#they both realize that they were only together because of shared trauma and an accidental pregnancy

[yesyourstalker]

Neta: so I take the slices of carrot cake and I kind of put it together and they make a whole cake

Warabi: so what you're making a wedding cake out of frozen carrot cake that's been in your freezer for 2 years?

Neta: no! I hate carrot cake. I don't like the texture but whatever he wants I do for him. I don't even know if we're going to get married. Honestly, I don't think I want to get married anymore. I was married. It wasn't great at the time but what kind of settled made peace............. Wow! So as if she knew I was talking about her.

Warabi: I'm going on break

Neta: hey syl.

Sylvia: hey Net........ How are you

Neta: I'm alive and medicated. How's your eye?

Sylvia: you know it's still glass. How's your ear?

Neta: still gone. Hehehehe.... But really how are you?

Sylvia: I'm good alive and medicated I heheheh.... I'm actually doing great! I'm engaged!

Neta: That's amazing! Sylvia, finally marrying Rift. He seems like a good guy. Cirrina seems to like him.

Sylvia: yeah... Of course he can't replace her actual dad. How is she?

Neta: doing good. She's at a turf war game right now. She's been going frequently. I think she might want to be on a team maybe when she gets to high school.

Sylvia:hmmm You know I hate those things. All it does is just glorify war and romanticize the shit that we've been through....... I swear surface culture........they have no respect for anything. They treat everything like it's a game.

Neta: come on Syl lighting up. It's different up here.... It's......... *sigh* I don't know. I should feel the same way too, but seeing her play. Hanging around with friends and acting normal. Having a childhood....... I don't want to take me away from her like it was taking away from us....... Just seeing her smile and laugh and I can't take that away from my little girl.

Sylvia: *sigh* I guess you're right......... As long as she's safe and happy. How is surface world anyway?

Neta: It's good, I got tanner hehe.... It's great! I'm really happy up here.... Got a nice store. Working my own business....the apartments are kind of small but I don't think I'm going to be staying there for long.

Sylvia: you still seen that metalopod guy? Hehehehe you two look very happy. It's kind of weird seeing you in a magazine. Was not a good picture. Terrible angle.

Neta: they never get my good side............. It's complicated right now. It's not bad complicated....... It's kind of like a waiting game right now...... You should meet him you'd like him............ Do you ever think of coming up to the surface??

Sylvia: no, I'm not going back. It's too much for me. I only went up there for missions. That's all I associate it with now. Every time I'm up there my guard is up and everybody is a threat I-......I can't..... I'm sorry

Neta: I feel the same way about the bunkers.... I can't go back down there............ever.... Is it different down there since the war is over?

Sylvia: It's really different! I wouldn't even call them bunkers anymore. We have shops, we can legally purchase and enjoy surface media now! Better plumbing, better homes. We have nicer light panels now! Of course the nicer areas have glass! Apparently they're working with jelly-co installing glass sheets so we can actually see the sun without going out to the surface!...... Which honestly is ridiculous because glass is a lot cheaper than artificial sunlight

Neta: *pffth*........I guess they're still treating sunlight as a luxury now and not as a right........typical....

Sylvia: Don't try to make this political. We'll be here all day hehehe...... I just wanted to catch up and ask if I'm able to have Cirrina over for a week. It's next year to be at the wedding and maybe....... Do you want to come too?

Neta: I think we can arrange that to happen. She'd love to see you get married....... I don't know about me though. It may change of aesthetically but........... It will always be a prison for me.............*sigh*..... I-

Sylvia: I get it. I completely understand Neta............ This place was not kind to you or anyone at that time

Neta:...............*sigh*................ Maybe I'll try going down there for a visit........ I want to see what music they have I can put in my shop.

Sylvia: whenever you saaay........... Maybe I can try going to the surface just to see cirrina play....... I also want to see how small your apartment is.

Neta: hahahahah shut up. See I knew you were going to do this. You always have to make fun of me about something!

Sylvia:wah wah wah.......... you shut up! If you're coming underground you better wear something nice not ugly clothes they wear up to the surface. They're like walking billboards. It's tacky, everything has to be branded. It's crazy.

Neta: RIGHT???. We used to just take blank shirts and draw pictures and shit. These kids have to have name brands. Do you know how much Toni kensa cost? It's like 100Gs for a pair of black and white shoes not the sales price!

Sylvia: I'm telling you surface dwellers don't take anything seriously. They don't know the value of money. They don't know the value of anything they just-

Neta: I thought you said we weren't going to be political.

Sylvia: be quiet............ The baby's crying. I got to go. Bye Net.

Neta: I got to pick up cirrina and see you later syl........... She's getting married. Maybe I should reconsider..

Mahi: she sounds nice. I can run the store If you're going to be underground for a while.

Neta: yeah thanks no problem. It'll be next year I have enough time to prepare myself and just to ......... mahi.... Were you listening to my conversation?

Mahi: just snippets of it You're next to the cash register. I couldn't help it here.

Neta: no, not that part. The fact that you can understand it. When were you going to tell me you know octarian?

Mahi: You never asked.

Neta: ..................................

Mahi: also, if you don't like carrot cake, you can just like get spice cake which is like carrot cake without the carrots but similar flavor

Neta:.......... Go on your break. I can't. I can't deal with you right now. Hahaha You're ridiculous hehehe You knew everything I was saying? what if I was talking shit huh?

Mahi belongs to @fish-at-fish-fish-resort

#yayy Neta and his ex-wife are friends. yay! they don't hate each other like I intended it to be #they both realize that they were only together because of shared trauma and an accidental pregnancy #cirrina also has a half brother! but I'm not going to dive deeper into that He will be a permanent baby forever! It will only be mentioned #but very little #and Mahi he was there the whole time! they just didn't say anything #Even when they were having a 30-minute conversation about cake mahi was there they just had nothing to add to the conversation

[sanityshorror]

Yandere Julius loves Killian… I love it.

Oh my God I'm so sorry this turned into a very long ramble about Killian and Julius' relationship 😭 but if you bring up their relationship to me, there is a strong likelihood I will wind up rambling about their relationship as I did here😭😭

Julius is absolutely head over heels in love with Killian and obsessed with him, yes. However, Julius really isn't 'yandere' at all (I know many people write yandere HCs of him and I'm totally fine with with that - but given I'm his creator I really only speak on canon). SOOO...

The reason he wound up slitting Killian's throat had nothing to with...well, anything tbh. Julius still isn't sure what drove him to do that. He was very intoxicated (a lot of liquor and cocaine), far past his general breaking point, and Julius has quite the temper with a strong tendency to over react to the extreme (he will either not care and not react at all or over react to an unfathomable level - there's no in between with him).

Killian accidentally broke a glass and the broken glass was the straw that broke the camels back for Julius. Killian had always known that Julius would be the death of him in one manner or other, and Killian was perfectly content with that. He says that he would have been very disappointed and pissed if Julius hadn't been the one to take him out.

Most of all, Killian is (and Julius is, too) very glad that Julius did kill him because if Julius hadn't murdered Killian, then Killian and Julius' souls would not have become intertwined in a higher dimension after their deaths, and Killian would not have become an immortal demon with Julius either.

They are both very happy that things happened the way they did, as now they literally will be together for eternity and they have a truly unbreakable bond now due to their souls now being intertwined (which isn't something that could ever be undone).

They definitely have a much less toxic relationship in present day as demons. Their relationship as humans was such an utter wreck but they have been in love basically their whole lives.Killian and Julius were childhood best friends. Julius was 4 and Killian was 7 when they met, and they both instantly became extremely attached to each other and excessively codependent.

Killian was 8 when he developed a crush on Julius - he realized he had a crush on Julius after eating a worm to try to impress him (and then tried to violently throw himself in the closet, as Killian really struggled with accepting his orientation - pan - for a long time. [I would love to share all about killian's struggles with coming to terms that he also loves ween0rs - so feel free to send an ask!]

Julius didn't realize he was gay and in love until a few months after he turned 13. He very much had a subconscious crush on Killian for a good while before realizing it. Julius did recognize prior as it would have been impossible not to, that the way felt and thought about Killian, as well the way Killian made him feel was very different and exclusive to Killian.

However Julius, despite his very severe childhood trauma (of every kind you can think of), he still was very innocent in many, many ways and didn't even understand what crushes were.

Things slowly started to turn from platonic, then into innocent childhood crushes, as they got to their teens, the crushes turned into much, much more serious, very strong and overwhelming feelings and such - obviously given they were both teenage boys at that point, the way they thought of each other was no longer all that innocent.

Julius was 13 and Killian was 15. This was the same time their relationship started to slowly very quality become increasingly romantic. It was undeniable where things were headed and how they felt despite them both huffing copium about how they felt for each other. When Julius was 17 and Killian was 19, they both finally accepted the reality of their relationship after finally kissing each other for the first time (they could not stop kissing after that).

They wound up doing the do for the time when Julius was 18 and Killian was 20. Having sex with each other for the first time definitely brought them only cheer and resulted in their attachment intensifying 100x. It was Julius's first time, and with the man that he had already been in love with and lusting after for the past five years, so it's not really surprising that Julius had a lot of emotions from it both during, after, and still does. Killian, on the other hand, already had very, very extensive sexual experiences with more women than he can remember. However Julius was the first man Killian was wet, and Killian had already been so in love with Julius (and only Julius). Killian was not ready nor expecting it to be just as emotional of an experience for him as it was for Julius.

Now, while Julius is very obsessed with Killian and attached to him and all "mine mine mine," there's a huge factor that completely excludes Julius from being in a "yandere" category: Julius is not bothered by the fact Killian still sleeps around with countless women. Julius actually agreed it was fine when they got into a relationship. He knows the way Killian thinks of women, treats women, and knows that Killian only uses women for sex - that if it wasn't for Julius, Killian would be single. Killian is very, very emotionally faithful to Julius, however - and Julius is very upset by Killian having sex with other men or masc aligned, which is why Killian only does his fucking aroundwith women and fem aligned.

Now, on the other hand, Killian forbids Julius from having sexual activities with anyone who isn't him. Nearly every man that Julius did decide to mess around with is very much dead now - either done by Killian or Julius, himself, to prove to Killian he doesn't actually want anyone else, he just wanted attention and felt like Killian wasn't giving him enough, or to make Killian jealous and angry all because Julius wanted extra rough sex

In conclusion:

Julius and Killian have a very...wonky... relationship, yeah. But they're very in love and their entire relationship in all aspects is consensual. Even physically fighting each other or being toxic little shits - they both want and enjoy the rollercoaster of it all. Sometimes they will physically fight each other for fun out of sheer boredom, like it's an MMA match, as if they're in a ring with mfs watching like

But they both are so so so absolutely in love, infatuated with, obsessed with, attached to, and would do another for each other. 💖

Anyway, here's some ship art I've drawn, unfortunately all old stuff but I'm very tired and just picked the first files I had of ship art on my phone 😭 the first two are when they were humans. The third is current day, fourth is them getting married as demons, fifth is chibis of them, and the final, very old sketch is Killian picking Julius up and Julius pretending to be annoyed, he's even funnier when you know Julius is 6'2 without his boots, and 6'5 in them - he's not remotely short but Killian is a giant tank😭

#julius x killian #julius doherty #killian lynch #julius the dressmaker #hellcrew #creepypasta #killmaker #sanityshorror

[entityforged]

under the cut you will find a very long list of very specific plots/dynamics i want to write, organized by corresponding muse. if you're interested in any of them, you can reply below, dm me the plot you're interested in, or just like if you want me to message you first. there's technically no limit on these plots; i don't mind "repeating" plots bc they'll always be different depending on who i'm writing them with, so don't let that hold you back from an idea.

ash: — give me the hot straight boy (or not) from church that they had a crush on. give me the two of them meeting at a pride event, discussing their feelings on gender, sexuality, and religion. give me the rekindling of friendship and feelings, that strange bond with someone who knew you before you knew yourself, the understanding that comes with shared trauma.

brody: — your muse knew him when they were younger, before he got really famous. one day they realize he still follows them back on instagram and send him a message saying they're proud/impressed, hope he's doing well, etc, not expecting him to respond. except he does, and they start talking a lot, and they end up catching feelings. maybe they didn't know each other well before this, maybe one or both had a crush that they never expressed, maybe one or both are in a relationship—idk there's just a lot of fun dynamics we could play with in a celebrity x random guy ship. — just anyone who has an actual crush on him. it'll take a lot of convincing to get him to accept that they care about him as a person, especially if they've already hooked up, but i really want to see someone treat him softly, help him come to terms with the trauma he's endured, and make him realize that he is worth more than his body.

caspian: — first of all tw for self harm; second of all this could work for ships i already have with him! basically i really want to play out the first time he's getting intimate with someone and they accidentally touch/see his scars. he'll freak out and depending on the kind of relationship there are different ways they can handle it, but it's an aspect of him i'd like to explore (esp bc i have not always dealt with it very well in the past).

daehyun: — idk how to explain this dynamic other than just showing you 1:05-2:07 of this video. give dae the stoic, quiet, very masculine, (maybe still thinks he's straight) counterpart to his bubbly, outgoing, very openly queer self. and if we wanna take inspo from the song he won't be actively gunning for the other guy to break up with his gf but he Will be hoping for it. (also bonus points if they dance together but that is not necessary!) — more professional connections please!! choreographers or fellow dancers or people he is doing backup dancing for!! i have also been toying with a verse for him moving to korea so if anyone has idol muses :eyesemoji:

daisy: — imagine reuniting with your childhood crush except they're now a world famous actor and you have a headache from trying to explain algebra to 12 year olds all day. how do you even handle that.

darcy: — someone that knew him before his family died, maybe even a childhood friend who knew them too. they're the only person allowed to come over during august, the only person he'll talk to about any of it. he definitely has feelings for them—maybe always has—but he refuses to say anything because he can't risk ruining their friendship. — someone else who works at the strip club! could be a bartender or bouncer or another dancer; could be purely platonic, could be romantic/sexual, could be a rivalry! lots of potential here.

lennon: — okay this one is so silly but they love anime and i've always had this idea of them having a secret tumblr or twitter where they talk about that! and they also have a longtime mutual who they're best friends with, they know all lennon's secrets but not who they are. and as they catch feelings they have to decide if they want to lose their one place of anonymity, their friendship, and maybe even their trust. (and maybe for bonus funny points they one day reveal that they have an interest in figure skating and lennon like. sneakily tries to get their opinion on themself lmao)

matthew: — in this house we love tropes so pls i am begging give me the person he is bodyguarding; they're soft and flighty and wear their heart on their sleeve and he's both exasperated and in awe of them. bonus points if they are openly queer! he can't have them and he can't be them so instead he will simply yearn in silent agony. (this one can be totally platonic they can totally just be besties.)

miles: — give this beautiful man his first kiss!!! it can be a joke/dare/casual thing that he puts way too much meaning into despite trying not to; it can be the climax of a sweet romantic slow burn; it can be him asking a friend to just kiss him so he can get it over with but oops he liked it a lot actually!!! idk idc just kiss him

rhys: — "hey hello fellow single parent our kids are besties do you wanna set up a playdate for them? no this is not because i have an absurd crush on you and this is not because my daughter knows and will definitely tell you if i don't at least pretend to make a move"

rijin: — polar opposite besties!! they're loud and outgoing but know better than to try to force him out of his shell; he thinks they're brighter than the sun and are fucking terrified of the day they decide they're tired of trying to shine a light into his dark, lonely world.

taesuk: — modelling rival! modelling rival! they could be a fellow up-and-comer or someone a bit older and more established; either way they definitely super hate each other and don't wanna fuck even a little!

#wanted ( plot ) #ash ( wishlist ) #brody ( wishlist ) #caspian ( wishlist ) #daehyun ( wishlist ) #daisy ( wishlist ) #darcy ( wishlist ) #lennon ( wishlist ) #matthew ( wishlist ) #miles ( wishlist ) #rhys ( wishlist ) #rijin ( wishlist ) #taesuk ( wishlist ) #man i could have gone on for so much longer. you're welcome. #also i got impatient and i'm posting now! will rb a few times dw

[skyler10fic]

I haven’t read any of your Daisy x Carol fics yet, because I haven’t been in the fanfic mood, but I’m so curious about them! What caused you to start shipping Daisy and Carol? What do you like best about them as a pairing?

Hi! Thank you so much for asking! No worries, I can definitely relate to not being in a fic mood.

I think they have so many parallels and opposites. Carol's story, in some way, is about being stronger on her own apart from the organization she was brainwashed to fight for. She starts out as a kidnapped tool of the Kree empire and finds out that they are the bad guy, not "noble warrior heroes." She learns to trust her emotions and herself and discovers her true name and identity that the Kree stole from her. Her powers weren't from the Kree after all. They were accidental, by sacrifice, and the Kree dampened them, an arm tied behind her back. Breaking free from the organization and systems she'd been taught to trust was vital to her unlocking her true power.

Daisy, on the other hand, is genetically a Kree experiment and only has powers because of their bloodthirsty quest for universal domination. She has the opposite problem as Carol. Instead of learning to maximize and free dampened powers, at first, Daisy's powers are involuntary and a danger to everyone including herself. She must learn to center herself and work through her emotions, process her trauma, etc. so she can stay in control.

She starts out alone, survives on the streets in her van, learns enough to earn her way into the Rising Tide, and becomes a noticeable threat to Shield, who she thinks is the bad guy, or at least hiding too much. Her arc is in that organization becoming her family, and every time she runs away (for understandable but angsty reasons), she finds herself stronger and more effective as part of that team. She also discovers her true name and identity, but it's not the family reunion that Carol gets. It's devastating. The reunion ends with the realization that the team Daisy's fighting alongside is her true family and her place is as an agent. (At least until the last few minutes, etc. etc.)

Both tell the Kree and their creepy mind prisons to fuck off, both are so much stronger than even they know, both are saved by Coulson and Fury and aided by Shield, both are so powerful it scares their superiors and peers a bit and their enemies a LOT. Both are funny and smart and extremely adaptive and resourceful. They are kind to kids, are loyal to their friends, feel betrayed when they find out the truth about men who think too highly of themselves as their mentors, and their powers are at least somewhat tied to their emotions. Both end up in space apart from the found families they formed for the majority of their canon, presumably fighting Kree and Kree-like evil? We're not really told explicitly what either of them are doing; it just gets them off earth because they are so powerful it creates plotholes for Marvel unless they are gone for ~reasons~.

In another universe (the animated show, Marvel Rising), they also work together with the Secret Warriors!

