thought about it. o.o Okay so hold up. Thanks to Alya, Marinette now knows she can create charms to protect past akuma victims and keep them from getting reakumatized, which is wonderful. I love how much of an impact Alya knowing is having! BUT How exactly does Monsier Rat come about then if he has a charm to protect him??? 🤔🤔🤔 I really like how her drive to want to figure things out was
especially because Mr. Ramier's been akumatized so many times, and she wanted to help him from having to continue to go through that. "This girl is truly Miraculous" awww cute how he got to just watch that this time.
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I screamed at this moment because I knew. Since Origins, we have not seen this exact sky. Even during rainy scenes like in Chat Blanc or New York, they didn't look like this. YES, Kagami knows that the way Marinette feels about Adrien shows how much she loves him, but she knows she doesn't feel that way about Adrien too. And "You're right, Adrien is perfect... perfect for you." With a smile and everything! Awwwwww! This acceptance, and the Marinette and Kagami friendship in this episode is really, really good! 😭 "Wow, have you kept it [the umbrella] all this time?" She sure wasn't expecting that!! But wow Adrien, you noticed? Then Coup de Foudre happens again. Yeah, this girl is never getting out of her feelings for him.
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Of course she's having trouble with her words still, but that's okay. But she's like oh, I'll give it back, and he just pushes it to her and says she'll need it to get home... unless she'd like a ride with him. AND SHE ACTUALLY ACCEPTED AND WRAPPED HER ARM AROUND HIS OMG.
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To then only have the umbrella close on BOTH of them!
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AND THEN ASKS IF HE WANTS TO WALK INSTEAD BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE UMBRELLA! She's come so far! And the sheer disappointment when he remembers he can't because of his Chinese lesson :/ And then, because he can't not be looking at Marinette, he hits the back of his head on the car, making himself look silly, just like in Origins she made herself look silly. This time she laughs, and he laughs with her. And it's literally Umbrella Scene 2.0 and it's absolutely everything.
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DORKS ❤️❤️❤️ "They are made for each other." awwwww instead of Master Fu, this time it's Kagami. And she sounds very okay with that, that's so nice. "Let's not wait for the storm to pass, but let's dance in the rain." Then proceeds to dance in the rain!
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Ahhh what a refreshing, good episode after how much she's been struggling and crying! So lovely! Her friendships with Alya and Kagami were really strong in this episode, her doing her best to help her friend with the guy she herself has always liked, and then Kagami was the one that wasn't really into it, and it made both girls realize that Marinette loves Adrien and is the one best for him, not Kagami. And I'm pretty sure this episode helped Adrien to open his eyes to Marinette more too. At least, this is the beginning of that, anyway! Alya's such a tremendous help to Ladybug now, which is everything. I do wonder if more friends will very slowly start to find out her identity and they end up contributing more to bringing down Hawk Moth, so she really, really isn't alone like she once thought. I don't really have any complaints about this episode at all! Just a bit sad we had no actual Chat Noir, but we got Ladybug and Plagg from it, so it's fine with me! x3 I know some may see it as "Chat Noir isn't necessary, how dare they do this to him!" but no, he's very necessary, sometimes he just can't be there and she can't do it alone. You have to remember how much Chat Noir means to Ladybug, and that she wouldn't even BE Ladybug if it weren't for Chat Noir! I'm really curious now about what episode 5 is, since now we've gotten Episodes 1-4, 6, we're getting 7,8, and 13 later, and we've already gotten 11. Filling in the gaps for the first half of the season! This entire week is going to be crazy with the new episodes, and for each one I'll be writing one of these posts for, so be on the look out for them!
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kationella · 3 years
Text
Antagonists ranked by their willingness to spare someone's life
I won't include Shido, two thirds of Strega or most of the Masked Circle and NWO members since they either didn't know about Personas or weren't the leaders of their organization.
1) Takuto Maruki
Has never killed anyone. Doesn't have the stomach to do it. True, he unintentionally enslaved humanity to live in his reality, but Dr. Snacks is the guy with the most morals on this list. You won't have anything to fear if you're left alone in a room with him. The most Maruki will do is try to solve your psychological issues.
Won't kill and frowns upon those who do.
2) Taro Namatame
He almost killed people, but his intentions were to save them. Unlike Dr. Glasses, Namatame is more open to the "blatant kidnapping" option. Even so, Namatame was in a very dark place in his life when he took that decision.
Won't kill on purpose.
3) Jun Kurosu
If it were only his Joker persona, he would be way lower. However, that was mostly Nyarly's influence and we're ranking antagonists in their natural habitats. Jun would rather torture using his Persona than kill someone (not that he has as only Jun). If you're an enemy he might reconsider.
Won't kill if his friends don't want him to.
4) Goro Akechi
Wow, Akechi! How does it feel to be one of the most decent people in the room? Akechi on his own only orchestrated Shido's death. Ever since he was taken out of the equation, Akechi hasn't killed anyone. Another thing would be that he is already conditionated to go for the kill.
Won't kill if Akira doesn't want him to.
5) Takahisa Kandori
We're nearing the "I don't give a shit what anyone else thinks" line. Kandori won't kill you if he can order someone else to do it. And even so, he would rather beat the shit out of someone to keep them silent. Huh. Less Lex Luthor and more Team Rocket Leader over here.
Won't kill if he has other options.
6) Tatsuzou Sudou
Place in a blender a shitty dad, politics, shady deals with the supernatural and a hint of madness. You get this asshole. Would kill you, his organization members, his son, and a newborn puppy if it gets him what he wants.
Would kill if you were on his way.
7) Shuji Ikutsuki
It seems like Kouetsu Kirijo was the one who called the shots. Ikutsuki would only think about murder if it served the greater scheme. Otherwise you will be left alone. Until you die in the Fall, which places him below Tatsuzou.
Would only kill if it helps to bring the Fall.
8) Ideo Hazama
Now here is a kid that loves his torture. Especially if its ironic. This baby emperor took "eye for an eye" way too seriously. Brownie points for only killing those that "deserved" it... which isn't much but still. What he wanted to do with the rest isn't clear.
Would only kill if you bullied him.
