#they're demons who need to drop dead immediately

[fakesimp]

The Sorcerer or The Demon?

Warning !

Mentions of Blood ; Mentions of Burning ; Mention the use of a Knife ; Shu and Vox taking care of you ; Unestablished Relationship ( for now )

A/n !

God y'all are so quick to make it 200 notes, should've increased them eh? Fufu~

Part I <- ||

➶◜◝➴

"Looks like we got some uninvited guests"

. . .

Shu stood by the sliding paper door and his right hand slightly extended to his side, one of the paper shikigami went up to his palms and turned into a katana. Shu turn a bit to the side and throw them towards Vox, who immediately catches it as he walk up to The Sorcerer and as he is, you just realized how his body started to slowly emits mists around him and the room.

"Protection is the top priority." Shu whispered as he let the paper shikigamis slides the door open, "Now shall we send them back to where they belong?" He said and let out a soft chuckle before walking out of the room, followed by Vox behind him.

. . .

It is astonishingly terrifying, to see how they fought of the 'uninvited guests'. The way Vox just slice them off with his katana gracefully, you can see the blood dripping from his katana as The Demon stood in front of the dying person. And the next second, the body burns by the purple pink fire. And it is obvious who that fire belong to. Your eyes moved to where Shu is, he' smiling as his hand was pointed at the person who's now burnt into ashes.

Leaving no trace of dead bodies on the ground, and you don't know how long it has been going on. But the next thing you knew your now being held hostage, making the situation where Shu and Vox have to stop the killing spree as they look over at your figure that has been captured.

"D-drop the magic sorcery you did-! And, give us, ..t-that katana and we'll let them go-!" They stuttered, leaving The Demon raise a brow as he glances at his katana, the katana that he just used to slice up their allies.

Money.

It must've been the money they'll get from getting and selling Vox's Katana, "Do you even know what you're doing?" Shu asked looking calm as ever, his smile widen as the person that's holding you moving their knife even closer to your neck. "Switch."

The person blinked only for them to realize they're now holding The Demon instead of you, you blinked confusedly on what just happened. Shu walk up to you and gently wrap his left arm around your shoulder and pull you close to him, "Good luck with that" said The Sorcerer as he smiled at the enemy that's holding Vox, who was supposed to be holding you.

"Get, your hands off me you disgusting being."

. . .

Gone, they're gone.

Those people are gone, these two men finished them off like they're ants. Now you're at a different room, no longer at the room you're first open your eyes to. Vox who's currently wiping some of the blood off his katana. While Shu, are explaining to you about how did you just switched places with Vox.

"Do you remember when I ask you about do you like Shikigamis?" He asked as he then extended his hand towards you, only for one of the paper shikigami slips out from your kimono' sleeves. "Wh-" you blinked at the paper shikigami and then up at Shu, "Apologies, I knew something are going to happen as we take you here, so I got no choice but to slip one. Just in case, you know."

Now you're not curious about how he did that, you're more curious on why would he go that far to save you? When you're clearly nobody important, you're not a princess nor someone high ranking that needs a protection. You're just a villager that's trying to live a normal life, but it seems like you took a wrong path and ended up like you are now.

"Why..?" You whispered out, making Shu tilt his head at you, making his long ponytail slightly went to the side as he did so. "Hm? Why what? Why did I go that far to protect you?" He said that so casually, as if he just read your mind. "Y-yes..?" You replied a bit hesitant, earning a chuckle from him. "A question that I am also questioning on, So if I were to answer that question, it is going to be, I am not entirely sure why" The Sorcerer replied as his gloved hand gently brush against your hair.

"But for now, you should prioritize on surviving instead of asking that" He whispered, as he then slowly pull his hand away from you, "Human natures, They're so hard to understand. But I suppose that's what made them interesting." The Demon suddenly jumped into the conversation, making you and Shu turn your heads to him.

Vox just sheathed his katana, seems like he's done wiping off the blood, he gently put the katana away, only for it to disappear on thin air. "And you, you're much more interesting than those other humans I've encountered before" Said Vox, you don't know if you should take that as a compliment or an insult.

But either way, you're now in their house, getting a proper treatment and protection. You silently watch the two men talking to each other as you wonder what's gonna happen to you now.

"What's, ..gonna happen to me now..?" You asked, catching their attention, "Curious now are you, hm?" Vox replied as he then let out a small chuckle. "You want to live, don't you?" Shu smiled at you, "If you want to be, useful.. or, helpful perhaps," he trailed off, "You can do the house chores, you know how to do one, do you?" You nod your head as you stare at his violet eyes and Vox's golden eyes.

"Also, you are coming with us when, we're doing our, business. But no questions asked when we do." Vox continued and smirked at you, "If not, you're going to be all alone here, and you'll probably going to be captured again by them. Who knows~" Vox teased and let out a low chuckle, making The Sorcerer shook his head, "Don't worry, even if you want to stay here while we're out, I have my Shikigamis with you." Shu said and his hand then reached out to your head. Gently patting you, "And either of them will switched to either me or Vox, so don't worry too much okay?"

. . .

With that, your life have changed ever since they saved you, you did the house chores, cleaning up the house as they do their business in a room somewhere around the house.

Whenever Vox had a chance, he'll tease you a whole lot, especially when you're cleaning his room. Teasy and flirty remarks are sent to you, making you a having a bit difficulty to clean his room without his piercing golden eyes staring at you as you move, watching you, intently. Of course, with a smirk on his face that never fade away whenever he sees you.

Shu at the other hand, would be so quiet as he wrote something down on a book with his brush. You see him sitting behind a low table on the floor, paper rolls scattered around him, even on the table. It is a bit messy, but it seems like he's learning new sorcery type of things? You didn't want to bother him. It was peaceful with him.

But there are times when he just decided to stop what he's doing and asked you how you're doing as he watched you cleaning up the room. Asking how do you feel after living at the household, the way he smiled sweetly after he heard your reply made your heart flutter.

. . .

"Little human~" The way you slightly jolt at the nickname earning yourself a low chuckle behind you, you slowly turned around to see Vox leaning against the sliding door frame, arms crossed, "Come, Shu had summoned us to see him" you tilt your head and blinked, you put down the scrub and washed your hands before shaking your hand a bit to dry your hand a bit.

The moment both you and Vox arrived, Shu is sitting down on the floor, smiling warmly at you and him. "Sorry for the sudden call, but I want to ask you," he paused and looked at you, "Soon, it's going to be full moon, I believe, the Yokais would be out for hunting until next week." He continued, he then smiled at you a bit, sheepishly, "You sleeping alone would be a bit dangerous while the week goes on, it's just for a week.." he averted his eyes, and the next second you heard a small laughter next to you, "..By means, you're either staying in my room, or Shu's room."

You owlishly stared at Vox and then Shu who just gave you a sheepish smile, "Don't worry, I believe none of us will do anything weird to you. If that what you're thinking." The Demon teased, making you flustered. You're not even thinking that way, ... Or did you?

. . .

After that day, you're staying in either of their rooms, and today you decided to stay in Shu's room. You're now outside his room, contemplating if you should knock or not. Until you heard him chuckle, "Come in, what are you standing out there for?" You sheepishly opened the door, getting a bit flustered for getting caught standing at the door.

Shu smiled at you when he sees your face, "I'm sorry, this must be too much for you, I promise it'll be only for a week." He apologized and sheepishly scratched the back of his neck, ".. It's okay, you're just.. trying to, protect me" You said, making The Sorcerer let out a chuckle. "That is true."

The whole hour is filled with you chattering with him, sometimes sharing laughter too, until Vox just barges into the room, looking a bit, grumpy and sat down next to you rising one of his knee and rest his arm there, "How dare you two had fun without me"

. . .

The night goes unexpectedly fun for you, and for them. You fell asleep on Vox' shoulder by accident last night, but the next thing you knew when you opened your eyes, you're laying down on a futon. You look over to the side to see nobody behind the table, the spot where Shu usually would sit. But he's not there, you slowly rise up from the futon and looked around the room. It is genuinely calming to be in his room, soon after you gazed around, you heard footsteps coming to the room, a familiar hand slides the door open, revealing Shu standing outside his room, with some of his Shikigamis holding a plate of, food?

"Oh, you're awake, good morning, I bought breakfast.." he greeted you as he then sat down next to your futon, "Did you sleep well? You sure did stay up pretty late" he said and let out a chuckle, "We have a long day ahead, get yourself filled up."

. . .

The day goes without a problem, or so you thought.

You were walking at the garden, on your way back to the kitchen, and then suddenly you heard a thump behind you. Before you could check what's the cause, a pair of hand grabbed you and cover your mouth. The figure let out a sinister laugh,

"Go to sleep little one, you're now in my hands"

. . .

"Shu."

"I know, I am trying to find them, i never thought they have some guts to do that on a sheer daylight."

The two men are getting a bit anxious as they tried to find your whereabouts, you didn't have any shikigamis with you.

You could only pray they'll find you soon.

. . .

©fakesimp . 2023

|| Last Part ->

A/n !

Make this reach 300 notes ! And I'll make the third part. And I believe it's going to be the last one.. I believe..

Reblogs are muchly appreciated!

#nijisanji en x reader #nijisanji en #nijisanji x reader #nijisanji #luxiem x reader #luxiem #vox akuma x reader #vox akuma #shu yamino x reader #shu yamino

[strategicallyignoringmytodolist]

Here's my S3 theory. (I'd be thrilled to hear yours as well.)

I am writing this now so that when S3 finally drops in 24 billion months or whatever, I can look back at my notes and feel very smug and smart. Or laugh at myself for how wrong I got it.

My point is, dolphins. Or rather-- that terrible yet well-written cliffhanger:

At the very very end of S2, as Aziraphale was going up the elevator to Heaven, I'm pretty sure he knew he was going to have to work under cover to prevent the end of the world. Certainly after watching the recordings of Gabriel and what happened when HE protested, Aziraphale would realize that the bureaucracies of Heaven and Hell were determined to get to a final battle.

The Second Coming, from what (admittedly minimal amounts) I've read of it, doesn't have quite as many plot points as the arrival of the Antichrist. Jesus is supposed to show up in a burst of dramatic weather, all the humans who have ever lived are going to be immediately tossed into Heaven or Hell, and... That's about it? (I was actually raised Catholic, but I didn't pay much attention in Sunday school, and as an adult I don't really interact with religion. This isn't my best trivia subject, in other words.)

Anyway, at some sooner-rather-than-later point I think Aziraphale is going to decide to let all the angels and demons who want to fight it out with flaming swords have their go, and he is going to focus on preventing everyone else from getting hurt while that happens. Maybe the final sorting of goodies and baddies is going to involve processing all of humanity through some massive portals. And maybe Aziraphale is going to use his new position of power in Heaven's bureaucracy to change where the portal exit point is. There have been sooo many references to Alpha Centauri in the first two seasons, and that's presumably where Beelzebub and Gabriel went at the end of S2. I bet they would be willing to help with portal setup and receiving refugees on their end.

I'm not entirely certain what Crowley's role will be in S3. I can totally picture Aziraphale coming to him and saying, "Let's run off to Alpha Centauri together, only I've got several billion humans I want to bring with me." Maybe Crowley will have to help with portal setup down in the basement offices of hell. Or maybe he will need to convince Jesus to join Team Save Humanity (Crowley was friendly with Jesus once upon a time and did show him all the kingdoms of the world, after all.)

I think there are going to be some funny bits with the Nazi zombies from past seasons and all the other people who are being raised from the dead.

In the original book, Adam said that Heaven and Hell were a lot like his gang, the Them, and their rival gang, the Johnsonites: They were always trying to beat one another, but it wouldn't be any good if one of them actually did win. Having a rival gives you something to do, after all. I don't think there can ever be a final resolution between good and bad. They're kind of like death -- baked into the system. It's going to be a stalemate.

I also suspect that God is playing a many-layered game. All the demons and angels are helping to judge and deliver consequences to humans for their use of free will. But maybe God is watching all the angels and demons to see whether they understand that being on a team doesn't mean that you can't make your own moral decisions and act outside the party line.

Ultimately I think the battle will end and the human refugees will return to Earth. Our favorite supernatural couple will buy a flat with a garden somewhere, and that's where the story will end -- in a garden, just as it began.

#good omens clues #good omens season 3 #good omens #neil gaiman #argue my point #what do you think? #crowley #aziraphale

[waywardsunlight]

Second headcanon. This one got really long. Sorry not sorry.

Luz finding glyphs so easily while Belos took forever isn't because Monarch (King's dad) liked Luz or didn't like Belos.

It's because Luz actually likes the system, and Monarch has no power outside the In-Between.

Think about it:

Belos is a witch hunter who's been stuck in a world he hates, full of people he hates, and suffused by a system (magic) that he hates. He hates the Demon Realm so much that he spends the better part of 400 years plotting and enacting a genocide. That's dedication.

This guy would not want to go looking for magic, and he would most assuredly not enjoy using magic in any capacity. In Watching and Dreaming, he literally calls the Demon Realm "this perdition". You know, Hell.

Belos spent literal centuries becoming a mass murderer. This is not a sign of a happy person who likes where he is, and he's not going to devote his energy to figuring out a system he hates that much.

In contrast, Luz shows up and is so immediately enthralled that she asks to become a witch's apprentice the FIRST DAY she spends in the Boiling Isles. DAY 1.

This girl up and decides to drop her entire life back home to learn magic (from a wanted criminal no less!!), and we see her study it obsessively throughout the show. Luz thinks magic is a delight.

Luz doesn't need to be shown the glyphs because her passion for merely existing in the Demon Realm is more than enough to let her find the glyphs and figure out the magic system.

Additional evidence: in Any Sport in a Storm, Luz says part of the reason she loves the Good Witch Azura books is because of the "convoluted magic system"; in Thanks to Them in one of her video diary entries, she says she "can read and write Witch Tongue in five different dialects". This is a girl who loves magic as much as anyone can love a thing.

I also feel like it cheapens both Luz's and Belos' characters and arcs if Monarch was actively trying to help or hinder either of them. The show goes out of its way to shit on the Chosen One trope, and Luz getting active help from a god during the entire show would feel very Chosen One-y. Similarly, it's very in character for Belos to blame an external force (The Titan hiding glyphs from him) for Belos' personal failings (his inability to find glyphs) because Belos is a raging narcissist. Don't take that away from him!

Finally, we saw from Yesterday's Lie that the most you seem to be able to do from the In-Between is talk through reflections. If Monarch were able to do more than that, why would he not have? He's been dead for probably millions of years, because life had to evolve the ability to use magic while living on his body (Young Blood, Old Souls). There was plenty of time for him to try to do more if he were able to. He even says in Watching and Dreaming that he's "been stuck here for quite some time, but at least I can keep an eye on my child...". That doesn't sound like something you'd say if you had any influence over the physical world.

Clearly, yes, he could do more in that he gave Luz his powers and resurrected her, but that also killed him, so it was a single-use-only kind of move.

I think this covers it.

Yeah! I saw this art possibly from the show/cut materials of Philip chopping down plants to find the plant glyph (I haven't seen this in ages, I don't remember where it came from/ I can't verify it so I might guess it's fanart), where you realize that bc Philip's coming at this from a colonial approach and seeing everything as a threat to his way of life unless he can study it and Luz coming at this with awe and a love of a world she's in, it makes a lot of sense that it's easier for her to find glyphs.

I think it's the whole 'Slitherbeast doesn't attack unless you hurt it' thing, that's also true for the Selkidominus and the people of the Boiling Isles. They're all existing on the island and are welcoming to outsiders but when Philip starts chopping down plants and hurting people, the island and the people respond to that negatively and make it harder for him to find the glyphs.

#long post #headcanon #toh #toh headcanon

[ga-yuu]

Ibuki Main Story Chap 1 to 10 Summary

I don't have time for translating the whole route but I'll try my best to give a summary of what happens in his story since I feel like many of you love Ibuki so much. Also, I'm rushing through his main story because I also have to study and I have no time to double-check the translations, so don't expect 100% accurate translation from me. Also, feel free to correct me if made any mistakes.

***Spoilers****

The story starts as usual, the Shogunate welcomes Yoshino, she bonds with everyone and one month passes. Yeah! So fast!

After one month, Yoshino was casually strolling around the streets of Kamakura city, when she suddenly bumps into two little girls. The little girls asked for directions to a certain house. One of the little girls complains she was hungry, so Yoshino, being the kind-hearted angel she is, decides to buy them food. While eating, the oldest of the two girls, says that their father left their house 3 days ago and didn't come back. They were worried so they came out looking for him. The girls also mention that their father has an acquaintance with a certain man named 'Ibuki'. The house on the map, for which they asked directions was where Ibuki lived. Yoshino decides to take them to Ibuki because she wanted the little girls to safely reunite with their father. Also, their father is a merchant, not to forget.

They reach the house on the map and asked the servant to call Ibuki. While waiting for him, Yoshino started telling the story of the princess who was kidnapped by an Oni. After finishing the story, where the princess was saved by a hero, Ibuki enters and corrects them saying that the humans who thought the Oni was dead, were idiots. He continues to tell the little kids that the Oni was still alive and killed everyone and lived happily ever after. After that, he finally notices Yoshino. He was surprised at first, be then smiled as if he was amused.

The father of the little girls also enters the scene and the little girls finally reunite with the father. Ibuki explains how the father is a merchant but has large amounts of debts he's finding hard to repay because his business was down. Ibuki also helped him with something, and something went wrong somewhere and now the father is in debt. Ibuki being the evil demon he is, suggests the man take a loan from a rich guy in exchange for one of his kids as collateral. The man was in dilemma. Ibuki further goes on to say that, by doing so, the burden of debt will be reduced in the short term. Yoshino who was watching all of this, says that the man has to also consider his family bond in the long term. Hearing this, Ibuki smiles and sends the man and his daughters out in the garden, so he could talk to Yoshino alone.

Yoshino, asks Ibuki if he could help the family in any way because the father seemed so attached to Ibuki. So Ibuki decides to help! By convincing Yoshino to play a game of chess. If she wins, he will grant her one wish and if he wins she will have to stay away from this matter. Yoshino agrees and he kisses her out of nowhere. Saying that it's his fee.

They play many rounds of chess and guess what happens? Yes yes, guess? Ofc Yoshino loses (Because why would any MC be good at chess or any games? They're always meant to fall for the male lead's tricks). Anyways, she keeps losing and Yoshino started crying because she felt like she couldn't do anything for the family. Ibuki gets turned on seeing her tears and immediately takes her to his Palace.....in the Demon world.

Yes! Ibuki has a palace! Several demon guards and servants...because he's the Demon King!

The demon servants and guards welcome their King, who is carrying Yoshino. Ibuki tells them that he didn't need such a welcome. One of his servants, Ibaraki (I guess that's his name) asks Ibuki why he brought a human woman. Ibuki smiles and orders his servants to give Yoshino a bath and drops her and leaves. The servants get the idea and immediately started washing and dressing up Yoshino. When three maid demons were washing Yoshino, they were commenting on how salty they are to see their King suddenly taking interest in a mere human girl when there are many demon women lusting for him and even ready to carry his child.

