your-phantomfield

[your-phantomfield]

NINE = THE = PHANTOM

i .. ii .. iii circa 2200 for anonymous

I.

You would nurture a love at the end of the world? Your time with the Phantom once known as Nine will not be long. Unfortunately, this is a woman who only exists at the dawn of the apocalypse.

Of course, it’s not impossible. On the contrary; perhaps a woman so stubborn, so unwilling to let others in, can only open herself to connections when the world is on fire. Though she never thought about it before, it seems like all those close to her were met during times of crisis. She fell for her first husband while trying to kill him, you know. All those she would call her friends were met under similar circumstances; bonds forged during the end of the world, much like now.

So your love may be brief. Your days may be numbered. But do you find yourself regretting that?

If anything, it may be better to go out like this. Blazing. In love and truly alive.

II.

Nine is a woman of single-minded determination. Now that things have gotten this far, she must see this through. The only way to spend time with her is to offer her whatever support you can. Your ‘dates’ are spent watching her work on Requiem, strategizing with her as all the ‘pieces’ in the Embryo move about the chessboard, philosophizing about the horrible mess of this world and what the one that comes after might look like.

Your relationship will have a real villainous Bonnie & Clyde, or Velma & Louise thing going on. You are in love with a vengeful spirit, back from the depths of hell to destroy- and save- this world. There’s no room for questioning her, certainly no room for trying to stand in her way. You’re either with her or against her on this. To be by her side means to aid her in pursuit of this goal.

III.

Call her Nine- never Phantom. Phantom was a tool used by the Imperator. A tool created by the man who killed her. Others may see her as something changed, corrupted from the woman who fought to save the world years ago, Nine sees herself as the same person she has always been.

Even those she thought knew her best now look at her as a tragic perversion of the woman they knew. If you can see her purely as Nine, it will mean the world to her. She’s grateful that you can accept the decisions she’s made and love her regardless, rather than trying to write off her sins as the influence of some outside force.

She’ll answer most questions you have about her life before all of this, happy to tell you about her homeland that doesn’t exist anymore and the origin of her strange name. She did have name another before it, but she never shares it with you, explaining that she never liked it anyway. She’s just Nine, take it or leave it.

IV.

Though she views herself as the same person she’s always been, she does seem to want to keep her life ‘before’ and her life ‘now’ separate. It makes sense, considering her circumstances. Everyone she once fought beside is now her enemy.

She’s always been extremely family oriented. She can’t help but talk about her sister, her daughter, her marriage. She wants you to meet them one day, but not under these circumstances. As independent as she is- she’d never leave you no matter what they think of you- she still desperately wants all of you to get along. Unfortunately, there’s no way to make that happen now.

She’d rather you meet them in the next world.

V.

She’d like to imagine you all go out for coffee together. She’d alternate between talking to Celica about how good looking you are, and talking to you about how cute Celica is. She imagines her ex-husband would tease both of you, offering you advice about how to deal with her difficult personality or her temper, and she’d pretend to get mad at him over it.

But her dream is impossible in the present. This fucked up, unfair world that insists on torturing her. If you met her old family and friends now, you'd be meeting as enemies. They might try to kill you. You might have to defend yourself. You might…

She can’t stomach the thought. So please- just do what she tells you, and stay out of her way. She’ll handle any loose ends from her past on her own.

VI.

The situation is hard on her, but she covers it with a snappy sense of humor, picking on you and herself in equal measure. Despite still being so young, she talks about herself as an old woman, and often jokingly ‘questions’ your taste.

She’s been married before- are you into married women? You naughty thing~ Do you prefer your women more experienced?

She does have a little daughter of her own, you know- well, maybe not so little now. The girl must be… well into her nineties by now? Making Nine practically a great-grandmother, as well as the queen of deadbeat parents. Isn’t that a bit of a red flag in the dating scene? That, and the whole ‘deicide’ deal?

This can get even funnier if she's actually younger than you. Sure, she was born much earlier, but from the time of her 'death' to the time of her revival, she wasn't able to age. She's still in her early twenties.

Despite this, she always acts as if she's older than she is. She insists on taking on a caretaker role in your relationship. She doesn't know how to be vulnerable, and sometimes the way she expresses her love crosses the line into bossy or patronizing.

VII.

If you try to check in on her, she will always insist that she’s perfectly fine. She’ll tease you relentlessly for worrying about her, redirecting with sickeningly sweet condescension; poking at your cheeks and baby-talking about what a sweetie pie you are~ She’s done this before, you know! Though it was a hundred years ago, from her perspective it seems as if it was no time at all- the days when she fought on little to no sleep, never certain that tomorrow would even be there to greet her. She’s the great Magister Nine of the Six Heroes! Saving the world is what she does!

As if her familiarity with the crushing weight softens it at all. Don’t let her distract you. For all her ego, all her power, all her stubbornness, this is still a woman who has been fighting for the future since she was barely out of her school days.

She never cries, of course. But there are other signs. The way she trails off in conversation. All the jokes she makes with a tone that starts out biting only to slide end halfheartedly, with the smile never reaching her eyes and the laugh sounding forced. A visible wince, one she hopes you don’t notice, when she talks about Celica. The way the starts with her arms crossed, only to adjust the pose inch by inch until you realize she’s hugging herself like a scared child.