So that's a brief summary of my love of them, even though the Carol and Daisy in my current AU verse obviously don't have the same backstory or consequently, the same arcs. I think they are really good for each other, with Carol being sunshine light and Daisy being sunshine warmth. My AU Daisy can share her sense of belonging and family with Carol, and my AU Carol can share her confidence and independence with Daisy. Plus they are simply irresistibly cute.

#replies from the sky #meta #carol danvers #daisy johnson #aos #agents of shield #carol x daisy #daisy x carol #my otp #sailing this rowboat if it kills me #my bbies #captain marvel

[vampyrsutton]

Breakfast Food and Whiskey

Summary:

When Sakusa and Atsumu' bickering gets them kicked out of practice, they're forced to finally face their past.

Ao3 Tags:

Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Alpha, Alpha Sakusa Kiyoomi, Alpha Miya Atsumu, Homophobia, In Omegaverse Terms, Sakusa Kiyoomi is Bad at Feelings, I Accidentally Gave Him Trauma, Past Relationship(s), Getting Back Together, Miscommunication, Post-Time Skip, Angst and Hurt/Comfort

Notes:

For SakuAtsu Omegaverse Week 2023!

Trope: Non-Traditional Quote: Is this really a good idea?

"Knothead!"

"Asshole!"

"Jack ass!"

"Bi-"

"Enough!"

Both alphas freeze as their coach yells at them to separate from where they didn't even realize they were once again getting in each other's faces.

"The fuck happened now?!" Coach Foster yells at them.

"Miya's shitty set was too high!"

"Omi-Omi isn't payin' any fuckin' attention!"

"Shut up!" The older beta yells over them when they start snarling at each other. "I swear to god if I have to treat you like children and stick you in a 'Get Along Jersey' I will!"

"He started it!" They both scoff like the children they were just accused of being.

"Fucking, alphas." Coach mutters. "And I'm finishing it! Are you two nearing ruts or something?! Grow up and act like professionals or get the fuck off my court! In fact, you’re both done for the day! Hit the showers, go back to the dorms, and work it out or I'm benching both of you!"

Both alphas open their mouths to protest, before slumping at their coach's next words.

"Nope! Shut up! Go!" They're ordered, prompting them to trudge towards the locker rooms, still bickering. "Did I not just say shut up?!"

"Sorry!" They groan back, glaring at each other when it happens to be in unison.

Truth be told, they didn't actually hate each other nearly as much as they claimed. In fact, at one point, they had even been courting, though neither had actually realized it.

They had even been gathering the courage to ask each other out when Sakusa presented alpha days after turning 17 and Komori texted Atsumu to let him know about the new alpha rampaging to try to find him. Atsumu had been both flattered and concerned but spent the next several months properly courting the alpha in ways typical to an omega after assuming that's what he would be if his Omi-Omi was an alpha.

He was not an omega.

Unfortunately not even a beta.

No, weeks before turning 18, Atsumu fills the Inarizaki gym with a strong scent of star anise and fresh lavender that would almost say omega if it weren't for the bite of the freshness and that he started to rampage in an alpha hormone-fueled quest for Omi before he ended up tranqued, dragged home by 'Samu and Suna, and thrown into their room with some rut aids for a few days to get his shit together.

By the time he was let out of the room, he'd had a few patches of lucidity to think things through and figure out his next step. He had grown up taught that it was Alphas and Omegas that go together, but he had also known that wasn't true based because of 'Samu and Suna being Alpha and Beta. They even added Komori recently which had increased some extended family's bullshit about needing an omega, but even Atsumu could see they were just fuckin' saps.

With this thought in mind, Atsumu had decided he would still give dating Sakusa a try.

Now if only Sakusa had shared the same thoughts.

"Omi-Omi! Wait! Please! We can work this out, just please give me a chance!" Atsumu had pleaded as he held the other alpha's wrist so he couldn't flee.

He'd been pretty sure he could see pain in those dark eyes, but with Sakusa's expensive ass scent patches, he couldn't entirely tell which somehow made it hurt worse.

"I'm sorry 'Tsu-Miya." Sakusa said flatly, breaking Atsumu's heartbreak further with the revoking of his nickname. "I can't. We're both alpha's. It would be…unnatural…" He sounded like he was reading off a script but Atsumu was too busy spiraling to notice. Sakusa took a shaky breath. "It would be disgusting."

That final statement had been like a slap to the face, but Atsumu's pretty sure that would have hurt less. "Om-"

"Good bye, 'Tsu-Miya." Sakusa monotones in a way Atsumu hadn't heard since meeting him first year. "I'll see you on the other side of the court."

Little did they know that they'd end up on the same side just a few years later, after matching alpha drops, multiple painful ruts, several failed relationships, and a lot of hard feelings that would result in them constantly being at each other's throats when they meet again.

"Dammit!" Atsumu yells as he slams his locker closed after grabbing his towel. "We're fuckin' adults! Why is it still so fuckin' hard for us ta not be assholes ta each other?! It's been like what? Five years?"

"Speak for yourself, Miya. You're the one stinking up the place with your challenging scent. I'm just returning the favor." Sakusa huffs, as he gets his jersey off. For someone so distant, he surprisingly had no trouble just being naked around them all.

Atsumu furrows his brow as he sniffs his wrist before dragging his hand against his main gland to do the same. "I am?"

Sakusa looks at him like he's stupid and Atsumu tries not to snap in response. "Yes, you idiot. It's been five years and you still can't control your fucking scent?"

Atsumu's eye twitches, but his desire to not get benched is greater than his desire to snarl at the other. "Okay, well I don't smell it obviously so when did ya start smellin' it?"

Sakusa huffs, but thinks about it. "…After reuniting? When I was dragged out for the Welcome Party, you were tipsy and started pouring out a fiery cinnamon scent and kept staring at me like you wanted to rip my throat out which obviously pissed off my alpha. I tried to be professional and unbothered as usual but you insisted on being in my space and trying to drown me with it so I started returning the energy."

Atsumu blinks slowly before flushing down past the hem of his sweat-soaked jersey. "Ya said cinnamon?"

Sakusa raises an eyebrow but nods slowly.

"Like French toast cinnamon or Fireball whiskey cinnamon?" Atsumu has to clarify, hoping his voice doesn't convey his horror.

"Usually starts as French toast then morphs into whiskey when we start fighting?" The eyebrow inches higher. "Why?"

Atsumu has to hold back a pup-like whine before he rushes to the shower. "No reason. I'll be more careful. Just know I haven't been challengin' ya. See ya tomorrow!"

The eyebrow drifts back down to pinch with the other as Sakusa frowns. "See you tomorrow?" He mumbles back, wondering not only what the other alpha is hiding, but also if Miya forgot they'd see each other getting out of the shower.

They wouldn't see each other after their showers.

In fact, Sakusa would barely see the setter off the court as he seemed to appear and vanish into thin air outside of that. Sure it meant they weren't fighting, Atsumu only offering Sakusa the bare minimum in terms of conversation and practice notes, but Sakusa had also wanted to actually solve the problem and this felt…it felt wrong.

It brought back feelings he thought he had worked past after his parents had forced him to break it off with the alpha before it could even begin under threat of disownment. He's since gone no contact with them the second his college was paid off, and a part of him had hoped maybe he and Atsumu could work it out, but then his nose had been assaulted with biting cinnamon and crushed hopes.

At first, it had been a softer breakfast food scent, but then the look in Atsumu's eyes had made his hackles raise and it soon shifted to a sharper cinnamon that brought back bad choices from college, and they'd been hostile ever since.

The lack of Atsumu was somehow worse.

He didn't know what to do though.

He had never saved the blonde's new number after joining, he wasn't in the group chats, fuck he didn't even know what dorm was his.

His distress must have been soaking through his patches because Hinata ends up approaching him in the locker room with a look of concern.

"Are you okay, 'Kusa?" The little ginger omega frowns, his sweeter orange creamsicle scent being soured by his worry for his teammates. "Both you and 'Tsum-'Tsum have seemed really out of it since Coach sent you home last week."

Sakusa scowls into his locker, but apparently can't hide the dejected slump of his shoulders or the souring of his scent that he hadn't covered yet because Hinata whines, and Sakusa flinches at the sound.

He's always hated omega sounds. Sure, no one likes distressed omegas, but he couldn't really stand the normal ones either. It had been his first hint when he had started trying to forget about Atsumu in college and started dating around. He knew he was many people's idea of an ideal alpha, and had the hoards of omegas throwing themselves at him to prove it and he tried to like them. He really did, but when their sounds pissed him off and their scents made him gag, he finally had to come to terms with the fact he was not attracted to omegas. He had tried female betas after that, knowing that his parents expected more heirs despite his siblings already having pups, but then he had to come to terms with not liking vagina, and if that wasn't a whole breakdown to Komori as he was forced to come to terms with how badly he fucked up with Atsumu and dammit Toya I miss him so much.

"And you wondered why your parents have been all but exiled from the family." Komori had sighed as he let his clean linen air freshener and fruit cocktail scent out to try to calm the panicking alpha down and drown out the scent of rotting wood. "What do you think the old farts did when I started dating his brother and Rin? They wanted me to either break up their relationship so we'd be in a proper one or I was a disgrace of an omega. Forget that this was the norm for millennia." He sighed heavily now. "Your parents are pricks, and Atsumu had been the best thing that ever happened to you but they used fear to stomp all over that because of some bullshit view of right and wrong."

"And heirs." Sakusa mumbled into his cousin's shoulder.

"Yeah, and that." Komori huffs. "Do you even want kids? I've seen how you are when you get sick. You'd probably stop functioning if you had to deal with a diaper."

Sakusa made a face, shaking his head. "I'm probably not even going to associate with your's until they're like 12."

"Rude, but I should've expected it." Komori snorted, shaking his head in exasperation. "Point it, so you like alphas. Big fucking deal. You've always liked a challenge. Why are you backing down?"

"'Cause he probably hates me after how things ended." Sakusa mumbled, slumping further.

Komori made a face, contemplating if he should tell Sakusa what he knows and ultimately sighing. "He's…He's definitely bitter. Your rejection made him drop, and 'Samu said he came out of it an even bigger bastard but that could just be twin talk. It's been years though and you've both had time. Make friends again at least? You're about to be on the same team after all."

A suffering noise left Sakusa as he prayed for the floor to swallow him, even if it would only put him in the living room and facing someone who looks exactly like his first love. "Can't I just take your Miya up on his offer to spike a volleyball through my head? That sounds less painful."

"Nope. He'd probably weigh it down with lead or something and then you'd die before you had a chance to get your shit together." Komori smirked.

"That would be the point, yes." Sakusa huffed, pushing his cousin away now to pout.

"Just think about it, okay?"

He had.

Sakusa had thought about it non-stop the entire month leading up to him joining the Jackals and had steeled himself to apologize before whatever heart he had managed to salvage from the first time breaks all over again when he was met with what he perceived as animosity.

So he did what he does best when he's hurt.

He lashed out.

And now Sakusa almost wishes he had been benched so long as Atsumu wouldn't be avoiding him.

"I'm fine." Sakusa lies to Hinata, sighing when the omega's nose scrunches.

"You sure? 'Cause you smell awful and 'Tsum-'Tsum isn't doing any better." Hinata frowns. "I try not to pry, but you both smell like you'll drop any minute now."

Sakusa's eyes snap up in horror, not thinking he's doing that bad, but knowing that would be devastating for Atsumu who already suffered one before he even got to finish presenting.

"What?" Sakusa chokes out.

"Your scents are both rotten. Every note of them." Hinata explains. "What happened after you guys were sent home?"

"How close does Miya smell?" Sakusa asks instead of answering, already shoving things in his bag.

Hinata's face scrunches in concern. "Like stubbing his toe is going to make him fall apart? Why?"

"Because he's already dropped once barely five years ago before he even finished presenting. It was my fault then and I don't know what I did this time, but I'm not about to let it happen again." Sakusa rushes out as he slams his locker, not bothering with patches and barely managing to get a shirt back on. "What dorm is his? I have to fix this. I can't lose him again."

Orange eyes widen in horror. "What?! Why did he- not important. I'll bully it out of him later. He claimed room 10 on the second floor." Hinata's eyes narrow now as he blocks Sakusa's retreat. "Break him, and I do the freak quick to your head. Understand?"

Sakusa growls at being blocked from who his alpha still considers his mate, but nods. "I'll provide the ball. Now move ."

He doesn't mean for the Command to slip in there, and he'll apologize later, but right now, he needs to check on Atsumu so wastes no further time in booking it out of there.

It finally registers to him that 10 was his high school jersey number when he's faced with it once more, but he doesn't have time to dwell on it as he bangs on the door.

"Miya! Open up, dammit! You're worrying the team and Hinata says you smell like you're going to drop! Let me in so I can fix whatever I fucked up this time!" Sakusa yells as soon as he hears shuffling inside, before cursing when there's a squeak and a thud. "Don't make me force open the door! Miya-fuck 'Tsumu, please!"

Something in his voice must give away his desperation as a gold eye suddenly peaks through the cracked open door.

"You called me, 'Tsumu…"

Sakusa winces, drawing in on himself at the unknown, but strong emotion in the setter's visible expression. "Sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"Ya should have never stopped ta begin with." Atsumu huffs and the pout on his face reminds Sakusa why they ever thought he could be an omega. "What do ya want, Om- Sakusa? I'm tired."

Sakusa reels as though he had been smacked by Ushijima and makes a pained noise. "Don't. Fuck, don't ever say my name. It sounds so wrong."

Atsumu's eyebrows furrow. "Ya hate Omi-Omi though?"

"I hated the emotions connected to it, but my name is so much worse." Sakusa grimaces.

Atsumu just looks exhausted as he sighs. "What do ya want, Omi."

Sakusa frowns at the incomplete name but sighs. "I told you. Hinata said you smelled like you were close to dropping, and I heard about the first one that happened before you were even done presenting. There's no way you can handle a second one within the same decade. …I came to help. I don't know what I did this time, but I'd probably follow you if I made you drop again." He mumbles near the end as he looks at the ground, choosing not to mention his own drop from years ago.

"Fuckin' omega noses." Atsumu mutters as he sighs. "I'm fine, Omi. Why do ya even care? Ya didn't the first time."

Sakusa's brow furrows as he looks back up at bitter gold. "I didn't hear about the first one until a month before I joined. You think I'd just let you drop?"

It's Atsumu's turn to look confused. "The fuck do ya mean you just hearda it? 'Samu went all the way ta yer house ta throttle ya fer it?"

Dark eyes widen now. " That's what that yelling was?! My parents just said he was pissed I technically broke up with you! I didn't even get to talk to him!"

Atsumu's eyes widen in turn as he finally opens the door to talk to Sakusa properly and fuck he looks like hell. "He said they said ya didn't care an' ya said ta leave. Had no need fer broken alphas in yer life."

Sakusa snarls, eyes narrowing as things start to piece together. "Did you try texting or calling me at all?"

"Had ta have been hundreds a' times." Atsumu frowns.

Sakusa huffs, digging his phone out of his bag and pulling up a contact he couldn't bear to delete. "What's your phone number, Miya?" The growl building in his throat becoming audible as it matches the old contact. "You never changed it."

"Why the hell would I?" Atsumu scoffs, the cinnamon in his scent gaining a whiskey bite with his increasing confusion.

"I never wanted to leave you, 'Tsu- no I don't have the right to call you that-Miya. My parents are old-school conservatives who insist mating and love is between an Alpha and an Omega or any combination that can produce offspring. They were all for it when we thought you'd be an omega, but the second you presented otherwise, it was stop seeing you or be disowned." The growl grows louder. "I was 17, and couldn't afford to be kicked out and was too panicked to think to ask any family or friends to take me in despite multiple offering when they found out what my parents had done." He turns the phone so Atsumu can watch him press call and it goes straight to unavailable. "It seems they were determined to make sure I wouldn't stray, but I haven't talked to them since I graduated college and am shocked I'm even still on their plan, but the least they can do after the emotional hell they put me through is pay my damn phone." A frustrated huff. "I never wanted to hurt you, Miya."

Atsumu's eyes were saucers as he let Sakusa talk before they finally narrow and his own growl joins Sakusa's. "I got that bitch good chocolates fer her birthday, what the fuck?!"

Sakusa nods, dropping his phone back in his bag. "I didn't even get to see Komori again until I went to college after he got with your brother and Suna."

Atsumu snarls as he whips out his phone and starts texting rapidly.

"What are you doing, Miya?"

"Texting yer cousin fer yer parent's numbers so I can give 'em an earful!" Atsumu growls. "I can't fuckin' believe they did that ta ya!"

"To- what? To me ?!" Sakusa scoffs as he snatches the other alpha's phone before he can give his parents an actual reason to hate him. "Miya, you dropped because of me being a coward! What the hell do you mean?!"

"Ya just said ya would've stayed if it weren't fer 'em so really it's their fault that I dropped." Atsumu huffs as he tries to get his phone back, pouting when the spiker drops it into his bag.

"Anyone ever tell you you worry too much about others?" Sakusa asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Constantly." Atsumu shrugs with a roll of his eyes before smiling fondly. "Been a while since I've heard it from ya though. …I missed it."

Sakusa chooses to ignore his face heating as he huffs. "Want to explain what this one was about then?" He asks, trying to get them back on track and curious when Atsumu's face flushes as well.

"Need ya ta answer one more thing 'bout the last topic before I answer that." Atsumu mumbles shyly.

Twin moles inch into dark curls, but Sakusa still nods. "Okay?"

"…How do ya feel now?" Atsumu asks, toeing at his welcome mat. "Did ya actually think I was disgusting?"

Sakusa's eyes darken at the very thought. "I was just parroting them. I loved you but was stupid and scared and convinced I was broken so I listened to the people who were supposed to protect me. I listened clear up until I went to college and could try getting over you, but I can't stand omega's and apparently don't like women so had an entire breakdown to Komori when I realized just how much I had fucked up." He groans as he runs a hand down his face. "…I was going to try to at least befriend you again when I joined the Jackals, but then the postering shit happened at the bar and I was devastated so lashed out back."

Atsumu has a goofy smile on his face but quickly flinches at the end. "Yup. There it is. …So the French toast cinnamon?" He starts awkwardly. "That's my rut/arousal scent. I was starin' at ya like that because I was drunk an' yer still stupidly hot an' I didn't even realize I had been starin' until the rotten mahogany added ta yer scent an' I thought ya still hated me, but now I know it was ya misinterpretin' me bein' a simp, but I didn't know that part until just now so I thought it was leftover hatred an' ya also hatin' my scent an' it felt like a second rejection." He explains as he slumps. "Basically, my alpha took a hit bein' rejected so soon after presentin' an' is extra sensitive ta rejection so when we thought ya hated even our scent, we kinda spiraled again."

