#& getting caught up in it enough that he doesn't take into account anyone else's

[astracora]

Poly!LADs headcanons #2

Social Edition

Featuring main MC.

Masterlist

Social Media

Zayne uses his online profiles pretty much exclusively for work. He follows distinguished professionals, especially in cardiology to keep up with the industry and build connections. He also shares information and studies, because he's aware patients follow him or family of patients, about health and general ways to assist with recovery. Has reported a lot of articles though, for misinformation.

He only really has one personal account, which is not openly shared, he uses this one to keep up with the polycules updates (even though he finds himself tutting as Xavier posts about the 6th pot noodle he's eaten that day), and comments on as many as he can (absolutely has alerts set up for MC specifically). Has more than one caught Rafayel and Sylus (whose account is of course under Skye to alleviate stress), plotting some prank, and printed out a screenshot to question them.

It goes as well as you'd expect.

Rafayel does not separate his work from his personal. This man will post about anything and everything, you want art exhibit exclusive updates? Follow Thomas. With Raffy you'll get every little hyperfixation, all his personal updates, random things he finds pretty, the occasional fawning over his loved ones in all caps, and the occasional art related post (Thomas normally has to remind him.) He binged a 20 episode show once, and wouldn't stop talking about it for months. He also will rant about the environment and things people can do to do their part. If he loses followers he doesn't care. Once Xavier accidentally unfollowed him (because trying to type with one hand while half asleep is a disaster waiting to happen) and he sulked for a week.

Likes everything the polycule posts, except for Sylus. Sometimes he leaves his usual 'dumb crow' comment, but Sylus casually mentioned that it showed he still cared enough to read, and Raffy ignored his posts for two months after that in protest. (When it gets brought up, he still blushes.)

Xavier is only as active as he has to be. He doesn't really follow a lot of people, the polycule, Jeremiah, Nero, Tara, Simone, Andrew and Jenna. MC once asked why he didn't really follow anyone else, and he just shrugged, too much work, and went back to what he was doing. Will tag himself and the polycule in locations when they go out, he takes photos fairly often, but will normally forget to post them. Raffy made a comment about it being a good method to track the progression of time and remembering what you get up to, and he started posting more often after that. His updates are mundane things, day-to-day, nice things he's seen, and nothing too groundbreaking.

Sometimes he does go back through his account to look at stuff though, it normally reminds him he wants to print certain photos out though. Preferring to have physical copies of memories. (Nero absolutely runs a Lumiere account that Xavier does NOT follow, but Sylus and MC do because they think it's hilarious.)

Sylus' account is under Skye or whatever nickname he's been called that amuses him that week. (He once changed it to 'fish eating crow' and the argument between him and Rafayel was so loud, Zayne made a deal with Sylus to change it back.) He follows the entire polycule, as well as Tara, Luke and Kieran. He says he follows Luke and Kieran because they sometimes post what chaos they plan to get up to next, but he likes all the things they post, and occasionally comments. (Sometimes if it's particularly troublesome, he comments 'Come see me.', and they know they're in for a lecture.) His updates can be anything, they're even more eclectic than Rafayel on account of how much amuses him on a daily basis. He also posts an obscene amount of photos he's taken of the polycule.

Doesn't have a business account because he doesn't need it, his name is enough. Any information he gets about any shady n109 zone business is through other methods. He absolutely is the kind of person to save posts to show people because they made him think of them. So so many links, found when he has a particularly boring meeting. Was following Jenna, MC took his phone and made him unfollow Jenna. 

MC has one account that follows everyone they personally know, plushie release updates, anything relevant to their interests (gaming magazines/film updates), and the occasional account that just posts pictures of animals. They go through entire periods of not posting or visiting their social media at all, and then intense fixation periods where they sit for an hour or two just liking and commenting. They share a lot of things to show the polycule, can be anything from a picture of a crow with a little hat (it's you Sy!), or a really beautiful photograph (for Raffy's inspiration). Number one fan for Simone and Tara specifically. They don't have alerts set up but they'll periodically just open profiles from the polycule to browse their pages.

Their pfp changes CONSTANTLY. It's not them, Sylus keeps changing it, with any new photo he sees. Sometimes its a cat with the most ridiculous face, other times its a snapshot Xavier's taken where they've been taken by surprise. Sometimes they notice straight away, other times they don't notice at all.

Talkative levels

Rafayel > Sylus > MC > Zayne > Xavier > Rafayel (if he hates you)

Rafayel, if he likes you, will talk for England. He can talk about anything, and fill any empty space. As long as you're listening or want him to keep going, he'll do so. While he's happy to sit in silence, he enjoys conversation, about any range of topics. He's a smart, knowledgeable man with a breadth of knowledge. History, Art, Politics and Environment are some top things he'll be able to engage in. Also just likes to talk shit.

If he doesn't like you, he will barely engage, unless he feels the need to add a threat (normally only important when he's protecting the people he loves).

Sylus can talk a lot, and he enjoys being engaged with on topics. He's well read, old enough to have a lot of worldly experience (though can sometimes feel lacking on emotional topics), and is very insightful as a person. Aboveall else, however… he loves listening. Can easily sit for hours just listening to a conversation, whether he's multi-tasking, or just sat. Doesn't matter if he understands the topic, doesn't matter if he has anything to add, but he will truly listen. It makes him happy to have things shared with him.

Xavier is about half and half on his conversation, he's naturally fairly lethargic and is happy for other people to fill quiet, or just sit in silence, or he can chat. Normally only for people he is close to, however. Is a very good listener, but also prone to asking the oddest questions. Is the type of person to ask the worm question, because he likes seeing what he gets in return. Is the quietest of the polycule though, easily just letting convos pass him by, or only chipping in with the occasional comment. The more upset he gets, the quieter he gets. Is, however, capable of dropping the most baffling comments or stirring the pot with gentle prods.

Zayne is reasonably talkative, and very verbose. He's obviously a smart man, but prefers the relaxation of his personal life to have some more of a childish or calm approach to his life. So unless it's needed, he doesn't want to talk about anything too complex in his day-to-day. Very jovial, even if his expression doesn't always match, and is happy to go toe to toe with topics or personality. Mirrors to some degree. Especially with MC. Has learned over time, how to be a little less formal with others, to help them relax.

MC goes through stages, they can be incredibly quiet for long periods of time, especially if they're post a rough mission, or having a rough day and overstimulated. Normally though once they get started on a topic of interest, comfortable with someone, or in a good mood, they can talk and talk and talk. They are more talkative through texts than they are in person, but it gets easier for them if they know the person. (The polycule get the bulk of it, along with Tara and Simone.)

Arguments?

Rafayel's version of arguments, as long as he is with people he cares about, is normally a process of going through the loud, irritated, sometimes yelling, until he reaches the ice cold, will say something to hurt you, in order to lash back when he feels uncomfortable or strong emotions.

He'll need one of two things to calm down, time to think and take space, or pulling back early enough that he realises he's hurting people. (MC is most successful with this, unless they're part of the argument.)

He clashes most with Zayne and Sylus. Sylus because the two are akin to cats and dogs, their arguments are very rarely serious, but they can get carried away, especially if Rafayel feels cornered. He clashes with Zayne because he doesn't take well to being told what to do in any form, even if it only comes from a place of concern. His arguments with Zayne have lessened a lot overtime, but his arguments with Sylus are still going strong.

It's possible he just enjoys sniping with the crow though.

Xavier doesn't really care enough to get into arguments, if he's bothered by something, it's jealousy above anything else. He'll get a stormcloud above his head, and it's the polycules job to help him clear it (or give him space to process it safely). His normal feelings of irritation come in the form of a pout, or a few grumbles, but if he sleeps it off, he's fine. So he tries not to really show his upset if he can, because it never lasts that long. King of bouncing back.

That said, he argues most with Zayne and MC. The arguments are rarely serious, Zayne's are normally about his bad eating habits, and come from a place of concern, but the way he shares them can often make Xavier feel like he's being belittled. His arguments with MC are about how he hides things, secrets, and doesn't share when he goes off fighting dangerous wanderers as Lumiere (or just as Xavier). These arguments are (seemingly) calm from Xavier's side, and fierce anger from MC. This can often result in them having to bench the conversation where they're talking past each other, and someone else will have to mediate.

Zayne tries to be cool as much as he can, he doesn't like raising his voice, he would rather not show anger, and he tries to approach people with a level tone. This doesn't always work, and sometimes he feels like an icy wasteland when he talks. Chilling and sarcastic. It can feel biting, and even if he doesn't want to exacerbate an argument, it can often have the opposite impact. (He sometimes also can't resist adding a dig, when he thinks someone is being extra foolish.)

He argues a lot with Rafayel and Xavier, and his arguments with Sylus fizzle out the most, because he has no interest in being a source of amusement for the man. His arguments always come from a place of concern. He wants people to take care of themselves, he worries about them, dislikes tending to wounds that are unnecessary.

When he argues, he needs either a mediator (MC if they're not involved in the argument, Sylus if he has to), or for the person he's arguing with to extend an olive branch. Is surprisingly stubborn about it (though it could also be because Raffy and Xavi both are not prone to just backing down on something.)

Sylus' form of argument can differ. The man can be either cool, and amused, enjoying his arguing partners emotional output in the same way someone would poke a wild animal to see what happens. Or he can be cold, deadly and dangerous. The latter very rarely comes out, it is only through extreme circumstances, or something he truly would not compromise on, that it happens. These situations make him scary, and can make him cruel. It does not come out with the polycule, and it is rare for even an enemy to get such a reaction. He deals with everything very calmly. (visibly at least). He does not raise his voice, but he will match someone barb for barb.

Argues mostly with MC and Rafayel. Though the second he gets a real display of pain or shock, especially out of MC, he'll realise it's serious and back up quickly. Until then, he enjoys verbally sparring. He only outwardly argues with someone without them starting it, when he is truly bothered by recklessness. If someone jumps in front of him to get hurt, if they do not listen when he tells them something. If he's not trusted in situations where he likely either knows best, or feels he does.

Will calm down quickly because it's never that serious, or will go away for a joyride to give himself some freedom to feel better, and then return to find another way forwards.