VIII.

You wish she could trust you enough to let you hold her. You learn from experience that if you try to offer her a real hug, she gets defensive, either turning the conversation to flirty teasing or getting angry when you try to push. That kind of open vulnerability is just... too much for her right now. Maybe if you had more time together, you could prove to her that it would be safe.

There are other ways you can be there for her, though. More subtle ways that she finds easier to bear. Let her insist that the hug is for your sake, not hers, and she’ll be able to accept it. She always has to be in control, holding you to her chest and petting your head- but she seems to find genuine peace in it, judging by the way this ‘one quick hug for her needy little lover’ always ends up lasting until something interrupts you, and by how reluctantly she pulls away.

She prays that in the next world, she'll never have to.

#nine the phantom #x reader #romantic #anonymous #angst #I didn't realize how fucking SAD Nine is in Central Fiction until doing the character study for this WOW

[your-phantomfield]

turn toward the camera and smile smile smile

#phantom filler #I could probably make this look nicer now that I'm messing around with filters

[your-phantomfield]

IZANAMI

i .. ii .. iii circa 2198 for anonymous

I.

A relationship with the literal ruler of the entire world is, unsurprisingly, unbalanced. Your relationship exists entirely at her whims; whether you were the one who started things, falling for her and trying to get close, or if you simply caught her eye and she couldn’t get you out of her head.

The Imperator lives an isolated existence. Even among the highest ranking members of the Duodecim, opportunities to do anything more than see her from a distance are rare. To have a chance with Izanami, she must choose you. Likely as entertainment, first, finding herself amused by you, so much that she begins seeking you out when the mood strikes her.

Then, she chooses to keep you. She presents ‘asking you out’ as an order to become her servant- as if you aren’t already technically her servant just by living in the world she controls. She asks that you stay by her side until the moment of your death. Which is… kind of like a marriage proposal? I guess? How sweet.

II.

Being her ‘servant’ really is just fancy Imperator-speak for dating. You might be a little worried about what will become of you when you agree to the deal, but not much changes. You don’t have to do her laundry, you don’t have to clean anything, you don’t move in with her and live in a cage or whatever.

What she does demand is that you prioritize her, that you be available for her at all times. You are her possession now, and she will have you when she wishes to.

Get well acquainted with that strange… person… creature (?) she calls Phantom, because you’ll be seeing it a lot. It acts as your intermediary, appearing when your lover wishes to summon you.

III.

You know the life of the Imperator Librarius is an isolated one. She stands as a god, separate and above all others. In this world, that is a fact as natural as the air you breath. But being close to her like this, seeing more sides of her, grants you new perspective on what that really means for the one on the throne.

Izanami is a terribly lonely woman. Under all the arrogance and power, your lover is shockingly… childlike. It’s evident that she has no friends, likely never has had any- the words she uses for you (servant, favorite, pet) expose the fact that she wouldn’t even know what to call an equal. You imagine that she never had much of a childhood. If only you knew.

Phantom is sent for you daily, generally. Izanami’s words are distant and lofty as always, but the more familiar these moments become to you, the more you start to see through her. She's thrilled to have a companion.

IV.

She loves toys. Jigsaw puzzles seem to be what she likes best. She’ll kindly allow you to select the edge pieces and build the frame- the simpler task, she promises, though for a puzzle with thousands of pieces you’re not sure any part of it could count as easy.

She's both willing and eager to try to play anything you bring her. She describes you like a jester, bringing her all these novelties in an attempt to keep her entertained. She presents it as if it just might be some kind of test. As if, if she isn't amused, you'll be punished somehow. You never are, though- it seems her bark may be worse than her bite.

She’s not too keen on video games, you'll learn, and she'll only try a few before she starts to refuse them. Puzzle toys, on the other hand, are consistently a hit. Slip a Rubiks Cube into your pocket and grandly present it as an ‘offering’ to her or a ‘symbol of your devotion,’ and she’ll adore it. You can't help but wonder if she's ever gotten a real gift before.

V.

Another hobby of hers, one perhaps more in-line with her general image, is stargazing. Er, moongazing? She does know a plethora of constellations and can readily point them out if asked (your zodiac is one she likes to show you) but what she seems to like most about the night sky is the moon itself.

She doesn’t venture outside often, but there are nights when you are summoned to join her for a walk around a gated garden. The moon is always full, or just about, when she does this. She’ll walk with you for a time, enjoying chatter and teasing, until the winds hit the trees just right and she falls silent. She'll watch them dance, then turn her attention up to the sky, where she’ll watch the moon until the clouds hide it from her.

It’s one of those things that she doesn’t seem to notice she does. When you ask her what she likes, she’s unable to think of many things, and the night sky is never something she lists. But when you catch her staring up at it like this, if you ask, she’ll tell you she finds it nostalgic.

She's beautiful under the moonlight. Take your time admiring her before you speak. The moment she realizes you've caught her, the night's spell is broken, and she'll return to the walk, ending your opportunity to observe her unguarded.

VI.