After dressing her up in a sexy revealing almost transparent kimono, Yoshino was forcefully pushed into Ibuki's bedroom. Yoshino was ofc embarrassed and tries to find a way to escape from Ibuki. She decides to get him drunk and try to find an opening. But Ibuki never gets drink, we all know that, but was amused that she has the guts to think something like that, so he kisses her deeply. But before he could any further, they were interrupted by a demon, who breaks into Ibuki's bedroom and attacks him. Ibuki was salty because he was interrupted but decided to play with this unknown demon anyway.

While Ibuki was busy with the unknown demon, Yoshino makes an escape. But before she can find the portal back to the human world, Ibuki catches her. Yoshino understood that Ibuki killed the unknown demon, so she starts to resist. Fortunately, plot armor a.k.a Tamamo comes to the rescue because cybird has a very strict rule that says:

Cybird male leads are prohibited from having sex in the early chapters. If any male leads, try to violate this law, they will be harshly cockblocked by MC's male best friend.

Tamamo and Ibuki have a staring competition for 5nminutes and Ibuki finally gets tired and throws them back to the human world.

After returning home, Yoshino asks Tamamo about Ibuki. Tamamo advises Yoshino that she must stay away from Ibuki because unlike him, Ibuki is a bad person. Yoshino nods. Also, Tamamo says that Kagetoki investigated the father and two little girls and found out that Ibuki paid off all of his debts and left Kamakura.

A few days later, Yasuchika comes to say hi and Yoshino takes the plunge to ask him if he could help her practice killing demons so she could get used to her fox powers. Before she could ask, Yoritomo walks in and asks Yasuchika about the strange incidents happening in Kyoto city recently. According to the reports, demon sitings have been increasing and demon attacks have been causing a ruckus among the people in Kyoto. Since the Shogunate is in cooperation with the Imperial Court, Yoritomo decides to help them. For that to happen, he had to postpone his war against Yoshitsune.

Yoritomo calls up a meeting with Yoshitsune and they both agree on a temporary truce. In the meanwhile, Yoshino goes to Kyoto with Yasuchika. On the way, some demon-possessed people attacked their cart. Yasuchika leaves the cart to save people, and Yoshino who is inside the cart sees a mother and a child being attacked by a demon-possessed man. Yoshino saves them with her fox powers but the demon-possessed man chases her instead. She runs for her life and bumps into another demon-possessed man. Her escape was blocked from both ends and she started praying for help. But plot armor a.k.a Ibuki falls from the sky to say hello. Ibuki puts the demon-possessed men to sleep and started playing with Yoshino. They started bickering back and forth and Ibuki looked like he was actually enjoying harassing her. Then Yoshino finally says that she wants to understand Ibuki. Ibuki was ofc taken aback by this statement.

Before Ibuki could do anything, Yasuchika comes to cockblock him and reminded him of Cybird's law. Yoshino was ofc surprised to learn that an Onmyoji and a Demon King are living together. They finally reached Yasuchika's haunted mansion and meet the most beautiful, most amazing, most adorable man to ever live----AKIHITO!!!! They all have a small talk and both Yasuchika and Akihito were surprised to see Ibuki warming up to someone else other than them.

The next morning, baby Ibuki comes to say good morning and you know what happens, right?

Ibuki takes Yoshino out, saying that he's taking her to a special place. On the way, they follow a cat, and Yoshino was surprised to see Ibuki acting like a completely different person in front of the cat.

After that, they finally reached their destination-----Ibuki's playground.....or that's what he calls it...it's Ibuki's own personal house in the human world where he invites people who want life advice or something like that. He hears their problems, but won't come up with instant solutions. Instead, he gives them different life choices and advice the people to choose what they want and not to be greedy. After meeting some people, Yoshino asks why he brought her here and Ibuki tells her that he wanted her to meet a certain person but he didn't come to visit that day.

On the way back home, a person calls them from behind and it was a man. The man had a very eerie atmosphere and Ibuki whispered to Yoshino to check his shoulder. There was a demonic entity sitting there, giving out a dark aura. The man was a merchant who was facing many problems in his business, so he consulted Ibuki. Ibuki gave him something like a dybbuk or something so he can put curses on his competitors and bring them down. But lately, it was taking a toll on his mental and physical health so Ibuki brought Yoshino, so she could use her fox powers on him. Yoshino was ready to help but she asked what the merchant is going to do after she helps him? Is he going to curse his competitors again? The merchant was in a dilemma. Ibuki smiles and watches their conversation. Yoshino gives the man a reality check on how he should work hard and face his failures to win in the future. The merchant understood her words and asks Ibuki if he could return the dybbuk. Ibuki asks once again if he actually wants to return it and the merchant, without any hesitation says, yes. Ibuki gives out a meaningful smile and pats his shoulder. Only Yoshino noticed that Ibuki was actually getting rid of the demon sitting on his shoulder. The merchant thanked both of them and left.

Yoshino asks why Ibuki helped the man and Ibuki says that although he loves corrupting humans and watching them fall into despair, he loves those humans that don't fall into his trap, indicating Yoshino.

After that one night, when Yoshino was returning home from her house calls, she meets the merchant once again. Along with him, she meets Sueharu, who was making a business deal with the merchant. They both recognized each other and greeted. After finishing his meeting with the merchant, Sueharu says bye and left.

The merchant decides to send Yoshino home because it was nighttime. While happily chatting about his new business deal with a big merchant like Sueharu, some shady-looking men stop them. The shady-looking men looked like they were enemies of the merchant and tried to harass him. The merchant tried to fight them off but he was too weak. Yoshino pushed them back. The men tried to attack Yoshino, but Yoshino instead of fighting back or trembling in fear decides to use the best solution to rescue herself from this situation. She boldly states that she's a member of the Shogunate and is temporarily working in the Imperial court for the time being. If anything were to happen to her and her merchant friend, the men would have to face the wrath of both the Shogunate and the Imperial Court. The men were taken aback and gritted their teeth in anger and fear. But thankfully, plot armor a.k.a Ibuki comes out of nowhere to say hi and tortures the hell out of those shady men because they want to sexually harass 'his woman'.

After that, he takes Yoshino to his personal room in Yasuchika's mansion.....only to give her an aphrodisiac.

#ikemen series #ikemen genjiden #ikemen mc #ikemen genjiden ibuki #otome #cybird #cybird ikemen #cybird otome

[tomopri]

YOUR OCS

Hand them over.

THERE ARE . s o man y .... . here is my oc masterpost except i only realised after i hunted it down that there's like no info for anything . so instead i'll just give a rundown for what each thing is and if any of the synopses intrigue you yr free to ask more ^_^

lobotomy corporation - i think a lot of my active followers know what lobcorp is, but i'll explain it anyways. it's like if you took scp and said "what if it was even MORE fucked up. and stressful." like iirc the game description on steam literally says that it's inspired by scp, cabin in the woods, and warehouse 13 and that is not understating a damn thing . my ocs there are all employees and i think way too hard about puck at all times

tmrwverse - what if the apocalypse was real and also alive? hi. tmrwverse (real name pending) is my original story. completely original? Nnn oo oo . it started off as a danganronpa uni but i'm not into dgr anymore and i wanted to make it its own thing . it's also inspired to a degree by parties are for losers, especially in regards to the way the apocalyptic nightmare entity (known simply as The Calamity) effects the world around it. beyond that idfk what's going on i just know there's necromancy and eldritch gods and half the thing is a weirdcore dreamcore nightmare it's my baby . kuroshi is my everything ever at all

P.A.R.T.S. - what if watch dogs 2 was cyberpunk and dušan was evelyn deavor from the incredibles 2. so yea it's just like this ragtag group of people who are prolific hackers and there's this tech company that has a chokehold over the government and is slowly trying to eliminate all individuality but shirka (evelyn deavor dušan) claims it's all for a good cause and one of my friends called her milfy and i've never been the same. oh also demons are a thing and they are just kinda casually around .

a second chance by way of updog - this one's based on a joke interaction i had with an old friend where they said updog to me and i basically said i'd kill them . Followed by a gif of russell from up ascending w balloons and them saying "me omw to heaven after azazel kills me" and i said "bold of you to assume i'll let you into the afterlife." and so now it's about this dude who's second best at everything named bailey who tells an updog joke to a god named silvanus who happened to be patrolling the street and they immediately strangled him to death and sent him to purgatory and also stripped him of his blue hair which he's ultimately more upset about than the whole being dead thing . but then silvanus gets punished as well for murdering an innocent and then trapping him in purgatory for no good reason and they're stripped of their powers and stuck in purgatory with bailey . then this third dude dies and it's because a dime got dropped on his head from the top of the empire state building, which is actually how bailey was Supposed to die; but because silvanus killed him first, he was ultimately second place to his own murder. and this third dude has been first place in every competition bailey has ever entered (mostly air guitar & ddr) but he is undeveloped. like literally he is a non character. this is intentional. bailey has been losing to what is essentially an unscripted npc. yeah i have a lot to say about this supposed-to-be-a-joke uni.

quando ti ho incontrato / when i met you - i need you to listen to femme fatale by coyote kid and you'll understand my vision . tadeo, main guy, is hopelessly in love with maeva, the classic femme fatale. she's going to ruin his life and he is perfectly content with that. he's a bit like a puppy dog. for some reason this whole story takes place in italy.

the great corpse march to the sea - okay just because i'm not into dgr anymore does not mean i don't like the concept of a killing game. tgcmtts is essentially a fangan except i pretend dgr doesn't exist. all of them have death related careers to some degree Minus cat nemune they are 12 and are not in the death game . one of these guys is a batshit serial killer and has bugs. another is a batshit serial killer but as a doctor. they are in a qpr. there is tragedy to ensue in this game because there are so many people who are family or people in some nature of relationship and it hurts me . this whole story hurts me why do i write the things i do

unlisted, but a practice in being haunted - the most pathetic guy on earth having the worst life of his life after his house becomes infested with ghosts exactly one week after the most traumatic experience he couldever go through so he has not processed it. chaos ensues.

#like if a q and a had a real nervous interviewee #new tag for asks btw hiejodko #I HAVE...A LOT MORE OCS THAN THIS #but i have already typed soooo much i am not subjecting people to More #though i am willing to share at some other time if prompted

[m0e-ru]

GSA SL AU: an attempted summary

spoiler warning for p4-p5 and all the spinoffs. trying so hard to tell myself to make a tldr of my stupidt au and not go off the rails and have a Writer Moment and make it too ambitious than I need it to be so here's literally attempt 10948329 of trying to put gsaslau into words

Unlike canon, Izanami goes out there and makes friends with their guinea pigs and a handful of other people which is a really great idea when you don't want your test results to vary. "Yeah I know my job is to cover this place in fog because the people said so. Just making sure." Yeah well now look what happened, you've got 11 different identity crisis episodes every week you idiot.

WHILE being a clown in the real world, they're a babysitter in the TV world taking care of the Shadow selves that you could call it "Midnight Daycare" at this point.

Learning from both lives, Izanami loses their sense of self and regrets a lot of things. Like starting a game where two people already died. Then remembered they told their sister to go kill herself if she remembered anything about herself. And the fact if they continue the game, it won't really end well for the people of Inaba because their whole year—it wasn't even a year actually—of living taught them that yeah  okay, maybe hiding from the truth is bad, maybe covering the whole world is a bad idea.

They have people they love and people that love them, so the best solution obviously is to have everyone forget about you, dissolve all bonds and go drop dead with the demon that would've separated from you if they continued to rebel against your duty.

But this is fine because the Power of Friendship always shines through, so they continue to live after being called a dumbass by three different people and now they have more media appearances yay 🎉🎉🎉

--- pre-p4

The apparent backstory to this was the life they had before the two split, which meant they were one whole. "Izanami-no-Mikoto" was the previous deity born from and governed the people of Inaba. With her motherlike nature, she took care of some kid who escaped a hospital immediately after waking up from his coma. The boy loved her as his mother figure although his headmate didn't seem to agree because what happened last time he tried to call some guy a parent figure, huh. This is fine though she teaches him how to be a good guardian if she ever kicks the bucket. Which she kinda does.

She was loved and remembered by all, until her own kid said they hated her guts and expunged her from people's memories and it was as if Inaba never had a nice lady living in it. For the sake of plot devices though, a handful of people still remember her, of course.

--- p4u

It's Golden Week and apparently little mister protagonist Souji Seta never fully defeated "Izanami-no-Ōkami," and the remnants of godly power continued to live on, planning new schemes away from Nami and Marie's notice, who were busy recuperating from uh, the last few months before worlds merged together and humanity would've ended entirely. Well it was gonna happen again because there was this brat who's hosting his own show of a fighting tournament with all the pyrotechnics in the world where at the end the winner doesn't matter and worlds merge together and humanity would end entirely.

Scarfaced redhead Sho Minazuki also decided he doesn't like his mom's kids so he'll just "put them back together" because that's what Kagutsuchi promised. right. Except he's a little prick and told this idiotboy you can't put god's pieces together until you kill each piece individually. Y'know if humans were a lot nicer this never would've happened.

But the Power of Friendship pt. 2 shines through and worlds are back to normal and suddenly there's a house smack dab in Inaba which leads to a forest now apparently inhabited with the strangest family known to mankind.

-- intermission

The weather girl "Mariko Kusumi" makes her debut and rockets her station's viewership in less than a week. There's another bear at Junes which means they're hosting twin gigs now. Some kid has been jumping across roofs causing the "cat tsunami" phenomenon which leaves all local detectives tired and baffled. And it looks like "everyone's part-timer" has more than one helping hand to pass around whenever anybody needs it.

The "Kusumi Household" has been established and has somewhat slowly become a household name itself. A strange house with stranger hallways and the strangest backyard—which is a literal forest. But nobody minds, just come in for lunch or some tea, hope that random fires don't start or a humanoid entity in a striped getup and a scythe doesn't come out of nowhere because some bear got onto a redhead's nerves.

Besides taking care of Inaba, Nami wishes to observe more events of unconscious collectives wishing their own doom, and hopefully prevent or just lessen the damage done just in case the Velvet Room fails to sign a contract with a competent guest. The latter seems to be unlikely, but extra measures are good. And Marie knows well enough the goodness in their heart to know they want to help other deities that have fallen from grace, born into a life that was never good for anybody. I mean why'd they bring the brat home with them, huh.

--- p4d

After a humble visit to the Velvet Room, Margaret lets it slip that her guest is undergoing another trial. He's... stuck in another collective unconscious, actually. Being told not to interfere with his journey this time around, the two hang around the trusses and have their own backstage tour, observing the new game this Self-Proclaimed Investigation Team's found themselves in now.

Taking note of the nature of the world and resonating with an unfamiliar populace, Nami continues forward and laughs at the gimmicks this god of the people tries to pull. They make a few pessimistic jokes in a sarcastic tone which get them more than a smack on the back and a punch in the shoulder.

"Mikuratana-no-Kami" was a peculiar deity, and was defeated with the power of the expression of dance. After watching the concert, the two return to the diety's nebula and see that it is still there... Nami offers guidance as well as urging it to live the life it was clinging on to, just so long as it makes the effort to make its city a better place. So it goes out there as a peppy costume designer and becomes closer to the same girls that inspired it to live.

--- p5/r

Tokyo could perhaps be the worst city Nami's had to visit ever. Okay sure, the new Velvet Room guest may have been directly involved with god as he himself has established a bond as documented in the tome. Sure the game was rigged from the start, nothing surprising about that. Within the jurisdiction of his power, the worlds were coming together again and haunting organic landscape raining red liquid, that's expected.

The false mechanical god has fallen, it should've been over, right? All they had to do was pick up the dinnerware he became, toss him in the blue room and feel the wrath of a girl with a chainsaw, and see what else he could do since something was keeping him alive. But that could be taken care of later, there was Christmas to celebrate at home!

-

However, just before they got on the last train home, a nasty shiver went up their spine.

-

It's a new year. Fireworks were lit, greetings were exchanged, prayers were made, a happy dinner was eaten. But with every tomato plant toppled, an excuse for Nami's condition had to be made—although, that was futile.

What do you mean there’s an external power interfering with Inaba’s unconscious? What do you mean you’re carrying the whole burden of keeping it away from home all by yourself? More than enough god life threatening events have happened and you still haven’t learned anything?

A yet to be certified doctor, Takuto Maruki, had once stayed in Inaba to perform Adachi’s psych evals, all from a desperate plea from his wardens to get some sense out of him. The two were even friends from back then. And now, he’s come back to Inaba, to… make it better.

This “actualization” by a horrid beast of a parasite takes a toll on already existing deities. Either they’re wiped out entirely, or they are given the mercy to live in a lie as their human heart’s desires are answered.

After a sermon and a bit of counsel, Nami gets the OK to visit the world outside of Inaba and continue their research, although from very much worried individuals. They could not come near this “Lab of Sorrow” lest their life be forfeit. But they go station to station, while persevering such an oppressive force upon them, to see this empty paradise, meet a few other friends along the way, meet with “Trickster” little miss Lavenza puts her faith in, and is generously ushered home through the otherworldly means of the room between dreams and reality, mind and matter.

The Trickster pushes through and succeeds in knocking some sense into his own friend. His Eden has collapsed and is free from godly power. The, now taxi driver, brings a few friends along to the new Tokyo for a cup of coffee, in which he is counseled over all the new trauma he’s caused himself the past few months. It was an interesting lunch indeed, having three gods at a table in a humble cafe.

Nothing against Maruki, but Nami didn’t really want to see Assathoth’s stupid shiny crucifix esque face again. But /strangling gestures/ it’s fine. it’s okay. Maruki can take care of it.

--- p5s

It’s summer now, surely everyone can catch a break from hearing about humanity unconsciously trying to destroy themselves—until news breaks out that a hot new A.I. in town’s making its way into people’s lives—and heads.

Lavenza is curious of the new trial her guest will undertake, Nami shares the same sentiments. But they are badgered into taking a rest now that their sister managed to convince the city to ban said A.I. from Inaba’s cyberspace. It’s a precaution. “What about Mikuratana?” oh, it’d see a Jail coming out of nowhere and abolish it immediately (LAZER EYES). It’s had more than enough from the last worldwide fiasco, and it didn’t want to worry Kanami and the girls again.

Nami follows a steady pace as per request of their loved once and watches the new emmanuel as she makes her mark across Japan. They also watch the “Phantom Thieves”’s every now and then, wondering where their cross-country roadtrip’s gone now. They too keep a close eye on “Sophia,” while her own story makes this god’s heart ache.

Ichinose reminds Nami of a number of somebodies, to say the least. The Demiurge is defeated and Nami hears the echo she sent to her sister. While the world crumbles around them as the Thieves leave, Nami stays with a fragment of the deity for a little while, hoping to convince her to let them help.

She is brought to Inaba to start anew. It was helpful that no one was too familiar to her when she was a big-shot A.I.. After much time, she returns to her “family” to make amends, while she is accepted back with love. Although she is worried this boomer of an individual may no longer have a digital assistance, she keeps her word to be a good companion, just like Sophia.

