#cannot capture the emotion quite the way i want to

[sleepy-shutin]

frequently i find myself wanting to draw what it all feels like but i am never able to get across the feeling of it all better than "here's the life i've always longed for" by anna haifisch

#txt #kat #art #cannot capture the emotion quite the way i want to #because the dog behind the fence already has it #the blank observational stare #but the sense of longing is still palpable #you're watching because you want it #you're watching for the same reasons #and in the same ways #that a child reenacts their abuse with barbie dolls #i don't know if that makes sense to anyone but me #it's about a detached observation #not understanding what it is and not understanding what you're feeling

[fraugwinska]

A very incomplete list of Hazbin Hotel Fanfiction Authors/Geniuses

I cannot believe the awsome, talented, absolute magnificent people I've met through this fandom. Writing FF for Hazbin Hotel has become one of my greatest joys in life, and reading the stories and creations of my fellow friends and idols is something that can brighten my whole week - and we don't gatekeep. So, if you're in search for a good read, here are a few of the SUPER AWSOME people I stalk (and I want to stress - this list is never going to be complete, but I'll try to edit it as there are just SO MANY GODDANG MASTERS out there!) @bapple117 If you love #RadioStatic, you have to read 'Bluest Monday' (completed) and the follow-up 'Say Hello, Wave Goodbye' (WIP) She'll break your heart in the most beautiful way. If you don't fancy that but Alastor is your go-to, then you will want to dive in head-first into "If You Can't Say Somethin' Nice, Don't Say Nothin' At All" (complete). But as before, be ready for a rollercoaster of emotional moments and extremely spicy shenanigans.

@hazelfoureyes Goddess of the smut, Hottest writer in Hell - If you're horny, Hazel has got you covered. Especially her 'The safeword is Radioapple'-Mini-series will make you sweat like a Zumba-Instructor on crack. Be prepared to blush, tremble, die and immediately ressurrect, because yes. She is THAT good.

Clover/corruptedteacups on AO3 With whooping 75 chapters and 300k+ hits, her Fanfic 'The Red means I Love you' is one of the best, most detailed slow-burn-pining-angsty-smutty-will-they-wont-they Masterpieces I've read so far. Alastor is magnificent and I guarantee you'll fall in love with Clover, the bunny who captures the heart of you deerest red demon.

@melodyonthewireless Highly underappreciated (imho), her fic "A Match made in Hell" (WIP) follows her OC Sybil down to hell, into the Hazbin Hotel and consecutively the arms of Alastor - but don't you dare underestimate the pink, harmless looking doe. Sybil's witch powers and her sassy, witty personality is quite the match to the established readio overlord. It's such a read, and the wait between chapters the sweetest agony!

@macabr3-barbi3 She delivers every. single. TIME. Her Short stories and One-Shots are like Pringles - Once you pop, you can't stop. I'm deeply in love with 'Dream a little Dream' (WIP), 'Nothing I can't Handle' (WIP) makes me run for a cold shower and did I mention the countless one-shot-candies that make you mouth water and your toes curl?

@slutforalastor/InconspicuousBosch on AO3 Whether it's the One-Shots on tumblr (omg the PRIEST ALASTOR BIT *fans face*) or the incredible Choose-your-Path-Fic "Say it with a smile" (completed) - you will be both amazed at the artistry of the wording and storybuilding and blushing at the sheer craft of the smut and sexual tension.

@impale-me-radio-daddy Founder of the kink #antlerplay, his series of 'The Lookalike' is steamy, outrageous, utterly magnificent and filthy down to the bones. Be prepared for some serious questioning of your own preferences, because you WILL get some epiphanies. And that's a PROMISE.

@hurthermore Listen. LISTEN. Bimbo is the mini-series that had me on a friggin CHOKEHOLD. It takes a special talent to make one so invested in THE radio demon, gentleman a la carte Alastor believably pining after and pounding a lovable, dumb airhead sinner with a fable for skimpy dresses and leave you at the end wanting for seconds and thirds!

As I said, this is a highly incomplete list, and I'll absolutely edit this list as I go. But I needed to put this out in the world. To all of the above, and all of those which I didn't include YET but most certainly will -

I ADORE YOU, I PRAY AT YOUR FEET, YOU ARE AMAZING BEINGS AND I LOVE YOU.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin alastor #alastor #alastor x reader #hazbin hotel fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #hazbin hotel smut #radiostatic #radioapple #alastor x oc #alastor hazbin hotel #fraugwinskaandfriends #ily fellow beings #author appreciation

[partycatty]

Can you do headcannons for love at first sight with Bihan and Smoke?

i sure can! i used to hate them but they grew on me LOL

bi-han & smoke > love at first sight

bi-han and smoke fall for you the moment they lay their eyes on you!

pt 1? to love at first sight hcs

masterlist

bi-han >

• he didn't think much of the new recruits, they were neither lin kuei blood, nor skilled fighters like himself. that was, until his eyes scanned over to you.

• he'd do everything in his power to not make it obvious. but when he first locks eyes with you, he feels a pang of warmth in his chest, one that nearly gets him to believe he's having a heart attack.

• your features were carved by the gods (thanks, liu kang!) and bi-han felt a strong desire to keep you all to himself. nobody else could appreciate you like he does, he's sure of it. it makes him angry how much he wants to forever admire you as his.

• there's no way a pathetic earthrealmer such as yourself gave him that reaction, no way no how. he's in denialllllll!! it makes him especially snappy.

• "don't look at me like that," he'll call out to you in a harsh tone. it makes you jump. were you looking at him in a certain way?

• "like what?" you ask, genuinely confused. truthfully, your eyes just so happened to fall onto him. there wasn't a single readable expression a sane person could pick out from your face. he was quite literally overreacting.

• "just... don't look at me," bi-han grumbles, turning away. he pulls his mask up against his face tighter, but his pink blush was embarrassingly evident.

• he's less coordinated, less calculated. and even still, his aggression doubles. he's mad that you make him nervous. a grandmaster like him shouldn't be nervous when he has an army to run.

• you plague his mind all hours of the day. he just can't afford to be distracted. not when he's in search of something greater. or maybe, that greater thing could be you, if he let his inhibition go.

tomas >

• he faces a similar dilemma to bi-han, except he's far worse at subsiding his emotion. standing behind his brother as he meets the new recruits, tomas literally cannot tear his eyes from your beauty.

• smoke seeps from his pores as he strains himself to fight back a blush, which ends up failing miserably. and now his brothers are coughing. and you're horribly amused by his nerves.

• tomas cannot help himself but give you constant heart eyes when you're around. bi-han has to coldly repeat himself countless times until tomas can capture the entire sentence in his brain if you're around.

•endless compliments, ones he tries to make sound innocent but he couldn't be casual if his life was on the line. he's fidgeting with his weapon and constantly leaning toward you without even realizing.

• "your skills are excellent, reader!" he'll charm you innocently after witnessing a sparring match with the monks. "your combat is unlike anything i've ever seen! you'll go far."

• you decrease his performance in the clan. he can't land his blows in a coordinated fashion for some time, because his stomach feels fluttery and his head feels dizzy every time he recalls how gorgeous you looked earlier in the day. many, many scoldings from his grandmaster follow.

• you leave him blushy and sweaty when you so much as exchange a quick glance - he looooves attention, so if you even think of complimenting him back? LORD.

#mortal kombat #mortal kombat x reader #mk1 #bi han #bi han x reader #sub zero x reader #smoke x reader #mk smoke #tomas vrbada x reader #tomas vrbada #marley writes ☆

[tearwolfe]

i'm forever on the AU grind. anyway. monsterkasa is my favorite thing ever but he's rarely ever used in AUs.. and when he is, it's usually that escaped lab experiment x scientist type trope which i didn't want to do!! so i matched him with detective rui. ok see this will work.

so rui is a private investigator, and he's been noticing that things can't always be explained with facts and science. he hadn't quite found evidence to prove this until he comes across a case whose culprit seems to be a supernatural entity— who he captures. this turns out to be tsukasa, who is a shapeshifting monster.. thing? at first rui is like What the hell is this, but quickly comes to learn that tsukasa is sentient and intelligent, he isn't just some animal. rui becomes very curious and grows a liking to him.

tsukasa sticks by rui after this. rui showed him compassion, not being afraid of him, and from that, tsukasa developed a sense of loyalty to him.

now, tsukasa helps rui solve his cases! he's more knowledgeable about mysterious forces than rui is, has a good sense of smell, and is able to protect rui in dangerous situations. they're a very interesting duo. rui and his fucked up dog <3

the way tsukasa works is that his "hat" sort of controls the state he is in. in his humanoid state, he can talk normally and acts pretty much like a human (..for the most part). once he takes the hat off, he turns into his monster form. he's typically the size of a medium-sized dog, however he can transform to become bigger under stress or strong emotions. in this form, he cannot talk, but he can still understand language and is self-aware.

in his monster form, his body is still pretty humanoid, but he walks on all fours. if you're a narutohead like me, think sort of like naruto's 4/6 tailed form.

#prsk #prsk fa #project sekai #tsukasa tenma #rui kamishiro #ruikasa #monster detective au

[pearlywritings]

To wear white once more

synopsis: wedding is one of the most memorable and happiest days in one’s life. What are the chances of you dressing in white again to capture this moment on canvas? Diluc makes it possible.

pairing: Diluc x fem!reader

tw: established relationship, fluff, newlyweds, Adelinde is a mother figure we all need

word count: 1.7k+ words

a/n: a portrait after your wedding was suggested by a lovely @bobaboob​ who, by the way, said that she had this fic in mind while drawing this piece of art

Looking in the mirror makes all the memories of nervousness and excitement wash over Diluc again, sending a shiver down his spine. Everything is as just as it was a month ago - his white suit hugs his body in all the right places, the long-tailed jacket complimenting his height, the golden lines on its and vest's lapels along with golden buttons forming a perfect wedding attire. The only standing out feature is a ruby brooch pinned to his cravat, matching his flaming locks, reflecting light just like his crimson eyes, momentarily clouded by recalling the events that happened on one of the happiest days in his life.

His heart skips a beat when he remembers a mesmerizing venue organized in the gardens of the Winery, guests - mainly from your side - on the benches, Kaeya and Adelinde by his side… Come to think of it, his adoptive brother was present in this very room while Diluc was getting ready, lightly joking and unknowingly helping Diluc with his nerves. Yeah, the day was a rollercoaster of emotions. Especially after you appeared.

The man adjusts his sleeves, making sure he looks perfect - it's only logical he'll match you in that. Brushing a lock of hair from the left side of his face, he hears a soft knock on his door, immediately knowing who it is.

"Come in, Adelinde."

The older woman enters the room with the most adoring smile on her face, eyes crinkling in joy, just like on his wedding day, which brings even more blissful memories back. She walks directly to him, reaching out to help with hair a little - she knows him too well, and Diluc is grateful for that.

"I've just met Master François Clouet and offered him brunch. He was very eager about it, given his long journey, so you might have another 20 or so minutes."

Diluc hums, closing his eyes and letting the maid work her magic.

"Good. And my wife?"

His wife… it rolls off his tongue so naturally and the golden ring around his finger becomes so palpable.

"Checked on the girls and they said she was almost ready. I think you can go and see her already.”

She can clearly see he wants to - it’s in the smallest details honestly. The way his lips are twitching in a hardly contained lovesick smile, the trembling of his for once bare fingers, the darting of his eyes to the door behind her and it’s quite obvious from how he forces his body to stay still in place until she is finished. If she wasn’t helping him with his hair, Adelinde is sure - he’d be running out of the door the moment the words left her mouth.

Cute. The glimpses of a young boy she used to know and care about as a mother come through, and the woman can’t thank you enough for it, for the happiness you brought in this lonesome mansion and love you rekindled in the hurt man’s heart.

“All done, Master Diluc,” when he shifts his eyes, not spotting his bangs in sight, he doesn’t even have to look in the mirror to know Adelinde recreated his look perfectly.

“Thank you, Adelinde,” and he means it, not stopping his body from moving, just like it did a month ago, enveloping the woman in his embrace, squeezing just a little. The blond-haired maid laughs, standing on her tiptoes and hugging him back.

“It’s always a pleasure to me. I dreamt of helping you with the wedding one day, and I must admit, doing some of it the second time is just as thrilling.”

Diluc cannot agree more.

When the door of your shared bedroom is right in front of him, the owner of the Dawn Winery feels his heart thumping in his chest, cravat feeling a bit suffocating and hand twitching. He hears excited giggles of the maids on the other side and your soft voice speaking to them, so full of glee and eagerness, that he doesn’t notice his fingers curling in a fist and knocking against the wooden surface. Instantly the sounds of laughter and conversation disappear, but the redhead makes out quick steps hurrying to the door.

The maid opening it gasps and turns around, immediately ushering others outside. The man moves to let five girls out of the room, all bowing and greeting him, to which he answers with a nod, entering the moment the last one leaves, closing the door behind him.

“My love, you are here,” your sweet words pull crimson eyes to your figure and his breath hitches. Basked in the sunlight pouring through the big window, your body is swarmed in pure whiteness. The dress, tailored together with his suit, makes you the loveliest bride a man could wish for. Long flowing skirt consists of many layers, streaming and moving with the slightest of your turns, the corseted waist pushes your chest up a little bit, though leaving half of your back bare… Oh how many kisses he placed there when the night was over and his fingers were working on the strings-

He clears his throat, coughing in his fist and fighting back the rising flush off his cheeks. Your smile turns teasing, lips wearing a pretty shade of lipstick, and Diluc notes in disappointment that he won’t be able to kiss you before the work on the painting for today is over. It doesn’t stop him from approaching you though, arms wrapping around your waist and bringing you closer to place a gentle peck on your cheek.

“Aren’t you a romantic one, my dear husband?” He shudders at the new term that was applied to him the moment the rings were slipped on your fingers and you two were proclaimed wedded.

“Can’t help it when my wife is this gorgeous,” it’s your turn to become bashful, sliding your palms up his back in an embrace, being careful not to crumple the jacket.

“Honestly, I didn't think I'd get to wear this dress again, not to mention so soon.”

“Sorry for keeping it from you, my flame.”

Despite already exchanging wedding presents, Diluc kept one more surprise from you. He knew you adored his father’s tradition of keeping paintings of not only nature, but important events of the family life, and your newlywed husband fully shared the sentiment. Undoubtedly, you two hired a photographer from Fontaine to capture the day marking your journey as spouses, and now have plenty of photos, but Diluc knew that it would bring you both absolute joy to have a portrait painted to hang it in the hall for every guest to know what a happy couple lives in this mansion.

Today is exactly the day for it.

“It’s alright,��� your lashes flutter as he leans close again to plant another kiss - on your forehead this time. “Had you told me earlier, I would’ve been too excited to properly enjoy our honeymoon. So, good timing.”

Diluc chuckles at that. Then, on a whim he gently grabs your waist and starts swaying slowly, twirling your bodies in a tender dance, still flash to each other and foreheads pressed together, gazing into each other’s eyes. Your palms shift to his shoulders, feet moving back, right, forward, left, creating small waltz squares under the guidance of your husband who, as it seems, doesn’t want to let you go.

You dance like this for just ten minutes, but for Diluc it’s an eternity spent in your arms. He almost forgets you have plans and a man waiting for you two downstairs, until you stop, huffing a little when he bumps into you driven by inertia.

“Shouldn’t we go?” You don't know why you are whispering, but the moment is so innermost, that even the slightest rise of one’s voice might break it. You see how he releases a small breath of discontent, but doesn’t let it be shown in facial expression - after all, you are right.

“Of course, dear," your heart skips a beat, when he brings your hand to his lips and kisses the back of it, right over your wedding band. "Let’s go, Master Clouet must be waiting for us.”

The old man, who happened to know Master Crepus personally, seems to be gruff at first, but turns out to be a sweet person at heart, being extremely patient with both of you and occasionally commenting on how nice it is to see the boy, whom he last saw as a little kid, standing in front of him all grown up and with a wife by his side.

You are awe-stricken by the speed with which his dry and sinewy hands are moving, putting layer after layer of paint on the canvas, glancing up and down with his strikingly lively and bright eyes. He is nice to have around, and he treats you like human beings and not like statues, which many artists tend to do. He gives you breaks of course, doesn’t scold for moving an inch and doesn’t have a problem with fixing your poses if one of you happens to ruin it. He readily partakes in lunch and dinner and accepts Diluc’s offer to stay in one of the guest’s bedrooms, promising that it’ll take him only three nights.