9) Tohru Adachi
Now, if Adachi had only killed Mayumi Yamano on accident, he would have been placed higher on this list. But he killed again knowing full well what would happen. His reaction to possible murders through the rest of the game is just ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Shadows will come to kill everyone? Lol XD In the end, it was the motivation that placed him below Hazama.
Would kill but only if you frustrated him and were really unlucky.
10) Takaya Sakaki
Do I need to explain myself? He literally kills for a living. His goal is to bring the Fall so everyone dies. Would only spare Jin and Chidori.
Would kill if someone asked him to.
11) Tatsuya Sudou
Oh, boy. A life of messed up adults, circumstances and choices have turned Sudou into a pyromaniac with a Persona of all things.
His first instinct was to kill you.
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sometimesiwrite · 3 years
Text
The Way It Is
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Prompt: Fake Dating
Pairing: Lambert & Essi Other Characters: Julian (Jaskier), Eskel/Geralt
Rating: Teen Content Warnings: No Archive Warnings; platonic/queerplatonic dynamics; pressure to engage sexually; coarse language; alcohol/intoxication; modern AU.
Summary: When Essi and Lambert are setup on a blind date, they don’t expect to get along as well as they do. However, when they decide to keep their relationship platonic and non-romantic, they realize they might face some uncomfortable pressure. For the sake of simplicity, they decide to tell people they’re dating, but is it sustainable? 
@witcher-rarepair-summer-bingo​
Essi fidgeted with the bent corner of her cafe menu, looking around at the various styles of local artworks hanging on the walls. She was early by about ten minutes, but that didn’t stop her from checking the pearlescent dial of her watch every thirty seconds. Finally, the bell above the door tinkled and a man walked in. Essi could tell from the way he was looking around that he was there to meet someone—her. The only other people sitting alone in the cafe were working on laptops and tablets; no one else waiting for a date. And this man was most certainly looking for one. 
He was handsome in a ruffled sort of way, though he’d clearly put in a bit of effort. His black casual dress shirt and slim light-wash jeans fit his lean frame impeccably, and a subtle quantity of mousse was clearly doing its best to tame his short, scruffy brown hair. Even his bristly beard appeared to have been trimmed recently. Though there was nothing particularly remarkable about his clothing, there was something striking about the way he carried himself, a devil-may-care sort of presence that Essi appreciated. For a blind date, she thought, it certainly could be worse. Allegedly, they knew each other, at least based on his abruptly out-of-the-blue text, and the closer she looked, the more her memory of him crystalized. 
A loud ping! emitted from Essi’s phone and the man looked up from his own cellular device, clearly having just texted. 
“Uh, Essi? Essi Daven, right?” He took a step towards her and leaned in, pointing to his phone screen. 
“Yes,” Essi stood to shake his hand, “hi.”
“Nice to see you again. Lambert.”
They sat down awkwardly, both struggling to find the will for smalltalk. 
“So…” Lambert had become keenly interested in a black-and-white digital photograph behind Essi’s shoulder.
“Listen,” Essi could feel the words start to tumble out of her mouth, and it was too late to do anything about it. Lambert raised an eyebrow,  “I don’t really know how to say this, so I’m just going to be honest and probably regret it later: I don’t really do this. Dating. I find it strange and uncomfortable and if I’m perfectly honest I think I’d rather die.” She didn’t cringe apologetically, which would have been the expected behaviour to accompany an outpouring of disinterest. Instead she stared at him, wide-eyed, lips slightly pursed as a muscle in her neck twitched, waiting for his response.
Lambert laughed. Genuinely laughed—a joyful release of tension and dread, “Oh, thank Fuck!” Essi blinked in pleasant surprise and watched as Lambert began to relax.
“Excuse me?” Her startlingly blue eyes widened in amusement. 
“No, no, I just mean—I would absolutely and one-hundred percent, without a doubt, rather die in a hole than date,” Lambert slotted the edge of the menu under his fingernails and let his eyes wander a little more freely around the cafe. 
“So then… why?” 
Hm. Direct, frank, amusing lack of filter… the memories were starting to come back from what limited, heavily inebriated, time they’d spent together.
There was something about the straightforwardness of this endearingly odd woman that made Lambert feel infinitely more comfortable. Usually, any kind of interaction with the potential of building mutual interest made him feel like he was playing a game he didn’t know the rules to. The signals, the code words that never meant what they said: having sex on the first date means you’re a slut; not having sex on the third date means you’re a prude; grabbing coffee means this; having dinner means that; if they your arm but don’t invite you up, it means that they’re actually a KGB operative and need to give you the launch codes for a super secret missile...
Fuck that, we have words for a reason. Say what you mean and don’t waste my time. For that reason alone, Essi was already scoring quite well in Lambert’s books. 
He shrugged, “You somehow remembered me from the KM Christmas party almost six months ago, and still asked for my number. I figure that at least deserves a coffee and a conversation.”
Essi was bewildered, “I didn’t ask for your number, you texted me.”
Lambert shook his head, “Impossible. No offense, but I absolutely guarantee you I did not.” He produced their short text exchange and scrolled to the top of their conversation: 
Hi, is this Lambert? From the KM Christmas party? 
You might not remember me, we got talking about 
the political situation in Kashmir after about…
Too many drinks. Eeep! 
Anyway, I’d love to get a coffee sometime, if 
you’re interested. 
Sorry, this is Essi Daven. 
You called me Goldilocks at one point and 
seemed amused XD 
Hope you’re well! 
Essi snatched Lambert’s phone, shocked and slightly outraged as she reached for her own device, opening her thread with Lambert. The text at the top was not from her, but from the man across from her: 
Yeah, hi, this is 
Lambert-from-the-KM-Christmas-party. 
As it happens, I remember you and our 
conversation quite well. Not many folks 
happily get into drunken political discussions
You know what, I wouldn’t mind grabbing a 
coffee. 
Let me know if you’re free in the next couple 
weeks! 
Lambert gestured emphatically at Essi’s phone screen, “In what world is this an acceptable way to ask someone out?! I wouldn’t have said yes to that!”
“I don’t know,” Essi fired back, “It was straightforward! I found it charming, okay? Is that a crime?”
“No, but I have some serious concerns about your taste in men.”
“Like you’re in such a fine position to judge after the hollow, paltry invitation you accepted—which I absolutely did not write, by the way. I want to make that perfectly clear.”