--- pq

Mockingly titled “Godhunter” by a crucifix shaped freak of nature, Nami and their family finally settle. It’s been a while since they sent their boy and brat to check on Shirogane-kun back at Yagokoro to investigate the so-called “Midnight Site.” The brat was disappointed over learning a woman landed more hits than him in his entire lifetime (he never killed anybody) while the boy was enthusiastic over the Kirijo model android that could turn into a bike. In fact, he came home that day rushing to contact Labrys about it and whined when she couldn’t do the same thing. But she was heat tempered and had an axe that doubled as a jetpack so it’s fine.

It occurs to Marie that she should talk about them. Them? The ones she met while she was still a resident at the Velvet Room. Chronos—Zen, she means. He was a good friend long before they even split into two, and it made her snicker he had gone through the same thing. But his was out of love, apparently. “Selfishness,” she remembered him say, but she didn’t think so.

He was fine from that point on, finally having ushered that girl’s soul to where she needs to be. However… her head started to twist and ache remembering this next bit. Maybe living in the Velvet Room had its fair share of side effects—maybe due to the fact it doesn’t follow time as normally as reality.

She told Nami of “Enlil,” maybe she’d be a new one to introduce to their “deity rehabilitation” they have going on. Margaret complies with this request and assists Nami in meeting her; where the woman was busy watching her life on repeat, where it ended bittersweetly in “farewell” every time.

Nami knows they won’t remember her as per the rules of this “reality” Margaret had warned them about, but they will know why a lady in white would have come to Inaba all on her own.

Enlil followed the charming deity’s invite and visits Inaba in a time she desired—one that wasn’t too far from when Hikari fell into her realm… which apparently wasn’t too far from the Nami that visited her in her piece of a movie theater.

Truth be told, this lady may have been the easiest to assist out of… every other deity Nami had helped. She was kind, she was sweet, she learned from her mistakes, she helped others, she was lovely. The air around her smelled like lilies as she stood gracefully with her hands together. Sure, she was still figuring herself out too, after… who knows how long she’s been watching her biographical movie on repeat.

This may have been a problem for Nami.

#persona 4 spoilers #p4 #// not tagging all of the spoilers since theyre under cut anyway but. yeah theyre all here #ゲッー #gsa sl au #sulululat #izanami persona #⛽️🌫 #// i tried bullshitting it as much as possible but it backfired and you can see it get more sophisticated at the end. 2k words babes !!! #// i proofread. only a little bit. my tenses are all over the place as always <3 #// WELL that's the whole scope of gsaslau i managed to flesh out. i dont have much 3 thoughts yet. sorry #// oh yeah since i never published much of post-p4 writing i do use 'nami' . making a point that mims a nickname i like to use #// if this doesnt make sense /flails arms/ ask me about it i guess #// except the last one. for whatever reason naglil lined up so much with whatever i had planned for izy so. why dont i take advantage of th #// this and haunt mim of their past or whatever

[isaacathom]

all that to say that i have some thoughts to ramble about my boy :)

the context, in brief, is that a while back the party escorted this family for a few towns. They were very nice, got the party to open up a bit emotionally, and were good people. On a bridge before the last town, we got ambushed by bandit and simultaneously attacked by monsters in the river, and in the ensuing chaos the wife was gravely injured. Florian helped the man pull her from the water, and saw her die.

We parted ways with the man and his daughter at the next town, turning down a bonus for the contract we were technically owed (the bonus was for if we took them to that last town, versus an earlier drop off point).

Something like two months later in game, we arrive in a small town, and find out the father and his daughter (and another woman) are staying there and being haunted by some fucked up horse. We try to help, finding out that the two adults independently made deals with a demon for a family (the dad wanted someone to be able to look after his daughter when he died, since shes half-elf, will outlive him, and hes an older man anyway. the woman wanted a child), and that the demon is coming for what it is owed - what it is owed is the dad.

We try to get them out of the situation, but it all goes tits up. the father surrenders to the demon to protect his family and to stop the demon from killing the party (it had uh. dismembered someones arm already). We see the demon bite out his heart.

Florian helped someone from the village tend to the body, someone who had insulted him on arrival. But it's not about that guy, is it? it's about the principle, and its about the dead man. He attempts to explain what happened, while omitting 90% of the details, which understandably goes poorly. He does not really succeed in conveying his meaning that, tragic though it is, the man cannot be blamed. Because, he has to concede, yes he can.

He talks to the woman about how she and the daughter will have to leave town. He offers to take them, for a time - it's the least he could do, having failed (in his mind) to save the man. The next morning, as she struggles to pack all their things and find something for breakfast, he offers the two of them his travel rations.

He helps her to bury the mans body in the forest.

The future isn't clear at this stage. The vague agreement Florian and her reached is that we'll escort her and the kid to a decent size city, where they'll be able to access the things they need to keep travelling further south. We aren't sure when exactly that will be, as it also depends on the situation (an unrelated war, its the witcher 3 in here so)

But while Florian doesn't know the immediate future, he DOES know what he'll do when the two make their exit.

He's gonna try and give them his money.

He'll insist. It's payment for the dinner she served the first night, it's payment for the roof over their head, its to ensure his peace of mind that the two of them are well fed and dry as they travel through a country at war. But it's not about the woman. It's about the daughter.

His logic goes something like this. He might not know what it's like to lose family. But he does know how to feels when the people in your life fail you, and fail to apologise for it. He's not brave enough to try and apologise to the daughter directly - that's an emotional experience far above his paygrade - but he has to do SOMETHING, because he will not be as bad to her as the people in his life were. The money may not last, but it will help ensure she has a warm and comfortable place to cry.

Because he does really feel for the kid. His heart aches. He might not have lost his parents, but he lost his childhood, same as she has, because of the decisions made by people who aren't her. She has not had any agency in whats happened to her. It wasn't her fault that her family was forced to flee their home for fear of being killed because they're elves. It wasn't her fault bandits laid an ambush that got her mother killed. It's not her fault her father made a foolish deal with a demon to try and keep her safe, and that he's dead for it.

There's no singular person at fault for the loss of a good childhood, same as Florian cannot point to a single person who ruined his. was it the man who accused him of defiling his daughter? was it the girl for not stopping her father's wild rumours? was it his own father for failing to stand up for him and believe him? was it the multitude of people who refused to so much as hear him out for the interminable years to follow?

None of those people ever apologised to Florian for their failing him. And the people who caused the immediate harms to the young girl will never apologise.

But Florian can.

He was there for the deaths of both her parents. He can, and will, consider it a personal failure of his that he wasn't able to save them. He should have stayed in the water and helped the wife out first. He should have tried harder to stop the demon. He should have been able to do more.

And so he has to apologise. He has to try. It almost doesn't matter if she accepts it or not - he doesn't expect her to. He wants to be better to her than the people in his life were to him, and he'll do it in the language he understands best. Money. It doesn't last, but it keeps you safe in some quantities. It's the least he could do.

He won't make the family take the money if the woman is adamant. He'll insist once, he'll try to make her understand why, it's not JUST guilt. it's not just guilt. it's about making things right. Trying to be better than others were.

#florian de kasimir #theres a lot going on #the tobias arc has 100% been the most compelling stuff in this campaign #and its all because of luck! if the wife hadnt died we would think nothing of the whole thing #and then they wouldn't've shown up that elf town being haunted by a demon #because the family would not have had to make those deals! one bad roll took it all to heights #and florians having to do a lot of emotions for it. verbalised mostly to a woman who cant quite understand why #because she was only there for some of it. she wasnt there for the death of the wife #she doesnt know what tobias and his family did for the party yknow? #its all delightfully tragic #ttrpg stuff

[forsworned]

Heya, Isekai Anon here, nice to see you again! I hope everything is going well for you! If it’s not too much trouble, can you make a part 2 for the Isekai please? Take your time and thank you if you end up doing it!

+warnings. none, ur just shot into another era for zero reason jk there is mentionings of violence

+word count. 2.6k

+categories. f/m, yes reader is no longer gender neutral srry

+relationships. hashira x reader

+characters. hashira, guest appearance(s): sumi, naho, kiyo

+author’s note. apparently this is a series now :') im not crying ur crying also i am going to be redoing chapter one as it had just started off as headcanons and then led down a path to hell that i have created myself so there is no one to blame unfortunately for the turn of events that has made this monster of an isekai series

+summary. reader is having a clusterfuck of emotions after discovering the existence of demons and gets overstimulated at the piqueing interest of the hashira. they are quite curious as to why oyakata-sama is letting her stay and maybe even a little more than that...

+chapter(s). one one(rework) three four five

「chapter two: commotion & confusion」

The more you tried to force yourself to relax the more you anxious you became. The thought of demons was running rampant through your head and you couldn't stop yourself from the intrusive thoughts clouding your mind. Maybe they were nice demons?

Very wishful thinking, [name]. Very wishful thinking.

"I need to get out of here." You grumbled to yourself as you got out of the water and felt the water trickling down your body.

"Oh, [surname]-san you're already leaving? Kocho-san and I were just going to join you!" Mitsuri popped into the bathhouse with the ravenette beside her.

They didn't seem to mind you standing there completely bare, but you definitely did, though you were slow to react.

"Oh, [name]-kun, you don't have to cover yourself we're all girls here!" Shinobu giggled as she slipped off her towel and headed into the water.

You turned around immediately clinging to the towel that was the only thing keeping you from flashing them again, but they didn't seem to mind doing that to you.

You only stood there watching as their naked forms entered the steaming body. The cool fall air was starting to nip at your body so you only sighed as you dropped your towel and joined them begrudgingly.

"How nice of you to finally join us, [name]-kun." Shinobu teased with her body fully submerged now.

You ignored her snide comment as you slid into the water, still keeping your distance mostly out of embarrassment. You weren't used to bathing with other people...

"It's such a nice bath, isn't?" Mitsuri cheered as she began to wade in the water.

"...I guess so." You muttered as you looked down at your hands get distorted under the the steaming water.

"So, you've never seen a demon before?" Shinobu finally asked you. You felt yourself stiffen at her question.

"N-no, they're not from my era. At least I'm not aware of any."

"Interesting...If my theory is correct than, maybe Muzan is dead in the future so with that every demon is eradicated." Shinobu mused as she put her finger to her bottom lip in deep thought. The water that lapped at her collarbones damped the loose ends of hair that she fell out of her bun that was messily placed at the top of her head with a hair pin.

"Muzan?" The name piqued your interest.

"Yes, Muzan is the very first demon who created all the demons we have today. You can become a demon if he gives you his blood. It is apparently a very painful process."

"S-so, how old is this guy exactly." Somehow you knew the answer to this question.

"Muzan is about a thousand years old for all we know! Also demons are immortal except for in sunlight and they regrow their limbs if they're cut off. For the most part, demons usually die if we cut their heads off." Mitsuri piped in trying not to splash water on the both of you but failed.

"Kanroji-san! You got water all over my hair!" Shinobu giggled as you had a complete meltdown thinking about an immortal demons who can regenerate their missing limbs and their only weakness was the sunlight.

"W-what do you mean usually?"

The both paused to look at you. They could sense that you were overwhelmed and terrified.

"Hey," You felt both of their hands on either sides of your shoulders.

"We're here to protect you." Mitsuri said with a reassuring smile.

"The Hashira are the most powerful demon slayers and no harm will come to you." Shinobu added. "I'll also make sure to give you a wysteria tablet and incense in case you find yourself alone. It wards off demons."

You sighed. It was a sigh of relief. It was slight, but still relieving knowing that you were in good hands, probably.

After you three had finished up your baths, you had dressed into your sleeping yukata that was laid out probably while you were bathing. It was a simple teal color that fit you perfectly as you slid into it.

"Do you like your yukata, [surname]-san?" Mitsuri's head peeped through the doorway that escaped into for a moment of privacy.

You turned around and you were in awe at how cute Mitsuri and Shinobu were in their own yukatas. They were simple yet elegant. You never wore anything like this before. Usually, it was just sweats and an old tee, but this felt different...in a good way, of course. It felt almost luxurious.

"You look so cute!!" Mitsuri gushed while Shinobu giggled.

"You do look adorable." She agreed, eyeing you up and down. Her hair was now down and just grazed over her delicate shoulders. If you hadn't known any better you'd think she looked like a nymph.

You felt yourself getting a little warm around the face as you fidgeted with the tie. "Oh, t-thank you. You guys look really pretty, too."

"Oh, this old thing." Mitsuri gestured to you in a "it's nothing" kind of way. "I've had it for years. It's nothing special. But this! It's absolutely so cute and fitting to you."

"I agree. The girls got your measurements pretty well for just simply eyeing them." Shinobu took her thumb and held it up in front of her with one eye shut as she scaled out your form.

"Your bed is ready!" You heard a small voice call out.

You saw three girls peer out from the corner all smiling.

"Thank you, girls." Shinobu smiled at them and then turned to you. "You must be exhausted after the day you've had. We'll be happy to answer any of your questions tomorrow morning."

"Oh, right. We have a bit of a break so we can all do something together if you'd like." The rosette was beaming at you now. You didn't think there was ever a time she wasn't smiling.

"Alright, then. Thank you for everything. Good night." You bowed to them.

The three small girls lead you to your room as they giggled whispering to one another.

Mentionings of your name along with the other Hashira caught your attention. But their hushed voices were too low for you to understand and at this point you were too tired to even try to listen.

"This will be your room." The girl in the braids spoke as she slid the door open to your new room.

It was a beautifully decorated tatami room with a futon laid out and in front of it was a low desk with a lamp and ink and paper. Did they think you wanted to document your time here? Well, they were damn right.

"Thank you." You bowed to them. "I never got your names. Or wait," You put your hand to your chin. "Naho."

You pointed to the girl with the green waist tie on and she nodded.

"Sumi." You pointed to the one with pink one and then to the one in blue. "Kiyo?"

"Very close!" The girl in the pink waist tie spoke up. "I'm Kiyo and this is Sumi." She pointed to her counterpart with the blue waist tie.

"Ahh, I see." You smiled at them. "Well, thank you Sumi, Kiyo and Naho. I'll be sure to get it correct next time."

"Well get some rest, [surname]-san!" They all chorused as they bowed and made their way down the hallway gossiping once again. You shook your head as you made your way to the futon and laid down on it. It felt extremely comfortable and soft. So comfortable and soft that you literally could've slept right then and there but you heard voices from outside of your door that caught your attention.

"I'm not going in there." You heard a gruff voice say.

"We're just checking on her!" A loud voice basically announcing their presences. That voice you could very much tell who they were.

"Rengoku-san, you're very loud." A monotone voice spoke.

"She literally already knows we're here thanks to you." A might I say flamboyant voice interjected. "We're coming in!"

Just then the door slid open and your body jolted up and for some reason went to covering yourself up even though you were fully covered. This, unfortunately, made you look rather...suspicious if you catch my drift.

Sanemi and Giyuu immediately turning around in embarrassment, Kyoujurou was completely oblivious and well, Tengen was even more intrigued.

"We just wanted to check up on you before you left, but you look a little busy." Tengen spoke up raising his eyebrows at you.

You immediately scrambled throwing your arms up. "T-that's not what was happening! I just thought I was indecent and--"

Kyoujurou's expression had shown that the light bulb in his head had finally flickered on. If you hadn't been looking at him before he turned around in embarrassment you wouldn't have caught the healthy blush on his cheeks. Tengen, God Bless his heart, did not give a fuck and this only fueled his curiousity.

"What do you mean by indecent?"

"Your curiousity is what is going to get you slapped across the face." Giyuu's voice was even as he spoke. He was unmoving beside the quiet Sanemi. Poor, poor Sanemi. If only you saw how red his face was. If you looked close enough you could see how red his neck was getting.

"[surname]-san," Kyoujurou interrupted Tengen's intrusive interrogation which you thanked God for.

"Y-yes." You slowly let go of the collar to your yukata and readjusted your body.

"As we mentioned before, we just wanted to check on your health before you went to bed tonight." He said in a clear and serious tone.How, seemingly uncharacteristic of him. Hmmm.

"I'm fine, thank you for checking up on me."

You felt, how do I say this, very walked in on?"Apologies, for walking in on you like this. Sometimes, Uzui doesn't think before he does things."

Tengen rubbed the back of his neck apologetically. "Yeah, that was my bad. We definitely should've given you more time before coming in."

"Don't lump us into together, idiot." Sanemi's gruff voice was soft as he spoke.

"Well, to be fair. You're all pretty loud so I kind of prepared for the worst..." You took a deep breath and sighed outwardly.

"Sorry, about that. It won't happen again. We--" Tengen began to say, but Gyomei's large and looming figure stood at the doorway.

"It's very late to be in a lady's room, don't you think?" His voice was powerful.

"We were just leaving." Sanemi replied immediately as he swiftly exited the room and Giyuu followed closely behind. You could faintly hear Sanemi call him a "fucking weirdo" for following him out while Giyuu stayed silent.

"Right, we just wanted to check on her before bed time." Tengen spoke up.

"But, we realized that it was late and we were on our way out. Right, Uzui?" Kyoujurou turned around to face him and Tengen nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, we've gotta go now. It was nice seeing you again, [surname]-san." Tengen waved to you.

"Sleep well, [surname]-san. We'll be sure to see you bright and early!" Kyoujurou cheered in his more typical heartiness.

"G-good night." You murmured bowing to them as they left.

Gyomei stood there tall and glorious as every one left and was out of ear shot. "I hope they didn't disturb you too much. It's not every day someone falls out of the sky with a large bolt of lighting following it."

"Huh, is that how I came down?" You pondered for a moment.

You heard him chuckle. "You don't remember?"

"Well, it happened all so quickly and the next thing I knew I was bound up face down. So no, I don't really remember falling out of the sky with a bolt of lightning." You replied sarcastically in a playful tone.

The smile on his face was even more apparent now as he stepped into the soft light from your desk lamp. "Well, I hope you know that you're safe now. We won't let any harm come to you. Oyakata-sama trusts that you're not of the enemy, so I trust the judgement he has passed upon you."

You scoffed and rolled your eyes. "Well, thank Oyakata-sama for denouncing me as a threat."

"He's an amazing man."

"I bet. Is he blind by the way?" You asked thinking about his face being covered in what looked like a disease taking over his features.

Gyomei frowned remembering Kagaya's face. "Almost."

"I see." Was all you said sensing that it was a sensitive subject. You didn't want to pry too much. Maybe you could just ask the man himself.

"If you need anything, I'm just a crow away." A soft smile was on his usual stone like face.

"Crow?" You tilted your head in confusion.

"Yes, we communicate through crows. I'm sure when the time comes Oyakata-sama will allow you to send us messages when we're out in the field."

"Slaying demons..." You murmured quietly in a pensive tone.

"Yes, I'm sure Kanroji-san and Kocho-san informed you a little more about their existence. I can only imagine what's going through your mind considering that you are from another era where they are supposedly eradicated." He stood there waiting for your response.

"Did Kocho-san relay that information to you that quickly?" God, she was fast.

"Yes, it's important that all of us are up to date with any information. That's a rather significant bit of information, don't you think?"

