#it's so disheartening and especially disappointing that even if i take time to be interactive it often does not get uhh i do not get that | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

the-tactician-magician · 3 years

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Were you also disappointed by how FEH handled Halloween Sothis's and Rhea's interactions? Then today's @flufftober2021 piece is for you! And as a disclaimer, this fic has no romantic relationships. Just an awkward family reunion that turns out pretty sweet. :3

Flufftober 2021 Day 18: Costumes

Rated G, M!Byleth & Sothis & Rhea, 2192 words

Autumn leaves rustling on the night breeze. Ghoulish decorations beckoning festival-goers to numerous stalls. Glowing jack-o-lanterns guiding costumed Heroes on their quest for candy… Askr’s annual harvest festival was always a magnificent celebration, but for Rhea, these sights didn’t just warm her heart. They showed her that it was possible for humans and dragons to live in harmony, a hope she thought had long flown out of her reach.

Of course, the fact that there were so many dragons in the Order of Heroes shocked Rhea when she first arrived. She was further surprised to learn that the summoner already knew she was a dragon too, among other things. It took her a great deal of time to acclimate to the many twists and turns this world had to offer, but at the end of it all, she couldn’t say that she didn’t enjoy Askr. Even though Fodlan would always be her home, it was nice to let her hair down (or dress up, in today’s case) and interact with people she never could have met otherwise.

Such as the young dragons. Especially the young dragons.

So many of them were lacking parental figures, and Rhea was all too glad to take them under her wing. A child with great draconic power but without any role models could lose control of themselves, after all. More than that, ‘babysitting’ the young dragons gave Rhea a sense of fulfillment, the same kind of fulfillment she got from caring for all the orphans back at Garreg Mach. No one should be abandoned and left directionless, like she was when her mother was so cruelly robbed from her.

And even if a dragon didn’t need her help, Rhea was still all too happy to exchange experiences with them, such as with the Goldoan dragon prince and the half-dragon prophet she met today. There was also a fell dragon dressed in a werewolf costume present at the festival, but she didn’t feel compelled to speak with him for obvious reasons. Barring him, she only had one more festival guest that she hadn’t interacted with yet. Or two guests, rather, since they apparently came as a pair. Byleth, the newest professor at the Officer’s Academy, and…

“Oh? And who is this child with you?”

Rhea studied the girl floating on a broomstick next to Byleth. She wore a cute witch costume that matched her impish demeanor, but Rhea’s eyes were drawn to her pointy ears and vivacious green eyes and hair. She must be a dragon as well, but what dragon would be dragging Byleth around on her hunt for candy? Unless...

Byleth’s gaze oscillated between the girl and Rhea. In a low voice, he said, “Right. How do I put this…”

He was interrupted by an elbow from the girl. After she stopped him mid-sentence, she leaned over and whispered something into his ears. Rhea couldn’t quite make out their words, but the girl’s panicked expression conveyed much. If she was being honest with herself, it was a bit disheartening to watch a dragon make obvious efforts to avoid her. Especially if she was who Rhea thought she was...

Before she could confirm her suspicions, nearby commotion drew their attention. One thing that Rhea disliked about Askr’s harvest festival was all the fighting that took place. And as fate would have it, some pugnacious Heroes were making their way over to rob them of their hard earned treats.

Beside her, both the child and Byleth slipped into fighting stances. It was one thing for Byleth the hardened mercenary to throw himself into harm’s way, but Rhea wasn’t going to let a young dragon get hurt on her watch. She brandished her staff as stepped in between the duo and the oncoming enemies, much to the surprise of the former.

Amused by startled reactions, Rhea gave them a wry smile. “Please, allow me to make quick work of these ruffians.”

The dragonstone in her staff shone with a brilliant light that enveloped Rhea’s entirety. In a flash, the witchy archbishop had transformed into a witchy Immaculate One, complete with a hat that was now much too small for her gargantuan frame.

At the sudden appearance of a dragon, the would-be thieves halted in their tracks. It seemed like they already changed their minds, but Rhea blasted them with a breath attack just in case. The group of Heroes screamed and yelped as they fled the scene, and even left behind some candy in their hurry.

She had to admit, letting loose in her dragon form felt marvelous. But what of her onlookers? Rhea arced her neck back towards Byleth and his companion, and saw twin looks of astonishment. Well, the girl harbored most of the astonishment, with how her mouth hung open and her eyes bugged out. Byleth’s bewildered expression was quite tame in comparison, although it was still the most emotion that Rhea had ever seen from him.

Another flash of light, and Rhea was back in her human form. She took a moment to pick up the fallen candy, and held them out to Byleth and his partner.

“Do you want these?”

They didn’t reply back immediately, still caught up in the miraculous transformation they just witnessed. It was Byleth who recovered first, by nodding and taking some candy from her hands.

“Nice costume.” He stated.

“That was not a costume, you fool!” The girl whacked him on the head with her broomstick. “Rhea actually transformed into a dragon! How is that even possible?”

“It’s a simple matter, really.” Rhea smiled as she brushed aside her hair to reveal her own set of pointed ears. They weren’t as long as the girl’s, but the similarities were undeniable. The girl gawked at Rhea for the second time in quick succession, while Byleth unwrapped a candy to eat.

“I am a Nabatean, or child of the goddess. Much like you, young one. Or perhaps, on this night of trickery, you are not as young as you appear…?”

Her heart ached for the answer that was to come. She had waited for this moment for so long, even if it didn’t come in the form she anticipated. Even if she stumbled upon it by pure happenstance, in this strange realm, and not by her own efforts back in Fodlan.

A pensive look settled upon the girl’s face as she closed her mouth. Rhea’s heart skipped a beat, fearing the worst, yet she still hung on every word that was uttered next.

“You assume correctly. I am Sothis, the beginning, and the progenitor god of Fodlan.”

So she was right. This girl before her really was Sothis. Her countless attempts to revive the goddess had borne fruit in the unlikeliest of manners. Rhea couldn’t help but break out into a wide, enraptured smile.

“Mother… At long last…”

She stepped closer to Sothis, arms open and ready to pull her into a hug, but she froze in place when Sothis frowned and shook her head. “Hm. If you are a child of the goddess, then that makes you my child. Yet I have no recollection of you. Granted, my memories of the ancient past are still hazy, but even so…”

All of her excitement evaporated in an instant. “You… do not remember me? At all?”

In the context of Sothis’s childish appearance, her lack of memories made sense, but Rhea didn’t want things to make sense. She wanted her mother, not someone that looked her with suspicion and distrust. She had gotten so close, yet still fell far from the mark, and she didn’t even know if that was better than not meeting an amnesiac Sothis at all.

A crinkle of a candy wrapper snapped her out of her spiraling. Having finished eating, Byleth took a step forward, placing himself between the two women.

“Lady Rhea, perhaps you should explain what you know about Sothis and how she came to exist in my head.”

Rhea blinked, slightly dumbfounded by his statement. Sothis was living in Byleth’s head all along? She had more questions ready on her tongue, but judging from both his and Sothis’s expectant gaze, there was a better time than now to ask them.

“Very well.” She sighed out. “I shall have to start from the very beginning, from when Sothis first alighted on this world…”

---

Rhea told the two of them everything. About Sothis’s restoration and slumber, her untimely demise at the hands of Nemesis, Rhea’s own role in the War of Heroes, the rise of the Church of Seiros, and the many years spent trying to revive her mother. Which led to the Crest Stone of Flames in Byleth’s chest, and therefore the phantom of the goddess made corporeal in Askr.

She had always been a secretive person. At first for her own safety, then out of habit. But there was nothing to fear in Askr, a world where all other worlds converged and many walks of life came together. Here, Rhea’s deepest secrets flowed from her tongue like wine, bringing her a sense of relief she didn’t think was possible. Now, she didn’t mind so terribly much that Sothis’s wary gaze still carried some unease, although she would be lying if she said her heart didn’t yearn for warmth instead.

“And that is all.” Rhea concluded. “I… understand that this is a lot to process. And I acknowledge that I may have been too forward during the festival. Especially to you, Sothis. To have a stranger approach you and treat you like a long-lost mother… I must apologize for the awkward situation I placed you in.”

Silence fell. Byleth simply stared at her, face inscrutable, and Sothis appeared to be deep in thought. Rhea was thankful that neither of them looked upset, but it was too early to tell if her apology was accepted.

“Lady Rhea, why did you not tell my father about how you saved my life?” Byleth eventually asked. “He thought that you did something terrible to me. That’s why he tried to shelter me from the Church for so long.”

“I will admit that that was a mistake in hindsight.” Rhea sighed. “Humans can often be so short-sighted, even a human as remarkable as Jeralt. I thought that he may not accept what I did so gracefully, but my silence proved to be my undoing regardless.”

Byleth nodded, but remained as stoic as ever. Sothis, on the other hand, leaned her broomstick closer to Rhea.

“Speaking of family, I must admit that I do feel some sort of kinship with you, but I still cannot fathom that you are my daughter…”

Rhea casted her gaze downwards. “I understand. Your mere existence in the mortal plane is already enough of a miracle. Asking for the return of my mother may have been too much to hope for.”

“Oh, enough of that!”

Sothis’s sharp rebuke lifted Rhea’s head back up. Once their eyes met, the young girl cracked a toothy smile.

“I may not be able to give you the motherly love you seek, but that does not mean we cannot enjoy some bonding time together! We are at a grand harvest festival, after all! This is not the place to mope over what we do not have! You have been through so much, dear daughter of mine, so now it is time to cut away your regrets and have fun!”

Sothis may not sound like the goddess of old, with her high-pitched voice, but at that moment, Rhea could have sworn that she was being lectured by her mother. Overcome with nostalgia, she smiled back, her heart lighter than ever.

“You are right, of course, but you truly wouldn’t mind having me by your side?”

“Undoubtedly!” Sothis proclaimed. “You are not the wicked witch that your costume would suggest!”

“And what about you, professor?”

Byleth seemed like he was surprised to be addressed, but managed to answer her in his usual collected tone. “Yes, I’m fine. You placed most of my fears to rest by coming forth as you did. It would be my pleasure to spend the night with you.”

For some reason, his response earned him another thwack of Sothis’s broomstick. “Do not word it like that, Byleth! You’ll invite misunderstandings this way!”

“Sorry.”

Sothis let out a harrumph before turning back to Rhea. “Well then! I hope that you are a fan of sweets, because I plan to spend the rest of the night procuring them! Perhaps you can show me how you transformed into a fearsome dragon? My own powers must be as limited as my memories, because I cannot achieve such a shape no matter how hard I try…”

Without further ado, Sothis and her broomstick raced off into the night. Byleth hurried after her, then Rhea, as soon as she regained her bearings. It felt a bit odd, to chase after a girl that was actually her mother reincarnated, but on this festive night, she gladly took Sothis’s words to heart. No matter what form her mother took or what mischief they got up to together, Rhea was going to enjoy every minute they spent as family.

#fe3h #fire emblem three houses #feh #fire emblem heroes #byleth eisner #fe rhea #fe sothis #fics #flufftober2021

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ravenadottir · 3 years

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i’ve seen asks about this before but I wanted your take on it because I love your opinions and how much depth and flavor you give the islanders especially the bland as hell ones (*cough* Jo *cough*) (*cough* i hate her *cough*) anywayssss how do you think a relationship would go if MC never found love with any of the Islanders, but ended up falling for one of the producers or someone who works on set ?

yesss! thank you! jo is the worst! i’ve seen people saying “oh, but all she did was kiss ibrahim and lie about it.”

riiiight, but that bullshit lasted two weeks, then she twerked on my guy’s lap, smirking and thinking she was doing some damage! “vena, that’s the girl you have the lowest relationship with.” THEN SHE BROUGHT ON HERSELF, SON! if she wasn’t unbearable, i wouldn’t have a low relationship with her, and that’s on that.