“Alright, alright, cool your jets, we’ve got bigger fish to fry.” Lambert narrowed his eyes as he passed Essi’s phone back to her, “You didn't fire the first shot, so who texted me from your phone and cleared the history?”
Essi nibbled the inside of her cheek, “I can think of a few.”
“Okay, next question,” Lambert pocketed his phone, “who added you to my contacts before you texted. Because we did not exchange numbers six months ago, but your name was already there when I received it.”
Essi shrugged, “Who has access to your phone?”
“I dunno. Really just Eskel and Geralt and neither of them would—”
“Geralt.”
“Why him?”
Essi’s bright blue eyes turned steely and murderous, “Julian… They’re working together.”
“Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me that Geralt the-last-thing-I-need Rivia and Julian Alfred these-aren't-my-pants Pankratz think we're so helplessly undateable that they decided to secretly set us up?” 
“Eskel doesn’t know me that well; he wouldn’t try to set you up with someone he hadn’t vetted. Who did you talk to first when you got that text from me?”
Lambert’s eyes widened, “Holy shit, they’re working together.”
Essi nodded, a flood of embarrassment warming her cheeks. “Sorry to waste your time. You’re very nice but, um, I should just…” she got up to leave.
“Wh-hey, hold up. I mean, if you wanna go, go, that's fine, but there's something you might want to know first.”
Essi tossed her yellow bangs out of her eyes, “Oh? What's that?”
“This,” Lambert produced an Amex credit card from his breast pocket, “is Geralt's.” The cheeky glint in his eyes was a very convincing argument.
“Fine then. Coffee and a conversation.” 
The coffee was hot and decent, and the conversation meandered through the usual topics of music, movies, and television, but also dipped into deeper waters as they grew more comfortable with each other’s company. Of course, it didn’t hurt that neither of them had any stakes in the outcome of this “date”. It made it easier to be frank and open, which in turn led to them quickly enjoying their time together. So much so that coffee turned into lunch, which turned into a long walk in the pleasant weather, which finally landed them outside Essi’s apartment, just around dinner time. 
“I have to say, this was actually a pleasant encounter,” she said, turning to face him with a characteristic toss of her bangs. 
“Yeah, who’d’ve thought two people forced together by meddling friends would actually find it enjoyable?” 
“In light of that,” Essi squared her shoulders and found Lambert’s hazel-brown eyes, “I think it’s fair to say I want to see you again.”
He cringed regretfully and scratched the back of his head, “Ahh, yeah, so… I don’t know if that’s really--”
“Oh, relax,” Essi smirked with a casual touch to Lambert’s forearm. “I don't mean like that. I just mean--you're interesting and fun and, well I don't have many close friends and I feel like we connected well today.”
“Well…”
“I'll make it even simpler: I absolutely, one-hundred percent, am not interested in dating you.”
“Easy there, you know I love it when people get all straightforward with me.” 
“I mean it, I just want to be friends,” she toyed back, trying her best to look sultry. It kind of worked.
Lambert bit his lower lip in mock arousal, “Mmm, oh yeah...”
She swayed her shoulders forward and back, doing her best to emulate the seductive actresses and models of the 1950s, “I want to Netflix and chill with a documentary about Soviet propaganda.”
Her last comment prompted a playfully stern look from her companion, “Careful now, you’re wading into actual turn-on territory.” 
“You're such a weirdo,” Essi chuckled, giving him an endeared shove. “Seriously, though, would you like to do this again? Friends?” 
He nodded sincerely, “Yeah, I think I'd really like that. Just one problem, though.”
“If we claim not to be interested in each other but keep hanging out we’ll never hear the end of it?” 
“Bingo.” 
Essi hummed thoughtfully and nibbled the inside of her bottom lip, “Well… we could always… pretend?” 
***
“Sounds like you two are hitting it off. I’m glad. I know Essi’s been feeling a little isolated between work and being new to the city.” Geralt closed the fridge with his foot and headed towards the sofa, popcorn in one hand, three beers in the other. “I’ll take my card back, by the way.” 
Lambert reluctantly handed the Amex back in exchange for a beer and perched on the arm of the sofa. “She’s really something. We’re, uh—yeah, hitting it off is a good word.”
And hitting it off, they were. The last ten days since their first “date” had been more enjoyable than all the dates he’d had in the last year combined. Essi was a fantastic companion: sharp, witty, kind, took no bullshit… They had done absolutely nothing but hang out, and no one had pried them for many details about the nature of their relationship. As far as their friend group was concerned, they were simply dating in the way that most adults dated. This also meant more time to themselves without unwanted interruptions (namely Julian barging in with his spare key to gossip about whatever fires were currently alight on twitter). The first night Lambert had been over, it took Julian all of five minutes to “grab something from the fridge” before parting with a knowing wink. 
To her credit and imagination, Essi had expertly fielded her cousin’s initial barrage of questions when she first announced their “involvement.” It wasn’t that she didn’t like her cousin, Essi adored Julian, but she was also the first to admit that the man had no boundaries. What he lacked in that arena, he certainly made up for with opinions, which he was always more than happy to bestow on his younger cousin—usually dating advice, almost always unsolicited. Lambert had a much easier time convincing his side that he and Essi were taking it easy to see where things went. Between Eskel being a consummate gentleman and Geralt having his own Delicate Sensibilities, neither of them had demanded any details. 
“As long as you’re both happy and everything’s healthy, that’s all that matters,” Geralt’s partner reiterated, reaching into the bowl on Geralt’s lap. 
“Jesus, Eskel, you sound like my Nonna.”
“That's no way to talk to your father,” Geralt smirked into his hand of popcorn
“You're no better,” Lambert took a swig from his beer, lips popping as he lowered the bottle. “I swear, you've turned into a couple of mother hens since you two got together. Quit fussing and watch the game.” 
Geralt put his arm around Eskel’s shoulders, “We have gotten a little soft haven’t we?”
Eskel huffed out a laugh, “Probably. Hey, Lambert, don't fuck it up or I'll kick your ass into next week.” 
“Thank you. See? Was that so hard?” 
“Eh,” Eskel shrugged, helping himself to another handful of popcorn, “I stand by my original statement. Geralt agrees.” 
“It's true,” he said between mouthfuls. “Essi’s a good woman. Smart, talented, kind, attractive.” 