Sakusa blinks before sighing heavily. "So we're both idiots?"

"Fer a while, yeah." Atsumu chuckles tiredly.

Sakusa can't help his own tired chuckle as he for once in his life makes the first move by pulling Atsumu through the door and into a hug. "Can I start making it up to you, Miya?"

"If ya stop callin' me Miya, yeah." Atsumu smiles into the spiker's broad shoulder as he takes in the orange and clean linen that he hadn't gotten to properly appreciate the first time. "Missed hearin' ya call me 'Tsumu."

"…I really don't think I have the rig-"

"I will shut the door in yer face right the fuck now." Atsumu growls despite holding the other alpha tighter.

Sakusa can't help but snort. "How did we ever think you could be an omega?"

"Young, dumb, an' in love." Atsumu shrugs as he smothers Sakusa in his scent of star anise and lavender before pulling back to drag Sakusa into his dorm. "Now come on. Hinata was right that I'm close ta a drop, so yer helping with prevention this time."

Sakusa's eyes widen as he's dragged in and he bites back a snarl when a much more sour cinnamon assaults his nose once inside. "Is this really a good idea? Shouldn't you call your brother or packmates or something? Not the cause of the drop?"

"First a' all," Atsumu starts as he takes off his now happy-smelling shirt so Sakusa can cover his nose. "I don't care how much we thought we hated each other, my alpha never stopped considerin' ya pack. Secondly," He drags him into his room now and opens the window to start airing out the depression stench much to Sakusa's relief, "the drop is from what my alpha thought was a rejection. What better way to fix that than showing him you didn't." He nods as he hops onto his mess of a bed and holds out his arms. "Now get down here."

Sakusa makes a face as he looks at the crumbs and wrinkled sheets even as he starts moving forward before Atsumu's eyes widen and he sits back up.

"Shit! Wait! I forgot 'bout the germ thing! Hold on!" Atsumu curses as he jumps back up to strip the bed.

Sakusa visibly relaxes before flinching. "No, I should-"

"I'm an alpha too, Omi-Omi." Atsumu cuts him off. "Let me take care a' ya too."

Sakusa frowns but still relaxes as he drenches whatever is handed to him in his scent as his contribution. "Sorry…"

"Don't be." Atsumu shrugs. "Ya can't help it an' seem ta have gotten better about it at least."

Sakusa still hates it but doesn't have to hesitate this time when he's pulled into the bed for Atsumu to lay on top of him and soak in his presence and scent. "I meant about everything."

"We'll work it out later." Atsumu sighs as he melts against who should have been his alpha years ago. "Right now, I just want ta be with ya. I missed ya."

"I missed you too." Sakusa sighs, basking in Atsumu's scent in turn and finally realizing how anxious his alpha had been when it relaxes for the first time in probably years. "So much."

"Don't ever leave me again." The setter mumbles as mahogany starts joining the mix to lull him into a calm he hasn't felt in years.

Sakusa holds Atsumu tighter as he growls into blonde hair. "Never again, 'Tsumu. Never again."

If they miss the next day of practice and return with mating bites, well, at least they're not fighting anymore.

#haikyuu sakuatsu #sakuatsu #sakusa kiyoomi #haikyuu!! #sakusa x atsumu #miya atsumu #sktsbondingweek #omegaverse #a/b/o dynamics

[burninglikefire]

If doe says to unnamed "I love you forever"?

His reaction depends on his relationship with this doe. Here’s the possibilities! 

1) She’s a fellow (former) Efrafan guard/owsla captain (I don’t know how likely this is given that the only doe I know of to be a warrior is Spartina but there could still be other female warriors too) and, like him, has suffered many hardships before Woundwort came to Efrafa. 

They were childhood friends and grew up together. She knows his story, all his insecurities and all his secrets. He trusts her enough to tell her his deepest thoughts and secrets as he knows she will never judge or think bad of him for it. 

Out of all the rabbits in Efrafa, she is the only one other than Woundwort that he would risk his life for. He never says it out loud, but he would chose her over his leader any day. 

They might have always had feelings for each other but were never given much of a chance to share those feelings (due to a combination of Efrafan’s laws, their duties as guards, etc).

When Efrafa is destroyed and they love to Watership Down, she shares the same frustrations and struggles as him. They rant to each other about the battle and their feelings towards the Watership Down rabbits. Freely express their anger and sadness and try to comfort each other. 

The ‘what now?’ question haunts both of them. 

When Moss announces the Efrafans leaving and starting a new warren, he is apprehensive and unsure and asks her what she thinks. She doesn’t say anything at first but then looks him in the eye and tells him: ‘I love you forever’. 

In this moment, he realizes it doesn’t matter. That he doesn’t care where he goes or who he follows. That all he wants is her by his side and he will gladly start over at a new warren if it meant he could have a life with her. 

That’s when he tells her his feelings for her. That he loves her too and, if he ever had to chose between her and Efrafa, he would have always chosen her.

Theres still so many unknowns for their future but one thing is certain. That they have each other and that’s all they really want and care about. They can figure out the rest as they go. 

2) She was a prisoner of Efrafa. In this scenario, their relationship would not be great for a while (not quite abusive but he would be complicit in her capture and enslavement). For obvious reasons, she would resent and hate him while he’s indifferent to her. 

Given their statuses in Efrafa and the circumstances of how they met, he would have to earn her trust before any romance could happen between them-more so if they had met in better circumstances. Ideas for this may include saving her life (Vervain wanting to kill her for attempting to escape, sneaking her food when she is starving, etc), having brief interactions with her that aren’t just orders and, accidentally, becomes secret conversations, something along those lines.

Any relationship (romantic or not) between an Efrafan guard and a slave would likely be heavily frowned down upon but I’m not sure if it would be seen as traitorous. Regardless, their relationship would either have to be a secret between them or would only be able to develop after Efrafa’s destruction.

Now, assuming that’s the case:

On Watership Down, she still dislikes him and doesn’t trust him at all and he (mostly) ignores her but they start to have more interactions as the Efrafans look for a new warren. It likely starts as conflict and bickering (he struggles with the change of no longer being a guard and still hanging on to some of Efrafa laws and she openly defies him because now she can). 

Their relationship would likely develop slowly. Gradually improving as they get to know each other, adapt to their new status as equals, and figure out their new lives at the new warren. Maybe they save each other’s lives (him fighting off elil and her healing his wounds), maybe they find out they have something common (common trauma, an insecurity or fear, maybe they like the same story or nature-thing (plants or insects for example)). 

Overtime, their relationship would develop into a friendship before eventually becoming romantic. Ideally, their relationship would bring out the best in each other. Maybe she makes him question his loyalty to Efrafa and Woundwort and discover things about himself that he wouldn’t have otherwise known or thought about. 

How he brings out the best in her heavily depends on her life in Efrafa, her life before her imprisonment, any fears, traumas or struggles she’s had throughout her life, her own personality flaws or insecurities, etc. As the possibilities are endless, I’m going to leave this part blank and let you fill in the details if you want.

Fast forward to the future! When she tell’s him she loves him forever, his reaction would be shock at first before turning into joy. This doe, who has seen all the ugly sides of him from his time as a guard in Efrafa to all his secrets and vulnerabilities, loves him for who he is. Not for his status, not for his strength, but for him.

Their relationship hasn’t always been perfect and he has done things he will never fully forgive himself for and might have hurt her in the past too, but she still chose him nonetheless. Maybe it’s a testament to how much he’s grown and changed since those dark days. Maybe it shows how close they’ve become. 

In any case, after all they’ve been through together, this is what it’s all lead up to. Her loving him and him loving her. Even though it’s been a struggle, he has a new life with her as his equal at a warren where they could be together and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

#watershipdown Tv series #watership down 1999 #watership down #Efrafa #Ask

[clean-bands-dirty-stories]

Limp Noodle ~ S.H.

A/n: I have never once been good at making choices so I’ll be doing both OOF! This request is dirt old but whatever. I’m actually writing requests now look at me go!

Request: “...prompt 20 or 21 Steve Harrington x clumsy male reader” by anon

#20 (here): “I can’t do this without you”

#21: “Guess who broke their nose! Me. It’s me. I broke my nose.”

Word Count: 2000+

MASTERLIST

“Are you SURE that this is a good idea?” The words came from Y/n as Steve parked the car, waving through the windshield window at Jonatan, Nancy, Robin and a new friend, Bianca. They’d all decided on a triple date and like idiots they’d let Steve, Bianca, and Nancy decide so they were now all headed on a hike. Robin was the least athletic of all of them and hated exercise of any kind. Jonathan was the one in the group who hated being outside in the sun and much preferred being inside cuddled on the could other swaddled in bed. Y/n... well Y/n was the single most clumsy person you’ve ever met.

Now, take whatever image that popped in your head when I said that and then make it ten times worse. Then take THAT mental image and multiply by it by ten AGAIN. Y/n was worse. He was absolutely sure he was going to thrip and fall over the side of some steep hill and fully die. He would be lucky to make it out of this trip without a stick going through his eye. Y/n and the outdoors didn’t mix. They never had. He could barely walk, let alone when it was uphill and outside and humid and hard to breathe and everyone was so beautiful and distracting.

Steve didn’t agree with that analysis.

“This is a great idea actually,” Steve decided with complete confidence. “Don’t worry about it okay? You’ll be fine.”

“Incorrect,” Y/n Aries immediately. “We started dating because I tripped seven times and you caught me every single one. I tripped seven times in three days Steve - and that was just the, what, one hour a day you’re with me? In THREE HOURS I TRIPPED SEVEN TIMES!” He was whisper yelling, getting rather heated. “I’m going to knock my head into a tree and bleed out.”

Steve laughed. He reached over, taking his boyfriend’s hands. “Do you trust me?”

Y/n’s shoulders sagged. “That is a cheap trick, Harrington.”

In response Steve only raised his eyebrows. When Y/n refused to answer, Steve sighed. “Y/n. Do you trust me?”

Closing his eyes a second, Y/n held in a sigh. When he opened them again, he managed a small smile. “Yeah. I trust you.” Steve went to get out of the car and Y/n caught his wrist. “Just promise you’re going to stay with me okay? I can’t do this without you. I’m serious.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “Come on Drama King.” They both got out and made their way over to the other four.

“Hey guys!” Nancy greeted warmly. She had calmed a lot since Y/n had first met her. Darkened. But she was still pleasant enough, and Y/n tolerated her for Steve. He didn’t know why they were all friends after Nancy’s brutal ripping up Steve’s heart but... he expected it was that trauma bonding things that Steve and Robin refused to ever talk about with Y/n in the room.

“Hey bestie.” Robin winked at Y/n and he felt himself relax. Around her he always felt more comfortable. She got him on a much deeper level than Steve did. She had actually been the one to set them up after failure after failure of Steve’s attempts on girls who came to the ice cream shop they met at originally. It had gone up in flames recently, but they’d snagged a job at a movie store so they still worked together. Y/n was pretty sure neither of them would have it any other way, even if they sometimes pretended to hate each other.

“Hey loser,” Y/n joked back. Robin shoved him and he laughed, accidentally ramming into Jonathan as his feet almost came out underneath him. “Sorry,” Y/n mumbled.

Robin scoffed in amusement. “I always forget you have two backward feet.” This was something she said often, in reference to the popular statement of ‘two left feet’. One day Robin had proclaimed that Y/n was something worse than two left feet, and then being backward had kicked off as an inside joke.

“I’d you have that problem standing still, how do you think you’re going to do on a hike?” It seemed Bianca was trying to get in on the joking, but it hit a hard cord with Y/n.

He wasn’t in the mood to joke. “What can I say? Great day to die.” He put on the fakest smile ever. “Come on everyone!” Then he began to surge ahead, onto the trail, and the others scrambled to catch up.

It didn’t tale long for Nancy and Bianca to hit the head of the trail. Steve dutifully stayed by Y/n, but he watched the girls head with a sort of forlorness. Because Y/n was so slow and Jonathan and Robin lagged even behind him, the two girls in front were racing up and down the steep sides of the path they were on, jumping over logs and hopping up on stumps to make the path harder. They were laughing hard and having a great time. Y/n knew that Steve desperately wanted to join them.

What kind of a boyfriend would Y/n be to stop him? “Go on,” Y/n sighed, nudging Steve forward encouragingly.

Steve looked at Y/n with an expression that tried far too hard at innocence to succeed. It was so obvious he was full of crap that Y/n was rolling his eyes before the brunette even spoke. “What? What do you mean? I’m having a great time with my boyfriend which was the point of this whole thing. Have I bored you already?”

“No, but I’ve bored you. Go and do parkour with the bad ass chicks up there. Go on.” Steve hesitated, but when Y/n shot him a look, he finally did speed ahead to catch up and join in the unnecessary shenanigans that gave Y/n extreme anxiety just imagining himself doing. He sighed watching Nancy and Steve. He knew that things were WAY over between them, but Y/n found a little jealousy in the way they worked together so fluidly. They were perfect for each other - even as friends. She just kept up with him and challenged him in a way that Y/n never could, and Steve thrived.

Slowing down in his moment of annoyance, Robin and Jonathan caught up to him. “Welcome to the world of those who have to sit back and wonder why they’re not still dating,” Jonathan sighed. His voice was as laced with bitterness as Y/n’s thoughts were.

“They’re so complimentary,” Y/n complained.

“You could argue that you guys are the same,” Robin pointed out. “You both hate doing anything outside or away from home. You both love reading and photography. I mean Y/n’s incredible view of the world allows him to be a great writer, but it also connects you two. Writing and photography aren’t far from each other and you prod that every day. Nancy can’t slow down enough to appreciate things like Jonathan does, and we all know Steve is no reader.” She chuckled. “And we’ll never know how awkward and snappy got buff and pretty.”

Jonathan and Y/n smiled at that. “Imagine another world where Nancy and Steve stayed together. Then maybe you and me would have-“ suddenly he lost his words as he tripped, and Jonathan reached out to catch him. The two boys busted up laughing. “That’s the second I have to say both sorry and thank you for your reflexes Mr. Byers.”

“Ah anytime. That’s what friends do. Share interests and talk about alternative world where they’re dating and catch each other when they almost die.”

That made Y/n laugh harder.

Suddenly there was a very unpleasant thump and a scream. The three in the back snapped their attention to the three ahead and saw Nancy and Bianca freeze and look back at Steve, who had landed on the ground. His hands had risen to cover his face, and he slowly turned on his side, curling in on himself. It seemed like he’d misstepped at some point and tripped and fallen.

Perhaps Y/n shouldn’t have been the one they worried about on this trip...

-

When they finally got Steve to the hospital, it was a mess. There had been blood everywhere, and Y/n’s weirdly good driving had saved the day in a pinch once again. They’d gotten there quickly and in one piece without getting pulled over.

Only an hour later they were given news. Steve came out with the skin around his nose already bruised and puffy. “Guess Who broke their nose,” he mocked in a song songey voice.

“Me?” Y/n joked.

“Me!” Steve agreed, pointing at himself. “It’s me. I broke my nose.” He slung an arm over Y/n’s shoulders and the other four covered their mouths to hide laughs. People wouldn’t be forgiving in public if it got out that the two men were dating, so they were trying to be lowkey.

The Doctor came over behind Steve. “He’ll be fine. I’ve given him direction son how to ice it and even given him some pain killers to help with the next few hours. But it is just a broken nose, so nothing too severe.”

“Thanks,” Y/n told the Doctor. They left then, everyone heading home. Y/n designated himself in charge of caring for Steve, and called his parents to let them know that Steve ‘got tired’ after the hike and totally knocked out. They didn’t mind, liking that Steve was actually spending time with other kids again, so it went without too much problem.

As Y/n was tucking Steve into bed, Steve caught his hand to still him. “I love you.”

Y/n’s eyes widened. They hadn’t said that yet but... well, if hypotheticals with Jonathan had taught anything today, it was that Y/n was glad he was in this version of things, even if it was a little more complicated this way. So he meant it when he replied, “I love you too Stevie.”

Steve glared. “Not Jonathan?”

“Jon-“ Y/n’s deep confusion cleared as he realized what had been happening right when Steve had tripped. Jonathan and Y/n had been close. Laughing. Talking. Touching. “Oh my god Harrington did you break your nose because you were being a jealous idiot?”

“Maybe,” Steve grumbled, looking away.

Y/n laughed, gently tugging on his chin so their eyes met again. “Please sweetheart, you can’t get rid of me that easily. Me and my two backward feet are going to plague you for the rest of our lives.”

Steve’s eyes got very soft. “Do you really mean that?”

Getting sincere, Y/n leaned down and kissed Steve’s forehead. “Stephen Harrington, I’ve never meant anything more. I know we can’t get married or anything, or even date publicly, but... I don’t care. And maybe that’s some really forward thinking and we haven’t been dating that long, but I fell... a LOT of times in my life. It only made sense that the first time someone ever caught me, it was you. And it made me realize that I was gifted with my two backward feet so that one day I’d fall for you.”

Steve groaned. “That was painfully cheesy.”

“Okay, okay,” Y/n dismissed, rolling his eyes. The sweet moment was completely ruined.

“No seriously I would break my nose again before hearing that-“

Y/n reached over, turning the light off before climbing into bed with Steve. “Shut up Harrington, or I WILL break your nose again.”

Steve laughed before pulling Y/n close so they could fall asleep curled up with each other. “My cheesy, dumb, clumsy boy,” Steve mused quietly.

That made Y/n scoff. “If either of ya is the dumb in this relationship it’s YOU, Harrington.”

“Shut up,” Steve whispered. It was quiet a while before he finally followed up with, “I’d like that future with you too.”

To hide his smile, Y/n mumbled, “Good night Stevie.”

After a second, Steve replied, “Good night, Y/n.” And for now, that was the end of it.

#steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x male reader #stranger things #stranger things imagine #stranger things x reader #stranger things x male reader #joe keery #joe keery x reader #joe keery imagine #bisexual steve harrington #bi steve harrington

[owohawks]

Hi there I love your blog! May I possibly request some headcanons of the process of Hawks falling in love and confessing to his s/o please? Thank you very much for your time. Stay awesome!