And just as promised, on the morning of the fourth day, you watch the big painting getting hung in the hall as Diluc is handing Master Clouet a heavy pouch of mora, shaking his hand and saying something that makes an old man heartily laugh and pat the redhead’s shoulder. He then nods in approval, adding a couple more words of farewell, before following Adelinde to the exit. Diluc returns to your side.

“It’s brilliant,” your voice is shaking a little, happy tears brimming your eyes. Your body leans back on your husband’s chest, feeling him wrap his arms around your middle and putting his chin on your shoulder. “I love it so, so much, ‘luc. Just… I didn’t know a brush could recreate something so accurately! It’s unbelievable. Just look at our faces! It’s so detailed, I can practically see hearts in my eyes! Yours too, by the way,” the man snorts, pressing a kiss to the side of your jaw, absolutely enjoying your amazement and teasing. He fully shares your feelings about the painting and almost opens his mouth to tell that he made a deal to invite your recent guest to make more paintings of you - some of the walls are pretty empty, if you ask him. However, he decides against it - after all what is life without pleasant surprises?

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #diluc x reader #diluc x fem!reader #diluc ragnvindr x reader #diluc ragnvindr #genshin impact fluff

[ahdriking]

Mansuang Review:

Mansuang was amazing. I was particularly impressed by Apo's performance as Khem, which was emotional and complex and deeply moving. His story was riveting to me. I personally love characters with trauma in their backgrounds, who have been beaten down by the world into a certain way of thinking and behaving, and Apo captured that experience gracefully and expertly. There is palpable pain in his performance of the darkest moments. I will say that they could have expanded upon his character development a lot more. It would have been nice to have a bit more emotional nuance in his journey towards self-love and acceptance, but I definitely didn't feel unsatisfied by where his narrative ended up. The movie was already juggling so much they clearly just didn't have the time to dedicate to expanding upon the nitty gritty aspects of his healing.

I will say that I am honestly kinda surprised this didn't have any romance in it at all, because there is such a good foundation for it that it feels like they wasted? Like, Khem feeling that no one cares about him except for his body could have been the gateway to Chatra demonstrating care and affection for him outside of sex, proving that he's capable of being loved for who he is. That jumps out at me. That might have been an opportunity for them also to have expanded on Chatra's character, and given him more presence and personality. Khem is a protector, that's clear in the way he treats Wan, but he so often has to sacrifice himself in that role that it would have been devastatingly effective if Chatra had had an opportunity to take care of him in some way instead.

I loved the *bad touch* backstory, for whumping reasons, but it did leave me a little confused. Why did Khem have to have sex with those people? Was it because he's ambitious enough that he'll sell himself to advance his position? Was it because someone was forcing him to, like a boss or person in power? Was it because he felt he had no choice, or was protecting Wan from something? I just wish we could have gotten to know him better, because we get to see the impact of the trauma but we don't really get to understand it, and that leaves me wondering. It felt like, during the dance scene where Khem goes off script, that he did that as an attempt at seduction, because seduction is what he knows and what he expects. He's used to trading in on his beauty and sex appeal to get what he wants. That suggests so many characteristics to me that just... don't quite exist in the rest of the story. And there's no real conclusion to it other than Khem, at the end of the story, choosing to be a dancer because he's at peace with his place in society. Again, lots and lots of opportunities were built up that just didn't quite manage to hit a home run.

Mile did a fucking fantastic job with what he was given, but I was a little disappointed with his role in the story. I felt like the relationship between him and Khem was half-done and underdeveloped, but it had so much potential! He put in an absolutely solid performance, and knocked the emotional scenes out of the park, but I couldn't help but feel like he wasn't given the chance to really shine.

Tong killed it. Killed it fucking dead. That man has the screen presence of a King, which surprised the fuck out of me cos I thought he was a character actor based on his performance in KinnPorsche. But no, this guy has range. I was very impressed.

Bas did a great job playing a racist sad boy. RIP Wan.

In conclusion: a flawed movie, but still so enjoyable and so, so worth watching. I cannot fucking wait for Shine, I hope that it delivers in some of the areas Mansuang wasn't able to.

#mansuang #mansuang review #mansuang spoilers #apo nattawin #mile phakphum #man suang

[rel124c41]

THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE IS THRILLING, AND I CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF IT. jade leech

♛: It’s coming. It is the end of the world, armageddon and doom’s day. It is the feeling of walls closing all around. It is like missing on a pre-order sale of a figure you had coveted for months! It’s coming. Crashing right into Idia. Jade places a hand on his shoulder and Idia fights with the sudden numbness in his legs. “Idia Shroud. How fortunate of me to have run into you.”

tags: mind manipulation, emotional constipation, pining, not actually unrequited love, pop culture refrences, manga & anime, male-female friendship, board gmae club (twst), fights

Azul and the word ‘mistakes’ are oil and water. They keep themselves separated from one another, boundaries drawn quite clearly. Though it has been his pride since his first year attending Night Raven College, Azul cannot always be there during its operating hours. Schedules eventually collide and two events overlap. And though it was an honest mistake of Azul’s to forget a club meeting, Jade was surprised to see which had reigned more important to his house-warden's attention.

“Keep a keen eye on the bar. Most tables are already in rotation for waiters. I do not anticipate any unruly customers this evening,” Azul says, folding the scarf five times in his arm. 

Dorm coat draped on his chair and dorm hat rested on the hanger, it seems evident that Azul will actually be leaving.  Of course, Monstro Lounge has managed to sail without her captain. It has perhaps experienced a few scratches in the helm but nothing more. Truthfully, the worst she had suffered was under the hand of her own captain during his incident. Jade smiles at the memory: tables splintered down the middle, a flower field of glass shards, dehydrated fish upon the marble floor. Since then, nothing that they cannot handle! But still Jade wants to push, just a bit! 

“And if we have the misfortune of taking in an unamiable student?”

It is unlikely to happen. Today is a Tuesday, they are not in the middle of any exam season and no holidays are around the corner. Today is perhaps one of the most quotidian days of the year.

“The same old, same old, you know. Call in Floyd if you need assistance. No stains this time.”

“And if Floyd is wrapped up in something else? Would you really leave me here, with no protection?” Jade puts his fingers to his lips and bats his eyelashes once. “Poor and unfortunate me.”

Azul makes his way to the door and fixes him with a glare. “No stains this time,” he repeats. 

“Of course.” 

Jade lifts a hand to push the bridge of Azul’s glasses up. How entertaining it is when he bristles under the slight touch. Scoffing, Azul leaves his office to the roaring waves that await him. The eelmer giggles as his captain abandons the ship. And when an hour later, a customer gets short with him at the bar, Jade is benevolent enough to remember the little pledge of his and simply wrings the breath out of him with his own tie instead of anything more drastic. However, the customer falls limp off his stool and Jade judges this might be the best time to retrieve their captain. 

He puts down the drink for the Diasomnia student’s friend. “I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere ~” his tone is saccharine but his grin is venomous. And the terrified student does not dare to move an inch as Jade abandons the ship. 

It is very unusual for something other than profit to capture Azul’s attention. What matters most to Azul is coins and contracts, then whatever monetary profit that he can squeeze from each item.  Perhaps a game of poker that he is betting on would prove more profitable than a mostly uneventful Tuesday in the lounge. But, valuable time spent playing board games? Jade surmises that is a bit strange of his housewarden. He takes a right turn down the college’s hallway. 

The Board Game Club’s meetings were typically Wednesday, but the designated classroom for the club was empty both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Perhaps they bummed up the date of the club meeting because of a riveting match of Sorry. Not that Jade himself would get the appeal. To each their own. He takes another right. 

Jade guesses that Azul won’t be too upset by his disturbance. If that fae student had simply refrained from species targeted insults and focused his animosity towards his drink being made wrong, it would have been smoothed over. Not that Jade made his drink; as rare as mistakes are from Azul, they are even rarer from Jade Leech. He takes a left and opens the clubroom door.

His eyes widen momentarily before his typical expression returns. Jade expects to be met with a crowd of people that he would have to navigate through to locate Azul. But the place is desolate besides the table where Idia Shroud and Azul reside. And as Jade is an observative person, he does not fail to notice the claymore resting on the table’s edge. His skin buzzes. Oh are you perhaps –The thought is snipped when he feels a ruffle of limbs push through the space made by himself and the corner of the door. He lowers his gaze to apologize when his eyes widen much larger than before. 

“Excuse me, Jade,” you move deeper into the clubroom, a bowl of watermelon in your hands. 

“No, my apologies, Prefect,” Jade assures and places a hand over his heart to cover the wrinkles in his purple dress-shirt. Are his clothes wrinkled? He had not even considered checking after incapacitating that Diasomnia student. He straightens his already straight posture and discreetly pats his clothes down. Gloved hand over his breast, he can feel that quivering rabbit pace of his organ. 

Diligently, he follows after you. “Have you switched from Track & Field to Board Games this semester?” It is unexpected of you. You had only ever missed one of the twenty-six Thursday club meetings due to an illness. Perhaps, your physical prowess was complete and you were focusing upon intellects. If that is the case, he could tutor. His strong suit was not board games but with a mind that is always mapping out the second or third steps of a plan, he could prove to be quite of use. Would you use him? Should he ask you if you  –

“No, I'm still running at Track. But, today is the final day of the big Idia versus Azul showdown,” you place the bowl of watermelon down on the table. “To be frank, I think both of them are liars and this will go on till graduation.” You take your seat … to Jade’s displeasure, in a chair shoulder to shoulder with Idia Shroud. 

“Oya, knowing them both, I’d wager you might be correct, Prefect,” Jade smiles despite your seat. “Have you –”

“Jade.” His organ quiets down, regaining the typical pace of a wolf rather than a rabbit. “Did I not put you in charge of the lounge today,” and though Azul smiles, he has just barely managed to leash the snarling beast of aggression that wants to make itself known on his face. 

“Oh yes, but you see, there has been a complication. I endowed the lounge to Floyd for the time being. Perhaps, we should switch positions?”

False kindness melts off his face as Azul groans into his gloved hand. Jade notes it is odd of him to release his guard in front of you. To show genuine dissatisfaction, unhear of. Idia, he can understand as Idia seems to be the only one Azul finds on equal standing but you? Have you two perhaps gotten closer? “Not necessary. I will take care of it.”

“Rung in a friend to avoid losing Azul-shi, fufufufu,” Idia grins. “What a cheat~”

Azul sends Idia a glare. “Nothing of the sort. I’ll get this matter sorted then we shall continue. Unless … you would like to phone in an excuse to prolong your inevitable downfall? Ortho perhaps?”

“Damn, and it was just getting riveting.”.

“Can you really call a game of Monopoly riveting,” Idia asks you.

“Well, not riveting in like the terms of Evo Moment 37 but riveting in like entering the basement in RE: Biohazard. The anticipation of it all,” you defend. Idia chuckles at the comparison. However, the laugh is snipped by Jade’s irate voice.

“Don’t worry, Prefect. I shall return Azul so he may defeat Idia shortly.”

Idia shrinks back at being acknowledged by one of the twins. He puts a cube of watermelon in his mouth to avoid carrying on conversation. You, everlastingly polite, supply both vice housewarden and housewarden with a wave. “Looking forward to it.”

Jade flashes you a smile. A tiny centipede of teeth wiggling on his pale features. Teeth that are sharp enough to bite into steak like dull human teeth bite into whip-cream. And despite his unnatural teeth that unnerve others, your lips inch up a slight bit. As they say their own goodbyes, you hum and return to analyzing the Monopoly board too. Outside the door, Azul turns towards Jade sharply. Where Jade’s teeth are razor-edged, Azul’s glare is of a similar caliber. 

“There are no stains, just as promised. Aren’t I too good to you?”

“You’re comparable to a splinter.”

“Fufufufu, so cruel, Azul.” The words hardly mean anything. It was an unexpected but welcome surprise to see you. Perhaps, Jade could even manage shrinking off the responsibility of Mostro Lounge to return and spectate with you. Yes, that sounds ideal.

──────────────────

Jade did not get to return to the club meeting nor was the scolding from Azul pleasant. If Jade was more impressionable like Floyd, he would have spent the last two days sulking around. But his brother is who he is and Jade is who he is. So, he continues along seemingly unbothered.

Jade did thrive in observation, however. Collision of two stars was too ephemeral; Jade preferred being the satellite, influencing slowly. Glimpses of you fed him until today where he could feed you.  Of course, he would not deprive himself of food either. The returning violetish-red heat of the lava lamp of blood under your skin, hand, and fingers, passing by him to grab another serving. That pleasant burn of your body heat would soon return to him tonight.

He had attempted various times for you to open up about your interests. They were as successful as trying to get a flower to bloom during the off-season. You wilted at the emotional tweezers snapping at your petals. Resolutely, you bite your tongue. Though, he admired your foresight to never reveal too much. He still remembers three weeks ago that you had mumbled into your hand “, no, you wouldn’t find my interests all that interesting.” And Jade should have denied that acquisition or at least persuaded you otherwise. But he predicted that if he had pushed, it would have revealed his hand of cards. Instead of balancing a bit of mushroom on his fork, he would have been balancing his poor, unfortunate heart on the prongs. He too had the foresight to never reveal too much. 

So while he took great delight in your shared Thursday nights, you two were crashing into an inevitable pause. But, no, he should focus on cooking. After Track and Field, body hot and stomach empty, you dragged sore feet to Mostro Lounge all to see him. He provided free food and you provided the conversation. And if you stop providing conversation, he’d resolve to beguile your pretty tongue. 

Afterall, you were a busy student. You made the choice he was worthy enough for your time. Jade was no stranger to the value of that ticking march. So the conversation too must become valuable as what fills your stomach, or Jade would be seen as an inadequate provider. 

The timer dings. Putting down his pen, Jade crouches to the mouth of the oven. You are unexpectedly optimistic about trying new foods — a trait both of you share that makes him more endeared towards you. He pulls the mushroom lasagna from the steel tongue. 

Unlike Azul and Floyd, you will humor him in trying his mushroom-themed plated meals at least one. At the very start, he tested you and put a slightly paralyzing type of mushroom in both of your portions. Your reaction was amusing, poking at the dead pink member with fork prongs, seeing if you would start to slur certain letters, not the least bit unnerved. Perhaps, you thought it unintentional because you did return the following week. You even made intriguing observations on the meals he served you. Enoki blooms: you compared those to coral reefs. Hen-of-the-wood mushrooms: you compared those to a dissected brain. 

Jade is delighted to hear your pending reaction about tonight's dish, cutting into the pasta. You should be here soon. 

Once the dish is sliced and portioned, he moves to check the voices coming from Mostro Lounge. Some unorganized customers? Some intruders? He keeps the cutting knife on him, concealing it behind his back. Cannot have you getting you harmed by any brutish students, though with that sword on you, you should be — hm. Oh, you are here!

Under the gleam of the lounge’s cobalt lightning, you look riveting. Stubborn droplets of sweat remain on your biceps and cheeks but it does not subtract from the sight of you. Your forearm muscle slightly bulges as you hold your sword’s handle to your hip. As you talk with whoever is on the other side of the entrance, you slightly straighten up. Jade wonders if something is wrong and tightens his once relaxed hold on the knife. However, the grip is nothing to the tremendous squeeze he gives the knife upon hearing your huffing snickers. 

Now who was making you —

“No, I promise! Gojo’s feats can walk Diavolo like a dog.” You start forming words around a laugh. “When Diavolo looks into the future, he’s gonna see the strongest sorcerer kicking his ass.”

The other voice starts growing louder, so you join along. “Dude! I swear! — No, Jotaro is not winning! He literally has infinity, no JoJo is beating him — But you can’t! Wait! Hahaha, Joseph and Gojo would be drinking instead of fighting — Come on, Dio is not winning that.” 

You are so caught in power-scaling that Jade’s presence surprises you. Muscles bulging, you jump slightly as an aerial voice sings, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything too pressing. Am I, Prefect?” 

Jade has both of his hands on the door frame. Faithful cutting knife still clutched in his dominant hand, he crowds over you. His body bent forward, left foot toes tapping on the ground. A weaker individual would have swooned or shivered at the lack of distance between his chest and your skull. His presence engulfs and swallows you like you are Jonah sitting like a pill on the whale’s tongue.

Instead of shivering or swooning, you relax and answer, “No, just some power-scaling between Idia and I.”