Eskel cleared his throat.
“Eskel, she is, it's just a statement of fact it doesn't mean that she doesn’t have other…”
“I know it doesn't but I still think you could bear to be a little more…”
“Funny thing,” Lambert interrupted, “I still can’t figure out how this smart, talented, kind, attractive woman’s number programmed itself into my phone. Because I may have been drunk the night we first met, but I have never in my life forgotten a successful number grab. Fess up, fellas. Who was it?”
Eskel’s eyes widened, “Geralt, you didn’t.”  
“I… may have… helped Julian gain access to Lambert’s phone.”
“Unbelievable. The betrayal,” Lambert shook his head, eyes still on the game. “If only there was some way to square things up…”
“You charged everything to my company card, didn’t you?”
“First two dates and a fresh pair of pants. Thanks, bud.” Geralt accepted a pat on the back as Eskel began gently but sternly berating him.
Lambert shook his head, smirking as he took another swig of beer, leaving the two lovebirds to bicker amongst themselves. His hip pocket buzzed and he checked his phone: Essi. 
Next Wednesday? Pizza and a movie?  Still can't believe you haven't seen  Ocean’s Eleven. 
Yeah, okay, fine. Jeez :P 7:30 my place? I'll provide beverages. 
If by ‘beverages’ you mean watery beer…
Fuck off, I'll get the good stuff. Unless  you prefer Arbor Mist or some shit. 
*gasps* I am offended! (but also it's delicious)
*sigh* do you want me to get you some?
*turtles into hoodie* ...peach or cherry pls? 
Haha okay, fine, I'll get a bottle. Can't promise  I won't judge you forever, though ;) 
It's okay, I deserve it.  g2g, see you tomorrow! xox 
***
Lambert groaned contentedly, massaging his stomach as he sprawled back on his aging brown sofa, long legs resting habitually on the coffee table. The now-empty pizza box lay abandoned on the far edge, accompanied by four empty beer bottles, and a nearly-empty, unfavourably warm Peach Arbor Mist. The toilet flushed and Essi emerged. Her dark gold hair had long ago been pulled into a messy bun, but her indigo skinny jeans had been replaced by soft-looking grey leggings. 
Lambert shook his head in amusement as she settled back next to him on the couch, "I still can't believe you brought your own lounge pants"
"That's because I'm a genius," she quipped, crossing her legs and adjusting the height of her waistband. "Besides, when else will I have the opportunity to actually be comfortable during a date?" 
"You took your bra off, too, didn't you?" Lambert asked without missing a beat, eyes never leaving the screen. 
"Yup!" Essi confirmed, her sparkling blue eyes glinting with joy as she raised her glass to her lips.
The movie continued as the new friends settled into comfortable silence, their food-drowsy, alcohol-fuzzy states lulling them into a new level of comfortability around each other. Legs fell asleep, positions were adjusted, and shoulders leaned on as the two sought maximum comfort for minimum effort. Soon, an arm was around Essi's shoulder as she settled her cheek on a comfortable spot on Lambert's chest. 
"You good?" Lambert asked, only half-irritated at her seemingly endless search for the perfect angle. 
"I'm sorry, I thought I'd found a good spot, but..." A few more adjustments of her head and Lambert couldn't take it anymore. 
"Jesus, woman, here. Get up for a sec."
Essi sat up as Lambert rearranged himself into a sort of semi-recline with one foot on the floor so his other leg could make room for the tiny pain-in-the-ass that was taking up the rest of the couch space. At his invitation, she wriggled up to the crook of his arm and quickly settled in. Lambert hadn't really thought about what they were doing. Not when Essi had harmlessly leaned against his arm; not when their weight settled into each other; not when Lambert had put his arm around her; not even as he was rearranging to get to where they were now. It had all just... happened. Now, though, with Essi lying still, Lambert felt the weight and warmth of her body shifting gently against his, and it dawned on him that this had the potential to be, well, weird.
But the strange thing was, it didn't feel weird. He'd fucking cuddled before, but there was always a sense of holding back, a tension in his body, being on the lookout for signals from the other person to move onto the Next Step. But now, he actually felt comfortable. There wasn't anything that was supposed to happen after this. Nobody was asking anything of him, no one sending signals he could pick up on but never read properly, no sinking feelings of dread as the other person moved in for a kiss that always felt too soon. Essi was just there, breathing, content. And Lambert was relaxed.
The woman half-on top of him gave a twitch as the credits started to roll, and Lambert let out a private laugh, "Hey, Sleeping Beauty, show's over." 
Essi inhaled heavily through her nose and lifted herself up, "Hmmm?" 
"Movie's over." 
"Did I fall asleep? I'm sorry!" she sat and rubbed her eyes, taking a sip of water to rinse the stale taste from her mouth. 
"Eh, only a little." Lambert exited Netflix and tossed the remote back on to the table. "Thought you might wanna start heading home before it gets too late." 
Essi nodded in response as she grabbed the pizza box and brought it to the kitchen trash, leaving Lambert to bring the empties. 
"You going to finish this atrocity of a beverage?" Lambert waggled the near-empty wine bottle at Essi as he passed on his way to the sink. She merely scowled and shook her head, letting him pour it down the drain 'where it belonged anyway'.
Essi gathered her things and met Lambert by his front door, checking her pockets for her phone and keys one last time before putting her shoes on. 
"You okay to walk? Want me to come with?" 
It was only 10:30 on a weeknight, and she appreciated the gesture all the same, but it was fine to walk. "Thanks, though. And thank you for tonight. I really needed to get out of the house. I hope, um..." 
She trailed off, not sure how to ask. She didn't have the same physical boundaries that most others seemed to have. She was affectionate—often overly so, and it had led to more than a few misunderstandings in the past. She didn't want Lambert to feel as though she had ulterior motives when the simple fact of the matter was that she hadn't really been thinking. Between the instant relief of not actually being on a date and Lambert's easy manner all evening, she'd forgotten that most friendships didn’t generally involve that much physical contact. Would Lambert be confused now? Thinking they were onto something more than friendship? Had he been wanting more? Had she pushed past a point of no return and doomed their friendship?
She inhaled, "Were you comfortable tonight?" 