Ohhhh hunty u have no idea how much I love to write for hawks 👀 but here u go! Also thanks!!!

Honest to god if this were reality I’d see Hawks only confessing if the hero commission were to collapse (I read this somewhere but I liked the idea so much I stole it rip). So long as he’s under the hero commission, he cannot have an s/o and will actively go out of his way to avoid falling in love.

But let’s say the hero commission didn’t hold him back

You were the sweetest thing he’d ever met. Your smile brought light to even the darkest of rooms and even just being around you, soaking in your energy and vibes, hawks couldn’t help but be entranced by you.

Somehow, you two met, and he found you to be such a cool person!

You two would talk about all different kinds of shit and slowly but surely bond over all the things you two share together.

Here’s where hawks.exe stops working

He slowly notices that you’re brighter than the rest of the world, that your smile is the one thing aside from hero work that matters to him

He gets blushy if you and only you enter his personal space

He will be an absolute gentleman towards you, holding doors open for you and pulling out your seat for you to sit

Something that you may notice is that his wings may puff up at the base when he’s around you and you may even see some feathers pop out if he gets blushy or nervous enough

Will always find an excuse to touch you. Hand behind the back, grazing hands as he passes something to you, brushing you with his wings all sorts of different ways.

Will smile at you with that crooked smile.

No longer feels that he has to put up a face with you so he gets a LOT more comfortable being himself like he’ll show more emotions and shit

Wants so desperately to touch you. Poor mans is touch starved

Pls keep in mind that this is an incredibly slow process too because hawks has endured a lot of trauma growing up and he’s only just learning how to love as an adult.

But hoooo baby when he finally figures it out and he realizes that hey, he’s in love, shit hits the fan

Now accepting it, he goes back more to his usual cheesy self and constantly flirts with you. Flirt or retort something back and he’ll be head over heels for you.

Can be very slow to confess. You’re most likely his closest friend when he falls, and he’s so afraid of ruining the relationship y’all already have

Buttttttttt

I feel like confessing would happen accidentally

And it could happen fast

As mentioned this mans is touch starved so when he gets the chance to touch you, he does.

So when he discovers your weak spots to tickle, you’re done for.

He lunges forward from his end of the couch and attacks you, tickling you, getting right into all your weak sides, but then he hooks his fingers right there and you let out a moan on accident rip

And you and he are right there staring at each other before dying of laughter

And that’s when it slips out

“Haha, god I love you.”

But the thing is is that you don’t realize what you say until it’s too late as well

“Me too!”

Before you both take a second take at each other and completely blush

“W-wait, you mean it?” You ask him curiously

“Well, I guess I do. Can I, uh..” he coughs, “..kiss you?”

You only respond by pulling him to your mouth and sharing what could have been the most passionate kiss you had ever shared with someone.

#bnha fluff #bnha #boku no hero academia #hawks #my hero academia #bnha hawks #keigo takami #boku no hero headcanons #my hero imagines #bnha imagine #bnha imagines #hawks x you #hawks headcanons #hawks x reader #hawks fluff #wing hero hawks

[frostfireft]

Can we have more Bickslow headcannons? And maybe Evergreen, Freed, and Lexus too?

Fuck yeah you can! I’m gonna start with a lot of angst and then move into their dynamics as a team. (this got REALLY long but I’m not sorry)

-I gave you all my HC for Freed’s backstory in my last post and mentioned that Freed is the reason that Bickslow and Evergreen joined the guild, so have both their backstories too! 

-Bickslow grew up in a travelling circus with several other child performers. It wasn’t exactly a nice environment. There were lots of issues and safety hazards and abuse going on behind the scenes, but they were forced to keep smiling and performing through it all. 

-Bickslow was especially targeted by the ringmaster because of his magic allowing him to look into people’s souls. The ringmaster is the one who forced him to wear a helmet when he wasn’t using his ability on the crowd for money. 

-Because of that, he only had five friends back then, all children younger than he was, who looked up to him both for his tricks and the fact that no matter how upset he was, he had a smile for them.

-one day the tent caught fire during a practice. Bickslow was the only one to make it out alive. 

-but considering all the traumatic events they went through, most of the children kept there weren’t able to move on, and their spirits lingered in the area... Except for the five kids who were most fond of Bickslow. They stayed near him and talked to him all the time, especially once they realized he could see them. You still have a soul as a spirit after all. 

-the town he was in began to think he was crazy because he was “talking to the air” all the time, and they would continuously call child services to try and take him to an orphanage. The five spirits however, would warn him before they could, and Bickslow used his years of acrobatics skills to stay away from anyone who tried to move him away from where the circus burned down. It may have been a place of trauma, but there were good memories too, and it’s all he had. 

-So the town tried one last gamble. Who better to adopt a child with mysterious magic that Fairy Tail? 

-And Makarov, in an attempt to get Laxus to be more social, decided to send him and Freed. 

-It went about as well as you’d expect. Laxus tried to fight him while Freed did research on the area and what happened to him. 

-Laxus didn’t have as much control over his magic as he thought he did at that age, and Bickslow was kicking his ass before Freed showed up and trapped him so they could talk.

-Freed shared his story with him and offered the same thing Laxus once offered him: a home. 

-Bickslow cracked soon after that, and told them everything after Freed started asking questions about the town thinking he’s crazy while they were on the train back to magnolia. 

-While many members of Fairy Tail were unnerved by him, those around their age did their best to make him feel at home. Natsu listened to all his stories about the circus and about the five ghosts who followed him, and Bickslow listened to his stories about the dragons. 

-Freed used this time to research Seith magic extensively, and he eventually came across the idea of putting the souls into objects. He and Bickslow worked for weeks to figure out how to do it, and the five spirits became his five main “dolls.” 

-He of course, asked them if they were okay with being alongside him before putting them inside the tiki dolls, and if he cried when they said there was nowhere else they’d rather be? Well Freed and Laxus weren’t going to tell anyone about it. 

-Evergreen was both harder and easier to get back to Fairy Tail. 

-Like Freed, She was once a part of the noble class, but under a name she never wants to use again. 

-When she gained her eye magic, she accidentally turned her mother to stone, and it was all downhill from there. Her father tried to keep her locked in a room, and it worked for a long time. 

-Eventually though, she had decided she’d had enough, and snuck out and ran as far away as she could. She kept a ribbon tied around her eyes any time she had to go into town, and learned how to walk while completely blind. This did some damage to her eyesight after several years of doing it. 

-it felt like it was too good to be true. She was free and she did odd little jobs in a town far from her original home to earn money for food. it was all she needed..... Until a child tore the ribbon from her face. 

-the second she made eye contact, the little boy turned to stone. There was nothing she could do about it except cover her face up again and run. 

-her father, however, had notified several guilds about her disappearance and claimed she was dangerous if left alone, so when stories spread about a homeless child turning a boy to stone, it became their first lead in months. 

-there was a lull in fighting missions at the time, and something about her magic intrigued Freed. It was an eye magic like his and Bickslow’s first magics, and they aren’t exactly common. Freed, Laxus, and Bickslow took it upon themselves to take the mission to bring her home.

-She very quickly figured out how to hide herself in the woods and away from people. Freed had to trap the entire area and make it so that eye magics don’t work within his barriers before they could even get close to her. It took almost a month. 

-And much to their surprise, she was nothing like what they were expecting. After all, they were supposed to be hunting down a nobleman’s son, not a daughter.

-Bickslow almost immediately asks her about why she ran away, and Ever looks up at him- then panics as she slams her eyes shut- but he doesn’t turn to stone because of Freed’s runes, and he explains as such. 

-They have a long conversation about why she ran away, and she tells them everything her father did to her, from being locked in her room to being terrified to tell him she’s his daughter and not his son because of his anger issues.

-They realize then and there they can’t give her back to him, and Freed comes up with the plan to tell him that they didn’t find his son, but rather a random girl with a similar magic, and she can join Fairy Tail instead of staying on the run. 

-The only reason she doesn’t agree immediatly is because of her eye magic. She couldn’t control it, and the idea of turning someone to stone again scared her.

-Freed sent Laxus to buy a pair of glasses without a prescription and a nice dress for her to wear, and he etches runes into the glasses to block her eye magic when they’re on.

-She’s sold from that moment on, and the raijinshuu’s friendship is sealed with that secret. 

-Laxus helps her chose her name before they get onto the train, and they solidify the story before then too  

-Makarov Accepts the story without question, even though they have a sneaking suspicion he knows. 

-They become a tight knit group in no time. 

-Then they learn about Ivan and all he did to Laxus, and they start to jokingly refer to themselves as the Laxus protection squad. It’s a lot less of a joke when Ivan’s actually around though, and the guild definitely notices. Makarov even starts to officially call them that in some reports. 

-No one remembers who suggested the name “raijinshuu,” but they all privately agree it’s dumb. Especially since  it insinuates that Laxus is the team leader. Freed’s the captain of their team for a reason.

-Dispite the fact that Bickslow is the tallest of them, both Laxus and Freed are both physically stronger than him. That’s not to say he isn’t strong, but Laxus can carry freakish amounts of weight due to his slayer biology, and Freed does the same due to his demon biology. 

-Freed can carry all of them at once. No one knows how. 

-Freed puts new runes on Ever’s glasses every time she gets new frames or a new prescription. He knows she doesn’t need it anymore, but she’s always grateful for the option. 

-if they share a bed, Freed and Ever cannot sleep next to each other. Their hair tangles together and they’ve only had to make that mistake once. 

-Ever and Bickslow are not under any circumstances allowed to cook, Freed can make fancy meals, and Laxus makes homemade stuff that would make your mouth water. He also stress bakes in secret at four am. 

-That’s how they always know he’s stressed when he doesn’t tell them. It’s kind of hard to miss 6 batches of cookies that spontaneously appeared overnight

-Freed has an unsharpened rapier that feels like getting hit with a slap bracelet at full speed. Naturally, this is the sword he chases Bickslow with when he pisses him off. 

-Laxus likes to pretend he’s one of the smartest members of the guild, but the raijinshuu knows he’s actually kind of a himbo. 

-Bickslow is really close friends with Loke, and when he noticed the man was dying slowly, the others comforted him despite not knowing what was going on.

-Bickslow often helps ghosts pass on from the mortal plane. 

-Evergreen keeps up with all the latest fashion, but she still considers Freed to be more fashionable. Because of this she always double checks her outfits with him. 

-Evergreen’s always the first to sass someone when they’re being rude to her team. It’s earned her her reputation as a “bitch” but she’s far too proud of it to be offended.

-One Laxus was open about his dragon slayer magic, they pushed him to talk to the other slayers to learn about himself and his magic. Freed and Bickslow pushed the hardest though, since they’re friends with Natsu and knew that he would be all too willing to drag Laxus into his little family of dragon slayers.

-Laxus was much happier oncce he accepted that he was more dragon that human anyways, and the more he learned, the happier he was. 

-In case it wasn’t clear: mtf Trans!Ever (she/her exclusively), he/they Freed, and  wtf is gender, is it a food?” Laxus and Bickslow (any pronouns). 

#fairy tail #fairy tail headcanons #bickslow #evergreen fairy tail #Laxus Dreyar #freed justine #the raijinshuu #trans evergreen #enby Freed #Gender ? Laxus #Gender ? Bickslow #it's kinda angsty #but there's som esoft headcanons at the bottom! #I'll do more soft headcanons if anyone wants them #<3 #frost speaks

[bigskydreaming]

And one more bit from the “Kings of the Sky” AU albeit several installments in, because I just......don’t know when or why I stumbled into an obsession with the dynamics between Dick and Jason and Cass as the eldest three Wayne siblings, but its there, its real, and its happening. I’ve stopped fighting it. I just....enjoy writing those three being dumb siblings who are dumb like so, so much.

Anyway, in this AU series, Jason doesn’t go to Ethiopia and die, but rather eventually joins Dick at Titans Tower more regularly and is Flamebird. Both are closer with Bruce here than in canon because Dick helped Bruce and Jason get through the Garzonas stuff and Jason helped kick Bruce in the direction of Dick and adoption papers right after the Brother Blood storyline. Then Cass is actually the third to join the family, by way of Babs, and she’s Batgirl and then Black Bat, but there’s a period of time when its just Dick, Jason and Cass as the Wayne kids. 

(PS - this is the same series as where Jason ends up with his own age group of Titans, and accidentally falls into a love quadrangle of doom that is absolutely NOT a polycule dammit, with Tom Bronson (Tomcat), Ray Terrill (The Ray) and Todd Rice (Obsidian). Which amuses his brother and sister to no end).

Tim and Duke are both next, but sorta at the same time? Like Tim’s story takes a sharp turn when Robin II never dies and obviously is Flamebird now like Robin I is Nightwing, and Tim winds up in foster care after his parents die differently than in canon. Duke is also in foster care at this time, though a different placement, and while no Robin has died here, its been awhile since there’s been one in Gotham, and to kids who grew up with the idea of there always being a Robin, that feels weird and wrong ultimately. 

So Tim and Duke both hit on the idea of being Robin like, at around the same time and totally disconnected from one another, and that leads to them both joining the Batfam around the same time, and co-sharing Robin until Damian arrives much later and they both move on to new identities. But there’s no real confusion between Robins because Duke is the daytime Robin with more yellow coloring in his costume and Tim is the nighttime Robin with more red, and people say Red or Yellow if they ever need to differentiate which Robin they’re talking about. Anyway.

************

So [Tim and Duke] run into trouble eventually and then when running from trouble they run into each other and they’re like….huh. Awkward. And then they decide well, might as well both run from trouble in the same direction, I guess. So they do.

“Did you have a plan for dealing with these guys?” Tim yelled at Duke. The other boy looked back over his shoulder briefly and gave what would probably have been a half-shrug if he didn’t awkwardly try to barrel-roll over a car two seconds later.

“Umm, sorta?”

“How sorta are we talking about? Maybe the two of us together could fill in the gaps in the plan and come up with one full plan?”

“Uh yeah, no, its not that kinda sorta. I meant sorta in the sense that I thought I had a plan but it didn’t work and that’s why these guys are after me. Sooooo…”

“Not helpful, basically.”

“Yeah. Pretty much. And hey, I don’t hear you offering up a plan! Did you even have one at all?”

“Uh….I mean I kinda didn’t think I was going to need one because I figured some kid running around in a mask making a nuisance of himself was the sorta thing that was bound to attract Batman. And so I was just pretty much running around until that happened, and then I’d make a case for how I obviously need training and Gotham needs Robin and if its not me its likely to be someone else trying eventually anyway so why not be me?”

Duke paused just long enough to squint at him. “That’s a terrible plan.”

Tim rolled his eyes. The effort didn’t pair well with his huffing and over-all exertions from running for his life and all that, but necessity demanded. “Yeah I know, that’s why I never said it was a plan! It was mostly….more…idea-ish.”

“I’m just saying, I thought I was doing this wrong, but at least I had a plan! I mean yeah, it might have ended up with me accidentally busting in on what I thought was a bunch of Riddler’s henchmen setting up some kind of clue thing, only it was actually a bunch of Intergang type guys with alien space guns or some shit all dressed up as Riddler henchmen for some reason? I dunno what they were trying to do honestly, but so yeah I might have ended up running away on foot from like twenty of them and some kind of hovercycle -”

“I’m going to cut you off there and say wherever this is going its probably not the superior vantage point I think you think you have.”

Meanwhile, Batman was not going to be coming because he’s off on a JLA mission. However, in his absence Dick and Jason are in town filling in, and they finished taking out the bad guys several blocks back and caught up to whomever was running from them, figured out the situation and are currently sitting on the edge of a rooftop watching them realize they’re totally lost and trying to figure out where to go from here. Mostly because Dick and Jason are incredibly amused listening to their back and forth and also just…this whole situation.

Dick justifies not piping up to let them know they’re safe now by saying this is good intel gathering so we can offer Bruce our assessment as to whether they’re gonna try and keep doing this whether we train them or not, and also how they handle this whole being lost situation. Not knowing they don’t have to run anymore isn’t going to hurt them and really, this is a good field exercise almost.

Jason justifies not piping up by saying this is fucking hilarious and I will hurt you if you end this any sooner than we have to, I deserve this, I had a rough week.

Which is right around the time that Cass pipes up from where she’s been lurking unnoticed behind them this whole time: “Oh no. Was it Tom? Or Ray? Or was it Todd?”

And she does it right in Jason’s ear so he kinda aborted-shrieks and almost falls off the roof except Cass is ready for that and grabs his arm to steady him.

“I hate when you do that!” Jason growls in an attempt to cover up how badly she got him and also because he hates when she does it which is why she does it a lot. Again, they don’t hate each other at all, but they do seem to act like it a lot, and neither of them is entirely sure why. They kinda just started doing it and have each been trying to get the other back ever since and ended up locked in an unending spiral of gotcha-gotchaback, except, y’know, Batfam style.

Dick occasionally picks sides just to muddy the waters. And then he randomly switches sides without warning, so neither of them ever wants to risk getting too peeved at him even when he’s helping the other, because that might push him fully over to the other side and leave them permanently outnumbered, so they’re kinda stuck, which is exactly as he likes it, lol.

“Why are you Satan,” Jason hisses dramatically as he gets up and stomps over to the other side of the roof to sulk, lest she almost knock him off again. Its not the almost falling part that bothers him, its that she’s the one that snatches him to safety each time. She’s like a freaking cat toying with a - yeah not going there, just blaming Selina. Knew them hanging out was going to be bad news for me somehow, he gripes.

Cass just shrugs and smoothly sits down cross-legged right where she is, grinning Cheshire-cat style at him from there. “Childhood trauma,” is her answer.

“Great, and now you’re stealing my comeback on top of it?! Is nothing sacred to you?”

She offers another shrug. He would like to return those for store credit please. Maybe get something useful instead. “Haven’t decided yet. Babs is still helping me explore my options. We’re going alphabetically and we’re only on  the E-religions.”

“God, you’re the worst. I can’t believe you ruined sisters for me.”

“You already used that same line last week when you came out of your room still half-asleep and she was just sitting directly across from your door waiting and staring unblinking and you yelped and dropped your laptop on your toe, and then cursed so loud that B came running around the hall thinking we were being invaded,” Dick reported idly, still perched in the same position he’d been in all along and watching the boys below them. “Just in case you thought no one noticed when you recycle.”

“I noticed too,” Cass added solemnly.

