#so it's more of a general leverage au but the intent is there!!

[samwpmarleau]

“there’s a lot of people out there, good people just trying to live by the rules, but sometimes things happen that are out of their control. and, well — if we’ve got the means to help the good people out when no one else will, then shouldn’t we try?” [leverage au in/sp @jamiesfootball]

#not-so-casually borrowing someone else's au 2k23 #feat. as many fonts as i can get away with #this was originally going to get into specifics but i couldn't really figure out a good way how #so it's more of a general leverage au but the intent is there!! #ted lasso #roy kent #jamie tartt #rebecca welton #keeley jones #leverage #tedlassosource #tedlassoedit #tl #tledit #mine

[damagedintellect]

Trafalgar Law x reader

💌 Fake it till you make it: Chapter 9  💌  

Summary:  To avoid an arranged marriage set up by Doflamingo, Law needs to bring home a girlfriend during the Christmas break and you just so happen to be a theatre major in the same dorm at One Piece University. What could possibly go wrong?  

Tropes: College AU, Fake Dating, Idiots in love

💌 Word count: 4,531 💌 <= Previous Chapter | Next Chapter =>

It had been a few days since you got back from Dressrosa and the news of Law’s engagement had spread across social media like wildfire. It was posted all over click bait channels and anytime either of them made a public appearance they were seen together. You stopped looking at the photos after seeing the first few. Once you cleared your head and your eyes it was painfully obvious to you by the expression on Law’s face that he didn’t choose to be there but it still didn’t explain his rash behavior. You spoke with the rest of the gang about it in the morning since you had calmed down after seeing the surgeon last. If not for your own sake than for Corazon’s. There’s not much anyone could do without some sort of leverage in this situation so it was best to wait and gather as much information as possible but that was proving hard to do. There was nothing you could do without someone on the inside and with Corazon’s condition it was nearly impossible since no one else has a family in the same social circle. Sanji was your best bet and he seemed to be slowly chipping away at Pudding’s facade but who's to say what her true feelings and intentions are. It’s not like anyone knew who she was before everything happened anyhow.

The reasoning for the engagement was still a mystery from her side as well and you’re not going to lie it's starting to look like both Law and Pudding hate each other's guts. Which was odd considering your first few interactions together seemed like she was trying to steal Law away from you. The media doesn't see it that way. The articles always talk about how sweet and romantic young love is but the look they give each other, to you looks like they're on each other's last nerve. Bepo, Shachi and Penguin have been in frequent contact with Law since that night but he was generally a private person and some things never change. Luffy still wants to kick Doflamingo’s ass and has mentioned that no matter what the plan is he intends to do it regardless. The prospect of him going through with it scares everyone monumentally. After Nami's old landlord, the Crocodile incident and the government trying to revoked Robin's dual citizenship Luffy was already batting a hundred taking on big name corporations. Despite Luffy prevailing at each event, the chaos he created stressed everyone out severely which was why they were all terrified. Everyone except for maybe Zoro, he was just as rash as Luffy when it came to these kinds of things.

It all made your head spin. Being logical in this regard just left you more and more confused. Things still didn't add up from your point of view. There was no motivation from anyone or well none that made a lick of sense other than Doflamingo being an asshole just to be an asshole. Even then it still begged the question as to why this was his course of action. Sabo found it an interesting topic to discuss and you second that opinion because you can't see Law being good at running a toy empire. Sugar would definitely be a better choice for an heir. Sure Law was smart but he wasn’t into business or the industry as a whole. You couldn’t even imagine him dealing with kids since he didn't have the patience to be in pediatrics.

Speaking of patience, you were still seething over the turn of events but part of you was almost relieved that you could tell that Law was just as miserable. Or at least you hoped he was miserable. It was hard to say. Bepo,  Shachi and Penguin are your only sources of information and they're not sure how much you wanted to hear about your technical ex. Personally you were still pretty upset and being given all this reassurance of Law’s self-sacrificing nature almost hurts more than being dumped out right but there was no use crying about it anymore. You had already agreed to meet with Bon Clay to work on a set for the bachelor party. If anyone could get him to talk it was you. The voice in the back of your head was screaming for you to take a page out of Luffy’s book and just beat the information out of Law yourself but you were better at dancing than fighting. Although nothing could have trained you for how exhausting learning pole dancing could be. You admired Bon Clay immensely after your first practice. It wasn’t that hard to pick up thematically but the execution was a different feat of its own. In order for you not to raise any suspicion with being involved in the bachelor party you practiced on campus. It turns out that the campus already had a dance hall with poles installed. There’s a lot of misconception with the world of pole and pole dancing but it’s an incredible full body workout and a competitive sport. In the end you weren’t perfect but with each day you were getting better at it. Your mind was so preoccupied with it that you almost forgot that you had agreed to be Pudding’s maid of honor.

She texted you wanting to meet for lunch to discuss your so-called “duty” as maid of honor. Nami and Robin offered to go with you but you waved them off. You needed to go alone so you could get to the bottom of this once and for all. You were running out of time and you had to do something. Pudding had requested you meet at a small cafe on campus run by the culinary majors. You had always wanted to go but money was an issue, you scowled, that doesn’t matter now. It ticked you off beyond belief but a few hours earlier you had received an email that someone had wired you an exuberant amount of funds. It was under the Donquixote name but you could only assume that it was Law actually sticking to his word that he would pay you for your services in Dressrosa. It made you feel uneasy because on one hand, DAMN YOU'RE WORTH A LOT but also you are not quite sure if you should be proud of that. Furthermore, what a lame way to say it’s over. When you told the boys about it, Penguin only shrugged and showed you the text he received. There was a chance he was trying to take a stab at Doflamingo, although in the end it made you roll your eyes. Genuinely you could not understand what was going through the surgeon's head.

As you waited for Pudding you ordered some tea. She managed to show up by the time it arrived. "Were you waiting long?" She asked as she leisurely ordered, smiling like nothing had happened between the two of you. You added on a few pastries for the fuck of it before answering her. "I was, days in fact. Actually scratch that, it's more like weeks isn't it." You planned on giving her an earful. If you were going to suffer as her maid of honor you were at least going to get something out of it. Pudding only leaned back in her chair grinning at your response. "Look at you, you did notice. You should have said something."

You folded your arms across your chest, god the audacity of this bitch. "If you recall I did, you knew Law was my boyfriend."

She clicked her tongue at you "Well I was supposed to marry him more than six months ago but he ran away before even meeting me. Do you know how bad that's deemed for someone of my status?"

You scoffed "Big whoop, he stood you up. By the looks of it he did you a favor." You pulled out your phone sharing the best pictures displaying their obvious disdain for each other. "What happened to that clingy lovey dovey act you had at new year's. Aw was acting too hard for the pastry princess." you mocked in a pitying tone. You were going to sass the hell out of Pudding. Hopefully the more buttons you pushed the more information she’d spew just so she can have the last laugh. It wasn’t a perfect plan but it seemed to be working so far.

"Watch yourself. (Y/N), I can ruin your career before you even have a chance at life." She took a sip of her drink. "If you must know, originally I planned to make him fall in love with me and then break his heart but I miscalculated."

You rolled your eyes looking at your nails trying to be smug as fuck. "And you are telling me this because?" You drew out the last syllable rolling your eyes.

You could see you struck a nerve by the way she almost faltered but she cackled smiling almost maniacally. "I'm going to make his life miserable the same way he made mine and you can do nothing but watch. With front row seats too!"

At least that answers one question. You kept up your act brushing her off. "Cool and why would I care?"

"You might be a good actor but even you can't hide the fact you do love Law" she twirled her fork around before stabbing into the strawberry shortcake she ordered “It’s sickening really watching you pine after him.”

"Again and? I never said I didn't and you're one to talk, you have a crush on like Sanji of all people. So why does it matter?” That seemed to catch her off guard as she choked on her tea. She was too flustered trying to defend herself that she didn’t notice the pure reaction of shock on your part. You weren’t really trying to take a dig at Sanji, Sanji’s a great guy but he gets really weird around women at times. Regardless you were mostly joking, making fun of the two for hanging out all the time since meeting. “You’ve gotta be kidding me” you stare at her waiting.

She coughed trying to regain her repose “A-absolutely not! I-I’m just using him! Like you he’s just another pawn.” she paused to wipe her mouth with a napkin as dignified as she could. "Besides that's not what we're here to discuss." She handed you a thick three ring binder that has definitely seen better days. It was a faded pink suggesting its age, covered in stickers, flowers, hearts, and in big bold cursive lettering it read "Pudding's dream wedding planner."

She cleared her throat, diverting your attention from the book. Pudding almost seemed embarrassed blushing lightly as she tried to delegate you new tasks "Memorize everything in there and make sure things run smoothly. We have a dress fitting tomorrow and I've already picked out a day for the bachelorette party next week." You flipped through the pages of the moodboard style scrapbook. She must have been planning this since she was a kid. It had pictures of her big family with some of them crossed off presumably of who she didn't want to be in attendance. Favorite flower arrangements, songs, colors, cake designs you name it they were in there. The only thing that was oddly empty was the page titled bachelorette party. She must have seen you question the blank page because her posture shrunk ever so slightly inwards.

"It's traditional for the maid of honor to plan the events for the actual party itself. I invited Law's sisters and I was hoping you could invite Robin and Nami. It's okay if they say no. I understand I just don't want to invite any of my siblings."

You were surprised Pudding almost felt human in that moment right before she laid down a whole laundry list of things she absolutely detested and would rather die than part take in. You rolled your eyes "That doesn't leave a lot of options left. At this point I should just rent the Baratie and a karaoke machine and call it a night." Astonishingly she didn't hate the idea. Sanji must have told her about the place because she didn’t ask a lot of questions regarding the establishment. Conveniently all you had to do was send a quick text to Sanji and everything was arranged. Pudding checked the message before you sent it to make sure you didn’t pull any funny business. Little does she know you sent a second message while you pretended to put your phone away. You’ve heard that it’s common to book a stripper for this kind of event, instead you asked Sanji about the possibility of being a sexy bunny girl. As expected his response was something akin to “I can do a sexy bunny butler take it or leave it.” You only wish you could have seen his reaction to the message in person. You’re not sure why you’ve decided to put effort into your role. You could have easily put her through the ringer but it seemed to be more entertaining this way.

It turns out that when Pudding isn’t deciding to be a bitch she can actually be a decent human being. You ended up talking more about nonsensical things after everything was said and done. Had you met under different circumstances you might have actually been friends. Which brought up a good point skimming through the planner it didn’t seem like she had any. She definitely didn’t talk about any either but that’s not your problem. Personally your upbringing was also pretty shit but you didn’t take it out on others but c'est la vie. At least you got something out of the meeting. Although you were not sure what to make of the big picture just yet.

—

The next morning you were relieved to see Shachi, Bepo and Penguin getting ready to leave for Dressrosa. Interestingly enough their suit fittings overlapped with your dress fitting. Which meant that Law and Pudding were scheduled to have fittings at the same time. It was odd because you thought it was bad luck to see the bride in the gown before the wedding but it seems the place you were going to specialized in doing both fittings at the same time to make sure everyone matched. Apparently the owner of the place was a good friend of Giolla. Luckily they were already going otherwise you would have had to find your own way there and that would have been boring. This means you get to catch some extra sleep on the way. You could also mentally prepare for whatever bullshit awaited you.

That little voice in the back of your head still wanted to punch Law in his stupid brooding face. While you were known to act on impulse occasionally you were more concerned with not letting your emotions get the better of you. Law’s sisters were the other bride's maids and you were aware this was a set up. Pudding already revealed that she wanted to ruin your life as well as Law's so at this point you can't let her win. You wonder how Law’s going to react as you close your eyes and drift back to sleep.

—

On the other hand Law stirred from his slumber when he noticed an unfamiliar presence in his room. He woke up with a start as the entity whipped the curtains open blinding him as he tried to see who would disturb him. No one has bothered him since Corazon’s admission to the hospital. Everyone knew he didn’t want to be bothered and he's made it abundantly clear. Doflamingo was the only one who has recently pestered him but he usually only does so during the evenings. He frowned when he saw Pudding by the window. Law really wanted to roll over and act like nothing happened. Although he should be concerned that his family would just let Pudding into his room without his permission. At this point nothing really surprises him and he doesn’t know how he feels about that. He grumbled musing his hair before putting his hat on “Why are you here?”

Pudding jumped slightly not realizing the surgeon woke up “Am I not allowed to be here?” she smirked playfully as she rocked back on her heels “I would have thought my fiance would be happy to see me.” They both glared at each other for a moment.

“Let me make one thing clear. We might be getting married but that doesn’t make me your friend nor do I want to be. You are a nuisance and I have no obligation to entertain such an idea.” Law pulled himself out of bed to get ready for the day “I may keep up public appearances but outside of that I sincerely don’t give a shit what you do.”

She wanted to point out that he clearly had not been doing a good job but instead went for a better insult. “Wow, Do you kiss (Y/N) with that mouth?~ Here I thought you were supposed to be a gentleman.” She smiled wide and it reminded him of Doflamingo.

He frowned “Cut the crap, your childish facade doesn’t fool me, just tell me why you're here so I can move on with my life.” He started getting out of bed making it, almost hoping she would just leave him alone.

“Ugh, I really don’t know what she sees in you but whatever. Our fittings are today or did you forget.” Pudding leaned against the wall still looking out the window.

"I didn't forget, as I said before I don't care.” He pulled out some clothes from his dresser. “We don't have to arrive together, it's not like we scheduled a publicity stunt." He already told Bepo, Shachi and Penguin to meet him there as long as he made it there at some point no one could say anything about it. He's been putting in the bare minimum and hasn't been scolded yet. Not that it would change his demeanor. He's just fortunate that Doffy hasn't made any more threats for him to change his current behavior. Still he can't afford to let his guard down.

Law dressed into casual clothes. He was going to be trying on suits for a good portion of the day so he might as well be comfortable while he still could. He didn't indulge in any more of Pudding's banter as he left her to follow him out. His sisters were waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs playfully teasing him making snide remarks about one thing or another. Law could already tell he was going to hate the experience all together.

As they arrived at the location, Law's phone rang giving him a reason to stay outside. He wanted to prolong this as much as possible. It wasn’t an important call but he pretended it was making the scammer on the other end of the line confused. He hung up once his sisters and Pudding entered the building. He decided to go for a walk. The girls were most likely going to take longer than he was anyway, what's the point of waiting around for them to finish. He also wanted to prove a point by showing up late. Law doesn't like being told what to do.

—

Bepo, Shachi and Penguin were lounging around waiting for Law while you sorted through Pudding's wedding binder. You might as well make yourself useful while you wait for everyone to show up. You had shown the seamstress the styles that Pudding selected and were helping pull some possible dresses that fit the look Pudding wanted.

When you turned back around you were jumped by Baby 5 "(Y/N)!!! I've missed you!" She hugged you tight as she nuzzled into you. Sugar, Monet and Pudding were close behind waiting for their turn to give you a hug. As Monet went in for her hug she whispered into your ear "Law might be off the market but I'm free if you're interested." She winked at you as she pulled away. You blushed unsure if she was joking or trying to pull a fast one on you. She had a devilish grin as she walked by which didn’t help you figure it out in the slightest. Sugar was too busy eating grapes but she still smiled and waved at you while Pudding was looking at the dresses you picked for her.

"These are gorgeous. I don't know which one to try on first!"

A little part of you took pride in her comment which made you realize, where was Law? You looked over at Shachi and Penguin as an assistant talked with Bepo they both shrugged at you. It wasn’t your problem so you sighed and turned your focus back to your fitting. Pudding wanted the bride's maids to be in a light lavender dress that was short in the front but longer in the back. The style of the bust she didn't care that much as long as you all agreed on one uniform style she was fine letting you guys make the decision. You're not sure how long you all had been trying on dresses for but you were on your sixth or seventh dress when Baby 5, Monet and Sugar finally agreed on one everyone liked. Pudding was still deciding between two and the main stylist said this is where seeing it next to everyone will help. They had a specific divider where Pudding could stand and not be seen by anyone else while they took a mock photo of what it could look like on the day. Everyone was about to get into place when the rest of the group realized Law still wasn't around.

Pudding grumbled clutching her phone. Allegedly he was on the phone when they walked in but it had been at least an hour since arriving. Thirty more minutes passed before the girls started fuming. You're not going to lie, it was pretty irritating that he was seemingly wasting everyone's time because he didn't want to be there. You didn't want to be here either but you sure as shit weren't going to be the reason it dragged on longer than it has to. The boys started calling him and panicked from being scolded by Law’s sisters. Pudding looked like she was going to wring someone's neck and since she couldn't walk outside the divider to strangle one of the boys you feared it might end up being you. Luckily that's when Law showed up. He froze when he walked in staring at you for a moment longer than you would have liked before his sisters started a yelling match. You wanted to lecture him too but you huffed and turned away not wanting to give him the satisfaction. Especially when he refused to acknowledge you at the hospital. Instead you glared at him from a far while helping Pudding calm down from wanting to kill someone.

After Pudding reviewed the pictures the choice was clear. She chose her dress and everything was set. Everyone started to change out when you were grabbed by the arm. The girls were already in the dressing room and so were Bepo, Shachi and Penguin.

"What are you doing here?"

His tone confused you but you couldn’t control your frustration anymore "Oh so now you're talking to me!" Like always his expression was unreadable as ever. You scoffed "Don’t flatter yourself I'm not here because of you, Pudding asked me before the announcement was made!" You made sure to control your volume. You didn't want the others to hear your altercation but you were still aggravated about ready to foam at the mouth. Law let your arm go turning away from you. "That’s no excuse you shouldn't have accepted the offer."