Izanami says the strangest things sometimes. The way she speaks, you’d think she’s forgotten that she is as human as her subjects. She muses on the nature of humanity as if watching it all trapped in a little fishtank. She delights in the way it may amuse her, but seems to genuinely believe that we’re all ultimately just swimming around in circles until our hearts finally stop beating.

If you like to debate, and if you can do it respectfully, you can have a lot of fun here. You can spend hours arguing the purpose of human life, trying to get her to see something of inherent worth through the impermanence of it. The value of love, of connection, of fun, of creating something to pass on or simply finding something to share with others.

No matter what you highlight, her nihilism never wavers. She always has some reply to twist your words back around to tragedy.

Sometimes it feels surreal, as if you're up against a real angel or even a god, making a case for humanity at the cusp of the end times. And the way she dismisses your 'evidence'... with that innocent laugh and that smile full of pity.

She sometimes doesn't feel human at all.

VII.

Of course, she isn't. Hades Izanami has never been, could never be, human. Despite this, she does care for you. In her way.

She adores you. If she didn’t, she would not keep you so close. You may never be able to have a normal relationship with her, but her desire to have you near her through all her idle hours proves how badly she wants you- how much she needs you. Loves you. The one she has granted the honor of being her only companion in this world.

You are her amusement. You are her happiness. You are a spark of... something, something that her vessel seems to crave desperately. You make something in her core begin to ache, as if that girl’s heart still dwelled inside her chest.

VIII.

But as was said at the start- to be her lover is not to be her equal. The Imperator Librarius has no equal. Death walks alongside everyone but must herself stand alone.

No matter how wonderful it feels to be with her, she was honest with you when she asked that you be her servant- not her lover. You have a purpose to fulfill in this relationship.

Your purpose is to be loyal and to love her. To bring her laughter when the world makes her sick.

And one day, you will have fulfilled your purpose. One day it will be time to end this world.

Shall she reward your loyalty with a vision of Doomsday? Shall she let you know, in your last moments, the true nature of that which loved you?

Or shall she spare you the death thralls and send you to sleep with sweet ignorance?

#x reader #izanami #anonymous #romantic #yandere #tw power imbalance

[your-phantomfield]

OH SHIT DID THAT GET POSTED

I'M NOT DONE WAIT NO

[your-phantomfield]

THE WHEEL OF FATE IS TURNING

REQUESTS = OPEN

Updated introductory post! This is a casually run hobby blog for BlazBlue self-insert content and general headcanons.

|| [Full Rules] || [WIP List] || || [Make a Request] || [Masterlist] ||

General Guidelines:

We write headcanons, no proper fics or drables. I do aim for a minimum of 100 words for each point, and eight points per request. If you'd like to see some of what I've done, click here!

Reader-insert content is written for a gender neutral audience. I try to keep specifically gendered headcanons to a minimum, though I'll clearly indicate if a certain point or post is going to touch on gender as a topic.

Don't expect a fast response time. This is my hobby, and I want to approach it at a nice, relaxed pace. If you'd like to know whether or not I've gotten your request, you can check my WIP list here! Requests will usually be written in the order they were received, but I may prioritize work for characters who have a birthday coming up.

There is no limit on the number of characters you may request at once. Each request will be filled in a separate post regardless. However, if you request several characters in one go, I may space out the posts, working on other people's requests in between yours.

I write for C-Series, Remix/Variable Heart, and the XBlaze duology. Hopefully I will be able to expand this list in the future.

Mild NSFW is allowed. This is a flexible, variable rule as I'm still feeling it out. See our rules page here for what is definitively unavailable, and feel free to ask questions! I'm willing to consider stuff.

On the topic of characters widely accepted to be underage, such as Platinum or Carl- for now, the most sordid I’m willing to write for them will be age-appropriate crushing.

Outside of requests, we're happy to chat about the with ya'll about the series, your thoughts on characters or our work, and OCs or other original BB content!

[your-phantomfield]

KOKONOE

i .. ii .. iii circa 2198 for @nkn0va, anonymous

I.

Dating Kokonoe isn’t going to be the most traditional relationship. Her work will always be her first priority and she definitely isn’t looking to make friends. Whether you meet her outside the lab on one of her rare outings or through some dealings with Sector Seven, you’ll have to come to her to be a part of her life. That doesn’t necessitate working for Sector Seven, but if you want to see your girlfriend in the flesh on a remotely regular basis, it helps.

For her part, Kokonoe doesn’t care who you work for and she doesn’t care how much she sees you- at least, she’s damn good at pretending she doesn’t care about it.

She’d be fine with a long distance relationship carried out through calls and video chats. Hell, maybe you could start taking care of a few little ‘errands’ for her. Make yourself useful!

But honestly, Kokonoe is just… awful at intimacy. She’s not good at letting people in or sustaining her relationships. She can say it doesn’t matter as much as she likes, but the truth is, it’s much easier to hold onto your relationship if you stick close to her. A relationship that starts long distance likely won’t last, as she’s just too good at letting people slip away.

II.