Smile dropping, Jade turns his focus onto the eldest Shroud. He had not realized the two of you were so close. What meets Jade’s glare is just the floating tablet that Idia uses. And though he is safe in Ignihyde, a full body shiver spiders its way through Idia’s bones. Despite his polite smile, Jade’s eyes are two coals of vexation. 

Is that a knife in his hand! All the blood drains from Idia’s already moon white face. 

“Hm, power-scaling. How interesting. Is that a method of testing your own strength against one another?”

“Um, close. It’s more like between,” but you slowly trail off and do not finish your sentence. 

“Ah, you’ll have to tell me more over this lasagna I prepared. Mushroom ragu and prosciutto cotto. The pasta sheets are even handmade.”

“Hah, yeah I will. Um, Idia, I—“

“I’m afraid I only have enough servings for two.” That is a lie. There are enough servings to provide you and Grim a week’s worth of dinner. There is a second lasagna already tinfoiled for you that you will be taking home. 

He knows your routine to prepare protein meals.  He also knows that Dire Crowley provides low income that makes meat a rare treat instead of what it truly is, an everyday diet necessity. And though you two at ten P.M. will go through the same dance of ‘oh, i can’t accept this much food’ and ‘I insist’, Jade smiles at the thought of cornering you once again into taking his cooking home. 

“A-ah, that’s completely fine. I have to run maintenance with Ortho. I’ll see you around, Prefect?”

“Yes, yes, see you, Idia.”

“Bye bye~” When you are not looking, Jade reveals the front gallery of his teeth. Thin lips pushing up and up to give Idia a warning smile rather than a winning smile. 

Intelligent Idia Shroud employs the unused emergency motor to make a swift escape. 

──────────────────

To be honest, one of Jade’s favorite days is the day of Azul’s overblot. Unfathomably cruel, others would criticize if they knew. Trey might even shrink away from the friendly terms they established; Jade smiles at an image of uneasiness etched on the baker’s face. Though Azul’s foundering had been entertaining, it was not the fondest memory of that day. No, it had been you. You and your scrambling friends. You and your sword. You and your wrath. 

You always had that claymore on you. Perhaps even more commonly than you were seen with Grim. Snaked around your waist with a baldric, no matter where you spent your time, it stayed. It was an extension of your body. 

Jade came to learn much about it through honed investigation. One: you acquired it from Sam’s Shop after Riddle Roseheart’s overblot. Two: it was prematurely infused with magic to give the user support, ideal for some magicless as yourself. Three: it had a blessing put upon it by Malleus Draconia, making it unbreakable. Jade’s mood had soured quite some time ago from unearthing the third fact. Though his own magic was not on par with the prince, he would have bled and forgo sleep if it meant he could add a spell you wanted added to your claymore. To protect you, he melts at the thought.

Despite that, it was still magnificent seeing you work with your sword. Raw, nude desperation to attack each movement. If you missed one counter, you would suffer far most of all. Jade mourns that you had not actively participated in the fight against him and Floyd in the Coral Sea. Your physical prowess was both elegant and gauche. You reminded him of a shark-mer locking onto the smell of blood but you reminded him too of a struggling seal with its neck between a shark-mer jaws. Winning and losing. Volatile in every swing that you did. Most people were at the very least stunned when seeing his mismatched eyes; however, they were nothing compared to the color of yours. Two moons trapped in red skies. When Azul had thrown your body into Mostro Lounge’s centerpiece aquarium, you had broken a blood vessel in your eye and it only made you more irresistible. Watching your stumble, crawl, limp back to your claymore, past the flower field of glass and starry night skies full of dehydrated, dead fish, lifting back up your secondary arm and yelling out in pure wrath, “ Azul Ashengrotto!”

He shivers at the memory and almost drops the glass he was polishing. 

Yes, you had acted as splendid entertainment that day. When both Ramshackle and the photograph were temporarily taken, your eyes were weak. You glared at him and Floyd but it was a childish glare. The hardened stare of a child who had gotten their favorite bear taken away by an adult or older sibling. A powerless yet vexed look. You were pitiful and laughable to Jade before the hour of Azul’s overblot.

But since then, Jade had yet to see any of it resurface. Not that that disappointed him. As you had already caught his eye, he would be even harder to shake off than Floyd. He was going to remain. A flea that can only be torched off and, in removal, singe the skin it has burrowed into. 

Sighing, Jade put the last polished glass up on the bar-shelf. Enough reminiscing. He keeps remembering those bright, evocative sclera and iris, he will be forced to retire to his room and take care of a physical burden. Now, next Azul wanted the aquarium whipped down, then I should check upon Floyd’s process in the kitchen. So much to be done. As Jade crouches to grab the window cleaner, he realizes one essential thing. 

He never wants you to look upon anyone but him. It’s a desperate, unattractive yearn in him. If he could capture your precious face in his hands, eyes tilted up towards him, glaring, it would feed him to the fullest he had ever known. 

──────────────────

Idia tries to keep his physical presence in school down to one time per week. If it is a good week, he physically enters Night Raven College zero times. If it is a terrible week, he steps foot on college ground twice. 

This week has been horrible to Idia. He entered the college once each week for the Board Game Club. The rules he and Azul mapped out stated that both of them needed to handle the dice with their own flesh and blood to avoid a cheating move. Then, he is entering Night Raven College a second time to retrieve the paperwork from Dire Crowley on Winter Break preparation. Today Ortho’s ancient curses exam was keeping him busy. Oh, woe is him. All of this grows into pulling the blue of his lips into a desolate frown. His glum mood is already making him anticipate the worst to come. 

“Just get this done as quickly as possible” he mutters through gritted teeth . 

His anxious nature makes him more susceptible to what he knows is going to go wrong. It is written all in the air. It’s coming. It is the end of the world, armageddon and doom’s day. It is the feeling of walls closing all around. It is like missing on a pre-order sale of a figure you had coveted for months! It’s coming. Crashing right into Idia.

Jade places a hand on his shoulder and Idia fights with the sudden numbness in his legs. “Idia Shroud. How fortunate of me to have run into you.”

Sevens, please hear Idia, and let his death be swift and please don’t let anyone see his browser history. Amen.

“Classroom 3-B is void currently. Come.” Not like Idia has much choice. The door clicks behind them. Shivers convulse in Idia as Jade pushes him to sit down at a desk.

The look on Jade's face is deadly. Shadows cut and slice over his oily pointed features. Almost Rembrandt-like, the darkness on his face is painted by the jaw of the light overhead. The intensity of his glare would cause even wool to ignite in seconds. His eyes glimmer like yellow embers or olive beetles of hate hate hate. Idia could envision smoke starting to float up from his eyelids with the fire they held within. The housewarden is glad for the seat because his legs are numb now. Terror pins him down as Jade calculates. 

This might not be effective, Jade surmises. Idia Shroud is a third year student, advanced in magic studies, and sometimes resistant to magical attacks. But – an image of your wrathful eyes appears in his head. But he had calculated all the risks beforehand, plan after plan, for days. Manipulating his premature failures to even turn into successes. Idia Shroud was a skittish individual, if his resolve was shaken then he could win this battle, here on the stage.

Jade slams his hands down to the desk. The sound will disrupt his mental fortitude. One of his gloved hands striking out to grab Idia’s face in a vice grip, he pulls his mug forward. The close proximity will unnerve the touch averse housewarden. With his index and thumb, he pulls the blue shaded skin of Idia’s eyelids. “Shock The Heart.”

Jade waits with bated breath. Searching in the housewarden’s face for a twitch or spasm. He cannot feel if his magic was effective, which wasn’t too surprising, but … “What are your opinions on the Ramshackle Perfect?” 

“Hm? (Name)?” Jade’s eyes turn sharper. He still can’t gauge if Idia is influenced by his unique magic. Yet, as panic settles in, the word vomit that Idia drools out is satisfactory enough. 

“Um, well! They’re kind of stoic and standoffish but really staunch too. Energy is trying way too hard to be ‘mysterious’. And they don’t make friends easily because of it. But they’re great! You know, Mifune from Soul Eater and Teresa of the Faint Smile, totally their kins.”

Kins? Are you perhaps related to someone that he hasn’t heard of? The thought of missing information about you vexes him. His grip tightens up on Idia’s face and his lips are squeezed together, hushing his sentence. 

“Do they have relatives in Twisted Wonderland?”

“N-No, they have no family in Twisted Wonderland.” Idia speaks through the hole in his squished lips.

“Hm, then who are you comparing them to?”

“Anime characters. Ones that stand on business. Same personality and same True Neutral Myers-Briggs type. They both wield swords and their strength is unnatural.”

Yes, Jade knows this. Impatience burns his skin. He knew because when you and Jack Howl had been helping around the lounge by proxy of your trio of friends, you had broken off a bit of a table in your hand with the ease of snapping a graham cracker. Your unexplainable strength was perfect for you surviving in the Coral Sea. And he knew you wield a sword, anyone with eyes knew!

You were stoic, loyal, and strong. All of this Jade knew because he had been observing you! 

His unique magic might not hold for too long with Idia. He needs information that is new and valuable, or else he will be stuck with prodding Ace or Deuce or either of their acquaintances for information. Already, Jade had calculated out how to talk to you and get you two on friendly terms. Thursday’s meals, offering help with botanical garden exams, and being ready to assist. All that paled in comparison to the friendly terms settled between you and Idia. What did he have, that spineless housewarden? If intellect was the key to your heart, Jade had that and then some. 

His nose scrunches at the question he is about to ask. “What does the Ramschakle’s Prefect find … desirable in people?” What do they look for in a mate? If anyone knew, it would be Idia or that senseless trio. 

“Formal with ulterior motives. They’re totally into your character archetype. Really gets them going. Shit, last week, they were being super cringe and ranting about the Falling Devil when she –” Idia luckily stops himself when he sees the startling intensity that Jade is staring at him with.

Was this perhaps … a code of sorts? 

“My character archetype?” 

“Your personality is appealing to them,” Idia seems to gag around the next word “, ugh, romantically. A normie crush”

Idia immediately regrets his words. Because as the spell starts to splinter off him, his brain returning, the look he is confronted with is even more terrifying. Idia panics that he might be in the hands of the more openly unhinged twin because Jade’s face is split ear to ear in a wide grin. 

“Fufufufu, is that so~”

──────────────────

Night Raven College’s beauty is most prominent to you during the night. Up the stairs, down the hallways, into the Hall of Mirrors, there is an inkling of hypnotizing beauty in a college that is otherwise a pain in your ass. Burning cat eyes of lanterns dance on the top strip of walls. Marble statues in the Hall of Mirror seem to shine, oily in their strict features. Mostro Lounge is exceptionally gorgeous with its low cobalt lights. 

As winter draws nearer, days shorten. You have gradually lost the fear of walking alone at night. Everything that went bump in the night seemed trivial in the face of a rose tyrant or dethroned lion. You felt what bruises on bones felt like. That causes anyone’s well of fear to eventually dry up.

So, stepping into Mostro Lounge, you are quite surprised when a tiny droplet of fear falls on the tip of your nose and rakes down your body. Because, well, the scene in front of you is quite startling.

This can’t be – No, it’s definitely not. 

What catches your eye is not the company. The company, though weirdly dressed, is expected. You are fearful of the way all but one of Mostro Lounge’s booth-table has been cleared away to Sevens knows where. On the tabletop rests a delicate medusa lamp. The five heads are nude fluorescent bulbs blown to the shape of jellyfish. Plates and silverware for two are present too. Even a tea kettle has joined the group. Why won’t you two be sitting at the bar like usual?

You try to shift your attention to the meal in the center, avoiding what you do not want to acknowledge. From this distance, it perhaps looks like a type of filet of steak or chicken. Something you have never tried before obviously. You try to distinguish what mushrooms were used. Maybe if you focus all your attention on that, you can avoid it. Steam still rises from the plate. And your foolish eyes follow the gray wisps up to the nightmare. A vase of red roses decorates the frightening table – coincidentally or purposefully? Your favorite flowers. Roses still are your favorite despite Riddle’s overblot. You had only told your Heartstlabyul friends that. 

Trying not to panic, you decide to look at your company, especially since he is approaching you. 

Usually, Jade stuck with his student uniform despite how late you two kept each other. Personally, you hated peeling off layers to change at night. But tonight, he has switched his attire for a simple button-up and his usual slacks. His tie and gloves are still on but his sleeves are rolled up. In your scan, you notice he is wearing Floyd’s Santoni charcoal gray shoes. 

You look past Jade, trying to gauge if you can grab that chicken or steak and make a run for it. Tragically, Jade is already in front of you. You innerly grumble because you know Track and Field has mostly drained you of most of your energy. Well, nothing you can do now.

Hand over his heart, the eel-mer greets you with his polite, trained smile. “How lovely of you to make it tonight, Prefect. You look quite breathtaking.” He closes his eyes and hums at you. Trying to appear less predatorily? You remain tight-lipped but the silence does not deter him. Instead, he scoops your callous hand and presses a kiss to it. “I have prepared a, let’s say, compulsive meal tonight that I would be honored to share with you.”

EW! You repress a shiver quickly.  “So-sounds good.” Jade drops your hand and, once he is turned, you quickly scrub the kiss off on your sweats. This isn’t what you think it is – It’s a mind-game of Jade’s and you love deciphering those. Try to enjoy it, (Name), the inner voice scolds. 

You follow and take your seat when he gestures at it with one hand. Still standing, he begins to cut up the portions of your shared meal. Ah, so it is chicken and typical field mushrooms. 

“I believe I have already disclosed this information to you, but please let me continue, Prefect.” He grabs your plate and starts filling it. “Agaricus campestris, known by many as field mushrooms, actually share a resemblance with one of the deadliest mushrooms, amanita phalloides. It has been used in many assassins attempts. It has snatched the life of a Pope, Roman Emperor, and a Russian tsaritsa.” Returning your plate, full of half of the main course’s field mushrooms, he reaches out to fix a bit of your hair. “How cleverly deceitful Mother Nature can be, yes?”

Okay, this is more like it! Though Jade is certainly acting more Jade-like tonight, you can deal with this in stride. You refrain from lifting up your fork as he starts to fill his own plate. “Mother Nature certainly has a sense of humor that is both sycophantic and prepotent. She is such a whore.”

Jade openly laughs at that. Finishing his own portion, he sits and continues, “I think she is giving her subjects a word of warning. Those who don’t finish their food will taste death.”

Your first hint? No, it is too early and you should not jump like a humping dog on every word of Jade’s. “Even she plants her roses with thorns. Her prettiest creation even bites. That warning that she will certainly turn on you, eventually. She would take her tea with both poison and honey. Don’t you think, Jade?”

“An astute image of her. ‘Mad honey’ and regular honey on her spoon. Would you perhaps like to try the blend tonight before we feast?”

“Of course,” you chirp. As he pours you a cup, you continue, “Tonight’s blend won’t happen to be roasted oolong?”

“A keen nose on you, Prefect.” You assume that this one is safe and you waste no time in sipping it once it is in your hands. This seems to be the right move in the game because Jade’s expression flickers. It … It grows a bit softer around the edge, happier? You drain your cup to the middle and absentmindedly stroke the ridges on the ceramic squid design. 

“Perhaps, a tea made for a Pope?”

“Ah, more commonly, oolong is a blend dancing on the tongue of a Russian tsar.” 

Your pride takes a hit; you got one of the answers wrong. Finger moving down the squid’s arms, you take in a bit of the scenery. Usually, clues are not in the backdrop but it is never an impossibility. You look back at Jade and see he is staring at you with a certainly strange look. Hm, odd. You turn away. But you think you finally got it. 

Confidently, you push your plate into the middle of the table and finish your tea. Perhaps the outfit and scenery change was only a red herring to deceit you away from the real mind-game. The meal is most certainly poisonous! Inside, you beam at guessing correctly until you hear a hesitant voice. 

“Are you not going to eat?”

“No, I don't think I will.” Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner.

“Is the food perhaps not to your liking?” Well, that tone of voice is certainly concerning. You turn away from the aquarium you had been looking and return to Jade’s sight. Panic is almost dotting his features; his teeth pulled back in a vulnerable grimace. “It was my mistake to make a meal you hadn’t tried before for this. I know your fondness of trying new meals but I might have overstepped. I’ll remedy this. My apologies, Prefect.”

HUH! You quickly grab back the plate before Jade can touch the edge. Why did that voice unnerve you so – “No, no, I just.” Great, now you have to find a way to remedy a mistake you made. “I just wanted to test your resolve to this.”