MC is fairly conflict averse, they have enough stress in their day to day that added strain often doesn't react well with their body. (Heart condition, general hunter lifestyle.). Arguments are often far calmer than when they are actually angry. Their anger manifests as a vicious serpent, and depending on the situation, it becomes sharp like a dagger, to stick under a scale and force it off. For arguments, they match energy normally. If the person they're arguing with is cold, they're cold back, (though it might not always last, as when they feel forced into a corner, they can get emotional against their will and overstimulated.), if the person yells, they'll yell back too.

They argue most with Xavier and Sylus. It is almost always about safety, about their injuries, about recklessness. They also argue over smaller things, like money being spent unnecessarily, Mephisto following them unnecessarily, if they're standing up for someone else but get carried away. To calm down, they have to leave the situation, and come back to communicate better. They will often do this with something written down to help them stay level headed and resolve a problem. They always want and give affection after.

[dollypopup]

interesting that people are still saying that they need to see Colin humbled and criticizing him for being 'smug' in the first views we have of Season 3

almost like. . .they don't actually understand his character

almost like. . .they don't want to

Colin is a character who is consumed externally. Through other people's eyes. Through Marina's and Penelope's and Anthony's viewpoints, through the ton's viewpoint. And that makes him a character you have to dig into and *actively* consider his POV in order to properly grasp the extent of him, since he has been largely denied that POV by the narrative. And when you do that, when you consider his perspective, you realize that the 'smug' veneer people are criticizing? Yeah, that's not actually Colin. It is the view of him. It's the persona he wears. That he shows us. That we consume without question.

Because we? We are the ton. We are who Colin criticizes as only seeing him as an empty charmer. As a smug flirt. As a man with no substance.

Colin is *already* humbled, and his suave exterior is the protection of such, the armor to shield him from society, because when he didn't have it? He was hurt.

Colin loses his father at 12 years old. Colin is sent off to boarding school away from his family almost immediately after Edmund dies. Colin grieves alone. Colin is made fun of by his older brother. Colin is teased for being a virgin, for being earnest, for being a romantic. Colin's first foray into love ends with a public blowup of his engagement. Colin is humiliated to his entire community. Colin is depressed in Season 2. Colin tries finding escape in new places and drugs and letters. Colin is hardly even noticed by his own mother. Colin tries talking about his experiences and people roll their eyes at him, so he stops talking about it. Colin writes on his travels a second time and barely gets a response back. Colin is ghosted by his best friend with no explanation. Colin apologizes. Repeatedly. Wholeheartedly. To Penelope. To Will. To Marina. Colin is told off to his face and *accepts it*. Colin is accused of being a foolish boy caught up in fantasies and bows his head and says 'very well'. Colin is informed that he hurt Penelope and called cruel and immediately apologizes. Takes accountability for what he said with no excuses, praises her, and offers to help her achieve her goals.

When Colin says that charm can be taught, he speaks from experience. He was a sad, lonely young man in Season 2, he is playing a role in Season 3. That's the whole point. Colin *is already humble*.

But furthermore. . .so what if he is more confident in Season 3? What did he do exactly that was so horrible that we need him to be knocked down several pegs? When he is already overlooked even in his own family? And the answer is. . .he didn't love Penelope soon enough.

But that's also not true. Colin has loved Penelope more than anyone else, out loud, and unhesitatingly. It hasn't been romantic and sexual, but that doesn't mean he hasn't loved her. Who asks how Penelope is faring? Colin. Who is the only one in the sitting room in Season 1 to bid her a good day? Colin. Who is the one who is praising Penelope for being smart and sharp and witty and funny and warm and clever? Colin. Who is the one writing to her on the off season, keeping her company? Colin. Who is the one who looks to her home, no doubt wondering how she's doing? Colin.

This fandom has a grudge against him for increasingly infuriating reasons. This is the season he falls in love, and the grand majority of people don't want to understand him, his motivations or characterization. Going so far as to immediately think he's ignoring Penelope in the first 5 minute clip, when she is hiding in the bushes. When the entire family walked down the stairs and didn't notice her right in front of them. We will bend ourselves into pretzels to justify hating on him or insulting him or wanting to see him ground to nothing, and yet accept the most surface level reading of him possible. You can't do that with a character like Colin. His conflict is internal, and the narrative has not given us much glimpse of it. Regardless of whether or not it has gotten overt screentime, Colin is a complex, deep character.

We, however, are a shallow audience.

We are the ton.

[kelliealtogether]

I'm hoping to have one last fic typed up, edited, and posted by the end of 2024, but as the year is winding down, I figured I'd post a wrap-up of the works I've completed this year. So here they are, from longest to shortest. 😌

In Comes the Tide - 45k - Rated T

Performing a simple, polite gesture should not result in a marriage, but—Adam Parrish learned—this did not apply to selkies. The summer before his senior year at Harvard, Adam returns to the same small coastal town where he's spent the past two summers. Bussing tables isn't what he wants to do with his life, but the dockside seafood shack where he works is popular, and the tips the employees split pad his bank account enough to afford a more leisurely fall when he gets back to Cambridge. Little does Adam know he's in for a very surprising summer when a selkie shows up at The Sea Shanty and Adam saves his coat...

While There's Breath in My Body - 11k - Rated E

Adam Parrish had lived in Port Royal for twenty years. He’d been around ships for almost two thirds of his life. In all that time, only one ship ever raised the hair on his arms each time it came to port, and it was not the ship itself, but the man who stood at its helm. A skirmish could put a ship’s fate in someone else’s hands. A storm or a cannon ball could put it at the bottom of the sea. A rampant illness could leave it crewless and adrift, waiting for the next enterprising group of sailors to come on board. But a particular flag, a particular captain… Those raised Adam’s hair far more than any combination of masts, sails, and anchors ever would.

A Pirate AU

Hello, I'm in Delaware - 7k - Rated G

Has anyone ever told you that you look like a fed?” “I am a fed.” “And it’s disgusting how much you don’t hide it.” Adam Parrish travels the country covering up sightings of dreamt cryptids. When he gets called to Delaware to investigate a creature caught on home security footage, he asks for some help from a dreamer. His fiancé, Ronan Lynch.

The Magician Entertainment - 5k - Rated G

When Adam Parrish reveals he knows sleight of hand at a company team building event, he doesn't realize how big of a mistake he's made until one of his colleagues corners him a few days later in the office kitchen. The entertainment Declan Lynch hired for his daughter's birthday party bailed, and Declan has ideas about who can fill that void: Adam. Adam agrees — simply because Declan offers him the easiest $500 Adam will ever earn — though Adam's not happy about it. It's only when he arrives at the party that he realizes he might be able to perform some actual magic. With Declan's younger brother, Ronan.

Just Coffee - 4k - Rated G

The new barista at Fox Way Cafe was hot as shit. Or Ronan Lynch hoped he was new. That was the only reasonable excuse why the barista sucked at barista-ing and seemed to provide the fucking worst customer service known to man. The way the guy’s thin smile faltered when he asked someone how he could help them said he’d rather throw himself into an active volcano — or possibly a tiny metal pitcher of freshly steamed milk, given the setting — than take another order for a nonfat pumpkin spice peppermint patty latte with almond milk or whatever, but damn, Ronan would stand in line all day if it meant watching the new guy epically fail at providing a good customer experience. Ronan Lynch doesn't mean to become a regular at Fox Way Cafe, but when he sees the cafe's newest employee for the first time, he decides to keep going back again, and again, and again. At least until the new barista learns how to spell his name...

Rock Beats Scissors - 2k - Rated M

Really, if they wanted to keep things fair and equitable, they could have found some impartial way to make the decision. Flipping a coin. Drawing straws. Rolling a die. But being distractingly hard didn’t always allow for rational thinking, and for two eighteen-year-old boys who appreciated the more physical aspects of life, neither of them would have been willing to hit the pause button to scramble out of bed and find a quarter or an old board game. They just kept going until someone gave in, and no matter who put what where, they both ended up exceedingly happy with the results. Which worked. Until the first time neither of them wanted to give in. When Adam and Ronan can't agree on who's going to top, they solve their problem the old fashioned way: rock paper scissors.

The Singular Formula - 2k - Rated G

It was because he spent his nights on Adam’s floor awake that Ronan heard Adam talk in his sleep in the first place, and though he might not have remembered when he first heard Adam sleep talking, Ronan would never forget what Adam said. Seal off the wall. Don’t let the submarines in. When Ronan starts sleeping over at Adam's tiny apartment above St. Agnes, he learns something about Adam he hadn't known before: Adam talks in his sleep.

Safe Bet - 1k - Rated G

The guy tilted his head slightly as if to say fair, and he lifted a long, lovely hand to push a lock of dusty hair back off his forehead as he looked at Ronan. “I might be, but I hope not.” One corner of his thin lips twitched, then he said, “Because I have a proposition.” Ronan stared. Blinked. He had not anticipated his evening taking this kind of turn when he’d needed to get out of his older brother’s apartment. Ronan loved his brothers Declan and Matthew — who he’d come to stay with while he tried to make his life less directionless — but sometimes three Lynches under one roof was too much. Evenly, he said, “A proposition.” When Ronan Lynch is approached by a hot stranger at a bar, the last thing he expects is that he'll be drawn into the guy's scheme to win a bet against his coworkers.

I've got tons of pots simmering on my stove going into 2025, so here's to another year of writing about these two idiot assholes falling in love over and over again. 🥰

[khaoala]

#like people wanting kant to be devil incarnate and style the saint of the saints

From the tags to this ask: https://www.tumblr.com/khaopybara/772039491673260032/re-your-reaction-video-gifset-maybe-its-just?source=share

Are...are people saying that about the episode 6 bowling scene?

I've seen a lot of baffling "criticism" of Kant and I am pretty sure it's just down to people not caring enough about him to pay attention. Because a lot of the things people say are missing are right there staring us in the face.

It's not the not liking a character. People are wrong imo but they're free to be. It's the insistence that Kant is evil or has no reasons for doing this or doesn't care about anyone involved that drive me nuts.