To build the foundation of your relationship, you have to be near enough to her that you can worm your way past her defenses. The initiative will be on you. If she’s particularly attracted to you, she may engage in some flirting- lots of bullying, some filthy smug comments- but she’s not looking to have that go anywhere. She’s lived a lonely life, and has gotten to the point where the idea of any long-term relationships seem to go entirely over her head. She sees herself as someone who exists alone. She can’t conceptualize anyone sticking by her, let alone a lover.

Once you’re deep enough under her skin, she’s lifelong loyal and no number of months away can change that- but in the early stages, absence or hesitation risk losing her.

III.

Definitely not a mushy-gushy, sappy, cute little petnames or heart-shaped pancakes kind of lover. This is the kind of girlfriend who loves to give you shit. She does have petnames for you- a lot of them, actually- but they're all... well... let's call them 'lovingly derogatory.'

Kokonoe lacks social maturity. Her style of flirting looks a lot like that of a late-elementary or early-middleschooler's. A classic case of pigtail-pulling. The more she likes you, the more she wants to play with you, and she plays by bullying.

The second you enter the room, she gets much more talkative, and zeros in on you as her victim. Her assistants love you for taking the heat off of them the moment you appear.

She'll have some snappy remark to counter everything you say, standing up from her desk and grinning the whole time she's 'complaining' about how needy you are, coming down here all the time JUST to 'bother' her. She'll be heckling other staff members, telling them to pay attention, because you serve as proof that romance isn't worth the trouble.

"Don't let that cute face fool you! Let me tell you guys, managing my own personal idiot isn't as easy as it looks!"

IV.

You may need to take a quick course in speaking 'tsundere' to understand her banter, but it's evident by the look on her face how happy she is any time you visit her. It's not unusual for others close to her, such as Tager, to call you up and request that you stop by to force her to take a break. If you haven't visited in a little while, your presence can prevent her from even looking at her monitors until you leave. Eventually she'll start catching on that you're conspiring to slow her down, but she has to admit- a little fifteen minute break for some eye candy is probably good for her health.

Your playful banter is good stress relief for her. She's much calmer with you around, too- though those who can't read her may not realize that, given the way she goes at you like a cat that's just spotted a mouse. Your relationship keeps her grounded. It's a tether to what's left of her humanity.

V.

You’re not gonna be going on a lot of dates. She doesn’t see the point, when she has work to do and you could just hang out with her in the lab. If you wanna go see a movie that damn bad, go on your own, she won’t stop you! It’s hard for her to understand that your motivation isn’t the activity itself, but the time spent with her.

In that case…. Fine, sit your ass down and give her five minutes to finish reviewing these numbers… no, actually, go get some snacks! Two extra large buckets of popcorn because she won’t be sharing, and as many boxes of candy as you can carry!! You can put the stupid movie up on one of the projectors and she’ll work on drafting some schematics while you watch.

(PS- She will be sharing, if sharing means stealing your popcorn more than eating her own. She thinks stealing food is cute as long as she's the one doing it.)

VI.

It’s common knowledge that she likes video games, and she’s intensely competitive. If you play any, she’ll be interested in trying them out. She likes arcade shooters a lot, and anything that’ll keep track of her scores. Her goal is always to find a way to break the game by maxing out the score counter. Little miss “dating is for idiots” is constantly sending you screenshots of her latest score- or calling you over just to make you look at it with that big smug look on her face. It’s adorable, she can be just like a bratty kid despite how above-everything she likes to act.

She’ll try any genre of game you play, whether or not you invite her too. And somehow, someway, she’ll turn it into a competition. Doesn’t matter if all you play is Animal Crossing. She’ll pick on you for playing a “mindless baby game,” then get herself a copy and start racing to find all the collectables and fill up your museum before you can. Your girlfriend is a brat.

VII.

Kokonoe is much stronger than she looks. Her insane genetics save her from the severe neglect she's constantly subjecting her body to. She’s weak for a beastkin, especially of her lineage, but still much stronger than a normal human. Regardless of your size, she could probably lift you off your feet in a tight hug. Which looks hilarious, the bigger you are- she’s such a not bigger than 5 feet and rarely takes care of herself enough to break 100lbs.

That said, she absolutely hates any kind of physical exertion. She doesn’t want you thinking she’s frail- don’t you baby her- but she will overplay the idea that she’s a shut-in so asking her to go anywhere without a chair waiting for her is a form of abuse. Asking her to get up and walk across the room to pick something up herself? Neglect! And if you’re working for Sector Seven, insubordination! Hell, treason, even! You want her to write up a report for the Committee?!

No? Didn't think so. Now go fetch, her chips are on that counter over there.

VIII.

She wouldn’t want to make it too obvious, but she absolutely loves it if you’re strong enough to lift her. She likes being carried around piggyback-style. She just might be a little touch starved, and there are a surprising amount of ‘cutesy couple things’ she does kind of want to try… she just can’t do it in any honest fashion.

Trying to force you to carry her around is her solution. She gets to ask you for physical affection and play, all behind a mask of evil bullying. She’ll make her little jokes about you being her pack mule or noble steed, claiming this is a much more efficient way for her to get around- it conserves energy for her very important genius scientist brain and it’s just flat out funnier than her using her scooter. She seems to have even more fun with it if carrying her is difficult for you. She’s a bit of a sadist, what else is there to say?