“I have no siblings,” Jason intoned. He threw up his hands dramatically and then loudly jumped down to the street below with a little help from the fire escape. It drew both Duke and Tim’s attention and they startled before realizing it was Flamebird. And that he’d landed on the street and was stalking past them while barely acknowledging them. And that that was Nightwing standing on the roof now with his hands on his hips yelling after him.

“Oh, reeeeeeal subtle. You’re not having fun anymore so you gotta make sure nobody else does either. Wow, the Brat-like behavior, just jumped out of the shadows with that one!”

And that was Flamebird not even turning around and just yelling back. “I HAVE NO SIBLINGS!”

And also they were both pretty sure that was Batgirl crouched on the roof next to Nightwing now, and she was…..sticking her tongue out at Flamebird’s back? No, Batgirl very much definitely was sticking out her tongue, that wasn’t in doubt, it was more just….very unexpected to see.

What was happening right now?

********

Eventually Tim and Duke have inevitably worn down [Bruce’s] resistance to training them by insisting they’re gonna keep doing this and if its not them its gonna be someone sooner or later anyway. Because, as they put it, you guys may not know this but Gotham’s gotten used to Robins by now and it freaks people out not to see one and Robin’s as important as Batman really and there needs to be a Robin and its not just us that will think that, like look at the fact that already two of us had the exact same idea, huh? And also, we’re gonna keep doing it anyway, sooooo….there’s that.

And then Cass vouches that they’re both 100% serious about that.

And then Dick vouches that as a former determined daredevil kid that was absolutely going to keep doing the same thing no matter whether you’d helped me or not, B, I also am of the assessment that these two mean it all the way.

And not to be left out and just to have something to contribute but also grumpy because his brother and sister are picking on him and he’s eighteen going on ten, Jason throws in: “And my assessment is that they both definitely seem dumb enough to keep doing this without help anyway and they definitely need help or they definitely will die, I’d give it a month, month and a half tops.”

And then Bruce dryly thanks his children for their contributions, their keen insights in this matter have been absolutely invaluable, he has no idea how he would make a decision here without it.

“Oooh, a rare sighting of Bat-snark in the wild. Someone call Nat-Geo quick, maybe he’ll do it again,” Dick says.

Bruce sighs. Duke and Tim look like they’re trying to decide if they’re allowed to be amused or if that’s also part of some weird Bat-test that they’re probably taking without even knowing it.

So Tim and Duke move in, start training together, and then also get sent to school together and it takes a month or so of settling in before they decide whether or not they actually are happy about this. There’s a period of deciding they’re supposed to be bitter rivals who snipe at each other back and forth across the dining table at every available opportunity, but that changes the first night Dick and Jason come back from the Tower since Tim and Duke have moved in and where Cass is also home instead of at the Clocktower with Babs.

Since all three of the older Batkids, upon seeing Tim and Duke squabble at dinner, decide to obnoxiously coo about how adorable it is watching the kids play. Which pretty instantly cements Duke and Tim as realizing their best chance of surviving the sudden acquisition of three older superhero ninja foster siblings who all can be as obnoxious as they are dangerous but also as much as they are - Duke and Tim are convinced - all quite insane.

A belief further cemented the next morning, with all three of them having spent the night at the Manor as well. Treating Duke and Tim to their first Saturday morning episode of the Cass and Jason show.

In this episode, Jason emerged from his bedroom in his pajamas still but warily peeking his head out first to look both ways down the hall before deciding it was clear…..and then makes it just almost to the end of the hallway leading to the stairs, when Cass drops down from where she’d been waiting perched above the other side of the door, in such a way as to suddenly fill the doorway just in front of him, hanging upside down suspending herself just with her feet wedged above the doorway, all while keeping her hands crossed her chest, a dead-eyed expression on her face, and with her tongue hanging out like she’s some kind of vampire hanging upside down in mid-slumber.

Jason shrieked and stumbled back a foot before catching himself and shoving two fingers in a cross shape in her direction.

“Demon! DEMON! Goddammit, I abjure thee, that’s supposed to fucking do something about having a demon sister, now what the fuck does it take to banish you!?”

“Can’t be banished,” Cass informed him, still upside down. “Can be bought though.”

Jason halted. “What?”

“I’m really surprised you never figured it out,” Dick said from his room further down the hallway. He was leaning against the doorjamb, arms casually crossed.

“Why did you think she never goes after me?”

Jason swiveled back and forth between his siblings suspiciously, trying to scry both their inscrutable (and in Cass’ case, still upside down) faces for signs they were telling the truth. “You’re telling me that Little Miss Monstrous has been a pain in my ass from day one and the reason she’s never so much as eked a single boo in your direction is you’ve been bribing her all this time?”

Dick shrugged. “Its all about getting in on the ground floor.”

Jason squinted, still unconvinced. “Nuh-uh. No way. You’re just fucking with me. Like if this is for real, what have you been buying her off with?”

Dick smiled beatifically. “Cuddles and hugs.”

“NO! NO! Bullshit! I am NOT falling for this crap again, you are not gonna get me this way this time. I call BS, fuck you, nuh uh, you’re lying out your ass and your ass-face both.”

“Wait, what is this ‘this’ that I did before? What ever are you talking about?”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about.”

“Is this about the Care Bear you had when you were fifteen?”

“Shut upppppppppppppppp, I didn’t have a Care Bear then, you’re such a - “

“Oh, I dunno, I’m preeeeetty sure there’s some holiday photos from that year that would say otherwise, pretty definitively in the form of you and your Care Bear….”

“That I only had because you literally just gave it to me as a present solely so that you could claim that I had a Care Bear when I was fifteen, you douchebag!”

“Just because I gave you the Care Bear didn’t mean you had to keep the Care Bear and hold the Care Bear and love the Care Bear, Jay. You chose to do all that.”

“I only kept the damn thing because you’re an asshole who lied about it being a family heirloom so I felt like I had to or I’d be a total jerk. Is nothing sacred to you?”

“I didn’t lie! It is a treasured family heirloom! Its the first Care Bear I gave to my little brother to teach him the important and valuable lesson that Care Bears - say it with me now - “

“Finish that sentence and they will never find your body.”

“CARE!” Cass shrieked from behind him before jumping on Jason’s back and bearing him down to the floor in an undignified tangle as she splayed atop him like a starfish and he stared up at the ceiling in a kind of strangled frozen fury, like there was so much emotion he wanted to process he’d overheated and now was stuck like that until he cooled down.

That was when Dick leaned over him and solemnly added one final thought, as though it was a crucial addition of the gravest importance:: “A lot.”

Jason’s eye twitched.

Dick’s eyes went wide in response. “Uh oh. He went to the Danger Zone. Run Cass. We’ve unleashed the dogs of war!”

Cass was off and on her feet in a second, taking off down the hall like a rocket. “Not the dogs of war!” She yelled.

Dick was only seconds behind her when behind him, Jason rose like an eruption, growling wordlessly and sparks practically flashing from his suddenly flinty eyes. He charged after them like an enraged bull.

“Kenny Loggins wouldn’t want this!” Dick yelled over his shoulder as he rounded the doorway and vanished. Jason rounded it in hot pursuit.

“Poison Ivy won’t even be able to make compost from what’s left of you when I’m through!”

The yelling and running vanished into the distance. Duke and Tim finally looked at each other blankly.

“What?” Tim asked. Duke shrugged helplessly.

A door opened at the end of the hallway. Bruce stuck his head out. “Is it safe?”

Tim just stared at him.

“What?” Duke asked.

**************

LOL mostly I just want to get to the tail end of the series, when Dick and Jason go undercover as supervillains in the Society of well, Supervillains....Dick as War Shrike and Jason as Gray Jay. (A kind of bird usually known for or referenced as being thieving and unpredictable and unexpectedly dangerous despite its size. Jason never went into the Lazarus Pit here and so isn’t as huge as he is in canon, he’s on the smaller side due to his early life’s malnutrition. Living with Bruce helped him catch up enough that he’s not TINY tiny, but he’s still smaller enough that this particular mantle fits him a little better than it would his massive canon depiction).

Cass also partakes in the undercover storyline, just showing up uninvited in a persona she’s crafted for the mission and calls Black Swan. And War Shrike and Gray Jay are both so startled and obviously a little freaked by her unexpected arrival, that combined with her being ticked at her brothers for leaving her behind, RUDE, and them sufficiently cowed and guilted by her wrath, that it all adds up to the other villains as being clear evidence that she is the boss and they are her advance minions. 

Which mollifies and satisfies Cass immensely, and leaves Jason grumpy that their mission was hijacked and also his sister is The Worst, and leaves Dick temporarily disgruntled because This Whole Thing Was His Idea DAMMIT but then five seconds later finding it hilarious because Dick is a chaos connoisseur and he has an appreciation for whimsy and the unexpected.

“I can’t believe you not only gate-crashed our extremely sensitive and delicate undercover operation, but you completely hijacked it as well! This is so typical,” Jason grouched.

Cass simply swept ahead of him and strode down the hallway with lethal grace. “Silence minion.”

Jason spluttered behind her and she grinned to herself. He really made it too easy sometimes.

[catrasredemption-moved]

Oh, maybe Catra confusing what's real and what isn't sometimes and not believing that this is real, because she thinks prime is still inside her head, messing with it and creating fake realities?

There were triggers.

It took them awhile to pick out the pattern, unfortunately. And the time in the interim did nothing to endear the princesses to Catra.

Netossa took the blame the first time, when she patted Catra’s head during the celebration party and Catra froze for a moment before whirling and lashing out. She missed, thankfully, her gaze distance and glazed over. She shook it off fast enough, stuttering an apology, but Netossa was easy going enough to apologize for surprising her.

Mermista was less accepting the second time it happened.

No one was really sure of the series of events - Mermista had found Catra and Melog in the hall, and Melog managed to knock Mermista out of the way before Catra struck. They’d pinned Catra down until reality reasserted itself, leaving her pale and shaken. There had been a rather pointed and cruel comment about Adora keeping her pet under control. And Bow had been forced to hold Adora back, lest she accidentally start a war with Salineas.

“What happened?” she asked Catra later, in the safety of their bedroom. Catra hadn’t had much to say in her own defense.

“I don’t know.” She was curled up against the wall, face hidden in her knees. Melog was encircled around her, shielding her from the world. “I felt... I felt like I wasn’t here, like... like this was a dream or something? I don’t know.”

Adora knelt in front of her, keeping her distance, hands up. “It’s okay. You didn’t sleep well last night, right? Maybe you’re just tired.”

She relaxed slightly, letting out a long breath. “Yeah. I guess. Maybe.”

The third time drove the point home that something was really wrong.

“Entrapta, are you sure you’re not going to break the table?” Glimmer asked tiredly, watching Entrapta rewire the war room table to connect it to one of her own machines.

“Absolutely! Ninety-nine-point-nine percent!”

“That’s not-”

“Here we go!”

The pink table flickered for a moment before turning a shade of lime green which lit up the walls in an eerie aura. Catra, who had been resting her head in her arms on the table, immediately shot up, wide-eyed.

“Sorry,” Entrapta said cheerfully. “This is from a hard drive Hordak helped extract from Horde Prime’s ship, it should give us a general idea of where to start with dismantling the rest of his empire and freeing the planets he’s taken over...”

Blood rushed through Catra’s ears, drowning out all external sound.

Little sister...

No. NononononononononononononoNO it couldn’t be, it couldn’t, he was dead-

Did you really think anyone would come for you? You said it yourself - your precious Adora doesn’t care about you. Your life is worthless. You don’t matter to anyone except me.

“No!”

Everyone jumped as Catra screamed, the noise almost immediately followed by her chair falling over as she staggered away from the table. Her back hit the wall and she dropped to her knees, entire body folding in on itself, eyes closed, hands against the back of her neck.

“Catra?” Adora stood, but was immediately blocked by Melog. Even the alien cat was keeping their distance, as if they knew Catra wasn’t in the right stand of mind.

She was back on the ship, listening to the sound of footsteps on metal floors, mechanical sounds whirring overhead, her hair slicked back against her scalp, the chip in the back of her neck-

It’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real-

What’s not real? Horde Prime taunted her. Me? Or your friends?

“Entrapta, turn it off,” Glimmer snapped. The princess immediately listened, glipping off the switch and turning the room back to its regular color. Adora tried again to approach, but Melog growled, keeping her back.

“What’s wrong with her?” Frosta piped up from behind, almost sounding worried. Even Mermista couldn’t keep the shaken concern out of her expression. This wasn’t anything any of them had expected.

“I don’t...”

Catra had fallen asleep in Adora’s lap. Adora had panicked when she felt her (former?) friend’s grip loosen, but of course she was exhausted. The last few days must have been hell.

Bow and Glimmer set up a room for her, and Adora insisted on carrying her, refusing to let her go until she absolutely had to.

There was no warning before Catra woke, right as Adora was setting her down. Her eyes shot open, pupils immediately shrinking to pinpricks; Adora barely missed being clawed before Catra vaulted off the bed, hitting the floor with a painful thud.

“Catra-!”

“Shut up!” Her voice was surprisingly strong. She curled in on herself, hands clasped over the back of her neck. “What do you want?” The question baffled Adora into silence. “She’s not coming back, I already told you, she won’t, she wouldn’t, she...”

Catra drifted off into a dry sob. Adora tensed, teeth clenching together as realization set in.

Oh.

Adora straightened up, hands held out in surrender. “It’s okay,” she told Melog gently. They made a noise, ears falling against their skull, mane flaring purple. “I get it. Let me talk to her, please.”

Melog considered her for a moment before backing up and settling beside Catra. Adora took a few steps forward and knelt, still giving Catra space. She was whispering to herself, too soft to be fully heard, her claws digging into her neck almost enough to draw blood.

“Hey.” She kept her voice soft, noting the shudder that went through Catra’s body. “Catra, look at me.” She shook her head. “Please?” Another head shake. “This is real, I promise. It’s not a trick.”

“She wouldn’t come back for me.” The broken defeat in Catra’s voice was like a knife in Adora’s heart. She ignored it, forcing her laugh.

“And somehow I’m the dummy here.” Catra’s ears flicked slightly. “Do you really think Horde Prime would just fake his own death to trick you? We both know he’s way too egotistical for that.”

Catra choked out a little laughed, although her body didn’t relax. Adora took a chance, reaching out to rest a hand on Catra’s knee. It didn’t immediately spark an attack, which she took as a good sign.

“He’s not real.”

She’s not real.

“You’re here. You’re safe.”

She would never come back for you.

“I love you.”

She’s lying.

Catra shook, letting out a small sob. “Stop...”

Adora’s fingers tightened on her knee. “Focus on me, Catra. I’m here. I’m real. It’s okay.”

Melog’s pulsing mane slowly faded back to blue as Catra retracted her claws. Adora held her breath, waiting. “How do I know you’re real?” she finally whispered.

“Because I kicked Horde Prime’s ass and I’d do it again if I had a chance?”

One hand slowly slid down to rest over Adora’s. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

Catra unfurled a bit, allowing Adora to drag her into her arms and hug her tight.

They weren’t flashbacks, exactly - more like hallucinations. That was how the healer in Mystacor tried to explain it when Catra talked to her (after nearly three days of Glimmer trying to convince her that it would be good to talk to someone who understood mental trauma in a way that could help). They were things that hadn’t happened, but that Catra was afraid would happen - that she would wake up back on that ship, that Adora had never come to save her, that she was still Horde Prime’s willing little sister.

Melog helped as an active buffer; a third party who hadn’t been present at any point in Catra’s life before Prime, and something her mind couldn’t really make up. Adora learned a few ways to help Catra ground herself. The problem was that anything could be a possible trigger, and the only way they could learn what set Catra was off was by waiting. They figured out color and touch pretty quickly, but there were other things, like certain words or phrases that would put Catra right back on the ship like she had never left it.

“Maybe you should’ve just left me there,” she muttered dejectedly into her pillow one night. Adora immediately abandoned the map she was working on to sit with Catra, gently brushing her hair back.

“The fact that you thought I really would leave you there is a bit insulting, you know,” she joked.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to offend your hero complex.” There was no heat in the words. “What good am I if I can’t even keep reality straight?”

“You can’t judge yourself based on something that you have no control over.” Adora’s fingers paused over the back of her neck, inches from the scar left by the chip (now surrounded by several fresher, lighter scars from various flashbacks or hallucinations).

“Doesn’t make me any less dangerous.”

“The only person you’re a danger to is yourself.” Adora lightly traced one of the newer scars. Catra shivered slightly. “If I tell you I love you and it’s worth it, can you at least believe that I believe that?”

“Of course I believe you believe that. You have a bleeding heart.”

Rude, but fair. Adora lied beside her, pulling her into a hug. “Then believe that I can make my own choices and I don’t need you to protect me from you.”

Catra was still for a long moment before she leaned into the hug, relaxing. “Remember those stupid drawings we did on your bunk?”

“Our marks, you mean?”

“Yeah, something to remember us by when we were ruling the place as adults.” Catra smiled into her shoulder. “Which one was red and which was blue, again?”

“Uh, I was red, obviously.”

“Why obviously? Red isn’t exactly your color, princess.”

It was one of their small ways of grounding Catra. A lot of their memories had conflicting details despite being shared - even things as tiny as which of Octavia’s eyes Catra had scratched out (Adora swore it was the left eye, Catra would die thinking it was the right eye). Horde Prime’s illusions had never been detailed enough to think of Adora’s memories being different - Adora would have just agreed with anything Catra said. Possibly the most unrealistic thing of all.

“You don’t even know what red is.”

"Oh yeah? Did you hit your head hard enough to fix being colorblind at some point?”

“Are you asking me about brain damage? Seriously?”

They never did get around to figuring out who was what color, but it didn’t really matter - Catra had accomplished what she had wanted to do.

This was reality. No matter how much her brain tried to tell her otherwise.

#catradora #askbox fic #spop fic #Mystery Person #Sam Answers

[tossawary]

Chapter 29: “The Ringing Bells” of “pride is not the word I’m looking for” quotes and commentary. Not a full list of favorite quotes or full commentary.

-

It’s just been him, Yue Qingyuan, and the not-so-modest Qiong Ding entourage befitting Cang Qiong Mountain Sect’s leader. Shang Qinghua and Yue Qingyuan still haven’t talked about anything personal (Shang Qinghua kind of hopes they never will!), but putting up a united front and then putting up with other sects seems to have brought them closer together again.