*takes a deep breath* NOW

that galaxy brain of yours, bringing this prompt, it’s detrimental for me, ‘cause like, i already have over 23 WIPS... LOL but because you’re a fellow common sense stan, i’ll do a quick list of bullet points for this scenario... i honestly love it so much, and i apologize if someone has done it, but i haven’t seen it.

((this got a little long, so i’m putting it under the cut, for space saving purposes))

in the game they don’t quite show just how much the islanders actually interact with the camera/mic crew. they’re present in every date and recouplings, besides those “following” shots when they walk to the different locations. there are some takes that show the islanders having friendly conversations with them, and that’s why i included mic guy in gary’s beach hut confessions. it’s also something i mention in noah’s chapter, on “hold the line”, after operation nope.

for this scenario, i’m using a f!mc - robin x m!cameraman - seb

robin meeting the boys could’ve been exciting, but after a few days she quickly realizes the o.g boys are nothing but friends to her, her couple being the closest. let’s pair her up with bobby, initially.

the bombshells arrive, and still, she doesn’t feel much, but she’s invited to a date, and in hopes to find that little spark everyone keeps talking about, she decided to go.

while walking towards the table, she notices the camera man focusing on the image of the side screen, possibly telling her to flip her hair, and she does it, playfully charmingly, because why not? she’s excited to go, and that makes him smile. “that’s perfect.” he says, following the path to the table, where the henrik waits for her.

as she finishes the conversation with mountain boy, robin and seb move on to go back to the villa, the guy quietly follows her, but he can’t help asking. “how was it?”

she shrugs, maybe looking directly at him. “i think it went fine.”

“you don’t sound excited.”

she looks down, biting her inner lip. “i guess i don’t, huh...”

he leaves her by the gate, waiting to get further instructions. after bobby finds her, and she gets another text, she’s again heading to the date, the cameraman just smiling awkwardly. “another one, huh?”

“yeah, i guess...” they exchange a look, and she puts a strand of hair behind her ear.

“are you... excited?” immediately his pocket vibrates, and he interrupts the shot, reading the text. “focus on the shot.” so he does, staying quiet as he continues it. robin gets a bit confused, but it’s probably something to do with his job, so she doesn’t say anything.

as the date ends with lucas, and she walks back, the camera man is quiet, which makes her intrigued. “did you get in trouble?”

he nods, perching his lips. “nah, it’s fine.”

“i hope so. i don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.”

“honestly... it wouldn’t be the worst thing if it was because of you.”

they exchange a look and he brushes it off as they get to the entrance, and before she steps in, robin quickly turns to face him, speaking in a very discreet voice. “hopefully i’ll see you on the next one.”

on the afternoon of day 9, robin needs to choose someone to go on a date with. as she and her pick leave the villa, seb is following them, slightly uncomfortable, and possibly focusing the camera way more on her, not even noticing. the boy she’s taking definitely realizes it, but doesn’t say anything.

every challenge they need to go to a platform has her following behind, just to steal a glance or two from him.

and every time the challenge ends, she does the same, going back to the villa while having a short conversation with him.

each recoupling has her a little more on edge because of that initial attraction she felt towards him, and none of the boys really have her head over heels. from time to time it’s possible he casts a look or two, mouthing “are you alright” during the drama that she gets pulled in.

casa amor, which is a pivotal moment for all of them, because they all get in the cars, and the cameraman gets a little anxious, is now a reason to make him ask for the assignment in the second villa, not the main. he has to himself this is just a crush, and it will be fine after a few days, but it’s becoming really hard to look away whenever she’s around. same for her, even when the girls are doing the challenges.

receiving the suitcases from the boys, robin realizes she misses them, but it’s all about the mate vibe she has with each of the boys back in the villa.

seb has to watch her trying to have fun, and that might include the raunchy challenges that earned a party for casa amor. the guy is maybe now realizing is more than a crush, and he’s possibly upset that she doesn’t get to know him like he knows her. robin has screen time, she is solving drama back and forth, being a good friend, while he’s just watching, helplessly. what can he do except for trying to be professional and stay quiet?

the editors are having a hard time to cut those glances seb and robin exchange, since that would’ve been the hardest plot line to explain, and she signed a contract that states her attraction should be limited to the islanders, or she’s gone. and for whatever reason she has to stay, whether the money, or the clout, is enough to make her restrict the things she says to him. same for seb, he can’t exactly risk his job.

i think the moment seb is possibly more bothered is when the girls are back, and she finds out her partner switched. given they’re not romantic, she’s not disappointed or upset, but she’s frustrated for not only not finding someone, but also seeing everyone else getting the summer romance she wished for herself.

“are you ok?” he mouths, at the firepit, in the most discreet way he can. she nods, responding to her partner and saying how happy she is for him, proceeding to talk to the boys, by the bean bags.

seb is on edge, holding himself back and letting things flow naturally. but what he really wants is to offer a hug. that night, robin can’t sleep, worried about whatever is gonna happen the next day, and heads to the kitchen for water.

he can’t help himself but going there, knowing fully well he’s risking his job.

“hi.”

“oh, hi!” she’s surprised, but can’t help smiling.

he promptly fixes her a glass of water. “so... how are you feeling?”

“not great, i’ll tell you that!” she sees the look on his face, and immediately corrects herself. “not because of him! i’m not... i-” she stammers a bit but gets through it. ‘i’m not interested in him...”

“right! of course! not that i care!” seb notices her eyes going wider. “i mean, i do! i do care! i just meant...” he scratches the back of his head, possibly mortified. “i’m sorry... you make me nervous.”

“what?”

before he can respond, he’s called back to the back house, where the crew stays during the show. “sorry, i gotta go... i... hope you feel better.” he rushes to head out, not even hearing she said a very stunned “bye”.

with each bump, each bombshell that comes later, robin is definitely disheartened because the only person she felt a spark is not even part of the cast.

at some point, i think robin truly felt like the right decision should’ve been made ages ago. which she’s now determined to make it happen, calling everyone to the firepit, because she has an announcement. the boys and girls are anxious, because not once, in the history of the show, an islander has called the rest of the group to the firepit. something serious must’ve happened.

“i’m walking.” to the shock of everyone around her, and possibly to the guy who switched, she tranquilizes everyone, by saying what truly has been happening this entire time. “i found my spark... it just wasn’t with an islander.”

the boy she took on a date interjects. “i knew it! it’s the camera guy, isn’t it?”

possibly leading to a very “the office” moment, where all of them just stare at the guy, the camera captures their shocked and amused faces, all of them either smirking or nodding knowingly at him, to his very flushed face.

“i’m thinking to myself if i should just stay and wait around, but i’ve been trying it this entire time, and i just can’t... not anymore. everyone is making a bet on someone from the villa. i’m just... betting on someone out of the cast.”

between being showered in hugs from the islanders, possibly tears from everyone that loves her, because let’s face it, she’s an awesome girl, she heads to the entrance with her suitcase. and because seb has to follow her, he’s just as shocked as everyone else, maybe smiling so much his face hurts.

one thing i know for sure, in this scenario, he would probably make a joke about the date they’ll have later, with no cameras around, and not being in a vineyard with plastic cups, to which she responds “i was hoping you would say that.”

social media would be so confused, because whatever the producers decided to put out there won’t feature the real reason that led to her walking, that being the start of ridiculous speculations, only to be cleared up a few months later, when she reveals they’ve been dating since the moment she left.

and i can see the show trying to profit on that, making memes on twitter and instagram.

overall? i would love to see that take in the game. you can’t exactly control who you fall in love with, who you feel attracted to, and definitely not the timing. it just happens.

#litg lucas #litg gary #litg bobby #litg #love island the game #love island the game season 2 #litg s2 #litg season 2 #fusebox #fusebox games #queue #alternative scenarios

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plague-of-insomnia · 3 years

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I totally get your point. Like... the whole feed your creators, we're starving, thing started to get momentum, then it was pushed back by people doing a mix of bringing up valid concerns, like, some people have social anxiety and struggle with commenting because of that, but then it got into... creators are ungrateful for voicing that they need interaction and :/

It takes a lot of emotional real estate to say, no, I should be getting feedback on my things that I spent hours doing too and everyone who is pushing back and claiming that real estate is doing such a good job. It's incredibly disheartening to spent hours, weeks, months, years, working on a project and then people can't even be bothered to hit a kudos button.

Like, I'm not super popular, and I write niche things and shorter things, which both get less hits, and even less feedback. But when my most popular fic, which sits at 2k hits, only has 89 kudos, not even comments, just hitting a button kudos, it's aggravating and makes me feel unappreciated.

My most kudos'd fic has ~725 hits and 172 kudos. My most popular fic is ranked fifth for kudos, fourth for that fandom. (The other three have 955 hits, 116 kudos and 642 hits, 103 kudos and 769 hits, 99 kudos. A fraction of 2k hits.)

And the fic, although it leaves a lot to be desired, isn't even bad, so it's not clicking out because it's hot garbage lol. It's about average quality, because it's five years old and I grew a lot as a writer. I just do not get it lol, and looking at and comparing stats like that really drags out how lacking engagement is.

Thankfully, on tumblr, most of y'all leave comments on the post or in tags, which I love and appreciate and save each one

{In reference to this post}

@gabedemon, I apologize for taking awhile to respond to this as I was trying to collect my thoughts because I know this is a hot-button issue and I really don’t want to make anyone think I’m trying to attack them personally or anything.

I honestly was so relieved to get this ask because tbf that post pissed me off.

I’m understanding but I’ve already done just about everything that I can to be accommodating, and I still don’t get many comments.

I know this isn’t just my problem, because I know that more popular writers who write more “mainstream” stuff have also had issues with lack of feedback/interaction.

I have 15 works on AO3 right now (not counting 2 bc they’re not really only mine), and only FOUR have more than 100 kudos. Only one has over 200.

I’m aware that what I write isn’t for everyone. I tend to be interested in more niche/fandom-divergent topics and I love writing rarepairs. I’m also painfully aware that I have been unable to post much writing at all, and none on AO3 in several months.

But I’ll admit that it’s not only the lack of comments, but poor interaction on tumblr that has made me increasingly frustrated. It’s such a struggle for me to write anything right now, and I’m always so happy and proud when I am able to share something here even if it’s just a little taste, only to get almost no reblogs for my writing.

For example, for my most recent snippets and such that I’ve posted lately, these are my stats:

6 likes / 4 reblogs (50% of which are me)

6 likes/ 4 reblogs (75% are me)

18 likes/ 7 reblogs (29% are me)

31 likes / 8 reblogs (25% are me)

16 likes/ 13 reblogs (46% are me)

19 likes/ 12 reblogs (17% are me) - this one is from last year

I’m super grateful for the people who have continued to support me and be excited about my work despite my limitations over the past year, but at the same time, I’ve become really frustrated by how few people in the fandom bother to reblog my writing.

I have tried my hardest since joining the fandom 3 years ago to be as supportive as I can of other creators, and I know I’m not churning out the main OTP content, but I still feel really disappointed when I can’t even get a RB of a snippet or ficlet.

I don’t write for comments and I don’t support others because I want something out of it.

But after awhile, not getting that support back, even with something as simple as a RB, starts to wear.

I know the kuro fandom has been pretty dead (especially on tumblr) lately, and I’m really appreciative of those who DO regularly interact with my posts, send asks, reblog, etc.

I really have been putting off saying most of this for a long time because I didn’t want it to think like I was trying to be a whiny, entitled brat or anything... maybe this response doesn’t even make sense or came off awful despite my best attempts.

And I’m sorry if any of this comes off as manipulative or guilt tripping or anything as that isn’t my intent (and part of why I’ve stayed silent about this more or less for months), but seeing that post just reminded me all over again.