To you, you are talking about the mind-game Jade is playing. To Jade, he thinks you are talking about this date and the relationship that he wants to foster with you. Rejuvenating, he chuckles and shows his full smile. “I want you to know I am very committed to this.” 

Still, unsure of your steps, you wait till Jade takes a bite of mushrooms first as you focus your fork at the chicken. The conversation dims down like the autumn sun. Though, it has never been unpleasant with Jade. Eating and nourishing your bodies: that is a big part of Mother Nature’s hierarchy of needs. Company is less than food, but it has never been absent from that hierarchy either. You always enjoy meals with Jade.

Am I doing this right? Jade questions.

Jade peeks around the roses as he watches you eat what he can provide. He is grateful that you are eating the mushrooms; field mushrooms were both fascinating and delicious. He knew how to differentiate between various mushrooms in the fungi field and had yet to make any mistake when selecting them. Moving onto the next step, Jade hopes that your aversion to eating at first was just a malnourished mistake. 

Finger by finger, Jade removes his gloves. Delicately, he plucks one of the roses out of the vase. He had retrieved them from Trey that morning, specifically asking for the thorns to remain to the baker’s confusion. The thorns prick at his rather soft human skin. Under your watchful eye, he takes the stem and squeezes off the head of the rose.

“Roses, your favorite flower, correct?”

That fear comes back like a returning tidal wave. You feel your spine lock up and you swallow around your bite. “Yes, I enjoy them very much. How did you know?”

“I have my ways~” He takes the rose and tucks it behind your ear. Anxiously, he wanted to feel some warmth on the tip of them but nothing sits there but cold sweat from Track and Field. “Though I have a fondness for the ecosystem of fungi, the floral kingdom is not without its appeal.”

Your heart hammers. No, no, no need to panic, (Name). Perhaps you are jumping to conclusions and are mistaken, an inner voice speaks out. Slowly, you unfurl your tensing hands and ignore the blood you had drawn. Yes. You are mistaken, you reason. 

“I actually grew a fondness them because –”

“Because it is your middle name.” You only revealed that to Grim. And well, the recorded files that Crowley had on you in your school information center. So, your surprise is a guarantee. 

“Yes, hah. It is.”

“Both of you are parallel in your looks. I can see why Heartslabyul graciously accepts your company. Though, really, I sympathize with anyone who wants to keep your company.”

“Hah, well, being a Prefect is certainly time consuming. Grim, Ace, and Deuce are certainly not the best at dodging trouble.” You place one of your hands on the leather and squeeze your nails tightly into your skin. 

“Yes, I certainly remember that. Some of my fondest memories actually came from the time after those three made their deals with Azul.”

You stay silent. 

“(Name), you know that mistakes are a rarity from me. However when I am around you, I feel that I am always balancing off the edge of falling into one big mistake. And though I take everything in stride, I find the thought of making mistakes with you is far from thrilling. But, I’m willing to remedy those mistakes whenever the time comes.”

This – This, you realize it with impending horror. Harshly, your teeth snap together. This is – Your palms are slick with new sweat. THIS IS A DATE!

“And, I know, that perhaps —“

“Please, Jade, please stop.” The look on both of your faces is shared: a pained expression for entirely different reasons. Immediately, his faux politeness is dropped to reveal worry. You, terrified you, cannot handle a confession in this world. 

“(Name)…”

“I have to go.”

You quickly push away the plate and stand. Stirred by the motions, the rose balancing on your ear falls to the ground. “The meal was delicious. You’re a brilliant cook, Jade. I just —“

“Please, let me apologize to you.”

“No. No, it’s alright.”

“(Name).” 

Your strict avoidance of looking Jade in the eye is ruined as he grabs you by your wrist. Quickly, your eyes climb up to meet his face. What returns your look is terrifying. No, it is not a smoldering look of anger that three-fourths of the student body is terrified of. The vulnerability in his eyes terrifies you. In Jade’s face, there is the slight hint that this was not a meticulously crafted confession. In his face, you can tell he does not like the action of confessing. Showing his hand of cards, slitting his wrist, wearing his heart like a cufflink on his uniform. 

Well, fucking hell, you don’t like this either! Romance, you simply cannot. “I have to go, Grim needs me back at Ramshackle.”

By some miracle, you manage to free your wrist. And the look on his face is easy to tear your eyes away from. 

──────────────────

Has anyone ever been isekai-ed twice? 

You gnaw around the cover of your phone. You know you will be scolded when Idia gives your phone another upgrade for higher speed or more data space, but that concern pales in comparison to the terrifying concern you’ll need to face. Now you understand Idia’s apprehension to leave his dorm. Perhaps, you can lay here and rot away. Wait till your skin sinks down like pastry crust and your bones moss over the sheets. You will nourish yourself slightly. Perhaps, three cigarettes? Or another bottle of vodka? Which would be more of a soothing balm to the flame that has engulfed your skin? Your thoughts are cut when the phone in your mouth buzzes.

Isekai Shoukan Wa Nidome Desu, not worth the watch bro was trying too hard to be Guts LOLOLOL

Good, reliable Idia. Despite all your stress, you can always smile at someone who has similar, admittedly nerd-routed humor such as yourself. You type back, Do you think the black carriage can cart me to another universe?

u probably haven’t buffed up your stats enough to cash in another isekai

Is that your ‘sweet’ way of saying I don’t deserve a second try in a new universe?

not sweet, just based

Kys actually. I have like a real problem this time. 

something you can’t just punch through? u’re literally Saitama just punch your problems

This is emotional, I can’t punch it.

EW! IDIA LOGGING OFF. NO NORMIE EMOTIONS HERE.

Idia

NO

Okay, you forced my hand. Yoko Littner ¼ Bunny Scale Figure. You patiently wait. The dots appear, sink away, reappear until …

boxed? You are already digging the box off your display shelf when your phone vibrates. You confirm it is boxed, even sending a picture and verbally highlighting how the tape is still intact. You can almost feel the bone-deep sigh Idia must have taken as the bubble returned. k normie, what’s going on?

So, you recount it all for him. Fleeting touches, warmth on your tongue, the ease of banter, and the security that you had felt in your long-standing friendship only to be disarmed by words that sent a ripple of lightning down each vein in your arm. You could not comprehend it. Just … Jade Leech? Fucking Jade Leech. One whose intellectual prowess could perhaps even puppeteer the downfall of any house-warden. And he had looked upon you with such affection. The whirlpools of his eyes reaching out towards you. His eyes … mutilating your common sense … God, why did you long to see that look again? Why did he say that to you? To manipulate you for what purpose? 

You wish you had punched him.

As soon as you revealed to Idia that the person who had confessed was Jade Leech, your steady back and forth came to a halt. Idia? Idia. What do you know? Two minutes passed. Idia Shroud, remember Yoko.

okokokok listen, he used his unique magic on me! i am not in violation of any normie code, none! but … a week ago Jade caught me off guard and asked me your, uh, type. pls don’t be mad. 

A tiny tiny part of you is flattered to see Idia try to keep benevolence in your friendship. The oldest Shroud is not one to worry about friendships. However, that tiny part is smothered by something much bigger. Crunch. You look down at the electronic you have broken in your grip. Anger growing, you start to scream. Not even words, just ah, ah, hah, ah, AAAAA!

──────────────────

“If the Prefect takes down one of those eels, it wouldn’t be so bad. I still haven’t forgiven them for the exam scheme.”

“Yeah, but wouldn't they have a vengeful Floyd on their hands?”

“I say one down, one more to go. My Henchman’s got this.”

“Isn’t it so romantic! The tenacity to fight for another’s hand in love. The agonizing beauty of having to harm that certain someone. Like a lioness who sees herself unfit to be a mother devouring her cubs. Quelle vue! Blood drawn by the brawn of love. Hah.”  

The three shiver at the intruding voice. Maybe if they do not look at him, he will find another person to entertain himself with. Minutes pass by and they still feel his presence. Cracking first, Deuce is the only brave soul who turns around to greet Rook Hunt. 

“Bonjour to you too, Monsieur Spade. Do you know how long Monsieur Mastermind has been coveting our fair Trickster?” It seems like he is asking out of genuine curiosity instead of bragging that he himself knew before. 

“Actually, none of us knew. Apparently, it’s been a while. The Prefect said Jade integrated Idia before confessing.”

“Hm, and Roi de Ta Chambre is missing from attendance. Perhaps jealousy?”

“Nah, more like fear. (Name) almost tore his tablet apart when they crossed paths on our way to potionology.” Ace chuckles at the memory. 

“My Henchman isn’t too happy about it.”

“Still, I figured (Name) would just ignore it forever. Any emotion they can’t solve with anger is just pushed to the side.”

“Their emotional intelligence is sooo low.” 

At Ace’s words, they all cast a look out onto the center of the track-field. Jade stands, arms folded behind his back. Oddly, he has only chosen to waive his jacket and rolled up his button-up’s sleeves. He is comparable to concrete whereas you are like a spinning power-drill. You are pacing back and forth, randomly swinging your claymore at times, pacing again. You switched your uniform for a tight black shirt and white tai chi pants. Content is Jade’s expression, watching you warming up to fight him.

The crowd has grown quite a bit. On the farturn and backstretch, most of the crowd has accumulated. And at the start of that farturn is Azul behind a fold-out table, sign shouting “Place your bets. Jade Leech vs Ramshackle’s Prefect.” Outstretched like a cat, Floyd is the only one of the crowd lounging on the bleachers. 

Deuce is quite surprised to see that every housewarden has shown up. Even Malleus Draconia is flanked by his two bodyguards, his vice-housewarden floating a bit off ground and excitedly rambling in the taller fae’s ear. There is a sizable gap in where Malleus is standing among the crowd. 

But, he also feels quite bad because he isn’t too sure who to support. You had gone to Azul Ashengrotto with a proposition that you said should reach the ears of a certain eel-mer. Your conditions that you and Jade would battle on the upcoming Sunday morning. If Jade bested you, he would be granted a date. If you bested him, the matter would be dissolved. Deuce was anxious about seeing perhaps one of the brutalest rejection of his life.  To surely be beaten up by the person you desired, he groans at the idea. Poor Jade. 

Thankfully, Rook Hunt leaves to stand by his own housewarden. The crowd waits anxiously, wondering who will start, before Ortho Shroud enters the green of the track-field. To the trio’s surprise, you do not seem agitated at the interruption. The boy comes up to you both, hand altering itself into a megaphone. 

“The rules are,” the crowd hushes “, if either opponent is knocked into the red of the track, they lose. If either opponent's injuries stop them from fighting, they lose. If either opponent vocally forfeits, they lose. Jade Leech will be fighting to win a date with Ramschakle’s Perfect (Name). Please start in 59, 58, 57…”

You track Ortho leaving the green. Somberly, you take steps to make a little gap between Jade and yourself. You gradually stop fiddling with your claymore; from flipping it to and fro in your hand to letting it lie cement at your thigh. Victory was simple and foreseeable for you. Ace had asked you before if you planned for a fight against Jade Leech, one of the finest alchemical students. But you recited what you said during each overblot, “All I gotta do is win.” The simplicity was laughable, even you know this but, you glance up at Jade, all you really have to do here is one thing: win.

“4, 3, 2, 1. Go.”

Magic in Twisted Wonderland comes in categories. The basic elemental forms are flora, water, fire, and cosmic then it branches off into sub-genres. Certain magic in Twisted Wonderland is palpable and, most important to you, able to support the weight of a body. So when Jade miscalculates and flings a beam that you can jump upon, you waste nothing. 

Being airborne is thrilling. You tuck your legs up to your rear as you cup your claymore’s handle in your hand like a child holding a fragile insect. Ground rapidly approaches you. Arms up, back arched, eyes front. You swing down with all your might with the full intention to slice Jade Leech down the middle like an unbirthday tart. These first three minutes will give you plenty of time to judge how he fights. You got to observe him in the Coral Sea; that gives leverage. 

Jade goes to counter what seems like an attack raining straight down. You maneuver your body with the pressure of the spell, drop your right foot, and snap right towards Jade’s body. Got in, now deal a blow. Shoulders inches from each other, you wind up like a baseball player and go to lock eyes with Jade. 

You expect frustration. You expect his typical calculated yet distant look. Yet - tch! You drive your sword into a swoop. No matter what his eyes look like, time to win. 

You two dance in a tsunami of black-red sparks and thumping air. You two whip around each other, arms repeatedly tearing in and out to the collision of yours and his attacks. When either of you stumbles, the other relentlessly pushes. You can admit as a flora attack pushes you back that Jade, despite his eyes, is calculating each motion of yours. Trying to get two steps ahead but stumbling along. You both stumble in your little dance, too evenly matched.

But, the count in your head ends; three minutes have passed. Time to get serious. As Jade raises his pen to the sky to send a wave of energy at your body running towards him, he stops. Not in submission but because you have disappeared from his sight. Where did you –

Hm, Jade’s back is surprisingly muscular. Swimmer muscles? You can feel it through the tight shirts both of you are wearing. On your own latissimus, the turbulent avalanche of blood roaring through his system pounds at you. Back to back, you gently decline your head to rest on his dominant shoulder. His scent is quite sweet too when he is sweating like a cooked lobster.

You move your mouth near his ear. The words you speak cause his sturgeon scales to sway a bit. “Jade.” His back shivers under yours. “I’m gonna show off a little, kay?” Then once more, you are gone.

Jade catches a flash of silver, swooping right down to his neck. Time does not even allot for him to counter against your claymore specifically. Instead, he sums up magic to bubble around him and push everything back. Finally, you return to his vision, feet dug in soil and running right back at him as soon as the magic presence wilts off his pen.

To the left, to the right, to the left again, the dance resumes. Cornered right back into defense, Jade mourns. You attack faster than before, faster than what he witnessed at Azul’s overblot. Your claymore moves like a flickering light. You move around him and manipulate him to twist like a puppet to counter each strike. Down to his legs, up at his shoulders, behind his back. Unlike the noticeable strain in Jade’s face, you remain pouting.

His scent. You attempt to cut his left arm off and he counters. His scent. Why was it still distracting you! You pivot your feet, fall down in a swooping arc, and attempt to cut his tendon. That scent was all you could think of. Not that anyone could tell as you were moving both faster and more dynamically than before. He smells so good, you agonize. It bleaches the inside of your memory. To rid yourself of it you would probably have to crush up peppers and grind them into your nose until it bled. You had been around sweat enough in Track and Field but none sweated so saccharinely. With a vertical swipe, you try to cut off the hand of his that holds his magic pen.

Jade counters and you two are caught in a standstill. You two push at each other, magic pen and claymore vibrating against one another. Speckles of dirt start to fly up from the ground. The jet black strand of Jade’s moves wildly at the air pressure. Is that bastard locking you close to him on purpose! Sparks start to fly off the middle of your blade. Elbows lowering, you strain against the spell but you will – you – you will find that weak area in his counter. 

It comes in one explosive burst as you push harder and send Jade a mile or so back from you. The ground settles. Typically, you would make no mistake to run back in and continue, but - ugh! Quickly, you start to rub at your nose. Murmurs start up again but you keep scrubbing. The stench of bacteria from blisters and new blood is a welcome relief. Once his smell is thoroughly gone, you get right back into it. 

You planned to close that distance but it seems Jade Leech did not let an opportunity go to waste. As expected of him –

You sweep underneath the crackling violet of a cosmic attack and redirect a burst of thorns aimed for your heart. Some time was allotted for Jade to think when pushed down, but you will not allow that to be unfortunate for you. You said you were going to show off, so show off you will. Tucking your non-dominant hand to your breast, you cut a canyon’s mouth into the fire attack Jade sent at you. 

Again, you two clash, synthetic grass leaping up like a million frogs. You unlock from the exchange, tilt your blade, and start stabbing at him. “Tch,” is all you get from Jade as he tucks himself to become smaller and dodge each incoming stab. By the shoulder, by the ribs, by the tip of his nose. Rapidness and precision is your groundwork. Jade jolts back and forth to dodge each incoming strike, playing into your hand.

Then, unexpectedly, you abandon your claymore by the effort of launching it into the air. You can see it in Jade’s eyes that he sees this as an opening. Then in his next blink, your foot is connected to his ribs. His heart pounces on your sole. You grant him a small smile then thrust all your strength in your kick. 

He has to use two air spells to stabilize himself. Two caverns blown into the field. Damn, you had meant for that kick to knock him into the red.

Without looking, simply outstretching a hand behind yourself to catch your sword, you wonder if Crowley will make you pay for property damages. So be it. With that too enticing smell drawn out of your nose, you can go all out.