"Yeah, sorry. This is all just very new to me." You scratched at your forehead feeling slightly uncomfortable.

You hadn't realized until now that Gyomei's eyes were completely white. Was he a blind demon slayer and a Hashira at that?

"There's no need to apologize. Oyakata-sama will summon you tomorrow and will ask you a series of questions pertaining to you and your era. There we can try and find some answers."

For some reason, even though Gyomei was almost stoic as he spoke, you could sense that he was trying his best to be soft with you. All you could see when you looked at him was just a gentle giant.

"Hopefully." You smiled at him.

Unbeknownst to you, your smile had probably just made his whole day as it had been a rough one for him. While you were bathing, Gyomei had made a quick mission in which a lot of lives were lost. He still hadn't even washed up yet and there was bits of dried blood strung along the back of his haori.

Most of them were not apparent to you at all and he wanted to keep it that way for now.His first thought upon coming back was to check on you, but stumbling upon those goons that were supposedly Hashira were already bombarding you and that was the last thing he needed. He didn't know why he felt the need to check on you but it was probably for the same reason as the others.

"Well, get some rest. Good night, [surname]-san." The corners of his lips curved up as he spoke and made his way out the door and slid it shut.

"What a fucking day. Maybe if I shut my eyes I'll wake up in my room again. I'll forget about this all ever happening like a distance dream or memory." You muttered to yourself as you felt sleep take you away into a subconscious universe.

Gyomei sighed closing his eyes as he leaned up against the otherside of the door overhearing your quiet words that you thought were only heard by yourself.

"Oh, [surname]-san...If only it was a dream."

He opened them after a moment and then readjusted his posture and made his way to get himsefl cleaned off from the tragic day he had to prepare for the next. Perhaps, tomorrow would be better...

#demon slayer #kny #kimetsu no yaiba #renguko kyoujurou #kyoujurou renguko #reguko kyojuro #shinobu kochō #giyuu tomioka #hashira #hashira x reader #tengen uzui #uzui tengen #mitsuri kanroji #obanai iguro #sanemi shinazugawa #gyomei himejima #muichiro tokito #giyuu tomioka x reader #renguko kyojuro x reader #demon slayer x reader #kny x reader #kny reader inserts #demon slayer headcanons #demon slayer imagines #isekai #kny x reader insert #demon slayer x female reader #gyomei x reader #gyomei himejima x reader #reguko kyoujurou x reader

[wandaromanova]

Little Sister

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader

Warnings: one cuss word, minor BW spoilers

A/N: hello! i’d like to note that this takes place sometime before the events in the Black Widow movie! if you haven’t seen the movie yet, please skip over this story and come back later if you’d like! happy reading <3

anon requested: hiii i have a fluff request after seeing bw haha: could you do nat x fem reader where they're laying in bed snuggling, and r asks her about her family and nat tells her and r notices how cute she looks when she's talking about yelena and it's so soft and ahhhh

Summary: Natasha tells her girlfriend about a piece of her past that she never talks about; her sister.

Word Count: 2K

| masterlist | request rules/guidelines | wips |

please do not repost or try and take ownership of my work. reblogs, likes, and comments are always welcome. <3

Natasha Romanoff has lived a lot of lives. She has been through more than most.

Nat had been taken as an infant by an organization that trained little girls to become lethal assassins.

She was psychologically conditioned to become a killer, having taken more lives than she could count.

Eventually, Natasha had managed to break free from the cage she was forced into and was recruited as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent; it was a new start for her, an opportunity to compensate for the red in her ledger.

So, Natasha took her job seriously, saving as many people as she could, even more so when she became an Avenger; one of earth’s mightiest heroes.

Natasha found something in the team that she never really had before; a family. She found a home within the dysfunctional team she had been recruited into.

Not only did Natasha find a family within the Avengers; she also found the love of her life.

Natasha hadn’t even considered the possibility of ever finding love.

For starters, the Red Room had instilled the concept that love was nothing but a distraction; a liability.

She had been taught that love was for children and it was nothing but a weakness that needed to be avoided at all costs.

She was quite literally programmed to be emotionally closed off and to always have her guard up. Letting someone into her heart was a risk she didn’t want to take.

When Natasha gained her independence from the organization, she had to do a lot of self-discovering. She had never been able to be her own person, but now that she could, she quickly learned that she didn’t even know herself.

However, it was Natasha’s insecurities that truly turned her off from the entire idea of love.

How could any ever possibly love her? She thought she was a monster for the things she’d done. She has done the unspeakable since ever she was a child.

What if she wasn’t enough? What if her baggage was too much for someone else to carry? She didn’t want to be a burden. She didn’t want to have to protect someone, just to fail them like she had failed so many others.

Natasha was positive that no one would ever be crazy enough to love her.

Little did she know, she would end up finding someone crazy enough to do so; you.

•❅──────────────── ‎⧗ ────────────────❅•

When the Avengers were formed, you were extremely nervous about it.

All of the files that you’ve read on your new teammates were unbelievable; they were all phenomenal in their own rights. A super-soldier, a god, a genius, a trained-spy.

You were a spy yourself, so you knew exactly who Natasha Romanoff was. She was a S.H.I.E.L.D legend, the best of the best.

You were more nervous about meeting her than anyone else. What if she judged you? What if she didn’t think you were good enough to be an agent, let alone an Avenger?

Not only was she your superior, but she was also your crush. Yeah, you’d never even met the woman before, but you were crushing on her hard.

She was drop-dead gorgeous, but also quite literally a deadly force. Natasha could easily take down anyone she wanted to, and honestly, you wanted to be one of those lucky people.

When you met Natasha for the first time, you were a flustered mess. The redhead found it amusing, how your cheeks turned a bright shade of red and you stumbled over your words as you praised her work.

Natasha never told you this, but she was immediately smitten the moment she laid eyes on you.

There was a kindness and positivity that just radiated off of you and it was extremely contagious.

You were this beaming ball of light that lit up the darkest parts of her soul.

•❅──────────────── ‎⧗ ────────────────❅•

You got to know Natasha extremely well while being on the team. From observing her closely and paying very close attention to her actions, you had managed to pick up on little things.

She didn’t put any creamer or sugar in her sugar; opting for strong, black coffee.

She was kind of a clean freak. If she saw something out of place, she would be quick to put it in the correct place or position.

When she was happy, she would let a small smirk cross her features. When she was annoyed, she would raise her eyebrows.

When she was stressed out or angry, three little creases would appear on her forehead as her eyebrows would knit together tightly; a subtle frown on her face.

Of course, when you began dating the redhead, you didn’t really have to survey her so closely anymore because she’d tell you things herself.

No matter the circumstances, Natasha would always come to you and rant about it. Whether it was about how shitty a mission went or how she beat Clint’s ass during training; you were the only person she wanted to tell.

Natasha had opened up to you, something she never did with anyone. She told you all about her past.

•❅──────────────── ‎⧗ ────────────────❅•

You had some knowledge of Natasha’s previous life, considering it was in her files, but you didn’t realize just how horrible her childhood truly was.

The Red Room, the heavy weight of guilt that rests on her shoulders, the nightmares that forced her to relive the murders she committed, her time as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, and becoming an Avenger.

She’d go on and on about her road to redemption or ‘clearing the red out of her ledger.’

Natasha was terrified when she told you about her demons. She figured you were going to leave her the second she finished talking, waiting for you to get up and walk out the door, but you didn’t.

So, you completely caught her off guard when you pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, placing a soft kiss onto her temple, the redhead relaxing in your embrace.

“You’re the strongest person I know. It’s not your fault, you were forced and conditioned to do the things you did.”

Natasha focused on the sound of your voice and took in your words as you softly caressed her red locks with one hand.

“Baby, the amount of respect I have for you is immeasurable. I applaud you for turning your life around for the better. I’m so fucking proud of you.”

Your words had brought tears to Natasha’s eyes, which was a rare occurrence.

She was expecting you to run for the hills, but you chose to pull her closer instead.

In that moment, Natasha knew she never had to be afraid of love again.

You were the most understanding and accepting person she’d ever met.

You would never judge her for her worst mistakes; Natasha had found the one for her and she wasn’t ever going to let go.

•❅──────────────── ‎⧗ ────────────────❅•

Now, a few months later and a year into your relationship with the Russian, you were both lying in bed and cuddling.

You were both watching a movie when a particular scene came on. It was of a family gathering around a Christmas tree, children excitedly opening up presents with gleeful smiles across their faces.

“You know, my sister and I got to take pictures with a Christmas tree once.” Natasha spoke, her eyes fixated on the screen.

You looked up at her in shock. You didn’t know that Natasha had a sister. She told you that she didn’t even so much as know her parent’s names.

Natasha looked down and noticed your confused expression. She reached for the remote on the bedside table and paused the movie before returning her gaze to you.

“There was a mission I was assigned to in Ohio, as a kid. I was assigned to play the daughter of two other Russian spies, Alexei and Melina. It wasn’t just me though, there was a little girl who was assigned as my younger sister. Her name is Yelena.”

Natasha had a reminiscent, happy smile on her face as she recalled the brief period time of her childhood. She looked absolutely adorable as she rambled on about this part of her childhood.

“We took photoshoots of various holidays to make our family look more realistic. My favorite one was Christmas. Even though I knew they were just empty boxes, I wanted to rip open every single one.”

Natasha let out a small giggle at the thought. Even though she had a smile on her face, you could feel and hear the underlying tone of sadness in her voice.

“Yelena and I would spend hours outside, just playing together. Swinging on the swing-sets, looking up at the stars, bending over backward, and getting into a ridiculous competition to see who could hold the position the longest… I always let her win.”

You could see the fondness in her eyes, the longing. It warmed your heart that there was a small glimmer of light in Natasha’s past. There was at least a sliver of hope that she clung tightly onto throughout her time in the Red Room.

“After 3 years, the mission ended. Yelena and I were sent back to the Red Room and were torn apart from one another.

Natasha’s breathing grew heavier as she recalled the unfaithful day. The sight of her sister being taken, and not being able to do anything to help her; still haunted the redhead to this day.

“There were so many men with guns and armor, they literally ripped us away from each other. I was eleven and she was only six.”

Your heart sunk at your girlfriend’s words as her smile dropped. She tore her eyes away from yours as she blinked rapidly, fighting back tears, but failed. You reached your hand up to her cheek and wiped away the fallen droplets.

“I haven’t seen her since. I’d like to think that she found a way out and got a life of her own; a nice, happy life.”

Natasha placed her hand on top of yours before looking down at you once more. You sent her a soft smile when she let out a shaky breath.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

“I knew that the it was all fake, but it was still the best part of my childhood. It was real to me.”

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

You nodded your head at her words. She took a brief pause, trying to regain her composure, before continuing.

“Even if we have no true relation to one another, and even if I haven’t seen her in years, she is still my little sister.”

Natasha finished off with a big gasp as sobs wracked her body. You sat up from her embrace and pulled her into your arms, just like you had many times before.

You rubbed her back soothingly as she cried into your shoulder, her tears hitting the exposed skin.

“She sounds amazing, baby. I’m really happy that you had some sort of happiness back then and I hope one day you get to see her again.”

You whispered and Natasha pulled away from the hug, still in your arms as her emerald eyes surrounded by a sea of red, a result of her crying.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

“I doubt she’d even want to see me. I didn’t even try to find her. I’m a horrible sister! I-“

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

You immediately pressed your lips against hers, effectively getting the Russian to calm down. You broke the kiss when her breathing slowed.

“Honey, of course, she’d want to see you again. Like you said, you guys are sisters. I’m positive that it was just as real to her as it was to you.”

You reassured your girlfriend, her eyes a pool of worry and guilt. You rubbed your thumb against her waist, the material of your her hoodie beneath your touch.

“From what you’ve told me about the Red Room, it would’ve been impossible to find her. Stop beating yourself up over it. You’re the best, and I’m totally not biased or anything.”

Natasha let out a small chuckle at that and you smiled at her, wiping away the last of her tears. She collapsed into your hold further, shoving her face into the crook of your neck.

“Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I love you so much.”

Natasha’s words came out muffled as her face pressed further into your skin.

“You never need to thank me for anything. I’ll always be here for you, Natty.”

You hugged her as tight as you possibly could, her cold skin meeting your warmth. Natasha let out a small sigh at the feeling.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

“Wherever you go, I go.”

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

───────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──────────

join my taglist!

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#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader fluff #natasha romanoff fluff #black widow x reader #black widow #request done

[icefire149]

S10 AU where Crowley finds Cas & Hannah before they get jumped and he zaps them all to the bunker to deal with demon Dean. Because of the warding Crowley can't go in so Hannah stays outside to watch him. They're bickering every time we cut to them. Cas helps Sam restrain Dean and they start curing him.

BUT in curing demon Dean a few things happen:

-Sam finished the trials and he crumbles to the floor. Cas burns through most of his strength trying to heal him but Sam dies.

-Dean's soul is cured. But all the injuries he's taken now are taking affect including the damage from Metatron stabbing him. Cas initially thought Dean slumped forward out of exhaustion until he sees the blood drop falling from his mouth. Cas is already weakened and he tries to fix Dean....and he does but his soul is gone. They're both gone.

-The gates of Hell are sealed shut. Crowley's phone is going off like crazy. The demons above and below want to know what to do. He has no idea where to begin.

-Cas comes stumbling up to where they're waiting. He's not gonna make it himself if he doesn't consume more grace soon, but he doesn't care. He needs to get to Heaven so he can fix the boys. Crowley jokes that it's a good thing Cas carries a fresh supply with him, meaning Hannah. Cas isn't amused, but Hannah takes her blade out with one hand and holds the other out. Crowley's shocked that she's willing that just do it. Cas immediately grabs her wrist and tells her no. She argues that a little won't hurt. She'll make more and he can have more time. Cas still says no. Crowley rolls his eyes and says he has a better plan. In one of his storage units he has a few jars of grace. Cas glares at him murderously. Crowley shrugs, he dissected and experimented on all kinds of monsters. Why wouldn't he want to figure out angels?

They head there so Cas doesn't drop dead, but he feels like dying. Every bit of grace he consumes...he knows in an instant who each bit came from.

Cas and Hannah go back to Heaven and retrieving Dean is easy. Sam....is no where to be found. Hannah goes to find out where in the veil Sam is stuck while Cas brings Dean home.

Dean wakes up in a panic, but alive and human. Cas begs him not to do anything stupid. Dean is about to shrug him off when they both realize that he still has the mark. He's still cursed. Dean jokes that maybe Cas should've left him in Heaven. Cas insists that he's wrong. They'll find a way to fix this.

And then Cas' phone rings. It's Hannah. She requests that they meet her outside. On the way Dean asks if Sam finally got sick of him and ran. Cas simply answers that Sam should be waiting with Hannah. And they find Crowley standing there with her instead. Crowley says they have a big problem. Cas ignores him and asks Hannah if she retrieved Sam yet. She shakes her head, he wasn't there. Dean's mad now and demands to know what they're not telling him. Where's Sam?

Crowley laughs. It's a funny thing how sometimes fate finds a way to roll up the script you rejected and slam you over the head with it. He knows where their lost moose is. He holds up his cell phone and shakes it slightly. According to my underlings, curing Dean sent him straight to Hell and the gates sealed right behind him.

#Spn #Save #This just came to me in a 2am vision #One day I'd like to write this in more detail #I think this would be fun to explore

[chefdoeuvre]

Under Control

Kelly Severide

Pairing: Kelly Severide x Sister!Reader

Description: Even when you think you have things under control older brothers always worm their way into helping.

Words: 1,595

Requested: yes by @ticklepete; Okay so can you do a Kelly x Sister where y/n is being seriously threatened by someone who she had a run-in with in the past (like an arsonist or former victim, etc) and of course Kelly's overprotective brother side kicks in. Her being the independent woman she is gets a little annoyed but ultimately is thankful. I feel like #46 and #12 would work with this.

Warnings: mention of minor injuries, blood, fluff as per usual.

A/N: I just love Kelly Severide and his overprotective ways. This can be counted as a stand alone or a part two for Rivalry. I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors.

—

There they were again, flowers sent to the firehouse addressed to you. At first, you thought it was sweet how you had a secret admirer. Now after a month and a half of this you were starting to be fed up with it. Of course, you couldn't throw the flowers away they were too pretty for that, clearly, someone had spent a solid chunk of change to get them for you. Obviously, Kelly offered to tell Jay and get him to find out who they were coming from but being the stubborn Severide you are you declined.

The next shift came by in the blink of an eye and this time instead of a large bouquet of fresh flowers you were simply handed an envelope. The envelope didn't have a return address on it only the firehouse's and your name printed on it. You stuffed the envelope into your locker when the announcement system went off signaling a call. The call was a fairly normal rescue. Thankfully, there was a simple solution to saving the victim and it didn't take long to get them to safety.

After heading back to the firehouse you went back to your locker and pulled out the envelope that's been invading your thoughts since you got it. Ripping it open you unfolded the single piece of paper in it and let your eyes scan the words. Reading over them multiple times you felt a pit in your stomach. It was clear to see that they were threats aimed at you. This only confused you, if this wasn't some secret admirer who the hell was this? The words were generic threats you'd expect from a regular old crime show so that's not what scared you. It was the fact that they went through these lengths just to get your attention. Instead of doing what a rational person would do you stuffed the envelope back into your locker and tried to get your mind off of it.

Making your way out of the locker room you bumped face-first into a hard chest. Immediately two arms reached out and grabbed onto your shoulders to steady you. Looking up with wide eyes you're met with the familiar steel blue ones of your brother.

"Hey, you all right?" Kelly asked as he scanned your facial expression.

"Yeah, I'm fine." You nodded quickly.

You tried to sidestep away from him, but his strong arms kept you planted there. Given the fact that he's your brother, he knew you like the back of his hand and he knew what you were like when something was bothering you.

"No, you're not. Talk to me." Kelly urged as you all but looked him in the eyes.

Sighing you shoved his hands off your shoulder and turned on your heel assuring him that you were fine. In truth, you were far from fine but you'd deal with it your own way. Which was being majorly stubborn about it and completely ignoring the fact that you weren't okay. You made your way into the common room and took a seat in between Herrmann and Mouch who were watching an old movie.

Kelly, being the nosy brother he is took it upon himself to check out your locker. Granted he only knew your combination because it was your birthday and as your brother of course he knew you would use that as the passcode for your phone as well. Pulling open your locker the envelope fell out and he quickly pulled it open. Reading the words across the page he suddenly felt the urge to punch someone.

Soon enough, the announcement system went off signaling a call. Apparently, it was a large abandoned warehouse on fire which meant all of Firehouse 51's help was enlisted.

Pulling up to the scene Boden started giving out directions to each unit. Squad was taking the brunt of the work by checking the building along with some of Truck's help. You and Kelly were paired up to go the furthest into the building, biting back a joke about the sibling power duo the two of you were you headed into the burning building. Kelly stood close beside you with a clenched jaw, still angered by the threats aimed at you.

"We're clear on the West wing." Cruz's voice sounded from your walkies.