I had assumed Kant wouldn't be a very good or interesting character from the get go because Cameron was a total nothing in 10 Things despite being the catalyst for Patrick to pursue Kat. But I was wrong. There's so much to him and yeah, we do have to pay attention because so much of his characterization lies in what he isn't saying. That's at least part of why it has to be First playing him imo. Very few others could convey as much as he does in the twitch of an eyebrow or lip. But it's like people are just closing their eyes to it. Like if it isn't explicitly stated it doesn't matter. And even if it is explicitly stated he's probably lying anyway. And it's nuts to me that people can't see how trapped he must be feeling. Either Bison finds out and kills him, he fails or quits and goes to jail, or he lets the man he's fallen for in spite of himself be caught and loses him either through death or prison. No option is good for him, no option doesnt result in him losing something. I just don't get how people could actually be watching this show and take away that he's some awful, cackling villain instead of a dude who is cornered and miserable about it.

And it makes me so sad for First, who seemed pretty proud of his work at the start and now just spends all of his time apologizing for or trying to explain Kant's behavior. And he shouldn't have to do that even if Kant *were* the most awful person in the show, but it makes it worse that that's not the case and he still feels it's necessary.

Sorry for the long ask. I guess I'm madder about this than I thought.

i'm not sure if you saw this anon, and if you haven't, i'm sorry to bring you this image:

from an official account mind you, which makes it even worse, because they are just taking the part of fandom who are half witted and making a whole post about it (they've deleted it since i guess it wasn't as funny as they thought it was and would have more people backing them up, but what they got was people calling them out).

also not gonna submit people to my overly long rants that barely make any sense, so the rest is under read more.

i've said this a few weeks ago on twitter i think. no one's is forcing people to like kant (it's their loss honestly, because kant is a genuinely fascinating character), no one is forcing people to like kantbison. and you don't need deep reasoning to not like a character. sometimes you just don't click with them. people who dislike kant could just go, "yeah, i don't care about kant much" and move on (or even better, what i usually do, not talk about them at all! i know, what a novelty) and not have to come up with "kant is doing this for money", or "he doesn't care about bison/babe(!!!)/style" instead to back up their dislike. there's a saying in portuguese that goes a little like this, "when you shut up, you're a poet" and i think that's beautiful.

first talked about wanting to work hard so people can look at a character and say, "no one else could have played this character but first," and kant is exactly that character. no one else could have done what he is doing with kant regardless of the backlash because the backlash is coming from people who can't bother to care about him as a character. other people have talked about this more eloquently, but the lack of empathy is simply worrying tbh. what do you mean you see a man who had to raise his brother by himself bc their parents died in a plane crash, who had to find means to care for the both of them and you can't even bother to acknowledge that "yeah, maybe this dude had it a little rough huh". again, you don't need to like him, but at least try to understand him the same way you try to understand the two assassins and the guy who started hitting on a dude to win a bet.

and to be fair, first has been apologizing for kant since ep. 1. he knew people would be nasty. they were already nasty when ep. 11, 12 of only friends came out and boeing was a thing, and he kept apologizing for him (though i think it was mostly bc he said he wouldn't do what sand did). the thing is, first being first, probably didn't expect people to be so stupid and blind not to see kant's motivations and understand him and even worse when they can't separate the actor from the character and come for him instead (and mind you, and this made me pissed, kant haters who watched the reaction said "kant defenders are talking to walls because even first was angry with him" WHEN HE WAS ALMOST BEGGING YOU ALL TO SEE HIS SIDE!! ARE YOU SKIPPING PARTS OF THE REACTION AS WELL OR WHAT?!)

anyway…

kant protagonist. without him, there would be no story, no other couples, integral part of the plot, you all who hate him can eat shit.

[imagine-silk]

I have a Yandere Fallout idea. A courser is found spying around in Good Neighbor and the citizens captured them to give to their leader so he can decide their fate. Theirs a bag over their head, and when he removes it he is stunned. They are absolutely breathtaking, and he instantly knows he can't just kill such a pretty thing. He decided to keep them instead.

》Just let the chaos happen.

It is an absolute miracle this courser wasn't killed on the spot. The only reason they are alive is because the citizens want Hancock to torture them to get information on why the Institute keeps sending people to the surface. Because this one didn't replace anyone, they were just a stranger passing through that the others sniffed out. To the citizens' credit he was going to do just that, but plans change. He then gives a speech about rehabilitation to his people and how he will get this synth to talk without harming them permanently. Because of how much his people trust him they take this with no push back.

There are quickly chained into the attic of the Old Statehouse. Only Hancock and Fahrenheit have a key to access it so anyone else will need to be let in. Fahrenheit stands on business and she knows exactly why Hancock did what he did. So she never harms them, gives them food and water, asks them the questions and leaves after they refuse to answer. Hancock will spend hours in the attic with them. He's so enamored with them, their sharp observing eyes that scream with judgement, their lips that stay shut as long as he's in the room, how clean they seem to be and how perfect all their proportions are. Of course he's speaking but that almost comes second. He feels like he caught an angel that fell out of heaven just long enough for him to snatch.

They ask him to just kill them, that they will never surrender any information or give into any demands. What terrifies them is that fact he says, "I know." He know any rehabilitation is going to come through extraordinary means and he doesn't really care to do it, not when they're right there for him to look at. He can enjoy the presence of the fallen angel because they both know no one is coming to save them.

Synths are just humans that were designed so the coursers are barely different. They are meant to be the perfect soldiers so they eat and drink significantly less. Hancock thought he was content to just watch them and worship them from the other side of the room but he didn't account for just how greedy being that close would make him. So he puts a little something in the food and waits until they fall asleep. He's not dumb enough to touch them while they were awake, they'd kill him the second he was within arms reach. So he takes the time to trace their face, to feel how warm their skin is, to inspect just how flawless they are. When they start waking up he retreats to a safe distance. Of course they know he drugged them and check to see what he did but he didn't really do anything, or at least nothing they can check. They do their best not to eat anything he gives them only for it to be in their drink the next time. This creates a loop of them not eating or drinking for long periods of time before needing to and indulging. It's a 50/50 chance it's tampered with.

There is one thing, and one thing only, that would get them out of the chains and attic; if they developed an attachment to Hancock. This could be very likely. He is one of the only two people they see, he speaks to them constantly, he treats them like he's worshiping, going so far as to put them to sleep to feel what perfection is like. What's the alternative? Going back to the Institute who either thinks they're dead or knows they're alive and isn't sending anyone because they know they won't be a problem. No matter what the case is if they did go back they would be reevaluated and their mind would be wiped at the very least, worse case they would be dismantled.

Then they start talking back, little at first but enough to hold a conversation. They see how, as much as Fahrenheit would, Hancock is never going to hurt them. He's not incapable he just won't. Slowly the conversations go more smoothly and there are less things in their drink. On a whim they ask, "Do you want to touch me?" They invite him to come close, vowing if he goes too far they will kill him. Then he does. He cups their face, searching for a reaction and gently glides his warped hands over it, down their neck. He inspects their hands, testing intertwining their fingers. This wasn't violent, it was barely invasive. It was worship. That fact breaks something in them, in their mind and suddenly being here isn't the problem. The nail in the coffin is when he asks them if they want different clothes, saying they must be uncomfortable now that the temperature is starting to change.

They start to crave the worship he gives to them, allow him to inspect them and every time he acts like he's never done it. They test their luck and start to trace his face as well. They learn every wrap and blemish his skin holds, they watch how close their fingers need to get to his eyes to see them close, and they wonder what they could do.

There are two routes from here; they either allow this to keep happening and become content living in this golden cage or they see how far they can take his worship. They ask things of him and he gives them. This further breaks them open as well, it creates a feedback loop between the two. In lame terms; they match their freak too well. They walk the streets freely, they watch everything he does expecting he'll watch them as well. The residents of Goodneighbor are happy because they think the rehabilitation worked. All they know is they went in a prisoner and left very willing to kill anything that threatens Goodneighbor. They don't need to know the selfish unhinged reasons.

[drama--universe]

Lie Detector Curse

Requested by anonymous: Hi, I picked up some idea from the foreign stories and came up with an idea for a request: How would Meng Yao, Lan Zhan, Zewu Jun and Wen Ning react to a reader who has something like a ''useful'' curse? Anyone near the reader lies, gets caught, gets hit out of thin air, has colored hair, longer nails, or has a colored aura around them...how would they react to a reader with this curse? Would they appreciate it or take it badly? Thx!

Pairing: Untamed boys x reader

Warnings: none, I think

Lan Zhan:

You can see auras of people

which leads to being able to see if they're dangerous or not

and also when someone is truthful or not

Lan Zhan is concerned about this

and honestly, I think he'd take it badly

because he thinks that you sacrificed something to gain such powers

it's not every day that you meet someone that can sense if someone is lying or not by seeing auras

it isn't until you explain that you had been cursed by someone else, that he somehow feels better about your powers

not fine really, because you still got cursed

he doesn't worry about them perse, he never lies

but he surely will ask for your help with some of his work that includes socializing with people

he's not good with people

and they tend to lie to him when he asks questions

and thus you follow

it makes his life much easier

and his journeys significantly shortens in time

so it definitely grows on him after time

just give him awhile

Lan Xichen:

your hair changes color depending on who you talk to

it depends on emotions

red for anger, blue for sadness, yellow for happiness, green for envy and black for nothing

but when someone lies, it turns to white

Lan Xichen definitely finds it peculiar

he isn't sure what to think

even after an explanation

he's mortified that someone would curse a child, mostly

he, honestly, finds it a bit funny at times

because you can't fully control it

which means that your hair changes at any time

even if you're talking to someone you barely know

and they always tend to run off after

he tries his best to hide his smile

but he's always quick to make sure that you don't take it to heart

he usually doesn't ask for your help regarding your curse/gift

only when it is absolutely necessary

which is often only when you jump in on your own accord

he's one of the four who really wouldn't care much in the end

Meng Yao:

you're a bit like Wen Ning

your appearance changes and your eyes turn black when someone near you is dangerous or lying

(you change immediately when you see him)

nonetheless, he never really lies to you

he learns that your powers don't take in account when he just leaves certain things out to avoid the actual truth

he finds a way to use your power for his benefit

because it makes his plans easier

he asks questions to people while you hide away

you can later tell him if it was the truth or a lie

he enjoys your powers to the fullest and you know this

hence why you stay by his side

because other people get frightened when they see you

Meng Yao never asks how you got your powers

because he honestly doesn't care

he's not here to be your best friend, he just needs your powers

when you couldn't help him out, he'll discard of you

maybe not, if you're lucky

Wen Ning:

your powers basically flip a person upside down if they lie

you can control it, you just have to look at the person as they talk

they lie?

they get thrown in the air and hung upside down

it isn't pleasant

you often don't look at people because of it

until you meet Wuxian

who loves it and lies on purpose

through him, you meet Wen Ning

who loves to see another person like him

cursed

he's practically a puppy as he talks to you

if he had a tail, it would be wagging left and right

always smiling near you

doesn't dare to lie, not that he ever would lie to begin with

he gets you more comfortable with eye contact again

soon enough you hold eye contact with everyone again

(Wuxian loves watching as you talk, waiting for someone to flip up again)

Wen Ning is just glad that you can go back to "normal"

at least conversation wise

he'd also make sure that you don't hate your gift

he calls it a gift, even if you don't agree fully

because he feels like it is a part of you and you can't hate yourself

[tippenfunkaport]

Prince Glowyn of Bright Moon

Second child of Queen Glimmer and King Bow.