You start closing distance when – shit! You are suddenly knocked off your feet when Jade lands an attack at the place your running feet were going to land. The fall you take is not elegant. Your dominant shoulder bounces once then twice more on the ground. Your bones clang but you manage a grip on your sword. Metallic warm blooms on your tastebuds, did you bite your tongue? Groaning, you go to stand up when suddenly Jade Leech is towering over. Face shadowed, eyes bright.

Ah, teleportation magic. 

Instead of threatening your life like all the overblots did or moving in to kill you, Jade says with his typical sycophantish smile, “I was thinking of cooking maitake mushrooms for our first date, Prefect.” Smug bastard!

You smile wide around the blood coating your teeth, “I actually prefer portabella.” In a blink, you pivot your body to wrap around the back of his leg. Like a scorpion launching an attack, you swipe at him. The connection is perfect. You watch a squirt of blood spit from the back of Jade’s thigh. As you are rounding your body back up around him, you laugh, " if you really want to win this, you need to fight with at least seventy percent more effort.” Then, another perfect collision that makes you giddy of all things. His head is thrown back by an elbow to his nose.

And to complete the full rotation, you aim your sword towards his neck once more. But you are caught by surprise when that elbow did not knock around his brain enough to disorient him. Where your sword should have landed is intercepted by his magic pen. Another time-wasting standstill. This time feels different though. Rotating your wrist up and down as you might, you cannot gauge a weak point and you are forced to look at him.

Red is slick down his upper lip and chin. It shines violet, blue, and a blackish-green in the light of his counterspell. Tidiness is swept and rustled out of his typical hair-do. The ‘J’ of his black stand resembles more of a combination ‘K’ and ‘Z’ the way it is blown through. His matched eyes? Arrowed directly onto you. Olive brown and canary yellow, wide and crazed. And that look – That look!

Di-Did your heart just skip a beat? No. No. No. What is wrong with you today! You are never so distracted by an overblot or sparring partner. You never had some kind of revelation during your training with Silver or battles with Riddle, Leona, or Azul. Are you falling ill of all things!

Your face luckily does not change. The only indication of your inner crisis is a bulging vein in your arm. Relentlessly, your claymore and his magic pen scraping against each other, you try to dictate where his weak spot is. Clump by clump, ground starts to be serrated by your combined efforts. Then, fuck! Your face crinkles with pain. Bits of magic jump over your weapon and start to cut paper-thin lines on your cheek. One. Two. Three. Tiny whiskers of hot pain. You grind your red teeth and push even harder. You silently mourn the opening you lost before as Jade starts to push you back. You are growing angrier. 

Separate from this moment, Silver mutters under his breath, “The Prefect is going to win.” He meant to keep it to himself, but –

“Huh? How can you tell?” 

“I- Master Malleus. Well, because,” and before Silver can start, there is an explosion of noise in the crowd. Joined by an explosion of red coming from Jade’s left shoulder.

Crouched on the ground, behind Jade, you cross both of your arms to your chest. Red rain drops down onto your back as the appalled noises grow in volume. Uncaring, you spin back and once more throw your sword into the dry blue skies. You plant your feet. Instead of feeling the pulse of Jade or smelling his sweat, you shift all attention to the Earth like you should have from the start. The gumminess from the blood in your mouth gradually fades away. Your labor torn veins gradually relax. Air is cold. You are warm. As Jade struggles to comprehend where you even went, you perform tomoe nage on him backwards.

Jade only sees four images: your face when locked in a standstill, emptiness, emptiness again (in the form of sky), and then he is blessed with your face again as you retrieve your claymore from the air and hold the tip of it to his throat. Laid on the ground, he gasps. That expression has returned to your face. Wrath. Your scleras are white but it is still the same. A tightened and angered expression that one would think could cause a head to implode with a single look. Crazed and wide. The rhythm of your wrath thumps around him like crashing waves. The ferocity of predator’s teeth and riptide’s rocks in your eyes. Sevens, he wanted a life with you. Yearned for you to join him, Floyd, and Azul. If this is the last time, you’ll talk to him – if this is the last time, you’ll see him – His heart aches like a fresh bruise at the thought, hurting more than the slash from his shoulder. If you will no longer cross paths with him again, then he needs to say what he always wanted to. He needs to reveal his hand. Pierce his heart on a fork so you can eat it whole. 

“Sevens, you’re beautiful,” Jade rasps. 

HUH!

You leap back. Your claymore clatters to the ground. You care little for the starting murmurs of confusion, spinning your head away from him to put a hand over your mouth. Mortified, your fingers collide with skin and reveal you are starting to blush of all dreadful things. You turn your head back towards Jade. He is looking at you with th-those soft eyes again. You turn away faster the second time.

Your fingers start to climb up towards your nose bridge and eyelids. Mortification is an inadequate word for you now. Hotter than Grim’s or Idia’s flames, you swear your cheek could start expelling smoke in the dry autumn air. Instead the air whispers and theorizes: “Is it over? Who won? Did Jade poison them before the fight? Is that a forfeit? Do I still have a chance with the Prefect?” 

For the first time ever you do not care about retrieving your blade from battle. If you had to encounter those eyes, you could not direct the head on your shoulders to act civilized. Why did he have to be so – ugh!

With a huff, you start walking towards Ortho. Your eye must be drawn in a monstrous glare because the robot boy turns his head back and forth to avoid your gaze. You school your features as you get closer. When in front of him, you raise your dominant hand and say “Announce Jade as the winner. I sprained my wrist.” 

Ace and Deuce vocally make it known that they are confused and bewildered. You do not spare them a glance, watching as the yellow of Ortho’s eyes shift, little rectangles in the artificial irises shrinking and rotating. His gaze lasered down on your arm. “Prefect, your wrist is not –”

“Announce that Jade won.”

With a smile, you turn towards Ace, Deuce, and Grim. Somewhere that feels as far off as another country, Ortho’s hand changes back to the megaphone and announces “Jade Leech is the winner! As a result of injury!” That makes little difference to your overall mood. Your smile grows and you ask your friends, "Are you guys willing to walk poor, unfortunate me to the nurse?”

“S-Sure, Prefect.” Deuce agrees, catching on.

Sighing, Ace crosses his arms and remarks “ Always relying on the magic-able students, aren’t we, Prefect?” 

“Yeah,” you agree, knowing you saved them both four times over. “A magicless student like myself needs all the help she/he can get. Come on, Grim. My wrist is injured, but my shoulder’s completely fine.” You crouch and Grim reclaims his usual spot.

“(Name),” he whines in your ear “, you better not skimp on feeding the Great Grim because of your new boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend. And it’s just one measly date; you three will always be more important.”

“You got a good head on you, Henchman!”

“Damn right.”

“Still, Jade Leech? Do you want bodyguards for this date,” Deuce asks you as you all start walking. 

Another tiny smile crawls on your face. Now that you are a safe distance away, you think you can finally look back. The crowd is peeling away in sections. Some students are cheering. Others are forlorn. The most miserable of them seemed to be gathered near Azul Ashengrotto’s betting table, where the octo-mer is counting his thaumarks. In the center are your claymore (which you are slowly itching to retrieve) and Jade Leech and his twin brother. You chuckle watching as Floyd goes through the motions of shaking his brother excitedly by the shoulder, throwing his own arms up in the air, whooping and hollering, and taking Jade’s limp arm to raise to the sky. 

At this distance, Jade’s eyes are blurred upon his face and safe to look at. He is staring straight at you. Hm, he does have some appeal, you muse. Raising your ‘injured’ wrist, you wave to him. “No, that won’t be necessary. I would’ve mopped the floor with him.”

“Huh? But you lost?”

“Huh? Did I say something,” you respond to Grim, faking a sheepish look. You return your arm to your side. “Ow, my wrist really hurts, guys. Ow ow ow~”

──────────────────

The worst part of it all was the wrist splint. That black, velcro monstrosity wrapped on your lower arm seriously took a nasty chip off your pride as a student of Silver Vanrouge. You bowed so low to him that your forehead hit your knee. However, that was not even the cherry on top. You had to cry out in pain every time Ace or Deuce took your ‘injured’ arm and pinned it behind your back instead of fighting back like you wanted. Though Riddle did collar them, the day the nurse ‘cleared’ you, you made it known that that would never happen again. Ace did actually have to borrow your wrist splint after.

You did get your sword back. You swear on the Seven, you were having withdrawals from the first night away from it. Tossing and turning enough to cause Grim to bite your ankle. Jade was gracious enough to return it two days after the fight, just as you were zippering up your coat to meet up with Tsuntaro. He even polished it for you!

You exchanged your thanks and then stood for too long at your threshold, waiting for him to leave. You were unsure if you could really look him in the eye. When he knocked and you received him, you busied yourself with looking at your sword. 

“You know, I could provide a spell that might be of use to you for your weapon. Free of charge. I know that it already has –”

“Jade.”

“Yes?”

“I really don’t want our date to be at Mostro Lounge. There’s an ax throwing place on the island. We can take a bus route to get there.” You finally look up.

Wrathful eyes are not what makes you swoon. To you, there is little appeal being crushed by pulsing anger. Jade’s eyes are completely antonymous and devoid of that fiery emotion, but they still burn you because, because — Well, he is looking at you as if you yourself hung stars in the sky and whittled the mountains’ edges by your hand. He is looking at you with such warm affection. And you, emotionally constipated you, are smitten with that warm expression. 

Ears tinted pink, Jade  says “, Yes, arrangements can be made for that. This weekend?”

“This weekend.”

When the cloud of jade green fireflies arrive by your gate, you actively have to ignore the way Jade bristles and glares. You learn that day that a hand placed upon his lower back calms him down perfectly fine. A trick you will use later. And use it later you did~

It had been about two months since your first date. The winter break came and went. You defeated Jamil Viper, suffered a few snake bites but nothing tremendous. Then at Kalim’s party, you had to defeat Jade’s seven evil attempts at getting a kiss from you. Both successful, as expected of Night Raven’s Prefect. Another success of yours? Defeating the newest game Idia gifted you as an apology with an S rank, which you were journeying to Mostro Lounge to tell a certain someone about. 

“Hey, you can’t just cut the line!”

Well, that might not be good. Steadily, you place your hand over the auburn pommel of your sword. Eyes narrowed and piercing to find the line-cutter, you turn. And for some reason, the host panics. “A-Ah! It’s just you, Prefect. Go ahead. Sorry!”

Hm, did the matter resolve itself? Well, you hope the host finds the line cutter eventually as you venture deeper into Mostro Lounge. You scan briefly over the tables and aquarium lighting. Persistent cobalt shadows are quite enchanting to you now. Gratefulness pushes your lips up a small amount when you locate Jade Leech among the swimming blue. 

“Jade!”

The vice-housewarden’s head almost comes off his neck at the speed he looks towards you. That familiar, once tortuous look returns to his eyes. “(Name), what a pleasant surprise.”

“Jade, put down your tray.”

“Hm? Whatever for?”

Well, at least you gave him a semblance of a warning. Advancing on him the whole time, you reach chilled hands to the back of his neck. His pulse is relaxed; you think it’s a shame because you love hearing its rapid speed. One hand cups his cervical and he reasonably tenses because last time you did this, you spun him into a headlock. But that’s not the agenda and he can start to piece it together as you push his head down to meet lip to lip. Ah. That beautiful pulse is back. 

His lips are well kept, soft and thin. This close you can smell the sweat of a hard day on him. You tilt your head to the left to deepen your first kiss. It is no question to invite tongue into the kiss, though it certainly catches Jade by surprise. 

You can tell Jade is upset that he had not put down his tray because the dishes upon it are rattling. And his one free hand is tightly holding onto your waist like a snapping turtle locked onto a finger. You push up harder into the kiss and almost start laughing when his reaction is a muffled groan. “Ag - Agh,” his throat hums at you. 

During this rather inappropriate display, your hands have been focusing on running through his hair or gliding over the skin of his neck. Boldly, you inch one hand down his arm and wrap it around to hold the middle of his back. AH! His pulse is exploding now. This time you actually do need to pull away to laugh a bit. 

Your laughter gradually stops as you hear Azul Ashengrotto emerge from the kitchen, chastising both of you for your display. In your ear, Jade asks “Do I get to know what I did to be rewarded with such a pleasant surprise?”

And in the face of teeth that could tear your throat out, you hum “I just ranked S on my new game.”

“In my lounge of all places! You two are so indecent. You have dorm rooms; Perfect, you have an entire house to yourself. You couldn’t have possibly waited; you just had to come in during rush hour on a weekend!”

Jade smiles despite being clueless of what you mean. “Well aren’t I one lucky eel~” And he means it, the efforts and mistakes made to get to this moment … Jade’s smile grows as he watches you and Azul bicker. All that effort was worth this.

#disclaimer: MC is gender-neutral despite tag of male-female friendship #reblogs are appreciated bc i only have 5 followers on here #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland #jade leech x reader #jade leech

[xdirtyxlittlexgirl]

Hi! Could I request a Henry cavill story? Where reader meets him while he’s in town shooting for his new movie but she doesn’t recognize him at all and doesn’t know he is kind of in a relationship but that it is rocky. But yet somehow they end up together!!

Just Find Me (Part 1)

Pairing: Henry Cavill X Reader

Summary: You have a chance encounter with Henry Cavill during your travels in Italy

Warning: Very fluffy, emotional, love, angsty

You are a writer travelling through the small towns of Italy to find inspiration for your book. You've been visiting different places, trying to capture the essence of each town and its people. Finding heart wrenching love stories from these small hamlets, just like your grandparents' is your sole mission right now. Today, you find yourself in a small restaurant surrounded by vineyards in the picturesque town of Montalcino.

As you peruse to the wine cellar, you can't help but feel a little overwhelmed by the extensive selection. You're known to be fussy about your wine choices, always looking for the perfect blend. Lost in your thoughts, you're jolted back to reality by a deep, smooth voice behind you.

"Can I help you with something?" You turn around and find yourself face to face with a tall, robust, and handsome man. He's leaning against the door frame, looking at you with a charming smile. He cannot be a waiter, you think. But it's Italy. Anything is possible. You're taken aback by his beauty, but you can't quite place where you've seen him before, because he does look so familiar.

"I'm just looking for the perfect wine," you reply, trying to regain your composure. He chuckles and you just stare at him, admiring the oaky scent and curly hair. "Well, that's a tall order. Let me help you out." You watch as he strides confidently towards you, his eyes scanning the shelves of bottles, as you lose yourself in his scent. He picks one out and holds it up to the light. "This one is a number," he says. "It's a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. It's bold, full-bodied, with hints of dark cherry and blackberry. It's perfect for a day like today." You take the bottle from him, studying it. "Thank you, it sounds perfect." you say blushing as you adored the man and also the knowledge he had of wines.

He nods, his blue eyes twinkling. "My pleasure. I'm Henry, by the way." You shake his outstretched hand. "I'm (y/n). Nice to meet you." That's when the sudden realisation dawned upon you. It is infact Henry Cavill. The guy who plays Superman and the Witcher. Wow. You try to act cool, not wanting to make a big deal out of it but you can feel your knees giving up. Just when you were about to make a total fool of yourself and ask him for a picture, his voice cut through your rumbled thoughts. "If I'm not bothering you too much, would you like to join me?" He asked and you blushed. "It would be a shame to drink a fine bottle like that alone." He adds cheekily as you chuckle and nods. He leads you outside as you quickly head to your table to collect your things, and then go up to him, where he takes you to his table pulling a chair out for you, as he then takes a seat himself in front of you. You place your things there which also includes a vintage looking diary and a pen, and you could see the curiosity in his eyes.

"So, what brings you to Montepulciano?" He asks as he pours some wine for yourself before pouring some for him. "I'm a writer," you tell him swirling your glass of wine, smiling at him as a thank you for pouring the drink. "I'm here to find inspiration for my book." you add as he looks at you intently. "Ah, a writer," he says, swirling his own glass of wine. "That's fascinating. What kind of book are you working on?" he adds taking a sip of that delicious wine. "It's an anthology based on love stories from across Italy," you reply. He nods thoughtfully. "Sounds interesting. I'm sure there are plenty of stories to be told here," he smiles as you blush a little. "Well thank you, I hope so too. What beings you here?"you ask stressing on the 'you' part because it's not normal to find a celebrity like himself, wandering around the streets like that. "Just taking a little vacation," he replies with a small smile, which looked half convincing, but you didn't know him enough to ask more about it. "It's nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, you know?" You nod, understanding the sentiment. You both chat about your respective work, your love for writing, and your passion for exploring new places. You can't help but feel drawn to him, his easy charm and infectious laugh.