If you think you can readily lift her usual 90-some pounds (or if you put in the work to get to that point) you can turn this around on her. She loves her piggyback rides, but carrying her bridal-style kills her. She’ll pitch a whole fit, screaming and making threats and blushing so bad she might overheat that very important genius brain of hers.

Just learn to keep an eye on her mood and her limits for when it's time to put her down… She’ll give you plenty of (loud) warnings, but if push comes to shove, she's more than willing to scratch you.

#x reader #kokonoe mercury #nkn0va #anonymous #romantic

[your-phantomfield]

Hi, I saw that you accept mild nsfw requests. Idk how kinky you consider this but i'd like to request noel x a reader that's insecure about his small penis the same way she's insecure about her breasts. Feel free to decline if this makes you feel uncomfy.

For the time being, I'm going to have to decline this request on the grounds that it's too specific. I personally don't have a dick, so at this time I don't feel like I understand the topic well enough to write it with sufficient quality. Especially since I know it's a sensitive topic; I've known guys insecure about their dick size.

That said, I really like the prompt, I like the idea of connecting with Noel on the insecurity. There are a lot of angles to play with there...

Would seeing similar insecurity in her lover inspire her to take on a more positive or appreciative view of her own body, by giving her that firsthand experience of being attracted despite common conception about 'ideal sizes'???

Would her tendency towards wishing she could simply get bigger lead to accidentally hurting her partner, as she might be inclined to try to commiserate or look for "fixes" instead of comfort???

She’s always inclined to comfort the people around her, especially her loved ones- but she isn't always good with words in the heat of the moment. She can accidentally be insensitive, not realizing how her words may be taken. As such, we see her prefer to comfort and support others with actions. Does this suggest we'd see a more sexually-instagating Noel, choosing to reaffirm her attraction through action when her words fail???

Blah blah- my point is, I like this prompt. I'll be rejecting it for now, but I'll keep it in mind, and think a little on how I could equip myself to feel more capable of writing for it. If, or when, I reach that point, I'll return to this idea, and maybe make a quick post to announce that it's been added to my WIP list.

Thanks for the submission!

#anonymous #clarification #noel vermillion

[your-phantomfield]

#phantom filler

[your-phantomfield]

idk the limit of characters per request bit could you do general relationship hcs for izanami, kokonoe and nine since their birthdays are coming up pls

I actually don't do character request limits! Request as many characters as you want; they'll be worked on and posted separately. If the same person requests multiple characters, I may space out what they asked for among other folks' requests, but they will all be done eventually and tagged for the requestor.

That said, requests accepted! They've been added to my Pending Requests page. I list the requests I get there so that ya'll know I got your submission.

Generally I'll be working on characters in order of request, but a character with a birthday during the current month will be prioritized in an effort to get their post done in time to celebrate that birthday!

#anonymous

[your-phantomfield]

MAI = NATSUME

i .. ii .. iii circa 2198 for @tokufan400

I.

Cooking is a great way to take care of your loved ones. A good meal makes anyone happy, there are countless ways you can experiment and personalize your work, you don’t need fancy words or a whole lot of money to express your feelings this way, and learning someone’s favorite foods is like learning more about them as a person! For anyone who enjoys cooking, part of the fun of dating is learning all your partner’s favorite dishes and seeing their eyes light up when you surprise them with one!

Which is why things with Mai are starting to stress you out. She’s a wonderful girl; earnest, hardworking, always kind. But there's something about the subject of food that's causing a bit of a problem in your relationship.

The problem started early on.  When you first brought up that you liked to cook, she seemed to take it fine... but looking back on the memory now, her reaction does seem a little off.  At the time you figured maybe she just wasn’t that much of a foodie, or maybe it was just the typical nervousness of early attraction.

As you started dating, Mai never seemed interested in lunch or dinner dates. It was the one type of date that she always seemed to need to rain check last minute. The times you’ve tried to bring her a treat, she’s always claimed that she just ate, so she’ll have to take the food home and eat it later. She’s reluctant to even try it in front of you!

II.

At first it’s a little heartbreaking- you can’t help but wonder if she’s not interested in you, or trying to hide something, the way she’s being so evasive. You may not want to doubt her, but she’s flat out not acting normal. You start looking for other signs, and things go from upsetting to… outright worrying.

At some point you notice that you never see her eat.  At all.  With you, or with anyone else.  The next time she assures you she already ate before she met up with you, you try to ask her about what she ate.  She seems thrown off- even frightened- by the question.  When she answers, it honestly sounds like she’s making something up.

This pushes things past the point of you being worried about your relationship, and into the realm of you being worried about her. You're becoming more and more convinced that your girlfriend is hiding an eating disorder.

III.

This is where you learn about Mai’s unique condition, and her complicated relationship with food.

Mai Natsume really can’t eat. Well, she can- she still has to, like anyone else- but it isn’t easy for her. There was an… incident, back in her teen years, that messed up her sense of taste really bad. She was in the hospital for a while. Since then, she really can’t taste her food at all.