Nickname: Glow, Glowie, Glowybird

Complications during his birth meant Glimmer had to teleport him out of her. (Don't worry, Bow caught him!)

Granted the moonstone powers of flight and light manipulation (invisibility and illusions).

Connected to the moonstone far younger than was traditional due to his sister, Princess Arrow's, interference.

Wings are more corporeal than Queen Angella's were (Casta suspects it's because he's half mortal) and so soft they feel more like cotton candy than normal feathers. Though Glow initially hated his wings and resented the change, he eventually loved the solitude and freedom of being able to soar alone with his thoughts.

Much more introspective and reserved than anyone else in his family, Bow often thinks Glow is the child his dads thought he was before they knew all his secrets.

Glow prefers quiet study and solitude to Arrow's adventures, but adores his big sister so much he's easy enough to talk into mischief.

George and Lance secretly have their fingers crossed that someday their grandson might like to take up their research, but they are waiting until he makes the choice for himself.

Wears reading glasses, despite knowing a spell to account for farsightedness, because he likes that he and his dad have that in common.

Like Arrow, Micah studies sorcery at Mysactor with his grandfather. But unlike his sister, who is determined to get her hands on all the power she can, he is more interested in the theory of it and the practical ways it can be applied to technology and space travel.

Did someone say Swift Wind? To Glimmer's vast dismay, She-Ra's faithful steed becomes informal godfather to Prince Glow when he gets his wings because he's the only member of their inner circle who can fly. Glow doesn't mind Swift Wind's endless chatter and Swift Wind loves finally feeling useful now that there's much less faithful steeding to be done.

Appears in the following fics...

Princess Arrow of Bright Moon

Glow and Arrow (short fic collection)

Prince Glowyn the Fourth

[valeriefauxnom]

Now, if you're anything like me, when they first announced Bravely Default II, at the ending shot, my eyes went straight to who we now know as Seth:

The first thought I had, and I think I surely couldn't have been the only one, was 'is that a Tiznes kid?' because darn, he looks like the most standard imagining you could make when trying to imagine a mashup between them:

He has roughly Agnès' hair color and color theme, Tiz's more unruly hair, and heck, in character art, I know there's only so many ways to draw boots but you can't tell me his share no resemblance to Tiz's either:

And with Bravely Second ending with Agnès' proposal to Tiz, it just seemed to work out all too perfectly. Married couples usually aren't in video games as party members any more, and with Tiz a party member in both games and Agnès in 1, people would likely want some fresh blood, too. Classic enough to thrown in kids to continue the line of games, too.

The biggest thing that got me even more hyped that this might be the case, besides just the passing resemblances, was the first drips of info we got on this dude. Even aside from his personality, which was again sounding like what would generally happen if two nice, honest, well-meaning people with a strong sense of justice raised a child, there was another thing.

I don't think I've seen anyone else bring this up, but what stuck out to me was his job as a sailor.

After all, in a party chat, we found out in the first game that Tiz's childhood dream was to be a sailor.

And, I dunno... Somehow, I could see it as vaguely poetic and a very Bravely "remember this minor detail from a previous game? ha that's relevant now" way, that Tiz's childhood dream gets reflected in what his son(?) could now do, pursue what he could not from a sleepy village as a humble shepherd family, ya know? After all, I'm sure even if Tiz and Agnès returned to Norende to chill and live a modest existence after killing 2 gods, doesn't mean that their bank accounts were. Agnès was the Pope, and who knows how much pg from their travels they got to keep?

Look, all I'm saying is that Tiz and Agnès would absolutely be the parents to go "Go on honey you can do anything you want to in life, we got you :-)" encouragement, I think.

Plus, I just think it's funny to have another 'like father, like son' moment in that Tiz absolutely seems to be 'the country boy that keeps getting wrapped up in personal disasters/matters beyond his comprehension'.

He (*takes a deep breath*) dies with the rest of his town, gets revived by the Celestial Player, kills a god after a world spanning journey, falls into a coma for 2 years, gets woken up from getting possessed by another Celestial, goes on another world-spanning journey, kills a god, dies again, and gets resurrected for good by ~time energy~ that was just accrued from another Celestial delivering the fancy magic hourglass to him in the past by creating a time rift to the first game.

So, yeah, I would absolutely be here for a similarly disaster-prone son getting caught in strange storms and washes up in lands he doesn't know!

Why, it sounds stupidly similar to the 'getting thrown into other worlds' that the Default crew went through, huh!

All the stars were aligning in my head. Seth looks like a Tiznes child, could possibly be a reflection of the freedom that Tiz and Agnès wanted but didn't have for themselves as Holy Secluded Lady and Poorly Shepherd growing up, and has mysteriously washed ashore (ahem, survived a calamitous sinking, mind you) in lands he doesn't know when the most predominate form of world hopping we saw was a pillar of light in the sea, where a sailor is perhaps the most likely occupation to encounter it (however improbable that the Pillar opened again after Default).

But noooooooooo, Seth's just some random dude from a random sea village who doesn't know dink and has 0.00 ties to anyone from previous games or really much of one to anyone at all, much like everyone else.

Sigh.

[carlos-in-glasses]

WIP Wednesday

Thank you for the tags @reyesstrand @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @alrightbuckaroo @lemonlyman-dotcom @catanisspicy @bonheur-cafe @goodways 🥰

My evening played out slightly differently so I'm actually around to share something! I wrote this today for Flashback Fic:

At daybreak, horizontal sleet is pin-sharp. The dark blue sky creaks open with purple light. Shadows deepen the flat cityscape. Black water turns gray.

Owen and TK stand on the banks of the Hudson watching two boats smoulder because three college students decided to perform a Viking-style ritual for a friend who died. The problem with being someone who symbolically douses a dinghy in gasoline, lights a match and then nudges the burning vessel into the water with a hockey stick – is that you're probably not someone who takes fire safety into account, or currents. All three students sustained burns to their arms, legs and torsos; one lost their eyebrows. The dinghy drifted straight into a large boat revamped into an oyster bar. Up it went.

"Nothing like firelight to bring out your glare," Owen says to a slightly sooty TK as he begins to snake a black hose back into the truck.

TK frowns, keeps reeling the hose in, feeding it through his gloved hands carefully.

"TK."

"Cap."

"Son!" Owen whisper-shouts, looking over his shoulder to check that the rest of the crew are occupied elsewhere. "Please can you tell me why you're mad? You've been giving me the cold-shoulder for two days."

TK keeps his eyes on the hose as it smoothly curls into place. "You don't like him, do you?"

Owen makes a petulant sound somewhere between a sigh and a groan – as if he's been caught out.

Dinner between TK, Alex, Owen and Gwyn had been stilted; TK did everything he could to keep the atmosphere bright and conversation flowing. He feels like he virtually talked non-stop because he had no choice. He could swear Owen and Gwyn were agitated and making eyes at each other. At first he thought it was because they'd had an argument. Then he realized they were in agreement.

"I don't know him," Owen says simply.

"That dinner was all about getting to know him."

"And still." Owen shrugs. "I do not know him."

TK abandons the hose and moves closer – stepping up to his father, unafraid, pointing a thickly-gloved finger at him. "Have you been speaking to Mom?"

"No," Owen answers, and sounds genuine. "But I know she feels the same way I do. Doesn't that tell you something?"

Quickly, TK doesn't feel tough so much as despairing. Gutted. "Dad. I've never felt this way before about anyone. Alex – he's different. He makes me feel... as soon as I met him…like I wanted to change. I'm sober. I'm doing well. Don't you see that? I'm better at work now. You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed." He knows how pathetic and pleading he sounds, and he hates it.

What's worse is that Owen is smiling at him softly. "That's down to you, TK. Not Alex or anyone else."

"No!" TK insists, his voice rasping and loud enough for a couple of people to turn around. "It's Alex."

"TK." Owen steps up to him, but puts a hand on his shoulder rather than pointing a finger in his face. "I know how you feel about Alex. That much was clear. But–"

"But what?"

Owen stares at him with galling sympathy. "He's just not that into you."

I feel like everyone has been tagged so I'm panic-tagging @taralaurel because we're having a chat lol and also @lightningboltreader and @freneticfloetry and @liminalmemories21 if you want to share/ haven't already! And anyone else! Open tag butterfly net and feel free to tag me! ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

[tommybowefuneralattendee]

do not open before christmas

shaymien || 6.3k || rating: E || find it on ao3 written for the smoshblr valentine exchange!

summary:

You know what? Typically, Damien's all about accountability and taking responsibility for your actions, but maybe just this once, there's an exception. Sure, he'd been the one to ask if Shayne wanted to take a little while longer off work and drive home for Christmas this year, and sure, doing the long stretch and going to his parents' place first and getting hotels on the way was also his idea, but Shayne agreed. That was the biggest surprise, maybe. Maybe that was it. He never expected to get this far and now he's unprepared for the consequences of his actions. The consequences of his actions being that, as he pushes the door of their hotel room open, he sees it. A single bed. Queen size, big fluffy white pillows and plain bedspread, the comforter a calming green. Only one. Shit. || Or, road tripping home with Shayne leads to more than Damien previously accounted for.