For a split second, Lambert flailed, wondering whether he’d made her uncomfortable. Fuck, she'd seemed comfortable, if anything it felt like he’d been following her lead but maybe...
"I—yeah. That was, I enjoyed that. Were... were you not—?" 
Essi smiled and Lambert relaxed again, "No, I was. I wanted to ask in case, that's all. Boundaries and all that. I'll text you when I'm home." 
Lambert opened the door and waved her off toward the elevator, "'Kay. 'Night!" 
The door clicked shut. 
Okay, alright. Fine. Did they cuddle? Yes. Did he enjoy it? Fuck yes. He absolutely didn’t care what anyone might think about how he chose to enjoy his time with other people. However, this didn’t stop him from acknowledging that he was in uncharted friendship territory. More than anything, he was worried about how Essi really felt. Of course, she had no reason not to be honest with him. But the last thing he wanted to do was play fast and loose with someone’s emotions, especially not a friend, and definitely not one as close as Essi. Time would tell. As Lambert’s head hit the pillow, the memory of her warmth and weight settled over him again, and he slept soundly for the first time in months.
***
“Yes Poppet, but have you slept together yet? Honestly, you’ve been dating for almost three weeks now, what could you possibly be waiting for?” 
Oh, I don’t know, hell to freeze over? You to mind your own business? Whichever comes first… 
“I mean, you clearly adore one another, I’ve never seen you happier. What’s there to lose?’”
Essi scoffed. 
Julian placed his hands on her shoulders, “I know it’s been a while for you, but I think you can afford to let yourself go a little, have some fun, hm? Besides, it’s better to find out sooner rather than later if you’re sexually incompatible.”
She took a deep breath, “That’s a very good point, Julian, I’ll think about that.” The dating act was starting to wear a little thin, but it was worth not having to explain to anyone that they weren’t doing exactly what it looked like they were doing. 
Julian took time to give his cousin a scrutinizing look, “Well, by the look of things it won’t be long anyway. If you spend all of your time together as tangled up as you were the other night when I came over, it’ll happen sooner rather than later. Just trust your gut, and when in doubt, a little hint never goes awry.”
Needless to say, Essi more or less ignored her cousin’s advice.
As the weeks stretched on, it became evident that they were quickly becoming what most people would consider to be more than friends. The first time they pulled the covers back and climbed into bed, each on their half of the mattress, they were aware that yet another boundary of friendship had been pushed a little farther into the grey zone. But, they woke up the next morning feeling happy, content, and refreshed, and surely there was nothing wrong with two people sharing a comfortable bed. Essi had woken up with crust in her eyes and her nightgown bunched around her waist. Lambert had woken up with morning wood and his hair a mess. Neither of them cared. People wake up in the morning, big deal. 
Still, it didn’t stop the questioning that oscillated in the background of Lambert’s mind. Was he unknowingly leading Essi on by allowing her so much closeness without a clearly defined relationship? She’d made her own disinterest clear enough on their first “date”,  but feelings change over time. What she’d told him three weeks ago might not be true anymore… 
And then there was that soft warm tingle in the middle of his chest every time she lay her head in his lap, every time he ran his fingers through her hair. He knew he wasn't in love. Not that he was an expert, but what was all that "when you know, you know" bullshit if he couldn’t trust his own feelings? He loved her, sure, but more like a... not a sister, that would be weird. He didn't know what like. Whatever. Fuck it. Eskel had said it best three weeks ago: “As long as you're happy and everything’s healthy, that’s all that matters.” Yeah, sure. We’ll stick with that.
As far as Lambert and Essi were concerned, it was what it was, and whatever it was was working… wasn’t it?
***
"Fuckin' finally!" 
The door to Essi's apartment clicked closed as the tenant wilted against it, emitting an exhausted groan, "Two. Hours. It took me two hours to get home!" She toed off her penny loafers and abandoned her purse and jacket in a pile by the front door, ignoring the hook three inches to her left. She flopped heavily onto her living room carpet. 
"I see you found my spare key," she added, not at all surprised that Lambert had managed to let himself in. 
"Yeah, you should probably put that in a less obvious spot," he answered, crossing to the door to hang her things up. "So, I see it's a lying on the floor kind of evening. Can I interest you in a drink to start? Vodka pairs well with the general vibe of Done-With-This-Shit, or we also have tequila if you feel like shouting out the window after a couple shots. Alternatively, there's gin if you want to cry later." 
Essi smiled with her eyes closed, feeling her body slowly relaxing into the spongy throw rug underneath her, "You know me so well." 
"Vodka?" 
"Vodka. Euch, I need to vacuum!," Essi peeled herself to a seated position as clinks and clatters began in the kitchen. She hopped in the shower to rinse the day off, and after a few minutes, there was a knock on the bathroom door. 
"Yeeees?" she called, playfully. 
"Drink delivery!" Lambert hollered back, "you want this now or later?" 
"Why are you so good to me?" 
There was a draught of cool air as Lambert opened the bathroom door, "Because you only marginally annoy me. Here," he passed his hand between the shower wall and the opaque fish-scale-patterned curtain. "What's on the docket for tonight?" 
Essi groaned, "I don't know, I'm sorry. I used all my brain cells trying not to murder people on the streetcar." 
"Okay," Lambert sat on the lidded toilet, "here's the thing. I kinda maybe figured that might be the case so I kinda maybe picked up a few things to make dinner." 
A shampoo-piled head poked out from behind the curtain, "You're kidding." 
"Nuh-uh." 
"I love you." 
Lambert chuckled, "Yeah, you're alright. Come on, hurry up, this bathroom's a fuckin’ sauna, and I don’t want the croutons to get soggy." Essi burbled an answer about conditioner and almost done, and Lambert took that as his cue to leave.
Dinner was simple: pan fried Salmon with crispy skin (delicate and buttery on the inside); wax beans in butter (tender and not overcooked); grilled brussels sprouts (just beginning to brown on the edges); and a fresh caesar salad. Everything done to perfection. Full, content, and ready to take their relaxation to the next step they settled themselves on Essi’s blue-grey sectional to begin the arduous task of deciding what to watch. 
This was proving particularly difficult with the addition of Essi's caveat that whatever they chose not be "too plot-heavy" which so far had included Masterchef, an interior design show, and program about shepherding in the Orkneys. 