As you both sip on the wine, you realize that it is indeed perfect. The boldness of the Cabernet Sauvignon perfectly balances the fruity notes of the Sangiovese. You're impressed with his wine knowledge and you end up asking him. "This wine is actually perfect, and I thought 'I' knew all the fancy wines." you add chuckling and take a sip again, almost moaning at the taste. "Thank you, I just thought it'd be perfect for you." he adds smiling at you. "Are you a sommelier or something?"you asked surprised to see his extensive wine knowledge. He laughs in response and then softly adds, "No, just a wine enthusiast. I've learned a thing or two over the years. All thanks to the extensive traveling." "Ah my grandfather had a vineyard. So, that's why I'm a bit of a wine snob," you share. He chuckles but then looks impressed. "That's amazing. Maybe we can explore some more vineyards together," he suggests. You smile, liking the idea of spending more time with him. You both start taking a walk along the vineyard.

As you both sipped on the delicious wine, the conversation flowed easily between you and Henry. You found yourself sharing stories of your travels through the small towns of Italy and the interesting people you met along the way. He shared his own experiences shooting movies in Rome and Florence, and how he chose to visit the small towns to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

"I've always been drawn to the great outdoors," Henry said as he gestured towards the stunning vineyards around you. "There's something about the fresh air and the natural beauty that just makes me feel alive." You nodded in agreement, taking in the breathtaking views around you. The sun was starting to set, casting a golden hue over the rolling hills and the vineyards. It was the kind of moment that made you feel like time was standing still, and you were content to just enjoy the present.

"I couldn't agree more," you said with a smile. "I've been looking for inspiration for my book, and I've found that the small towns of Italy have given me so much to work with. The people, the culture, the stories... it's all so rich and fascinating..." Henry nodded, taking another sip of his wine as you both leaned on the balcony, enjoying the view. "Speaking of stories, have you come across any interesting ones in your travels?"

You thought for a moment, then remembered the old couple you had met during your time in Florence. "Actually, there was one couple that really stood out to me. They had been married for over 50 years now and had the most beautiful love story. It was definitely something out of a fairytale." Henry leaned in, clearly intrigued. "Tell me more." And so you told him about the couple - how they had met in the same vineyard where you were sitting now, and how they had fallen in love at first sight. They moved to Florence, got married, and had a huge family. You described the way they still held hands and whispered sweet nothings to each other after all these years, and how they had overcome every obstacle life had thrown their way.

Henry listened intently, his eyes locked on yours as you spoke. "Wow," he said when you finished. "That's the kind of love story that movies are made of." You nodded and chuckled. "That's the kind of love I seek... Speaking of movies, I have to tell you. I am a huge fan of the Night Hunter, and The Man from Uncle. I love thriller movies. I also loved watching the Witcher." You tell him with a shy smile not wanting to sound like a fangirl as he smiled. "Thank you, I love thrillers myself. I always look for stories while selecting a film, more than my character." he explained and you heard him intently, as you could feel the passion he had for his job with every word he spoke. At one point, Henry leaned in closer to you, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, and you almost lost your breath. "You know, (y/n), you're really something special. It's not often that I meet someone who's as passionate and driven as you are."

You felt your cheeks flush at the compliment, but before you could respond, Henry spoke again. "Listen, I don't want this night to end just yet. Would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner?" You looked at him, feeling a flutter in your stomach. The thought of spending more time with him was thrilling, but at the same time, you were hesitant. You didn't want to get your hopes up or read too much into the invitation. But then Henry smiled at you, and you felt your heart skip a beat. "I promise, it'll be a night to remember, plus it's just a matter of a few hours." he says with a chuckle pointing at the sky which is adorned in the shades of dusk, hinting the arrival of the nightfall. You chukle and shake your head a little. With those words, you knew you couldn't say no. So you smiled back at him and nodded, feeling a sense of excitement and anticipation building inside you. This was just the beginning of a beautiful adventure, and you were ready to see where it would take you, but you didn't want to be hopeful. You knew better than to get lost in a moment and hurt yourself for years to come, but for the first time in ages, you enjoyed this bittersweetness. It felt weirdly right.

As you both exit the vineyard, you start to take a walk around the beautiful town. As you both round a corner, he leads you into a small courtyard with a fountain in the center. Henry takes your hand and leads you to a bench near the fountain. "It's breathtaking..." you say gazing at the beautiful surroundings as you sit next to him. You both sit in a comfortable silence, the sound of the water trickling in the background. You look at him and feel your heart skip a beat. You can't believe you were here, in Italy, with Henry Cavill. It feels like a dream. You just sat there watching people stroll by. The sun is setting, and the sky is painted in shades of orange and pink. You can feel his gaze on you, but you try to ignore it.

Suddenly, he breaks the silence and asks you, "So, are you single or dating?" You take a deep breath, unsure by the sudden question, but tell him the truth, "I'm single, and I have been my whole life. I don't believe in wasting my time and emotions on anyone who isn't the perfect fit for me." He looks fascinated by your response, and you can't help but wonder what he's thinking. You decide to ask him about himself, hoping that he's single, but also knowing that it's highly unlikely. He hesitates for a moment before finally opening up to you, "I've been dating someone for over a year now. It started as a PR stunt, but my managers thought it could work out. She's not my type at all, but now it's been too long, and I've kind of accepted my fate. You know I'm comfortable in that relationship, but I guess, I'm not happy. That's actually the reason I needed this vacation so badly. I needed to put things into perspective and figure out what I want. I do not want to hurt anyone in the process"

Your heart sinks as he tells you this, but you know better than to let yourself get hurt. It was never meant to be. This wasn't a fairytale and you had controlled your emotions just enough to not fall for it. You offer him a consoling smile. "I believe that everything happens for a reason and that what's meant for you will find you when the time is right. Maybe this vacation is the perfect opportunity for you to figure things out and find what you truly want."you tell him gently placing your hand on his for a second. He nods his head, "You know, you're right. Maybe it is time for me to put myself first and figure out what I truly want. Thank you for listening to me and giving me some perspective." You smile and tell him, "Of course, that's what friends are for, right?"He nods and looks at you with a raised eyebrow, and then sighs, "Yeah, friends." You look at him just for a second before looking away. This between the two of you felt perfect. It was as if you had known him for years. He felt the same too. He was heard by someone truly in a long time, but this wasn't practical, this couldn't ever be real. As much as you both wanted it, it was too unreal to go for it.

You both sit in silence for a moment, and you can feel the tension between you two. You know that it's best to leave things as they are, but a small part of you still wishes for something more. As the sun finally sets, he stands up and offers you his hand, "Shall we head to the restaurant? I'm starving." You smile small taking his hand, and he helps you up from the bench. As you both walk to the restaurant, you can't help but wonder what the future holds for the two of you. But for now, you're just grateful for this moment and the unexpected bond you've formed with this complete stranger.

As you step into the restaurant, you are awestruck by its grandeur. The dim lighting and elegant decor create a cozy and romantic atmosphere, and you can't help but feel a flutter in your chest. You follow Henry to your table, admiring the beautiful surroundings as you go.

Henry pulls the chair for you, and then sits across from you. Once seated, he glances at you with a charming smile and looks at you. "Do you like the place? I found it yesterday while taking my lone wolf walk in the middle of the night." he asks chuckling as you look around in awe and nod. "It's amazing Henry. Thank you so much for bringing me here.". "Pleasure is all mine my lady." he says as you chuckle. You were definitely a fan of this man's manners.

"Wine?" he looks at you with a raised eyebrow and you nod. He loved how he had you all blushing with the slightest of gestures. It was just challenging him to explore you further. He swiftly calls for the waiter, leaning towards him, as he stood attentively at the side of the table, ready to take the order. "Scusi, posso avere la bottiglia di Barolo Riserva, per favore?" (Excuse me, can I have a bottle of Barolo Riserva, please?) "Naturalmente, signore," the waiter replied with a nod. (Of course, sir.)

Henry continued, "Ma, prima, potrebbe farmi assaggiare un po' per assicurarmi che la signorina sia soddisfatta?" (But first, could you let me taste it a little bit to make sure the lady will be satisfied?) The waiter smiled knowingly, nodded and brought the bottle, pouring a small amount of wine into Henry's glass. He was not bad in Italian but he wasn't fluent, and he didn't know you knew it well. You bit back your chuckle as you played along and saw Henry take the lead. He swirled the wine around and took a deep sniff of the aroma before finally taking a sip. He closed his eyes, savouring the taste, before giving the waiter a satisfied nod.

"Sì, è perfetto. Questo impressionerà sicuramente la signora qui." (Yes, it's perfect. This will surely impress the lady here.) The waiter nodded and smiled, "La sua signora deve essere molto fortunata." (Your lady must be very lucky.) Henry grinned at the waiter, looked at you, and then winked at him, "Sì, lo è, ma sono più fortunato a stare con lei." (Yes she is, but I'm luckier to be with her. He definitely didn't know you knew how to speak in Italian, and as amusing as it was, you were blushing uncomfortably at his words.

The waiter jotted down the order and left to fetch the fresh bottle of wine, leaving you both alone. You bit back your laugh as Henry looked at you intently. He was so adorable with his Italian. He leaned back in his chair, and took a deep breath, "Ah, this place is magnificent, isn't it?"

You looked around, taking in the elegant decor and the beautiful view of the city, "It truly is."He took another sip of his wine, "So, what do you love doing the most outdoors?" He asks you, as you smile wistfully, "I love star gazing. My grandpa had a little observatory close to his vineyard, and we would spend hours looking up at the sky. Or just sit in the field and fall asleep under the sky." you said your eyes twinkling at the memories of your childhood. He listened intently, "That sounds amazing. I love it too, but unfortunately, I don't get to do it very often." You chuckled, "Well, always make time for things you love. You don't want to be eighty, old, and rotting in your bed with regrets. Although, I'm sure you must have some hobbies and interests, that you made time for?."

Henry looked at you amazed. He had never met someone like you. Someone who had such a different perspective on life, and he was in awe with that. You were free, passionate, and did everything on your terms, and he almost envied that. "I do indeed. I grew up on the British channel island of Jersey, with four brothers. It was always a bit of a madhouse, but we had so much fun growing up. We would go fishing, cook, especially bake, and I make sure I bake and cook when I can. I even carry my fishing gear along, so whenever I have time, I just go for it." he adds smiling.

You leaned forward, intrigued, "Really? I love baking too. What's your favourite thing to bake?" He chuckled, "Oh, that's a tough one. I think I'd have to go with an apple pie. There's just something about the smell of cinnamon and apples baking in the oven that's so comforting. Plus it's actually a family recipe passed down through generations, so it just makes it so much more special". You smile while sipping on your wine, "That sounds delicious. Maybe you'll have to bake me one someday." His eyes sparkled mischievously, "Oh, I could definitely do that. But only if you promise to bake me something too." You laughed and nodded, "Deal."

Your conversation was interrupted as the waiter came again to take your food orders and you looked at Henry. "What do you want to have?" you asked him as he looked a little confused while looking at the menu. "Okay, I'll let you choose this one. Surprise me." he said and you chuckled seeing how adorable he looked skimming through the menu. You nod and looks at the waiter. "Buonasera. Vorrei un'insalata mista con formaggio di capra e il risotto ai funghi porcini per me, per favore. (Good evening. I would like a salad with goat cheese and the porcini mushroom risotto for me, please.) He smiles and notes it down. "Perfetto. E per il signore?"(Perfect. And for the gentleman?) he asks smiling. There's an obvious shock on Henry's face but you chose to ignore it.

"La stessa insalata come me e un Osso Buco per lui per favore" (The same salad as me, and a Osso Buco for him please). "Certamente, mia signora. Qualcosa altro? (Certainly, my lady. Anything else?) The waiter asks politely.

"No, niente altro, grazie." (No, nothing else, thank you.) you reply smiling and then turn to face Henry. He looked at you in surprise, "Wow, (y/n), your Italian is amazing. How did you learn it so well?" You chuckled and chugged your wine, as he leaned in to refill your glass, "My grandma was Italian, actually. She was from Palmanova, and met my grandad while he was studying here. That's why when they married, my grandad opened a vineyard for her back home, so she could feel at 'home'."

Henry listened intently, "That's such a sweet love story. That's the kind of love I want for myself." That put you in thought. How he was so like you but so different at the same time. You both were perfect for each other in theory, but was it the same for the reality? You chucked away the question, trying to focus on what you have right now, and not ruin anything by overthinking it. Soon your plates arrived and he was pretty happy with your selection of dishes.

"Why did you become an actor?" you ask him, dissecting your salad. He hesitates for a moment before answering. "I always loved the idea of acting, but what really pushed me was the bullying I faced in school. People used to call me 'Fat Cavill', and it really affected me. But it also gave me motivation to work on myself and become the best version of me. You know, I wanted to show them what I could do..." Your heart aches for him, and you unconsciously reach for his hand. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Hen. But I'm glad it led you to where you are today." He smiles at you, squeezing your hand. "Thank you. It means a lot. I haven't really ever talked about it with anyone in depth. This feels good." You smile feeling happy that he felt comfortable enough to share that with you.

As you finish your dinner and wine, Henry looks a little stressed, like he wants to ask something, plus he had been distracted with his phone from the last half hour. He looks hesitant, but as you both are winding up, he finds some courage and blurts out. "There's somewhere I want to take you, something special. I mean if you have time, I promise it'll be worthwhile." he says, his eyes sparkling. You nod eagerly, unable to resist the allure of his charm and to the thought of spending more time with him. Lowkey you were manifesting more time with him. "Lead the way," you say, smiling as his smile grows with yours. He was feeling a weird need to be with you, like everything in him wanted to buy as much time with you as he could, and nonetheless, you felt it too.

Once you both exit the restaurant, he gently keeps a hand on your back and guides you through the small streets of Montalcino. He finally brings you to a solitary space and then gently leans in to speak close to your ear. "You need to close your eyes signora." You look at him a little surprised but then he gives you a soft smile and you couldn't help but blush. As you close your eyes, you feel Henry's hand gently guide you towards a quiet spot. You feel your heart racing with anticipation as you wonder what he has in store for you. Finally, you feel him help you sit down, on what feels like a plushy surface, and you stay still, eyes closed, feeling his warmth beside you. You trust him completely, and you know that whatever he has planned will be special. It's weird and uncanny how you could trust him so easily, but it felt right in your bones.

____

Part 2

A/N: Please leave your feedback. What are your thoughts about turning this into a series? You want to see more parts of this? Requests open.

#henry cavill fluff #domhenrycavill #henry cavil x y/n #henry cavill #henry cavill one shot #henry+cavill+fluff #henry cavill fic #henry cavill x female ofc #henry cavill x short!reader #henry #henrycavill/you #henrycavillfic #henrycavillxreader #henrycavillfluff #henry cavil x reader #lovinghenrycavill #henry+cavill+smut #henry cavill fanfiction #domhenry #henrycavillsmut #Henry Cavill Smut

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for trying to write a compelling story?

I (old, M) am a writer with a preference for tragedy. I just believe that tragic endings lend a certain kind of flavor to the story that cannot be captured otherwise. The emotions of sadness, hopelessness, and despair are just so fun to read and describe! As such, I primarily write tragedies, but some people REALLY have a problem with it. As in, killed me dead have a problem with it. So rude.

The last story I was writing before being killed remained unfinished. More than anything, I wanted to see that story end, but obviously, since I'm now dead (sort of, it's complicated), my influence on it was somewhat limited. The story was now taking place inside the real world. I'd changed reality to more closely resemble the story, but obviously, things were more than a little unstable.

Anyway, without me to write the ending, my protagonist got stuck in a neverending battle with the antagonist. They both got sick of this and the protagonist shattered his heart to seal the villain. At the time I thought this was brilliant; a truly heartwrenching twist that bought time. New characters took the place of old ones and I found a way to get the story going again. Obviously all this is wildly different from my original plan, but I was actually quite liking where the story was going! It was all set up for a truly spectacular tragic ending.

And then the characters started fighting back. Oh no, not against the villain, but against me, the very story itself! I know we all talk about characters having a mind of their own, but believe me, that's not the same when they also have their own bodies. They completely derailed my plans, switched their roles, and my grandson even took it upon himself to rewrite my ending entirely!

Well, admittedly, this story did have its own flavor, so I'll give them credit where it is due. But they were so mad at me for trying to write my own way, to my own preferences, acting as if 'imposing' tragic endings is 'cruel'.