You know what? Typically, Damien's all about accountability and taking responsibility for your actions, but maybe just this once, there's an exception. Sure, he'd been the one to ask if Shayne wanted to take a little while longer off work and drive home for Christmas this year, and sure, doing the long stretch and going to his parents' place first and getting hotels on the way was also his idea, but Shayne agreed. That was the biggest surprise, maybe. Maybe that was it. He never expected to get this far and now he's unprepared for the consequences of his actions. The consequences of his actions being that, as he pushes the door of their hotel room open, he sees it. A single bed. Queen size, big fluffy white pillows and plain bedspread, the comforter a calming green. Only one. Shit. He had just told front desk they needed a room, hadn't they? No specifications on the amount of beds. This one, this is definitely Damien's fault.

"Hey man, what's the holdup?" Shayne asks from behind him, not unkindly. He puts his hand on the small of Damien's back, guiding him forward and past the threshold easily; it's not like Damien resists. He's just not sure what he's supposed to do in this situation. He doesn't have a script for this.

"Houston, we have a bit of a problem," he says, looking pointedly at the bed. Shayne looks at it and then looks back at him, shrugging his shoulders with an easy grin.

"I'm not that worried about it if you're not, Dames," he says, placing his bag down on the bed. "You want the shower first or can I take it?" he asks, turning back to Damien with a raised eyebrow. Damien collects himself, all too aware of how he's still frozen in what he supposes serves the function of a foyer in a hotel room, though that's likely not what it's called. He clears his throat and closes the door, putting his key card down on the nearest flat surface, and his bag down in front of it.

"I showered this morning, it's all yours," he replies, waving Shayne off and relieved when the door closes behind him. He and Shayne have shared a bed before, not just once but almost definitely more times than Damien's ever spent sleeping in the same bed of anyone else he wasn't dating. He  needs to chill the fuck out. He takes out his meds and puts them on the bedside table on the side he typically sleeps on; they've done this enough that they have sides of the bed, for fuck's sake. Going through the motions of getting ready for bed at least calms him down a little. He's not even stressed about this. He's totally fine. It's just Shayne!

He gets as far as that, as far as It's just Shayne, right before Shayne comes out of the bathroom, towel around his hips. He finds himself freezing once again.

"Forget something, bud?" he asks, voice pitchy. Shayne snorts.

"Yeah, I guess I did. Got caught up in the road trip ick and completely forgot I'd need clothes, I guess," he says, grabbing his bag but not yet looking away from Damien and going back to the bathroom to get dressed. The opportunity for comedic flirtation is too egregious to give up.

"I mean..." Damien says, giving Shayne an over the top once-over. He doesn't actually let his gaze linger as long as perhaps he'd like it to; he has some semblance of self control. Shayne raises his eyebrows at him, baiting him to continue the bit he's started. "I think need might be a strong word," he continues, committing even if he knows it's not his best idea. Joking with Shayne about this always feels like he's dancing on a knife's edge, far too close to the satisfaction of years of yearning to feel any kind of safe. Shayne, fist closed over the knot of his towel distractingly close to the V of his hips, shrugs a shoulder, following him from tang to heel to edge. 

"If you wanna see me naked, you can just say, dude," he says wryly, looking Damien up and down in return. No fucking clue if this is a bit anymore. Jesus fucking Christ. Actually, fine. Sure. He has no idea how to walk this the fuck back without admitting that it's getting a little too close to home for him, so Damien does what he and Shayne do best. Follow each other off the deep end.

"Okay," Damien says. Shayne tilts his head, still with that teasing smile and his raised eyebrows and his pretty eyes, the shine of his still-wet chest. He's so beautiful it nearly hurts to look at him. "I wanna see you naked." Damien meant to say it jokingly at first, but that's not how it comes out. Shayne blinks at him, clearly not expecting Damien to commit that hard. Damien can't even blame him. He didn't expect himself to commit that hard either. He swallows, the click of his throat loud in the silent room.

"Is this a Damien tone thing or are you actually being serious right now?" Shayne asks, his guard high enough that Damien can't suss out which answer he'd be more comfortable with. Fuck.

"Honest?" he asks, hoping Shayne will just give him the fucking out for once. Shayne just nods, his breathing visibly shallow. Damien swallows. "Yeah, Shayne. I'm being serious," he says, the words more of a whisper than anything else. Shayne's bag drops to the floor and his towel follows immediately. Damien's gaze shoots to the ceiling, even in this moment of tacit permission just a bit too scared to push his luck. Shayne crosses over to him and fists his hand in Damien's shirt, pulling Damien just that little bit down to make him look at him head on. It sends Damien blinking, but it gets what was desired as well: Damien can't take his fucking eyes off of him. His eyes are so bright this close.

"You can look, Dames," he says, gaze flicking from Damien's eyes to his mouth and back again, staying on neither long. Damien takes at least a little initiative, hands careful as he cups Shayne's face between them. He leans down just that little bit more, resting their foreheads against one another, breathing in one another's air. Both of Shayne's hands are fisted in his shirt now, anchoring him close. As if there's ever been another port in this sea that Damien was sinking his anchor at.

"Tell me we're not gonna fuck this up," Damien requests, eyes closed. He can feel when Shayne moves, and he wouldn't say he's surprised when soft lips brush against his. He sucks in a breath still, overwhelmed if nothing else, before sinking into the kiss. Shayne is smiling against him and he's responsive when Damien licks into his mouth, giving back as good as he gets. A bolt of fear shocks its way through Damien. What if they fuck this up? He pulls back, resting his head against Shayne's collarbone. Shayne's fingers lace through his hair, rubbing at his scalp, holding Damien against himself. The nudity doesn't seem to bother him at all. Shayne's always been braver than him, though.

"You love me, right?" Shayne asks, to which Damien gives an immediate and almost offended affirmative. "I love you, too. And because I love you, and because you love me, and because we've made it work for our entire adult lives, I don't think this would fuck us up either. But we don't have to do anything about it today. I'll still love you just as much being what we've always been." Damien takes in a shaky breath, adrift in the idea that he might be able to have this. That he might be able to have Shayne.

"I want-" he starts, cutting himself off, and Shayne hums. A sense of ease suffuses through Damien at this tiny reminder that this is just Shayne, this is just them, this is the easiest relationship he's ever had in his life. One of his hands has dropped to the bare skin of Shayne's hip. A grin breaks across Shayne's face again as he leans up to kiss Damien briefly, hands trailing under his shirt now. His hands are big and warm on Damien's skin, solid, safe, sacred. Damien cups Shayne's jaw with his free hand, pulling him in for a firmer kiss, another kiss, more kisses still. He wants the feeling of Shayne's lips against his to feel as familiar as every other part of their relationship, though he cannot deny the novelty. Being able to finally, finally, finally touch Shayne how he wants? Fucking incredible. He can't stop his noise of protest when Shayne pulls more than their silently agreed upon few inches away, grabbing Damien's hand.

"You're way overdressed, man," he says, giving Damien a teasing smile as he sits down on the edge of the hotel room bed. Following the unspoken request, Damien takes his hand out of Shayne's, grabbing his shirt by the back of the neck to pull it off. Shayne gives him an appreciative and overt up and down look, utterly shameless. Ignoring that, Damien unbuttons his pants, about to take them off when Shayne's hands catch his. He raises an eyebrow.

"Mixed signals here, bud," he says. Shayne just rolls his eyes, but it doesn't even nearly disguise the dusting of pink across his cheeks. He drops his hands to the waistband of Damien's pants, lowering his zipper as he looks up at Damien through his lashes. Damien rests his hand on the back of Shayne's neck, stroking his thumb over the skin. He steps out of his pants and underwear as Shayne lowers them to his ankles, swallowing the immediate anxiety of nudity and tilting Shayne's face up, kissing him soft and sure. Shayne's hands anchor on his hips, pulling Damien closer as he strains up against him, determined mouth biting kisses into Damien's lips. Damien pulls away from the kiss grinning, about to say something teasing about Shayne's greediness, but greedy hands keep him close, draw him closer.

Shayne pulls Damien on top of him, flat on his back and grinning for the exposure of it. Damien crawls between his knees and doesn't even try to cloud the desire to kiss him on the mouth, dipping and taking that tempting bottom lip between his teeth. Shayne makes a desperate little noise, sweet, and Damien smiles against his mouth. He holds Shayne down against the pillows a little bit, experimenting with how much Shayne likes being held in place. When Damien pins his hand above his head, lacing their fingers, Shayne pulls back just to flash a grin at him, squeezing his fingers before arching up into another kiss. Damien's other hand rests on his jaw, this too holding him in place while he kisses Damien breathless.

"Jesus," Damien says, pulling back from the kiss to rest his head on Shayne's collarbone. Tilting Damien's head to the side with the hand not trapped beneath Damien's own, Shayne makes quick work of biting, licking and kissing his way down Damien's throat. Already overwhelmed with just a little attention from Shayne's tongue and teeth, Damien presses down into Shayne more out of a sense of self preservation than anything else. Well, and the other thing. The wanting Shayne like he'll die if he doesn't fuck him, that doesn't help either. He grabs Shayne's chin in his hand and tilts his face up, kissing the grin from his lips. Shayne submits beautifully, going pliant when Damien breaks the kiss to direct his attention elsewhere, namely in leaving a mark on the side of Shayne's neck that is going to be far too visible for holidays, but who the fuck cares? Fingers lace through his hair but don't pull, don't even hold him in place, just holding. Touching just to touch, not to direct. Damien trails kisses between Shayne's pecs, looking at him through his lashes as he takes a nipple into his mouth. Shayne arches into it, shameless. He makes the sweetest little noise when Damien bites.