"Sweetheart, you gotta give me some slack here. I thought I was on track with the sheep!" 
"I know, I'm sorry!" Essi muffled into his shirt sleeve. "I do like animals..." She gasped loudly. "BLUE PLANET."
Lambert stopped the endless scrolling and pushed play as the soothing voice of David Attenborough filled the small living room.
"Hey! Why'd you pause it?" 
Lambert was standing up, "If we're going to do this, then we're doing it right. Hang on." 
Essi slumped on the sofa as the microwave kicked on. In a few minutes, there was popcorn in their laps and half a bottle of vodka on the table with an ice bucket and lemon wedges in a bowl. Lambert read off his phone screen.
"We will take a drink when: 
-David says 'Extraordinary' -David uses a clear understatement such as 'But then again, living in an active volcano is not without its risks' -An animal is being eaten -An animal is mating -There is sped up footage of a plant growing."
"Oh no," Essi lamented, chewing her popcorn ungracefully, "I'm going to get so drunk." 
"You got it, Goldilocks. Fill up."
And with that, they were off, taking it slow with their vodka twists, but nonetheless feeling the warm buzz start to tingle under their skin. The box of microwave popcorn was empty by halfway through, and the remains of Essi's exhaustion had almost dispersed entirely.
"Ooh! Understatement! Drink!!" 
By ten o’clock, pink-cheeked and feeling boisterous, they had finished with their favourite parts of Blue Planet, or at least the ones they had patience for, and had moved on to Planet Earth II.
“Holy fuck, that’s a lot of snakes—Go, you little fucker! Go!”
The drama on the screen had caused the two to separate from one another while Lambert invested himself in the success of the small lizard. Once the baby Galapagos Iguana had made it to safety, they were once again able to recline without Essi risking an elbow to the face.
She bundled against him, scooting farther between his legs where he leaned in the corner of the sectional. He gathered her hair and draped it over her left shoulder so it wouldn't get caught in his buttons—they'd learned that the hard way. It was still damp, cool to the touch, and smelled like verbena sea salt shampoo. He felt a pulse of affection ripple through him as her weight resettled. He loved that feeling. It had taken some time to get used to it. But now it was high on his list of favourite things. He was happy. And it was healthy. And that really was all that mattered. 
Right?
Eskel’s words turned themselves around again in his mind as he wrapped his arm around the front of Essi’s shoulders. He let himself indulge in the texture of her cotton knit nightshirt under his fingers. He relished in the peace of mind at being able to just be there with someone who meant something to him and made absolutely no demands. He let himself relax. 
Essi felt a kiss land on the top of her head with a playful, "Muwah!" 
She giggled quietly, "Thank you!" Then, upon further thought… Did he want to kiss her? Her mind did a double take as she tried to get on top of the ball.  
It wasn’t impossible. They were close after all, and she wasn’t opposed to the idea. She’d recently found herself in a balancing act of realizing she could, in theory, have a deeper kind of feeling for Lambert. Only if, for whatever reason, it turned out he felt the same way. These weren’t the helpless uncontrollable feelings of ride-or-die infatuation; they were malleable, translatable, general feelings of affection and fondness that belonged in any number of different relationships and dynamics. 
No sense risking it, she thought. They'd found a liminal space of comfort and safety that she'd never experienced with anyone else before, and if the options were between being a little confused and ruining everything, the choice was an easy one. Then again, if Lambert was developing feelings for her, she didn’t want to miss an opportunity. Shit. Her cheeks burned as she felt the question rise closer to her lips. 
"Lambert?" she sat up abruptly and turned to her friend who was still moulded into the corner of the couch, watching the mating rituals of exotic birds with bewildered skepticism. 
He jolted at Essi’s sudden movement, "Hello, yes." 
Her bright blue eyes were now slightly unfocused, "Do you—? Nevermind." She lay back against him, suddenly skittish..
"Mm, nah, try again," he said, sluggishly. "What’s up, buttercup?" 
She swayed a little when she sat up, "Are you happy with what we are?"
Lambert blinked, caught slightly off-guard. The question was easy enough to answer, "Yeah! I mean I don’t know what the fuck we are, but I’m feeling pretty good about it. Shit, why? Are you not? I can be less… whatever. Or… more?" It wasn’t like he was repulsed by the idea of anything else happening between them—in theory it was a possibility. In practice, however...
Essi put an emphatic hand on Lambert’s knee, her glassy eyes going wide, "Do you want more?" 
"What? No! I dunno, I—maybe. I haven’t really thought about it. I mean…” Lambert searched Essi’s face for any clue that might help him know how to proceed, “I don’t not want anything else. Fuck, I don’t know! I’m used to doing things the other way around. You know the drill: uncomfortable date, smoosh faces together, have sex, hope feelings fall out. Lather-rinse-repeat. I dunno, do we have to… But what if we try something and...? I don’t wanna lose this." 
Essi leaned in close and whispered, “I have an idea.”
"Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?" 
"We should kiss."
Lambert nearly swallowed an ice cube, "What?!"
"Just once. Quickly. Just... in case." 
"You want me, Lambert, to kiss you, Essi Daven, on the lips."
She nodded sincerely, "For science."
There was a brief pause during which Essi felt the beginnings of panic brewing in her stomach, but by the time she'd finished grappling with potential consequences, Lambert was filling their glasses. 
"Alright. Fine. My friend wants me to kiss her for science? Fuck it. I'll drink to that." 
They downed their drinks and squared up, knee to knee on the edge of the sofa as they each prepared for their best form—or as good as they could offer given the circumstances. They counted down, 3-2-1...
The kiss was quick, over as soon as it had begun, and both friends pulled away with questioning looks. Inconclusive. They tried again for a little longer, still returning with the same quizzical expressions. They went in for a third time, committing more thoroughly, and for a brief moment it seemed they might have found the semblance of a spark. But it didn’t build. It felt… fine? But no different than if they were lying together on the sofa. It was just another thing they were doing. They each tried to find the right word for what they were feeling, but were soon distracted by the oddness of it all.   
Essi started to giggle. Less than a second later, Lambert joined her, and they both pulled away, thoroughly satisfied that their experiment had yielded a strong No on the subject of More. There was a dull thud as Essi slid from the couch and onto the floor, still holding her drink in one hand and laughing hysterically. 