If Shang Qinghua had given in to his idea of bringing a flask of emergency wine in his sleeve, they could have made a drinking game or something every time someone managed to “casually” mention that Zhao Hua Temple Sect’s barrier techniques were the best in the world. With that face Yue Qingyuan made after the third, ear-gouging hour of listening to a long line of Zhao Hua experts condescend to them about security measures that will surely stop invading demons in their tracks, Shang Qinghua would have bet the man could have been talked into it. Big Bro would have been down, he’s sure.

-

AN: There is something immensely amusing to me that Yue Qingyuan and Shang Qinghua of all people run this sect (like, sure, SQQ and WQW and the other peak lords do stuff too, but YQY and SQH seem to be the ones who actually deal with worldly affairs and interact with people). To me, they both have such “I don’t want to be here” energy. YQY would rather be thinking about his slow reconciliation with Shen Qingqiu, and SQH would rather be daydreaming about the sexy ice demon he’s been betraying the sect for for 20 years. 

But nooo, they have to be responsible. 

Yue Qingyuan nearly dying at the end of SVSSS to me had such... vibes of relief? This man is carrying SO MUCH stress over his position and his responsibilities and appearances, that his reaction to dying seems to be at least a little bit: “Oh, time to put everything down. I can give up. I don’t have to be the invincible sect leader above it all anymore. Thank goodness.” You can fit so much trauma and unhealthy ideation in this man! 

Which is, I think, why this connection between SQH and YQY was a little inevitable in this story. They’re both carrying so much stress and trauma, and doing their best to not let anyone see it, so they really relate to each other but... in a way that’s kind of one-sided on both parts? Because SQH isn’t supposed to know shit about YQY’s past or pressures. And YQY doesn’t have the full picture of what SQH is dealing with at all. After their fight after SQQ died and SQH coming forward about their invasion, SQH and YQY are finally getting to have some more direct connection, but neither of them are willing to put their masks down yet. It goes against their natures and their perceived duties (as sect leader and a transmigrator/traitor) to honestly confide in each other. 

YQY and SQH both kind of have a “I know better than you” thing going on here. Yue Qingyuan because he’s the sect leader and he’s been taught that he has to manage himself and everyone else. Shang Qinghua because he’s a transmigrator and also... the fallen creator god of this world? 

- 

Yue Qingyuan is apparently just as eager to make it home as Shang Qinghua is. Their travel pace puts them a full day ahead of schedule, and Yue Qingyuan courteously sends his youngest personal assistant ahead via flying sword to warn the sect.

“Shen-Shixiong and Wei-Shixiong will need time to hide the mess from all the parties they’ve been throwing in our absence,” Shang Qinghua jokes.

Yue Qingyuan looks at him with polite but concerned bemusement.

“Aha, never mind, I’ll just… go check the last report my head disciples sent me again.”

None of them are expecting the assistant, who flew off with all the energy and eagerness of youth, to return only a little over an hour later. The assistant is red in the face and panting for breath. He collapses in front of Yue Qingyuan.

“Shizun, I-! I turned back as soon as I saw- in the distance-! The sect was on fire! Qiong Ding Peak was on fire!”

Yue Qingyuan and Shang Qinghua exchange a look of shock. When Shang Qinghua joked at the beginning of their journey that the sect would probably set itself on fire without them there to do damage control, he really was only joking! He’s had way too much of the shit he says coming true on him!

-

AN: I don’t think I’ve mentioned this yet, but Yue Qingyuan’s youngest assistant is the kid that Shen Qingqiu shoved on him from the House of Rejuvenation mess. Qi Qingqi and Liu Qingge picked up Luo Fanli from that, Shen Qingqiu picked up Fu Qiang from that, and Yue Qingyuan got this kid. 

He doesn’t have a name yet, but he’ll probably get one at some point. Probably in Part 4 when Shen Yuan and Fu Qiang’s story comes to the forefront. 

-

“Shishu!”

Shang Qinghua turns and gets an armful of nephew. Binghe’s arms wrap around him with no care for the bandage around one of them and Binghe’s warm face is buried into his neck - he’s so tall now - to share his dirt stains.

Shang Qinghua has no idea what to do. He wants to hug his very huggable nephew, of course, but in front of so many people?! He can’t just shove Binghe away either! Luckily, Binghe seems to realize his mistake about two seconds after contact and launches away from Shang Qinghua, bowing deeply enough to hide his face completely.

“Apologies for tripping, Shishu!”

Shang Qinghua nearly laughs. “Ah, ah, it’s fine. It’s fine.”

This is probably one of the worst kept secrets in the sect, anyway.

-

AN: This is absolutely a reference to Binghe pulling this trick in SVSSS canon, only unlike SY, Shang Qinghua recognizes the excuse. 

-

Luo Binghe clears his throat and intervenes before his friend can accidentally kill Shang Qinghua with kindness or something. “The demon saintess Sha Hualing and her followers attacked.”

“Oh,” Shang Qinghua says, relaxing a little.

 “Is that all?” he thinks. “Phew! Earlier than I was expecting, but okay!”

-

AN: It’s very funny to me to have CQMS going, “Demon attack! Demon attack! Totally unexpected demon attack!” And Shang Qinghua going, “Shit, I think I put that down on my calendar wrong. Did I put that down on my calendar...?” 

-

This apparently prompted Liu Mingyan and Luo Fanli to volunteer at the same time.

“They looked like they were going to argue over it, at first, or even fight over it,” Luo Binghe says. “Qi-Shigu and Liu-Shishu didn’t seem to want to let them fight, but they just ignored them and almost started a quick hand-game over who would get to fight. And then the demoness said… she said… she...”

“What?” Shang Qinghua asks.

Ning Yingying lifts her nose to the sky and declares, “She said: ‘If I get a say in this, I want to fight the pretty one in the veil, and not the old lady!’ So rude!”

“...Ah,” Shang Qinghua says again.

That explains the awkward grimace Binghe is making right now.

“Liu-Shijie and Luo-Shijie froze, then Luo-Shijie just looked at Shizun and Qi-Shigu and Liu-Shishu,” Ning Yingying continues. “ Snap! And then it was really quiet. And then Shizun said, ‘I’ll allow it.’ And Qi-Shigu and Liu-Shishu and even Liu-Shijie didn’t say anything.”

“Of course not! Shizun outranks them,” Ming Fan says.

As though that has ever honestly mattered to Liu Qingge or Qi Qingqi.

“So she got to fight the demoness,” Luo Binghe says, like it was a foregone conclusion that his stubborn auntie would get what she wanted. Who’s surprised about this? Not this long-suffering nephew!

-

AN: So, Sha Hualing made the “old lady” joke in front of 1) Qi Qingqi, Luo Fanli’s teacher who knows about her student’s past with the House of Rejuvenation, 2) Liu Mingyan, Luo Fanli’s friend who either knows about it or recognizes that LFL is touchy about her age, 3) Liu Qingge, LFL’s brother-in-law who also knows, and 4) Shen Qingqiu, who was THERE and that’s how they met. 

So, there’s sort of a collective, “If we don’t let Luo Fanli try to beat the shit out of this demon girl, we will never hear the fucking end of it,” here. 

Also, as soon as I made Luo Fanli into Liu Qingge’s apprentice of sorts, there was no way that she was NOT going to want to fight Sha Hualing, and it seemed a good way to shake things up from canon while also doing some stuff with the Fanli & Binghe relationship. I’m really trying to breathe new life into all the scenes that I’m redoing from SVSSS. 

-

“She kicked that demoness’ ass!” Ning Yingying squeals.  

“Ning Yingying!” Ming Fan hisses.

Shang Qinghua snorts. “Oh? Really?”

“It was rough,” Luo Binghe says, while Ning Yingying and Ming Fan both turn bright red realizing what she just said in front of a Peak Lord. Binghe, however, has totally heard Shang Qinghua say way worse than that. “The demoness was really good and really mean, and she kept getting up even after she got slammed into the ground, but eventually she got pinned and had to forfeit to keep her head. Fanli is still mostly in one piece. She’s over there right now with Mu-Shishu and Liu-Shishu.”

Shang Qinghua follows his nephew’s finger, then winces. His little sister-in-law looks pretty roughed up, her face is beginning to swell and she’s got a lot of claw marks, but she’s grinning up at Liu Qingge. Liu Qingge looks totally fine, besides some flecks of blood that must belong to other people, and is smiling down at her.

Mu Qingfang looks less than enthusiastic about all this as he treats Luo Fanli’s injuries of victory.

Aha, yeah, Liu Qingge is definitely the one explaining this to Luo Jiahui later.

-

AN: I really like building and having built up all these relationships. I like giving Binghe friends, even if they’re friends that he kind of runs rings around given his manipulative tendencies (NYY and MF rely on just grabbing him at this point and relying on sheer force of obliviousness/authority). I like giving Liu Qingge more connections in the form of Luo Fanli and Mu Qingfang too. 

This cast is... so big at this point. I didn’t really expect this when I started. 

-

Inside the cell is… a bloody demon girl who looks about fifteen-ish (sixteen-ish, maybe?), with dark hair in many braids, a sharp face and a sharper stare, and clothing that looks like it was made out of not nearly enough silk ribbons. Ah, wow, that’s way more skin than Shang Qinghua ever wanted to see of Sha Hualing. No jewelry at all, though, not even a belt. Not even boots or even slippers. Just lots of blood splatter.

Both Sha Hualing’s arms and legs have been restrained. She’s also been muzzled, though that doesn’t stop her from showing off her teeth in the least happy-looking smile anyone has ever smiled. There’s blood in Sha Hualing’s teeth! That’s blood there smeared around her mouth!

Qi Qingqi is in the cell too, utterly unimpressed, making sure that Sha Hualing is properly restrained and even treating an injury on the girl’s thigh. Demons are pretty tough, Sha Hualing would probably be fine, but Shang Qinghua supposes they can at least be a little kind toward the poor disciple who’ll have to mop the floors here later.

“So good of you to finally join us,” Shen Qingqiu says to Shang Qinghua. His voice is dry, as usual, but it might be missing its worst sharp edges? The man seems pleased at having caught himself a demon.

“Ah, I didn’t want to show up the sect leader with my speed,” Shang Qinghua replies.

That gets an amused look from Yue Qingyuan. “Let us speak elsewhere,” he says, politely admonishing everyone to shut up in front of their guest. “Qi-Shimei?”

“A moment,” Qi Qingqi says.

“Oh, don’t leave me all alooone,” Sha Hualing says, only slightly muffled by the muzzle, her eyes going wide and scared. “I’ll behave! This is really too much! These restraints are hurting me. Please… it’s making it hard for me to breathe, please…”  

Qi Qingqi ignores her and finishes up her work.

Yue Qingyuan lets the Xian Shu Peak Lord out and then seals the cell behind her. Shang Qinghua is familiar with those seals and yeah, there���s very little chance Sha Hualing is getting out of there on her own. The demoness complains loudly about being left behind in a cold and lonely cell. Shang Qinghua can still hear her wailing as Yue Qingyuan instructs the guards on, mainly, not letting anyone in and not taking any of Sha Hualing’s bait no matter what lies she tells.

If anyone gets “seduced” by that teenage girl - a trick pulled many times by the wily Sha Hualing in Proud Immortal Demon Way - Shang Qinghua is going to be so disappointed. Surprised? Not really! But still… depressingly disappointed!

- 

AN: It was... hm... important to me that none of the characters here actually sexualize Sha Hualing or disregard the fact that she’s very young to them. In his narration, Shang Qinghua mentions her skimpy clothes and the possibility of her seducing a guard, but it’s with the casual detachment of someone who was writing a stallion novel and knows the tropes. 

I wanted to focus more on the fact that Sha Hualing is not just a “wife character”, but an extremely dangerous non-human individual and already a minor political player, if currently trying to play outside her league. She’s an enemy. Also, just because she is currently playing outside her league doesn’t mean that she’s not dangerous and shouldn’t be taken seriously. 

All she needs is someone to get close and she will inflict life-long injuries. 

I also wanted to use her here for some Mobei-Jun stuff, which I’ll talk about later when I get to the Mobei-Jun part. 

-

“Shang-Shidi, do you recognize any of these materials?” Shen Qingqiu asks next, like he’s reading Shang Qinghua’s mind now! He looks so unimpressed by Shang Qinghua’s startle. “You are, after all, one of our experts on tracking down the source of such strange things.”

“Aha, off the top of my head? I couldn’t say! But… I would suspect part of this weapon came from the far north of the Demon Realm...”

Wei Qingwei finally looks up. “I would make the same guess,” he says, like a real bro. “If only this weapon hadn’t broken, we could have tested its limits of disruption! But our plans have been disrupted there… I’d like to see how something like this would go up against the different types of barriers out there.”

“Zhao Hua Temple’s barriers, perhaps?” Shen Qingqiu suggests.

Yue Qingyuan audibly sighs.

“Of course, they won’t wish to see proof that there are demon lords preparing to invade,” Shen Qingqiu says icily. “How remiss of me to forget that fact. What does it matter if a demon lord’s daughter was swinging around a previously unseen weapon like a child’s favorite new toy?”

-

AN: So, when I say that I want to breathe new life into the canon scenes that I’m redoing and reinterpreting, my goal for this one was to really... build up the upcoming Immortal Alliance Conference and actually connect Sha Hualing’s invasion to... well... anything. 

In SVSSS, Sha Hualing’s invasion happening is just following PIDW events apparently, and SVSSS in my opinion isn’t... really too interested in PIDW worldbuilding or Sha Hualing’s character from the standpoint that this really is a real world now. It’s all about Shen Yuan reliving the PIDW plot. 

So, if I’ve put 200,000+ words at this point into actually trying to establish that this is a real world, these are real people, there are real long-lasting politics and sect relations, that world elements aren’t just spawning into existence when the plot needs them and exist now, even if I’ve been doing so kind of as a joke because I think it’s funny to make Shang Qinghua deal with that, I wanted to actually try to place and connect Sha Hualing’s invasion to other story elements and place Sha Hualing’s character in relation to the others. 

Here, Sha Hualing’s invasion is a spoiled and violent child looking to make herself look good and cause trouble, as it is in SVSSS, but here it’s emphasized that Sha Hualing really is 1) a child, 2) a demon lord’s child, and 3) a future demon lord herself. And Sha Hualing is showing off her family’s inventions in preparation for the Immortal Alliance Conference. This is a move that has consequences for her and for Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, and will continue to have consequences for her (partially indebted to MBJ’s clan) and for Cang Qing Mountain Sect (it makes them look bad in front of the other Great Sects). 

-

“Shang-Shidi, do you recognize any of these materials?” Shen Qingqiu asks next, like he’s reading Shang Qinghua’s mind now! He looks so unimpressed by Shang Qinghua’s startle. “You are, after all, one of our experts on tracking down the source of such strange things.”

“Aha, off the top of my head? I couldn’t say! But… I would suspect part of this weapon came from the far north of the Demon Realm...”

Wei Qingwei finally looks up. “I would make the same guess,” he says, like a real bro. “If only this weapon hadn’t broken, we could have tested its limits of disruption! But our plans have been disrupted there… I’d like to see how something like this would go up against the different types of barriers out there.”

“Zhao Hua Temple’s barriers, perhaps?” Shen Qingqiu suggests.

Yue Qingyuan audibly sighs.

“Of course, they won’t wish to see proof that there are demon lords preparing to invade,” Shen Qingqiu says icily. “How remiss of me to forget that fact. What does it matter if a demon lord’s daughter was swinging around a previously unseen weapon like a child’s favorite new toy?”

-

AN: Me to myself: “...Is there canonical evidence that Mobei-Jun can read and write???” Because, like, the impression I get from this guy is that he basically raised himself and barely survived, so the System could interpret that to make an AU in which MBJ never learned to read or write. 

Mobei-Jun can read and write in “pride is not the word I’m looking for”, Shang Qinghua is just exaggerating here because he’s a little miffed. 

But it’s kind of tempting to write an AU now in which SQH realizes early-on in knowing MBJ that... his king can’t really read or write... his upbringing was so shitty and his father was so careless that MBJ never learned more than a few words that he picked up from context. That’s fucking horrifying. MBJ’s poor socialization and communication levels reach new heights! 

-

“It’s just that something like that happened before, remember, Uncle?” Binghe presses. “With the skinner demon? That same light and that same warm, almost burning feeling! It was different this time - that weapon wasn’t going to hit me, I was blocking it; I know that I was blocking it the right way - but it’s too similar, isn’t it?”

“It’s… very similar,” Shang Qinghua agrees slowly.

 “System?! Bro?! This is your fault!” he thinks. “Why the fuck are you leaving these explanations to me?! If you take points off me for any of this, you piece of shit, I’m going to find a way to strangle you, I swear! Preemptively: fuck off!”

Shang Qinghua lets himself visibly think about, trying to figure out what the fuck to say here. Binghe looks up at him like he’s trying to see into Shang Qinghua’s head to watch his thoughts come together. It’s a lot of pressure to put on a man all of a sudden! Binghe is too clever to be easily fooled by weak bullshit! How is a man supposed to come up with a decent lie under these circumstances?

“Well, ah, it’s happened when you’ve come into contact with demons who are trying to kill you, so it seems like it’s… some kind of unique reaction between that demonic energy and your spiritual energy,” Shang Qinghua says finally, because it’s better than explaining that there’s some shitty, no-good god-like being invested in a predestined plot. “Strange things happen sometimes in life-or-death situations, you know. Cultivators can accidentally pull off great feats sometimes when they’re desperate or panicked, without knowing how they did it.”

Binghe doesn’t look very reassured. Which makes sense, because a long-winded way of saying “I don’t know, it sounds like a freak accident to me” isn’t really reassuring.

-

AN: This, plus Sha Hualing’s invasion, is about Shang Qinghua’s coming up against the consequences of his choices. He can’t really have everything at once! He’s managed to have a lot all at once so far, but the time for Binghe’s demon reveal is coming closer, and Shang Qinghua is going to have to make some tough decisions and live with them. He’s going to have to deal with the people in his life having opinions on his tough decisions. 

Shang Qinghua is trying to keep the System happy, with his eyes on the end goal of keeping Binghe out of the Abyss, which makes him unwilling to take certain risks deviating from the plot. But, if you’re looking at it from the perspective of someone who doesn’t know about the System or the plot, Shang Qinghua’s decision-making seems completely illogical. 

Binghe is too clever not to at least notice that there’s some bullshit happening here. He doesn’t know what his uncle isn’t telling him, but Shang Qinghua isn’t the greatest bold-faced liar, so he knows there’s something. 