You grit your teeth "And you shouldn't have wasted people's time!" You snapped storming off before you genuinely start something you know you couldn't finish. Penguin saw you walk off giving you a worried look as Law finally went to change.

You put on a fake smile and ignored the looks you got from the others as they passed you. They were giving you their farewells until the bachelorette party. You could really go for a drink right about now. You weren’t the kind of person to drink away your sorrows but at this point you didn't know how to feel. Things would be easier if you moved on but everyone was trying so hard for your sake. Going out of their way to help you get Law back, but is that even what you want anymore. As you walked back out it was just Bepo, Shachi and Penguin left standing there. They were tense, presumably they heard or were assuming what happened between you and Law when everyone was changing.

You sighed "When we get back to our side you guys want to hit up a club or something? I could really use a drink." No one questioned you, only nodding in response. You guys hit the dorms before going back out to see if anyone else wanted to come and not surprising anyone in the slightest Luffy managed to overtake the night by throwing a banquet at the dorms. Sabo said he'd look the other way, which he does often about alcohol in the dorms. Since Luffy does not like the taste of alcohol Sanji has been accustomed to making cocktails for those who still wanted the option.

This is how you ended up drunk sandwiched between Luffy and Ace fumbling around in their stupid impromptu kickline. Everyone was having a good time and it was the kind of thing everyone needed as midterms were approaching. Ace fell back on the couch taking you and Luffy down with him causing you to yelp and Luffy to laugh. You tried to get up but Luffy refused to let you leave the group hug as your struggles brought you all to the floor. Before you knew it he coaxed everyone to join the group hug somehow. You hadn’t even realized you started crying but unlike the last few times these tears weren’t so sorrowful. You felt at home here and you wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. That’s when you heard Luffy whisper “We’ll bring Torao back, whatever it takes.” Looking around seeing everyone’s smiles made you believe it was actually possible. You couldn’t help curling your lips up too “Whatever it takes.”

—

“I see, my apologies I will see to it personally.” Doflamingo put the phone down, his usual grin wiped from his face. It seems he wasn’t clear with Law the consequences of his actions. Doffy opened the file with (Y/N)’s picture paperclipped to it. He would be making some calls later and he wondered how the girl would handle it. It excited him. It's been a while since he’s had a play thing he didn’t select for himself. He chuckled darkly at the thought. Law had good taste, at least he managed to do something right.

___

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#trafalgar law x reader #trafalgar d law x reader #one piece x reader #onepiece x reader #trafalgar law x y/n #✧(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ *:・ﾟ newest chapter out now on ao3 #more on ao3 link in the headline

[bedlamsbard]

I for one would LOVE to hear about That Man's opinion on the Sokovia Accords, and any other blends of the real world into marvelverse as you have time and space for

Donald Trump is the horrifying combination of anti-Accords, anti-Captain America, and anti-Iron Man. I have THOUGHTS on this.

Okay, so CACW takes place in 2016, yes? which was a horrifying enough election year IRL, but in the Marvel Cinematic Universe we're looking at a scenario where I have postulated that Matthew Ellis is the Democratic candidate. Ellis was elected in 2012 after Barack Obama dropped out of the 2012 race post-Battle of New York as a result of pressure from the World Security Council; my best estimate is that Ellis takes Joe Biden's place as Obama's vice president in the 2008 election (apologies to our Irish Catholic granddad, we can probably safely assume he's still a senator in this AU) and coasts to electoral victory on a wave of post-BONY patriotism. (see my hard-hitting investigative journalism on who was president during the Battle of New York. George W. Bush was president during the events of IM1, we can assume that all real world presidents prior to Ellis served as usual, a.k.a. FDR was president during CATFA, Bill Clinton was president during Captain Marvel and the BW prologue -- actually, we know Clinton was president, because we see him in the BW credits, same with a few others.)

For better or worse -- worse, as it turns out -- Ellis's administration becomes closely linked to Tony Stark and James Rhodes, since Tony and Rhodey very publicly save his life during the events of IM3 and are responsible for his VP (Rodriguez, no first name that I'm aware of) being arrested for treason and probably other nasty stuff. Four months after that, the events of CATWS go down, and while Ellis is quoted in Steve's Smithsonian exhibit with the "Welcome Back" wall bannerand thus they presumably met, Steve is not closely associated with Matthew Ellis in the same way that Tony Stark is. Steve is also closely associated with a major blow to the American intelligence apparatus, the deaths of most of the World Security Council, the destruction of SHIELD, the "death" of Nick Fury, the disgrace and death of Alexander Pierce, and the arrests of a number of major American politicians, including Senator Stern of Pennsylvania. We know from CATWS that Ellis himself was a target of Project Insight; I have also postulated that the Hydra reveal had a major effects on his administration, including either the arrest or the resignation of his original Secretary of State. Thaddeus Ross got the SecState position not because he was Ellis's original pick, but because post-CATWS (or possibly post-AoU), he was able to leverage his previous experience with the Hulk and other recipients of the super soldier serum to be politically useful.

Ellis has to be in favor of the Sokovia Accords because his SecState is running the show -- in theory the Accords will be administered by a UN panel, in actual practice, as we see in CACW and BW, the intent is for either the American SecState in general or Thaddeus Ross specifically to have sole control over the Avengers. Less than ideal by anyone's standards. Pre-Accords, no one knows how this is going to shake out.

Let's go back to how Donald Trump hates Steve Rogers, like, so much. The feeling is mutual. I'm pretty sure Trump personally knew, or at least met, Tony Stark pre-Iron Man, because they would have been in some of the same social circles: those personalities are going to clash. That's not going to go over well. Trump probably made overtures to Steve because CAPTAIN AMERICA! we love America! what's more great for America than the Greatest Generation! only uh. it's Steve. and Trump pre- (and post-) 2016 is everything Steve Rogers hates. sure, he's a great piece of American propaganda, but he grew up as a poor second generation immigrant son of a single mother with significant health issues during the Great Depression. that didn't go away when he got the serum and it certainly didn't go away when he got out of the ice! so Steve probably rebuffed the initial overtures politely, but he did rebuff them, and Trump, hmm, doesn't handle that sort of thing real well. so then a big part of That Man's campaign turned into the "fuck Captain America" tour with a side of "fuck the Avengers," playing heavily into the damage done during the events of Phase 1 and Phase 2.

Which Ellis's campaign was probably also doing, but more circumspectly because Matthew Ellis is an actual politician and he's politically linked to two of the ten Avengers (Tony and Rhodey); Tony's also the one with the most obvious "pull." Steve's got some but Steve doesn't actually want to use it.

So on the one hand, if Ellis is pro-Avengers and pro-Accords, but in a "they should be controlled but we need them" sort of way, then his main opponent is going to not be in favor of either. In 2016 Trump does want the Avengers controlled (so he can have personal pull over the two Avengers he hates the most, Tony and Steve; he's probably also not fond of many of the others! like, Natasha and Wanda are both women and immigrants...). But he doesn't want them controlled by a UN panel, he wants them controlled by the United States of America. You don't let THE UNITED NATIONS give orders to CAPTAIN AMERICA. The Avengers are mostly made up of American citizens, they include some fine pieces of American engineering; this is America's business. So that's his focus on the Accords leading up to CACW.

CACW itself is a political disaster for Matthew Ellis and almost certainly flipped the election for him -- it goes so horrifically badly for him even if he got the "victory" of the Accords passing that there's basically no way to recover from it, though presumably he tried in the months between May and November 2016. The events of BW and the Raft breakout during those months put the nail in the coffin of Ellis's reelection campaign. Trump spends that time beating Ellis's failure to control the Avengers into the ground, along with personal insults about Tony's incompetence as a superhero and Steve's disloyalty as an American, etc. etc., along with all the other stuff from his 2016 campaign. Absolute disaster for everyone on every level.

(Ross manages to skate through into Trump's administration -- since we know he's there in IW in 2018; I think he's addressed as "Mr. Secretary" there but can't check rn -- because he's a slippery son of a bitch and probably manages to parlay his Hulk experience, his hardheadedness in going after Natasha Romanoff, and tbh probably the fact that his nickname is Thunderbolt Ross into a cabinet position. (We've all heard the speculation that Jim Mattis got the real world SecDef position because his nickname is Mad Dog Mattis, right?) It's possible that in IW he's no longer SecState and is in fact running that UN panel, but I think that table of people we see has U.S. military uniforms at it and Rhodey specifically refers to potentially being court-martialed.)

presumably there are no Avengers-level disasters between 2016 and 2018 (we know the events of Spider-Man Homecoming and Ant-Man and the Wasp take place then, but they're not "call the team out" big), which is probably the only thing that keeps the whole disaster from going up in flames before then. the fact that no one can catch Steve or the other rogue Avengers must be driving That Man crazy and he probably went on some vicious Twitter rants about that.

and then, in my heart of hearts, he gets snapped in 2018.

I am sorry for making you think about Donald Trump's political views but at least they aren't his actual real world ones (horrifying).

#silentstep #bedlam replies #bedlam watches the mcu #I think I need a specific tag for these posts #mcu politics #I'll add the others when I get home #presuming our 2023 events are going down on a two or three year delay in-universe are we speculating he sold the im suit plans lol

[dragon-kazansky]

What lies within

Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky x Reader

Regency AU

Female Reader

[Masterlist]

[Previous Chapter] - [Next Chapter]

Warnings: Your mother has successfully trapped you and Lord Simpson. She's evil.

The duke returns after years overseas. He has no intention of marrying. However, your father has leverage over him and you find yourself trapped.

Can love be found in the Iceman’s heart, or are you destined to be lonely forever?

Word count: 1.3k

Chapter Eight - The trap

♡♡♡

Your mother ignored all questioning after Lord Simpson’s hasty exit. You apologised to your hosts, apologised to the duke, and apologised to Carole for the early exit. Your mother continued to ignore your questioning on the carriage ride home.

When you reached home, she entered the house without a word and disappeared into your father’s office. You and Carole were promptly shut outside the office. In a huff, you headed upstairs. Carole followed closely behind.

Bob had heard the commotion and poked his head out of his room. He saw you go into yours and followed Carole in there.

You turned on your heel sharply and faced your siblings, but mostly looking at Carole as she was there with you.

“What is going on?” You ask.

“I don’t know,” she replies, looking worried.

“What happened?” Bob asks, looking between you both.

“Mother said something to Lord Simpson which made him leave this afternoon. I don’t know what was said. I was with the duke, Carole chaperoning with Lord Bradshaw. He left quite quickly, but I caught up to him when the lady’s darling dog wouldn’t let him go any further. He looked.... sorrowful. He told me if I was his daughter, he would have saved me from this household years ago. I do not understand what has happened,” you say, looking just as concerned as your sister.

“How far do you think mother is willing to go for money?” Carole asks.

“As far as she can. Money is an evil influence on those who hunger for it,” you say. You sit down on the edge of your bed with a sigh. “I'm afraid,” you whisper.

Bob comes up beside you and pulls you into his side. Carole sits opposite you on her bed, reaching over to take your hands in hers.

Nothing of the matter is spoken about for the rest of the day, but the following morning your mother has a smile on her face which you detest. Worse so, your father seems to be in higher spirits as well, but he does not smile the way your mother does. No, he has more determination in his eyes as he looks at you.

You sit down with your siblings, not really feeling up to breakfast. The nerves in your stomach concern you that nothing would stay down if you tried.

The knock on the door frightened you as you jumped in your seat. 

Never before has your mother moved from her chair so quickly before. Your father stands, staring you down. You can hear your mother from the hall talking to whoever was at the door.

Dread makes a familiar return as your mother comes in, and then you’re left at a loss when Lord Simpson enters.

He doesn’t meet your eyes. His lips are pulled down into a frown.

Something is wrong.

“Mother?” You question her.

���Within the month after your sister’s wedding, you will marry Lord Simpson,” she states, a cruel smile on her face as she looks at you. “If you so much as make a fuss about this arrangement, I will send an anonymous tip to the paper stating Lord Simpson and you had been seen without a chaperone. You were seen together... in a compromising position.”

“Mother!”

“Dear?” Your father sound shocked. Clearly, he didn’t know everything she was up to.

“Lord Simpson has money. That how he can afford his generous donations. You will be looked after, and you like him, do you not?” Your mother asks, glaring at you.

“Not like that, mother... Lord Simpson has always been dear to us, he is our friend. Does he know half of his donations go to father to waste away on gambling?” You say, standing up from the table.

Lord Simpson looks up at you and then at your mother.

“That money is for the children,” he says.

“That money is for us to as we see fit,” you mother states. “It is always about the children, with you,” she hisses.

“They are nothing like their mother, and for that I am grateful.”

You stare at them. There is something here. Something you’re missing. You have never seen your mother look at him with so much hatred before.

“Why are you doing this?” You ask your mother.

She turns to you with a grin.

“It’s quite a clever ploy, you see. Marry Lord Simpson and he is trapped with us through you. We’ll have money, you’ll be with someone you like, you can have our comfortable life. That’s a win-win. The other outcome, the duke, upon hearing about your engagement, steps up and asks for your hand. You become a duchess, our social standing raises, we have money. We don’t lose,” she says.

“Mother, you cannot. The duke will not. I am no one to him,” you tell her.

“So, you marry Lord Simpson. We still come out on top. Though the duke is preferable, I will be quite happy keeping Lord Simpson in the family,” she says, looking at him again.

“Why are you bringing him into this? He has been nothing but kind to us!”

“If he had married me all those years ago, it wouldn’t have mattered now. I couldn’t have him, but you can.”

“Mother?” You look at her, and then at Beau.

“He left to go serve his country. He never wrote back to me. He never came to see when he returned home. I married your father to my duty. This is his punishment for leaving me behind.”

You look at the pair of them.

Lord Simpson looks up at you.

“I only came back when you three came into the picture. How could someone like your mother have such wonderful children? I swore to watch over your three as you grew. My donations were for you three. Your wicked mother seems to always lie to me,” Lord Simpson says, looking back at her.

“You should have married me,” she says.

He shakes his head.

“I would never have married you. You have been nothing but manipulative since we met. I saw right through you. Serving my country just gave me an easy escape,” he told her.

Your mother is fuming.

“How dare you? I was good to you!”

“Good? Never. Cruel. Always.”

“Mother? How could you?”

It’s a double ended trap. Trap Simpson into your family or trap you with the duke for your mother’s benefit.

“You will announce your engagement at the next ball, or I’ll talk,” your mother says.

You look at Lord Simpson with pity.

“I’ll do it,” you say, unable to hold back how you’re really feeling. The hurt, the sorrow. “I’ll do it,” you try to stop the tears from falling.

Beau looks up at you in shock.

“If there was any other way,” he said, looking at you with a pain filled gaze.

“I know. I know. But I will not let my mother walk all over you. You have been kind to us. To me. The duke will never fall for her trick. I don’t want to tarnish your name with false rumours.”

“You are far too kind,” he smiles slightly.

“You win mother. You win,” you say before leaving the room.

Your mother grins and turns to Lord Simpson.

“This isn’t over. This is just the beginning. Hold up your end of the bargain, yes?”

Lord Simpson glares at your mother.

“Karma comes around, you know? Do not think you will get away with this,” he says. “Greed is an ugly monster, and you are showing your true colours.”

Your mother grins.

“I know. It’s what make so good.”

Lord Simpson leaves quickly.

Carole and Bob sit at the table unsure what to do. They didn’t know exactly what just happened, but Bob was worried about you. He leaves the table quickly and goes after you.

You’ve left the house.

Carole wants to go to, but she is stopped by your mother.

“Your wedding is approaching. We need to prepare,” she says, staring down her daughter.

This day wasn’t going the way you wanted it to.

♡♡♡

@mrsjaderogers - @cycbaby - @callsignscupcake - @itzyogurl92 - @capricorn-anon - @mischief-siriusly-managed - @breadsquash - @starlit-epiphany - @some-lovely-day - @nyx2021 - @airlinewaifu - @deadratio - @maverooster - @luckyladycreator2 - @beaner-life-23 - @ducks118 - @persephonesportal - @ginghampearlsnsweettea - @bella-law - @sweet-yoongles - @theghostofshadows - @acupnoodle - @asteria33 - @desert-fern - @mackycat11 - @abaker74 - @everlyseresinsblog - @callsignthirsty - 

#iceman kazansky #tom iceman kazansky #iceman x reader #iceman #tom kazansky x reader #tom kazansky #top gun #top gun au #au #alternate universe #what lies within

[nicnacsnonsense]

📚

For this one I'm just going to copy and paste from Discord from last night, because there is a lot of good stuff and I don't want to type it all out again. Everything quoted below is directly from me, but shout out to both @poetic----nonsense and @adickaboutspoons for contributing a lot more to the overall discussion on this not included here.

Thinking about the general idea of a slow burn Jack bullying scenario and I’m thinking what about this happening in an AU where Izzy doesn’t make a deal with Chauncey, so he’s just at the Republic bitching. Jack, recently mutinied against, hears it and decides this is a great opportunity for him to get himself a new ship. His plan is to leverage his friendship with Blackbeard to get on the ship and people liking him, then slowly drive a wedge between Stede & Ed and work to bully and isolate Stede until Stede either leaves of his own accord or Jack can get the crew to mutiny and make him captain instead. So Stede responds to Jack’s bullying by removing himself from the situation, as we see. But Ed, spurred on by Jack, reads this as Stede wanting to pull away from and reject Ed, which in turn leads Ed to leaning more on Jack for support, which leads Stede to feeling unwanted and further self-isolating in a vicious cycle.