Lambert sighed and shook his head, "I think it’s time we got you to bed."
Headaches and dry mouths greeted the two friends the next morning when they blinked awake. Essi’s hair was a cotton-candy mess, having still been slightly damp when Lambert put her to bed. The brunet himself didn’t look much different from his usual scruffy state as he gathered Essi up in an armful of duvet and squeezed tight.
“Gods, Lambert, I still need to breathe,” Essi chuckled, pressing her back into his chest. 
“You’ll get over it,” he teased and self-indulgently nuzzled even closer. “You feeling alright? I mean, aside from the hangover. About last night?” 
“Oh no,” Essi groaned, “I’m so sorry, Lambert. I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s just—you kissed my head and then that got me wondering about whether you might want something else, and then I didn’t really know what was happening and—” 
“Hey, easy on the rambling, okay, I’m running on limited brain cells, here. Look,” Lambert sat up to find those big blue eyes, now shining brightly, “I have no idea what the fuck this is that we’ve got going on, but I like it fine just the way it is.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. And we can keep talking about that. Just, you know, maybe next time something’s on your mind, don’t wait ‘til we’re wasted at 2am?”
“Okay, deal. Can we go get bacon now?”
Lambert chuckled, “Yeah, alright, fine. Make me put pants on, I see how it is.”
Their conversation continued over strong coffee and eggs benedicts. Between their check-in that morning and everything that had happened the previous night, it was well-established that they were perfectly happy where they were. Rather, the main topic of conversation was their growing desire to level with their friends about the nature of their relationship. Eskel and Geralt, they both agreed, would be the easiest—Lambert could tell them that evening. Julian and Essi’s friends on the other hand would be a little more difficult. 
Telling Julian together would be best, Essi thought. He was bound to have questions, and if both she and Lambert were there to answer them definitively and explain that no, they didn’t have secret feelings for one another; and yes, they really were just friends and not at all interested in exploring the relationship further thank you very much. Exactly when this discussion with Julian would occur still wasn’t clear. Realistically, they could pick any time, but they decided to wait until Lambert could tell the Old Men. At least then they were assured some less invasive support. 
Their reaction was easy enough to predict: Eskel reassuringly repeated his standby “As long as you’re both happy with things…” and twirled a forkful of pasta; Geralt tilted his head thoughtfully and said, “That sounds very nice. I’m happy for you.” Lambert had expected mild disapproval, concern that they were deviating too far from the norm and into a complex dynamic that would be too messy to manage. Instead, Geralt simply said it ‘sounded very nice.’ Lambert smiled into the open refrigerator on his way to get a beer. 
The following weekend was Julian’s birthday, and, as per their annual tradition, the group all gathered on Friday evening at the birthday boy’s favourite restaurant—Vegelbud’s. The two decided to tell him the week after his birthday so as not to detract from his Big 3-0. Just one more week, and it would all be in the open. Easy breasy.
The afternoon of the dinner, Eskel and Geralt received a group text: Haven’t told Julian the details yet. Keep the beans to yourselves please (I’m looking at you, @Eskel). 
“Why me?” Eskel turned to Geralt over his paperwork, looking a little hurt. 
Geralt chuckled, “You have a slight tendency to overshare when you want to be supportive.”
“I do?” He turned on the bar stool to follow his partner on the way upstairs.
“It’s not a bad thing, but…” Geralt sighed, “Lambert has always needed to feel in control of situations like this. He doesn’t want one of us bringing this up before he’s ready to talk about it, especially in a public place, you know how he gets when he feels cornered. And Julian is Essi’s cousin…”
Eskel raised a hand, “You’re right, you’re right. All points taken. Are you showering?”
Geralt smirked as he headed for the stairs, “Come on then.” 
Four hours later and halfway through dinner, everything had gone swimmingly. The food had been expectedly delicious, the company and conversation excellent, and so far no one had felt the need to bring up Essi and Lambert’s relationship on any level. That is until Julian got a few drinks under his belt, and decided it was time to document the occasion. Geralt and Eskel were the first victims. 
“Aww just look at you two! So in love, so vivacious and full of adoration,” Julian held up his phone as Geralt touched the side of his head to Eskel’s. Beep-Chk! A perfect image of a happy couple was captured and posted to Instagram (#julianturns30 #dinneratvagelbuds #dinnerout #cutiesofinstagram #favoriteotp #gaycouplesofinstagram #livelaughlove…). There were a few more photos of the three of them together, the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake with the candle in it, a group shot taken by the waiter. It was all so close to being over, Essi could practically taste the refuge of the streetcar. 
"Come on, lovebirds, show us a smooch!" Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. Essi’s stomach lurched and she felt her cheeks start to warm. Lambert’s hand landed gently on her knee under the table, his fingers pressing firmly into her leg as she desperately tried to think of something to say. 
"Oh, um..." 
Across the table, Geralt and Eskel shared a wordless communication: de-escalate, distract, redirect.
“You’ll want to eat that cheesecake before it gets warm” Geralt offered. “I hear it’s so light it’ll disintegrate in a heartbeat.” Eskel nodded in encouragement, taking a bite of his own. 
“I know, I know,” Julian shrugged, “Just a quick one. Say Cheese!”
"Not right now, Julian," Essi tilted her head, her eyes flashing a little. 
"Oh come on, Poppet! I know you don't like PDA, it's just one little picture--"
“Don’t call me Poppet.”
Eskel cleared his throat loudly, "Doesn't seem they're that keen on it. Maybe let's try for one another time." 
"It's past your one-month-a-versary, let everyone see how in love you are." 
"Julian," Geralt growled, "leave it." 
Julian covered his mouth in alarm, "I’m so sorry, have you not used that word yet? I didn’t mean anything by it, I just want the world to see how happy my beautiful cousin is!" 
“Really Julian, it’s not necessary we—” Essi’s fingernails were starting to dig into Lambert’s palm from the sheer effort of maintaining composure. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to cry or disappear, and with neither of those being an option, it seemed the only possible escape was for them to kiss. They’d done it before. No big deal. It would feel off, but they’d just go back to her place and drink about it after. 
“Essi, what’s the matter with you, it’s just one little picture, and we all know you’re not camera-shy. On three, ready? One, two…”
"For fuck's sake we're not dating!" 