Instead, she experiences this bizarre sensory overload. She calls it ‘super taste.’ When she puts something in her mouth, the taste is there, but it’s buried under all kinds of other information about what she’s eating. The thoughts and feelings of anyone who cooked the food come rushing into her head, alongside the sentiments of the ingredients themselves. It's like everything in the dish is alive and screaming at her from the inside of her head.

She laughs awkwardly as she tells you the story, almost shaking. She won't look you in the eyes. You are her first relationship, and she didn't want to ruin things like this. She knows how insane this all sounds, and what's worse, she knows how much you like cooking.

She understands that this might be a total deal breaker for you... if you can even believe it in the first place.

IV.

Her story explains her odd behavior, and it addresses some of your concerns, but it also brings on several new ones.  What has she been eating, if eating is so painful for her?  She has to eat something, right???

She's able to reassure you that she does eat, but she's not enthusiastic about it.  When she joined Sector Seven, an entire small team was tasked with attempting to fix her condition.  They failed, in the end, but their experiments did produce the least agonizing way to feed her.

Her daily meals are protein packed rations with all the flavorful appeal of prison food.  All ingredients are synthesized beyond recognition in an attempt to distance them from whatever form of genetic memory Mai's taste picks up on, and packed with neural depressants to try to prevent the sensory overload she experiences.  These meals are bland, tasteless, and they still leave her with headaches, but at least she can eat.

V.

With the truth out in the open, Mai can finally stop avoiding your questions and tell you her favorite foods. The truth is, she doesn’t have one, considering how awful everything is for her. Since her taste changed, there’s only ever been one thing she can eat and actually enjoy… Her mouth is practically watering as she explains that one of her old friends is such an amazing cook, they can make food that Mai can eat, and it even tastes good! Great, actually! She describes it like heaven.

Naturally, this catches your attention. If it’s possible for one person to crack the code on how to make food Mai can eat, then it has to be possible for another person to learn to do the same. You’ve been wanting to cook for Mai since you first fell for her. Learning just how miserable her experience with food is has turned that ‘want’ into a full-on mission.

It’ll be just like learning a new recipe- or, maybe a whole new style of cooking. You’re sure you can do it. People have been fine tuning how they cook and developing whole new menus for people with special dietary needs for centuries! Vegan menus, gluten sensitivities, all KINDS of allergies- what Mai has must be just, like one of those on steroids. And she just confirmed that it’s possible to cater a menu to her needs. Whoever this mythical chef friend of hers is, you need to meet them and start studying with them asap!!!

VI.

This leads into a new problem. Mai hasn’t seen this friend since she left school. She doesn’t know where they are now, and considering her work with Sector Seven, it isn’t entirely safe to go hunting them down. If Mai was comfortable doing that, she would have done it already.

So, you won’t be able to learn directly under this mythical chef. Fine! It’s not going to stop you now that you know a solution is out there. As long as you consider yourself a cook, your girlfriend is not going to be eating bland sensory hell food for the rest of her life!!! Mai is worried about making you go out of your way for her, but even as she tries to tell you you don't have to do this, she's practically jumping out of her seat in her excitement. Your whole relationship you haven't been able to share your love of cooking with her, and now here she is, eyes lighting up and telling stories about foods she wants to try again one day. There is no way you're going to give up now.

VII.

Your first step from there is to talk to the research team behind Mai's meals at Sector Seven. You need to learn what they already know that works, what doesn't, and all the 'safe' ingredients or techniques you can use as a baseline. It's 95% complicated drug names you've never heard of, but you're learning.

You also need to taste what she's eating now. You don't have super taste, you have normal human person taste, but even then, this stuff is gross. You find you hate eating it, even without it beaming a flood of nonsense into your mind and giving you a migraine- you can't imagine how Mai manages to choke it down.

Then it's long talks with the research team to swap ideas. They're a bunch of chemists, not a bunch of chefs, so there have to be things they're missing. Unfortunately, a lot of your early ideas to improve the taste have already been tried and just make things worse for her. The issue for her is stimulation, and adding much flavor or any of the ingredients you'd usually use would bring her back to the hell she experienced before they started making special prescription rations for her.

No matter what you make, it’s going to need to be packed with sedatives. Which makes you feel like some kind of mad scientist, rather than a cook.

VIII.

At the very least, you could do a lot to improve the visuals and atmosphere of her meals. Again, these are a bunch of chemists that are cooking for her. Her meals may still have to taste like muddy dog food until you’ve made some kind of breakthrough, but they sure don’t have to look like it.

It’s an interesting experience for a cook, focusing all your attention on the visuals of her meals rather than the flavor, but it definitely grows your skills in new directions. People have said food can be an art, and plenty of studies have shown that the way a meal looks and smells will impact the way it tastes. Maybe if you can stimulate her taste through her other senses, rather than directly via her tongue, you can avoid triggering her condition.

☆ Bonus ☆

The fun part about all the research and experimenting you have to do is all the time you're able to spend with Mai now. You sit down with her for all her meals, so different from only weeks ago when your girlfriend would disappear into the night at the very mention of dinner. Now you sit with her and brace yourself for the most unappetizing gruel you've ever had the displeasure of dining on, a notebook or a recorder at your side to track the ideas and complaints that come to mind.