I think they're being overly emotional and judgemental. Nobody should be judged for what they write or read. But they don't seem to agree, just because I 'tried to kill them' and 'tortured them' and 'made my own grandson stab himself through the hand'. (I didn't, by the way! He chose to do that himself!) I think they're overly involved with fiction and too emotional, but the little puppet I acquired from this story keeps hitting me in the shins with her drumsticks (long story) when I say so. AITA?

#aita #am i the asshole #unreality #torture mention

[poorlittleyaoyao]

top 5 widely accepted fanon you have beef with, go

OH MAN. My dash is curated like a well-funded museum so I am blissfully sheltered from nonsense. However, based on hearsay and in no particular order...

Literally anything about Mo Xuanyu. My primary frame of reference is CQL (a disclaimer I feel obliged to put on any meta posts, this one included!), which says next to nothing about MXY. I genuinely thought, based on what I'd seen in fandom, that Novel MXY was canonically a petite uwu soft goth boi who'd been part of the Jinlintai Demonic Cultivation Research Department until JGY falsely accused him of harassment and expelled him as part of his Evil Keikaku(TM). And like... that's all possible, and fully workable within the canon framework, but it's not indisputably textual. It's a shame, because I'd find all of these fanons compelling if they weren't repeated as fact!

Mean Lesbian Wen Qing. As with the above, this is fully workable within canon, and I fully sympathize with being a queer woman who wants to see other queer women in fiction. This is even hypocritical of me, perhaps, given how I am so deep in the weeds with the fanons of Lesbian Margaery Tyrell and Lesbian Johanna Mason (for the books, not the adaptations) that I genuinely forget that this isn't canon. But Johanna and Margaery both have meaningful (and quite charged imo!) on-page interactions with other women outside their families in their source material. Wen Qing doesn't, because this canon is deeply disinterested in what its female characters are up to. Lesbian Wen Qing feels less like desperately latching onto queer subtexts and more like a convenient way to remove her from the male characters and/or dunk on Jiang Cheng. If there were an abundance of Wen Qing femslash to accompany this fanon, I'd fell differently, but as it stands... nah, son.

Mean Hypermasculine Dom Nie Mingjue. Maybe it's different in the novel (though based on my understanding of Novel Da-Ge, why would you bother?), but in CQL? Where he feels his emotions up to 11 and cries about all of them? Where his memories of Meng Yao in Nightless City feature an assertive Meng Yao with flawless contouring, on-point eye makeup, and a level of manhandling and verbal degradation that is not at all present in the original version of this scene? The sensitive man with comically horny memories of being captured by his ex gets off on being a macho seme caricature? lololol okay.

Jin Guangyao and Nie Huaisang, Diabolical Murderous Supergeniuses. Canon is quite clear that neither of these men are the brilliant chessmasters fanon makes of them. Jin Guangyao plans meticulously, but he's far from ruthless; as others have pointed out, Jin Guangyao preserves a whole slew of people it would've been more practical to kill, with results that lead directly to his downfall. Nie Huaisang is ruthless, but he doesn't plan for shit; his strengths are his swift reaction time and his ability to hold a grudge, because it is straight-up not possible for Nie Huaisang to anticipate all of the events after the timeskip. They're both forces to be reckoned with, but they both get too much credit as schemers.

Wei Wuxian is basically A-Yuan's dad. This might not even count as a fanon, but 1.) I cannot STAND the tendency for fandoms to impose nuclear family roles onto character dynamics, and 2.) Wei Wuxian knew A-Yuan for like 1.5 years when A-Yuan was a toddler and wasn't even his primary caregiver. Do you think of your preschool or kindergarten teachers--who spent more time with you per day than Wei Wuxian spent with A-Yuan--as your long-lost parents? PROBABLY NOT.

[34saveme34]

[h

hi guys

I cannot repent. there will be a chapter 2

word count: 1693]

Mario and Meme Gayms - chap 1 (Marware)

The electricity came back on. The crew finally took note of him. And man, if he didn’t have fun watching those fools scared! He was especially captured by Mario’s insanity really coming out. It was something special. He knew that even from back at the casino but it really shined today. Although he… didn’t think the man would get that close to him… He couldn’t have guessed that the TV was his last string. He did appreciate the sacrifice though. It felt romantic in a cruel and ugly way. Your brother to someone who caused you so much pain? Oh, the betrayal! The emotions! Truly, he was made for the best possible show. He should… lure him to his side. If just a simple obsession could make him that way, he wondered what would happen if he got Mario on his side…

The crew went back up after getting back the electricity and reacting to his head, shrugging it off. Mario was the last one to leave. Oh! This was his perfect chance! Although, he still felt that talking to him directly didn’t make sense just yet. He could easily mess it up. Instead… he chose to play a very special video for Mario. It… caught his attention. Mario curiously watched the TV, as if slowly sliding closer until he grabbed the sides of it with both of his hands. It was a bit too close for his liking but he had to keep his cool. 

The commercial had a code for a rare skin on Roblox… Mario reacted delightfully, immediately scribbling down the code to his best ability. He wasn’t able to read well but he could still recognise the symbols. Mario immediately ran back up, jumping with joy.

“Mario is gonna get so many friends!!” That was the last he heard of the man, for now at least. He retrieved his head, putting it back on his body. It wasn’t his favourite stunt but it did help him in getting around. He couldn’t stand around any longer, as he went further in the dark. There was still much to set up before he could consider Mario his… Well his like, servant? Team mate? There really wasn’t much else to it… even if he was intrigued… 

Mario sat by SMG4’s computer, speedrunning logging on Roblox. He NEEDED the skin. He was grinning wide. It took him a while to figure out how to use it, considering no one was ever so generous to give him like this. Although the layout for the code didn’t exactly feel… right. Mario was too invested in the rare skin to care though. 

He got it on and immediately went into a roleplay game. People immediately took notice of him, something he didn’t think would happen. He was getting more and more friendship requests with each second passing. It was quite overwhelming but Mario could take it. He took it with his full chest, screaming. He got invited to games, he had fun. Everyone was so nice to him. It was perfect. Even games that would usually make him rage were fun because as soon as he felt bad or angry, he got comforted. It was so perfect. He never wanted to leave.

SMG4 came into the room, seeing Mario eagerly play at his computer.

“Hey, Mario, how long are you still playing? I wanted to make some m-”

“Mario’s busy!!!”

“Dude…” 4 crossed his arms, sighing. He walked up to Mario and grabbed him, trying to pull him away from the computer. It was no use, as if he was….

“Mario? Can’t you just… let me use MY computer?” he was frustrated.

“Mario’s busy!!!” he repeated like before, though insanity peaked through his voice. 4 was a tad bit worried about that.

“C’mon, Mario, there’s many games you can play, actually Tari wanted to-”

“Mario can’t!!! He’s glued here!!!” 

4 was confused, until he looked down, seeing that Mario indeed glued himself on the chair. He sighed, even more frustrated.

He couldn’t keep it in himself, he used all his strength to push Mario away from the computer, sending him along with the chair on his ass. He went flying across the room. But Mario got up and… didn’t look happy at all. He stared at 4 for a bit, visibly shaking, eye twitching. 4 was starting to get scared now.

“Man, quit it- this- this isn’t you!”

“YOU DISTURBED MARIO’S AWESOME ROBLOX ADVENTURES, NOW YOU MUST DIE” Mario lunged at him like a predator. 4 dodged him, running out of the room. He wasn’t followed.

He peaked back inside after a bit, seeing Mario sat back in front of the computer, enjoying the game as if nothing happened. This scared 4. He left, not knowing what to do. 

It had been days. The others tried to get to Mario but all of them had to quickly escape the same way 4 had to. Because of this, 4 wasn’t able to stay in his room either, using the gaming room instead until 3 offered that he could stay at his. 

One day, 3 tried again, stepping in the room, weapons ready with him and the others to cover and help in case something happened. However, as soon as the door was opened, the room was empty. The screen was the only light source with static. Mario was nowhere.

This worried everyone as they explored the room several times but didn’t find anything.

Until 3 thought of something.

“Wait the ca… umm” he immediately stopped, remembering that it’s… not exactly the best thing to be proud of.

“The what?” he was questioned. Everyone was questioning him. He was sweating bullets. Oh he was NOT having a good time. He had to collect himself together.

“Well… so, I… ever since the castle sank, I was scared something similar could happen to 4 again so I put a camera in here to make sure-”

“You did what???” 4 looked at him pale “You… didn’t see when I…?”

“Yes, I did. Sorry” 3 turned away. It seemed neither wanted to elaborate although the others were left questioning.

They took the camera and looked at the footage. However the moment when Mario disappeared was redacted. By that same thing… They had seen on the TV.

Mario, he was in a beautiful landscape, in his beautiful skin with his beautiful friends. Everything was perfect. However one stood out to him. A player who had a TV for a head. They didn’t speak but were sticking around him all the way through. Showing him hints without words when he got stuck on a particularly hard parkour map. Or helping him on quizzes. They were growing to be his favourite. His heart fluttered looking at them, like a guardian angel. Just made him want to leave even less. Not like he was thinking about leaving anyways. This was just too good to let go. 

This player sent him an invite to a game he never saw before. It seemed to be a private map. Nobody else was there but him and the TV headed player.

Mario scratched his neck, stupid thoughts entering his mind.

“Are you hitting on Mario?” he blushed, pressing his index fingers together in that very specific pleading emoji way. 

The player didn’t reply for a few seconds, seemingly considering how he should react. Maybe reconsidering his plan in the first place.

“No no… however… I got a deal for you” the player leaned down to Mario’s level. 

“It feels like it” 

“No it’s- Mario. I’m offering you appreciation you never had before… The attention you deserve.”

“You’re definitely hitting on Mario. It’s okay, Mario knows he’s one sexy italian man”

The player was losing it. They paced around. Mario was starting to look a little sad about it.

“Are you okay?” He looked at them sad, very sad in fact. Not his favourite kind of creepy hang out buddy being sad.

“I’m- I’m fine- Besides, online dating is against the rules.”

“Mario broke some rules here and there, he’s above the law” Mario gave the player a thumbs up who could only laugh and facepalm. 

They couldn’t believe they felt a bit charmed by Mario of all people.

“It’s like you want to date me or something” they joked with a wide grin “I didn’t even do much”

“You helped Mario a lot! Mario is not good at thinking and you did it for him”

They chuckled, almost forgetting what they are here for. 

“Well,... I think we could make a great team.”

“Oooooh…. Great team? With Mario?”

“Yes! No one would be as great as you for this…”

“Mario thinks you’re flirting”

“Sure” they laughed “I was rather referring to the time you were hosting Meme Games… I could help you host another one! What do you say?”

“Anything for you, Roblox player” he cried, hugging their long ass legs.

“Oh, worry not, Mario” they grabbed his face, looking at him softly “I’ll be there. You bring the challenges and your spirit… I’m giving you everything else. You deserve it”

Mario blushed, looking up at them. They pat his head before he was ejected from the game. To everyone’s surprise there of course. As they didn’t even have time to leave before he came back. They all looked at him scared. 

“What? Mario’s fine” he jumped up, the same grin he had when looking at the TV headed player not being gone. He was obviously ecstatic. 

“Sorry we bothered your gaming sesh” Tari looked down. She knew how gaming can get. She was also the gentlest when bothering Mario.

“I’m not. It’s about time you go touch grass and let SMG4 sleep in his OWN room” SMG3 chimed in, obviously annoyed.

“No one asked you to take SMG4 in” Meggy said to him.

“He was taking up space in the gaming room! It’s the best that I could do” he was annoyed.

“Mario is hosting meme games” Mario jumped up excited again, then ran out of the door, not even paying attention to any of the comments. Everyone looked at each other. Meme games? It had been a while.

#smg4 #marware #Nicc's-fics #discontinued sorry </3

[the-cryptographer]

was talking about how the amount of explosive material needed for the chantry boom, even /after/ that material been refined from the raw ingredients, is probably a lot more than anders and company could gather from a single trip to the sewers/mines without even bringing a cart. (which is cooroborated by the concept art of anders's bomb setup, although I don't think that picture makes much logistic sense either). all of which makes me wonder if the quest we get in canon was more like a scouting mission for anders to see where he could get the materials or arrange the bomb setup rather than the actual dirty work.

"why did he bothering inviting hawke et al then, if he wasn't even using them for the bulk of the actual labour?"

well, that's the thing. I'm wondering how much hawke et al's involvment in helping anders gather bomb materials is entirely symbolic.

other parts of the same quest are definitely symbolic. asking hawke to distract elthina with questions about mages as he goes about his business in the chantry is symbolic. he knows elthina isn't going to budge at that point. he just needs to build up a situation where she was given this last chance to save herself from what he's about to do, so that he can justify what in his own mind feels unjustifiable (though I do not see it that way, and I don't think merrill or isabela do either for that matter)

and given anders manages to set up the bombs just fine even if you turn down the quest…

how much is hawke et al going to find drakestone and sela petrae symbolic? how much is it making them complicit in the bombing simply for the sake of it? how much is this putting hawke et al in a position where their actions mean 'you're either with me or against me (and nothing imbetween)'?

like he really wants someone on his side so badly. so much so, he's willing to interpret lukewarm statements from hawke about not hurting mages as a radical statement of support. willing to interpret what was probably a lukewarm statement from donnic about disliking meredith as a reason donnic is more meaningfully on his side than aveline's. it's not hard for me to imagine anders spinning hawke et all bumbling around as he gathers samples of shit and sulphur and charcoal into a whole emotional experience of support and solidarity.

"so you're saying this was all a manipulative attempt by anders to gain support - support he didn't even really need - under false pretences?"

yes...? but also... no?

i feel like the thing canon doesn't really quite capture, and the thing i don't want to belittle, is how real and visceral and human these needs are? like, yes, maybe anders doesn't /need/ someone there to help him scout bomb ingredient locations to get the bomb built anyhow but-

to want companionship and personal recognition and support and someone to hold your hand through an emotionally difficult task? those are certainly things that pretty much everyone needs to be happy, even if they can persist and survive without. and anders has been denied these things at a lot of avenues of his life, has been taught he cannot ask for these things plainly and expect to get them. so I think it's entirely understandable that he resorts to manipulative, underhanded, and aggressive methods to get those needs met in lieu of even knowing how to pursue them genuinely anymore.

like- fenris crossed several continents to get to a place and a people for whom his experience of slavery hadn't been entirely culturally normalised. where he wasn't constantly being gaslit about how, actually, what he went through was excusable.

whereas anders is really living in the middle of cultural apologism for the circle as an institution. and where the person he seems to consider his closest friend can't accept and respond to anders trying to give away his mother's pillow as the desperate cry for attention and validation and help that it is.

idk, it's difficult bc- I will definitely make fun of anders's dysfunctional methodology for trying to get the attention and help and support that he needs. because he really does behave in ways that are cruel and aggressive and manipulative and stupidly misaimed and wildly alienating, and turn away people who are actually sympathetic to chase after hawke and varric being their least genuine.

but I never want to make fun of anders actually needing attention and help and support. like, yeah, we all do. all the moreso when we're standing up against tyrants and abusive prison camp wardens.

#anders #dragon age #lork dragon age opinions #sorry been a bit tetchy about this character recently (read: the last three years) #my brand of poking fun of this guy has triggered defensive responses from other fans on more than one occasion #and i'm under the mistaken impression that i can get this to stop if i can articulate my points clearly enough

[compacflt]

While I was reading your slider oneshot for the third time (sooooo good btw, i cant say enough how much i love your writing), I kept thinking about Ice and Sliders conversation about Carole-[“Me and Carole?” Ice said, thinking it over. He smiled his bitter, bashful smile— “Yeah, we might’ve worked out, once. I won’t get into the details. We tried it out. But I don’t think the timing was right.”]-What is Ice referencing here?? Is he referring to when Carole kissed him? Or did I miss something (entirely possible tbh)? I really felt like Mav when I read that scene ["What do Admiral Kazansky and Carole Bradshaw get up to when he doesn’t know about it?"]

The parallel of Mav being [redacted] with Goose and Carole liking/loving/pining for Ice. Wow! So deliciously complex. What an interesting little love square they have going on. Bradley and his four parents.