The table all silently turned their attention to Essi whose cheeks had been turning progressively redder. 
“What?” Her cousin laughed incredulously. 
“We’re not a couple, Julian. We’re friends. We have been from the beginning, but we didn’t want to tell you because we knew you wouldn’t fucking leave us alone until you could boast about having set us up.”
Lambert shared a brief look with Eskel before lowering his eyes to the tablecloth, his hand still firmly clutched in Essi’s. 
Julian gaped, “So, it was all… the cuddling, the laughing, that time I came over and you were asleep on the couch, that was all… a ruse?” 
“No, Julian, that was real. I told you, we’re friends.”
“That’s not friends! Since when have friends watched a movie half-on-top of each other?” 
“Two people can enjoy each other's company lying flat, Julian,” Eskel’s rich voice interjected across the table and the discussion ground to a halt. 
Geralt shrugged with his tea at his lips, “It is the twenty-first century after all.”
Julian’s cornflower blue eyes flitted back and forth between the two friends, utterly bewildered. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Well what with your complete and utter invasion of privacy for the sake of hooking us up, we didn’t necessarily trust you to believe us,” Essi answered curtly, her hand shaking slightly. 
“Poppet, you could have just told me—”
“Stop. Calling me that. And I did tell you, Julian!” she exploded. “I told you the first day I moved here. The first. Day. I said, ‘Julian, I think I want to take a break from dating until I’ve been settled for a year.’ And what did you do? Conspired with my well-meaning former mentor to hook me up with someone I had one good conversation with at a Christmas party. And do you know what? We are happy. But we’re happy in our own way. And maybe our boundaries with each other seem a little strange to you, but we’re not fooling ourselves. We don’t want to kiss each other, we don’t want to have sex, and we don’t want a relationship. And even though it’s absolutely none of your damn business, I’ll tell you anyway: we’ve talked about it. All of it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I don’t think I want to be here anymore.” 
The chair legs scraped against the floor of the restaurant as Essi stood to leave, throwing her purse over her shoulder as she went. Lambert looked hesitantly around the table, “I should probably, you know…” He gestured after Essi with his thumb. Eskel gave Lambert the go ahead and he quickly stood to follow his friend out of the restaurant, leaving a very stunned Julian with the other two. He found her perched on the parking barrier in the small lot to the left of the front doors. He called to her and she looked up. Eyes shining, mascara running... 
“Ah shit, you know I’m no good with this kind of thing.” 
“I’m sorry, Lambert, I just—” she blew her nose, “—he just wouldn’t stop and I didn’t know what to do or say, and it all just came pouring out. I didn’t want it to. The whole time I was begging myself to stop, but I just couldn’t, it’s been bottled up for so long and-and—but it’s his birthday, and—oh, he must feel so awful! I didn’t want to make him feel bad, but—and with Eskel and Geralt there too! They must think I’m horrible! I’m so sorry, Lambert, I didn’t want it to be like this, I wanted to have him over and sit him down and be patient, and instead I’ve just made a complete mess of things. And on his birthday! It’s his birthday, oh God, this is the worst thing I could have done.” Essi choked back bitter tears as she tried desperately to stem the flow with her soggy tissue, “Are you upset with me, Lambert? If you are, I understand. Maybe we should take a break of some kind, you know. Not see each other for a while and—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it right there. Look, I’m probably not going to say any of the right stuff here, but I am absolutely not upset with you. You got that? And for what it’s worth, I don’t think us taking a break from spending time together is going to do anything. Unless you’re looking to punish yourself by taking away a nice thing which, okay. But the fact that you’re willing to ditch me instead of Arbor Mist says something about our friendship I’m not too pleased with.” 
Essi turned her wide, pleading, bloodshot eyes to Lambert who cracked a smile, “Jesus, I’m kidding! You adorable fucking mess, c’mere.” He pulled his petite friend into a hug and rested his chin on the top of her head until she quieted down. Neither of them was quite sure how much time had gone by, but Essi found herself wishing it had been long enough for everyone to have gone home so she didn’t have to face whatever aftermath she’d left behind. 
Meanwhile, Eskel and Geralt had settled the bill and offered to give Julian a lift back to their place for a night cap, not wanting to leave the evening on such an unsettled note. Essi needed space, and whatever company she needed, Lambert was clearly capable of providing. It was for the best, they suggested, and dissuaded Julian from trying to call her. 
“Best to sleep on things,” Geralt said, tucking his card back into his wallet and giving the waiter a nod in gratitude. “We can meet for coffee this weekend and sort this out. For now, just let her cool down.” 
Eskel clapped Julian encouragingly on the shoulder as they made their way into the damp summer night air. As they turned into the parking lot, they came face-to-face with Essi and Lambert who had clearly just turned to come back inside. Both cousins looked like they had seen better days: Essi’s eyes were puffy and red, her cheeks blotchy and streaked with inky makeup stains; Julian was perhaps less dishevelled, but the dark circles under his eyes were more pronounced, his boyish features now dejectedly weighted down with remorse and hurt. 
“Juian, I’m so sorry, I didn’t—” 
Essi’s cousin raised his hand, “Don’t. Please don’t. Essi, I am so, so sorry. I never meant to push you like that, I didn't realize... you both have been so happy this last month and—"
"It's okay, really, we can talk about this all another time. I'm just so sorry I ruined your birthday. We wanted to sit down with you and talk properly but..." Essi's tears welled up again, and Julian smiled weakly. 
"But we both did what we always do?"
She sniffed, nodding emphatically with a tearful, "Yeah.” Julian pulled his cousin into a fond embrace while the other three clumped together to watch the reconciliation. 
“Oh! Here,” Essi reached into her purse and pulled out a small, neatly-wrapped box. “Happy birthday!” 
Julian opened his gift without a second thought, his face brightening instantly. The box contained a set of premium ultra-light guitar strings and a pair of concert tickets. The perfect gift. Overwhelmed with gratitude, and the atmosphere having been recovered, Julian suggested they all attend brunch together that Sunday morning, his treat by way of apology. Geralt offered to split the bill as a peace offering for his part in the initial setup, and the five made a date. 
A fresh start, a promise of spending time together with fewer secrets and, Julian conceded, a few more boundaries. 
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