You hold her hand and let her squeeze while the pain washes over her, sitting in silent comfort until she's ready to talk- then maybe make a few jokes about the awful meal to get a smile back on her face. You grill her for everything she experiences- taste, thoughts, pain, smell, anything- and the two of you spend an hour or more brainstorming together. You tell her about the foods you love, and steadily she opens up about which ones she wants to try one day, and the meals she misses most from before her taste changed. She hasn't been cured, yet, but being able to share the experience with someone is life changing in its own way.

She doesn't dread when it's time to eat anymore. What's more, alongside the thoughts clouding her mind as she eats, she can feel how much you love her as she eats your cooking.

She can hear the thoughts you had during the hours you worked to make something that wouldn't hurt her, something she could enjoy.

The first time she eats a meal you worked on, using all the weird ingredients from Sector Seven and all the tricks you've learned, she breaks down crying.

You're afraid you may have messed up- that something you did to the food is hurting her.

She's not in pain, though, and she'll tell you that when she can stop crying.

The first words she manages to choke out through a sob are,

"I love you too."

#x reader #romantic #mai natsume #tokufan400

[your-phantomfield]

Request: Mai Natsumi with an S/O that loves to cook, and works to make her favorite dishes.

This was a difficult request, considering Mai's relationship with food. It became really fun as I had to think about it a lot.

Since it's her birthday today (4/4) your request has been processed with expedited shipping!

I may have to come back to this request someday and make a part two, though. Because of how hard cooking for Mai turns out to be, I didn't get to explore the results of your efforts much. I wonder what foods Mai would like best, when she's able to eat them...

#tokufan400

[your-phantomfield]

Carl and Kokonoe Moodboard please? ♡ (Not as a pair, it's just that they are my faves)

I assume you mean seperate aesthetic boards so yeet

#phantom filler

[your-phantomfield]

Relius Clover please.

Done and posted, my dear!

[[Note: These pestering messages were sent by a friend who directly asked me for permission to be silly with her request. Do not be rude in my inbox without prior authorization.]]

#cutesymortician

[your-phantomfield]

RELIUS = CLOVER

i .. ii .. iii circa 2198 for @cutesymortician

I.

A relationship with Relius Clover is anything but stable.  No matter how much you love him, or how much you interest him, he is and always will be thrall to his desires.  He is a hedonist at his core.  Your relationship really isn’t about you at all- it’s about Relius’ interest in you, and his obsession with all that interests him.  The relationship is viciously hot-and-cold.

When it’s hot, it's fire. Relius is absolutely terrible at saying no to himself in any capacity, and you are one of his desires. His most fascinating little pet project at the moment.

He’s spending a shockingly small amount of time in his lab, preferring to be observing you at all hours as a form of ‘field research.’ He can’t stand to have you out of his sight. No other project interests him right now. Any time spent alone just leads his thoughts back to the subject of you.

II.

More well-adjusted people might call this pining, or a crush, or love. Of course, super genius that he is, Relius doesn’t see it as such. Yes, yes, you’re captivating, you are lovely, but his interest is nothing so pedestrian. His draw to you is based in more refined things, he thinks; scientific curiosity and artistic appreciation.

This is no meaningless bid for human connection. His admiration of you is much like his admiration for theater. Refined. An intellectual pursuit.

Which is why he must be able to reach you whenever the fancy strikes him. He can’t have you interrupting his work with all your mystery. He won’t be able to get anything done if he’s stuck pining for wondering about you. Wherever you lived previously, you'll be moved to living in the same Hierarchical City he's been stationed in. Having to make time for an entire airship flight every day is beneath him- it's much more reasonable to have you near enough that he can teleport to your location whenever he likes.

If you have any connection to the NOL, he has enough power to pull the strings necessary to have you formally transferred to his location. Perhaps he could even have you stationed near his office. He could do with a secretary.

III.

If you aren't in the NOL, don't fret- no path you walk will be able to lead you out of his reach. Maybe a family member gets sick, maybe the job offer of your dreams just appears out of the aether... He'll take just about any route to get you to him other than asking directly.

Relius, the gentleman that he is, prefers to be able to offer you the courtesy of allowing you to move closer to him. He'll take care of your room and board as an act of charity. God forbid he have to act like a normal boyfriend and just ask you to move in with him. He'd sooner die... or maybe just kill you and be done with this. No, he'd rather not lose you... perhaps you've been refined enough to service one of his Detonator prototypes... The convenience of being able to call for Ignis whenever he pleases is wonderful, it would certainly be a boon to your relationship-

Hmm.... no. Not... yet. He's not done with this dance of yours.

IV.

Speaking of how this man cannot be normal about anything.  A relationship with Relius doesn’t exactly look like modern dating.  You’re free to consider him your boyfriend, but from Relius’ perspective, he doesn’t really do dating.  He finds it childish, gauche, and an utter waste of time.

Instead, Relius prefers to see himself as courting you. Your relationship may be official, in a way, in that he has decided he wants you and will be furious if you turn to someone else, but he’s not inclined to put any names to it. All the more reason he would rather ‘puppet master’ his way into getting you to move to his area code than ever ask you to move in.

V.

His love of theatrics, his dramatism, and that desire to ‘court you properly’ combine into something like a dream.  He’s old school. Storybook old school.