"Deem," he says breathlessly, fond and affectionate even here, even now. God, Damien loves him. He lingers on Shayne's torso for perhaps a bit longer than necessary, but he keeps finding little things about Shayne he never could have known before this moment. Freckles and moles he's never seen before, scars that he doesn't know if now is the right time to ask about. He kisses each one anyway, gentle and reverent. Shayne lets him take his time, those gentle fingers still carding through Damien's hair.

"I love you," he says, kissing a small scar on Shayne's hip. Shayne laughs, not a loud thing but genuine, sweet. Damien's always been a collector, a completionist even, but wanting to collect Shayne's laughter like Pokemon cards was probably never that normal of a thing. Maybe that's just part of the possessive thing, though. He wants to know Shayne best. He wants every piece and part of him beneath his hands, studied and safe and sacred. Shayne tips his head back with the hand in his hair, not pulling but coaxing, moving to cup Damien's face. When it strokes over his mouth, Damien presses a kiss to his thumb.

"I love you too," Shayne says, his voice soft but sure. Damien kisses his hip again.

"You're so beautiful," he whispers, unable to keep it to himself.

"You should fuck me," Shayne says, point blank and blunt. Damien bursts into laughter, tucking his face down to put his lips against Shayne's skin. The tension in the room goes slack, languid and liquid, and Damien fucking loves this guy.

"Dry?" he asks, sarcastic. Shayne cups the side of his jaw in one hand, tipping his face up til they can see one another more clearly. He's so good at hitting that perfect intersection of careful and comfortable, new and familiar.

"I've got lube in my bag. Condoms too, if you want." There's a dusting of pink across his nose to his cheekbones, his gaze dropping somewhere to Damien's left. Damien kisses his stomach, fluttery little pecks that make Shayne giggle, shoving his head back playfully. He catches Shayne's hand, pressing a kiss to his palm.

"Were you expecting to get lucky while we were road tripping to see our families?" he teases, kissing Shayne's knuckles. Shayne grins back at him, shrugging his shoulders.

"I wouldn't say I expected it, but hope to? Absolutely."

"Oh? Planning to hook up with a stranger if I wasn't available?" Damien asks; he thinks he's still teasing, but there's a bit of insecurity creeping in that he can't keep out of his voice. Of course they've both been with other people in the course of knowing one another. Damien just wasn't always willing to call his feelings around that jealousy. Shayne furrows his eyebrows, pulling Damien up to look each other in the face.

"You're the only person I want, Dames. Not a stranger, not a friend, not a crush, just you. Most important person in my life," he tells Damien seriously, hand cupped around the back of Damien's neck. Eyes wide, Damien flounders for a moment. If the insecurity was unexpected, the reassurance is absolutely fucking gobsmacking, as if he didn't know exactly who the fuck he was dealing with. This is Shayne. He leans down and seals their mouths together, gentle but thorough as he tries to communicate every desperate thing in his chest into this one kiss, this one moment, this one thing. "And well. I guess I was also feeling a little more confident than warranted when I packed for this trip. I talked to Courtney and Amanda after you proposed the idea of this, and they talked me up about it, and it was a whole thing." Shayne is red again as he casts his gaze away from Damien, who can't help the fact that he's staring.

"I don't think it was more than warranted," he whispers, enraptured as Shayne's eyes snap back to his.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, dude. Should have known you had this in the bag. You think I try to spend over sixty hours in a car with just anybody?" he jokes, though whether it's actually a joke is probably up for debate. He could count on one hand the people he'd be willing to spend four days straight in a car with and Shayne is probably a necessary condition for three of them. Shayne grins and leans up to kiss him, quick and sweet. Damien sinks down to meet him, killing the quickness of the kiss and instead matching him for want, for desire, for love. Shayne is straining up against him, hand on the back of Damien's neck, keeping him close, keeping him grounded. This is probably the most grounded Damien has ever felt.

"Does that mean you'll fuck me?" Shayne asks as he breaks the kiss, eyes sparkling with mirth. Damien kisses him again, just a quick little thing they're both smiling through. He cups a gentle hand around the ball of Shayne's hip, softly stroking his fingers over the skin. Another kiss. For good measure. He trails more kisses back down Shayne's throat, his collarbones, his chest. He loves how solid Shayne is, how easy it is to hold onto the bulk of him and never feel like he's going to press too hard. Reverent almost, he dips his head to kiss Shayne's stomach, careful teeth sinking into the softness there. Shayne hums a little pleased noise and laces his fingers in the back of Damien's hair, not pulling but just holding. Admittedly reluctant, Damien moves his hands to the bed and presses himself up, crossing the room quickly to rifle through Shayne's bag. They've traveled together too many times for him to be particularly delicate about it, forgoing the time he'd typically take to make sure that someone is okay with him looking through their stuff.

Again, Shayne.

It's a testament to how weirdly connected they are, maybe, how quickly Damien is able to find a four ounce bottle of lube in Shayne's entire bag. He grabs a condom as well, though they still need to discuss if they plan on using it. The idea of marking Shayne from the inside out appeals to him in a way he didn't know he was into. But again. Shayne. He's always been at least a little possessive of Shayne, sure to let everyone know that Shayne was his best friend, Shayne was here with him, Shayne was his. He crosses back over to situate himself again between Shayne's knees, kissing the inside of each one to the soundtrack of Shayne's laughter. Shayne pulls him up again, heedless of the continuation of any activity without first kissing Damien thoroughly, grinning still as he does. Damien tries to move back down and return to the task at hand, so to speak, but Shayne keeps that playful grin, giving Damien short little kisses that are terribly flustering, though Damien can't tell him that. He'd never let him live it down.

"Do you want me to fuck you or not? I'm getting mixed signals again," he says instead, smiling against Shayne's mouth. Shayne heaves a dramatic sigh and removes his hands from Damien's face and shoulder, though the one previously resting on his cheek slides to tangle careful fingers in his hair. For a moment, Damien can't make himself move, can't make himself continue, because looking away from Shayne in this moment feels like a Herculean task. Shayne's smile goes sweet and he kisses Damien again, soft, lingering.

"Yes, I want you to fuck me. Please," Shayne says, gentle mockery wrapped around that last word, and yet still it makes the bottom drop out of Damien's stomach. He wants to make Shayne beg. He presses kisses down Shayne's chest again, quicker this time, and settles comfortably in the cradle of his hips. There's heat in Shayne's eyes when he looks down at him, his hand cupping Damien's jaw again. Damien presses a kiss to his palm.

"Okay, I'm gonna- how, um- have you ever-" he starts and stops, likely blushing dark as he tries to figure out how to ask what he needs to know. How careful do I need to be here? Have you ever done this before? He doesn't know how to make that words he's saying aloud and not just words in his head. He looks up at Shayne, willing him to understand even if he can't articulate his concerns. Shayne, being Shayne, does exactly as is asked of him.

"Fingered myself a few days ago, used a toy probably a week ago," he says succinctly, sending Damien blushing and blinking as the image of that situation is painted vividly in his mind. Shayne grins, giving a huff of a laugh. Damien clears his throat, opening the lube.

"You own a toy?" he asks curiously, coating his fingers and moving them down to rub at Shayne's hole, not pushing in, not yet, but just the tease of pressure. Shayne tenses but relaxes beautifully and immediately, melting down against the hotel room sheets. He looks so fucking beautiful.

"Oh, I own several. A couple vibrators, a couple dildos, nothing special," Shayne lists off casually, his grin easy. His mouth drops open as Damien pushes a first finger in, careful if nothing else. He's so warm inside, soft around Damien's finger, and the fact that he's about to fuck his best friend hits him over the head. His dick is going to be inside of Shayne. Holy shit. He fucks him with just one finger for maybe a minute or so, perhaps somewhat overcautious knowing that this isn't Shayne's first time, but he still doesn't expect it when Shayne rocks down on his finger, a frustrated noise making its way out of his throat.

"Need something, baby boy?" Damien asks, a smile pulling at his lips. Shayne gives him a look, a flicker of mischief, and Damien knows he's being played when those big blue eyes go round and soft, but goddamn, call him a fiddle.

"More, Damien. Make me feel good," he says, that pretty mouth just a little pursed, pink lips pressed together. He adds another finger on the very next pass, earning a noise that sets him alight. He would like nothing more than to make Shayne feel good. He curls his fingers and thinks of every modicum of research he's ever done about this (he didn't really know anything about sex with other guys til he met Shayne; then someone made one too many sex jokes about them, and a guy gets curious), knowing he's found his target when he pulls a moan out of Shayne. He rocks down on Damien's fingers again, chasing the feeling. He looks so pretty. He sounds so fucking pretty. Damien rubs at that spot, ringing as many pretty noises out of Shayne as he can, adding a third finger when he feels ready. Shayne's grip on him is only growing harder as those beautiful noises get louder; they could probably wake the entire hotel if Damien did this for as long as he wants to, for as long as he'd like to see Shayne spread out on his fingers, whining and panting.

"All good, baby boy, I'm gonna give you what you want," he coaxes at a whisper as he pulls his fingers out, swallowing the whimper that falls from Shayne's lips. "I'm cool either way, condom or no condom?" Damien asks, level as anything as he holds the condom between two fingers to show it to Shayne. Shayne blinks at him for a second, reorienting himself before taking it from Damien's hand, throwing it vaguely in the direction of the bag from whence it came. Grinning and giving a quick nod, Damien pours more lube onto his fingers and coats his dick with a mostly perfunctory stroke, too aware of how quickly the sight and sound of this, the warmth of Shayne's skin, the promise here, could make the touch of his own hand more than enough to finish this before it ever gets started. He lines himself up but hesitates before pushing in, flicking his gaze up to make eye contact, an eyebrow raised.

"Fucking hell, Damien, if you don't-" Shayne starts, but Damien interrupts him with a shallow thrust of his hips, making Shayne's head fall back against the pillows. It makes Damien smile, but that goes slack quickly when he bottoms out, taking a moment to get his bearings with his dick inside of his best friend before he even tries movement. Pressure points of pain ground him, Shayne's fingertips digging into his skin, sure to bruise but so needed in this moment. He presses his face into the side of Shayne's neck, scattering kisses on his throat, his collarbones, his Adam's apple. They stay like that for a minute or so, still but connected, quiet but close. Then it seems impatience comes for Shayne after all in the form of a roll of his hips, a frustrated noise in the back of his throat. Damien chuckles, low, and pulls out about halfway, thrusting back in immediately. Shayne's little gasp, though not quite as loud as Damien would like to make him, is gratifying.