(Extra shout out to adickaboutspoons for asking the key question here about whether Jack would be trying to do this as fast as possible before his brand of jackassery wore thin or if he would be doing it slow roll)

The real slow roll option though… like that could be really insidious if Jack maybe came aboard and was all like oh yeah, I’ve mellowed out some too. And he was presenting himself as the carefree have fun guy without going full on frat bro to the point where maybe there are moments where Stede is doubting himself, like is he really as bad as I think or am I the problem. That could be really interesting, though you would have to be careful that Jack still felt like Jack."

Oh, you know what I’d love from a slow roll Jack scenario? Okay so Jack is doing his whole thing, being passive aggressive and slowly isolating Stede from everyone. And of course he’s concentrating on building a wedge between Ed & Stede, and he also identifies Lucius early on as someone who is both closer to Stede and generally more socially intelligent so Jack focuses in really hard on him too. Olu maybe would have picked up on Jack’s ill intentions, but he’s too in his own feelings about Jim being gone at the moment. So Stede is growing increasingly isolated and while sometimes he is very confident in his assessment of Jack as a bully and an asshole and all around not nice person, at other times he really doubts himself. Like, maybe I’m the problem, maybe it really is me who is always the problem, maybe there’s something fundamentally wrong with me so I don’t fit in anywhere. And then Frenchie, who can come off as a superstitious idiot, who can get just as stupid and rowdy as the rest of them, who Jack wasn’t particularly worried about, who knows exactly what these kinds of people are like and once scammed an entire boat-full of them on the fly, Frenchie comes into Stede’s quarters like “Captain, I uh, I have some concerns.” Frenchie-Stede team up! Well, first we have the conversation where Stede gets to be just overwhelmingly relieved to have all his feelings about Jack be validated by someone else. He probably cries a little tbh. But then team up, they are going to concoct a devious scheme to expose Jack for the terrible person he truly is in front of everyone.

Stede tells everyone he’s planning a surprise party for Jack because he just feels so bad about how rude he’s been, and he’s even been working with Frenchie to come up with some new songs for it! So right before when the “party” is supposed to happen, Stede makes a big show about asking Jack for a private word in his quarters implying he wants to apologize and bury the hatchet. And of course all the crew think this is prelude to the party, so they encourage Jack to go and Jack is left with no other option. As soon as they leave, Frenchie leads everyone down to the jam room or wherever they’ve supposedly set up for the party. And then he tells everyone to be quiet, get ready for the surprise, and he pops open a panel in the wall. And echoing down the secret passageway, we can hear the sounds of Jack admitting to everything. (And of course in the wake of the confession, right after Jack throws the most slur-laden insult he can come up with at Stede, the entire crew burst out of the other end of the secret passage with Ed at the lead, fire in his eyes and demanding to know what the fuck is going on here, Jack.)

#ofmd #stede bonnet #calico jack #ofmd frenchie #fanfiction #ask game

[fizzyxcustard]

Betrayal (10)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

Masterlist of fan fiction

Fandom: Crossover of Spooks and Pilgrimage (Modern AU)

Pairings: Lucas North x OC/Raymond de Merville x OC

Warnings: Love triangle. Angst. Language. Sexual references/language. Cheating. Stalking.

Summary: Amy Holland is Lucas North’s girlfriend of six months. Amy is aware of his job as an MI-5 agent and supports him. However, Lucas’ cousin, Raymond de Merville, has always loved Amy and uses their one night stand together as leverage for something more.

Comments/Notes: If you wish to be tagged in any of my tag lists for fics or characters, please let me know, and stipulate what you want to be tagged in. I’m gradually removing people from my tag lists who do not interact.

Amy had now been back in Coventry for around ten days, residing in her old bedroom. The walls had been re-painted; now beige, rather than the deep lilac she had always been used to. Her furniture had either been set for being sold online, or was now gracing the house somewhere. Her work transfer had been slightly delayed, giving her a few weeks to get accustomed to life back home before going into a new employment environment.

On the second Friday of being back home, Amy got herself prepared for a meal she had arranged with Lucas. He had invited her to spend time with him in town at a new Italian restaurant that had opened. Raymond had practically turned into a ghost. No communication. Nothing.

After stepping out of the shower, Amy styled her short hair, which was now growing fairly long in comparison to the medium-length pixie cut she had sported only six weeks ago. It annoyed her how quickly hair grew and how much maintenance short hair needed. She picked up her bottle of Olympia perfume by Paco Rabbane, the one fragrance that was Lucas' favourite on her. She remembered how just after their first official date and kiss, he had mentioned how it was the first thing he noticed upon their very first meeting at their local cafe - the scent of Olympia wafting from over his shoulder.

Amy stared at the bottle, wondering whether to put it on or not. Any kind of seduction or flirting was not on the list of intentions for the evening. She missed Lucas, more so every day. She missed waking up next to him whenever they stayed over at one of their flats. She missed the comfort, the warmth, the intimacy. She missed the trust she had in him. For those six months, Lucas had been her life.

Lucas arrived promptly at seven outside Amy's house, and walked up to the front door, only to see it open and her beautiful face appear before him. She looked up at him and blushed, subconsciously brushing a loose piece of hair behind her ear. It took him back to their first date together; she had been nervous, flushed in her face, and stuttered a little. He looked upon the frilly white blouse she was wearing, which accented her generous breasts perfectly.

Amy couldn't help but feel her gut curl at the sight of Lucas. He was wearing a navy blue shirt and black over jacket; comfort with a slight hint of sophistication. She smelt his cologne, fresh with a touch of sandalwood. Was that the one she had brought him for Christmas?

"How have you been? Did you travel up today?" Amy asked, as both of them walked down the front garden path towards Lucas' car, a black BMW.

"Yeah, I got up here early afternoon and I've booked into a hotel overnight," he replied. "The Hilton just a few miles away."

Their conversation continued on as they got in the car and Lucas pulled away from the kerb and took off into town. They mused over each other's day, commented on the terrible weather that afternoon, and then the conversation dropped a little.

Amy looked at Lucas' hand which was propped against the gearstick. She wanted that hand to touch her, caress her. It made her think on their lovemaking. Tender, loving. Lucas always took his time, nothing rushed. That hand had been acquainted with her many times.

"I....I've missed you," Amy said.

Lucas was just pulling into the restaurant car park as she spoke those words. He switched off the ignition and rested back in his seat, then looked over at her sat beside him. Her perfume. It made him smile and his heart fluttered in his chest. "I love you." His voice cracked slightly as he spoke. "Being away from you has..."

"Shhh," Amy cooed, taking his hand. "It's okay. I know it's been hard. I just can't forgive myself for what's happened."

"Things take time. Sometimes forgiving yourself is harder than forgiving others."

"That's definitely true."

***

Raymond waited outside the restaurant, after following Lucas' car. The tracker he had got hold of had worked like magic. Now the terrible wait came.

Over two hours before he finally saw Lucas and Amy re-appear. She was now holding on to Lucas' arm, smiling, and looking a lot more comfortable in comparison to when she went in.

Raymond waited a few minutes, allowing Lucas to leave. Then he looked down at his phone, tracing the red circle along the winding roads.

By the time Raymond found the destination of Lucas, he growled. It was paid parking only. The Hilton customer car park. However, he was able to catch sight of Lucas and Amy walking in through the main front entrance of the hotel, before he was forced to take his car down a back street to park.

On his phone, Raymond looked through the data which was held on Lucas' car. He had stopped briefly for a few minutes, at seven exactly, in a residential area. This must have been where he had picked Amy up from.

***

Amy woke the next morning, lying next to Lucas. He was still asleep, his dark eyelashes fluttering. He seemed at peace, unlike many nights when she had woke up with him after a nightmare. She shifted a little in the bed, and looked over at the bedside clock. 6:30.

"Morning, you," Lucas whispered, waking from his slumber. He smiled upon seeing her. For a brief second, he felt as if he were in a dream, not quite yet back in reality.

"Morning, love," Amy replied. She moved in and placed a kiss against his lips, listening to him groan.

The night previous had been murder for him. He knew that Amy was holding back. There had been the odd touch of hands, holding of arms, but no more contact than that. Even though they were lying next to each other, having slept in the same bed, no physical intimacy had occurred.

The kiss grew deeper, more needing, more wanting. Amy slid over Lucas, straddling him. She laced a hand in his, and felt him grip it. Her hips began to grind against his, and immediately she could feel his erection pressing on her. That sensation of his arousal pulled her out of the trance which had overcome her. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, and pulled herself off him and away.

***

Raymond waited for Amy that afternoon. He'd followed her from her home address, having parked outside, in the general vicinity that his phone app had given him from the data against Lucas' car.

He knew she'd stayed the night with Lucas. Then she'd been dropped off by Lucas at around midday.

The shopping centre where Amy had disappeared to was fairly busy, but nothing like London. Raymond kept his distance, remaining in shops adjacent to her and then let himself slip behind people, using the crowds as cover.

Amy sat down in a Costa coffee shop and picked up a Frappuccino. The feeling of being watched had been sitting in her gut all day, and she couldn't shake it. When finally her suspicions were confirmed. She caught sight of Raymond walking past the very front of the building, pretending to be focusing on whatever was in front of him. He was wearing dark aviator sunglasses. But she could tell that profile anywhere, paired with the short dark hair and grey peppering his temples.

Amy grabbed her phone and rang Raymond.

"Aim?" he answered.

"Get your arse in Costa, Ray. I know you're following me. You literally walked past the window a minute ago."

The call ended abruptly, and within thirty seconds, Raymond came into the shop. He approached her, removed his glasses and sat down opposite her.

"Why are you following me? Normal people just pick up the phone and call."

"As if you'd listen to me," Raymond hissed.

Amy leaned across the table, her eyes wide in frustration. "What the fuck do you want from me? If you're expecting me to give up on Lucas completely just for you, then you're pretty delusional."

"I'm aware you've already jumped back into bed with Lucas. Doesn't take you long."

"You are absolutely foul," Amy growled. "Just when I thought you were actually a decent person deep down, and I found myself feeling sorry for you and wanted to stay friends with you. You swing back and forth so quickly. You were definitely right when you said you're stupid."

Raymond stared at Amy. "I thought you needed time?"

"Ray. Please, see sense here. I was with Lucas for six months, so there's a lot of feeling and love there. You can't expect me to throw all of that away for you. You need to give up on me. Go and find someone else. There are plenty of people..."

"No," Raymond said simply.

"No, what? Love is never easy. We all know that. You can't just have what you want all the time. Haven't you learned that?"

"There was something between us."

Raymond eyes were still burning into Amy's gaze.

"There was something, and I regret every day that I acted on it. Lucas deserves so much better. But he can forgive in a way that I'm sure neither of us can. Could you have forgiven me if I'd have been with you and cheated on you with Lucas?"

Raymond remained silent, his jaw clenched.

"I didn't think so. And to make things clear, nothing happened between me and Lucas last night. Not that it's really any of your business. But I'm not like that; I've hurt him enough, and I want things to be right this time."

"I won't give up on you," Raymond spat.

Amy rolled her eyes. "For God sake, Ray. You can't rely on me. I'm willing to be there for you as a friend, but nothing more."

***

Follow Forever tag list: @i-did-not-mean-to @lathalea @middleearthpixie @luna-xial @meganlpie @linasofia @xxbyimm @guardianofrivendell @knitastically @rachel1959 @eunoiaastralwings @asgardianhobbit98 @spidergirla5 @sunflwrnsunnieshine

#Richard Armitage #Lucas North #Lucas North x OC #Spooks #MI-5 #Raymond de Merville #Modern!Raymond de Merville #Raymond de Merville x OC #Original Female Character #Crossover #Pilgrimage

[heytheredeann]

Hi, I hadn’t realised that I had ended up here (I attended you thesis presentation and watched you eat mayo out the jar at 3 am with out realising you where the same person*) but while I’m here I might as well take the opportunity to talk to you about the immortal napoleon au.

1. What about a napoleon death where it’s from something like a brain bleed or something that happen hours, day or even weeks after the initial injury. Say napoleon takes a hit to the head in a mission gone south and they’re back at the safe house, hotel or where ever it is they are staying. They think that the crisis has been averted and the danger has passed. But then Napoleon just sort of drops down the floor maybe displaying other symptoms of a Brian bleed (seizures, headaches, balance issues, dizziness, confusion etc.). So I just takes them all by surprise including Napoleon.

2. What happens to his injuries if Napoleon doesn’t die. Like is the immortality part of some wider more general healing ability or does it just relate specifically to his death. Your other fics in this au show that when he comes back to life all his injuries are healed. But if his concerned and oh so helpful partners drag him to a hospital or manage to safe his life some other way does that mean that he’s left to recover the long and painful way like the rest of us meer (mear?) mortals?

*sorry if that reference confuses you it’s something I picked up from either leverage or 9-1-1 tumblr possibly both.

Hello! I did understand the mayo out of the jar reference looool, it actually made me laugh and I'm happy that you enjoyed both my accounts separately! <3

I'm actually answering now because I've FINALLY written an outline for your brain bleed idea (it's actually a great spin on this kind of scenario, I love it), which is not to say that I know when/if I'll actually write it, but the intention is there at least LOL

If I do manage to finish it I'll add a link to the fics in the notes of this post!

As for your question, no, he doesn't have any healing abilities so long as he's still alive! If he dies then yes, he comes back fully healed, no harm done, but any injury that is not fatal will heal normally. So yeah, if his poor concerned partners were to drag him to a hospital and save him by miracle he would have to go through the entire recovery process like the rest of us.

Which, like, in a way he does still prefer, because dying is not fun and he is NOT banking on his immortality not just disappearing one day, since he has NO IDEA how any of this works and he doesn't like just taking the chance for no reason. But that doesn't mean that the recovery wouldn't involve a lot internal complaining about how IF HE HAD JUST GOTTEN SHOT IN THE HEAD then THIS would have been avoided, he wouldn't be DYING OF BOREDOM stuck in a hospital bed and eating hospital food (the HORROR). At least if he DOES die of boredom he will be free to get up and go home after.

So yeah, that would not be fun for him but it would probably be fun for me, since I enjoy writing his internal monologues LOL

Thank you for the ask, sorry it took a while to answer! I hope you have a nice day/night <3

#napoleon solo #the man from uncle #tmfu #not spn #my fanfic #ely replies #anon

[piecksz]

dirty little secret | (m)

pairings: jock!eren yeager x fem!reader

warnings: nsfw, dub con, cheating, creampie, oral sex (male receiving), mouth fucking, saliva, unprotected sex, penetrative sex, sneaky sex, explicit language

words: 3.2k+

summary: eren’s unsatisfied in his relationship with his girlfriend, so he looks to you for sexual gratification.

a/n: all the characters in this story are adults! it was originally meant to be a college au but the whole “fire drill” detail doesn’t really make sense in a college setting since fire drills are typically held in dorms, so as per usual 18+ minors dni. 

Your legs moved quickly against the polished tile of the hallway while you sped up to meet with your class who had already been far ahead of you, disappearing into the throng of people filing outside at the blaring signal of the fire alarm.

You’d excused yourself during your lesson to use the bathroom, unaware that an unplanned drill had been scheduled for that day, so with haste you finished up and rushed to rendezvous with the rest of your classmates before you were left inside the building.

As you rounded the corner, you felt a pair of hands wrap around your forearm, forcibly pulling you behind the small door that stood at the end of the corridor.

Instinctively, your hands balled into fists, and you threw them blindly in the direction of your assailant. You hoped that you’d at least land one successful hit, and it would give you enough time to break out of their hold and flee.

“Y/N, relax! It’s just me!”

Your hysterical flailing ceased, and you opened your eyes hesitantly at the sound of your attacker’s familiar voice. “Eren?”

Frantic pupils fell upon a pair of mischievous jade eyes, and your terror-stricken expression contorted into an angry scowl as you drove the palms of your hands into his chest, sending him careening back into the metal shelf behind him. “You asshole! What is wrong with you?”

Eren’s quick reflexes allowed him to catch himself and the rack before both were sent tumbling to the floor. “Ow,” he grumbled, rubbing away the soreness spreading over the skin of his arm from your knuckles’ potent impact. “You’ve got a brutal left hook.”

“Yeah? You wanna see my right one?” Your right hand tightened as if you were projecting another throw, but Eren’s outstretched arm maintained a safe amount of space between you two. “What the hell are you doing in here?”

Eren’s tightly-wound eyebrows began to arch as his distressed face eased into a buoyant grin. “I wanted to see you. I missed you.”

You blinked. “Were you the one that pulled the fire alarm?”

“No, I didn’t pull the fucking fire alarm,” he replied sourly, evidently offended that you’d suggest he’d do something so juvenile. “I just got lucky.”

Your curled lip relaxed, and your irritation waned into a resigned stare. You desperately wanted to trust Eren’s saccharine words, and it didn’t take much effort to believe him while you were faced with his stupidly winsome expression. His smile was warm, eyes glossing over with adoration like he was truly expressing what he felt, and it wasn’t just empty flattery, yet you’d been more perceptive than to just take his intentions for what they were. Rather, you’d been smart enough to learn from last time.

He’d said something along the same lines, after you two had hooked up in his car after his lacrosse game. He was feeling mirthful after winning and wanted to celebrate with you, but on the cusp of his orgasm, he’d let the “love” phrase slip, and when you’d asked him about it afterward, Eren mulled over it for a second before nodding, admitting that he had feelings for you.

His confession had been somewhat of a relief, and you’d expected him to end things with his girlfriend shortly after he’d realized what he really wanted, but the following day in the courtyard, you were stunned to see Eren sitting with her and the rest of his friends, showering her with kisses like nothing had taken place the night before.