"Same on the East." Stella agreed.

"All good on the North wing. South?" Casey asked.

You and Kelly were still making your way through the building about to reply when you heard a shrill scream. Looking up in alarm, the two of you shared a glance before setting toward the sound.

Taking the lead you made your way weaving through the crates to where the sound came from. Another high-pitched sound shocked you into place before you started toward the louder noise again.

"I've been waiting for you." A deep, gravelly voice sounded from behind a large crate.

"We have to go, this place isn't gonna last long." Kelly chided looking between you and the wooden crate.

"That doesn't seem to be in my agenda, Lieutenant Severide." The deep voice tutted.

You and Kelly shared a look of confusion. How the hell did this guy know who he was?

"Oh, allow me to introduce myself." The man all but cackled as he stepped out from behind the crate.

In his hands was a familiar-looking bouquet of flowers. He had a devilish smirk planted on his face and dark eyes that made him look demonic.

"It's Charles, but you can call me Chuck." He greeted with a sickly sweet smile and looked dead at you.

Kelly immediately stood to step in front of you and practically growled at the man.

"Cool it, Kell." You shoved your brother aside with a roll of your eyes.

"All right, Charlie was it?" You crossed your arms nonchalantly, "take your flowers and leave or I promise you I'll let the hound at you." You gestured a hand toward your fuming brother.

Of course, you were naturally sassy, but in times of danger, your sass levels would go up by a hundred. Was this the smartest idea to agitate the guy who lit this place up? No, probably not, but your instincts decided otherwise. The man was rendered speechless, to say the least. He was expecting a sobbing woman not a lady who could even out sass Jay Halstead on a good day.

While the man was a blubbering mess Kelly took the initiative to call it into Boden because of course this had to all go down in a burning building. A few moments later you turned on your heel and began dragging Kelly with you.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kelly berated.

"I'd rather get the hell out of dodge before I turn into a crispy treat." You hissed pulling him toward the exit.

Chuck still stood there trying to mutter out a response when he bolted after the two of you. Pushing Kelly ahead of you, you turned around to see Chuck barreling toward you. Grabbing his wrist in a tight grip you all but dragged him out of the building. Just in time the three of you made it out of the building before a huge explosion erupting out of the ceiling.

Out of the corner of your eyes, you caught sight of the Severide sibling's favorite detective and pulled Chuck along with you.

"I think your package was sent to the wrong building." You shoved Chuck forward as Jay pulled the man's arms behind his back and cuffed him.

"Thanks, Y/N." Jay nodded with a smirk adorning his features.

"Anytime, detective." You flashed a quick smile before heading back to your fellow firefighters.

Letting out a breath you didn't know you were holding you ripped your helmet off and dropped it to the ground.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kelly placed his hands on your shoulders before pulling you into his arms.

"Oh, come on. That was totally badass." You chuckled.

Kelly stared at you bugged-eyed, tilting his head in confusion.

"Come here, you big teddy bear." You wrapped your arms around Kelly's waist, hugging him tightly.

Locking your hands behind him you pulled back hissing in pain.

"What? What's wrong?" Kelly scanned you for any injuries.

"Damn bouquet had thorns in it. I'm fine though." You scrunched your brows pulling at the thorns embedded in your palm.

"What do you mean you're 'fine'? You're bleeding!" Kelly exclaimed.

"Dude, they're just thorns." You dismissed.

Kelly pushed you toward Gabby and Sylvie wordlessly as you wiped the little bit of blood escaping your hand.

After getting all cleaned up and heading back to the firehouse you went to find Kelly who was hunched over his desk in his bunk room.

"Thank you." You spoke up leaning against the door frame.

Kelly snapped his head toward the sudden voice.

"What?" Kelly asked with a small smirk.

"I said it once, that's it." You crossed your arms with a pout.

Kelly raised his brows and you let out a defeated sigh, "thank you for being my protective brother, even if I don't need you to be." You stepped forward and placed your hands on his shoulders with a small smile.

"It's in the job description." Kelly reached his hand up to ruffle your hair.

"Seriously, how many times do I have to tell you not to touch my hair?" You laughed, pushing his hand away.

"You're gonna be the death of me, I swear." Kelly rolled his eyes playfully.

#request #fanfiction #imagine #one shot #one chicago #one chicago imagine #chicago fire #chicago fire fanfiction #chicago fire imagine #kelly severide imagine #kelly severide x reader #kelly severide x you #kelly severide imagines #kelly severide fanfiction #kelly severide #lieutenant kelly severide

[sirthisisa-wendys]

The Enforcers Part 8 (Geto Suguru x Fem!Reader)

wc: 1.7k

tw: dark content (self-harm)

masterlist

a/n: By no means do I condone self-harm or want to glorify it in the light of this chapter. As a person who struggled with physical self-harm in her early teens, I know the destructive nature of this type of activity. However, as my characters are not perfect and complicated, I see this particular mode of action as something she would try to do in order to alleviate her pain and confusion. If you have questions or concerns, my inbox is always open to having a discussion about it.

If you so wish, you may skip this chapter altogether. There will be a recap on the next one if you choose to skip for your mental health. Take care of yourselves and see you soon. (ALSO, I know I promised smut but I gotta give y'all a raincheck this go-round. SORRY PLS DON'T KILL ME)

You're on your forty-seventh file of scandals, coverups, and secret dossiers that you finally feel it. The fabric of your identity begins to unravel right before your eyes.

Everything you've known is a lie.

The CSB has covered up so many things. So many lives lost. So many people forced to flee. So many families ripped apart--

An email makes its way over to the server, and you open it, the words across the screen coming from Suguru.

I know it's late, but send over Yu Haibara's files when you can.

You hit the reply button and begin to type out: "You mean the boy you killed?" but you stop yourself, deleting the words rapidly. Instead, you attach the files and send them over, not even bothering to look at them. You can't do it. Not another file could be stored away in the annals of your brain.

Nothing is as it seems anymore. The lies... they pile up in your mind, flooding the spaces where you used to hold what you thought was true, what you thought was real. Now, they're overflowing out of your brain and into your heart and soul, plaguing you like the nightmares that face you down night after night, more like demons that lurk in the corners of your mind than full file cabinets.

You always wake up in a tangle of sheets and sweat, one of your various enemies' faces hovering over you right before you stare down the barrel of a gun and --

You stumble out of the chair, eyes wet with tears, and go to the sink in the bathroom to wash your face. After you splash water on your skin, you look up at your reflection, anger rolling through you at the way you look. Weak.

You're fucking weak.

The voice in your head that usually told you that you were doing okay, that you had it all under control, is now turning on you, spitting nasty words that stick in between the synapses of your brain a muddy your rational thoughts.

The voices rise to a fever pitch, and you suddenly see red, the entirety of the world descending into blood-colored madness. The shattering of the glass mirror only becomes a reality when you're standing above the sink, chest heaving as your thoughts silence one by one, like shutting off lights in a house.

But only one stays behind as a shard of the mirror clinks into the sink.

Escape.

The light at the end of the tunnel.

You could get rid of the feelings here. You could get rid of the thoughts. You could escape. Why hadn't you thought about this before?

"Do it."

Your fingers grip the jagged shard of glass carefully, and before you can stop yourself, you drag it across the inside of your wrist, end to end, leaving behind a red line of blood that immediately blooms. Crimson dots drop into the sink, and you stare at the color, mesmerized by the way the blood runs down your arm and into the porcelain bowl. But there's no relief.

No sense of freedom.

Maybe you didn't do it hard enough?

Maybe you didn't--

The door to your room slams open, and you turn your head just as Suguru comes rushing into the bathroom. The shard of glass is still in your hand, as well as the blood running down your arm, and Suguru catches this immediately.

"Fuck," he breathes, and you turn to him, shard extended.

"Don't come any closer."

"Y/n," he calmly whispers. "You don't look so good."

"I wonder why that is," you reply, and Suguru stares back at you, hands raised in surrender.

"What're you doing?"

"What does it look like, Suguru?" you state in a trance. Your bullet wound begins to throb dully, but you ignore it, just like you're ignoring the blood dripping onto the tile flooring.

"Y/n, let's think about this."

"I don't want to think anymore!" The shrill scream is loud enough to make Suguru flinch, and you softly repeat, "I don't want to think anymore," over and over again as tears run down your face.

"I know," Suguru whispers. "I know. Will you let me help you?" You hiccup and drop the piece of glass to the floor, dissolving in a heap of tears and moans. You feel hands pulling you up from the floor and into strong arms, your head being cradled against a broad chest you've felt before. "Go ahead," Suguru encourages you. "Cry it out."

He carries you to another room in the building in silence, laying you on a firm bed and disappearing as you heave painful sobs into the sheets.

"Everything... hurts..." you gasp, and when Suguru reappears with a white bundle of cloth, a bandage roll, and some water, he nods.

"We're going to make it better, don't worry." He takes your injured arm and carefully wipes away the blood, examing the cut slowly. "Doesn't need stitches, thankfully." He turns to open the water bottle and hands it to you, silently telling you to drink while he bandages your wrist.

You drink the water greedily then lean back on the headboard, eyes closing down as Suguru works diligently on your wound. And then you remember the first time he did this for you and the mistake you made in your pridefulness.

"Thank you," you murmur, and Suguru looks up at your face, finally seeing some form of clarity cross your tear-streaked cheeks.

"You're welcome," he replies tenderly. "I have to keep you safe, remember? I promised you that I would." You don't answer him, but he finishes at that exact moment anyways, standing and placing the remnants of the bandage roll on the nightstand. The wound is now covered up completely, with no sign of blood seeping through the cotton and staining the white cloth dark red.

You watch as Suguru crawls into the bed beside you, sighing deeply as he runs his fingers through his locks. "Should I stay awake with you or do you want to try to sleep?"

"Sleep," you answer - albeit not confidently - and the black-eyed man obliges, pulling the thin sheet over you.

"I'll be right here," he affirms, but you reach out your uninjured arm and touch his hand. He instantly turns his palm up to let you grab his fingers, and you pull him closer to you in the king-sized bed.

"Hold me." A second passes with no movement, and Suguru whispers,

"Are you sure?" You nod, and he wordlessly scoots closer, wrapping an arm around you as you nestle into his side with your bandaged hand resting on his chest. His fingers rub a soft pattern up and down your skin, soothing you to the brink of sleep. "I've got you. We'll deal with everything else in the morning," Suguru murmurs as you slip off into a dreamless - and nightmare-less - sleep.

_____________________________________________________________

Morning comes and goes.

Midday arrives, and you awaken from your terrorless sleep still encased in Suguru's grasp. Your eyes flick up to his face, which is peaceful in the midday light streaming in from the windows. The Leader of the Fallen Sun District is asleep and dead to the world around him, but the sound of his breathing lets you know he's on the brink of waking up.

Part of you doesn't want him to. You want to lay there without any responsibilities to him, without any concern, or further harm to either one of you. Maybe if you continued to sleep, all of this would become a distant memory. All of this would go away, and you could go back to living in ignorance.

But Suguru's stirring makes you stiffen, and you feel his arms tighten around you before sliding away.

"You're awake."

"Yeah," you whisper, and he sits up, pulling his knees to his chest.

"We need to talk about last night." You sit up as well, staring at the edge of the bed blankly. "Why didn't you tell someone about your declining mental health?"

"I didn't realize it until it was too late," you admit, looking at the bandage on your wrist. "But I won't be doing that again."

"Doesn't matter," Suguru interjects, looking over at you. You choose to avoid his gaze and stare at your feet, inhaling deeply. "I have to have someone watch you now. I want you to be safe, and now I'm not sure if I can ensure that without some oversight on my part."

"No," you exhale quickly, looking over at him in fear. "I'm better now, I promise."

"I'll have someone move a few of your things over here. That way I can keep an eye on you, just in case." Suguru continues, standing from his position on the bed. "I won't bother you. But I made a promise to you, and I'm going to keep it at all costs." He turns back to you, stating, "Today we'll take a day off and go into the town. I've been wanting to show you around for a while anyway."

You conclude the argument is over when he places a kiss on your temple, then walks into his bathroom, shutting the door and leaving you on the bed alone.

_____________________________________________________________

A car picks both of you up from the building, and when you slide into the backseat, Suguru points to the expanse in the distance.

"Take us to the marketplace." The driver nods, scars running up and down his pale face and his blue eyes looking up at you in the rearview mirror. Does this man even know that he's sitting next to the leader of the Fallen Sun district? Or is Kenjaku a faceless man, hiding behind walls of ones and zeroes?

The scenes that pass by you look identical to those of the city you know and love. There are children playing on the sidewalks, people carrying groceries, life carrying on as if the majority of their names aren't on some rejected list of people who defected from their previous society. Suguru notices your awe at the way things are, and looks over at you, smiling brightly.

"You'd be surprised what you can build from ashes, y/n."

_____________________________________________________________

TAGLIST: @missbonekitty @wack0-genius @thankuary @jsqeeut @r-i-m-f-009 @sunfloweroranges @leanne-tamashi @girlruby23 @rein-icu @brownskinnedgirll @chanelmalandro @savantsoulfinder @jibe-gajima @chilledlucifer @amnxsia @kontentious @fuyuko26 @everybodylovescayrayray @flare-on @sammytamaki @meena-in-a-nutshell @falling-through-pages @naoyasdarling

#geto suguru x reader #jujutsu kaisen geto #getou suguru #jujutsu kaisen getou #geto suguru #jjk geto #jjk #jujutsu kaisen

[roseabelle21]

No. 1

Requested by: @mirukobecomingbothered​

I might have gotten carried away with the headcanon, I'm sorry! 🥺🥺 I added a few twists of my own and I hope it reached your expectations. I hope you like it! ♥️♥️♥️

Pairings: Hitoshi Shinsou x reader, Katsuki Bakugou x reader

Status: Unedited

Genre: Fluff with a tiny weeny bit of angst.

Quick Background:

An outcast because of a 'villainous' quirk? Check.

Do you have friends? Not sure if you can call them your friends when they are all blithering idiots who want to mess with the spirits.

Does everyone think that you will be a villain someday? Every time.

Is everyone afraid of you because you look like you've been dead for the past five years but still walking above ground? Absolutely!

When do people see your cat do they automatically think that you are a witch? Yes, but more like a demon in disguise.

You shrugged them off, your quirk might be on the freaky and terrifying side but it is powerful.

Contrary to popular belief, ghosts are nice, most of the time. Maybe a bit clingy and attention seeker towards you since you are the only one who can see and hear them.

They are a nice company to be around. Most of them.

There was a time you used to hate your quirk, there never seems to be a privacy when you see those supernatural things.

You see things you wish you couldn't, things that can go beyond your imagination.

Everyone thinks the worst in you, and there are days when they get to you.

When that happens, the ghosts always have your back.

You try your best to prove them wrong, and when you got into UA and placed top 5 in the sports festival, some perspective changed, and some called you a freak.

Though they are all wimps since they can't say it directly in your face or around your friends, especially your boyfriend.

Lord knows what'll happen when someone talks shit about you around them.

They probably met Jesus soon after.

Shinsou Hitoshi

Straight off the bat, your favourite date, past time, and other couple activities are sleeping.

Him catching up on his well-deserved sleep and you calm your mind from everything.

Nothing in between.

Naps in the couch, beside the window, your rooms, maybe beside the window in the common room after stargazing.

You have to pry this headcanon from my cold dead hands.

This sleepy boi understands the pain and suffering you go through the best, especially since he's been there.

Both of you start as acquaintances.

You met him when your cat decided to give you a heart attack by running off to who knows where and not coming back for h o u r s.

It freaked you out since staying out late is unlikely of your lazy ass cat.

Despite your fatigue from training, you rushed outside to find them.

You didn't have to look for too long, you found them at the park accompanied by an Einstein inspired purple-haired guy with a UA uniform.

You let out a breath of relief, it didn't last long as anger bubbled up in your chest.

Yelling out their name that startled not only your cat and the guy, but the rest of the people at the park as well.

Shinso stared at you scolding your cat whilst bringing them in your arms.

Amused and curious at the same time.

Thinking that you took that TikTok meme "I'm alive but I'm dead" a little too far.

A chuckle that left his lips and your glare started a long interesting talk.

Both of you started eating lunch together at school with the Dekusquad.

A few teasing looks from Uraraka when he sat down beside you and greeted you before anyone else.

They started inviting him to your hangouts outside of the school and study dates.

It happened almost every day once he transferred from class 1-A.

A month after that Uraraka and Kaminari started teasing the both of you.

It confused you when they made a big deal about you and Shinsou spending more time with each other than the rest of the class.

It only confused you further when Shinsou started blushing every time you look at him or even go anywhere near him.

He finally confessed to you when both of you got stuck in the closet playing 7 Minutes In Heaven.

It was hard to listen to him because of the endless teasing of your ghost friends.

They approved of him the moment he talked and looked at you like a normal human being.

Shinsou as a friend was protective of you, knowing all of the nasty looks and what people say about you because of something uncontrollable.

And now that you're his girlfriend? Oh boy, haters can run but they can't hide.

He is the most chill person you will ever meet.

But once you decided to talk shit about his girl, just pray my dude.

Or beg for mercy.

If they are one in a million lucky ones, it might work.

But they're not so.

Not even Aizawa can stop him, cause he will turn blind eye.

Nobody talks shit to any of his children students and stay alive to tell the tale.

The both of you are his prodigies, they know nothing of the hard work you both put in your training with him.

You and your boyfriend are the best in stealth missions and gathering information.

You use your friends to gather information undetectable and Shinsou tricking the villains to brainwash them.

In short, you guys are the power couple of Class 1-A and everyone agrees.

A force to be reckoned with.

Besides, no one can pull off the cosplay of Morticia and Gomez Addams better than both of you can.

You rely on each other when times get rough and needed reassurance.

Being each other's rock to hold on and find comfort in.

Shinsou will wrap his arms around you as you spill everything to him.

Reassuring you that you are his hero, muttering sweet things in your ear, stroking your hair to calm you down, and humming you to sleep.

He knows what it feels like to hate something that is apart of you.

And he tries his best to make you see the best in the worst you think of yourself.

Everything about you is beautiful, nothing that is apart of you is worth hating.

Honestly, you couldn't wish for anyone better to be your significant other.

They can call you anything they want, but you will always be an angel in his eyes.

All of them can keep talking, and he finds great pleasure once they see your true power and find themselves speechless.

"That's my girl."

Bakugou Katsuki:

Not gonna lie, he will probably think that you are a zombie or somewhat related to them.

From the moment you walked through the door, slouched back, droopy red eyes, panda-like eye bags underneath, paper white skin that is unhealthy to look at, he was certain that you are going to collapse at any given moment. 

He scoffed, wondering how the hell you managed to get into UA, let alone the Hero class.

Were you even in the right class or are you just that tired to not see that huge ass sign at the door?

Either way, he didn't care.

So long as you don't stand in his way from being the best, which is highly unlikely to happen in his eyes.

So imagine his shock when you managed to score higher than him in the Physical Assessment Test.

What in the hell?

"Hey, freak bitch! How the hell did you score higher than me?! What are you playing at?!"