#poi answers #gabedemon #commenting #support creators #not sure how to tag this #wonder if people will unfollow me for this #long post

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some-cookie-crumbz · 3 years

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Okay so the Bakujirou fic made me want to read more of ur writing(uwu💖💖💖💖)so can you please write a fluffy tdmm fic of them playing Animal Crossing:New Horizons together featuring trans girl Momo(which is my favorite bnha trans hc tbh)?Pls include all your headcanons i want this to be as self-indulgent for you as possible

We are getting up to some hopefully good nonsense up in here~! Let’s see if I can’t cook up something tasty for ya! Also this was one of those prompts that really got away from me and kinda... rambled away from the main point of the request and dissolved into a bit of a character study with added notes of fun shipping goodness so please forgive the length! And obviously if this is unsatisfactory please feel free to scream at me for my sins.

Trigger Warning: Transphobia, Mentions/ References to Body Dysphoria

She wasn’t Nashi.

Momo had to remind her of that fact every now and again, when the doubts about her appearance started to leak in. Did she present well enough? Did her hobbies speak loudly enough of the truth of her femininity or did people think she was faking? If she decided to go with a bob cut like Ochako’s, or a cute pixie like Mina's, would it make her features stand out wrong? Would she be fine wearing shorts, or would it be safer to pick a skirt or dress? It wasn't as often as it used to be that the anxiety about her appearance reared up - especially since she had been eagerly accepted by her peers when she confessed that she'd been deemed male at birth - but there were still moments where it did.

Like that evening, in specific.

While Father and Mother still worked in Pro Heroics, their roles had shifted quite drastically over the years. Momo herself had only been eight years old when Father was gravely injured in a Villain fight, taking a serious blow to protect a fleeing civilian. There had been countless surgeries and treatments to follow, leaving Father unable to move as well as he used to. He retired as an active on-duty Pro and became more involved with the agency behind the scenes. He worked more with the finances, employee relations and things of that ilk while Mother took over control as the public face. For a while, things were fine like that. It was a nice balance between them and, even though it was clear Father missed interacting with the public, he settled into his position quite well.

But as Momo's second year at UA started its second half, Father's health started deteriorating quickly. His immune system had been compromised as a result of all his past procedures and the side effects of that started to hit fast and hard. Momo herself had missed three days of classes to rush to see him when his cold escalated enough to warrant a hospital stay. While there, Mother and Father had discussed an upcoming business mixer. It would allow for them to connect with various other agencies to locate team-up partners as well as connecting to a few new support development teams. Mother had seemed rather concerned by the idea of going alone given that Father had always been the social core of their team.

And so, despite her discomfort, Momo had volunteered to go along. Mother had seemed surprised but agreed to take up her offer.

The day had been very strange leading up to the event itself. After getting out of her classes that Saturday, Mother picked her up to get put together. The full works were done for her; hair, make-up, manicure and pedicure, all coordinated to match with the long, sapphire blue evening gown Mother had picked out for her. Mother was an odd mix of overly involved and incredibly distant, taking care to ask if the length of her heels were comfortable for her or if the red of her lipstick was too dark for her liking. Once getting a response, though, she’d be heading off to tend to something for her own attire for the night without a second glance.

A part of her said she should have expected as much. It was a hard thing to define, her relationship with her mother. Ever since she came out and asserted who she really was - claimed Momo as her true name - Mother had never misgendered or dead named her. Even in the beginning, when the change in name and pronouns were still new, she’d gone out of her way to speak more carefully, to address her daughter the correct way. Momo took that as a sign that she was accepted, yes, but… Mother had always been incredibly distant. She seemed to only take an interest in Momo when it involved her Quirk training and her accomplishments therein. She often wondered if the problem was more that Mother had never wanted children in the first place and only agreed to having one to placate Father, or to carry on the family name.

It was rather disheartening to think about.

The moment they entered the extravagant ballroom for the mixer, another Pro that Momo couldn’t place was flagging Mother down excitedly. “Yaoyorozu-San, such a delight!” he greeted happily, offering her his hand. His gaze flickered over to Momo, smile remaining in place though his eyes gleamed in confusion. “Ah, and who is this? A niece or cousin of yours or your husband’s?”

“No,” Mother said, quirking an eyebrow as if the answer should be obvious, “this is my daughter, Momo.”

Momo made sure to flash a demure smile as she bowed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,”

“A daughter? I heard your only child was a son,” Momo could feel herself tense as she righted her posture. Of course, she thought, it would already be starting so quickly into her evening.

“A mistake, I assure you. This is my daughter and I expect you to respect her as such,” There was an odd undercurrent to Mother’s tone that caused Momo to glance at her sideways. She looked thoroughly unamused, judging by the scowl and slight glare she had fixated on him, and her shoulders were squared as a show of confidence. She supposed that Mother got tired of hearing this same statement time and again.

He blinked slowly, nose wrinkling briefly, before nodding curtly. “Of course. My apologies,” he shifted his gaze away from her to Mother quickly, clearly uncomfortable. “Anyway, Yaoyorozu-San, I had been hoping to have a word with you! I have a case on my hands that seems well suited to your skills.”

Mother perked up a bit at that. “Hmm. For now I’ll just take a general overview. I assume you do not have any official documents regarding it on your person currently, yes?”

Momo let out a small breath at the attention being directed away from her. “I’ll be going to get a refreshment, Mother,” she announced, though she doubted that she was heard. She made a beeline for the aforementioned table. It was often at these kinds of get-togethers that there were two separate refreshment areas; one for the younger crowd and another for the adults. She grabbed the ladle in the punch bowl and started to pour some into a decorative plastic cup for herself. There were orange and lemon slivers floating on the surface of the liquid so she prepared herself for the tart bite of citrus on her tongue, a small smile on her lips.

For a second she thought of Shoto, most likely settled in the dorms with his Nintendo Switch, most likely catching bugs or fishing on his new Animal Crossing game. The system and game - according to him - were a bribe from Hawks to keep some secret from Endeavor. Shoto had held up that part of the bargain but, he confessed, had snitched to Natsuo. It had been the most entertaining family meal they’d had in a while after that, he assured, and she giggled to herself as she sipped her drink. He may not seem like it, but Shoto had a mischievous streak in him.

“No way! Is that you, Nashi?” She jumped and whipped around, noticing a group of three boys around her age approaching. She recognized one of them from her first grade school, before she’d started her transition, but it took a moment to place a name to the face.

She plastered on a smile as she turned to face them fully. “It’s Momo, actually. It’s good to see you again, though, Hiroki-Kun,”

Hiroki blinked and tilted his head, confused for a moment, before his eyes widened in epiphany. “Oh, okay, my bad! Momo it is!” he agreed with a grin before indicating the other two with him. “Well, let me introduce you! This guy to my left is Yori, and the one to my right is Manzo! Guys, this is Momo, the one I was telling you about!” His tone dipped slightly as he introduced the second boy with him, as if saying his name had left a bitter taste in his mouth, but quickly perked back up after.

Yori offered a shy smile, staying close to Hiroki, but still offering her his hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Momo-San. Hiroki-Kun says a lot of great things about you,” he said quietly.

"Does he?" she asked in slight surprise.

Hiroki grinned at her, folding his hands behind his head. "Of course! You were, like, the coolest kid on the playground! Cool Quirk, super nice, really smart… Who wouldn't admire that?"

She looked away bashfully and giggled. "You're too kind, Hiroki-Kun," she mused, turning her attention to Manzo. She held out her hand to shake his hand next. "You're Manzo-Kun, right?"

“And you’re Nashi, yeah?” he quipped, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his slacks.

She flinched and shook her head, still trying to be civil. “No, I’m not. As I just told Hiroki-Kun, my name is Momo,”

“Your name now is Momo, but your real name is Nashi,” he retorted.

Her hand dropped to her side, clenching into a fist at her side as she tried to keep her cool. “Momo is my real name!”

“No,” Manzo laughed, taking a step towards her that caused her to take a step back, “Momo is the name you use to play dress up.”

Hiroki stepped forward, shoving an arm against Manzo’s chest and nudging him back that step. “Dude, don’t be a disrespectful ass!”

“She hasn’t said or done anything to offend you. And even if she did, that doesn’t give you the right to act like this,” Yori chimed in as well, a disappointed frown on his face.

Manzo glared before shoving Hiroki’s arm aside and advancing on Yori, who recoiled at his approach. “Oh, what? You think just because you have your stupid little buddy here you’re hot shit?” he barked, moving to shove him.

In a flash, Momo rushed forward and grabbed his arm. “Leave him alone!” she snapped.

Manzo whipped around to face her and wretched his arm free, a nasty grin on his face. “Oh, what, you wanna fight about it? Fine! Let’s fight like men! Since that’s what you really are, Nashi-Kun!” he goaded.

“I’m not a boy and my name isn’t Nashi!” she shouted back, grip on his arm tightening slightly as angry tears started to pool in her eyes. “My name is Yaoyorozu Momo and I’m a girl!”

There was a beat of silence following her words, making her glance up as she realized that all conversation had died around them. Her stomach churned at the realization of the spectacle they’d become. She wasn’t supposed to behave like this! She was supposed to come and be the perfectly sociable young lady her parents had raised her to be. She wasn’t supposed to be getting dragged into situations like this.

“What is the meaning of all of this?” Mother’s curt tone cut in, snapping her from her thoughts. She had to steel herself to look up only to see that furious orange eyes were not fixated on Momo herself, rather, Manzo.

“Yes, son, explain,” another voice chimed in from behind Mother. The man she’d been chatting with when Momo first wandered away approached, looking directly at Manzo with a clearly forced smile on his face.

Manzo opened up his mouth to speak when Hiroki interrupted with “Manzo was being a dick to Momo! He wouldn’t respect her identity or name!”

“I was just stating the truth!” Manzo sneered angrily, finally wrenching his arm free from her grasp.

“Son, you-!”

“Momo, we are leaving. Now,” Mother said, tone clipped and flat.

Manzo’s father looked at her in panic. “Um, uh, Yaoyorozu-San, how about we select a time to discuss that case I mentioned in a more professional setting? One where the adults can talk without the children around?”

Mother glared at him, the look so harsh he shrunk back, before moving to wrap an arm over Momo’s shoulders to lead her out. She said nothing as she allowed Mother to lead her out and to the car, the air between them tense and awkward, barely catching Hiroki trying to call an apology after her and Manzo’s father berating him.

The silence in the back of the limo once they were settled inside was staggering, making Momo wish she could stick her head out the window to scream instead of keeping her gaze fixed on her toes. It was even worse than the air between them on the walk over with the added lack of escape route. She felt like such a failure as she struggled to take in breaths to keep herself composed. She was a top student in the top class at the top Pro Heroics school, for crying out loud! She should be able to handle herself against a bigoted moron! He shouldn't be more terrifying than the ruthless villains she'd faced!

“Momo,” Mother said, her tone so shockingly soft that her head jerked up. Her gaze was fixated on her, as unreadable as ever.

Momo swallowed thickly as she forced herself to square her shoulders. She should apologize for her behavior. She’d caused a scene and surely Mother had been embarrassed by that. “I’m sorry, Mother,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for,” she said, blinking in surprise at her words. There was another pregnant pause as Momo let her gaze wander away again, fixated on a small fuzz ball in the limo carpeting by the heel of her left shoe. “Is that normal? What that little brat was saying and doing. Is that what normally happens to you at these kinds of things?”

She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded timidly, wringing her hands in her lap. “I’m sorry, for blowing up like that. I can normally keep myself more composed than that during im-!”

“Do not apologize to me, Momo; you were not in the wrong,” she insisted, her voice catching in a mix of irritation and… concern? Mother opened her mouth three times before shutting it again and sighing, her shoulders slumping. “So this has happened and you never told us.”

Feeling a lump sprout and block her throat, Momo could only nod in response.

Mother lifted her head to meet Momo’s eye, her expression filled with sadness and regret. “You don’t feel comfortable coming to me with these concerns, do you?”