You swore you’d learned your lesson.

“Are these new? Can I see them?” Eren’s fingers gently wrapped around the frame of your glasses, pulling them from your face, and he slid them onto his ears, adjusting their position on his nose. “How do I look?”

“I can’t see, Eren,” you answered simply.

Eren laughed bashfully. “Right, I think they look better on you instead.” He slid your glasses off and tucked them back behind your ears.

Your lenses restored your lucid vision, and now that you could properly see, you noticed the way Eren’s lips were parted, lids low and languid as his face lingered only inches from yours. He’d used your glasses as leverage to get closer to you, a crafty technique, and now that he was close enough, he could whisper.

“You know what else looks better on you?” The corner of his mouth quirked upwards into his cheek, and he closed the space between you two, fixing his lips onto yours while his thumb and index finger supported the curve of your chin. His kiss was slow, mouth undulating with the most tender of movements, and when he carefully slid his tongue between your teeth you could taste the vague chill of spearmint on his breath. He proceeded timidly, as though he was touching you for the first time, but that was the very detail of your couplings that always had you running back. He handled you like he cared.  

The tip of Eren’s nose skimmed against yours, ever so slightly, while he continued prompting his tongue further into the depths of your mouth, eager to have you savor his desire.

Your body was traitorous and unmoving, allowing Eren to command you with his lips, and for a few blissful minutes, you forgot the two of you were crammed into the unyielding space of a storage room.

Eren withdrew from your mouth, and tilted his head to the side so he could occupy the empty curve of your neck, and once you felt him press mild kisses to the hollow of your throat, you freed a displeased sigh and sent him backwards with an assertive push.

“Seriously? In the supply closet?”

“We’ve got like fifteen minutes before everyone comes back.” He reassured you, shrugging dismissively before tipping his head in for another kiss.

You shifted backward, studying Eren as he continued to lean in until his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Wondering why he wasn’t receiving any contact, his eyes flitted open.

“You still haven’t broken up with her have you?” You pressed your lips into an unamused line.

Your question had Eren angling until he was standing upright, and then he rolled his head back and released a groan as though already tired from your question. “Y/N, come on. I don’t feel like having this conversation.”

“Have you?” you probed.

“No, I haven’t. It’s not that easy.”

“It really is.”

Eren drew his eyebrows up, now in regret. “We’ve been together since freshman year. Do you know how big of a douchebag it makes me look if I break up with her two months before graduation?”

You scoffed, folding your arms across your chest. “Do you know how big of a douchebag you look fucking me behind her back?”

Eren’s eyes drifted to the side.

“Or are you just embarrassed to be seen with me?” you questioned, canting your body into his view.

“Okay, you sound ridiculous,” Eren laughed dryly.

“Because I’m not a cheerleader or an athlete, and I have about one other friend. You don’t want everyone to know you’re fucking the girl that spends lunch in the library.”

“What kind of cliche movie do you think we’re in right now?”

“It’s just something I’d expect from someone who peaked in high school.” Your words were sharp on the tip of your tongue, and you could tell by the way Eren recoiled that your statement managed to penetrate his seemingly careless guise.

“I’ll handle it okay?” Eren’s hand slid over the back of his neck, looking blameworthy of all the faults you’d accused him of. “But right now I really need help handling something else.”

Your eyes narrowed in his direction after realizing he’d managed to do it again, forcing you into forgiveness with his charming abashed impression. He’d taken advantage of how spineless you were when it came to matters concerning him.

“Please?” he urged.

It was his thick brown brows that were creased in the middle and opalescent green eyes that stared you down that made him look so sincere. He was easily one of the most spellbinding people you’d ever met, attractive and likable, he knew exactly what cards to play to get his way, and even though you were aware of it, you always found yourself wrapped around his finger. A pretty face and a sweet tongue was a recipe written up by the devil himself.

You lowered yourself onto your knees, leveled with Eren’s hands working swiftly against the buttons of his slacks. “I’m done doing this, Yeager,” you announced wryly.

“I know,” Eren said, as though guaranteeing you it would be the last time.

He pushed his pants down along with his briefs in one swift motion, freeing his cock from the tight cotton confines of his underwear. His length was already rigid, the sticky beads of precum leaking out of his swollen head the result of your stalling. He’d already provoked himself by thinking of all the ways he wanted to have you, you didn’t have to do anything more to get him hard.

A relieved exhale left Eren’s lips once he grabbed the base of his cock in the sweaty heat of his palm, tapping his wet tip against your bottom lip, then he pulled the hem of his shirt up slightly, allowing you enough clearance to take him into your mouth.

You wrapped a ginger hand around his length, feeling the way his warmth throbbed in your fingers, and you leaned in, using your tongue to lap along the rim of his cock.

“Fuck—” Eren’s voice was husky as it ripped through the depths of his throat. He watched you with heavy lids, observing the way your tongue’s tip danced around his swollen head, giving coy licks to his slit, and the way his cock twitched with need at the slightest provocation. “Jesus Christ—”

You gave him a few generous pumps before taking him whole, humming at the way his girth felt against the inside of your cheeks. The skin of his length ran like hot silk over your tongue as you fell into a natural rhythm, and your lips and hand rocked back and forth against him.

Eren’s face broke out into a dirty grin. “You’re such a little slut for my cock, aren’t you?”

You glared up at him over the edge of your glasses.

“Sorry,” he responded meekly, fingers brushing away the strands of hair that fell loosely against his forehead.

You continued working against him, excited by the honeyed melody of his moans every time your fingertips ran over the sensitive skin of his balls. Eren’s cock pulsated against the surface of your tongue with each small ministration, and you watched the muscles across his abdomen tense.

“I know you hate me,” he started. “But you have no idea how hot you look on your knees right now. Keep glaring at me like that, and I’m gonna cum in your mouth.”

The mention of Eren’s warning had a torrent of heat surging between your legs, and you fought off the urge to dip your fingers beneath your skirt and begin rubbing away your discomfort. You didn’t want him to know you were enjoying this almost as much as he was.

Your heavy yet stifled breathing caused your glasses to fog lightly, so you sat back on your knees, withdrawing your mouth from him briefly to catch your breath. You lifted a thumb to wipe away at the saliva that dribbled down your chin, but Eren’s fast fingers stopped you, holding your wrist away from your face.

“Don’t,” he breathed. “You look pretty like that.”

You ran the back of your hand across your cheeks, as though you were trying to rub off the furious heat that crept across your skin and over your nose. “Shut up.”

Eren only responded with an amused smile.

Then when you brought him back to your lips for the last time, his hands settled on the crown of your head, and he pushed his cock back in until his tip relentlessly prodded the back of your throat. Holding your head in place, he began jerking his hips, fucking your mouth at an agonizingly slow pace that had heavy tears cascading down your cheeks.

Every time his cock slowly and deliberately pressed against the back of your throat, you gagged involuntarily, fingertips digging into the side of his thighs.

“Feel how hard I am?” Eren asked. “You did that.” He rocked his pelvis forward again, muffling your whines.

“Yeah? You like it when I fuck your pretty little face, don’t you?” He thrusted himself between your jaws, throwing his head back and liberating a series of foul swears. “I really need to feel you.”

With the declaration of his wish, he pulled his cock out of your mouth, inhaling sharply at the obscene sight of his length coated and dripping with your spit.

After your dry heaving subsided, Eren helped you up with a gentle hand, running his palm between your shoulder blades to soothe your coughing. He made sure you were steady before cuing you to turn so that your back was facing him, then he watched as your shaky hands slid underneath your skirt and fingers hooked around the fabric of your underwear.

“Pull out this time, Eren. I mean it,” you rasped, cautioning him ahead of time. You stepped out of your underwear and used the toe of your shoe to cast it aside.

Eren’s hands reached under your hem, large palms gliding over the curve of your ass. “The odds of you getting pregnant are like one in what?” He flipped up your skirt and continued teasing the skin of your backside. “Plus I always cover you for the pill, don’t I?”

“I don’t care, cum in me and you’re dead.” Your fingers gripped the edge of the metal shelf, and you slid your arm around Eren’s shoulder while he placed one hand on your waist for support and curved the other under your thigh. Then, he brought your knee up to his chest until all of your weight was allocated onto one leg.

Eren held his cock with his fingertips and slid himself between your folds from behind. You let out a soft, unanticipated whimper, but quickly brought your teeth down on the flesh of your tongue to smother any more sounds of pleasure. You didn’t even bother looking over your shoulder at Eren’s satisfied smirk, you could tell by the way his hand squeezed your thigh that he had noticed it.

Eren positioned himself at your entrance, skimming his wet tip over your hole before sliding himself inside you. His cock slipped in with ease, your saliva acting as a crude lubricant.

“Oh fuck—” His breath was hot over the span of your neck.

“Eren—” you sighed, forgetting all your pretenses. You closed your eyes, enjoying the way he stretched you out, and then he started moving causing a pattern of shallow cries and moans to fall from your lips.

“Fuck Y/N, you drive me fucking crazy,” Eren groaned, thrusting up into you, slowly and rhyhmically, steadily filling you to the hilt every time, while his hand traveled beneath your ribcage to cup your breast over the crisp fabric of your uniform. “She doesn’t take me as well as you do.”

You shook your head, making weak sounds of protest between delicate whines. “I don’t wanna hear that, Eren—”

“But it’s true.” Eren moved quickly between your legs, hissing every time your slick walls tightened around his aching cock. With each punctuated thrust, you continued to lose yourself, until your need unfurled and Eren had you under siege. His methodical pace sent you into a flurry of moans, and you cried his name over and over.

His even strokes began to stagger, and his breathing became rapid and shallow, chaotic pants of hot air rolling out over the span of your shoulder.

“I’m gonna cum—” He continued pounding into you, faster now, harder, keen on drawing out his orgasm, and then Eren gave one last thrust, so deep it had you shutting your eyes and pursing your lips to keep from screaming. Then he shuddered, his body convulsing with the bout of his orgasm, and you felt him release inside of you, thick, hot ropes of cum flooding your pussy with every twitch of his cock.

“Y/N—” he moaned, resting his chin in the curve of your shoulder while he continued to jettison every drop of his release until he was sure he was empty.

Your hands tightened around his shoulder, as the ripple from Eren’s climax had your cunt tightening around his length, and ecstasy spread over the span of your pelvis and down your thighs. Once he grew limp, he slipped himself out of you, and you felt a slow stream of his cum run down the inside of your thigh.

“I said not to cum in me you fucking idiot.” Your legs were sweaty, making it easier for you to twist yourself out of Eren’s hold until you were now standing upright, both legs planted unsteadily on the ground.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it.” Eren wrapped his arms around you apologetically, but you shrugged him off, using your elbow to drive him back.

Your eyes scanned the closet with haste, looking for tissue paper you could steal to clean up the mess between your thighs, and Eren must have sensed your aim because he made use of his height, seizing a large roll from the top shelf and unwrapping it before handing it to you.

You grabbed it out of his hands, waiving a statement of gratitude, and ripped away a few plies, crumpling them up into a generous wad. “You owe me eighty dollars.”

Eren’s eyebrows lifted and his face twisted into an incredulous expression while he stuffed himself back into his pants and buttoned them up. “Are you running a prostitution ring?”

“I’m serious. Fifty for the pill and thirty just for dealing with you.” You straightened out your uniform, and watched as Eren did the same, tugging on his collar to smooth out the creases.

“You’re a mean little bitch,” he jeered with a slight playful undertone, and then he looked off to the side in concentration. He turned around, pressing his ear to the door of the supply closet, and then he looked back at you. “I think they’re coming back.”

You hummed.

“I’ll walk out first.”

“Right,” you said unenthusiastically, recalling that no matter how many praises he lavished you with in private, in public you were still his dirty little secret. He vowed to you that he would end his current relationship because it was clear you were growing tired of being his toy, good enough for him to fuck but undeserving of anything else. And after all was said and done, when you two passed each other in the halls, he’d still glance at you with the cordiality of a stranger.

Eren had promised to handle it, yet it was obvious he had no intentions to, and you knew that while you watched him give you a fond smile before slipping out of the supply closet.

#eren smut #eren yeager smut #eren x reader #eren x reader smut #eren yeager x reader #eren yeager x reader smut #aot smut #aot x reader #aot x reader smut #attack on titan smut #attack on titan x reader #attack on titan x reader smut #aot au #eren au #attack on titan au

[probably-haven]

after binge reading i have come to a new revelation: I’m not a fan of most Xiaoven fanfics

Don’t get me wrong, I love the ship and its one of my favorite to think about.... but most of the fanfiction for the ship just- doesn’t sit right with me for a number of reasons. 

Disclaimer: these are personal opinions from my own taste and are in no way an attack against any authors out there, because frankly fanfic authors are great and not like i could do better lol. As these are personal opinions, I acknowledge here and now that a number of people disagree and that they are under no obligation to change their opinions in any way as it is not and never will be my intention to tell others what they should be thinking That said- read at your own risk if you want- meh, anyway-

time to share some opinions that have been on my mind lately

The biggest reason.... is how they handle Xiao. And I don’t even mean mischaracterization because Xiao is such a complex and yet simultaneously simple character that as long as you’re somewhere in the range of “Xiao vibes” it’s really hard to write him out of character because of his complexities. What I mean is something that i actually completely agree with as being accurate to his character. In nearly every single fanfic I’ve seen, there is some element of idolization that Xiao has for Venti, or for the sake of reference, Barbatos. He tends to think himself beneath Barbatos and/or indebted to him, whether that be because he’s an archon, because he saved him, or simply because of Xiao’s tendency to dehumanize(yes i see the irony in that word usage) himself.  This by itself isn’t an issue but its often how this trait of his is treated.

Imma just list a few ways I’ve seen this be handled within Xiaoven fics. - It isn’t handled, it’s just there and accepted as a part of who he is in the story - It isn’t handled but his trait is treated as source of humor within the story - Venti(and others) roll with it (finding humor in it, just cant change it, encouraging it, making jokes about it, etc.) - Venti takes advantage of it(whether accidentally or purposely) - it’s actually addressed(by Venti or someone else or the narration- can go a number of ways, but just- even a brief reference to the fact that its not a good mindset fits in here) - savior!Venti(Where venti disagrees with it but the way it’s written gives off “god among mortals” vibes- like he’s just being humble and truly is above him in reality) - its the focus of the story  - not directly addressed but shown to be destructive.  - they chose not to not include this in the story’s characterization of Xiao(just saying that this is valid ahead of time) Theres others but i have a lot already.  Note that I tend to read more ‘serious-toned’(idk if that makes sense) fics so that may skew my perception

Now there’s a few that i have issues with on their own- both instances of it not being handled, Venti(and others) rolling with it, Venti takes advantage of it(purposely(and without good intent)), and savior!Venti. Xiao not only has this trait, but he is unfamiliar with what is normal in relationships or emotions as a result of isolation and inexperience. He is also either not aware of or not concerned with what is considered strictly “healthy.” Combining these makes for a rather dangerous combination and just accepting it as “oh he’s just like that, it’s who he is” or making it out to be something funny- It’s not wrong or bad by any means necessarily, and I could still possibly enjoy it to an extent depending on a series of different factors, but its- not as often.  Even in the case where I do enjoy reading it however, I would still feel uncomfortable sharing it with or recommending it to others because in the first instance it feels like normalizing a destructive and dangerous mindset, and in the second case it does the same while simultaneously making a joke of it. It’s the same deal with Venti or other characters rolling with it, but that’s probably gonna be mentioned later too. Not to say that this is a “wrong” way to handle it, that it makes the fic bad, or that authors even are normalizing anything by doing so, just that in my specific instance- not a fan. 

I’ll get to the others when i talk more about Venti, but for now: It’s the focus of the story. I think I saw like... 2? where the story was like- focused on this and why its a problem which- power to them, address those real world problems like a boss- but also i wouldn’t actively seek it out or anything- like, good job, but doing so just leaves it open neutrally for other factors to decide how good a story i think it is. 

not directly addressed but shown to be destructive. You’d think i wouldn’t like this- but frankly in fanfiction not everyone wants to address every character flaw verbally because it can through off story, narration, dialogue, and general flow to do so. This can be with an event, an action, a dialogue, a mere comment, making it actually fit into the it’s actually addressed category except that its- subtle enough to make its own category. plus i live for show not tell- in everything- its a thing. im- very much a fan of when the fics do this but the subtlety is easy to miss and its not common so- 

It’s actually adressed- doesnt have to be a lot- just mention anywhere or imply anywhere that maybe idolizing someone as a god and savior and being in a relationship with them while having little knowledge of standards, emotions, relationships, or healthy behaviors in general- maybe isnt the smartest idea in the word. (”Call me Venti, not Barbatos” by itself is not enough to fit in this category tho as a note)

-

Now lets talk about Venti...

uh.... those who have followed me for awhile will probably already know this but... I have a lot of opinions on Venti and a pretty- “niche(?)” perception of his characterization that isn’t shared by a lot of others- so I don’t actually read as much Venti fanfic in general as you might expect because I often end up disagreeing with how writers portray him, which again, in no way is their characterization wrong, but- “their perceived truth” conflicts with “my perceived truth” and by extent so does the characterization, though neither is any more correct than the other from an objective point of view, if that makes sense... but anyways now that that’s said, moving on before this becomes a philosophy lecture, as fun as that would be for me.  I’ll try to keep my “perceived truth” out of this for the first bit. 