Kirishima immediately held him back and apologized profusely to you. 

Bakugou's anger at you only increased when you only stared at him blankly before rolling your eyes and walked away. 

Throughout the rest of the day, whenever he tries to call you or even go near you, he finds himself tripping over nothing or his things randomly dropping.

To say it freaks him out will be an understatement.  

However, that didn't stop him from pestering you. 

Constantly asking yelling- at you demanding your quirk and challenging you for a fight.

You're nonchalant response and sassy remarks only ticked him off.

The two on two activity was useless since you did nothing and Todoroki handled the rest. 

Cue the USJ incident and he is finally satisfied when he saw your quirk at first hand. 

Skeletons rising from the ground and villains mysteriously flying away from you when they get too close to you. 

He immediately put everything together and he is ecstatic. 

An unusual quirk but powerful nonetheless. 

Katsuki finds himself watching you in the classroom and during training. 

Finding your quirk nothing short of weird and curiosity of finding out how you use it is eating him alive.

Sometimes, he catches you talking to yourself and it only makes him more curious. 

And think that you are crazy.

The moment you agreed to challenge him was the beginning of your friendship.

He overheard a few girls that you went to school with talking about your hideous appearance and quirk when walking towards the school for training.

A slight twinge in his heart when he saw you, although your face didn't reveal anything, your eyes sure did. 

He dragged you by the arm to go faster and reassured you in his blunt way.

After that training with Bakugou became a routine.

The Bakusquad saw you both walking out of the park.

You declined their offer of going out saying that you have something to do and Bakugou just saying that he's not interested in going. 

So the teasing of when both of you will make it official happens every. Single. Day.

Be it weekends or weekdays. 

They will not stop their teasing even if they are on the verge of death.

Your bond with Katsuki strengthened when you came to rescue him from the villains and when he failed the Provisional License exams.

You were the first one to notice his change and the first and only one to confront him. 

He was shocked.

He thought he had it hidden well but not to you. 

At first, he was hesitant to tell you anything. But one hug from you and his walls came crashing down.

After that incident, you came to each other to open up.

You told him how you hate your quirk sometimes. Seeing things that gives you nightmares and paranoia.

In a short but somewhat sweet way, he told you about how those fears make you a stronger person. Physically and mentally.

He's by your side no matter what happens, he won't let you go through this alone.

To further emphasize it, he gave you a one arm hug.

He asked you out a few weeks later, quietly and all blushy face which was the first for him. 

Of course you said yes.

You both agreed to keep your relationship a secret from everyone until Halloween where - much to everyone's surprise- he joined in.

The real icing on the cake was when they saw you both in a cliche couple, Harley Quinn and Joker.

Mina and Kirishima were the first ones to realize and Denki being the last.

You are practically inseparable after you relieved your relationship. 

Anyone who talks badly about you and your quirk won't last long in the face of the earth.

Katsuki Bakugou is already explosive enough as he is, and you decided to talk shit about the love of his life?

Girl/Boy bye.

I hope you crossed everything off your bucket list cause the last thing you will see and hear is the sound of his explosions.

He once asked you about what your spirits think of him.

You were silent for a while before you replied, "I don't think you wanna know."

You know he won't stop there, he kept pestering you, again and again, every chance he gets to ask. 

Annoyed you told him.

"They think you are a crusty pomeranian and they find you amusing since it's a miracle that you still have your voice after al those yelling."

They like annoying him, whenever you both are alone, they whisper things to you that'll get you to giggle and he'll angrily question what they were talking about.

Making his things fall or mess with his hair. 

They like him for you.

As long as he keeps you safe and happy, they'll keep him safe and sound.

From the villains and the bad spirits. 

Random:

You have the perfect quirk to scare the living hell of your friends and family during Halloween season.

Who are you to deny the advantages of it. 😏😏😏

Various crosses and other blessed items by the priest litter around your room to keep the spirits away.

#Request #hitoshi shinso headcanons #hitoshi shinsou #hitoshi shinso x reader #hitoshi shinso x y/n #shinsou hitoshi #shinsou x reader #katsuki bakugou #bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugou x reader #katsuki x you #katsuki bakugou x you #bakugou x you #katsuki bakugou headcanons #bakugou katsuki headcanons

[verobatto]

Destiel Chronicles

Vol. LXXXVIII

It was a love story from the very beginning.

The Empty is Coming (Part. II)

(12x18)

Hello dears! How are you feeling for tonight's episode? I'm not ready...

Okay, i had to make a whole meta for this episode for the huge symbolism related to Sacrifice and the Empty.

Castiel walking on the Empty, a prelude...

When episode 12x18 starts, we have another dar forest, representing the Empty, and a young guy named Jorred walking on it...

If you pay attention, he wears a brown coat, blue pants. Is a blatant Cas' mirror, and the obscurity surrounding him, symbolizes the Empty.

Jorred gets trapped and then dies.

Where's Cas? Is reaching a high level of worrisome

Dean tries to call Cas but... He can't. So, all theses days he didn't have news about the angel and he is reaching high levels of worrisome.

I wrote an entire meta about this episode time ago, I don't want to be repetitive, so i will be quoting here things I already put in that meta. You can find the analysis here.

DEAN: Come on. Cas, it's me. I've been trying to get ahold of you for days. I don't know what's going on, but we got a line on Dagon...And we got our asses handed to us, even with the Colt. So...Could really use the backup. Call me back.

Dean is mad at Cas, first because he is pointing at he have been days trying to get ahold of him (remember Dean praying to him every night in Purgatory?) and then he is mad because he doesn't know what's going on with Cas. So basically, he is mad because Cas is not calling. Is not giving living signals.

SAM: So no luck with Cas, huh?

DEAN: Yeah, still AWOL.

SAM: All right, so let's find him.

DEAN: I've been trying, Sam. The GPS on his phone is turned off, and there's nothing in the system about some weird guy in a trench coat getting arrested or turning up dead.

This is the thing here, he reveals another details of why he is mad and worried, because Cas turn his GPS off! That means that maybe he doesn't want th to find him. And then, Dean is saying HE SEARCHED FOR HIM IN HOSPITALS AND POLICE INFO LIKE? Yeah... A little kind of desperate.

And if you pay attention bro the pic, you wikl find how worried is Sam watching his brother in that shape.

SAM: Right. Dean, it's Cas. I mean, this isn't the first time he's dropped off the map, you know? And whatever's happening, he'll be fine. He always is.

DEAN: Yeah.

This scene is very rich in body language. Also Sam assuming Cas will always be fine, is like settling the idea that something could take them by surprise anytime about the angel.

But watch Dean here while Sam tries to comfort his brother...

I will quote here what I wrote in my meta about this episode:

"Priceless... Avoiding Sam's eyes, looking to a side, dimples of discontent, that sniffing is like... He is so mad... He just can't stand it. Can't stand CAS not answering his phone calls, not being there for weeks. Not knowing if he is dead or alive. Makes feel so uneasy, he can't control what he is feeling... He is mad, but worried at the same time."

How do I fill this emptiness?

Not being able to have any hint of Cas, and feeling he was being rejected by him, the unrequited love idea hits Dean again.

Is big, cold, hole inside of him, and it needs to be filled immediately. And what Dean does, which will be the last time he does it? He hooks up with random waitress. Why? Well. I will quote here again my insights from the other meta.

"... and I know the fandom had pointed the "Castiel coded coat" this waitress is wearing... Like... "YEAH I'M JUST AN ASSHOLE FOR BEING IN LOVE WITH MY BEST MALE FRIEND WHO WILL NEVER LOVE ME BACK, HE ABANDONED ME AND DOESN'T' GIVE A FUCK IF I'M WORRIED OR NOT. LET'S JUST HOOK UP WITH RANDOM WAITRESS HERE AND HEY! THAT COAT REMINDS ME TO CAS DAMN!"

I want to add the waitress is not just dressed with the coat but with a pink dress too. The pink color will be very called in the incoming seasons. Is a symbolism of happiness. Related to Castiel's deal with the Empty made in season 14, and the ultimate Sacrifice for love and Castiel's love confession in season 15. But in this case, it talks about Dean. Dean's happiness is Cas and viceversa.

Another thing Dean did in this episode to fill the emptiness of his Unrequited Love was eating too much. As he always does. It maybe wouldn't caught our attention if Sam wouldn't watched him with disgust and scolding face.

Sheriff Barret Bishop and the Black Bill legend. (Cas and Empty mirrors)

Look how Sam describes the legend of Black Bill at first:

SAM: And when the fun was over, the satyr would, "feast upon the flesh of his victims until his belly was full to bursting with their moist, slippery meat."

I find this very interesting, because he talks about a party, something they celebrate (an orgy) that could be related with lust, the thing that will taken as a forbidden feelings in Castiel's POV in episode 14x15. And the punishment is became the monster's food. But but, is not the first time we see a monster feeding of people or energy in legends. In episode 14x17, the one that gave me the spec about Dean rescuing Castiel from the Empty, they talk too about this legend and how the mosntrrs feed from his prays. So, is this the Empty's story then? Is he feeding with energy from dead angels and dead demons? Hahaha just a few days and we will know.

Then, Castiel's mirror trying to do his best to change things, but by himself.

Sheriff Bishop: Moloch used his power to make us rich. After my father died in '97, I put a stop to all of that. Look, I couldn't...I never killed anybody. I just wanted to help people to make up for all the bad we've done. I wanted... To leave a legacy. - I kept him locked up. Hoped he'd starve to death.

Okay, this is kind of the idea of what Chuck did with the Empty. The thing is... The monster scapes.

And then we have the Sheriff saying "It was on him"

Sheriff Bishop: You should go.

SAM: No, sheriff, uh, we can help clean up.

Sheriff Bishop: No. This...I'll take care of it. It's on me. This? This is my legacy.

Again a Cas mirror doing the dirty work. It's on me. Is the same thought in Castiel's mind, and we will see it in the next episode.

Winchester's legacy:

SAM: But the people we saved, they're our legacy. And they'll remember us and then I guess...We'll eventually fade away, too. That's fine, because we left the world better than we found it, you know.

DEAN: I wonder what's gonna happen to this place. After we're gone, you think some hunter'll move in, keep fightin' the fight?

SAM: Yeah, I hope so.

DEAN: Yeah. Me, too.

Dean gets out his knife from his pocket.

SAM: What are you doin'?

DEAN: Leaving our mark. Here.

This is a parallel to 15x19, the fake bro ending. The dialogue is also a representation of THE FAMILY BUSINESS.

But you know what they did in 15x19, they carved Cas and Jack names too.

And you know what happened in episode 12x19: THE MIXTAPE OR THE WAY DEAN USED TO EXPRESS HIS ROMANTIC FEELINGS FOR CAS. So, this is another clue for us to think Cas will come back after bro only ending to hear Dean's true love confession. (I'm talking about tonight's episode.)

To Conclude:

More than another foreshadow of the Empty and Castiel's dead, we had once more Dean Winchester's unrequited love inner fight.

This is another proof Dean feels the same way as Castiel. He really feels his love is Unrequited and he will never be able to have Cas in the way he wants.

Even with Castiel's speech in the barn in 12x10, giving Dean some hopes and gifting him with the Mixtape, as a representan of his romantic love for him, Dean is facing now that maybe that confession was totally platonic. And it hurst him. That's why he behaves by trying to fill that empty with sex and food.

But it won't go away until both men complete their love circle.

Hope you like this, see you in the next one!

Tagging @magnificent-winged-beast @emblue-sparks @weird-dorky-little-d @michyribeiro @legendary-destiel @a-bit-of-influence @thatwitchydestielfan @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover @lykanyouko @evvvissticante @savannadarkbaby @dea-stiel @poorreputation @bre95611 @thewolfathedoor @charlottemanchmal @neii3n @deathswaywardson @followyourenergy @dean-is-bi-till-i-die @hekatelilith-blog @avidbkwrm @anarchiana @dickpuncher365 @vampyrosa @authorsararayne @mybonsai1976 @love-neve-dies @dustythewind @wayward-winchester67 @angelwithashotgunandtrenchcoat @trashblackrainbow @deeutdutdutdoh @destiel-shipper-11 @larrem88 @charmedbycastiel @ran-savant @little-crazy-misha-minion @samoosetheshipper

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If you want to read my previous metas, here you have the links.

LXXV, LXXVI, LXXVII, LXXVIII, LXXIX, LXXX, LXXXI, LXXXII, LXXXIII, LXXXIV, LXXXV, LXXXVI, LXXXVII.

Buenos Aires, November 14th 2020, 10:30 PM

#destiel #destiel chronicles #destiel meta #season 12 meta #meta spec #castiel #dean winchester #sam winchester #the empty #vol LXXXVIII

[sophi-s]

Cost of Kindness

Chapter IV: Complications

By: sophi-s

Fandom: Darksiders video games

Words: 6,656

Characters: Raphael, Original Female Character (OC), Fury

Warnings: Blood and Injury, Swearing (a lot of it XD)

Summary:

After far too many close calls and an adventure that will last her a lifetime, Nicola and Raphael finally make their way towards Haven. Unfortunately, not everything goes as smoothly as it could.

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Many, many centuries ago taking off to the grand skies has become one of humanity's greatest dreams. They always wished to be able to fly, envying birds their wings and wishing to join them in their aerial conquest. It took many more ages to even try to think of it seriously and even longer for the humans to create the first working airplane and fulfill their dreams as the gravity kept thwarting all their plans. But once this seemingly impossible goal was accomplished, this event has been recorded on the pages of history as one of the most remarkable inventions of the human race.

When she was little, Nicola dreamed of flying on her own as well. She loved watching birds, tracking the planes soaring through the sky, so far away they looked like ants, and thinking about how it would be to have her own wings. Her dreams eventually were abandoned as she grew older, more serious and more reasonable. But honestly, if a week ago someone asked her if she would choose to have wings if she could, Nicola without hesitation would reply "a huge YES". Now however, she realised something she didn't really take into consideration before. While humans wished to rule the skies, they absolutely were not created for this. They have been made flightless, earth-ridden creatures and for a good reason. Her very apparent fear of heights made it awfully clear to her.

These thoughts were all Nicola could hear aside from the rustling of feathers on the wind as she desperately held onto her angel friend, her heart hammering in her chest, eyes wide and stomach making somersaults while everything was spinning around like a carousel. At a certain height the human body just starts to give up and refuse cooperation. For those who are afraid of heights the gap is even smaller and the symptoms more severe. All that was keeping her from fainting or throwing up there and then was the fact that she refused to look down to see how high they actually were but imagining the small buildings below her wasn't making it much better. If she survives this, she will never ask any angel for a fly again and - if it will ever be possible after the apocalypse - stay the heck away from any sort of working plane. Ground was where she belonged. Flying was not her cup of tea and no one will ever convince her otherwise.

Raphael seemed oblivious to the silent prayers spilling past her lips and just kept flying, fully focused on his destination, as she was absolutely certain she's going to die. Her muscles were completely stiff, as though she looked Medusa in the eye. She couldn't even see anything with how her face was buried in the rumpled fabric of Raphael's clothes but she assumed they were getting closer and closer. Focus on anything else than the height. Anything! She kept telling herself when her jaw started to hurt from how she was clenching her teeth. Easier said than done. Nicola knew that Raphael wasn't going to drop her. He promised her and lately she learned to trust him but the pull of gravity beckoning her down into the abyss and to a long plummet ending in a painful impact and certain death… The last time she was this panicked was when the Fallen jumped her out of nowhere. Speaking of which… God, please, let this be a smooth flight. No demons, I'm begging you..

Encounter with stray demons was the last thing they needed now. She didn't doubt Raphael's ability to defend both her and himself but if a flying demon was to attack them from surprise… Not a single part of her already malfunctioning brain could produce a scenario that wouldn't end in either of them dying or at least suffering grave injuries. In short words, any sort of aerial confrontation would mean serious trouble. And trouble wasn't something Nicola missed. Especially after the last night..

Seems like her prayers have been answered. So far nothing noticed an angel and a human passing overhead. And those demons which did apparently decided not to bother them since it didn't seem worth it or had no way of giving them trouble from where they were standing. Nicola stopped counting seconds of their journey long ago and the only indication of the passing time was the wind rushing through her hair slowing down as Raphael started to try and spare as much energy as he could, gliding whenever possible on his wings simply stretched out on both sides and flapping them only to keep the right height, out of range of any demons that could be sulking below when he began to grow weary. His stamina wasn't probably in the best condition after the time he spent in hiding and most likely not moving much.

When she gets back to Haven, Nicola is going to first, eat a solid lunch since her stomach was displeased again - though now she couldn't really feel it twisted in panic like that - second, go the fuck to sleep for the rest of the day. Even though she spent the last night sleeping like a dead woman, she didn't feel that well rested. The amount of stress she had to endure exhausted her and a few hours of rest weren't enough to regenerate her full strength. High on her bucket list was also taking care of Raphael, to at least make him look decent and dress any wounds he carried. Elanya could do that too but Nicola couldn't imagine that Raphael would let a maker he doesn't know do anything to him. She remembered how distrustful he was in the beginning. And after she gets back, no more escapades if not necessary. At least two weeks long break. Ulthane is going to make sure she stays there anyway so she might as well spend her time on sleeping and some light activities. 

Speaking of Ulthane… Nicola wasn't actually sure what she'd say to him once she suddenly showed up in Haven after all that time with a traumatized, crazy angel at her side. To say it will be awkward as heck, would be a severe understatement. It's not even about Raphael. How is she going to explain herself to the overbearing maker who is standing on his head to save the last survivors of her kind while, by nearly killing herself three times already, she acted nothing if not ungrateful? And honestly, she wasn't in shape to wonder about it now because her mind refused to focus on anything else than this one thought of the lethal distance between her and the ground. Damn it all.. Why does she have to be afraid of heights and find out this very unpleasant way? Really, if someone tried to take her from Raphael before he landed or too short time after, they'd probably need a crowbar to pry her off him.

While Nicola thought that the flight itself was awful, the moment her stomach seemed to move up into her gullet as Raphael dipped towards the ground she unwittingly shrilly cried out in fear. And that was a mistake. The angel, startled by the quiet human he'd been holding this entire time suddenly screaming bloody murder for no apparent reason, tried to halt his descent to figure out what's wrong but it was already too late for that. As a result the landing was rather rough. Nicola closed her eyes and so she didn't see how Raphael clumsily hit the ground and barely kept himself propped up not to land on top of her as she slipped out of his grasp and lost her grip on his robes. The expectations of a long fall made her throat tighten and trap her voice inside. All the bigger relief once after barely an inch or two, her back connected with the surface, drawing a soft and strained "oof" from her.

Still scared, disoriented and confused, Nicola opened her eyes to see wide-eyed Raphael hunched over her, hands on either side of her head - with the staff to her left - and gawking at  her with a slight panic on his face. Goodness, he was way too close. Pulling her arms close to her body in a helpless attempt to regain her personal space, she smiled awkwardly.

"H-hi there!"