The desire to make him beg is hot in the back of his throat, staggering in its intensity. Unable to do anything but follow the hand of that impulse, Damien thrusts in again, freeing Shayne's hand to wrap both of his own around the back of Shayne's rib cage, gripping his lats to hold him in place as he works to find a rhythm.

"Bein' so good for me Shayne. Fuck, baby. You feel so fucking good," he mutters into Shayne's shoulder, holding him in such a manner that they're chest to chest, almost too close for comfort. Shayne pulls at his hair, actually getting a grip and pulling this time, using the force to move Damien up to kiss him. Damien concedes willingly, allowing Shayne's tongue in his mouth in the same second as fucking into him again, bringing moans from them both. He stays motionless in the cradle of Shayne's hips like that for some time, kissing Shayne instead of fucking him. There's something about just being inside of Shayne, the connection of it, that is just as good as the pull and friction of it all. Getting off feels very second priority when being this close to Shayne is an option. He wants to sink into this like the sea, let love wash over him and let the salt burn his eyes, let the sand abrade his skin.

Let love take him out to sea. Let love fill his lungs. Let love.

Shayne lasts an admirably long time before he starts expressing a desire for things to progress, as it were. He rolls his hips, just the barest little motion before Damien is sliding his hands down and grabbing them, pressing Shayne into the mattress to keep him still. Shayne breaks the kiss to look up at him, eyebrows furrowed, before trying it again. Damien grins at him, pulling out maybe an inch or two before fucking into Shayne again. He stills again, still grinning, and kisses Shayne. Despite pressing into the kiss, Shayne gives a little irritated noise, nails digging into Damien's obliques.

"Goddamn it, Damien. Fuck me!" Shayne says, frustration clear as he tries his damnedest to roll his hips down again despite Damien's grip on them. The desperate little movements make Damien feel fucking insane, watching Shayne want him so bad he's nearly angry with it. Holding back from fucking Shayne stupid is just as much a tease for him as it is for Shayne.

"Ask me nicely," Damien says, equal parts teasing and tentative. Relief hits like a party drug with the fire that lights in Shayne's eyes, turned on and so fucking beautiful with it.

"Please, Dame? Can you please fuck me? Make me feel good. Please," he says, sweet as he looks up at Damien, just this shade of mischief on the tip of his tongue. Damien kisses him because he can't help it, he kisses him because he can, he kisses Shayne because every time Shayne has ever looked at him with that false innocence, it's all he's ever wanted to do, and now he fucking can. Shayne smiles against his lips but doesn't break the kiss, instead just pulling Damien closer, urging him into giving him more. "Please, Damien," he says, just a little bit of real desperation lacing his words, and even so much as Damien would like to pretend he's in control right now, he can't deny Shayne when he looks like that. He's pretty and pouty and Damien is putty in his hands, going directly from still to fucking Shayne in earnest, gone with his pausing and waiting. Shayne's head falls back against the pillows and the noise he makes is music, pretty boy softness melting down into the sheets.

"So- so fucking good, Shayne. Taking me so well. Such a good boy," he lets slip. He only thinks about stopping for a split second before Shayne's making a high noise, rutting up against Damien's stomach. Grinning, Damien bites a kiss into his mouth.

"Please, Dami," Shayne whines, hitching his leg up around Damien's waist. He gets even louder when Damien hits a particular angle, one that he replicates to the best of his ability from those sweet little noises forward. He kisses his way from Shayne's jaw to his ear, pausing in biting at his throat to speak.

"What, baby? You want me to tell me how good you look taking me? How you're being such a good little slut for me? That you look so pretty on your back and whining for my dick?" he teases, dark and low and only growing in confidence as Shayne's grip on him gets more desperate. When they get back to LA, he's going to take Shayne apart right, figure out every little thing he likes and give him everything he wants. Now, he does as much as he can, sucking more marks into Shayne's shoulders, where a shirt might cover them if Shayne doesn't roughhouse with anybody for the entire trip, but that's unlikely. He's beautiful and bullheaded and begging, words spilling out of his mouth water quick and incoherent, breathless. Good boy, Damien thinks, and maybe he says it, because Shayne's catching his lips in a kiss that's more naked need than it is finesse. He can't say he terribly minds the difference. He likes Shayne like this, feeling so good he's not thinking about anything else.

Damien doesn't even realize that Shayne is reaching for his cock before he's pinning that hand down, biting Shayne's bottom lip. He presses Shayne's wrist into the sheets and moves that newly freed hand down himself, wrapping it surely around Shayne.

"Mine," he says, gratified in the way it makes Shayne shiver. Biting down on the junction of Shayne's throat and shoulder, Damien rubs his thumb over the head of Shayne's cock, gathering his pre-cum before rubbing into his slit, making him keen. His hips snap first forward then back, like he can't decide which is better, Damien's hand around him or Damien's cock inside of him. He's whining a little every time he fucking breathes, and Damien wants to swallow him whole, fuck him stupid, make him cry with it.

"Yours, Dami, please, please, please, please, please," he says, repeating the word like a mantra, but it's that first one that has Damien drilling into him, fucking into him rougher and faster. Shayne sounds so pretty when he begs, when he says he belongs to Damien, when he says Damien's name. Damien wants to keep him safe for the rest of their lives. He wants to ruin him for anyone else.

"My good boy, Shayne, so good for me, you can cum. Go ahead and cum for me, baby," he coaxes, pumping Shayne's dick faster, his grip probably just barely edging on too tight. Shayne doesn't seem to mind at all, groaning as he spills white in Damien's hand, sticky and warm. He bears down on Damien's cock in the process, and between that and his nails digging into Damien's skin again, Damien cums as well, filling Shayne right up. Shayne holds him close, arms around his shoulders and face tucked into the sweaty hollow of his throat.

"I love you," Shayne says, half broken but sure. Damien smiles loosely, lifting Shayne's head up to pepper kisses on his face, grin broadening as it sends Shayne into giggles. The laughter makes him move, though, and they're both groaning at the reminder that they haven't separated yet. Strangely enough, Damien doesn't really... want to. Separate, that is. That point of connection is still getting him, that feeling of being closer to Shayne than he's ever been before. There's something about love and consumption here, the desire to take and to be taken, but sleep is pulling at Damien's temples, and they need to clean up before they crash.

"I love you," he whispers, running his nose along Shayne's before bracing himself against the mattress, gentle as he pulls out. Shayne whines anyway, his head back against the pillows, making the column of his neck absolutely irresistible, open for the taking. Damien kisses his Adam's apple, rolling out of bed and to his feet, pausing.

"All good?" Shayne asks, reaching out to hook his first two fingers with Damien's. God, he's cute.

"We're in a hotel," Damien says, unable to make himself elaborate. He gets like this sometimes, the executive dysfunction that comes when he doesn't know exactly what to do next. Shayne hums, quietly amused but not making fun of Damien, which he can admit to being grateful for.

"Yeah, baby, I know," he says, low and fond as he smiles up at Damien. Though he appreciates the calm, Damien can't return the smile.

"Shayne, I am not physically able to clean up cum with a towel that some poor employee is going to have to wash. I can't do it," he says, stimming in wide arcs of gesticulation. Shayne gazes at him with warm affection like Damien is being adorable instead of neurotic, and it's sweet, but it doesn't help. Damien's about to continue when Shayne pulls at his fingers, grabbing back his attention.

"I have wet wipes in my bag. Tissues are in there too," he says, his voice taking on that calming steadiness that pulled Damien to him in the first place. Still, he raises an eyebrow.

"You have tissues in your bag?" he asks, though he's already crossing over to Shayne's bag to procure both. Shayne hums in the affirmative.

"Well yeah, I knew we were going on a road trip," he says. Damien waits a moment, but he does not elaborate.

"I am not connecting these dots, baby," Damien says, standing up with the wipes and tissues in hand. He wipes off his own hands before turning back to the bed. Shayne is laying back on the pillows now, looking up at Damien with a fond, sleepy gaze that makes Damien feel far more domestic than a hotel room should allow.

"You have nosebleeds, dipshit. I don't get in a car with you without tissues," Shayne deadpans, obvious in the fact that this should be obvious. He reaches for the wet wipes but even flustered, Damien bats his hand away.

"I love you," he says, climbing between Shayne's spread knees.

"Love you too," Shayne says, the last word going up in octave as Damien wipes at the cum leaking out of his hole with a tissue. Snickering, Damien follows with a wet wipe, running it along Shayne's neck, his chest, using it to wipe the sweat pooled in the dip of his hip. Shayne just lets him do his thing, smiling up at Damien and absolutely relaxed beneath him, radiating that affection that makes Damien feel like he's going to fucking explode. He does a perfunctory swipe of his own sweat, throwing away the used wipes and tissues and putting both packages back in Shayne's bag. Shayne is reaching for him when he turns back around. Damien couldn't stop his responding grin if he tried. He does not try.

"Shouldn't be surprised you're a cuddler," he comments, holding back laughter at the immediate suspicious noise he gets.

"What does that mean?" Shayne asks, falsely put upon with a barely suppressed grin. Damien rolls his eyes, climbing over him into bed but rolling onto his back, pulling Shayne to his chest. Shayne, despite his attitude, does not protest this in the slightest but rather relaxes into Damien's chest like he's always wanted to be there, like Damien could have had him like this a long time ago. No point in lingering, though.

"I mean that you're sweet, baby boy. Perfect. Mine," he mutters that last part, pressing a kiss to Shayne's hairline. Shayne sits up a little, getting onto his elbows so he can look Damien in the face.

"I am, you know. Yours, I mean," he says, swallowing thickly, his throat clicking. Damien leans up to kiss him, soft and slow. Shayne melts into him, comfortably lax again.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Damien asks, whispering soft and playful. Shayne smiles, dipping to kiss Damien again, sweet and quick like he just can't help it. He nods when he pulls back. "I'm yours too, dude. Totally gone on you. It's crazy embarrassing," Damien says, conspiratory as if this is not something everyone knows, maybe. Shayne's smile goes soft and his eyes go a little wide like this really isn't something he knew for fact, and Damien kisses him again, just to really make the point. Shayne snorts and tucks his face down against Damien's throat, huffing laughter on his neck. Damien loves him so fucking much.