Venti’s response to this: 

He rolls with it: this depends on the mood of the fanfiction. If they dont put a lot of stress on that trait of Xiao’s it totally fine but if the trait seems to be a major part of Xiao’s character, it seems like normalization once more. (more on this later)

he takes advantage of it purposely: if its an AU or something and Venti’s like a villain(i saw a few) then- villain venti isnt my cup of tea but i have no qualms. If they don’t portray Venti in a negative light while having him take advantage however that’s a bit uncomfortable to read for me because it feels like normalizing taking advantage of that mindset as well as the mindset itself. However, i did see a number of instances of Venti using it as leverage for like- self care- which i definitely have no qualms. Xiao: [insert probably destructive idolizing statement about being indebt] Venti: How bout you pay me back by actually sleeping for once smh or other variations are okay and depending on the vibe are actually a really fun dynamic as long as it doesnt turn into romanticizing or normalizing it, y’know?

Venti accidentally taking advantage of it.... I love angst- and in most of these theres a sense of guilt when he realizes- and i just think thats a lovely way of addressing the dangers of such a mindset for both sides. As long as it doesn’t keep repeating to the point of romanticization its totally cool to read in my eyes(not irl ofc). If Venti never realizes he accidentally took or is taking advantage it feels a bit like normalization, and if he does but just- doesn’t care thats- a rip.

savior!Venti...... i- i hate. the story giving off vibes that Xiao’s mindset is technically correct while Venti oh so humbly tells him to treat him as an equal like the wonderful and charitable person he is.... i just- no. of course thats over dramatizing it- I think the main thing that gives it this vibe is when Venti doesn’t seem either concerned, surprised, uncomfortable, or otherwise have a negative feeling towards Xiao’s mindset. Just- it makes the whole thing weird in my eyes when Venti doesnt really seem to have his own reason to oppose the mindset idk- 

-

fact time!

Venti is the god of freedom. His backstory is freeing Mondstadt from a god’s tyrannical reign. His origin is a windsprite, just another breeze bringing changes for the better. His form is a nameless boy who played an instrument and then died, thus failing at his only dream and only ever accomplishing anything because of the help of others. He slept for a thousand years after the archon war to avoid putting Mond under the rule of yet another tyrannical god. He only even became a god because Andrius chose to let him. He wouldn’t have even had that chance if the nameless bard had survived, he’d remain just another wind while his friend ascended to godhood. Venti sacrifices his own power for his people’s freedom. 

now that I’ve laid out a number of canon facts, time for opinions:

Venti has little to no desire to be seen as a god. He thrives in, comes from, and emphasizes a lack of superiority in quite nearly everything. The first Ragnvindir, who canonically turned his back on Venti after Decarabian’s fall, likely did so because one- he anticipated power would corrupt and Venti would soon become just another tyrannical god, two- he suspected Venti used the nameless bard in an attempt to rise to godhood, or three- idk insert other possibilities to acknowledge again that i could totally be wrong.

Look me in the eyes and tell me Venti wouldnt trade godhood for his friend in an instant. His godhood was only granted to him because his friend died and could easily serve to constantly remind him of what could have been and what he lost. Venti takes no enjoyment from being seen as superior and in my opinion, I feel that it could actually make him largely uncomfortable when his divinity and abilities as an archon get involved-

also self promotion for my favorite posts- check out #archon war era venti if thats interesting to you

so anyway Venti rolling with it or making jokes about it just doesn’t sit right with me.- 

-

Okay! enough talking about that mindset!

idk- i have... a few/lot of other gripes and stuff or just things that kinda throw off the vibe for me but that’s the main one plus my general personal pickiness when it come to Venti fanfics- but this has gotten long enough already- 

idk i just felt like rambling about it and i haven’t done a long post in a while so-

again, I love the ship and its actually one of my favorites- just the fanfic isnt my thing..... that doesn’t mean i don’t still love it and come up with a whole ton of brainrot and ideas on it tho lmao

#genshin impact #genshin xiao #genshin venti #xiaoven #genshin barbatos #opinions #discourse #? idk ill tag it just in case #dont mind my constant backtracking and justifying and repeated disclaimers- #i just have a crippling fear of being cancelled lol

[systematicallycapricious]

Persona x Soul Eater AU

Spoilers for Personas 3-5 (and their remakes FES, Golden, and Royal), PQ1 (Shadow of the Labyrinth), and the P4: Arena series below, as well as the Soul Eater and Soul Eater: Not! anime (and potentially manga? it’s been a while, so I forget)!

Cast (We = Weapon, M = Meister, H = Human, Wi = Witch, O = Other):

SEES:

Minato Arisato - M | Aigis - Multiform-We | Ryoji Mochizuki - We

Minako Arisato - M | Yukari Takeba - We | Ryoji Mochizuki - We | Aigis - Multiform-We

Junpei Iori - M | Chidori Yoshino - We (presently)

Akihiko Sanada - M or We? | Shinjiro Aragaki We or M?

Mitsuru Kirijo - We (Meisterless and badass; probably a rapier?)

Ken Amada - M | Koromaru - We (a non-human Weapon)

Fuuka Yamagishi - Wi (??? animal)

Investigation Team:

Yu Narukami - M | Teddie - We (potentially a non-human Weapon)

Yosuke Hanamura - M | Labrys - Multiform-We

Chie Satonaka - We or M? | Yukiko Amagi M or We?

Kanji Tatsumi - M? | Naoto Shirogane - We?

Rise Kujikawa - Wi (??? animal)

Phantom Thieves:

Ren Amamiya - M | Morgana - We

Ryuji Sakamoto - M or We? | Yuuki Mishima We or M?

Yusuke Kitagawa - M | Ann Takamaki - We (a whip)

Makoto Nijima - We or M? | Haru Okumura - M or We?

Goro Akechi - M | Robin Hood - We (a bow) | Loki - We (a greatsword)

Kasumi Yoshizawa - M | Sumire Yoshizawa - We (a ribbon wand)

Futaba Sakura - Wi (??? animal)

Etc:

Daisuke Nagase - We or M? | Kou Ichijo - M or We?

Rei - H

Zen - We, H, or maybe O?

Takuto Maruki - H

Sho - M | Minazuki - We (separate entities in this; Minazuki's a katana)

Shuji Ikutsuki - H

Takaya Sakaki - M | Jin Shirato - We | Chidori Yoshino - We (formerly)

Marie/Izanami-no-Mikoto - Wi (??? animal)

More Notes:

The 'Wild Cards' in this just have really good partnership/Resonance abilities with everyone in their groups, so they can work with any of the Weapons in their groups (and even outside of them a lot of times... looking at Ren and Loki for an example. xP) uncannily naturally.

The Navis in this are all Witches, but good-natured ones, and use their magic to support their respective groups/help make the world a better place. For example, Futaba would probably be able to 'hack' souls somehow with her magic, and also her reclusiveness in this would be at least in part due to being terrified of people finding out her true nature as a Witch. I'm not sure how welcomed/persecuted/the general climate of Witches are/is in this AU yet though.

The Arisato twins and Ryoji are all children of Death in this, with Ryoji being the older sibling and the twins being twins. Death is still Death like he is in SE-OG in this AU, more or less.

Ryoji and Aigis tend to float between Minato and Minako as their secondary partners, though Aigis tends to stick more to Minato as his primary partner and much less often swaps to Minako, while Ryoji shifts between his two siblings more frequently. Yukari swaps about as much as the rest of SEES's Weapons do among their Wild Cards, which is more or less situationally or for fun. Despite this, Aigis and Ryoji still don't get along particularly well with one another, only putting up with each other for their Meisters' sakes.

Strega did exist in this, though I'm not sure yet what their aim was, or the fate of its members. At the very least, they were some kind of rogue antagonist group, and Takaya used to be the Meister of both Jin and Chidori. Chidori ends up defecting to DWMA though, or whatever organization Junpei is a part of.

Aigis, maybe Ryoji?, Mitsuru, Labrys, and Minazuki are all Weapons that can fight without Meisters. Loki and/or Robin Hood might also be among them? I'm undecided.

Originally, I was considering having the cast have their Personas as their Weapon-partners, and just have them have personalities based off of their Shadow-selves' but more aligned with their accepted-selves, but I decided against it in the end. Akechi gets to be the exception, because he's Akechi.

Speaking of Akechi-- Robin and Loki are very powerful Weapons in this AU. Loki's 'chaos magic' would become an incredibly chaotic/maddening soul-wavelength that most others wouldn't be able to handle contact with on its own, as well as perhaps some Madness magic or abilities of some kind? Robin's soul meanwhile would be much calmer and help to counteract/cover-up Loki's from those who can sense souls, as well as perhaps provide some tactical abilities; I'm undecided on that for now. I'm not sure who's side Akechi would be on in this AU yet, like if he was being manipulated by a Shido-like person or not, and for what reason if so.

As for Robin and Loki's personalities and appearances in this... Well, the latter would be somewhat similar to their Persona forms probably, including some of the less-human traits given OG-SE characters (*stares intensely at Excalibur*), and the former would also be somewhat based off of those, as well as sort of how Akechi acts in relation to both of his 'masks'? So Robin tends to be calmer and more polite, though he still possesses a small amount of vengeful desire or bloodlust, whilst Loki is a lot more chaotic, hot-blooded, and very vengeful/aggressive. Both share a tendency towards showiness however, and sometimes get in small competitions with one another to up the other to impress their Meister or be the better Weapon among themselves (since they both might think already that they're superior to other Weapons in general? Unsure).

Also speaking of manipulated and abused children, Sho and Minazuki, alongside Ikutsuki, more or less replace Crona, Ragnarok, and Medusa in this. Not fully 1-for-1 however. Ikutsuki is very much a human, albeit a Mad or power-hungry one (still kinda looking to create a Kishin or otherwise bring about some kind of catastrophic destruction), and Minazuki is a separate Weapon, as opposed to how Ragnarok is Crona's Black Blood. Minazuki and Sho might be twins however, just with one a human/Meister and the other a Weapon. They look almost identical physically in this AU, even down to haircuts, but Minazuki lacks the iconic X-ish shaped face scarring that Sho possesses (and overall the two have a different patterning of scars across their bodies), and Sho's irises appear to be more gray while Minazuki's appear to be more blue. Weapon-form-wise, Minazuki looks like Sho's OG katanas, just in different colors and as a singular blade rather than a pair.

Ikutsuki is still forcing Sho and Minazuki to become stronger in similar methods to Medusa in some ways however, such as going out and obtaining/consuming great amounts of human (and maybe even Witch) souls.

Sho's a little less messed-up than Crona is, due to Minazuki being supportive of and dedicated to him as opposed to bullying him into submission like Ragnarok does to Crona. That being said however, I don't yet know why Minazuki hasn't yet defected from Ikutsuki. P: Other than that, Minazuki is kind of like Sho's impulse control and logical reasoning at times, due to being able to control when he transforms into his Weapon form and thus deny Sho access to his weaponry in times where he's being reckless or unreasonable. Soul-wavelengths-wise, too, Minazuki's soul just in general helps to keep Sho's soul/wavelength more stable probably?

Also in terms of replacing SE cast and plots; The IT replaces Maka et al for the sake of the main story most likely, with SEES being their upperclassmen or alumni and the PT being their underclassmen, if they even attend DWMA at this point anyways.

Lotsa dead people in OG are alive in this AU; Minato, Minako, and Ryoji, Shinjiro, Kasumi, etc.

Speaking of Kasumi; she fights kind of like Sumire does in Royal, that being making use of their gymnastics and priorly-athletic builds. Both sisters are gymnists in this still.

Alternatively, Sho and Minazuki's situations almost ended up reversed, leaving a highly impulsive/aggressive Weapon-Sho and a Meister-Minazuki who would have the kinda backwards idealology of trying to protect his Weapon partner in times where it would be best left to the Weapon to defend their Meister, but also really good at getting Sho to focus when wielding him as a weapon/in resonance (and can in general reign him in to some degree while others can't), making them an exceedingly deadly duo. I kind of prefer Minazuki as the Weapon however, as fun as the reverse could be, as it gives Ikutsuki a bit more leverage over Sho's situation I think? Also in that vein, it would make a lot of sense, given OG, for Minazuki to be more like a Black Blood entity like Ragnarok; however, I like Minazuki being able to have his own body in this, so that can be left for another AU perhaps. xP

Ikutsuki would infiltrate/be trusted by the DWMA in this AU at first, like Medusa was, but eventually get outed for his true intentions most likely. He might be a teacher or other kind of faculty rather than a nurse however?

Maruki meanwhile gets to play the role of school nurse in this. He's not a few screws loose like his Royal counterpart is though, he's just a humble nurse. However, he does still have his interest in researching dangerous subjects, though I haven't yet decided if that would be magic, Witches, Madness, Kishins, or what. It could potentially put him in knowing-contact with the Navis, if they aren't already known to be Witches by the DWMA anyways.

I'm not yet sure on what to do with Adachi or Nyx yet. Nyx might be some kind of Madness-related catastrophe, power, or individual perhaps however?

Rei and Zen are probably just civilians in this. Zen just happens to be really devoted to protecting/looking after(?) Rei still. xD

I'm undecided on if Marie should be amnesiac about her Witchhood or if she should be more like Izanami-no-Mikoto from OG in this.

Yusuke is still obsessed with artistry and beauty in this, so you can imagine what he's like as a Meister. He is still capable as a fighter and dependable when needed... more or less, but is also still easily distracted by, and places higher priority on, such things.

Ryuji kinda gets the short end of the stick because I didn't particularly know who to pair him with or what really to do with him at the moment. Mishima's a big tentative as his partner as a result of that, though I think it could prove to be an interesting relationship potentially.

I'm hoping to add more SL/Confidant and secondary/tertiary/background cast peeps eventually into various roles, but I'd need to do more refreshing/research on them first. I also haven't decided on if I should include Metis in this or not.

If the SE info is inaccurate, it's because I haven't seen the anime or read-up on it in like years. I might do clarifying/fact-checking research some day, but for now, nah. xP

#Capri's Persona-AU Musings #Persona series #Persona 3 #Persona 4 #Persona 4 Arena #Persona 4 Arena Ultimax #Persona 5 #Persona Q: SotL #Soul Eater #Persona x SE AU #pretty much involves the casts of all of those games #not the SE cast really though as it's more using the setting of SE with the Persona cast; sorry folks

[may-day-voice]

Prom Night Lights | The End

Hitoshi Shinsou Timeline | 172732014

please do not repost, but you have permission to reblog :)

• Watch/ Listen on YouTube: https://youtu.be/e30rfoavDdA

• Read on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/1123031111-hitoshi-shinsou-pro-hero-au-172732014-prom-night

They say that milestones are worth celebrating - your first steps, your first words, your first classroom filled with bright-eyed, bushy-tailed kids. And then there are the firsts that hurt you - your first experience with fear, with doubt, with shame and hate. They are what make up the building blocks of life. But now, this was the first of many firsts to follow - school graduation from one of the most prestigious academies in Musatafu.

And your hands were sweaty.

“Hey, we’re going to be fine,” assured a whisper beside you, finding that smile on Midoriya’s face.

“Yeah, yeah of course. We’ll be fine,” you agreed, chuckling nervously, hoping that alone assured your anxiousness.

“You could give Bakugou a run for his money,” whispered Kaminari beside you with a grin.

“Not funny.”

“I mean, come on, you’re sweating bullets and we haven’t been called to the stage.”

You pouted at Kaminari while you clenched your fists, keeping track with every breath you took. It was a simple walk, shaking hands, accepting your paper then off you went. Classes have been practicing and rehearsing days before, and yet you felt the nerves brew in your gut. The words that echoed from the microphone became a drone and a buzz in your head, paying more attention to the voices that crept in instead - the panicked thoughts of your classmates around you from every course. It was loud, cacophonous until you honed your mind into somewhere familiar when the applause rippled through the seats.

“We’ll be fine,” uttered a calm voice, your eyes turning towards him.

You only wished you shared this with one other person who sat down the aisle in the graduating hall. Searching amongst the chairs, you eyed a mop of purple hair, his tired eyes staring back at yours through the applause. You swore you saw a smirk on his face through the crowd before your class was called to attention.

You felt proud to stand alongside Hitoshi Shinsou, a fellow classmate of Class 3-A while each of you turned to make the trek to the stage, ready for the world.

——

The ceremony took longer than many of the students expected - almost three hours at best while you made your way to Heights Alliance. Walking through the school and watching the younger freshman go about their day reminded you of your growth, learning to hone your Quirk and become not only a better Hero, but a better person. Despite Aizawa’s strict regimen, some of the time, you thanked him inwardly for being not only your homeroom teacher, but a role model and someone to aspire to.

Still, graduation was a coming-of-age. You wondered if you deserved it. There had been some thoughts about your acceptance into the Hero course, how you got through by the skin of your teeth, and then your conversations with Shinsou growing with him during the years here at UA. Although he earned his right to be in the Hero course, let alone in 3-A, there was always that conversation about how either of your Quirks would help society, especially after what had happened in the War that felt like a lifetime ago.

A sad smile pulled at your lips with the thought weighing heavily. You had put in some applications for agencies, but still considered your fit into their agendas. After all, who needed a mind reader?

“Well, if it isn’t the runt of Class 3-A,” called a brutish voice from afar. You eyed the student, not recognizing him until you spotted the buttons on his shoulder.

“Hey, we’re talking to you,” called out another next to him.

With a quick glance of your eye, you discovered they were General Studies students, but not ones you recognized from Shinsou’s former class. Perhaps they were from other classes, you thought, while you quickened your pace. You cursed yourself inwardly about walking alone to Heights Alliance, even though it wasn’t too far from the major school grounds. You kicked yourself harder wondering why you declined an invitation by your classmates to hang around the auditorium. You had thought getting to your dorm earlier would help your nerves for tonight.

Otherwise, your nerves were just nerves.