“It’s not just… I… So many more important things are going on right now. I don’t want to put more on your plate,” she said softly.

“Nothing is more important than you, Momo,” she argued with a shake of her head. She looked away for a moment before taking a breath and reaching out, setting one of her hands on top of Momo’s. “I haven’t always been the best with affection when it comes to you, or, well, really anyone aside from your Father. I suppose that I had always assumed that it was fine to leave those things to him, that one of us would focus on the emotional side of things and the other the more practical. Father was the fun parent you could play games and sing songs with, while I was the parent who made sure you kept your Quirk in check and your grades up. I thought… I thought that would be a good balance, that it would give you everything you needed. I’ve come to understand how wrong that belief was.”

“M-Mother?”

She placed her other hand above her heart, giving Momo’s a small squeeze as she held her gaze. “I’m going to work at being better for you, at giving you what you need from me. I need you to understand that my failings as a mother... None of that was ever your fault. I’m sorry that my actions made it seem like my love is something you have to work to earn. I love you, Momo, and I’m sorry I’ve presented that fact as being conditional and not eternal,”

She could feel more tears starting to pool in her eyes before she surged forward to embrace Mother. She was tense for a second before she embraced her back, one hand gently combing through her hair soothingly. The rest of the ride back to campus was spent like that, with her face burrowed into Mother’s arms as she cried and settled. It was strange, how nice it felt. It wasn’t like the bear hugs Father used to give her, where her small frame would be completely enveloped and held snug. No, this was something a bit more careful and delicate, something nostalgic and delicate but just as important.

Mother offered to walk her in, carefully dabbing the smeared mascara and smudged eyeshadow aside with a handkerchief, but Momo insisted she’d be fine alone. After stepping out of the vehicle and into the brisk evening air, she took a breath to help settle her nerves and maybe alleviate the twinge of a small headache she could feel brewing. It rattled inside her, still a little shaken up, but she squared her shoulders and made the trek inside. Mother didn’t leave until she was inside, she noted, and made a mental note to talk to her later more about everything that had happened that night. The incident with Manzo had been one thing, but there was the separate can of worms it had opened that she wanted to take care of, too.

She made sure to be quiet as she made her way to the elevator, the sounds of some of their peers milling about in the living room easy to hear. She was pretty sure they were gearing up for their Saturday evening game fest. Surely there’d be a barrage of broken controllers a la Bakugo if it was one of their Super Smash nights, she thought with a small huff, before turning to hit the elevator button. “Momo?” A familiar voice chimed beside her, causing her to jump.

She turned and blinked to be greeted by Todoroki Shoto, staring at her with his usual unreadable face, and let out a small squeak of shock. “Ah, Shoto,” she sighed as her shoulders sagged slightly. “Perhaps Ochako-Chan’s suggestion of putting a bell on you wouldn't be such a bad suggestion. You startled me.”

He hummed in acknowledgement, tilting his head as if sizing her up, and blinked slowly. “I got my Snooty and Cranky villagers earlier,” he said.

She gasped before pouting at him. “You said you’d wait for me to do any more island hopping, Shoto!” she huffed.

“I needed to load up so I could give Ojiro some oranges, and then I got kinda wrapped up doing stuff,” he admitted. He stole a glance at their classmates as Sato and Tooru made their way from the kitchen area with a few bowls and snacks. “Are you going to join everyone else for JackBox tonight?”

She shook her head. “No. Tonight has been a bit more… eventful than I would have liked,” she said, making sure to keep her composure. She didn’t want to worry him over it all. “I just want to go finish washing off the make up, put on some comfortable clothes and relax.”

“I’ll get snacks, then,”

“Huh? Snacks?”

“I still have two plots left for my island and a lot of Nook miles tickets. You get changed and I’ll meet you in your room in a few minutes so we can do them together,” And with that, he moved towards the kitchen.

She blinked and watched him before letting out a small laugh and shaking her head, hitting the elevator button. Shoto was an odd one to be sure, especially since he’d started working towards coming out of his shell more. A part of her was grateful but another part found his stubborn streak to be a bit exasperating. Then again, he only seemed to push when he knew something was wrong, so maybe it was more just trying to offer comfort? Despite his usual aloof demeanor, he was surprisingly astute at reading a room. As to whether or not he could understand how to react to what he was able to deduce was another matter entirely, though.

She set that aside while she got washed up and changed. Her mind shifted gears as she stared at her reflection, thinking about what Mother had said. She felt a tightness in her chest as her mind whirled again. There was some comfort in Mother acknowledging that there was room for growth, sure, but… The catalyst that remained unsaid left her sick. Even if Mother hadn’t said it, she knew this was a reaction to the looming shadow of Father’s death. She had to swallow a growing lump in her throat and shake her head, put those thoughts to bed until a more appropriate time.

She didn’t want to ruin the rest of she or Shoto’s evenings.

She opted for some old sweats and a tank top, taking a moment to comb her hair out from the complex updo it had been styled into, opting to leave it loose afterwards to help abate the small headache she had brewing. Though, if she was honest, sitting and playing games with her boyfriend seemed like a nice way to wind down. She had been having a blast watching Shoto become completely enamored with his little island and all the cute animal villagers with him.

She’d had her own file a good time longer than him and was mostly done with all the villager-hunting and replacing she’d wanted to do but found watching him work through his first experience with it endearing. He’d never even played an Animal Crossing game before so everything was completely new to him. Once she was settled, she took her unit off the dock and propped open the door. Not too long after she’d taken the time to give daily gifts to Phoebe, Ozzie, Chai and Shep, Shoto appeared in the doorway. He had four lychee ramunes, a bowl of popcorn, a bag of konpeito, a variety bag of hi-chews and a package of black licorice tucked away in his arms, his Switch case strap around his wrist. “Ah, here, let me help you,” she urged, setting her Switch down and getting up to help him. “Also, you can dock your Switch on mine. That way we can see your island visits on the big screen together.”

“Thanks. I grabbed a few different things but I can go downstairs and get more later,” he offered as she took the drinks and popcorn. He set the other snacks down on her dresser before heading over to her bed to rearrange the pillows to form the usual cocoon they made for play sessions together. She took his Switch and docked it for him, then grabbed his joycons and put them in the controller holder. Once that was all set up, Shoto settled into the large pillowy ring with his legs spread so that she could settle between them, resting her back against his chest, him using her pillows to prop him up and her relying on him.

She used her remote to flick on the television, then grabbed her console from the other end of the bed and reached for the bowl of popcorn, popping a few pieces into her mouth. “So you did some island hopping while I was gone? Find anyone you liked?” she asked as they watched his game load up.

“I encountered Diana on one of them. She talked to me like she didn’t know me, which was weird,” he said.

“Well, of course she did! That Diana is different from the Diana on my island,” she giggled. She then perked up and glanced up at him. “Oh, and I still need to come get some oranges from you. They’re the only fruit I’m missing on my island.”

“I still can’t believe that out of the fourteen people that have this game, I’m the only one who ended up with oranges as their island fruit. Or that one of you didn’t at least get it as your exotic option,” he commented as his character stepped out of his house. “Oh, and how soon before I can move my villagers' houses?”

“You’ve already gotten your first three furnished homes, so I think you should have access to it. It’s just a matter of having the bells to spend on moving someone,” she explained as she glanced down at her own screen. Shep came rushing from the left to talk to her excitedly. “Who were you thinking about moving?”

“Roald. I want to move him to the other side of the island from me,”

“Aw, why? He’s so cute!”

“I think he’s plotting to kill me,” he said, completely serious as he stopped in front of the penguin in question's house. When he’d first made his file, Shari and Roald were his beginning villagers and he’d decided to place their tents close to his own for the sake of ease.

She snorted and looked up at him. “He’s just a penguin, Shoto,”

“Just look at his eyes, Momo… He’s a villainous mastermind,” To illustrate his point, he ran his character in a circle around the little avatar, before turning and darting to the left. “That’s why I need more villagers like Ruby and Kyle, who have my back no matter what. I need a whole squad for the day he finally snaps.”

“You don’t think Gayle and Punchy would have your back?”

“Gayle would probably be on my side. She and Roald had a fight the other day so there’s bad blood there. But I don’t want Punchy putting his life on the line. He is a precious boy who must be protected,” he said, glancing down at her with a stern gaze.

She couldn’t help but snort at the expression. Specifically in that it was being enacted regarding pixelated animals on a Nintendo game. “And did you find anyone worthy of enlisting for this most noble of causes?” she teased.

He hummed, reaching with one hand to grab a bit of popcorn himself as he came to a stop between a labelled plot at the edge of the beach. He clicked on the sign, pulling up a card that read “This spot reserved for Static’s new home.”

“Oh, you got Static? He’s a great choice for your Cranky!”

“I like that he is a very tiny squirrel with a very deep voice,” he said.

“Much like how you like that Punchy is a cat and is Lazy?”

“You get me,” he said before running upwards. He crossed a bridge to another area to show another plot with a sign that read “This spot reserved for Willow’s new home.”

Momo giggled. “Willow’s a good choice, too. I almost expected that you’d try to get another cat villager for your Snooty villager, but sheep villagers are always a good one, too,” she said excitedly. She plopped a few more pieces of popcorn into her mouth as she walked into Bruce’s house on her own game. “So you officially have every personality type on your island! Do you have any idea as to what kind of personality types you’d like to have duplicates of?”

“Hmm… Not too sure. You have two Jocks and two Normals, right?” As he asked that, he ran back to his Resources Center to get the first of his last two house kits.

“Yeah. I have Bam and Tybalt, and Bertha and Savannah,” she hummed. She watched as he placed the new house right behind his own, as if it would be watching the back of his own. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at the sheer ridiculousness of him.

He hummed thoughtfully before he made his way into the airport. “I guess I’ll just go for characters I like. Personality doesn’t really matter to me since I already have one of every type.”

“That’s a good approach, I think,” she hummed, tossing a bit more popcorn into her mouth. “How many Nook Tickets do you have?”

“13,” he said while speeding through the dialogue to board the plane. “I farmed Nook miles after I found Static and Willow so I could go get more villagers once you got back.”

She tilted her head up and pressed a small kiss to his chin. “So sweet,” she hummed before looking down at her own game as she started looking for her daily fossils. She’d already completed the fossil exhibits in her game, but like the extra scratch she got from selling the duplicates.

For a moment things were quiet as Shoto used his ladder to climb up the three tiers of the small island to the top, where his potential new villager was waiting. To then immediately start climbing back down at the sheep sitting in front of the campfire. “Nope. Nope. N. O. P. E,” he mumbled as he did.

“Aw, you don’t want Pietro? He’s considered rare!”

“And he can stay rare and away from my island,”

The next three islands were deemed ones Shoto wasn’t interested in - Eugene, Jeremiah and Limberg - not that she could blame him with Limberg. “He’s not particularly good,” she mumbled.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve seen a single mouse villager that I like the design of,” he commented as he wandered off the desk and onto his fifth island.

“Bree and Dora are pretty cute but most of them are really lackluster,” she agreed, saving her own file and setting her Switch in her lap as he approached the campfire.

Shoto blinked in slight surprise. “A snow leopard?”

“Actually, Bianca’s classified as a tiger, despite her markings,” she said. She watched as he immediately invited her to his island. “Just so you know, she’s a Peppy type, I think.”

“She looks like Fuyumi-Nee,” he said. Ah, of course that would be enough to get him on board with adding Bianca to his roster.

She set her Switch aside and carefully maneuvered off of her bed. “I’m going to open one of the ramune. Do you want me to open one for you, too?”

She made quick work of opening the drinks and offering him his once he finished placing his last plot back on his own island. She took a quick sip from hers before opening the package of black licorice and eating a piece as she watched him. “Mind if I ask you something unrelated, Shoto?”