- 

At the end of the day, Shang Qinghua leaves his fellow Peak Lords (Shen Qingqiu, Qi Qingqi, Liu Qingge, and Tang Qingling) arguing in circles over cold trails (Yue Qingyuan is stuck refereeing, poor bastard). He returns to his Leisure House and finds a familiar ice demon lounging in his sitting room, eating some of his snacks.

“My king, did you help Sha Hualing escape?!” Shang Qinghua demands.

“She did not contribute,” Mobei-Jun answers.

Mobei-Jun looks good, like breaking in and out of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect last night was no trouble for him. Why would it be any trouble for him? He’s been doing it for years and years without getting caught, after all!

“How did you bypass the cell’s seals so cleanly?” Shang Qinghua wonders, as he puts some papers aside and kicks off his boots.

The cell doors hadn’t been ripped off its hinges, just… taken off like they were never attached… which combined with the ice-related injuries on the guards, plus the fact that the intruder slipped in like a shadow and left the same way, kind of gave the whole thing away.

Mobei-Jun raises his eyebrows. “You have shown me many such protections.”

“Ah… yeah… I guess I did do that.”

-

AN: Presenting Sha Hualing as I did: a dangerous and political figure even though she’s only a teenager, was also meant to reflect on Shang Qinghua’s relationship with Mobei-Jun. Mobei-Jun is the enemy. Mobei-Jun may be on Shang Qinghua’s side and his own side, but he is not on Cang Qiong Mountain Sect’s side and he has loyalties to people in direct opposition to Cang Qiong Mountain Sect. 

Sha Hualing is, in many ways, Mobei-Jun’s people. He’s completely unfazed by her violence. To him, Sha Hualing’s behavior is normal and expected, if the foolishness and arrogance of someone trying to act grown-up. He is not human. He is from a completely different world to Shang Qinghua. 

And their separate worlds are now colliding. 

Shang Qinghua really can’t have everything he wants here. He’s a traitor and, realistically, he can’t expect that not to come out sooner or later. He’s making decisions for the sect (releasing SHL to prevent another demon invasion (and also to keep the plot on track)) that Yue Qingyuan might have agreed with if he knew the full picture of SQH’s spying (all he knows at the moment is that SQH has informants), but that YQY doesn’t know about and so can’t agree with, so SQH is acting beyond his authority letting MBJ break SHL out. 

It’s a mess! It’s not sustainable! Shang Qinghua’s old character role and his new character role can’t continue to coexist like this. 

-

Thinking of worrying unnecessarily, desperate to change the subject away from the looming plot, Shang Qinghua brings up the very important subject of Mobei-Jun possibly, maybe, if he has the time, letting him know when to expect him, when he’s going somewhere, and when he’ll be back. He’s brought this up before, though mostly in a “my king, this humble servant would really appreciate it if you at least learned to knock, but if that’s too much to ask, it’s fine, it’s really fine, never mind, forget I brought it up” kind of way.

He only realizes just how daring it sounds after he says it! He’s always kind of figured that the proud Mobei-Jun would take offense to the concept of being at Shang Qinghua’s beck and call in any way. Why would Mobei-Jun need to explain himself?

“Why?” Mobei-Jun even says.

“...Why?” Shang Qinghua repeats, kind of hoping that he wouldn't have to explain the things he asks for. Mobei-Jun said he could ask for things, but he has to explain himself too? That's really too much. “I didn’t get to see you at all while I was gone! I got back and I didn’t know when I’d get to see you again, my king.”

This gets him another random pinch to the cheek, but it also gets him another surprising kiss. Mobei-Jun is apparently not even a little bit offended by this request. So it’s fine! This one thing, at least, is really fine.

-

AN: But Mobei-Jun is also becoming one of SQH’s rocks in many ways! This relationship is new and exciting and comforting! Giving up or betraying Mobei-Jun is completely out of the question for Shang Qinghua. 

I’m kind of fucking loving these secret forbidden romance vibes. 

If Shang Qinghua asked, Mobei-Jun would whisk him away from everything right now, but he understands that Shang Qinghua needs to be here for his nephew, his sister-in-laws, and his students. With his father as king, Mobei-Jun doesn’t have the position or authority yet to make any kind of peace with CQMS. MBJ’s relationship with SQH could get him in deep shit with his father, with his uncle, and with other demon lords. 

Shang Qinghua is a filthy traitor and he’s dragging MBJ down with him. 

#tossawary commentary #tossawary svsss #pride is not the word

[solange-lol]

"why don't we be friends (why don't we make out)" - (1/1)

words: 2,373

read on ao3

—

There are very few people that Nico forgets about. At least, as far as the people that have stuck around with him for most of his life.

He’s known Percy and Annabeth since they were young, remembering watching the two of them chase each other around the schoolyard and purposefully try and get desks right next to each other before they were inevitably separated by alphabetical last name seating. He remembers trying to convince Piper to do his french project and Jason sitting in the halls with him outside of the music room when they wouldn’t want to go outside for recess in middle school. He can still hear the alarm when Leo accidentally knocked over a bunsen burner in their sophomore year chemistry class, and the feeling of paint on his skin when Hazel tripped and sent half of her palette onto him in their art class.

Nico can even recall moments with the people he was never particularly close to, like when Rachel told him she loved him backstage of their winter concert after only having known him for five minutes (in a very lesbian/gay solidarity way, of course), or when Grover spent an entire hour hiding out in their school library to get away from their math sub.

It’s strange now, looking across such a large circle of people piled into Jason and Thalia’s house. They’re all people from his grade (or class , he supposes, now that they’re officially graduated), Each one of them, Nico can remember at least one conversation he’s had with them, one story he’s passed into his closer friend group that is laughed over and then inevitably moved on from.

It was supposed to be a big party celebrating all their friendships throughout the years.

Ironically, so many people that had such little impact on him, in retrospect.

Which is why it comes as a surprise to him when he sees a flash of blonde curls and freckled skin among the sea of people. He’s hit with what feels like a wall of memories of the two of them, laying in the same bed trading quiet secrets, and walks to the store to get an inhumane amount of candy that they can go share at the pier. Images of blue eyes, warm hands in his, and the sound of stifled laughter at midnight feel all too familiar. Nico is stuck on them.

He hasn’t seen Will in years.

It wasn’t exactly his choice. It wasn’t either of theirs, really. They had gone to middle school together, and from the ages of 10 to 14, Will knew the most about him.

And then their middle school graduation came and went, and Will left for a boarding school. Nico remembers, vaguely, Will asking him to come with them.

“They offer more classes, and there are more opportunities for help,” they had said, or something along the lines of it. “And we could be roommates.”

Part of him wanted to. All of him almost went. But it was the same year he lost his sister, and while moving to another state for school sounded like a fantastic way to avoid all his trauma, he had to stay with his family. Not that his father would have stopped him, but Nico knew he couldn’t go. Not yet.

So he stayed, and Will left, and it all worked out fine. They texted every other day, facetimed once or twice a month when their schedules lined up. Will came home for Christmas that year, telling stories about the other kids on their floor and their girlfriend. Then, when he came home for that summer, about their boyfriend.

Nico would listen, then catch Will up about what was going on at his public school. He had gone out on a date with one boy which was nice but didn’t turn into anything, and Will told him he would find someone eventually. They took trips to the mall together instead of the pier, mostly just to get milkshakes and have a place to walk around.

One morning, Will convinced him to bike to the beach in the morning to see the sunrise. The sky ended up being too cloudy, but they still sat together on the empty lifeguard chair, swapped sweatshirts and bagels with cream cheese, and talking about summer jobs and college.

Then Will left for their sophomore year, and school caught up to both of them and whatever kept them going was lost. The most Nico talked to them was through the occasional Snapchat sent to each other or on a group facetime

The last time Nico had called Will alone, it was in a panic to ask advice on how to break up with the boy he was dating at the time because he realized that relationships weren’t really his thing, at least not yet. Will had sat quietly, giving him occasional advice, and mostly just comforted him.

And that was it.

Nico had gotten a new phone later that year, and all their call logs and long text threads were lost into the depths of his phone memory.

It was bittersweet, in all honesty, and pretty painless for the most part. Maybe it’s because Nico never really forgot about Will. There was never any clear ending; no hard feelings between the two of them. He still sees their posts on social media, sees their mom in the store on occasion. He remembers passing Will at their local fair when they came home again for the summer of their junior year with their boyfriend that they were still dating, and then later again the next when he noticed that all posts had been removed from their Instagram including the ones with said boyfriend and nothing but will - they/them in their bio.

He wondered, briefly, where Will had gone when he didn’t even see him in passing over the following summer. Was he still going to the boarding school? Had his family moved out of the state entirely?

It never felt like a friendship breakup. It was clear now, though.

Nico wonders at which point it became one. He didn’t mean to stare at Will as long as he did. Everything had just come washing over him at once, and he was frozen in place staring at the person Nico had once called his best friend.

He doesn’t even realize he was staring until Will looks back. Their blue eyes meet his brown ones, and reality sets back in. The loud music he had drowned out in his daydream came filtering back through his ears, and he stumbles as people shove past him towards the kitchen. Still, his gaze locks on Will.

Neither of them makes a move towards each other at first.

Then, a moment later, Will is right next to him.

“Hey,” they say it slowly, almost like they were testing the waters, like they knew how long it had been since they had spoken.

Nico doesn’t know what to say. His first instinct was to hug them.

He withstands it, though, instead grabbing onto their wrist and pulling them past the crowd of people and into one of the rooms off of the main hall, which was miraculously empty. He can still hear the pounding music, but it was a little bit quieter with the door closed. Quiet enough that he can think again.

“Uh, hi,” Will tries again, and god, their smile never changed.

“Sorry,” Nico says once he realized he had just seemingly dragged them into a secondary location with no explanation. “It was just… loud. Out there.”

“I get it,” Will says, sitting down on the couch pushed onto the far wall and looking back up at Nico. They were wearing a pinkish-orange button-up Hawaiian shirt that looked straight out of their dad’s closet (Nico would know, he’s seen it before) that was half-tucked into mid-rise light wash jeans that were cuffed just enough that you could see a glimpse of where their socks met their Converse. Yellow, possibly the same pair they had bought at the mall two years prior when Nico was there.

They got taller, he thinks vaguely. Nico had too, but Will still has at least half a foot on him.

“So, what’s up?”

“Not much, I guess,” he shrugs, twisting his ring. “I mean, I graduated. I assume you did too.”

Will nods. “I did. Lou Ellen invited me as her plus one. You know her, right? Friends with Rachel.”

Nico nods. Shoulder length, cloud-like hair that was a different color every other week. Wore lots of random thrifted t-shirts over big pants. Loud personality, even louder voice. Band kid. Friends with Cecil; her good grades probably being the only reason he hasn’t been kicked out of the school yet. Once debated the legitimacy of gender binaries with him in an English class.

“Sorry for, like, staring at you before,” he says. “It’s been a while.”

They nod again. “All good. I was staring at you before anyway.”

“You were?”

“Yeah,” Will shrugs. “You’re easy to look at.”

Then, a moment later, “It has been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah. You’ve changed a bit.”

“Have I?” They ask. “I think just my look, maybe. I’m still just as obnoxious.”

Nico snorts. It’s comforting to know they could just slip back into it like this. Like no time had ever passed, and Nico is back in their bedroom creating each other in The Sims.

“Are you still dating Connor?” Nico asks, vaguely remembering the last conversation they had.

“Nah, we broke up last winter.”

“Any reason?”

Will squints a bit like they’re curious why Nico’s asking. It makes Nico blush, immediately regretting saying anything.

“Dunno. We just grew apart,” they say. Then, “Sounds kinda familiar, doesn’t it?” followed by a laugh.

“I didn’t mean to stop talking to you,” Nico says quickly because he didn’t. There are days where he sees Will’s Instagram story or a tweet and knows that even though he could still comment, it wouldn’t quite be the same.

“Life got busy,” Will says. “It happens”

“I didn’t want it to. Not to us.”

“So let's restart.”

Nico blinks. “Just… start over our entire friendship?”

“No, just pick up where we left off.”

“Just like nothing happened?” he asks, sitting down on the couch next to them.

“Just like nothing happened,” Will affirms.

They’re both quiet for a moment, then—

“Do you remember what you told me when you first came out as bisexual to me?”

It was in the basement of Will’s house. Nico had come out as gay a few weeks prior, and when he was talking about the boy he liked, they just casually mentioned it. Being with Will like this again reminded him of something they had said, and something he later found out.

“I think I just, like… told you, right?” Will smiles. “And I said you were a big part of helping me figure out.”

“Yeah. I always thought you meant because I had already come out,” Nico said. “It wasn’t until, like, last year that Piper mentioned you meant that because you liked me.”

Will laughed again. “I figured you didn’t. You were always talking about what bad of a couple we would make.”

“Yeah,” Nico said, and his heart picked up pace as his knee knocked against Will’s by accident. Neither of them moved. “I actually had a massive crush on you for a while. I think I just said that because I wanted to try and get over it, so I wanted you to indirectly reject me.”

“Did you ever get over it?”

Nico laughs. “Not really. But I moved on.”

He notices Will shift closer, notices how their hands are now on top of each other and their legs are fully pressed together.

“Same,” Will says, moving their head closer to Nico’s until their foreheads are pressed together and their breaths mingle. They look at him for any sign to stop, and Nico doesn’t move.

“Good thing we’re starting over then, right?” they continue, practically a breath of a whisper before their lips connect, and god Nico did not think this was where his night was going but no way in hell was he about to stop it. (He’s not sober enough to care, anyway, and seemingly neither is Will judging by the strong scent smell of weed coming off of his shirt.)

Their hands laced together, subconsciously, almost like muscle memory from all the days walking hand in hand down the dock. (Nico wonders if his younger self was ever trying to tell his mind something.) Nico’s other hand comes up to rest on warm skin, brushing Will’s cheek with his thumb like he’s trying to wipe the freckles off.

Will wraps one arm around Nico’s waist, pulling him closer until he eventually just shifts so he’s in their lap. Will certainly doesn’t complain, only tilting their head to deepen the kiss and breaking apart their hands so they can run one hand through Nico’s hair.

They have to break apart after a moment, and Nico can help it when he laughs.

“Guess we were a little dumb when we were younger, huh?”

Will’s breathing heavy, but Nico doesn’t miss the familiar playful glint in their eye. “I don’t know what you mean. You’re still an idiot,” they say, pressing a kiss to the underside of Nico’s jaw, and another one right next to his ear.

He wonders if Will has thought about doing this the same way Nico has.

“Says you,” Nico says. “You were far more oblivious than I was.”

“I’m not the one who said we would make a bad couple,” they remind Will.

“Yeah?” he says, then leans back in to kiss Will again. Their mouths slot together, and god, they’re an even better kisser than Nico ever thought they could be. Something in his mind tells him maybe it’s not relationships he didn’t like, maybe he just knew it wasn’t the right person.

Perhaps Will’s that person he was always looking for.

Nico leans back, just barely so he can mumble “Lucky for you, I’m willing to test that theory,”  against Will’s lips just before they pull him in once more.

—

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[selfindulgentnerdling]

Beetee having a love interest that is a victor from another district :

{Notes: This is my first written work that I’m sharing on this account; please be kind and understanding of any mistakes. If you have any suggestions or helpful critiques, I’d gladly take them! I hope someone enjoys reading this as much as I enjoyed writing and imagining it. Gif not mine; full credit to the original owner/creator (also huge huge thank you to them for making it because it was literally only one of two Beetee gif I could find on here).}

TW: mentions of trauma, alcohol, vaguely implied forced prostitution 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meeting

You were a victor for another district a few years after Beetee won his own Hunger Games.

The two of you met for the first time during your victory tour. 

You had won your game, in part, due to your charisma and likability. Of course, you also had your own skills that you brought into the games, but you had been a hit among the Capitol due to your personality and good looks, which helped to get you some sponsors. 

Beetee isn’t overly impressed by physical beauty, but he can definitely see your appeal from a strictly scientific standpoint.

Beetee wondered offhand how much of that personality of yours that Caesar Flickerman would just not shut up about was a show for the games, and he honestly assumed it was at least mostly a strategic ploy. 

Especially after watching your interviews and speeches after you had won; he reasoned that no one could be that charming, put together and resilient after everything that you had endured during your games, which had been especially rough. 

Beetee decided that at the very least he was very impressed with your acting. It was definitely acting, right?

He didn’t expect much from you in the beginning - just another victor from another district.

To Beetee’s surprise, you were quite genuine upon your first meeting. He quickly decided that it wasn’t all just an act - although some of it may have been a little bit embellished to heighten your appeal. 

And not only did Beetee find you likable, but intelligent and kind despite the hell that you had just been through.

Of course, he could see some of the telltale signs of fatigue and trauma, but only on very close observation after you met in person - you hid it very well under that disposition of yours and he found you altogether  strangely endearing.

And even more surprising to Beetee was your interest in his district and the work they do! Most victors that he had met in the past didn’t show much, if any, interested in District 3 during their visit, but you asked questions and listened carefully, genuinely wanting to learn even if the subject matter didn’t always make complete sense to you. 

The two of you went back and forth sharing interesting tidbits about the work your districts do and even comparing a couple cultural differences. 

Beetee fell so comfortably into conversing with you that it wasn’t until after you left that he realized he had accidentally hogged you for much of your short visit. The other District 3 victors were barely able to chat with you at all. (Oops)

And of course, this made Beetee think about you quite a lot. It was rare to find someone so easy to talk to even among his peers within his own district, let alone from a district with such a different background and specialty!

Beetee made quite the impression on you as well; you remembered his games and marveled at how genius the man was in and out of the arena. 

Listening to him during your short meeting left your brain buzzing and you were excited and hopeful to be able to speak with him again. 

You loved how inquisitive he was about your district and how passionate he was speaking about his own and the work that they do. 

In short, you thought Beetee’s geeky ramblings were  a d o r a b l e. 

Becoming Close

Beetee wasn’t one to be excited over the games (really who in their right mind could be?) but he did decide that being able to see you while you were both mentoring in the capitol was enough of a silver lining to help him through the horrible event each year.

Over the years, the two of you would become close friends during your visits to the capitol. 

It was the one part of the gruesome event that the two of you had to look forward to every year. 

Beetee was hesitant to show any kind of interest in you for fear of the capitol using you against him, but after everything the two of you had been through he decided that life was short and the two of you should enjoy each others company as much as possible while you could. 

The two of you are very discreet in your affections for each other - Beetee isn’t one for the dramatics or overt displays of affection anyways, but its also much safer to keep any kind of feelings for each other covert.