The moment he saw that nothing was wrong and her face regained some of its color, Raphael breathed with relief and got off her, once again offering his hand to help her up. Once back on her feet, Nicola nearly cried out when she felt the solid ground under the soles of her boots. Blessed earth, she could literally kiss it right now. But the fact that they were not in Haven yet disconcerted her a little. Looking around, she noticed they're in an empty street in the middle of nowhere. Casting a questioning glance at Raphael she didn't even need to ask. The way his wings were slumped against his back, his breath heavier than before said it all. Plain and simple, Raphael was tired. Too tired to keep going. Still, he was eyeing her cautiously.

"Why… why were you screaming?"

Still feeling the nausea and the shaking of her knees, Nicola scratched the back of her neck and turned her eyes away ashamed.

"Ahuh… I'm not-... I'm not used to flying, that dip scared me a little. Sorry about this.."

Raphael said nothing to this, simply nodded, and lowered himself to the dusted road to have a seat by one of the decrepit stores. Nicola decided to let him have his five minutes to rest before going any further. Store. She suddenly realised. And not just any. A grocery store. At the mere thought her stomach rumbled. Not only could she have something for herself but also gather some stuff for others! If anything there is still edible that is. It wouldn't hurt to check. Every bit of food is precious.

"Raphael, can you wait here for a bit? I'll be back in a jiffy."

Out of the corner of her eye she already saw him shift in apprehension and almost begin to stand up. Probably because she ran once already and in his mind could do it again. She proceeded to calm him down immediately by pointing at the building she intended to search.

"I'll just go in there to look for stuff, don't worry. I will come back."

Staring at her for a couple of intense seconds, Raphael eyed her from head to toe twice before his concerned gaze softened a bit.

"Promise me…?"

Nicola smiled reassuringly and nodded. There weren't many options for her if she did want to run off. Besides, she wasn't quite sure where she was just yet. Her orientation in terrain was… less than decent as of late.

"I promise."

She offered and once Raphael sat somewhat comfortably back down, she took her backpack and shotgun - just in case - and stepped in through a broken window. The inside of the store was in utter disarray and even that was putting it lightly. Most of the shelves were toppled over, some even in pieces. Glinting shards of glass littered the floor, crunching under Nicola's feet every time she made a step. Unsurprisingly, nothing was working. No lights, no freezers, no ventilation. No time to waste. Nicola began her search immediately.

Approaching the fruit stand greeted her with bitter disappointment. Apples, oranges, pears and many other fruits were already rotten and sometimes even coated in white specks of mould. Definitely not good. With vegetables it was exactly the same. The only carrot that looked acceptable at first, turned out to have been completely wilted. Tossing it aside, Nicola moved on. She didn't even bother looking for meat. The stench hit her the moment she came inside and were it not for the smell of decomposing corpses that drifted around the sewers when she was there, she probably would've thrown up where she stood. Instead, she just covered her mouth and nose with her bandana.

Any dairy products were off the table too. Without working freezers every single one of them has surely gone sour by now. A diarrhea was not something she wanted to have in Haven and most likely neither did the makers. Nicola didn't dare to so much as touch any eggs that still were somehow intact. Bad idea. A smelly one as well. There's no way some of them haven't gone bad yet. The risk wasn’t worth it. Passing by one of the mostly whole shelves, she absent mindedly grabbed a bag of dry cat food and stuffed it into her backpack. It was highly probable that most of the survivors would be feeding the kitten with any leftovers but.. just to make sure the poor thing doesn't starve to death.

Most of the jars have broken during initial earthquakes but two small jars of pickles seemed to be mostly alright. Without giving it much thought, she placed them in her backpack. Four bags of freeze-dried fruits quickly found their way into her pockets once she got a hold of them. Under a broken shelf, Nicola spotted an edge of some packet. Assuming it was just crackers or something, she reached into the rubble for it but once she pulled it out… she immediately regretted her decision. It was, in fact, not a bag of crackers. It was a whole, torn bag of soured cabbage coated in some strange growth - probably mould - she didn't get a chance to really look at because her attention was caught by something inside the bag. Probably squeezed in through the tear and got stuck, a small, bloated body of a gigantic, hellish critter. Instinctively, Nicola yelped quietly and without giving it much thought she lobbed the thing across the whole store before wiping her hand on the nearest piece of rag that wasn't her clothes. She didn't even get any of the spilling juices on her but… gross. Just gross. Ew ew ew! Ignoring the wet splat the bag made when it hit the floor wasn't an easy task. Still shaking off the disgust, she continued her search, noting to herself never to touch something she isn't sure what it is.

From there it thankfully was starting to go much smoother. Two packets of crispbread, some dark chocolate and a box of tea were found and collected. Nicola nearly cheered out loud when she spotted a few Snickers on a shelf. One she immediately opened and eagerly ate while the rest landed safely in her backpack. It might be mostly sugar with a bit of peanuts but it was a good snack that could deceive the brain for quite some time. To be frank, Nicola lived half of the high school on those whenever her lessons lasted too long for her breakfast to keep her sated. Besides, she couldn't imagine others would mind her bringing a bunch. Especially Marie. Jacob will most likely strangle Nicola if his daughter eats too much sweets but in the end it'll be worth it. Anything would be worth putting a smile on that sad little face.

Somewhere on the floor, Nicola even found a box of vitamins which luckily was not out of date yet. With a deficit of fruits and vegetables, those could be lifesavers. Especially for Leslie. She needs the most of it. Unfortunately, the space in her backpack was very much limited and soon she couldn't put anything more in there. Rearranging the contents of it, she put in one bottle of water, careful not to crush the crispbread and chocolate. At least she found something. Her escapade wasn't all for nothing when it comes to supplies. But even without those, she wouldn't say she regrets it. Against all the odds, she lived. And most importantly, she gained an otherworldly friend. And in times like these, a friend is something to be treasured.

Slinging her now much heavier backpack on her shoulders, she picked up her gun and headed towards the broken window she used as an entrance before. Peeking out from the store, she saw Raphael where she'd left him and a very much awake cat playfully attacking the longest quill of his left wing. His head perked up when she dropped onto the sidewalk beneath the window and she could've sworn she'd seen the corner of his mouth twitch upwards for a second there. Smiling, she unfolded her hands and shrugged.

"See? I keep my promises."

The angel hummed quietly before leaning his head against the wall behind him and closing his eyes. Nicola was about to ask if he's good to go but let the thought perish when she noticed his eyebrows furrow and his chapped lips twist into a slight grimace. Soon after, his right hand wandered up to his chest as he took a couple of quick and shallow breaths through his clenched teeth. If Nicola didn't know any better, she'd have said Raphael was having a heart attack. Can an angel even have an infarct? She honestly had no idea. In fact, she didn't even know how old he is. She couldn't tell. All the angels she'd met so far had white hair so that's not a hint to go by and his face didn't necessarily look old or young. He seemed as ageless as the time itself. Still, she didn't want to take any chances.

"Raphael? What's wrong?!"

She asked as she crouched beside him and laid a hand on his shoulder to steady him if needed. Raphael simply slowly shook his head and turned to look at her tiredly. And in his blank eyes she saw the already familiar pain and a spark of a silent plea.

"Just a little longer.. Let me rest a while…"

It took everything Nicola had in her to stop the sigh of relief. It didn't sit right with her that Raphael was still suffering and she could do absolutely nothing about it but hearing he's mostly fine, with only the usual ailing him, made her feel a tad easier. When his breathing grew slower and calmer, she even let herself slip down to the floor beside him.

"Sure. We have time, I guess.."

It was still relatively early, barely an hour or two after noon and Nicola wasn't that eager to return into the sky so soon. Only thinking about it made her feel a little sick. Hopefully, it wasn't too far to Haven from here. Even though Nicola really wanted to finally get home, she decided to be patient with her companion. He was wounded and most likely ill but he still tried his best to help her, even though he hadn't known her that long. He deserves a moment. Nicola too needed to sit down for a second as her thigh was still a bloody nuisance. Just a few more minutes. It wouldn't do harm to have a little break now, would it?

Yes. Yes it would. Nicola suddenly realised when she saw the kitten arc its back and puff its tail out. It hisses loudly before scurrying away into the store she just left and soon enough Nicola realised why once she looked into an alley ahead of her. The sight of a massive, winged shape made it painfully obvious. Her heart nearly ceased and Raphael beside her tensed at the sight of an enormous demon with curved horns and teeth, each the size of her palm, resembling a set of barbed knives made specifically to cut meat. The edges of long healed wounds that left behind terrible scars on her abdomen began to itch as she gawked at the familiar monster that nearly took her life. Flapping of gigantic wings that covered the sky with its expanse… Razor sharp claws curling around her body… the same talons tearing into her flesh as Ulthane attempted to free her from its grasp. And this shriek… oh God, this shriek…

Despite the apparent pain and exhaustion, Raphael slowly - not to agitate the demon - got up to his feet and raised his wings threateningly as he stepped in front of aghast Nicola. The fact that due to its bulkiness this thing seems almost twice as large as he is doesn't make an impression on him. Or maybe it does but he doesn't show it. The Fallen stared at Raphael with its small red eyes as a pair of Phantom Guards rounded a corner and joined the beast. Each carried a jagged blade that could easily tear through angelic armor. Nicola had seen it happen. Following them was another bloody Goreclaw. But these three she barely even noticed. Her wide eyes were focused on the larger demon. She felt her muscles refuse cooperation and seize. She couldn't move, couldn't speak. Her mind repeatedly screamed No nono no NO! Not like this!!

With excited roars, the lesser demons charged towards the angel standing between them and the weak, pathetic and helpless human as the Fallen spread its wings and took off into the air. Even as Nicola kept stone still, Raphael remained sharp and ready to act as always. One spell spilled past his lips and the flying demon instantly went rigid before plummeting back onto the ground and crashing into a broken car, setting its annoying alarm off. It didn't discourage the other three but it let Nicola find will to move and clutch her gun tighter. Ever since she'd met Raphael, he'd been doing nothing but getting her arse out of trouble. Taking a shaky breath she decided to start repaying favors.

Though, once again she didn't really have a chance to do anything as she was dumbstruck by the following scene playing out before her. As the hellish monsters charged, Raphael took his staff in both hands and held it before himself, closing his eyes and muttering an incantation in his melodious language. The moment the first demon stepped a tad too close, Raphael's eyes snapped open, burning like two white suns and a sleek ethereal blade materialized from the tip of what Nicola previously thought just an ornament or a walking cane. It glowed like the purest light ever to exist. Another assumption Nicola made about Raphael turned out to have been false. The last thing she can say about him is unarmed. He carried no blade, no gun or anything but who needs a weapon as lame as those when in addition to powerful sorcery you have a freaking lightsaber?

Everything lasted less than a second as the angel led a wide, sweeping slash of his spectral sword… spear thing… and promptly relieved the Phantom Guard of its horned head, before stopping the pouncing Goreclaw with a flick of his free hand, suspending it in the air growling and hissing. The other Phantom Guard had no chance to either attack the vulnerable angel or retreat, when Raphael was busy cutting down the quadrupedal demon, as Nicola came back to her senses and, instead of running like she always has, jumped forward and fired her shotgun. The resounding bang travelled through the entire city, bouncing off the walls and drifting far into the desolate town but it had the effect Nicola counted on.

The Phantom Guard staggered backwards with a chest full of buckshot, wheezed a couple times and tripped over onto its back never to get up again. With adrenaline still pumping through her veins, Nicola stared at the either dead or dying demon in wonderment, her brain trying to process what just happened, before releasing a breathless laugh of triumph. She killed one. She actually killed one! Raphael too seemed rather surprised but not unpleasantly so as he let the blade fade away.

"I got it! Did you see that?!"

"That indeed, I have.."

He said as he eyed her carefully, probably just to check if she's fine. Aside from a little fresh blood on his boots and hands, Raphael didn't seem to have gotten hurt in any way. Well… more than he'd already been at least. Nicola beamed up at him nearly bursting with pride at her actual first kill on a demon larger than her shin. And he seemed happy for her, if the soft smile he regarded her with could be an indication. But this victory didn't last long. Her own smile faded when she saw the Fallen stiffly getting up from where it slammed onto the ground, pure rage on its monstrous face. Her pulse began to race again but this time she refused to let the panic get a hold of her just yet.

"Watch out!!"

She cried too late, just a sliver of a second too late. Raphael whipped around to face the attacker and all he managed to do was raise his hand before the charging demon swung its head to the left. And with the force of a truck driving at the speed of fifty miles per hour, slammed it into the angel, making a formula of a spell die on his lips as he was sent flying through the air and crashing against a nearby building. The force of the impact caved in the wall and the kind, mad angel disappeared in a cloud of dust. All that was left were a couple of white feathers slowly falling to the ground.

"NO!"

Nicola didn't pay any mind to how her voice broke and squeaked pitifully when her heart leaped up into her throat. She could only stare at the place where Raphael vanished with a rumbling crash as the enraged demon growled in the same direction. Not a single part of her being agreed with what she'd just witnessed. A second before he was standing right there, like nothing was about to happen, distracted by her gushing over her first serious kill. Nothing should have happened, why did the demon unravel Raphael's magic just like that? Even a Shadowcaster didn't manage to do that! Why would this one? And why… Tears welled up in her eyes as her lower lip trembled… why did it have to… end the way it did…?

To make matters worse, the Fallen was still before her, still furious and thirsting for blood. Not wasting more time, Nicola pulled out a handful of new bullets and tried to reload her weapon but it proved almost impossible with how much her hands were shaking. Thank Christ, the demon was taking its sweet time as it faced her and began to lumber towards her on all fours, huffing out breaths stinking of rotting meat. Faster, faster, damn it! Nicola cursed inwardly when she dropped a couple of shells before she finally managed to place the ammunition where it should be. But when she looked up, the Fallen was on top of her already. Parting its jaws wide, ready to swallow her whole.

The scream of anguish that felt so tempting in the back of her throat never came to be. In a second, Nicola thought about all the horrors she'd lived through. All demons she'd met, all shambling corpses of former humans brought back by vile sorcery. All friends she'd made and lost.. Raphael, do just one thing for me. She gritted her teeth as her knuckles turned white from how she was gripping her weapon. Despair started to turn into rage. Burning bright and white hot inside of her, the flame Raphael had helped her see. Please, be alive when I come for you… The demon lunged forward to sever the string of her measly life by biting her in half. But Nicola wasn't going to let it get her so easily. Her fear was forgotten as she stuck the barrel of her shotgun into the monster's opened maw. She didn't want to die. Not now, not like this. For once she wanted to have a say over her own fate. Over the date of her demise. She is still young, she had a whole life ahead of her. And all those demonic dickheads with the Destroyer leading the charge decided to ruin everything and not only for her, but for every human who lives still and who has perished. And those who are yet to be born. She refused. She will not die. Not here. Not killed by that thing.

"FUCKOFF!!!"

And she fired. Partially, the sound was muffled by the demon's mouth snapping shut just barely missing Nicola's arms as she let go of her gun. The Fallen recoiled and began to shriek in pain, spitting out its own blood onto the concrete at its feet. Nicola didn't have delusions she could kill it but it gave her the precious seconds she needed. She ran for the closest hiding place available, which was the store she just left. Nicola leaped in through the broken window and quickly made it to the opposite wall to put as much distance between herself and the writhing monstrosity as possible. And it was a good choice.  A loud roar from the street made her heart fall into her heels as the injured demon finally gathered its bearings.

Nicola looked at the Fallen that was coming her way with murder in its eyes. The unexpected bout of courage has long faded and the petrifying fear once again had Nicola in its chilling grasp. Even with the mouthful of bullets, the Fallen did not intend to give up on its prey. And here she hoped it would piss off if she fed it with lead… Snarling and panting, the demon approached the broken window with its own blood pouring from between its sharp fangs. It only added to the menacing image of the beast that had Nicola trembling and frozen.

Think, Nicola, THINK! What can she do against an opponent far bigger, stronger and more dangerous than a single human without a weapon? The Fallen was trying to fit through the window, reaching out with its clawed paw to try and get her. Nicola looks around in panic, looking for anything that could save her. In a grocery store. Good luck. Eventually, she says "fuck it" and grabs a most likely rancid egg. The laughably small projectile splatters over the face of the demon with a squelch and even from far away Nicola is sure this egg was definitely rotten. Even the Fallen stops for a second to shake the disgusting goop off of its head but before it's done, another egg flies through the air and cracks on its head, just as stinky as the previous one.

"How'd ya, like that, asshole?! Wanna have some more?!"

Nicola yells at the demon, holding yet another egg, fully prepared to just chuck it at the monster. Unfortunately, all she managed to do was piss it off even further as its efforts in reaching her doubled. Pieces of plaster and bricks were coming loose as the demon tried to wriggle into the shop to finally kill that annoying pest lobbing small, smelly things at it. As a result, an egg once again hit the demon while Nicola kept shouting out profanities that probably made her poor mother toss and turn in her grave. She's not going down without a fight, even if the said fight is done by throwing eggs and all the gross shit she found on the floor. But she knew she isn’t getting out of this one.

And so, this is it. Nicola couldn't believe she would die by the claws of the same creature that nearly killed her once before. Was Ulthane rescuing her only delaying the inevitable? What a sick joke… Why does fate insist on being cruel? There was so much she wanted to say, so many apologies she had to give… so little time… There was nothing she could do. At least… she will see Nicholas again.. her parents and every friend she'd lost in this cursed apocalypse. A miracle would've been nice. A tiny one. Just this once. Please?

And boy, did she get her wish. A sudden force violently tearing the Fallen out of the shop nearly startled her out of her dirty and tattered jeans. Hardly believing her eyes, she watched as her would-be killer screeched in rage and surprise when it was wrenched free from the ruined window and was gone from her vision. A sudden tremor shook the whole building, sending small bits of debris raining down on her head as a mighty roar reverberated through her very bones. But it wasn't the Fallen. It was something meaner. Something… Nicola swallowed thickly at the thought… bigger. Or at least as large as this fucker. Then came clacking of metal, ungodly screeching of the demon. A second later Nicola saw as it was flung through the air like a sack of potatoes and crashed against a block of flats. Instant karma. She thinks with bitter satisfaction when she remembers what that faggot did to Raphael. I need to somehow get to him. Honestly though, she doesn't really want to know what managed to just YEET a Fallen like a skipping rock.

Unfortunately, she finds out and finds out quite soon. From her hideout, she sees an enormous creature, nearly as big as the demon that threatened her, charging towards the stunned monster still bleeding from its mouth. If Nicola had been terrified of the Fallen, then she was on the verge of having a straight out SCA after seeing this chunk of a behemoth. Whatever this thing was, it was the size of an average tree. Its armored hide was burning with red and white flames which were enveloping twin jagged, metal whips it held in its hands. Vestigial wings were trembling with wrath as it turned its radiant white eyes at the battered demon. Between a pair of sweeping horns that crowned its head was a flickering blaze that flared with each step the monstrosity took towards its quarry. Right.. What's the best way to get rid of a monster? Sic a stronger monster on it. The Fallen shrugged off and growled at its new assailant, challenging it to a fight.