You couldn’t help feeling that unnerving feeling that crawled on your back, knowing those students decided to track behind you. Until-

This is too easy. So much for being a smart Hero.

It wasn’t the first time you’ve heard insults before. You grew up with that kind of treatment, and only felt acceptance here at this academy. Some of the time at least. You wondered while you made a turn away from Heights Alliance and decided to round the school grounds instead. What did they want?

You only continued to walk through the school grounds until, by happenstance, you found yourself on the PE grounds, empty of people. You shook your head knowing that was a mistake to leave populated areas, however, making your tracks back to the auditorium might yield better results should you find your classmates.

But no one was in sight.

Your eyes darted around, having walked under the bleachers before you decided to turn, coming face to face with both students, their tall frames towering over you before they trapped you within their arms, leaning against the metallic skeleton of the bleachers.

“Hey congratulations,” one cooed with a grin, his arm trapping you from escape. “Never thought someone like you would survive.”

Not a word. Not one word, you thought. Eyes on them, only on them.

“Oh wait, you can hear our thoughts,” he commented, his head hovering over yours while you kept your eye on him. “Want to know mine?”

It was hard to ignore while you continued to rake through your mind, your head only filled with the words he thought. You took a few glances around to still find nobody in sight, your vision soon blocked by their bodies trapping you in the bleachers.

“Hey, why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” Crowed a familiar voice from behind them.

“Shinsou?” You called out, spotting his form between them, backlit by the sun that began its descent in the sky. It caught the students’ attention, their eyes turning menacingly towards Shinsou with disdain.

“Two against one isn’t fair,” he continued, eyeing the both of them as if his stare drilled into theirs. Your heart leapt from your chest at the sight, but you heard not a word from the students that cornered you. All they did was stare before one ordered the other silently to approach Shinsou.

You heard their intent loud and clear in your mind, their surface thoughts still hard to ignore before out of your control, you tried to run. Your arm was grabbed violently, holding you back at the bleachers while you watched the scene unfold, forced to watch the first punch fly into Shinsou’s face. It was deathly silent except for the sound of every bone-crushing fist that connected with Shinsou, and yet he did not fight back. He took the blows, one at a time.

“Wait, stop!” you cried, pulling at your arms that held you back.

“Oh look it talks,” snarked the student that held you hostage, tugging you and gripping his hands tightly on your skin. “Out of everyone here, this guy gets special treatment. Someone with a Quirk like his getting into the Hero program, what a joke. You two were made for each other.”

The punches grew wilder and harder, pummeling into Shinsou’s chest and face. And yet, he still did not retaliate. He stood his ground, his face pained with every strike before a giant blow winded his gut, forcing him to his knees.

“Stop it! Let him go!” you yelled, still pulling at the hands that gripped you tightly.

“Aw come on, I don’t think your boyfriend appreciates you shouting like that,” taunted the student before you while he shook his hands beside him, stretching his fingers from the assault.

Shinsou breathed through his teeth, grabbing hold of his gut with a nauseating feeling that travelled in waves through his body. His vision blurred from the pain, staring up at his assailant - this General Studies student - a former fellow if anything.

“That all you got?” he taunted, earning another punch.

“Hitoshi!” You yelled, the voices growing louder with their laughter and their taunts. It wasn’t fair. You had your share of childish behavior. You thought graduation was beyond this, but with every strike to Shinsou, it stung. This wasn’t meant to be.

Until the voices stopped.

A snap echoed in the air before both students were wrapped tightly in bindings, constricted in the cloth that froze them in place. You felt your arms release from their hands before running to Shinsou, leaning to aid him in his now beaten and battered body.

“And I was having such a good day today,” retorted a cool yet aggravated voice.

Especially aggravated.

Following the trails of his Binding Cloth, you found Aizawa standing by the pathways, his eyes glowing red while keeping the other students constricted within his grasp. You pulled Shinsou onto his feet, draping his arm around your shoulder for leverage before you turned to Aizawa, his eyes unmoving while he continued to stare.

“Take him to Recovery Girl,” he ordered. “Don’t mind me.”

Without another word, you slowly made your way to the Nurse’s Office, keeping Shinsou on his feet and leaving Aizawa behind.

——

“Ow.”

Shinsou sat on one of a few stretchers in the Nurse's Office, now bandaged after being tended to by Recovery Girl. It was still hilarious to see how she worked her magic, seeing that Shinsou was almost pummeled into submission earlier, but with only the bandages to help heal a few smaller injuries, he waited while Recovery Girl spoke with you by the doors.

“Now dear, he’ll be fine,” she reassured with a smile. “Good thing too, or else he’d be hurting like crazy tonight.”

You smiled knowing Shinsou was taken care of, but glanced at him, spotting the bandages that covered part of his body while he scratched at a few.

“Go easy on him. He should be fine for the celebration, but he’ll need to stay here before then,” advised Recovery Girl before she left you by the door, walking slowly with her cane in hand.

You smiled after the Pro-Hero, briefly wondering how much you’d miss her after leaving for Pro-Hero life before you entered the room, stomping towards Shinsou then punching him in his shoulder.

“Ow!” exclaimed Shinsou, his eyes turning to you confused.

“You’re an idiot, you know that?” you barked with a cross look.

“Funny coming from the one who calls for a study buddy most nights.”

“I could’ve handled that on my own.”

“Certainly looked like it.”

You grumbled in frustration, earning another punch in his shoulder to relieve your anger somehow.

“Ow!” He exclaimed again.

“I was actually scared,” you explained, angry, relieved, and frightened despite feeling all of these at once. “You tried to help, but look at you.”

“Yeah, well, no Quirks on campus, remember? And Aizawa would’ve killed the both of us if we did.”

“Yeah that’s for sure.”

You succumbed to that fact, knowingly realizing the folly of actions that transpired. And yet, you were relieved that Aizawa let you both go. Although, thinking more on that, it was more so the fact that Shinsou was injured that you were able to leave. The guilt started to build, tiny but still significant. It was odd how events could cascade into something so large-

Boyfriend, huh?

“What?” You asked.

“What?” Replied Shinsou in turn.

“Nothing!”

You glanced away, realizing you just read his head. That wasn’t intentional. You didn’t mean to. Nerves, it was nerves.

“Thanks,” you slowly spoke, catching Shinsou’s ear. “Recovery Girl said you need to stay here until tonight, so, if you want, I could pick up anything you need.”

“To be honest, I was thinking of not going,” admitted Shinsou, surprising you a little.

“Why? You’ve worked so hard to be here. You deserve a celebration like everyone else.”

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, uncaring about the situation before you pouted, punching him again.

“Ow! Haven’t I been a punching bag long enough?” He exclaimed in surprise.

“This isn’t like your birthdays,” you retorted, his eyes surprised at your fervent pressure. “You worked your ass off to be here, in the Hero program, with us. Sure, you haven’t made some close friends, but you are deserving and you’ve earned everything tonight. I will not accept your apathetic response as worthy enough to warrant an excuse to-“

“Would you like to come with me?”

You stopped, staring at Shinsou with your lips slightly agape. No amount of mind-reading expected that.

“I was going to ask after the ceremony, then those idiots started following you,” he explained. “And seeing what’s happened now, I didn’t want to drag you down.”

Silence filled the room while you felt the beat of your heart echo in your ears. You could feel the blood burn inside with a flush of embarrassment. Just what were you doing?

“I kissed you once, and this shocks you?” Asked Shinsou with a quizzical brow.

“You stole that from me!” You retorted, finally snapping you out of your stupor.

Shinsou only laughed at your response, earning one from you as well, the giggles echoing in the mostly empty room of empty stretchers.

An hour or two had passed before you stepped outside, watching the sun still in the sky while you made your way to Class 3-A’s dorms. Shinsou had graciously given you the key to his dorm to collect his suit, which he explained was actually picked out by Kaminari of all people. You chuckled wondering how that encounter must have happened while you readied yourself in your formal wear earlier than most on your floor before heading to the topmost floor for Shinsou’s. Quickly taking what he had listed was his outfit, you carried the dress suit on your shoulders while rushing out of the dorms, only to-

“Oh sorry!” Blurted someone by the front doors of your dormitories after knocking into them accidentally.

“No, you’re good!” You called back, paying no mind to who it was before dashing on the pathways in your dress shoes towards the school grounds.

You've never seen the grounds empty of students after the day was done. It was almost eerie in its presence before your steps echoed in the empty halls, reaching the Nurse’s Office in due time. You excitedly entered the doors with a grin, finding Shinsou standing by the windows while he stared at the changing colours of the sky. He turned to find you a little flush from the light jog, yet he stood with arms crossed, eyeing you from head-to-toe.

“I could’ve walked,” he commented dryly.

“Certainly looks like it,” you teased with a smile, eyeing his bandages.

“All right, enough teasing Kitten.” Shinsou outstretched his hand to receive his suit from you, which you handed happily. He proceeded to unwrap the bandages from his person, removing each piece before he revealed his toned torso. You watched while his thumbs tucked into the rim of his pants, halting before his violet gaze glanced at you quizzically.

“Um, would you mind?” He asked.

It took a moment for you to realize-

“Oh sorry,” you whispered before you turned your back on him, your eyes no longer staring at him undressing. You smiled at yourself with the image of Shinsou’s torso clear in your mind. Thankfully there was no bruising, but his build was hard to ignore. All his days training off hours really paid off, especially after taking a beating from earlier today.

Shinsou slipped into his dress suit for the graduation prom, still perplexed for such a large outing before his eye stared at your back. He soaked in the sight of you while you swayed on your shoes every now and then. His time in UA was paved with his stubbornness and his own merit, yet staring at you, growing with him and sharing your lives with each other also brought a warm smile. He fixed his tie around his collar, ensuring it sat well with the suit before he approached you from behind, guiding his hand upon your shoulder with a gentle squeeze. He stopped to watch you turn to him, taking in the sight even more now that you stood beside him.

“Shall we?” He asked with that smile still present.

You returned that smile filled with joy before feeling his hand direct you out from the Nurse’s Office and into the evening ahead.

——

The prom was lit with fairy lights, much like the paths that led to Gym Gamma that lined the trees. You smiled at how magical it looked, for lack of a better word, but compared to the events of today, it eased your mind to see your fellow graduating class celebrating the night away. Shinsou was more than happy to sit throughout the prom night, observing and watching everyone across the dance floor while you sat beside him. There hadn’t been a label on this friendship you shared, on this growing trust you’ve built with the former General Studies student. Heck, he was right when he mentioned that one kiss he took when you were stuck in a closet, no thanks to Kaminari and Ashido.

And then you heard his thoughts, by accident you were sure or at least tried to convince yourself when you heard what he thought. Boyfriend? Maybe. His intentions were clear from the start. You evaluated where you stood, glancing at him while he still continued to watch, his head slightly bobbing to the music playing all around.

“Let’s move in together,” you remarked before you watched his surprised reaction.

“What?” He whispered, confused.

“That’s the goal. Let’s find a place and move in together.”

“I haven’t even heard from any agencies yet, and you want to make nesting plans? Aren’t we too young-“

“Humour me,” you interrupted, turning yourself to face him while the lights decorated in dapples along the curve of his cheeks.

Shinsou stared into your eyes, painted with intention and purpose, waiting for an answer to such a ludicrous question. Out of the blue no less. He soon turned to you, making himself comfortable while his hands held onto yours, shared between each other’s laps.

“An apartment, overlooking part of the city with nice windows so it’ll let natural light inside,” he described with some thought.

“But not too high,” you added. “Is Toka an outdoor cat?”

“I found her outside.”

“Okay, something on the fifth floor?” You continued, still humoring the idea in your mind. “That’s gotta be high enough for a view.”

“Only with an elevator,” added Shinsou with a smirk. “I refuse anything with just flights of stairs.”

You chuckled at the mere thought of Shinsou having to run up and down stairs for a fifth floor apartment, yet in turn it gave him a smirk to see you smile and laugh. He chuckled until pain rippled through his sides, clutching onto his torso while you continued to giggle despite your own concern about his well being. Closing in on Shinsou only made his eyes glint against the lights of the auditorium, seeing his violets almost glow within the dim dance lights. You stared into their pools as if you could drown in them, in the way he stared back at you.

“Is it all right if I called you Hitoshi?” You asked, momentarily catching him unaware of the sudden request.

“I thought you’d never ask,” he chuckled, almost sultry while you still stared into his eyes, your noses so close to one another’s. “You didn’t have a problem earlier when my face was getting smashed in.”

“Shut up,” you teased with a light smack on his shoulder. He cried a little from the smack, but the pain was short-lived before he closed the gap in-between, his lips on yours with a delicate touch.

“Thank you Kitten,” he whispered with a smile, his hands clasping on yours gently.

“Thank you Hitoshi.”

Life is made up of many firsts, some that would test the age of time. And you hoped to cherish the memories that would also follow after, for as long as your mind would keep them.

#hitoshi shinso x reader #shinsou hitoshi #shinsou x you #bnha shinso hitoshi #bnha au #bnha fanfiction #bnha fluff #bnha

[sepublic]

Y’know I have to consider an AU for Castlevania where Isaac doesn’t attack Styria, or at least does so later- Which results in Morana and Striga arriving back home and telling Carmilla that, hey, this invasion and empire is pointless, freaking farmers showed them that, and they have no intention of participating anymore.

I can only imagine how Carmilla would butt heads with her sisters, and Lenore, who hates pointless bloodshed and violence and knew she had no place in the empire, is of course going to support Morana and Striga! Hector I can only imagine trying to play his cards right here, and Carmilla would probably go full Azula and accuse her sisters of betraying her. Maybe a civil war might start, but Carmilla’s one against three, and even if she wins, she can’t do the empire on her own and knows it.

Then Isaac could come into play- Perhaps with Hector convincing him to side with Morana and Striga’s forces against Carmilla’s. I’m not sure his policy on vampires in general (“Kill everything you see!”) but like Lenore, Isaac seems willing to pursue a more diplomatic solution if available. We could see Isaac agreeing to spare Morana and Striga, as well as their forces and Lenore- And the sisters have to let Isaac kill Carmilla, alas.

Actually, Carmilla’s final battle really is a commentary on what Striga and Morana realized! They knew that even as vampires, they couldn’t go on fighting forever like this... And Carmilla has to face the music herself, the kind she’d have ignored had her sisters pointed this out, in an endless horde of night creatures that wore her down, until fresh-faced Isaac and reinforcements did her in. Guess Carmilla found out for herself what Morana and Striga learned from the farmers, and I wonder if that realization somewhat dawned on her in her final moments, when she looked outside the window at Styria’s snowfall before trying to take down Isaac with her.

As for what would happen to the other three sisters is my guess. In this AU, I presume they have vampire forces of their own who rallied beneath them, which means more leveraging power to negotiate their freedom with Isaac. With the three being a lot more chill, I could see Isaac agreeing to simply exile them from Styria in peace, again with Hector’s input.

#castlevania #castlevania netflix #castlevania Carmilla #castlevania striga #castlevania Morana #castlevania Isaac #isaac laforeze #castlevania Lenore #speculation #au

[agent-cupcake]

Imagine having a child with a guy named Jimmy. Cursed.

OTHERWISE you all pretty much echoed what I was thinking, bless you.

cw pregnancy / forced pregnancy

(As ever, this is all in the context of dark personalities. I hesitate to say yandere, although that’s kind of become synonymous with dark personality AU’s and an obvious argument can be made that a darker take on the characters could lead into a yandere scenario) 

Ferdinand von Aegir

~While I don’t think he’d go out of his way to have a baby, he definitely wouldn’t take any steps to avoid it, either. That is, he wouldn’t really stray into breeding kink territory or anything of that kind but he’s not gonna pull out either. 

~But, yeah, if you were to get pregnant, Ferdinand wouldn’t be displeased by any means. He’d legitimately think it was the best way to “fix” things and out of a misguided attempt to ignore any negative aspects of the relationship and cling to the idealism of a happy marriage. 

~Just a side note, but I def see him with a body worship kink and I can only begin to imagine how that would intensify with his weakness for the softness and so-called beauty of motherhood. Whatever that’s supposed to mean.   

~Honestly, I don’t see him overtly leveraging  as a manipulation tactic. No, he’s good enough that his genuine feelings could do the job for him. Like, it’s not just you anymore. You’re responsible for another life so don’t you think you just trust him and let him take care of you? Oh, sure, he’d humor you (on account of the hormones) and say that he understands why you’re upset, but please just calm down. Everything will be all right, he’ll take care of you. 

~I think that Ferdinand would want a family even without the whole dark personality aspect. The way he’d see it is that children are a natural result of a union and love. He’d absolutely cherish your children if for no other reason than the fact that they’d be half you, although you can’t tell me that he wouldn’t have a horrible weakness for kids.  

~You’d be barely showing and he’d be picking out baby names and getting opinions on how to decorate the nursery and occasionally freaking out due to anticipation and nerves. He’d be really, disastrously, over-the-top protective, too. I just assume white magic would greatly lessen the infant and mother mortality rate but that doesn’t entirely remove the risk of complications so he’d be cloyingly careful about everything you ate, keeping tabs on any possible oddity going on with you. And, you know, I think he would enjoy emotionally taking care of you. Like if you were scared or sad or anything, I think he’d enjoy comforting you in a way that’s definitely not healthy. He’d enjoy being needed, I suppose.

~Yeah, so overall I view any sort of darker personality take on Ferdinand to be him, but with his sweet and noble and protective traits dialed up to an eleven without any sort of self awareness to make him pause and consider that maybe you don’t feel the same so having a child like this, as an intentional act of manipulation to make you stay or not, would be within the realm of possibilities.