This is a man who never lets you open a door on your own- he’ll either do it himself, with a bow, or he’ll send someone else to take care of it while his hand stays firmly on your waist.  He treats you like you’re delicate, regardless of whether or not you are.  Your chairs will be pulled out, your drinks will be poured.  When you’re with him, you’ll almost never have to do anything other than sit, look pleasant like the prized piece of artwork he sees you as, and provide some interesting conversation. That should be easy enough, no?

VI.

He makes time for dinner with you multiple times a week, during the periods when you’re his primary interest. He never lets you see the bill. During the conversation, he may share a little about his work, but he’s vague, talking mostly in abstracts. He appreciates any interest you show, absolutely, and would love to give you a demonstration on his research sometime- but that isn’t of any interest right now. At the moment he’d rather be thinking about you, and he’ll keep steering the conversation back to you because of that.

Sometimes he’s uncomfortably quiet, barely nodding along as you’re forced to carry the entire conversation. It’s not that he isn’t paying attention- he’s fixated. He enjoys relaxing to the melody of your voice, watching the ebbs and flows in your soul. On occasion that does mean he’s barely listening to the actual words you’re saying, sure, but he is paying attention to you. How sweet!

Other times dinner with him kind of feels like an interview, the way he keeps pestering you about every little thing he can think of. Your hobbies- how are they coming along? He remembers projects or interests you may have only mentioned in passing, and expects to hear how you’ve made progress on them. He latches on to any kind of self-improvement attempt you’ve been considering and he will scold you if you haven’t been following through. He takes special interests in the arts and in education, fields he believes to improve a person’s mind.

If you aren’t able to present enough ‘progress points’ to satisfy him, he’ll start ‘helpfully’ suggesting some of his own, functionally giving you homework. Practice your penmanship, it’s truly embarrassing for someone of your caliber. Read this philosophy treatise, he’ll have it sent to your home by the morning. Has your dancing improved at all? Come, he’s going to test you.

VII.

Which leads us into the other side of your relationship.  I’ve mentioned that Relius is mercurial, unpredictable and just as liable to ice you out as he is to burn you up.  When he turns cold, it can chill you to the bone.

As intense as his obsessive admiration can get, it is terrifyingly easy to disappoint him.  Failure is never acceptable.  This is a man that, for all your life, if you plan to be with him, you are going to have to constantly impress him.  His favor can only ever be earned temporarily.  He’s constantly reassessing you. You will be allowed to wax and wane, when he’s in a good enough mood to humor you, but you must never become boring, or displeasing, to him.

On a good night, fussing a little can be cute... but you will not argue with him. Don’t take a tone with him. His word, on anything, is final- don’t test that.

You can desire him, you can ask for things... but don’t be too needy. There are more important things than you, and if you cannot wrap your head around that simple fact, then he must have overestimated you, and he will waste no time on an idiot.

VIII.

Even if you do everything right and are perfectly pleasing to him, he still gets cold. It’s something you have to be able to adapt to with him. Relius sets the entire pace of your relationship. If that doesn’t work for you, see above. It will start a fight that you’ll be able to never win.

Unexpectedly and out of nowhere, his interests will shift from you to some other project. His work, his plotting- he’s rarely inclined to explain it to you. One day he’s your perfect prince, spending every night twirling you under the stars… and the next he’s out the door with barely a word. You may be given a goodbye, but even then, when is he coming back? He doesn’t know, or care, and won’t be able to tell you. If you ask too much, you'll irritate him.

And then he's gone. Sometimes only for a few hours, if it was just a little chore at headquarters. Other times it’s weeks. A month. Two. Time passing with absolutely no contact from him.

It’s even worse if he does reach out, honestly. A poem or a gift appearing in your room, proving he’s been here, but couldn’t be bothered to see you or explain anything. You're left with your thoughts and whatever scattered rumors you can pick up.

How can you help but wonder what you did wrong? Where you became so boring that he'd vanish without a trace? Why you mean nothing to him now?

But no, dear, this isn't a punishment for you at all. This is simply the nature of the man you've chosen to love.

#relius clover #x reader #cutesymortician #romantic #yandere #tw power imbalance

[your-phantomfield]

Hello this is the anon that asked for both es and nine i was thinking of the bbtag version so cf i guess

Ah, sounds good! Yeah, bbtag draws on the Central Fiction playable cast. Thanks for requesting!!

If you like the characters, I would definitely recommend looking into the media they debuted in! (XBlaze visual novels for another take on Es, Phase Shift light novels for Nine before her death and mental break.)

I wonder if I should default to assuming the CF versions when these characters, and possibly Mai, are requested...

#anonymous #clarification

[your-phantomfield]

kagura mutzuki ↠ blazblue

requested by anon

#phantom filler

[your-phantomfield]

Could you do some general relationship hcs for Nine please?

Happily! But before I add this to my To-Do list, which version of Nine are you thinking?

Nine the Phantom (Central Fiction)

Nine of the Ten Sages (Phase Shift)

Konoe Ayatsuki Mercury (Mage's Guild era)

Other (Please let me know!)

Suprise me

#anonymous #clarification