However, that doesn’t mean that others don’t notice the attachment between the two of you.

Beetee would make a habit of seeking you out at events, the two of you sharing information and assisting each other whenever able. 

Imagine standing in the middle of a bustling party with a glass of champagne in hand and Beetee walking up beside you and gently grazing his hand along the middle of your back to let you know that he was there.

He’d do it and then note your reaction purely for research purposes. 

You were such a fixture with each other during your time in the capitol that some of your fellow victors took notice and would occasionally tease and crack jokes about your little “love affair”.

You would lean into the teasing, playing along and teasing right back, not really minding the idea at all and knowing that the other victors never meant any of it in a mean spirited way. 

Beetee ignored the teasing for the most part, letting you handle the other victors in your own way and occasionally smirking at the clever quips you would throw back at them. 

You didn’t really know for sure if he minded (he didn’t) but it made you feel warm and fluttery knowing that he never acted upset or disgruntled at the implications of you being lovers. 

And to be clear, Beetee had definitely thought about the two of you as lovers. He’s a very smart man, and he had definitely realized that he loved you at some point over the years. 

But Beetee also couldn’t see any way that progressing your relationship in that direction would work out with the way things were. 

And a part of him doubted that you really saw him that way - all of the signs definitely pointed towards you having feeling for him too, he could read you and he knew thats what all the information he had clearly told him - but he decided it was better to simply write all those signs off as wishful thinking.

It was easier to do that than think that maybe you actually did love him when he knew that the two of you could never fully and safely be together.

Imagine it hitting him just how much he has come to love you when you congratulate him on one of his victors winning. Seeing the honest happiness you feel for him having finally helped a child from his district win, despite the pain of you having lost yet more children from your own district.

He’s subsequently reminded of these feelings for you every time you two part to go home to your respective districts - the stricture of his chest paired with the intense pang of longing to take you with him and share his home with you is palpable to the man. 

His work only benefits from this, though, since he throws himself even deeper into his projects whenever he finds himself missing you.

Trauma

Of course, being a mentor took its toll on the both of you.

Beetee was always amazed by the strength, warmth, and hope that you exhibited despite the carnage year after year.

There were times where it was too much, of course, and during those times Beetee was always there to help you through it. 

On one occasion, after losing both of your mentees, you were still expected to entertain at an event stuffed with other victors and sponsors. You didn’t see the point in being there since you had no one left to try to help, but you were still forced to at least show up. It all just became too much for you and you drank a little too much to cope. 

Beetee was forced to be there too, despite also having lost both of his mentees already that year. He had been mentoring a little longer than you had, so he was handling it a little better than you. 

When Beetee watched you swaying uneasily on your feet while walking from a buffet table, dainty little treat in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other, he beelined towards you and decided it was time to get you to bed before you got yourself into some kind of trouble.

The two of you made it to the elevator, but once inside you leaned against the wall and became a sleepy, jello-ey lump. 

Beetee isn’t exactly a man of exceptional physical strength, but with a mixture of coaxing and dragging he was able to get you as far as the couch on your designated floor. 

He sat with your head in his lap and kept an eye on you for hours in case you got sick.

You were very embarrassed the next morning, but Beetee reassured you that he understood your impulse to drink. 

“However, if the impulse to drink to that degree again does arise in the future, might I suggest taking it back to your floor? Or perhaps I should start training to be able to carry you.”

It isn’t just the trauma of watching the children of your districts suffer year after year, though.

You’re still young and considered desirable to many Capitol citizens, so like many other victors, you are forced into providing certain services. 

Whether you give in or not, the powers that be seem to decide not to use Beetee against you, either not knowing the extent of your affection for him or deciding that Beetee’s mind is too useful. You aren’t entirely sure what the reason, but you are grateful. 

Whenever this is all too much for you, Beetee is there to comfort - even going so far as to hold you, rock you soothingly and kiss the top of your head if you need it. 

It’s surprisingly instinctual for him to comfort you this way. 

He later reflected on how quickly and easily he responded to you this way. 

Beetee is far better at handling his emotions, but on the occasions that it is too much for him, he appreciates having some type of small physical touch to remind him of your presence - a hand on his shoulder or knee, your shoulders pressed against each other while you sit and watch the screens, a quick squeeze of his hand - small actions that won’t attract too much attention.

The two of you eventually become so comfortable with one another that you’re able to communicate with each other without having to say too much out loud, instead being able to read each other’s body language and read between the lines of what the other is saying without them having to outright say anything. 

75th Hunger Games

Somehow, you manage to not be selected as one of the tributes for the 75th games.

If you were selected, someone else volunteered and took your place whether you wanted them to or not.

Beetee is eternally grateful for this - he can’t imagine focusing on his mission if you were in the arena with him. 

However, Beetee isn’t an idiot. He knows you’re still in danger even without being in the arena. 

Especially since you’re also in on the plot to get Katniss out of the arena.

You resolve yourself to doing everything to make sure that not only she gets out, but Beetee and as many of your friends as possible, too. 

At the first chance you get after arriving at the training center, you sneak away to find Beetee. 

You hadn’t intended to break down and show your emotions to any degree - you had resolved to stay strong for your friends and not give President Snow or the Game Makers or anyone in the goddamned Capitol the satisfaction - but the moment you saw Beetee, you more-or-less launched yourself into his arms and barely held back your tears. 

Beetee did his best to show as little emotions as he could, for much the same reasons as you, but he also wasn’t going to miss out on any opportunity to hold you. Not anymore.

It wasn’t lost on Beetee the significance of your actions. He knows you, and he knows how strong you are and how much you care for him. 

Of course, it doesn’t really hit him until that moment that you do actually love him in the same way that he had realized long ago that he loves you, despite how much he’s tried to convince himself otherwise. 

The two of you manage to get some relative privacy and you start to tell him how you feel, but Beetee stops you and simply tells you that he knows.

And just like your actions aren’t lost on Beetee, his aren’t lost on you. 

You know that he doesn’t want you to say too much of your feelings out loud - no matter how much you want to - for your own safety. 

So you both read between the lines and you both finally know where you both stand even without stating it explicitly. 

If you thought you were both determined to save the other’s life before, neither of you were prepared for the fire that lit inside of you both after this moment. 

Suddenly you had a new sense of hope. Because if you could pull this off and escape to District 13, maybe, just maybe you could really have a chance at a future together.

When Haymitch and Beetee discuss the potential alliance with Katniss and Peeta during the games, Beetee definitely finds a subtle way to ask Haymitch to watch out for you while he’s in the arena. 

#beetee latier #beetee #beetee x you #beetee x reader #beetee latier x you #beetee latier x reader #the hunger games #the hunger games series #the hunger games trilogy #thg fanfic #thg beetee #thg #catching fire #mockingjay #selfindulgentnerdling

[spockandawe]

Ahhh, just accidentally slapped myself in the face with yi city feelings, as you do. Because Xiao Xingchen left Baoshan Sanren’s mountain with big dreams of everything he could accomplish out in the world, and that... didn’t happen. When A-Qing meets him, he’s alone, blind, wandering around and focusing on helping people, yes, but in a very subdued, low-profile way. His best friend’s clan is dead maybe-partially-plausibly because of him, his best friend lost his eyes maybe-partially-plausibly because of him, and then after he was done sacrificing his eyes to fix the only thing he had the power to fix, that best friend definitely shoved him away and told Xiao Xingchen to get out of his life.

It hurts me so very terribly, all on its own.

The melancholy of realizing the big dreams of your youth are just... never going to happen is a sad thing, but getting slapped down that hard makes it even worse. And by the time he gets to Yi City and settles into this broken-down corpse house with his weird new sketchy-ass family, I don’t think it takes long for him to start finding happiness in this smaller world, and these smaller ambitions (but seriously, one fake-blind con artist pickpocket street girl and one mysterious bloody man who definitely isn’t a serial killer is about as sketchy as it’s possible for a family can be)

But before he dies, the big reveals all either revolve around people lying to him, or him being wrong about things. Even when he wasn’t lied to outright, he was wrong that Song Lan hated him forever, and never wanted him to come back. Xue Yang’s... everything is cast in a new light (I will get back to that, don’t even worry). And even A-Qing’s admission that she isn’t blind, that’s good information to share in the moment, but it just piles on the poor man even further. For everyone important to him, he was fundamentally wrong about them and/or they were deliberately deceiving him, and he finds out about all of this, one thing after another.

And with Xue Yang, obviously, this hurts me for both of them. Because Xue Yang started out with lies and cruel tricks with the corpse powder, he had times where he chose to act in bad faith, which were not just for the sake of saving his own skin. But whenever he stopped doing that... the three of them had three years together, in that crappy house, not living with much money, but living happily. Whatever Xue Yang’s original intentions are, he was perfectly capable of leaving from the moment his injuries healed, and he chose to stay there, living in a run-down corpse house, joking around over whose turn it was to go by groceries. It’s not universal to all canons, but mister ‘I don’t fear death, I fear boredom’ sure spent a long time lingering in quiet domesticity with nothing more to recommend it than that new found family.

And when Xiao Xingchen kills himself, he thinks it was all a lie. He thinks Xue Yang never cared. Which, to be clear, is because Xue Yang deliberately made him think that. But not to rehash old meta, Xue Yang was dealing with his own issues over Xiao Xingchen’s inability to understand where he was coming from, and was very much lashing out with intent to hurt. But Xue Yang is also completely taken by surprise when Xiao Xingchen takes action and slits his own throat.

But... I’m not surprised. What kills me is that Xiao Xingchen learns that he was wrong about Song Lan’s feelings, and that he sacrificed that friendship for nothing. Xue Yang lied to him, about everything, and tricked him into atrocities, up to and including killing Song Lan himself. Even A-Qing lied to him, although I also don’t think he holds that against her. And right before he dies, Xue Yang makes a point of telling him that yeah, our entire life together didn’t mean anything, I just thought it was funny. It’s a pretty weak lie if you stop and think about it, but Xiao Xingchen’s entire world has just fallen apart, and he’s in no state to stop and think about it.

When he dies, he’s gone from descending from Baoshan Sanren’s mountain to try to save the common people, and deciding to found a cultivation sect based on ideals, not blood, to... wanting to have a tiny little found family and a home that keeps the weather off their heads, and taking care of any supernatural hazards in the area where they live. I firmly believe that he had a very rough time going from point A to point B, but he learned to be so content with his quieter, smaller ambitions. And then, what he had, which should have been so little to ask from the world, just a home and a few people to care for, it’s smashed out of his hands as well. 

When Xue Yang says ‘if you weren’t capable of understanding, you never should have left the mountain,’ I’m certain he’s referring largely to Xiao Xingchen’s inability to understand his own trauma, but also... I think it hurts Xiao Xingchen more deeply than he even realized. As far as Xiao Xingchen has is concerned, since he left the mountain, he’s either misunderstood or been lied to by every single important person in his life, and I’m honestly not surprised he chose to exit the situation in the way he did, and it absolutely breaks my heart.

#the untamed #xiao xingchen #xue yang #xuexiao #ish #mdzs #meta #suicide/ #suffering over yi city all day every day

[jaeheewillalwaysbemyfav]

Obey Me: The Brothers Accidentally Trigger an Abused MC (Mammon) (2/7)

Disclaimer: I’m not an expert on abuse or mental health. I’m not portraying how one should respond to these situations, only how I think the characters might. Abuse and trauma in particular are very complex topics, and people respond in all sorts of ways to them, and sometimes it gets really bad on all sides.

I can only draw from my personal experiences as well as those of people who have shared their stories or who I’m close with. There’s no one narrative of abuse and how it affects someone, so what I’m familiar with might not be what you’re familiar with. Let’s try and all be respectful of each other.

Content Warnings: Heated arguments, reference to past abuse, parental abuse, trauma response, breaking down in tears, this is quintessential hurt/comfort y’all, buckle up

Mammon’s turn! I love using characters’ flaws against them. 

Lucifer (X) Mammon (you are here), Leviathan (X), Satan (X), Asmodeus (X), Beelzebub (X), Belphegor (X)

MC has a very complicated relationship with Mammon. He initially got on their every nerve, constantly complaining about how annoying it was that he was assigned to watch over them and actually throwing them in the face of danger more often than not. But as time went on, MC realized that Mammon’s attitude was an act and he actually cares for them deeply. He’s just bad at expressing his feelings. They decided to work on it with him, and had gotten to a point where their communication was pretty solid.

It makes his recent behaviour all the more upsetting.

“I told ya, MC, I’m fine! It’s nothing to worry about!” Mammon says as he waves off MC’s concerns yet again. 

“Nothing to worry about? You haven’t stayed a full day in school for almost two weeks!” MC retorts.

The two are in MC’s room, Mammon pacing around it in circles while an agitated MC guards the exit. 

“I can take care of it!” he snaps. 

“Talk to me, Mammon! What’s going on? Is it those witches?” He bristles. “You said you’d managed to pay off your debt to them.”

“I did! ...Almost…”

MC shoots him a withering glare. They open their mouth, probably to reproach him further, but he cuts them off, “Why do you care so much anyway? It’s not your problem!”

“Because I’m your friend, you idiot!” MC shouts. They grab him by the arm and force him to face them. “That’s what friends are supposed to do. You look out for your friends, and you step in when they need you.”

Normally, Mammon would find this incredibly touching. But normally, Mammon isn’t being drawn and quartered by the warring facets of his life. Watching a vulnerable and reckless MC; keeping up with his responsibilities as a lord of Hell and a member of the RAD student council; working off his ever-increasing debt to those damn witches; and all the while his brothers mock and belittle him for the same flaws they’re all guilty of. 

He rips their hand off of him. “What makes you think I need you? The only thing I would need you for is if someone wanted a piece of meat to snack on! Do you even know how much a demon would pay for a soul like yours? You should be grateful I keep you around at all!”

Grateful. The word echoes around the room, and suddenly MC is back in the human world.

Do you even know what your mother and I do for you? You should be grateful you have a roof over your head at all! 

Be grateful you have a phone at all, MC. 

You ungrateful bitch! I give everything to keep this family together and this is how you respond?!

“I should be grateful?” MC’s tone is low and even, but their eyes are locked with Mammon’s. “What’s there to be grateful for? I didn’t ask to be babysat by some selfish, stupid, greedy egomaniac!” They’re yelling now, and tears are blurring their vision, but they don’t care. “I’ve been so patient with you, Mammon, and you’ve done nothing in return! You come to me with all your problems and I help you out as much as I can, and I ask for one thing in return, one thing, and you can’t even do it!”

“You call tricking me into a pact ‘patient’ and ‘helping me out’?! You can literally order me to do anything, so if ya want something, just ask!” He says sarcastically, throwing his arms out into a mock bow.

MC chokes back a sob. “Get out,” they say softly.

“Sorry Mx. High and Mighty, I didn’t hea-”

“I order you to GET OUT OF MY ROOM!” MC screams, and the pact mark on their back burns with the command. “And don’t come back!”

The effect is immediate. Mammon struggles against the command at first, but the compulsion of the pact lights up his nerves and forces him to leave, slamming the door behind him. As soon as MC is alone, they collapse, their tears falling freely. 

They don’t know how long they stay in that spot, unable to stop their shuddering cries.

~

The image of MC, words full of venom but eyes full of hurt, never leaves Mammon. Even as their order sears him from the inside out, he keeps pounding on their door, demanding to be let in, to let him see them, to talk. He keeps it up for hours, snapping at any of the brothers who dare try and stop him, even Lucifer, who is unusually relenting after seeing the expression on his brother’s face.

Eventually, his efforts are rewarded. Mammon doesn’t even notice at first. It’s only after he yells himself hoarse that he hears MC’s soft, “I’m opening the door. You can come in.”

They do. And while the magical pain of the pact is gone, seeing the state MC is in fills Mammon with a stabbing agony no spell could match. Bloodshot eyes, face streaked with tears, hair tangled and disheveled at the sides of their head, almost certainly from the way they were gripping it earlier: he can hardly stand to look at them knowing he caused their pain. He tears up and though MC is still wounded themself, their heart melts. 

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t-“

“No no no!” Mammon exclaims, sniffling. “I’m gonna apologize first.”

A pregnant silence fills the room. 

“S-stop starin’ at me like that, jeez,” Mammon shrinks under MC’s waiting stare. “Look, I didn’t mean what I said earlier, okay? I know we’ve been working on… communicating and stuff, but I’ve been really stressed lately and it’s… it’s hard for me. Sayin’ what I’m feeling, I mean.” 

Another pause. When Mammon speaks up again, he’s much quieter. “You’re not disposable to me, MC. I’m not sure how I even got this far without you. You matter a lot to me and you’re always so kind and I just threw it all back in your face. I should be past that and today I wasn’t.” His tone picks up again. “But I promise, no more of that! I, the GREAT Mammon, will ensure from now on that I don’t say stupid things!”

MC, smiling, raises an eyebrow. 

“I won’t say stupid things about you.”

And he doesn’t. In fact, Mammon’s diligence with watching his mouth starts bleeding into his other relationships. His brothers are pleasantly surprised by this change, even if he still slips up sometimes, and the House of Lamentation experiences more peace than it has in a long time.

But his efforts yield no results. MC refuses to open the door. They’re heartbroken and angry, at both Mammon and themself. They trusted him, they worked so hard, and yet… 

He’s still outside their room. He hasn’t stopped trying to get them to open the door, ranging from begging, to threats, to just banging on the door so hard MC’s scared it’s going to break. Eventually MC can’t take it anymore, and they enlist the help of the other residents of the House of Lamentation to remove Mammon from their door. They reluctantly explain what happened, clarifying that this is the last straw for them and they can’t forgive Mammon for what he did. Lucifer then forbids Mammon from interacting with MC, and the rest of the brothers rotate supervising them at RAD and out in the Devildom.

Even still, Mammon never gives up. He can’t approach MC both because of the pact and the threat of Lucifer, but that won’t stop him. MC finds increasingly expensive and personalized presents showing up in their room while they’re out, sometimes accompanied by notes in sloppy handwriting about how sorry he is and how much he wishes they could forgive him. He digs himself deeper and deeper in debt, and yet no one can get him what he truly wants. There isn’t a soul in the three realms who is willing to try tampering with the most protected human in Hell. 

Mammon’s attempts at reconciling with MC become so disruptive that they ask to move to Purgatory Hall.

He never lives this down.

#obey me #obey me:swd #obey me imagines #obey me! mammon #obey me headcanons #mammon #mine #my writing