Sylvain Jose Gautier (Bastard Man)

~Sylvain is pretty easy to imagine with a dark personality. I mean, assuming you have no pity in your heart and are willing to write him in a way that he never was able to get over his myriad issues, self hatred, severe distrust of people’s true intentions, and familial trauma.

~Assuming all that, and entertaining the idea that he could never find a good balance of repression and escapism, I think Sylvain would create an unhealthy emotional bond to a single person he believed to be exempt from his overall dismal regard for people and do this fun little thing where he’d chaotically flip flop between extreme emotions of distrust, blame, and anger and adoration, need, and a desperation to be seen as he was and still loved. 

~But it’d be a brutal cycle because he’s not the delusional type. Sometimes he could be, both with the good and the bad, but those would be kind of episodic. There’d be bad days where he’d be utterly convinced that you were just like the rest and he’d pick little fights and generally just be pretty pissy. But then sometimes he’d be blinded by love and so caught up in it that even if you told him no, he’d take it with a cheeky wink because of course you loved him and everything was so good. But, mostly, it’d just be a lot of dysfunction and Sylvain trying to lure you into a nice, good relationship with him by being mostly normal and decently charming and even, occasionally, being vulnerable (and tricking you into being vulnerable with him). 

~Anyway, back to the point. With all that context, why not bring a baby into the mix, right?    

~How many times does Sylvain bring up crest babies. Please, someone do a hard count and get back to me because damn son. So, may I just say, if anyone of these three were to have a breeding kink it’d be him. Is that controversial? Just think about it. Every girl ever wants him mystical crest cum, right? So, mentally, the whole thing would have a lot of weight and significance. Also Sylvain just strikes me as the type who’d be self aware enough of his dark and unhealthy needs that staking as intimate of a claim as that would be erotic. Unlike the other two, the act of forcing an irreversible and tangible change in your body and mind would be interesting. Not that he’d tell you any of that, or even dwell on it himself. 

~I’m torn between Sylvain saying it was an accident and him using the argument that since the two of you were in love, it was only natural that you’d start a family together. How could you not want to have his children? Better yet, how was he supposed to know that you wanted to wait. 

~But if you continued to be unreasonable, he’d go on the defensive. Like, what are you going to do? Leave him? For what? To raise his baby on your own? Or, worse, abandon your child? If you thought he’d voiced unfairly negative opinions about women before, the way he’d talk about a mother who abandoned her child and such a good, happy life with a loving husband would be infinitely worse. After all, he wanted to make a change in your relationship and be happy together. He wanted to be a good, loving father. He wanted a family with you. After everything, what kind of person would you be to throw that all away?

~So that’s... a lot. 

~But Sylvain’s the type to be awful in the moment then regret it after the heat dies down. Knowing he’d hurt you would genuinely tear him up inside. All of that adoration and desperation to keep you with him because he’d feel like he needed you to be happy would kick in and he’d break down under the guilt and tell you how much he loved you, how happy it made him to think that the two of you could have a family, that he knew you would be a great mother, that he knew he’d messed up but he would make it up to you, that you really could be a happy family. 

~Just saying, I can see him taking a perverse sort of pleasure in the physical effects of pregnancy. Also, he’d definitely be a lot softer with you. Guilty conscience, anyone?

Dimitri (Dimi) (Jimmy)

~You, dear anon, said it better than I could have myself. I agree SO HARD that Dimitri would be terrified of being a parent, but at the same time I think, if it were to happen, he’d be utterly enamored with the idea. There’s a lot more that I think about how he’d regard fatherhood, but that’s the gist. 

~Funny thing is, darker Dimitri is just like... More needy... unbearably protective... Paranoid... less stable... bad at managing his emotions when it comes to you... But, like, the same general emotions about fatherhood would apply because that’s already pretty complex. Only, this time, with an obvious emphasis on how it would effect you and your relationship. 

~I was going to say that I can’t see Dimitri purposefully impregnating you, but that’s not entirely true. In a fit where he’s feeling especially raw and paranoid, I think he would do it very purposefully and even almost-kinda-sorta relish in the idea. 

~I view his obsessive feelings to be like an itch he can’t quite scratch because he knows better than anybody how easy it would be to lose you and doesn’t know how to manage both his own instability with the unpredictable world because at any moment it could all spiral apart. 

~So, this in mind, he could believe that having a baby would make things different. More than just vows or words or rings or anything, it would be a concrete and absolute tie between the two of you. He would have an unquestionable claim over you that would go beyond the scope of just your relationship, you’d be carrying the royal heir which would give Dimitri even further valid excuses to be suffocatingly overprotective.

~It would be... So messy... On the one hand, I think the concept of fatherhood, of being given another chance, of being needed that much more by both you and the child, would really appeal to him. It could even sand off some of the rougher edges of his darker traits, now that he had this assured security in keeping you with him. Sure, the itch wouldn’t be scratched entirely, but it would be easier to ignore, there would be a solid way to reassure himself that you were his.   

~But Dimitri’s got this awful middle ground of self awareness. Anything that would come off delusion would be a result of his endless attempts at rationalizing his unhealthy feelings and trying to make sense of it all without having to actually confront the issues. But that wouldn’t mean he wouldn’t know, on some level, that what he was doing wasn’t healthy and how bad it was for you. The guilt would be intense, which would be apart of the reason he needed to keep you so close all the time because then he could pretend that you needed him just as badly, that everything was all right because he could take care of you better than anyone else. 

~Dimitri’s self aware guilt would allow a part of himself to understand that he should let you go. He could even, on the bad days, convince himself that maybe, one day, he would allow you to leave him because he loved you, because what he was doing was wrong. As long as you were near him, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself, he would always hurt you. 

~But using pregnancy to force you to stay with him would, perhaps even in an intentional subconscious way, cut off that last-ditch contingency to ease his own guilt and pain of what he was doing by keeping you with him. Now that you were going to be having his child, the royal heir, would mean that you could never leave. He’d know it. You would probably know it, too. 

~After that point, Dimitri would double down with proving his affection, proving that he was capable of taking care of you and his child and that you could be a family and everything would be okay. 

#fe3h #fire emblem three houses #ferdinand von aegir #sylvain jose gautier #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #yandere #fe ferdinand #fe sylvain #fe dimitri #pregnancy tw #headcanons #this is fucked up and i didn't intend to have this much to say #fucking jimmy #i'm not even INTO this like fuck having children but when it's all mental fuckery it tastes so good #i'm sorry guys

[dotsayers]

20 Questions: Writer’s Edition

tagged by the beloved @myrmidryad 

this is a LONG one so here’s a cut to avoid do you love the colour of the sky syndrome

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

101 after a recent purge... no one may know about my Past

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

329004! used to be about 350k but again... purge

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

on ao3 i’ve written for (chronologically) doctor who, skyfall, discworld, les mis, star trek, lord peter wimsey, marvel (various), in the flesh, red vs blue, roosterteeth rpf, check please, hockey rpf, star wars, daredevil, rivers of london, dishonored, emmerdale, dirk gently, holby city, hot fuzz, kj charles, guardian, the covert captain, taskmaster rpf, good omens, ghosts, roswell new mexico, leverage, schitt’s creek, the magicians, 9-1-1, it chapter two, the magnus archives, the old guard, the mandalorian, the ritual, the locked tomb

way back on the pit of voles i wrote for twilight, harry potter, hetalia and xmen first class. and on the newsround chatrooms i wrote exclusively harry potter fic about my oc neville and luna’s daughter

as you can tell i am not prone to staying in one fandom writing wise, i tend to end up with one complete fic and seven abandoned wips concealed deep in my google drive

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

finally see what it means to be living (captain marvel, carol/maria, i really hit the zeitgeist with this one i think i was something like the fifth fic in the ship tag)

do whatever you think (the magnus archives, this series is actually #2-7, then #8 #9 and #11 for me so i’m going to cheat a bit)

standing in a world of my own (daredevil, matt/foggy/karen, another zeitgeist hit! really miss writing for daredevil actually... it’s a perennial fave)

a winding road that stretches towards the truth (iron man, tony/rhodey, i STILL don’t know when this got so many kudos. i swear i looked away when it was at 100 and suddenly it ended up here)

where the long shadows grow (star trek aos, kirk prime/spock prime, thank god some people are checking the prime kirkspock tag is all i’m saying!)

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

i don’t really Do angsty endings... possibly a blanket of stars just because i ended it on something of a cliffhanger and then completely zoned out of rnm for long enough that i forgot where i was going with it. there was definitely the intention of fixing things but then i just... did not do that. and now the show is on s3 and i’m over a season behind! life comes at you fast

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

where the long shadows grow, because it reunited kirk prime and spock prime and they DESERVE TO BE HAPPYYYY. i’m a complete sucker for presumed dead/back from the dead stories, actually, so on a similar theme i have two (TWO) daredevil fics which follow the trope, one about ray coming back post-s2 (might never be normal again) and one about foggy and matt reuniting post-endgame (in the corner, taking up space). this is the only time i will ever acknowledge endgame ever again

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

i do write crossovers! in fact i am often roundly mocked by my friends for the increasingly esoteric nature of my crossovers. way back in secondary i wrote a twilight/labyrinth crossover where angela was sarah and jareth’s daughter  because i had a massive crush on a girl who liked both twilight and labyrinth. however, since that has been comprehensively scrubbed from the internet, i think my craziest crossover is probably part three of ‘traced upon the skies’, already an esoteric crossover of rivers of london and hot fuzz, when i added in a crossover with the horror movie ‘the ritual’ just because i wanted rafe spall’s character to be happy 

8. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

EXTREMELY rarely and only with extreme embarrassment. i will not be any more specific than that

9. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

i used to really struggle with doing this, to the point that i had over 300 comments just. lingering in my inbox unanswered. so i decided to give those up and just commit to answering them from then on, which has been working fairly well for about a year and a half now. i love getting comments but i get overwhelmed really easily and struggle with replying in a way which feels meaningful without getting in my head about it! 

10. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

yes lmao it was for a harry potter fic on ff.net where harry got sorted into hufflepuff instead of gryffindor. it wasn’t a very good fic but i think the fact it was clearly written by an 11 year old should have scared off at least some of the less flattering comments.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

i don’t... think so? i don’t know how i’d find out to be honest, my vanity googling is rarely very effective

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes! as bronze may be much beautified (skyfall, mallory/bond) got translated into chinese, i was extremely pleased. i think it’s mandarin but the ao3 page for the translation doesn’t say and my mandarin is.................. extremely poor

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

also yes! me and jess little-smartass have written a lot together, although only our star trek/les mis series has been published, more’s the pity. we spent a lot of les mis fandom time workshopping aus and we were always extremely correct about all of it, imo

14. What’s your all time favourite ship to write for?

oh god. i think probably kirk/spock, although there’s some recency bias to that since i reread space manhattans recently and was reminded of my love for them. i really like writing jon/martin but i’ve mostly done that from outsider pov which is a bit different to writing shipfic, i think. joe/nicky from tog was also something i really liked writing but i struggle with plotting longer fic with them

15. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

i recently went through my abandoned fic folder so i actually have a few options for this. the obvious choice would be ‘any of the hockey ones’ but i did delete most of those just for my sanity. more recently i started writing a vaguely smutty pre-the thing mac/fuchs fic for alex @milkdrinker5000 which i really WANT to finish but am struggling with. most obscure answer (even beyond the thing) and most likely to remain unfinished is the insanely in depth post-tog booker/copley fic i had planned out back in about october. i wrote a good 6-7k of that one and then i realised it was going to be, like, difficult, and decided if i was going to put that much work into something it may as well be the novel im meant to be writing

16. What are your writing strengths?

once a friend told me i had an excellent facility for dialogue and ive thought about it every time i write ever since. i love writing dialogue and i think i’m good at knowing what sounds ic and what is right out. 

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

one of the things i struggled with for a really long time, and honestly still have trouble with, is depicting action in words. once i wrote a hockey fic which featured multiple hockey games and i spent probably four times as much effort editing those to make sense and be interesting that i’ve ever done on a talkier scene.

18. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

i’ve done it but only when i knew more or less what i was talking about - i did italian at school so i felt confident using it for nicky in something particular and real. i try not to italicise when i drop in words from other languages, which is what i usually do when i’m using a language i haven’t studied in depth (for example, joe’s use of arabic in some of my fic), and to only use words which i’ve heard used by native speakers in that context. i think if you don’t feel confident using another language, generally speaking, you shouldn’t do it. and for god’s sake don’t use google translate for a full sentence

19. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

harry potter on the newsround chatboards. ariana lovegood-longbottom my sweet child

20. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

this used to be an easy question because hands down the fic i was proudest of on posting it was i’ll be seeing you. i spent a year and a half on research and writing! but these days i do cringe a little at my hockey fic, and i think i’m prouder of some of my shorter works. let’s do a curveball and say layer on layer, down on down, which is my favourite of my rnm fics and the one i like most from a narrative voice perspective. getting michael right was stressful and i’m still proud i got it down for a TIME LOOP FIC, my absolute favourite trope

tagging @little-smartass and @leescoresbies just in case they want to try this

#gin i can't BELIEVE you wrote for xiaolin showdown. iconic #text post tag #tagged in #writing tag

[scarabbai]

For your role reversal au, what happens after Yuu and Grim are booted out of the dorm? Do Azul and co still help them? Or does Yuu think of a way to get back inside and help?

ANON I HAVE FINALLY (somewhat) WORKED OUT THIS PART SO I CAN NOW ANSWER YOUR QUESTION!

Important (and new/previously unmentioned) context and details behind when MC and Grim are thrown out of the dorm:

(YET ANOTHER “INFO UNDER THE CUT” POST BC I HAVE NO SELF CONTROL AND TALK A LOT)

In order to keep MC and Grim entertained during their stay at Scarabia (and to keep the dorm members busy so they can’t ask MC for further help/explain their situation in more detail) Kalim has the dorm put together preparations for a grand Winter Break banquet to “celebrate the arrival of [their] guests.” This puts the dorm members to work without it being too obvious/them being too upset since Kalim already tends to plan and throw parties pretty often in order to boost morale. While the bulk of the work is done by the dorm members, Kalim himself plays the role of an excellent host and entertainer by accompanying MC and Grim everywhere around the dorm and showing them all the wonderful things about Scarabia, subtly assuring them that everything is fine and wonderful in the process. After all, how can there possibly be anything wrong when the dorm members are all smiling, laughing, and having fun while putting up decorations, when the dorm is alive with music and dance practice, when Kalim gives MC and Grim all the best that Scarabia has to offer?

Sure, the actual dorm leader doesn’t make many appearances during MC and Grim’s visit, but when he does, he’s kind! Civil! Polite! A generous host, don’t you agree? Don’t pay any mind to the way the dorm members get a little quiet when he shows up! They’re just very focused on their tasks in order to impress their dorm leader, you see. That’s not fear in their eyes, it’s respect! The dorm leader is incredibly responsible, brave, and intelligent after all. He’ll never let anything bad happen under his watchful eye! Disregard any rumors you’ve heard about Scarabia and Jamil...everything is fine. Kalim says so, and his sunny personality and bright smiles feel so genuine, it’s hard not to believe him. Something about the way he speaks, the enthusiasm and warmth in his words, it draws you in, makes you trust him.

Something still doesn’t seem quite right though, so MC and Grim stay at Scarabia for a few nights to wait and see. For a while, it seems like Kalim’s telling the truth. Everything does appear fine...up until their third day at Scarabia, when the banquet is finally fully prepared. Everyone is having fun, chatting and laughing while eating lunch together, but everything gets quiet when Jamil takes a seat at the head of the table, Kalim loyally at his side. For context, prior to MC’s arrival at Scarabia, Jamil threatened all the dorm members into silence and as a result is currently ruling by fear instead of true leadership. Therefore, everyone is afraid to say anything that might even vaguely hint at rebellion or discontent, and the banquet takes on a very tense and uncomfortable air.

Grim, fed up with this sudden nosedive in atmosphere, snaps at Jamil. Since it was his presence that brought on this sudden fearful energy, it’s clear that the rumors are true. The dorm members were telling the truth when they said Scarabia was a nightmare, Jamil’s a lying snake, and Grim and MC were right to come in and investigate. The sudden accusations and questioning of Jamil’s authority do not sit well with him, and he basically loses his shit bc not only did Grim admitting they came to the dorm to investigate and not to just “see how great Scarabia is” mean that they snuck in under false pretenses (BAD move) and thus are a threat to “the security of the dorm,” but also this is a surefire sign that Jamil’s control of the dorm isn’t absolute and there are little rebels in his midst. Given Jamil’s past experiences with rebels and traitors in his family, it’s not surprising that he lashes out at Grim and ends up exposing his tyrannical/controlling nature. Before Jamil can do anything serious though, Kalim holds him back and very strongly “advises” Grim and MC to go back to their guest room.

Effectively banished to their room for the rest of the day, Grim complains and stews over the confrontation for hours, getting more and more upset that not only are he and MC getting ignored by everyone now (nobody comes to visit them or tell them what happened afterward) but also that Jamil is an asshole who’s been mistreating his dorm members. It becomes very obvious Grim didn’t learn his lesson from the lunch incident when late that night, he takes it upon himself to leave the guest room and rush toward Jamil’s room with the intention of barging in and giving him a piece of his mind. MC, in an attempt to stop Grim, chases after him. However, neither of them get very far—when Grim is just a few leaps away from Jamil’s door, he gets snapped up and completely immobilized in a sticky magic webbing that comes flying out of nowhere. MC, who is only a few steps behind, also gets stopped in their tracks by an arm around their neck and a blade at their back.