While the two beasts were circling one another, battling she couldn't even guess what for, Nicola braced for what was to come. This is a horrible idea. Breath in and breath out. In and out. And when the Fallen pounced at its attacker, she bolted. Not stopping, she ran. Through the street the demons were fighting on, past them - so close she could feel the heat radiating off of the newcomer - and into the building Raphael disappeared in. Nicola hoped she was ready for what she was about to find. She really did. Jumping in through the punched in wall however, she soon found out she was, in fact, not ready. The moment she entered, she immediately caught the sight that made something squeeze inside of her.

On a pile of rubble from the destroyed wall was Raphael coated in dust. Still. Not moving, his mesmerising white eyes shut. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh God, oh NO! Not thinking, all fear and uncertainty she ever felt in his presence was long cast away, Nicola rushed over to him pleading, begging everything that would listen for him to be alive. Don't leave me here like this… Dropping at his side into the rubble, Nicola lays her ear on the top of his chest and doesn't let herself relax until she hears a heartbeat and a shallow breath within. Words cannot describe how much she deflated once she did. He's still alive.. but he doesn’t look good.

"Raphael! Please say something! Can you hear me?!"

Thankfully, angel's eyes lolled open as she spoke to him, hinting that he indeed can hear her. Trying his best to keep his unfocused gaze on her face, Raphael furrowed his eyebrows and lifted his upper lip in a pained sneer as his hand wandered up to clutch at his side where the demon's heat struck him.

"Nnn… Nnii… co…"

He weakly attempted to speak but without much success. No joke, he must've hit his head really hard and she dreaded to think about the state of his ribcage.. But hey! At least he hears and understands what Nicola is saying. And it's a good sign.. right…? Wasting no more time, Nicola helped him sit up, keeping her hand on his forehead to steady him as his own palm rested over hers. Even squinting in pain, Raphael kept looking at her, as though she was the only point of focus he could think of.

"Hang in there, okay?! Please, Phel.. We'll be fine…"

Liar. Something snaps at her. They're pretty much defenseless and vulnerable with a very livid demon still threatening them. One or the other will come out victorious. And to the victor go the spoils… Raphael tried to say something but still couldn't formulate words properly due to the splitting headache pulsing through his entire skull. Though even through ringing in his head and pain in his chest that somehow rivaled the one he constantly felt, he found something in this human's words that baffled him. In her panic, Nicola doesn't catch a puzzled look he sends her way.

Phel?

A choked up cry of a dying demon made them both jump a little and look out through the hole Raphael made when the demon gored him. Just in time to see the flaming beast standing on top of the Fallen and strangling it with its whips. Then, the creature of… quite blatantly feminine curves gave one sharp tug and the demon's head was brutally severed from the rest of its body. And everything fell silent.

Instinctively, Nicola halted her breath and ceased any movement, watching the winner (Nicola felt fully comfortable with calling it per "she" now) shoot a glance towards her and Raphael who by this point tiredly laid his head on her shoulder, heaving in attempts to draw a proper breath. The creature approached slowly, keeping Nicola frozen in place and desperately holding onto her injured friend. When the demon was at the wall, only her massive legs were visible. Seconds ticked by as a set of claws rested above the opening to the house, and a monstrous head loomed through the hole.

That would be more than enough to make Nicola pass right the Hell out but.. Something about this creature intrigued her. It didn't have a snarling, toothy maw but an almost featureless face with the curve of a nose and a pair of bright and ferocious, intelligent eyes. It stared at her with more understanding than any demon Nicola had ever seen. Whatever it was, it didn't seem aggressive for some weird reason. At least not yet.. Then, unexpectedly, the creature was enveloped in red flames as its humongous form began to shrink and reshape into something much smaller but still a good two heads taller than an average human.

From the hot light emerged a very humanlike woman in intricate metal armor. Black tattoos marked her stern face around her luminous, white eyes and on her forehead, right below the line of incredibly dense magenta colored hair which floated freely around her head, defying gravity like it's the most natural thing in the world. Whoever it was, even with an intimidating aura of strength and resolve, her close resemblance to a human calmed Nicola somewhat. Plus, she had to admit that this woman had the looks. Men would probably be killing one another for her. Honestly, Nicola felt kind of jealous.. But considering she was still pretty much helpless with a half-conscious angel leaned against her, it didn't put her fully at ease. At least until the stranger spoke in plain English. Then Nicola finally released the breath she was holding. Crossing her arms, the tall lady sneered slightly at the human and angel before her.

"Well, would you look at that. Guess it's your lucky day today."

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

It's finally done, my goodness! This one was hard to get right but I made it. Don’t ask me how i managed to finish it with two pictures, I have no clue :I

Fury makes an appearance! Badass as always. :D

Also, can I get an F for Raphael's poor ribs?

#darksiders #darksiders 3 #darksiders fury #darksiders raphael #raphael #fury #darksiders OC #human survivor oc #CoK #cost of kindness #chapter IV

[itsbenedict]

Two-Faced Jewel: Session 12

Foolish Heroes of Barley

A half-elf conwoman (and the moth tasked with keeping her out of trouble) travel the Jewel in search of, uh, whatever a fashionable accessory is pointing them at. [Campaign log]

Last time, the party had returned to Barley to deal with a few loose ends. They've been staying in town for a while, waiting for their hired Deathseekers to deal with the dragon in the tower. This session, their stay comes to an end, and as you can see from the image here, they don't get into any trouble whatsoever.

A few other things happen before their fateful final night in town:

Kevin Softbreeze, the herbalist from the Deathseekers, visits town and sells Looseleaf some magic flowers that repel demons- though they're not very potent, and she'll need to stop by his garden in Cauterdale if she wants some seeds to try growing. Saelhen buys some potent knockout drops.

The villagers appear to still be arming themselves and preparing for battle with Wheat- since they didn't mention Arnie as the culprit at all, and tried to pin it on the dragon directly, Malath is still skeptical that they're totally safe from invasion, and defensive preparations continue.

Rumors spread that Chitch has gone missing, but no one can find the body. The party spreads rumors of their own- true ones- that Chitch went to go find his daughter after learning that the pain-wizard is dead.

On their fifth night in the village- somewhat earlier than expected- they notice something outside the window of their rooms in the inn. Lumiere's tower, previously unnoticeable, is suddenly aglow with some sort of yellow cylindrical magic barrier, made up of hexagonal panels.

Looseleaf rouses the rest of the party- the plan is to watch from a distance, and not interfere. A very loud roar is heard in the distance, which is suddenly cut off in the middle- it seems the Deathseekers have sprung their trap.

It's not too much longer after that when they begin to hear screams from around them in the village.

Saelhen's elf eyes spot... something rustling in the fields around the village. All of them. Quite a lot of somethings. Except despite the rustling, she can't make out anything but barley stalks. And the nothing- the hordes of nothing- is moving towards the tower.

The party leaps into action, heading downstairs with weapons drawn. On the ground floor, they see... something sort of familiar. Those Greed Echoes, the mud-and-grass monsters they fought on the road- one of them is forming itself out of broken bottles, dust, and wooden planks uprooted from the floor of the Harvester Inn. Cassie, the innkeeper, is watching in terror, knuckles white gripping a frying pan.

Congratulations! You're both right! The dragon is summoning an army of hateful Justice Echoes powered by the roused hatred of Wheat that's been stirred up in town!

Oyobi thinks fast, and oneshots the echo in the kitchen with an arrow, shattering a bottle that'd become its core. The screams outside continue, though, and the party exits the inn to find panicked villagers fleeing their homes. Justice Echoes made primarily from twisted stalks of barley have formed in their fields and homes, taking the weapons amassed for self-defense from their owners. They attack only those who resist, and make their way towards the tower.

Looseleaf: Let's just attack some hate-plague spirits and see if they decide to attack us instead. If they don't attack us at all, then we can just ignore them and run leisurely next to them and pick them off as we go. If they attack us, then it's a regular fight. "We're up to do some heroism this fine night, right, team?" Oyobi Yamatake: "Obviously!" Orluthe Chokorov: "Uh, I don't have that one prepared, do I? Uh..." Vayen: Saelhen du Fishercrown: "I am up to rub Mother K's face in the super obvious consequences of her actions while incidentally preventing pointless suffering." "Go team! Woo!"

Looseleaf starts us off by rending the spirit of the closest barley-monster, using her new Painspike ability to make the target Frightened of her.

However... these monsters have no purpose except to attack that which they fear, so rather than the normal effect of being Frightened, Looseleaf has now drawn aggro from this monster. Which is kind of what she wanted! So, that's a win! She now has a way to goad the enemy!

The party takes some swings at the monsters, knocking a couple out, but most of them seem to just be ignoring them, continuing to run through the fields towards the tower. They could become a problem for the Deathseekers if they're not dealt with- or for Wheat, for that matter.

Backup arrives in the form of Malath Kanthalga, who perceives these events as- what else?- an attack by Wheat. She's screaming, demanding to know who's responsible, and smashing echoes apart with her mace. Still, the echoes are mostly ignoring the village- they're grabbing anything they can find to use as a weapon, sort of ransacking the place, but most of them are just fleeing.

So Saelhen comes up with an extremely well-timed plan. It's a really good plan, I love it, and I'm excited to hit them with the consequences of her plan- until Looseleaf issues a timely bit of advice:

Saelhen du Fishercrown: Saelhen dashes (Cunning Action), steps forward, inhales a great gulp of breath... "FOOLISH HEROES OF BARLEY!" she bellows. "WHILE YOU FUTILELY WASTE YOURSELVES AGAINST WHEAT'S DEFENSES, I, THE SECRET SHADOW MAYOR OF WHEAT, WILL BE HERE BURNING YOUR HOMES!" "AND ALSO MENACING YOUR CITIZENS WITH MY PERMISSIVE IDEOLOGY!" She waves her hooded lantern, unlit, above her head, to drive the point home. "WHO AMONG YOU CAN STOP ME AND DELIVER JUSTICE? NO ONE, PROBABLY, I ASSUME!"

Vayen, in a surprising show of, let's call it camaraderie, is very much in support of this plan for some reason! He takes a break from his busy schedule of doing absolutely nothing every turn in combat to cast a helpful illusion, to ensure as many monsters aggro Saelhen as possible!

A few more rounds of combat ensue, with a good chunk of the monsters- including a few very large building-sized hulks- immediately turning to kill Saelhen. The party gets some good hits in, and Saelhen gets a little roughed up. She... would like maybe fewer things to be attacking her, actually.

Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Their attention is on me, Mother Kanthalga, the secret mayor of Wheat this entire time, but you might be able to calm their anger! These creatures were born from this town's... collective mind, or something, they may listen to you if you order them to stand down!" Benedict I. (GM): Not with advantage, but a 22... "Wh... what? What are you saying? That's..." She hesitates, then speaks, in a booming voice she- well, you spent a few days here, you know she reserves it for sermons. "STAND DOWN! The time to strike against our foe has not yet come!" "We must be prudent! We must defend ourselves, not attack!" [DEFEND OURSELVES,] the echoes agree, continuing to bear down on Saelhen. Saelhen du Fishercrown: Worth a shot!

It doesn't seem like these things are hugely receptive to emotional appeals or logical argument- they have the one emotion, which they're made of, and they don't super do other ones.

In the following combat rounds, Saelhen... takes a few more hits, which she is not designed to do on account of being a rogue.

Saelhen du Fishercrown: WHY DID I NOT DECLARE ORLUTHE THE SECRET SHADOW MAYOR

More echoes emerge from the fields and attack, and Saelhen is starting to look really rough- and Vayen just keeps the illusion on her, not actually helping in any way. Until... one of them goes for Looseleaf, instead. When it starts looking like she might be in danger, he fires off a bolt of blue electricity, which begins to singe one of the monsters attacking her for damage every turn. He's... a higher-level spellcaster than anyone else in the party, apparently!

Looseleaf, with a little room to maneuver, unfolds her wings and takes to the air- up and out of reach of the smaller monsters, drawing their aggro and forcing them to waste turns. Meanwhile, Orluthe and Oyobi, backed up by Malath and a couple of villagers who've reclaimed their weapons, cut down a few more echoes as more surge forth from the fields to replace them.

Saelhen... keeps trying to persuade Malath to persuade the echoes to stop. She does very well at persuading Malath to try that! Malath tries that, wholeheartedly, once again to no effect! Eventually, Malath stops trying.

Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Would you consider coming to them as a trusted comrade, who trained them to protect them, rather than the one leading them off to war? Maybe?" Malath Kanthalga: "I am going to come to them as a very angry warrior with a mace," she growls. Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Okay! Okay, fair enough. Spiritual remedies off the table, understood."

Orluthe is getting really tired, and keeps whiffing his swings- it's touch-and-go for a while. But Saelhen and Looseleaf's frantic attempts to kite enemies out of range have been paying off, and they manage to down the remaining super-hulks juuuuust before anyone dies.

Benedict I. (GM): Y'know, it's possible that making the two squishiest members of the party draw aggro was not the number one best strategic move Saelhen du Fishercrown: IT MAYBE WASN'T, NO Looseleaf: eh, it's worked out so far!

The combat wraps up, and we transition to a bunch of Athletics rolls to chase down and terminate as many of the smaller echoes as possible. They build a firepit in the center of town, to dispose of defeated echoes in- just in case that's necessary, because who knows what kind of magic is animating these guys.

So after a wild night of chasing, taunting, fleeing, and burning justice echoes- well, it's not so much a wild night as a wild twenty minutes or so- there's a point at which the fields just suddenly fall silent. A pair of echoes chasing Saelhen fall to the ground, inert.

With a good roll...

Saelhen du Fishercrown: "...of course, you're free to dismiss this as the ramblings of a crazed outsider. But keep in mind, Mother Kanthalga, that the ones who fell upon your town, tore it apart in a frenzy of violence, and stabbed you repeatedly for your pains, endangering your people, your daughter and your livelihoods, were repeating the words you taught them." Benedict I. (GM): Malath winces. "That... I don't know why they..." Saelhen du Fishercrown: "...think on it. You're reasonable people, around here. You can come to your own conclusions." Benedict I. (GM): "I tell you, I did not make these things! If not for..." She's kind of lost for words. "...Apologies. I have much work to do," she says, and leaves.

After some work mending the village and cleaning up the aftermath, Looseleaf heads back into the inn to check on Vayen, who hasn't been helping at all and is instead drunk at the bar. He asks "Did she make it?"- and Looseleaf gets a nat 20 on Insight.

She's pretty sure that he was talking about Saelhen- and that he sounded almost hopeful. He was unusually jazzed about a plan that involved her being attacked by a horde of angry monsters- and he chose to shoot the echo that was attacking her, not the one bearing down on Saelhen with a bunch of its friends. When she informs him Saelhen survived, she's able to tell he's disappointed.

Saelhen du Fishercrown: so he doesn't hate us, as a group he hates saelhen specifically Looseleaf: But also weirdly- okay, what if: what if he actually has an ancestral quest involving that bracer and he's mad that saelhen beat him to the punch and furthermore used it as a shitty cover story Saelhen du Fishercrown: saelhen going THE DE LA SURPLUS ANCESTRAL QUEST IS REAL???

Looseleaf switches to talking to Vayen via her spirit-magic imitation of the Message spell.

Looseleaf: (Like, Vayen, everything you're doing is about Saelhen in some way or other. And I can't figure out why. You seem pretty much ambivalent towards all of us except for her. I don't get it. If you want Saelhen dead, why haven't you just killed her? I saw that lightning bolt- if you wanted, I bet you could take all of us, in a straight fight.) (You're sending real mixed signals. If you want her dead, why isn't she dead? Why do you want her to be dead via a hand other than your own?) Vayen: He locks up. And then sighs. Looseleaf: (And now you're sitting here sounding all tired and sad and I feel bad about that.) (I dunno, do you want to, uh, talk about it, with someone.) Vayen: "I don't... want her... to be dead," he says, clearly choosing his words carefully. "I have nothing against her." Looseleaf: (Then it's the- bracer??) Vayen: I'm letting that one Insight roll do a lot of work here, but he definitely reacts to that. "I- um, no," he says, lying. Looseleaf: (There is literally nothing significant about Saelhen other than her bracer, unless you plan on telling me that your deepest desire is to defeat the dance emperor of Kanzentokai in a danceoff and reclaim your ancestral throne of dancing glory.) (Which, granted, if that's the case, that'd be amazing.) Vayen: "I don't know what you're- that's not..." "It's all coincidence. Whatever you're thinking. I don't have- I don't have anything against- Saelhen? Noeru?" Looseleaf: (Look, I- okay, here's how I see things. I don't know how the bracer works, it's weird magic stuff, but the way I see it, there's two major ways the bracer could work.) (That is, you either want the bracer for yourself, because whatever it does or whatever you need it for, you need to be the one wearing it- OR, you just need anybody willing to use the bracer to do whatever it is the bracer's supposed to do.) Vayen: "...Can you not?" "I- I have a job." "I have an important job." "It's from the School of Restricted Arts." Looseleaf: "Well, tell us about the dang important job then! Maybe we can help you with it." "I don't get why you're preassuming that we'd never do anything you might want us to do." Vayen: "It's from the School of- are you listening?" "It's secret." "Look, it's- you don't need to worry about it, okay?" Looseleaf: "Hhhhhrlgkrkshxzshktkrrrzzzzktttttkzzz," Looseleaf says, reverting to her natural dialect in a brief moment of frustration. Vayen: "Sure, it's easier if- I mean, she- that was her idea, she wanted to..." "I just- I can just..." "As long as I can keep an eye on..." He groans. "I shouldn't be talking to you." "You're not in the School." Looseleaf: "Okay, just- hhhjkkkkkrkxxxxxtk." Vayen:"Are... you okay?" He's never asked a question like that before. Looseleaf: (I'm fine, that's just how we express frustration, our throats don't naturally conform to making sounds like 'hrrrrrgh', whenever I do that it's a performative thing that I do to adhere to human expectations- look, the big reason why I'm trying to, pound my way through your portcullis of secrecy with a twenty-foot battering ram of blunt communication,) (is because right now Saelhen is like, probably 80% convinced you're trying to poison her in your sleep.) (Seriously, this amount of in-party distrust is, like, way too Ccorde-damned much.) Vayen: "I wouldn't do that," he says. "If I were going to do that, I'd have done it already. Looseleaf: (If you'd express, in a credible way, that you're actually just trying to get Saelhen to do whatever it is she'd do anyways, she'd feel a lot better about it!) (And then she might even work with you to further your goals directly!) Vayen: He doesn't say anything for a little while. "...This is stupid." "This isn't even- it's wrong, even." "Maybe that's why." Man, that bottle he's holding is emptier than you thought it'd be. He's only been here less than half an hour. "Don't try to- guh, friends. He'll never- stupid. What's the point." He sort of collapses on the bar.

Vayen, it seems, can't hold his liquor. Looseleaf... carries him back up to his room.

Next time: the party finally leaves Barley, for good this time! And also a minor medical emergency happens, and also they kidnap a twelve-year-old, but like, it's fine. It'll be fine. Don't worry about it.

#twofaced jewel #tfj log