He glanced up at her, mismatched eyes sparking with something she couldn’t quite place, before he set his drink on the bedside table and patted the space she’d left. “Sure,” he said, his avatar boarding the plane to do his next round of island hops.

She was quick to settle back in with him, turning her body this time to snuggle into his chest. She felt him shift to wrap his arms around her, controller lax in his hand. “We’ve discussed it before but… What do you think it takes to forgive someone?”

He let out a thoughtful noise. “Well, I think forgiveness is different from person to person. Everyone has a threshold for what they feel is forgivable, so I think that needs to be considered,” He set the controller off to the side to card one hand through her hair while the other stroked up along her spine, the movements slow and soothing. “Speaking from my own situation… I chose forgiveness because I could see a genuine change and a refusal to shy away from the wrongs that had been done. I’m still keeping a distance, and I’m ready to burn that bridge in a heartbeat if I see a relapse, but… I can see authentic change. And that’s enough for me to offer my tentative, conditional forgiveness.”

She nodded at his words, closing her eyes and burrowing into him further. She had always wanted to have a better relationship with Mother, if she was honest. So… This could be a good chance for that, right? They could work on mending things between them and find some common ground. The thought of having a better relationship with her left a warmth in her chest, one that made her smile. Could they have proper Mother-Daughter days? Maybe she could learn more about the older woman’s hobbies and interests outside of Pro Heroics work? That could be nice. “Thank you, Shoto,” she mumbled.

“Any time, Momo,” he said, tipping his head to press a peck to the top of her head. He perked up again and glanced at the screen. “Not to derail but… I think it’s another cat?”

“Oh yeah? What color?” she mumbled.

He shifted his hands to pick his controller back up, keeping his arms looped around her though. “Grey. Oh, their eyes are different colors,”

“Oh, that’s-!” Momo’s eyes snapped open and she sat up, looking wildly over her shoulder at the screen. “Shoto, that’s Raymond! You got Raymond!”

#crumbles grumbles #TodoMomo #TW: Transphobia #TW: Body Dysphoria #my fics #So I got this request like four months ago #So that shows how long I've had my reading of Momo's Parents waiting in the wings lmao!#Hori has given us v small nuggets to work with for Momo #So I'm gonna give her the Ojiro treatment and give her family ties to explore #Also I'm a sucker for parallels with ships so *yeets some of those in here too*

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witchsickness · 3 years

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different anon but i just wanna say i’ve been missing you’re writing so much!!! and not to discredit your feeling at all bc it must be disappointing to not get as much interaction as you were hoping for/used to get but i think maybe it’s also kinda a self-fulfilling prophecy or vicious circle where it feels like people aren’t interested so you post less which equals less interaction which just confirms what you already thought? Idk and I don’t just mean you I mean writers/artists in general! tldr i just wanted to pop by and i will read anything and everything you choose to share with us 💕

babe hi first of all thank you? so much for taking the time to send such a thoughtful message. i can’t even begin to explain how much i appreciate it. it feels really really really good to hear people have been missing my stuff and would be into more, like. can’t even tell you. it’s so freakin encouraging. makes me wanna maybe try putting my stories out there again <3

tbh i do think lack of interaction and validation is a problem lots of writers come across? like, not even just in this fandom. fanfiction, out of all forms of fan-made content, is the most time-consuming and not always easy to get into. which is totally understandable! nobody has enough free time to dive into 12-chapter saga-length stories every night after they’re done with real life stuff, like. i totally get that. it’s way easier to interact with fanart, and edits, and bite-length headcannons on a day-to-day basis and save long fics for when you have lots of time to spare. unfortunately, that automatically narrows the field for writers, whose reach is very limited to begin with

now, i’ve never tried writing for another fandom regularly, so i’m not familiar with how things work elsewhere, but harringrove is a small fandom, which means that most people active either on tumblr and/or twitter know one another, and promote each other’s work. which isn’t a bad thing by itself! the problem begins when the only works getting any attention are the products of The Fandom Famous and their mutuals. again, i can only speak for the writing section of this fandom, but i’ve been here long enough to see how things work, and it’s. not good. writers who consciously choose or don’t have the energy to be active on platforms like tumblr on a daily basis and only post their stories on ao3 will mostly never get any fandom recognition, even though their stuff might be pure gold. the reality is that, unless you’re willing to be here and constantly remind people you exist, writers tend to get ignored and forgotten

which is! super discouraging, given the time poured into composing a story, no matter the length. writers shouldn’t feel obligated to produce something on a daily or weekly basis to prove their worth, and they definitely shouldn’t have to beg for scraps of validation and encouragement. after a while, watching the same people get all the attention and praise over and over gets disheartening, and i’ve heard people deciding to give up before. which is awful, especially in a fandom this size, already running out of canon content for their characters

i’ve never been an active member of this fandom, and i’m pretty sure a lot of people will disagree with the way i view things, bc their fandom experience is totally different, and they personally feel safe to share their stuff, and, like, i hope so? i hope only a small portion of creators can relate, and most people have never felt this way. it’s been more than two years since we got any new st content, so it’s not a reach to presume that people have generally lost interest in the show, and the ships born from it, too. that’s definitely a major reason for this decrease in interest and interaction lately. but also, like, i genuinely believe that, fundamentally, the fandom’s algorithm for promoting content is skewed, and ends up being harmful for lesser known creators who are so enthusiastically willing to share their stuff, but ultimately feel it might be pointless

anyway i could probably go on but i already wrote a whole-ass essay you absolutely did Not sign up for alksnflasalsfj;sa i just? can’t thank you enough? hearing you say you’d be willing to read more of my stories means more than i could ever explain, and i’m super super grateful you shared your thoughts with me and gave me the space to talk about stuff i’ve had on my mind for A While. ‘i will read anything and everything you choose to share with us’ this made me cry, so now i, like, have to kill you, you understand. it is how it is

#kinda wanna put this in the tag in case someone might be interested but im also not looking for a fight so. eh #anon youre a literal sweetheart and so considerate and kind and im? so grateful for this ask 🖤#hope i did it justice and. jsyk you gave me like the biggest motivation to keep posting ty ty ❤️#fandom stuff #ask #anon

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monomonomagines · 4 years

Note

Could I get the v2 boys reaction to their s/o having an over protective little brother who is like eight who does not like having to share their cool older sibling and is just a little demon to the boys?

Hi there, Anon! I was really excited to write this request so I hope that it’s to your liking. I had a lot of fun with Teruteru and Kazuichi’s bits especially but if anything isn’t to your liking feel free to tell me. I’ll gladly fix this up however you want if you wanted anything else! Thanks so much for your support, Mod Kokichi and I really appreciate it.

Teruteru

When Teruteru heard he was going to meet your brother he was excited.

He wasn't the most kid-friendly all the time but he was capable of holding his tongue around children. He did own a restaurant and all.

However, even with his expertise in the kitchen and the front of the house he was still taken aback when your brother immediately dubbed him as the perv that always hangs around you.

He wouldn't get mad or annoyed, at first just dropping his jaw wide open.

However, as your brother would go on to mention that he'd gone through your texts and wants Teruteru to stay away from you he'd definitely be annoyed.

How could this kid be saying all this to someone he just met? No matter though, he'd just take a deep breath and calmly try to rationalize with you brother.

He wanted your brother's approval and he was going to get it, maybe he'd just have to bribe him with food.

He'd also probably have to urge you to change your passcode as well. He really doesn't want your brother to ever see one of his more suggestive pictures for you.

Ultimate Imposter/BBB

For the Ultimate Imposter, no challenge is too difficult for him to accomplish.

Achieving your brother's approval was to be an easy thing he'd assume but when your brother immediately was trying to convince him to stay away from you he was confused.

Why would he stay away from his own S/o? The notion was just silly.

He'd be the type to gently admonish your brother for being so overprotective and distrusting of him of all people.

He'd be so persuasive that he'd probably end the day befriending your brother surprisingly.

Nagito

Nagito was used to being unlucky but for your brother to just immediately hate him was a bit disheartening.

Your brother wouldn't trust him one bit with how shady of a guy Nagito can come off as but Nagito wouldn't be more than slightly disappointed.

He didn't even get to do anything and is already being hated? This is just his luck.

He'd be very nonchalant and accommodating for your brother to the point that your brother might be more weirded out by him than anything.

Things might not improve but Nagito would make your brother so uncomfortable that he probably wouldn't want to interact with Nagito even to tell him to stay away from you.

Fuyuhiko

Fuyuhiko would be the most hesitant about meeting any of your family, especially your little brother.

He was the heir to yakuza and he certainly wasn't the kid-friendly type.

He'd only meet your brother after lots of insisting and as soon as he would he would not be happy.

It wouldn't take long for him to lose his cool and as soon as he does he wouldn't hold back.

Brother of yours or not, no one disrespects him.

By the end of the day your brother definitely wouldn't mess with him but Fuyuhiko would definitely need to apologize to him.

Kazuichi

Kazuichi like Teruteru would at first be ecstatic to meet your brother but like Fuyuhiko would struggle to keep his cool.

Kazuichi isn't the angry sort but he definitely is an emotional and sensitive guy so he'd immediately be visibly upset.

Why did your brother hate him so much? What did he do?

Why does he keep dissing his outfit so much!? It's not that bad!

He definitely is going to cry if your brother continues to diss him all day.

After all the abuse he'd definitely be snappy and grumpy towards your brother until you'd step in to calm things down.

Hajime

Hajime is used to being around eccentric people thanks to his friends but for someone to just be so rude to him immediately was new to him.

He's dealt with the occasional episode from Nagito acting all superior but your brother was on another level.

He just wanted to jab at Hajime's weak points and to keep you all to himself.

Thankfully Hajime wasn't sensitive enough or hotheaded enough to overreact like Kazuichi or Fuyuhiko.

Instead, he'll try to rationalize with the kid and even if he wasn't as successful as the Ultimate Imposter, he'd still manage to somehow convince your brother to stop with his antics.

Of course, it's still not as effective as with the Ultimate Imposter so before the two can reach that point it's just a whole lot of sighing and annoyed looks from Hajime.

Nekomaru

Nekomaru doesn't even bat an eye when your brother's being mean to him.

If anything he'd just continue to shower you with affection not paying your brother's actions any mind at all.

He'd still be very kind to your brother and by the end of the day it would be very hard for any animosity to remain between the two at all.

Nekomaru would even carry that kid if he wanted as long as it'd make him happy enough to get his approval of you two being together.

Just again, none of the negative interactions would faze him.

Nekomaru is used to dealing with uncooperative people at times and knows how to deal with them. Your brother is no exception.

Gundham

Oh boy! This is immediately going to spark more and more monologues to spill from Gundham's mouth.

Gundham is used to being judged, he typically anticipates others doing so even which is why he isn't surprised in the slightest.

He might make things worse between your brother and him as now your brother can poke fun at his odd way of speaking as well but that will only fuel the flame of Gundham's passion.

The two will go back and forth for a while until you’d break it up and even then things wouldn’t be very, pleasant between the two.

You might have to stop him from trying to place a so-called "hex" on your brother though since like Kazuichi he's extremely sensitive to teasing.

#danganronpa #danganronpa imagines #dr2 #danganronpa goodbye despair #danganronpa x reader #x reader #teruteru hanamura #danganronpa teruteru #ultimate imposter #byakuya twogami #nagito komeada #fuyuhiko kuzuryuu #kazuichi soda #kazuichi souda #hajime hinata #nekomaru nidai #gundham tanaka #ask #mod toko

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ramblingguy54 · 3 years

Note

As much as I enjoyed the Ducktales series finale, you feel a bit sad we didn't get much of Donald and Della interacting with the boys? I mean aside from that scene where they were telling the two about Huey being kidnapped, it's a bit lacking. Sure we got great twin moments with them and they even got powerful moments with Scrooge but not really much on the boys especially on how they reacted to Donald leaving with Daisy?