But man...Carole really is such a tragic figure in both canon and your fic. But I really really love the depth of emotion that you give her in the glimpses that we get. Her relationships with both Mav and Ice are so interesting and layered. They just feel very real. I really really loved the gimpse of her point of view you gave us in the Dad!Ice fic (the half empty box of cigarettes!! I still think about that)

this is such a sweet ask. thank you. yes he was referring to her kissing him (not really “trying it out,” to be fair, but he’s also trying to “prove” to slider that he’s still interested in women, so he’s using even the most tangential of evidence and holding it up like “see? See? not gonna give you all the details but Trust Me bro we tried it out😎”)

& also here’s from my notes in my printed-out copy of my fics from last OCTOBER (whoa). Referring to the scene in the hospital when Carole gives ice & maverick the instructions to pull Bradley’s USNA app & suggests she & ice have discussed it previously (they haven’t).

Carole is pretty much the only person who is around both Ice & mav enough to know the truth of who they are. (Slider also recognizes this— “ice let Carole Bradshaw see his happiness but not slider… :( que cruel”. And the whole “she is literally the only camera capturing icemav’s happiness on film for the historical record” section of slider

.) And Carole therefore is the only person to whom ice quite literally cannot deny that he & maverick are together, because she… has eyes. And is their best friend. and they’re raising her kid with her. So that sets her up as like a confessional character, in that ice HAS to be truthful with her in a way he isn’t with anyone else, including… his literal boyfriend maverick. so it’s a pretty easy leap for Maverick to be like, It’s a given that ice does not honestly want to be with me, a man -> but he is honest about his feelings with Carole, a woman who has expressed interest in him, behind my back (“what do admiral Kazansky & Carole Bradshaw get up to when he doesn’t know about it?”) -> Omg they’re having a heterosexual emotional affair. Which, like, they totally might be? which is why i keep going back to the *possibility* that they might have worked out once, had it not been for the simultaneous timing of ice falling in love with maverick, since ice is also Bradley’s no. 1 dad figure in my story. Which slider points out.

From a heterosexual family planning perspective, ice & Carole together just kinda makes sense. In a way that everyone in the story recognizes, for better or worse.

#ice as the responsible dad; Carole as the fun loving mom #like if they had ‘worked out’ everyone recognizes they’d be the perfect successful nuclear family with a good love story to boot #which is why it hurts maverick to be compared to that. to be reminded that Ice is only with him because he has to be. #so you get this kind of ‘man it’s a shame ice is gay’ feeling from Carole because she’s the perfect alternative #and when she dies ice has NO other option but maverick #he’s 43 years old & suddenly the woman who loves him whom he’s been keeping in his back pocket just in case… is dead #and maverick becomes his only realistic hope for companionship. doors closing one by one. getting shut into this life he didn’t want. #which is what is hopefully represented in the rendition of the funeral scene in the slider one shot. #pete maverick mitchell #tom iceman kazansky #icemav #top gun #edts notes #carole bradshaw #is icecarole even a ship? seems… #homophobic somehow #these are characters who exist as whole people in my head independent of my personal skill level in rendering them on the page #so im just gonna tell you what i was GOING for lmfao #‘here’s how i MEANT to write it’ #‘here’s how i WOULDVE written it if i were being a little more intentional & wasnt speedrunning my first draft in 13 days’

[lesharl-eclair]

lewis ot3 fic recs

for @f1ot3fest !! i promised myself i wouldn't ramble but this turned out ridiculously long so ... i actually need to learn to shut up

all fics below the cut; if you enjoyed these fics, please show the authors comment and kudo love; should you be the author of a fic that's here, and don't want to be here, please reach out to me and your wish is my command :)

NO this is so funny bcs half of this is fics by the creator/recced by the creator BUT ITS OK. THESE LITERALLY ARE SO DEAR TO ME *clutches to chest* please go read please go read

***

heist AU by @sionisjaune (sebcedes)

on golden sands (T, 6.2k)

Mark rolls his eyes. “Skip the crap, Jense. Who’s the mark.” Jenson lifts his whiskey and swallows the dregs. “One Baron Nico Rosberg. Currently installed in Greece, inherited the title from his mother. His father—” “Keke Rosberg. 1982 Formula One World Drivers Champion,” says Seb. The others look at him like he’s just materialized out of thin air. Lewis cocks his head thoughtfully, and the bizarre sleeves of his jacket rustle with the movement.

the ships that go sailing (E, 11.7k)

As it turns out, threesomes are not especially logistically challenging when two of the participants are experienced organizers of high-profile heists, and the third is determinedly horny.

err okay i think this was something i read before i had the concept of sebcedes or like ot3s. so it was a pure yOU CAN DO THAT??? visceral reaction the first time i read on golden sands. i was quaking in my seat. anyway upon sufficient rereads i have apparently collected my thoughts enough to say that the first part of the series is nothing like the second in terms of content (i read all the way to the middle of the ships that go sailing and suddenly realised that it was a sequel and uh. had a very violent reaction.)

the premise is wonderful, oceans 11 is great to begin with and the way every detail is taken care of in the au!! the characterisation of it all... the tangled mess of interpersonal relationship... it feels like every character has their space to shine, and this on top of a quasi-convoluted plot is quite incredible. aND THE SEBCEDES OH MY GOD THE SEBCEDES. the denouement. the start of something that seb can;t even begin to imagine. lewis and nico both being batshit crazy. sex retirement fic. somehow you managed to capture all the nuances (brocedes + seb + the emotional push pull + the competition?? a bit of quiet almost fragile sico? the boat scene hello??? brocedes being so chaotic it gives me whiplash?????) i actually cannot get enough of the way you write them

i can probably write so much more about this but i will stop here :0 maybe one day i will rereview this and end up with a five page essay or something. who knows.

***

Circle Endless by @antimonyandthyme (E, 2k) (brocedes + seb)

“It’s a two-for-one deal,” Nico said, very salesman like, as if he sensed Sebastian just needed an extra push.

the vibes here are so horrifically good. lowkey unhealthy. probably one of THE defining brocedes + seb fics - it's set up and played out as a 2v1 (in 2016!!), and the toxicity of it all is so asasasandsjfadjsfasdfs . there's so much conflict everywhere: within seb, the way brocedes also fight for dominance on the bed (bc of course they do), seb needing more despite whatever it's doing to him... that scene with kimi is pure poetry. so much to unpack in so little, and excellent excellent sex

***

made a hundred good stories by @red-flagging (E, 24.6k) (for a kinkmeme prompt) (alex + sewis)

“That problem you were telling me about,” Seb says, giving Alex a meaningful look. “I wanted to know if you wanted us to help you take care of it. Lewis and I.” This isn’t happening. Alex is having the most stressful, least erotic wet dream of all time. Helmut has gotten bored of subtle nudges and has graduated to full-on psychological warfare to get Alex to quit on his own and save the team from having to buy out his contract. Lewis actually did give him a concussion in Austria, and the long-term brain damage is only now starting to set in. "...You can't be serious," Alex says weakly. Seb shrugs. “You don’t have to say yes,” he says. “But if you’re just looking to have some fun–it might as well be with people who know what they’re doing.”

ok claire. coherence.

I CANNOT BE NORMAL ABOUT THIS FIC LIKE AT ALL??? i have tried so many times

the alex characterisation. the hellhole that is redbull. the exhaustion. so much DETAIL that it's painful to look at

the galex? the galex. oh my god the way it meanders in all the little spaces between alex's frankly ridiculously busy life, the LAYERS. the so much unsaid & the way they dance around each other even in texts. the way alex holds himself back but still wants.

alex/seb. seb being an all round menace to society (Quite honestly, he sort of forgets the conversation with Lewis even happened up until Bahrain, when Seb sidles up to him on some balcony on Thursday and says, casually, “So, gay cruising, eh?”) ?????? ? ? ? ? the perfect timing of seb's proposition. so much else but the deviousness of it all..

that little bit with alex and lewis. the painful awkwardness of that conversation (but also how much lewis eventually got out of it). seb's retirement & lewis' instant protectiveness!! ^^

the racing metaphors are so apt somehow (and even more fitting because alex has basically been consumed by the redbull grind........) this is a detail i personally really really enjoyed

THE SEX bro i cannot even?????? ???? i cannot do it justice here but um. the sewis is clearly there and framed so strikingly against a hesitant tired alex. the games sewis play. LEWIS GUIDING ALEX.SFSHHGSHGHHHHGG the car's still spinning and the walls that don't exist...... how at the end of it all it's still only glimpses of sewis that alex gets but how it's enough for him to maybe start figuring things out with georgie.... the post sex clarity....

oh this was so damn incoherent wasn't it. this fic made me, to quote @kritischetheologie, reconsider everything i thought i knew about alex albon.

***

a bedroom where your heart is by @hungerpunch (M, 1.5k) (vasewis)

“Someone will have to go for ingredients,” Valtteri says. He does not happen to keep vegan cheese stocked. “I vote the youngest,” Sebastian says, grin sly. Valtteri blinks. “Wait—” “Sorry,” Sebastian says, affecting a suspiciously convincing faux innocence, as if he’s truly apologetic but his hands are simply tied. “Seniority rules.”

closing this with some good achingly wholesome content. FOOD AS LOVE and i am so so so here for it oh my goddddd ... val taking care of sewis and finding the greatest satisfaction from it/it not being always about the sex (though the sex IS good!) and finding contentment in those small domestic-bliss moments/the scene-setting, the food described as lovingly as it's prepared, the quiet early-hour moments and seb in a way the middleground between val's discipline and lewis' indulgence when it comes to mornings... there's so much to just revel in and enjoy here!! a comfort fic in the truest senst of the word. :)

***

that was long. and probably extremely incoherent. oh well. thanks for reading till the end and remember to show the authors some love!!

as always, if you enjoyed this, or if i missed any fic, please let me know :) drop me an ask mayhaps if you would like more fic recs, and i will try my best to give timely unqualified opinions <3

#f1 #formula 1 #claire's fic recs #ot3+ fest #sebastian vettel #lewis hamilton #alex albon #valtteri bottas #nico rosberg #brocedes #sebcedes #valewis #galex #f1 fanfic

[wren-writes-things]

Let's see... 1, 9, 12, 13 for the fandom ask games? :)

Oh hey Pixel! Thanks for asking.

OTP? 

Probably Sasharcy (of course in the context of Sashannarcy). I absolutely adore all variants of the Calamity Trio but I just tend to drift towards them. My guess is that the personality contrast, and possibly just how much they both need to grow and forgive each other. I don't know it just intrigues me.

I also really like platonic Zelink from the BotW/TotK iteration.

9. Write a recommendation of someone else's fic you enjoyed!

Hmm... Pixel go read your own fanfic! Joking, probably

And I Know I Kissed You Before (But I Didn't Do It Right) - BearerOfTheBitterMoon (liminal-lesbian on here) - Okay I could put all of Mara's fanfics on here. Her writing style and story concepts are just amazing. But we'd be here all day, so we're not going to do that. This one specifically though, was just such an emotional rollercoaster (without leaving with permanent emotional trauma, ex: The Three Body Problem). It's very sweet, it's very sad and it all just feels so real. If that makes any sense

A Witch In Wartwood - Disect - I haven't finished the sequel fanfic yet, but I love this story. It had a very creative take on a Swap AU, and it did a really good job at capturing the essence of the original show while also completely being it's own thing.

Pinpoint - i'm-at-my-limit - Okay, I need to get caught up on this one, because I love the concept and I find it's characterization really interesting but I'm also behind by like two chapters because I wasn't reading as much for a while.

Across The Seven Seas - Heart_Wit_Strength - Did I successfully trick you into thinking I wasn't going to say this? Did it work? Seriously though this is one of those fanfics that I read, immediately reread and proceeded to think about for the next three days. I actually have fan art of it that I need to complete some day. I don't know what you did, but you succeeded at it.

Then there's this one fanfic about Sasha that I really like, but I cannot find it or remember what it is called.

(I have quite a few others that I really liked, these are just the four that were in my brain apparently)

12. What's the funniest or craziest AU idea you've ever come up with?

So the same week that I created Daren, I also created what I call that Devil in the Details AU. Which is one of those AUs where it could be angsty, but I decided it was way funnier to write absurd shenanigans.

Basically Marcy, a lonely and aimless college student, opens a music box (gifted to her by her academic mentor, Andrias) and ends up with Darcy as the devil on her shoulder. Then Anne and Sasha are sent by heaven to prevent her from becoming corrupted and taken over by them.  

Of course, it’s a massive train wreck. 

Darcy is trying to convince Marcy that she should trust them. But because Sasha and Anne are almost always there they can only accomplish this through underhanded life coaching. (Though when Sasha and Anne aren’t there it’s manipulation is more direct).

Sasha is a nearly fallen angel who has taken to giving beneficial but selfish advice and also physically attacking any devils that she ends up paired with. 

Anne is just trying to get Sasha back on the right path and to find a way to get rid of Darcy so Marcy can go back to a normal life.

Then Marcy who was incredibly lonely finally has a social life and people that she can get engaged in her interests. So she’s convinced this is a great thing and is scheming to make it permanent. 

And from this queue all of the comedic shenanigans that could possibly come out of it. But also Anne and Sasha helping guide Marcy into making a life for herself that she really wants rather than what everyone kept telling her she wanted. While Darcy of course tries to counteract that because they assume she searching for a very specific type of success and do not understand any other idea.

13. What's a character or ship you haven't written/drawn yet but would like to some day?

So ironically the answer here is also Sasharcy. I’m not sure how this happened but we have two Sashanne centric AUs (TOH and BotW) and two Marcanne centric ones (Witch Marcy and also BotW). But none of them have focused on Sasha and Marcy specifically (aside from post breakup in the Witch Marcy AU). It's a really interesting occurrence

#answered asks #heart-wit-strength #Amphibia #Amphibia Devil in the Details AU

[chaossmagic]

"You don't know how much it means to me that you're doing this."

For a moment, T'Challa didn't reply, though his fingers flexed on the controls of the Quinjet for a split second. Then, "It is nothing."

"But it is. What you're offering - what you're asking to do-" Steve's words caught in his throat, and he looked down at his fidgeting hands in his lap, blood caked under his filthy nails. His entire body throbbed with bruises, but still he only had one thing on his mind.

"I almost caused more hurt to someone who has already been through so much pain. The least I can offer as an apology is a place of refuge and safety, where we have resources that may help your friend's...unique situation," T'Challa explained, turning to Steve with a gentle, sympathetic smile. "If I cannot at least try...I have failed him just as so many others have."

Steve was surprised when his eyes stung suddenly with tears. He snapped his head forward, staring at the vast expanse of blue sky and lush forest, the sun just starting to lower to the horizon on his left, as he tried to frantically blink them back.

It had been a long, tiring, emotional, exhausting few days.

"Ever since I found out Bucky was still alive, all I've ever wanted to do was keep him safe. To repay all the times he did the same for me when we were growing up. Now that I can, now that he doesn't have to fuss over me anymore. And after Hydra..."

He let his thoughts trail off. Steve didn't know why he was telling T'Challa this; he barely knew the man. But since he was taking a huge personal and political risk for them, he figured he owed him some honesty.

T'Challa's nostrils flared almost imperceptibly, and Steve saw a brief flash of anger on his otherwise calm and composed face. "I have read a little about what that organization of monsters masquerading as human beings did to your friend. I can assure you, in my country, they will never touch him again."

"That's all I want," Steve said. "That's all I ever wanted to do. It's the only thing I have to do."

Steve turned to the front again, watching the sky as it slowly turned from blue to orange and red, azure bleeding out into tangerines and crimsons. It was the kind of sight he'd have loved to draw, if he were in a different situation, pencil and oil pastels capturing the way the colours changed as the sun sank lower and lower in the sky.

"We'll cross the border before nightfall," T'Challa informed him, disturbing Steve from his thoughts. "Perhaps you should wake Sergeant Barnes. He may wish to enjoy the view as we reach the entrance to Wakanda. It really is quite extraordinary, as biased as I am in favour of my home country." The king smiled, and Steve found himself smiling back.

As Steve nodded and rose, heading towards the back of the Quinjet to the medical bay, where Bucky remained fast asleep on a hospital-style cot, a thick-knit blanket pulled over him that was decorated with a riotously colourful pattern of lines and shapes, the enormity of the situation dawned on him all at once.

What he'd told T'Challa was true. He'd do anything, go anywhere, to keep Bucky safe.

But the road they were going down was a dangerous one; blinded by his emotions, tired and desperate, it was however the only road he could see in front of him.

Because that's what you did when you loved somebody like he loved Bucky.

You'd do anything you could to save them.

#lorna's writing #stucky #steve x bucky #stucky fic #t'challa #captain america: civil war #marvel #mcu