Kalim, his protective nature and moderate guard training having taken over, doesn’t even bother to put up a cheery or delightful front as he questions (read: interrogates) both MC and Grim on what they’re doing. It’s in the middle of the night, they were practically charging directly at Jamil’s room while he was sleeping, they’ve lied and caused trouble already, and both of them joined the school under odd circumstances. Who’s to say MC and Grim aren’t secretly after Jamil’s life? Under Kalim’s intense scrutiny, they very quickly explain themselves, and though the smile Kalim gives them doesn’t reach his eyes at all, he seems to accept their answer. However, this doesn’t stop them from being kicked out of Scarabia. After pocketing the blade (it practically vanishes when Kalim puts it away, did he have it on him the whole time?) and grabbing Grim by the scruff of his neck, Kalim personally escorts MC to the dorm’s exit mirror. On their way there, a rather panicked looking dorm member runs up to Kalim, asking when they’ll finally go through with “The Plan” and rambling about how they’re “worried Jamil will find out.” Kalim quickly shushes the student before shoving MC and Grim through the mirror.

Now fully aware that Something Is Up, MC and Grim decide not to head back to Ramshackle immediately and instead think of who might still be on campus to assist them. Considering the Octavinelle trio are at NRC for the holiday and that they kinda lowkey owe MC gang for resolving the events of Ch3, they decide to go directly to their dorm despite it being in the middle of the night. Floyd’s happy to see MC gang, Jade is curious as to why they’re here so late at night, and Azul is interested in the strange situation they claim to need help for. After MC explains everything they’ve seen and heard, the fish are most definitely intrigued, and Azul, who never passes up an opportunity to get on Jamil’s nerves, declares that they’ll assist in the investigation. This is a side to his classmate (and classmate’s close friend) he’s never seen before, and he simply must know all the juicy details. Thus, MC and Grim spend the rest of the night at Octavinelle, and the following morning they all go to Scarabia. Unfortunately, due to Grim’s stunt the night before, MC is no longer welcome in Scarabia and the dorm itself is on high alert per Jamil’s orders and Kalim’s strict enforcement—not a single outsider is making it in.

So, what now? The group brainstorms for a bit back at Octavinelle before they realize there’s a loose end they might still be able to investigate despite not being allowed into Scarabia: the mysterious plan mentioned by the student. Jade asks MC to recall what the student looked like, and they’re able to give an accurate enough description that the fish now have a target. They spend the rest of the day going from place to place to find said student, and when they do, the tweels corner them. Jade uses Shock The Heart to find out the details of this plan and when it will take place, revealing that the plan will be executed tonight and that it’s a covert operation to sneak students with urgent financial/health/family/etc situations out of the school and back home for winter break. Knowing the student won’t remember giving up the secret, they let them go and plan a stakeout. If they get footage of the students’ escape, they can use it as leverage/a reason to be let into Scarabia for further investigation. That night, they do manage to record what happens:

A small group of students slipping out of the Scarabia dorm mirror, assisted by none other than Kalim himself. Any whispers are too hushed to make out what’s being said, but all in all it’s very clear that Kalim is the leader of the operation and the one guiding the students to the main magic mirror. Each of the students thank Kalim before disappearing home, most with tears in their eyes and some even taking Kalim’s hands into their own in grattitude. Kalim gives each of them a kind smile before they go. It’s a very sweet moment.

A true shame that this very moment is the catalyst for the disaster to come.

#twisted wonderland #twst #kalim al asim #twst kalim #jamil viper #twst jamil #azul ashengrotto #twst azul #jade leech #twst jade #floyd leech #twst floyd #twst grim #role reversed au #my stuff #responses

[haphazardlyparked]

the war AU, part 2

the part where it’s not actually a war, and i clearly know nothing about politics but i sure do a lot of BSing. :))) 

---

Hikaj couldn't help but compare the double-edged sword he held with the woman who wielded it: High Lady Masara, a knight of the cultish order that half-ruled Amir, from what Hikaj had learned so far of the surprisingly secretive order. The sword itself was light and well-balanced, with unfamiliar runes etched down its length that had Hikaj’s best warmage tearing his hair out. It all reminded Hikaj of the first time he had met the high lady.

She had visited Kas years ago, with one of her king's councilors, and they had both been unfailingly polite. Duke Inarim, High Lady Masara, and their whole, modest entourage. Hikaj knew, because his spymaster had complained that the Amirran servants had answered all of his questions happily, or happily misunderstood them—and his veiled offers of bribes for real information. 

At the formal dinners they attended, the high lady said little, but was always polite, and Hikaj had heard her laugh often enough. It had been enough to make him wonder if she knew something incriminating about every person she crossed paths with. Admittedly, he had been a little high-strung those days. Torral was the kind to be happy doing a job competently, but Hikaj's other dear uncle had liked the regency a bit too well. Hikaj had walked a fine line, trying to appear non-threatening while still presenting himself as a future ruler full of potential that his vassal kings and dukes could put their weight behind. It had made him very suspicious about every interaction around him.

But then they had danced, and Hikaj had started to see that High Lady Masara didn't laugh at anyone in particular, but at all the little parts of his court he hardly saw anymore. From the tiny carved woodland creatures that flitted through the ballroom's ceiling to the tendency to change glasses for each new drink at dinner, she had taken delight in the novelty of his court--not laughed at its secrets. She had seemed to know very little about Kas, actually.  

Now, with the weight of Masara's strange sword in his hands, Hikaj was back to thinking that maybe it was the secrets. When he had recognized High Lady Masara in the knight he'd been told had charged his advance company alone, he felt a little bit like laughing himself. At himself. 

They'd gone riding during the Amirran visit, in a large party that scattered into small groups and wended their collective way through the manicured Forests of the Empress-Mother. The ever-changing groups of courtiers flitting here and there again centered around a string of nobles who preferred the most sedate of paces. High Lady Masara had been one of those riders, hesitant in her sidesaddle, good-naturedly laughing at her own inexperience with a shifting tide of the Kassan court. Hikaj decided she simple hadn't had many chances to ride before.

Now, he wondered what kind of rider the knight Masara was. How many more things in Amir were mysteries to him? 

***

Hikaj crossed his camp back to the bespelled tent, Masara's sword and scabbard in his hands and a nervous energy quickening his step. He should have let Qemaile go and poke the bear, he was the mage, after all - but Hikaj honestly wasn't sure if Lady Arlis would send poor Qemaile into a uselessly towering rage, or leave him crying and still unhelpful. Hikaj needed his mage, as temperamental as the man was, so he went to the tent himself.

It was guarded, but the flap was tied open for light, breaking the net of spellcloth. They had stopped burning the slightly caustic incense and started opening the tent after the high lady and her squire had each given an oath not to flee. Hikaj had made sure his healers looked after the high lady, too. While Lady Arlis had surrendered with barely a scratch on her, one of Masara's arm was broken and a spear had gone through - luckily enough, the healers told Hikaj - mostly skin and muscle where arm and shoulder met. It was declared to be healing as expected, and it had not seemed to trouble Masara too much on the (admittedly slow) ride back to Amir's capital city.

The ride had taken a week because of the hilly country, which turned large companies of men into slow, winding targets on the narrow roads, but Hikaj had taken the risk. He had also left a rear guard behind, to keep Amir's forces penned up in the blasted mountainous Foothills as a guarantee.

Now the spelled tent - and the bulk of the imperial soldiers - were all camped outside Amirasa's outer walls. At the Sascrin knights' request, the tent's opening faced the city that rose up on a high hill, topped by a sprawling palace that overlooked the cliffs and the sea on one side, and Amirasa on the other.

Hikaj blocked their view of it when he ducked into the tent.

He could tell they'd been looking because Lady Arlis had the intent, stormy look on, the one that seeing his blue-cloaked guards on the walls always provoked. She was leaning forward in her chair, her elbows on her knees, and she reminded Hikaj of a wildcat about to pounce. Masara, of course, was calmly collected by her side. But was she also angry behind that calm? Or was she hiding something else? 

Or maybe he was reading too much into what was just polite civility. It didn't help that Masara's attention--but not her expression--shifted as soon as she saw what Hikaj was carrying. Arlis didn't see--she straightened and jerked her head to the side so that Hikaj couldn't see her face when she noticed him. Struggling to control her anger, probably.

She was able to mirror Masara's calm for abut half a second, and then her eyes narrowed suspiciously on Masara's sword.

"Oh, let me guess," the squire immediately snapped. “You have questions.”

Hikaj tried a smile. "There must be something you can speak about," he said, already conciliatory in his preamble. Part of him regretted already starting on the back foot, but the rest of him was focused on High Lady Masara's sudden smile.

She didn't say anything.

"Why should we spill secrets to the emperor we're at war with?" the young and very vocal Lady Arlis demanded.

For a fourteen year old, she was shockingly forceful. But then, she was an ambush-laying, sword-wielding fourteen year old. It didn't help that every time she opened her mouth, the high lady—who was an ambush-laying and sword-wielding noblewoman herself—would nod in agreement, and then cycle through a wide variety of polite looks.

Hikaj opted for what he hoped was the safest answer: technicalities.

"In the purest sense of common accord, we are not at war, because neither your king nor I have declared it,” he corrected Lady Arlis. “I suppose we could call it… armed conflict?”

Arlis gasped with deep offense. “Or more accurately, invasion or attempted conquest!”

Masara turned her steady gaze on Hikaj, and then stoked young Arlis's fire.

 “You are correct Imperial General, technically," she said, turning her gracious concession into an elongated but. "Yet I fear my king has been a little busy fleeing your unprovoked… armed conflict... to make war declarations just yet.”

Lady Arlis leapt on that. "Yes! We'll see what the king says once - once he has a chance!" she told Hikaj, furious in her enthusiasm.

Hikaj was a general who knew when to retreat. He didn't quite try to hide Masara's sword and scabbard--there was nowhere to put it--but he lowered his hands and made it clear he wasn’t going to ask any questions about it. Of course Masara would want her weapon back--knights everywhere felt the same about that, Hikaj suspected, no matter how peculiar otherwise they were to him--but Qemaile wanted to study it more, and frankly, Hikaj worried it might scare some of the men if he returned it to her.  

That problem for later.

Changing topics, Hikaj did his best not to get kicked out of the tent by the furious silences which had driven him from it before.

"Instead of declarations of war,” he said, in his best diplomatically soothing voice, “would you not prefer peace?"

Masara's neutral expression seemed to consider that, but Arlis frowned deeply.  

“We had peace before you came,” the squire eventually said.

Hikaj looked at Masara when he answered. “Did you?”

She met his gaze, but for once, she was the one who looked away first. “Whatever we had,” she mused, “it was certainly not bloodshed from Amirasa to the Foothills.”

Hikaj bit back the dozen different things he wanted to say. He had weighed the risks and made his agreements before the first Kassan soldier set foot in Amir, and even if he was starting to re-evaulate those decisions, now was not the time to throw any plan away. Revealing any inopportune might weaken his leverages in Amir, and no matter how unfortunate this campaign was turning out to be, he did need this kingdom as a bulwark against Lapur. 

So he winced and said, "No, it was not, you are correct. But I do believe smaller conflict is justified to avoid greater perils."

"For Kas, perhaps," Masara countered.

"Not just for Kas," Hikaj maintained, though he didn't mention Lapur specifically. He knew Masara would already be thinking of Amir’s other large, imperial neighbor; who west of the sea of sands didn’t? “Regardless of how it began - would you not like the chance to end it?"

That made Arlis scowl, though Masara smiled and dryly observed, “I am sure the terms would be so wonderfully generous."

Hikaj suppressed a shrug. "That is what negotiations would determine, I suppose."

Masara didn't answer, but her unchanging, humorless smile seemed to say, What treaties ever went well for the ones who were forced to the table by a greater military power? Even Arlis didn't say anything, though the naked outrage in her glare made it clear what she thought of this kind of coercion.

"How could we trust an agreement with you?" Masara asked finally. “We have no foundation for trust yet.” She paused, purposeful and considering, then added, before Hikaj could fumble for an answer, “Though we could work on that.”

Hikaj felt weakly grateful for the opening Masara left him. “What would you suggest?”  

Arlis bristled again, probably ready to demand that the Kassans leave Amir immediately, but High Lady Masara said, “Something small, to start,” as though she were thinking aloud. “An easy trade. You could answer a question for me, perhaps, and I could answer one for you… or I could give you a demonstration with my sword.”

She didn’t look at the scabbard while she suggested the little deal. Hikaj met her dark, careful eyes, and told himself her offer was probably not a threat, and he definitely did not feel a sudden, thrilling swoop in his chest.

“All right,” he said.

Arlis scoffed and then muttered, just loud enough for Hikaj to hear, “I’ll demonstrate the Lady’s Peace for them.” 

That was definitely a threat. 

• • •

After whatever Lady Arlis had claimed to have done and Hikaj’s healers’ work, Masara's wounds all looked as though she'd had months to heal, not a little over a week. Her right arm was still in a sling though, so she held her sword in her left hand. She still wore the knee-length blue tunic that the healers had found for her too, as well as her gray knight’s cloak. But whereas her presence usually filled the small spellcloth tent, out in the open, she suddenly looked small and alone. Just one injured woman with a sword, facing off against a dozen archers.

That was probably what Hikaj's men had thought, right before Masara had charged them. He tried not to fall into the same trap when the high lady turned to him, smiled, and raised the tip of her sword with the ease of long familiarity.

“Shall I begin?” she asked.

“No!” Qemaile insisted from where he stood at Hikaj's side. He hopped from one foot to the other in his excitement, and from somewhere in his robes little bells started jingling. “You must explain what spell you plan to use! Incantation! Materials! Something?"

Masara laughed. Not at Qemaile, per se, but Qemaile retorted just the same, guestring out at Masara and her sword. "I want to know what I'm looking for!”

"You will see it," Masara assured him. It didn't really assuage Qemaile’s defensiveness, but she didn’t give him time to argue more. "Please, Imperial General, when you are ready, count to ten and then give the order to shoot."

She turned back to face the archers, who stood some hundred meters off.

Hikaj raised his hand and began to count. Before he'd even finished saying the first number, Masara's sword leapt into action, the tip of a blade tracing a large shape in the air before her. By the time Hikaj got to six, Masara's blade began to glow, first a small point of bright light, one of the etched runes turning to silver light that began to grow, sliding along the blade like liquid before it reflected into a bright arc of light that flashed, and then settled into a faint shimmer in the air. Hikaj reached ten, and lowered his hand. Twelve bowstrings twanged.

Fear flashed hot through Hikaj as the arrows whistled through the air--this was mad--but then all twelve shots slammed against the abruptly solid silver light, metal tips lighting in an incandescent spark before the wooden shafts splintered. Half-melted arrowheads and wood fell to the ground, and High Lady Masara lowered the sword. 

"The arrow guard," Lady Arlis said into the silence, after the silver light faded away and Masara's sword was nothing but etched metal again. "It is one of the first things we learn."

“But I didn’t see the spell,” Qemaile wailed. 

Hikaj was still staring at Masara. She had shifted the sword to her broken arm, and was holding it awkwardly in the sling so she could use her left hand to wipe sweat off her forehead, or maybe to brush her dark curls out of her face. He imagined her thundering down a narrow path through the Foothills, wreathed in silver spouting from her sword and staring down his men, and he felt a shiver in his spine.

“Figure it out, Qemaile,” Hikaj said. “I want that spell.” 

“But my lord, it’s not a spell!” 

• • •

In the tent (after Qemaile has asked his hundredth question and Masara had managed her ninety-somethingth evasive reply) the high lady shifted in her chair to turn a flat, expressionless look on Hikaj. It was just the three of them again, and an empty chair, but Masara didn’t even glance at Lady Arlis. The squire, for once, seemed just as unsure of what Masara would say as Hikaj. 

“Imperial General,” the high lady said finally. “Who betrayed us?" She asked the question without preamble, firm and direct. Arlis closed her eyes and looked away. Was she surprised?

Hikaj himself was taken aback. Not was there a traitor, but who. How had Masara known? Had she known all along? If she’d known, that would change Hikaj’s understanding of what had gone wrong so far. 

“I cannot build a foundation of trust alone, Imperial General.” The quiet, matter-of-fact tone was belied by the intensity of Masara’s brown eyes. She had said they could start with a small trade, an exchange of trust, but Hikaj suddenly realized this question was important to her. Maybe she’d been waiting for a chance to ask this whole time. 

“No, of course not,” he agreed. He tried not to hesitate. Maybe the arrow guard had not been such a little demonstration, either. “It was the prince,” Hikaj said. “It was your cousin, Prince Panam.”

Masara closed her eyes, and then nodded once, shortly.

"I thought so," she said, and it was a quiet exhalation that seemed to take the strength out of her. She leaned back in her camp chair and bowed her head. 

The silence was too loud; not even Arlis raised her voice to accuse Hikaj of lying. When he looked to the squire, he was shocked to see she had tears in her eyes. 

“The High Priest, too?” she asked, her voice a thick whisper. Hikaj thought she was talking about the assassination that had drawn Kas into Amir, at Prince Panam’s invitation. Hikaj had had nothing to do with it, despite Arlis’s most heated accusations, but he had known the prince must have. 

Masara didn’t raise her head when she replied. “It would seem so. Our own armed conflict, after all.”  

“I’m sorry,” Hikaj found himself saying, feeling awkward and intrusive. “I’ll--I’ll leave you now. Have a good night.” 

Then he rose from the campaign chair, flinched as the unstable thing folded loudly in on itself, and fled the tent. 

#writing #masara #hikaj #the war au #i love aus #maybe 2021 will just be AUs #but tbh that woudl not be very different from most of the last few years lol #self indulgent 2021