Yes, it did bug me, anon. Like, quite a fair amount.

It’s something I wanted Season 3 to explore oh so badly. I was fine, albeit disappointed, Donald didn’t have a much bigger role in Season 2′s finale compared to how much agency he had in The Shadow War. However, at the very least, I was cautiously optimistic they’d explore their co-parenting struggles or maybe even discuss how much the Spear affected them both. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, due to all of the other stuff they threw out onto the table such as closing up character arcs, Disney Afternooniverse, and those two holiday specials certainly didn’t help, either. I mean, they could’ve at least kept the Christmas episode because I did enjoy this other one very much. Regardless, they put too many eggs into their basket for a big finale and it shows.

The finale is good, but lacking, which keeps it from reaching the greatness of The Shadow War, so it looks like it’ll always stay in my book as the show’s best finale to a season. Getting back to Donald & Della in this finale, I adored their emotional moment together when he says everything is gonna be okay. Della’s heartbroken delivery, “Yeah, but you’re my brother...”, it hit me something pretty fierce. Not much time has clearly passed after Season 2 and this revelation hurts Della to her core Donald is going away with Daisy. It’s clear she’s thinking of the Spear situation when she spoke this way about it all. Donald means so much to her, as Last Christmas showed in spades of their sibling bond. Their both each other’s entire world. Too bad they’re relegated to fighting FOWL agents afterwards, save for another powerful moment of Donald almost being slaughtered mercilessly by Bradford. Della was way past terrified in that moment because, in a way, it was its own little Timephoon moment, showing once more Della didn’t want to lose someone she cherishes deeply. So, props there to those two moments at least. I’ll take what I can get at this point.

Season 3, once again, make it’s issue of consistency known of delving more into the found family trope. I’ve stated before about my feelings of Webby being related to Scrooge, so I’m not gonna sound like a broken record about it. In a nutshell, I was fine with it happening, though I’m not against the other idea of her being a Beakly clone because that could’ve worked just as well, if not better really. Anyways, to wrap up this answer, I’m somewhat disappointed in the finale. I don’t hate it and will defend certain parts of what pay off it did, but still I won’t lie about being disheartened on some level. For something Frank said was gonna be a character study certainly didn’t feel that way necessarily. It needed a Part 4 for breathing room to let this revelation of being clone to Webby sink in more. Not to mention, you know, talking more about the Spear of Selene for a callback between the entire family at what is supposed to be their lowest point.

This finale, much like all of Season 3, is rough around the edges but has its shining moments, overall. I’ll never stop loving what this reboot accomplished in Season’s 1 & 2 and certain parts of the third one, too. My attachment to this series is far too strong to allow a handful or so of narrative hiccups deter me.

#ducktales spoilers #ducktales season 3 #ducktales 2017 #the last adventure #anon asks #anon answers #ducktales series finale

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originofjaehyun · 4 years

Text

Interlude: No More Drama | Part 7 | Sit Down!

Interlude: No More Drama Masterlist

Word count: 3,929

Warnings: Angst

Part 7 | Sit Down!

“I stand on top above control, every thing is not the regular renegade.”

Prev • Next

“What are you doing here?” Jaehyun said to the younger boy, who is visibly nervous.

“Father asked me to accompany him, hyu…”

“Elder brother,” Mark corrected himself, anxiously peeking at his father.

“Father told me I should start coming to these events.”

He then saw you, who’s still linking your arm with Jaehyun, “Taeyong told me he met you last week. He also told me about,” Mark took a glance at you, trying his best to find a word he deemed polite. “Her.”

“Ah yes,” Their father joined in the conversation. “Fancy to see you bringing someone, Jaehyun. I was wondering who this young lady might be.”

You were taken aback by the sudden attention, especially by the people who shared the same blood with Jaehyun. You were about to introduce yourself, thinking it’s probably rude to just stay quiet before Jaehyun cuts you.

“She’s one of our vendors. I assume you’d know since you still overlook our projects, Father. She’s from The Paper Plane.”

Almost instantly, you turned your head to Jaehyun. Sure, there are no lies in his words but you know for sure he is the one who asked you to be his girlfriend and not the other way around. So for him to hide your relationship status is obviously disheartening.

“Oh?” His father is now looking at you, scanning you from top to bottom with his cold eyes. “I thought the person in charge of the project was Seo?” He then took a glance at Johnny’s direction. “Why is she coming with you?”

How you wish you could jump into the conversation. Staying quiet is definitely not your cup of tea. However, the fact that Jaehyun is hiding his relationship and how intimidating Jaehyun’s father tone is, you couldn’t help but to back off and let Jaehyun take the steering wheel.

“Johnny introduced us over one dinner.” Jaehyun answers, trying to keep his calm. “The project has been running for six months and sometimes I joined them on their after-meeting dinners. That is when I found out she lived in the same direction as I am, and both me and Johnny agreed we should invite her to our annual dinner party. After all, she plays an important role for this project.”

The head of The Jeong sneaks a look at Johnny, in which he hurriedly answers with a polite nod.

“I suppose,” He seemed satisfied with their answer. “It is remarkable for you to maintain your relationship like this. Keep it up, I expect nothing less, Jaehyun.”

“Now, we don’t want to take more of their time, do we Mark?” He pulls down his suit, fixing it. “I was hoping you could come with us, Jaehyun. After all, this is Mark’s social debut, but I suppose you’d prefer to stay with your group.”

“I’ll come, Father.” Jaehyun replied instantly, removing your grip. “Johnny, can you keep [Y/N] a company?”

After making sure you’re all good with Johnny, Jaehyun follows behind his father and his brother, quickly gathers people around them. Everything is too much, and too fast for you to process.

Johnny noticed the confusion on your face, “Hey, [Y/N]?”

He snaps you back to reality, and you finally look in his direction after slowly watching Jaehyun disappear in the distance. “How much did Jaehyun tell you?”

You’re still zoned out, and you replied with small shakes of your head, in which Johnny returned with a long sigh.

“I’m sorry,” Johnny used his hand to brush back his bangs. “I really, really hope Jaehyun could tell you sooner. I’m sure you’re confused, but it really isn’t my place to tell you about it. It’s… complicated.”

No shit, sherlock.

You have tons of questions left unsolved, just within a few minutes of their interactions. Why did Jaehyun never tell you anything about the family? Why did he seem very uncomfortable with his father? Why did he have to lie about your relationship? Why did he brush his younger brother off when he tried to talk to Jaehyun after he followed them?

But most importantly, you noticed the way his eyes darken after he saw them. The same shade he had when he saw Taeyong.

The puzzle is there, it's just that you don’t know how to connect them into one piece.

“Sit down first, [Y/N],” Johnny guides you to your seat, which you followed without replying a single word to him.

He then holds your hand, not in a romantic way but to assure you that he’s here to help you with your anxiety. You’ve been continuously biting your lips and tapping your fingers to the table unconsciously.

Realized you’re probably rude for not saying anything, you finally speak up, “How complicated, Johnny? He just lied to his freaking father about our relationship.”

“I’m not forcing him to tell me anything, believe me I don’t. But he’s the one who asked me to be his girlfriend, heck, he asked me to move in with him. Don’t you think I deserve some kind of explanation?”

No longer can hide your disappointment and anger, you lashed out to Johnny. The person you’re ranting to, though, doesn’t seem to mind. He knows that you have all the rights to feel the way you are right now.

“What I can tell you about this, that it’s been a long, long time since Jaehyun lived alone. His relationship with his father is complicated,”

You rested your face to your hand, sighing, not satisfied with his answer.

He gulped, being extra careful with his words and making sure there are no extra pairs of ears that could hear you guys. “And… Mark is his half-brother.”

The sudden bomb of information is enough to alert you, making you sit up straight.

“And that’s how far I can tell you, [Y/N]. I know it’s not enough to answer the questions that you have, I’m sorry.”

Seeing how regretful Johnny is by the look on his face, and you couldn’t help but to feel the guilt that starts creeping into you. You finally forced yourself to smile.

“Please, don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault and it’s not your responsibility to tell me anything. Though, I’m grateful that you did. Thank you, Johnny.”

He scratched his head, tightening his lips to form a timid smile.

“Anyway,” You relaxed your shoulder, “It would be wasteful to spend the party feeling all gloomy like this, don’t you think? Do I have to be unladylike and call the waiter to bring us the champagne? Jae told me you guys are providing drinks.”

Johnny snorted adorably, loosening up eventually, “Ah yes, let me call the waiter.” He said while moderately raising his hand.

“You know, I kinda started to feel like you’re wasted on Jaehyun.” He was impressed by the way you handled this, still trying to not make the situation worse by exhausting him with sulking.

You rolled your eyes, “For the love of God, tell him that. I’d probably have to cancel my moving plan.”

Both of you laugh till your ribs hurt, just in time for the waiter to start pouring your share of champagnes.

–

The silence suffocates you.

Jaehyun doesn’t feel like putting his playlist on, and neither did you. He turned on the radio, only to be annoyed with the song selections. In the end he got frustrated and decided to turn off the stereo completely. You spent the whole journey back home only with the sound of the car’s engine.

He lets you enter first, so you could proceed to remove your heels. He came inside, removing his suit and stubbornly keeping his silence.

“You don’t expect me not to ask anything again, do you?” You finally broke the quietness.

You thought this party was supposed to be another leap in your relationship with Jaehyun. You thought this could strengthen the bond you shared with him, with him introducing you as his, knowing how territorial he is. Sure, it was always pleasurable to spend the night with Johnny, but you couldn’t lie that you were expecting to be introduced not just as a vendor for their company.

He opens up the button on his sleeve, still refusing to see you, “[Y/N], please, can we talk tomorrow? We had a long night and I think like we should rest first.”

“And what, for you to postpone this even more?”

“Jaehyun, I don’t know anything about your family, and I never want to touch on the subject if it crosses the line.

“But you have to start putting your trust in me, Jae. It’s not like I’m going to tell the town about you. Why would I?”

“Babe, please, another time.”

“Of course, you were not lying when you told your father about you being my client. I think I deserve to know something. It’s weird that I have to know it through Johnny.”

He paused.

“How much did you hear?”

The tone he used was cold, piercing through the air.

“Well…” You halted, not sure if you want to tattle on Johnny. “He told me that your situation is complicated, and that young boy… Mark, was it? Is your half-brother.”

The last sentence flinched him for a bit, before he let out a quick sigh. He didn’t bother to look at you and continue to march inside, ticking you off.

“Jeong Jaehyun,” You finally try to catch up on him. “It’s going to be very difficult if you just shut me down like that. We’re about to live together, for God’s sake, but you don’t want to tell me why you hide our relationship to your own father?”

“[Y/N]! I have my reasons, OK?!”

He accidentally raised his voice on you. It was the first time he ever shouted on you, so you were equally as shocked as him. Your vision starts to blur as tears gather in the corners of your eyes, gathered at a constant speed that it almost spills in no time.

“Fine,” You took a breath in, trying your best not to shed a tear in front of your boyfriend.

“If you don’t want to tell me so be it. But don’t expect me to share the bed with you tonight, or until you finally decide to say something to me about it, in fact.”

You rushed yourself to the bathroom, locking it before Jaehyun could chase you. He didn’t, and the walls you’ve made finally crumbles. You made an effort to subdue the sobbing noises, but you really didn’t care.

All you want right now is to at least cry in peace.

–

The familiar touch on your forehead woke you up. Although it was a pleasant touch, being woken up abruptly causes you to be on full defense.

“What the fuck Jaehyun?”

You sit straight up, looking at him who’s currently sitting down on the floor, fixing his position. You need to have some space between you and Jaehyun after what happened, therefore you decided to sleep in the guest bedroom instead. Though your vision is blurry, you noticed that he is still using the same shirt and the same trousers, and he smells like nicotine.

“You haven’t showered?”

“No, I couldn’t sleep,” He reached for your hand, and when he almost touched you, you unconsciously flinched.

He looks at you, eyes are misty as guilt starts to crawl.

“I’m sorry.” Jaehyun chokes back as he tries to spill out his words. “I didn’t mean to yell at you. If I could give you any excuse, I’m just not in the right state of mind but that doesn’t mean I could, or should shout at you.”

“That doesn’t answer anything, Jae.”

He nods while biting his upper lips, visibly thinking on what he should do next.

“I know, eventually I have to tell you and believe me I’ve been meaning to. I just haven’t found the right time.”

Looking up, Jaehyun gave you that puppy stare and managed to melt you. He reached your arm again, and this time you held his hand back, letting him play with your fingers.

“Mark and I,” Jaehyun finally ready to start his story. His eyes traveled inside his memories. “As Johnny mentioned, we’re half-brother. As you might… realize, my father, he came from a wealthy family.”

“So it’s only natural for him –back then to be wed with someone who my grandfather carefully selected. It was my mom.”

You gulped as you listened. You weren’t sure how this story goes, so you held his hand tightly, making sure Jaehyun knew that you’re here as his mental support.

“Father, he…” You can see the glints in Jaehyun eyes, and this is another side of Jaehyun that you don’t know. You never saw him this vulnerable.

“Jaehyun,” You move your hand to his cheek, gently caressing at where his dimples would pop when he smiles. “I’ll always have your back, OK? But if I’m opening an old wound that I’m not supposed to, then please I don’t want you to force yourself. It might be contradicting to what I said before, about you not telling me anything. But at least you did try to tell me something now, and that’s enough, love.”

His eyes widens, before it softens after feeling your touch. He rubs himself to your hand like a cat, missing the comfort you gave to him.

“No, it’s OK. I think it’s just fair for you to know. The cat’s out of the bag anyway, what’s the point of me trying to hide it anymore?”

“My father, he was a busy man. He was rarely at home, and whenever he was, he would just go straight to sleep for –top, 4 hours before leaving for work. But Mom, she did try her best to be the ideal wife. She made sure whenever Father came home, food was always ready and she never bugged him, or asked for more money than what Father already gave to her.”

“In the end, Father fell for her, for real. He was so attracted to Mom’s gentle personality.”

“However…”

A small sigh of anxiety leaps out of his mouth, and you try to dampen the situation by crossing your fingers to his, in an attempt to calm him down.

“Father… wasn’t the most gentle person. He was violent to Mom. It starts whenever Father was not well rested, but ultimately it builds up and sometimes he would just shout at her for no reason.”

You can feel your pulse start to pound, eyes involuntarily flickering as Jaehyun continues his story.

“I guess everybody has their limit? Mom would ask me to go to my room whenever Father came back, because she didn’t want me to be affected. I was used to being alone at home.”

“Until one day, Father went rampage. It was usually just shouting, so as a little boy I would hide my face under the pillow, trying my best to cancel out the noise. But on that day I heard multiple shattering sounds. Mom usually never fought Father back, but she was screaming that day.”

There was a momentarily silent, “Mom, she… had an affair. She never loves Father to begin with, she thought she would be OK without the affection, but I guess eventually she longed for it. She’s only human, after all. Father failed to give it to her, with the addition of his violent act.”

Your body reacts like there’s a warzone inside, feeling uneasy about how could the man you love so much experienced such a painful past. Every chapter that he unfolds is like a blade slashing your heart. Each word that left his mouth was too much for you to bear, your eyes starting to well up.

“Long story short, Mom was pregnant, and if you could guess it, she was having Mark.”

“Father was a prideful man, apparently he found out about her pregnancy when it was almost impossible for mom to go for an abortion. So instead, he never told anyone that Mark wasn’t his, and pretends that Mark is his own… in public.”

“In public? What do you mean?” You finally speak up, knitting your brows together.

“Father felt betrayed, so he never treats Mark… very well.” He tried to find less-offensive words, making it PG for you to digest. “It was getting worse, Father became overly protective of Mom, making sure she won’t have another affair.”

“She told me once that she could take it, though she wouldn't be able to do so if it was her kids – me and Mark.”

“You?”

“Yeah. Father hated Mark. He never physically hurt him when he was younger, but he would often belittle him. Since he refuses to accept Mark as his son, more often than not he would tell Mark that his blood is filthy.”

You were shocked with the last sentence, finally your tears rolled down your face “Jaehyun, I…”

“Yeah, in a sense I naturally felt bad for Mark and tried to protect him. Father might hate him, but I don’t. I don’t have any reason to. I was a child, but I guess my sense of justice was there? So I’m always there for Mark, we fairly shared a good relationship back then.”

“Then one day, Father came home, completely drunk. He yelled, asking for Mom’s presence. As usual, she asked us to stay in our room, but curiosity got the best of us, so we took a peek and saw Father physically abused her.”

“Mark was braver than me, probably because he also had enough scolding so he ran to Mom, trying to shield her. Father ended up rampaging at Mark too, like all the hatred that he’s been bottling exploded.”

“I had to jump in, and my father didn’t hurt me –physically, but for the first time he shouted at me, asking me why did I protect them, the sinners, and even asked whether I’m his own son.”

Before you’re able to find the proper word, Jaehyun continues as he felt he wanted to finish this, “Each day I spent at home, I grew to hate my father even more. How could a person have such a cold heart? Hate is such a strong word, but I can’t find any other that could describe my feelings toward him that perfectly. It leads me to leave that house after I enter college.”

“But… you’re still working with him?” You choked up, trying to fight the tears that kept coming out.

Worry is painted on his face at the sight of your crying face. “I return because of Mark. Someone has to take the family business and I realized that after leaving home. I don’t want Mark to have such burden in his life, not after how Father treats him.”

He hesitated, “Uhm, I still have a bit more, but do you want me to continue? Please don’t cry.”

Jaehyun uses his thumb to rub away the trail your tears left on your cheeks, eyes blood-shot red. And you couldn’t fight it anymore, you rushed to hug Jaehyun.

“Jaehyun I’m sorry… I…”

You couldn’t find the proper word. It’s only natural to feel dejected when your loved one tells you his dark, sorrowful past. You couldn’t imagine the sweet, caring man you are fond of has such deep scars.

“Ssh, please don’t cry,” He tries to calm you down, brushing your hair. The role is reversed when you’re supposed to be the one who calms him down. “It was all in the past. It will always be a part of me. But I’m trying to overcome it. This battle with my past, and my relationship with my family is like a cruel game, and I cannot lose. I’m on my pace to start anew, and I’m on the right direction. Like, meeting you has been one of the steps that I take to move forward.”

He cupped his hands on both of your cheeks while you’re still sobbing, eventually trying to suppress your sadness because you don’t want Jaehyun to see you in such ugly state.

You made an effort to shake your head while still on Jaehyun’s hold, “If you want to continue, then it’s fine. But I know enough now and I don’t want to open your wound any bigger.”

Curls appear at both ends of Jaehyun’s lips, dimples finally make their appearance. He wipes up the remaining tears that you have, removing the droplets from your lashes.

“You eyes are swollen,” He said, feeling guilty because he just made you cry again, even after you cried yourself to sleep. “I should be the one who’s sorry.”

Jaehyun planted a soft, warm kiss to your lips. There was no lust, just pure affection from him.

“It’s salty,” He chuckled softly, covering his lips with his hand.

“Well sorry for that.” You crossed your hands in front of your chest, sulking.

He stands up, as he tries to unknot your hand. “Don’t be mad, love, we just made up.”

The way Jaehyun pleaded instantly moved you, and you grinned at him. “Did we just have our first fight?”

He laughed, that you could describe as a warm and hearty one, “It’s your fault for pushing my button.”

“My fault? It’s your fault for hiding shits from me, jerk. And for leaving me alone at the party. You didn’t move your attention away from Mark, you know.”

“Oh? I smell some jealousy?”

“That’s it, I’m not sleeping with you, I’m staying here. Go sleep on your own”

“Oh come on, love. I thought we would have make up sex?”

“I didn’t know I dated a satyriasis.”

“Again, your fault for pushing my buttons. You know I can’t have enough of you.”

You rolled your eyes, “Fine, I’ll move back to our room. No love making tho, my eyes are all sore, today is cuddling only.”

Jaehyun pumped his fist, feeling victorious.

“Also,” You turned back to him, after getting out of bed. “You better shower, mister. Tobacco scent suits you well but I would like to keep my bed sheets smelling like fresh laundry, thank you.”

He chortled with delight, “Sure, I’ve been meaning to use your brand new body gel. The only time I can share the same scent with you is during weekends anyway.”

“Why? Scared of smelling like a female?”

“No, I don’t want others to know what you smell like. It’s exclusively mine.”

You pushed Jaehyun away, embarrassed with his sudden sweet-borderline-possessive remark. You guys walk to your bedroom, and while you plop your body to the bed, Jaehyun proceeds to the master bathroom.

You were staring blankly at the ceiling, as the sound of the shower trickled down. Suddenly your ringtone rang, surprising you. It was already quite late, who would call you at this ungodly hour?

It was an unknown number. Additionally, it was a private number too. Since you don’t feel like answering a phone call whilst having a croaky voice, you ignored it. However, the second call came immediately after the first one ended.

You don’t want to worry Jaehyun, as he might ask who would call you this late. Sure, if it’s only once then you can tell him the person is probably calling a wrong number but two consecutively probably means something.

“Hello? Who is this?” You cleared your throat before answering, making sure you sound as professional as you can be, although a part of you is annoyed.

“Ah, you finally picking up, Ms. [Y/L/N].”

It was the cold baritone voice.

A/N: Whew! Things are starting to unfold! Also, we’ve made it to the second half of the story (who would’ve thought!). To be honest, I’m still not confident on how you guys would react to the story, but personally I think things are about to get quite... intense hahaha.

Also... I noticed as I about to post this, I somehow hit over 100 followers? asbjwadk really guys, I didn’t imagine anyone would read this fic at all. This might sound insincere but I’m truly grateful that you guys are staying. Thank you for supporting this fic! I’m in tears :’>

#jaehyun scenarios #jaehyun angst #jaehyunxreader #jaehyunfluff #jaehyun fic #mafia!au #jaehyun #jaehyun scenario #fic jaehyun #angst jaehyun #interlude no more drama #nct scenario #inmd #sit down

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saidelia-draconis · 4 years

Note

Word drabble prompt: Sacrifice

Sitting streetside at the quiet café Saidelia often liked to spend her mornings, she was greeted by the aging woman who smiled warmly, steaming pitcher in hand as she poured the paladin a hot cup. Behind a frame of wispy blonde hair, her eyes met the paladin’s. A warm, glowing smile painted her thin lips, pulling the wrinkles of her mouth tight. Saidelia smiled back in her typical, muted fashion.

“Good morning, Saidelia. Hadn’t seen you lately. I was starting to worry.”

“Thank you, Maria. How did you get my order out so fast?”

The woman smiled, a lighthearted laugh slowly ringing from her as she passed Saidelia her coffee and a light, vaguely fruit-smelling pastry. She sat down, procuring a mug from her apron. She poured herself a cup as she perched at the edge of the wooden chair, carefully doling out milk into her own coffee, leaving it in the middle of the table, knowing Saidelia would pass it by.

“Well. I wouldn’t say your order is complicated. Coffee and a pastry. You show up just about the same time every day. You’re very... Regimented. Or if you don’t show, I have a cup and pass the rest to the kitchen boys.”

“Hmm. Sorry to disappoint them. I wasn’t aware I had such a schedule. You really know when I show up?”

“My husband sets his watch by it. Funny, I had thought you did it on purpose.”

“Oh, dear. And what does he set it by on the days I don’t show up?”

“I’m not sure it matters. Poor man can’t keep time for his life. Odd quality in a baker.”

Saidelia snickered as she took another sip of her coffee, nodding as she thought about her interaction with the little café. She seemed slightly concerned. Predictable. On a Friday, her day from here was already planned into the late evening. She frowned. Was she boring? The awkward silence between the two hung long enough for the woman to notice, finally speaking up.

“Is everything alright?”

“I don’t know. That’s not what I meant. Yes, I’m fine. But do you mind if I ask... Am I boring?”

“Boring? Saidelia, I hardly know you. Hard to tell from your breakfast order. Half the city starts with coffee and a sweet.”

“Well, maybe. But I was just thinking that I do pretty much the same thing, in the exact order every week. And from what you said, apparently the same time.”

Maria thought for a moment, her eyes roaming over Saidelia as she took a sip of her coffee. She crossed her legs, leaning back in her chair, an inquisitive look lingering on her face. Finally, she sat back up, placing the nearly-empty cup on her table to refill.

“Well... You certainly don’t dress like anyone boring. Though I’m not sure what makes you wear armor to a café. Perhaps you get your internal clock from your time in the service? What’d you do?”

Saidelia scowled slightly. She had been coming to the same café on and off for over a year. Somehow she hadn’t managed to share anything more than her name. Her tongue slid across the inside of her cheek as she thought about her answer.

“I was in the Crusade when I was younger. Guess I picked it up there.”

Maria regarded Saidelia from across the table for a few moments, her expression contorting into one of disquiet. She took another sip of her still-hot cup, a scowl on her face when she lowered it to the table.

“Saidelia, forgive me for asking, but you don’t look much like an aged veteran. How old were you when you joined?”

“I want to say somewhere around ten. Why?”

Maria gave pause as her eyes lingered on the paladin. It was hard to imagine the armor-clad woman as a tender young squire. She smiled with a hint of pity, trying to hide her expression with the cup. Saidelia recognized it almost immediately, bristling. While she mentally prepared herself for the kindly woman’s reply.

“That’s awfully young. I’m sorry you had to give up your old life before--”

“It’s fine, really. I was actually the one who had the idea of joining. I wasn’t surrendered, or orphaned, or whatnot. I chose it.”

“Well still. You were still just a girl. That’s such a sacrifice to ask a child to make. Especially for the work you did. You hardly knew your parents. I couldn’t bear the thought of my child--”

“Maria. Please.”

Saidelia’s voice was bold, even commanding. Nevertheless, her expression was much more pained. Having weathered the same, or a similar conversation many a time, her patience was thin, especially before having finished her first cup of coffee for the morning.

“I’m sorry. I understand that you respect my work. I appreciate it. Yes, it was difficult. Yes, it was a lot for a child. Yes, things could have been different. I don’t want to sound ungrateful for your company, but I can’t do this over breakfast.”

The weary paladin sighed, taking another small sip of her acrid coffee before placing it down, gazing over the disheartened woman. Her expression softened slightly as she noticed Maria avoiding her gaze. She felt a pang of guilt. She made an attempt at mending fences, topping off the other woman’s cup.

“I’m... Sorry, Maria. You didn’t deserve that.”

“I wasn’t trying to offend.”

“I... I know. They never are. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’ve got my own problems to sort out.”

“Saidelia, can I ask you an honest question?”

“I owe you that much. Ask away.”

There was a pregnant pause. Maria ruminated on the question for a few moments as she stirred milk into the fresh coffee. Finally, she gazed back up at Saidelia, drawing in a breath.

“Without waxing poetic on your selflessness again; you were a kid when you left? What made you want to grow up and do what you do?”

The tension hung in the air as Saidelia watched the café owner pensively. She lapsed deep into reflection, her eyes glazing over as she attempted to collate her thoughts. When she finally spoke, there was a warm, almost rosy hint to her tone as she gave her reasoning.

“Well... You mean aside from not exactly loving the home I came from? I don’t know. When I was a kid, I heard a few stories about my grandfather. When my father was sober. Or from the townsfolk had time to put up with some snot-nosed kid. I don’t know if it’s fair to say everyone loved him, but it at least seemed like he changed the lives of those around him for the better. Even halfway across the Eastern Kingdoms. I even still have his old sword and shield. I wanted everyone to remember Saidelia Draconis the same way they remembered General Oreyn. The hero who gave his life helping refugees out of Stormwind after the Dark Portal. I didn’t want to waste away in some stable like my father, reeking of horse shit and rotgut.”

“I... See. How noble of you. And if you don’t mind... Was it worth it? Do you regret any of it?”

Saidelia breathed a long, weighty sigh as she considered the question. Her eyes widened as she mulled it over. Her lips pursed as she failed to contain a rather obvious frown. She lost her focus, drifting into a different place. The friends she had gained, some now lost. The myriad of scenarios she had imagined her life could have ended up. The ways she wished it had ended up. She watched her cup with a dull lidded gaze, staying dormant until Maria uncertainly laid a hand on her gauntlet.

“Saidelia?”

Finally, she spoke, her voice sounding weary and forlorn

“You could fill a book with the regrets I have. But no, I wouldn’t change it. There are more important things than myself. Or my comfort. I’d do it over again if I had to.”

“Thank you, Saidelia. I think I understand. I suppose I’ve taken enough of your time. Breakfast is on me today.”

(I see what you did there @zeehva. Thanks for the ask. Even if I’m multiple weeks late)

#Asks #Prompts #Writing

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galaxy-bread345 · 4 years

Text

Part 3: Knife in the Back

Heres the part 3 analysis of Jak/Keira’s relationship. This last post will go over their interactions in Jak 3. More under the cut.

This one should be relatively short compared to the others. I vaguely knew that Keira and Jak don’t really interact in 3 but after skimming the cutscenes she honestly doesn’t interact or talk to Jak very much which really stinks because this could have been the game that they work out their issues. Keira could have gone to the wastelands with Jak and Daxter. All three of them could have actually become friends. Keira could have not only been a mechanic but a racer as well which gives her and Jak something their both interested in to bond over. I don’t know why she wasn’t more heavily included in the game and instead Ashelin is turned into the love interest when its kinda already implied that both her and Torn are close. We then have both Torn and Ashelin acting like a couple in Jak X so it really doesn’t make sense.

I don’t think the game developers intended it but theres a lot of negative implications with how Keira acts in the game. Specifically, is that she doesn’t act like a close friend or girlfriend would. The first interaction after Jak makes it back into the city shes sad, quiet, doesn’t speak to him but looks regretful. Secondish interactions they’re back to back she is a supportive friend congratulating him, having his back and all that. Third interaction is at the end when she shows up with everyone else to send off the Precursors but she doesn’t interact with him. The thing is that if she were to be as close to Jak as the narrative wants us to believe she is they don’t show it. Where was Keira when they were trying to kick him out? Where was Keira when Jak was left to die in the wastelands? Yeah, hes tough but she shouldn’t automatically assume he can handle anything anybody throws at him. Everybody has their breaking points and if Ashelin literally hadn’t given him the communicator so the wastelanders could find him he would have been dead. This goes for Samos too since he was Jak’s guardian figure growing up. Both of them should have done more to insure Jak’s safety and while Samos at the very least apologizes for not sticking up, Keira doesn’t. She doesn’t offer to go with him or try to sneak anything to him so that he has a better chance of surviving. She does absolutely nothing which is horrible especially considering in the last game she supposedly looked all over for him for two years and now she knows where hes being sent to but the chance of him actually surviving are slim so she does......nothing????? She can’t give him a locator, construct a vehicle or fuck it STEAL a vehicle and go after him?? She isn’t going to do anything to make sure her new boyfriend, is you know, alive??? But shes going to look regretful as shit as soon as he comes back to the city and obviously PiSsEd OfF that NO ONE had his back???

...............

.......That is a huge red flag.

Out of everyone Jak has known from the past Daxter is literally the only true friend because Daxter is ride or die. Daxter will literally throw himself into danger to make sure his best friend is okay. Daxter will stick by Jak’s side to make sure he doesn’t end up dead. Daxter didn’t have to go to the wastelands HE CHOSE TOO because he didn’t want to lost his best friend again!!! If you are going to have a romantic partner you need to hold them accountable like you would your friends. Dax and Jak don’t put up with each others bullshit and will call each other out on it but they also make sure to have each other’s back and keep the other safe. Keria doesn’t have Jak’s back even if she says she does. None of her actions indicate that shes here for him through thick and thin. None of her actions indicate that she is going to stick her neck out for him. No, she doesn’t need to go on all the life threatening missions he does BUT if people are trying to kill him or blame him for something that wasn’t his fault i.e. the metalheads getting into the city and the city blaming Jak because of his connections to Krew then she needs to stick up for him. She needs to show that she cares about what happens to him. If she does think that he deserves to be punished for his actions i’m going to assume not by death then they need to discuss what needs to happen next. She either supports him or she doesn’t, she can’t have both. Having her be happy and act like shes there for him later in the game when Veger is trying to vilify Jak again doesn’t make up for anything. Its not genuine at all and the only reason she says it is because shes supposed to be his girlfriend.

I am going to blame crappy narrative writing and poor characterization for this one. Its hard like or even heavily dislike a character when the creators so clearly didn’t put the effort into making them a fully realized individual.

Now I can’t really talk about Jak’s end of the relationship much since most of the game is him dealing with the end of the world and trying not to die. He’s not happy and after he meets up with Samos and Keira again he looks so disappointed. Most of his life lately has been people using him to further their own goals so to see the people who are supposed to be his friends say sorry but still expect him to fight..... its disheartening. They don’t question whether or not Jak will walk away, it doesn’t even cross their minds. When Ashelin apologizes to him he doesn’t care, hes in the war for his own personal reasons, so hes going to do what he needs to do. No matter how angry at the world Jak has been he will always fight for it. He’s been treated like shit and he wants to make the people in power pay so it doesn’t happen to him or anyone else again. This kid literally has a heart of fuckn gold. The fact that people rely on that aspect of Jak to carry them through is disgusting and its never resolved. Yes, its important to say sorry when you fuck up but it means nothing if you don’t take actions to make sure that mistake never happens again. Its fair to say that given everything hes been through Jak has trust issues. Hes wary of what people really want from him and doesn’t expect them to have his back. So to expect that Jak would forgive Samos and Keira after everything that has happened is wild. He should be mad with them and made it clear that they have a lot of making up to do before he can trust them again. Its also very telling at the end of the game where Jak pretends to go with the Precursors to prank everyone and then shows back up. He says “I couldn’t leave you Dax, you wouldn’t last a second without me”. Not only is this line a throwback to what Daxter said in the beginning when he joins Jak in exile but it also states that out of everyone Daxter is the only person he can’t leave behind. Everyone else he can get over but not Daxter. Its not Sig or Ashelin, its not his girlfriend Keira or his past care taker Samos, its Daxter his best friend in the whole world whose had his back from day one of the series.

The reasons why Jak and Keira wouldn’t have a working relationship keep repeating themselves and can be simplified down to:

non-existent friendship

horrible communication

no emotional investment in each other

interactions depend on the other providing a service

trust issues

not taking the time to understands each others traumatic experiences

I can only assume that they are a couple because the creators of the series wanted it even though the narrative clearly shows that the relationship would be toxic as fuck. After watching the cutscenes for Jak X I don’t think its necessary for me to go into detail about it since most of it is just flirting. None of the issues brought up in Jak 2 are resolved and Keira never blatantly apologizes to Jak about him being exiled. Jak never tries to be an actual friend to Keria and seems to be only attracted to her because of her looks/ vehicles she provides him. I think with better writing these two could have a functioning and healthy relationship. Even though in canon they aren’t good for each other I encourage people who like this ship to write a better relationship for them. If you read all three lengthy posts I’m proud of you and thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

#jak and daxter #jak & daxter #jak #daxter #keira hagai #samos #character analysis #ships #relationships

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