"I love you," Shayne says again, quiet but sure. Damien kisses the side of his head.

"I love you too."

[badgod01]

Birthday - Chapter 4

When Pest wakes up in the morning, he notices a few things. First of all, his back—specifically, his lower back—hurts from all the back arching and tensing he did. Second of all, his throat feels like it's been fucked raw from the relentless moaning his partners made him do. Third of all, Poob and Infected aren't in bed with him. He has half a mind to get up and look for them, but he would honestly rather sleep; the warmth of the bed is lulling him to sleep again.

The bedroom door bursts open. "Good morning!"

Pest jolts up out of bed, and he glares at Poob. Infected soon enters the room after them, holding a few shopping bags.

"I know we said the whole 'paying you for your hole' thing is roleplay, but I felt kinda bad, so I wanted to buy you stuff! …With Infected's money, of course," Poob says, laughing.

"I offered to pay, it's fine," Infected says, waving his hand. "I got you some sick clothes and accessories I thought you'd like." He places the bags on the floor.

"And I got you a phone case and a phone charm! So that we match! But yours is dark and edgy and all that stuff," Poob chimes in, showing the phone case they bought for him.

"I'm not dark and edgy." Pest's voice loses all bite when he's been fucked the day before, apparently.

"Aren't you like… goth?" Infected asks.

"I don't know, I don't care."

"Infected," Poob says, turning to him, "can you please make breakfast for Pest?"

"Do you have something I can microwave? I… don't know how to cook," Infected replies, laughing.

"Both of you are useless in the kitchen," Pest mumbles. "Let me do it—" He tries to get up from the bed, but his sore body makes him wince and he retreats back into the bedsheets. "Nevermind."

"I'll order takeout," Poob suggests.

"Yeah, that's… probably a good idea," Pest groans. "Come back, I—" He stops himself from saying it, unexpectedly choking up.

Infected is caught off guard, and all he could do is ask, "Pest? Are you okay?"

"I missed you," Pest says. "Both of you."

"Oh… Pest…" Poob walks over and hugs Pest. "Did you think we were gonna leave you?"

Pest watches from Poob's shoulder as Infected walks over, hugging him from behind.

"I love you Pest," Poob whispers gently. "I always will."

Pest closes his eyes, sighing. "Yeah, I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry."

Poob shushes him. "Hey, you don't have to apologize. Let's order food and we can hang out all day, okay?"

"Okay."

All three of them eventually settle into bed yet again. Pest is in the middle of all of them, though this time they're all facing him. Infected spoons him and Poob wraps their arms around him, ordering food off their phone. They're all clothed this time, taking the opportunity to make Pest try on some of the clothes Infected purchased for him. They were surprisingly comfortable.

"I'm curious Pest—does anyone else know it was your birthday yesterday?" Poob asks.

Pest shrugs. "I don't care about telling people my business. The only people who know are you two." He closes his eyes briefly, feeling Infected play with his hair.

"Aw, so we're your business? That's sweet, Pesty."

Pest chitters, but he doesn't retort.

"Have you ever braided your hair before?" Infected asks. "Your hair's long enough, and it would look pretty!"

"Never before."

"Turn around, lemme do it," Poob offers.

The two of them separate from Pest's sides as he shifts onto his other side. As Poob braids his hair, Infected opens his phone to check his bank account.

"Aw man! I swear I had more than a hundred milli in my account earlier…"

"How long have you been saving up that money, Infected?" Poob asks, a little shocked.

"Since like… 2007? So a few years."

Pest stares at him. "Infected, it's 2024."

"No way? It's 2011! You should get your eyes checked."

"Yeah, all four of my eyes decided to stop reading the correct numbers on every single device and clock I've ever looked at."

Poob giggles and Infected laughs too.

"Speaking of, have you guys ever thought about all of us living together?" Poob asks.

[bungiri]

Nina lore drop? 👀

i'm still thinking about her backstory and trying to connect things BUT HERE'S SOME BASIC INFO ABOUT HER 👉🏼👈🏼

nina wasn't born a werewolf. she was attacked while sneaking out with her friends in the middle of the night. her friends managed to flee and go for help, but she was left alone with the wolf.

the werewolf that turned her was a man temporarily staying in her village. he was never caught and it's assumed that she was attacked by normal wolves or coyotes despite her friends' account of that night.

more under the cut RAHHH ‼️

her life in pelican town is a lot more mundane. even 10 years later she's still trying to cope with being a werewolf, even though she's adjusted well, and she lives in an isolated cabin to avoid her secret being exposed or any wolf instincts that she hasn't fully suppressed

nina isn't a farmer, but she does grow some things in pots and raised beds. she mainly helps the shop owners out with repairs, heavy lifting, deliveries, and just any other thing they need help with. she's willing to do farm work too if you ask her, but she has to leave before it gets dark on nights when the moon is full.

she has huge scratch scars on her back and torso from the attack. she also has one on her face

nina is stoic and a woman of few words, but she's very sweet once she feels comfortable opening up. she laughs easily and desperately wants to make her friends happy. her love languages are giving gifts and acts of service :'-)

she's nervous when it comes to physical affection. she gives those half hugs at first, but she's a really good hugger once she's comfortable...it's the muscles...

the children are the ones that call her nini. some of the townspeople (haley, jodi, sam, evelyn) have picked up that nickname for her as well. she doesn't mind.

she's surprisingly good at baking, mostly bread. if you get close enough, you can sometimes smell the scent of fresh bread coming from her cabin.

nina is a member of the adventurers guild. marlon and gil like having her around and she can often be found down in the mines. she prefers clubs over swords and even uses her own hands to take some monsters out.

she's usually alone at festivals. her favorite is the moonlight jellies.

idk what else to put so feel free to ask questions if u have any 😁🤝🏼

there's a lot more that happens after she gets attacked but i'm still thinking KFBSKFJ i'll have to ramble about it to my friend or anyone who will listen

[thesudokukid]

@artsideblogofsorts

I saw your tags on the Machine Connor version of this:

#idk why but machine Connor hurts my heart #love the pov of being inside his brain #but id personally be cutting wires #deviant Connor my beloved uwu

There is, in fact, an (Eventual) Deviant Connor version of this. There it is. Much nicer than the one that you read. Hopefully you enjoy it etc.

By default my work features a Connor that eventually Deviates. Personal Question is also the first chapter of my recently completed fic Basic Decency so if you want to read that after, you can find that here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55637674/chapters/141220783

I haven't done a full write-up of Hostage yet. By my reckoning it will be one of the last things to get a full write-up.

But anyway, here's what I've written for Hostage. About 810 words or so. Re: "He's been caught". No idea what that's about. He will not let me delete and in fact insists it's absolutely vital. I don't know.

Connor kneels down and picks up the fish lying on the floor before gently depositing it back where it belongs.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^

When he straightens back up, he notices an officer standing at the far end of the hall.

He's been caught. His facial scanners tell him this is the third youngest detective in DPD history, Detective Anderson. Only living child of its youngest lieutenant, Hank Anderson. He wonders for a moment if the man feels threatened by their success.

Detective Anderson smiles at him warmly. Almost as though they're proud of him for saving an ultimately meaningless fish.

"Good idea. Today's been bad enough for that kid. Best she doesn't have to grieve the loss of her family's fish on top of everything else that's happened today."

"It's a Dwarf Gourami," Connor can't help blurting out. "They're a South Asian fish known to thrive in a small groups. Perhaps due to their shy and peaceful nature. If the owner has a pair of them they'll even swim together."

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^

Rather than telling him to focus as anyone else might, the Detective smiles and nods at him.

Connor wonders at their high approval for something so irrelevant to the mission at hand but decides to leave matters are and continue on ahead.

They follow shortly thereafter and both of them are waylaid by the hostage's frantic mother, Caroline Philips, who grabs Detective Anderson by the collar.

He watches them blow out a breath, "Ma'am please let go of me. I'm trying to help save your daughter."

"But you're just a kid," the mother says, looking down at the Detective. "You can't possibly be a day over twenty."

Detective Anderson clears their throat.

"I'm nearly thirty and as I said, we're trying to help save your daughter. If you could let me go so we can do that please?"

She pulls her hands back and in the moment it takes Detective Anderson to catch their breath, she notices the Cyberlife branding on Connor's clothes. The LED at his temple.

Detective Anderson sees the moment of shock and uses it to continue on. Connor decides to imitate them and do the same.

Not even a moment later she begins shouting about sending a "real person" rather than an android. That the Detective's low empathy means they're autistic and surely they can't expect an autistic person to properly monitor an android's behavior.

SAVED AUDIO FILE: NOT_REAL_PERSON.wav

Detective Anderson issues an exasperated sigh.

"That's not the first time someone's assumed incompetence because of my autism. And on account of the stigma around autism it won't be the last."

—

Detective Anderson stops and he does too.

They turn to face him, "Do you want me to take you to Captain Allen?”

He has an objective marker guiding him to where the man is sitting but since they were kind enough to offer even despite his being an android, Connor feels it's only right that he accept.

On the way there they then begin offering him information he suspects he'd metaphorically need to pull teeth for if they were anyone else.

"The Deviant's name is Daniel. We tried the deactivation code. It didn't work."

Five footsteps later, he's arrived at Captain Allen's location and Detective Anderson takes their leave.

"I'll go and see if I can figure out why that Deviant's shouting about having a daughter."

Captain Allen scoffs at Connor's nod.

"Best you don't listen to them, Detective Anderson's always been a fuckin' freakshow. Whatever they told you, just ignore it. It's all naive, delusional garbage anyways."

Connor goes back over the memory of Detective Anderson, frightened by the vise grip on their collar, and yet determined to push through it. Dedicated to doing the job and doing it well. Meaning he can disregard everything Captain Allen just said and quite probably, dispense the idea of listening to him altogether. He'll need to verify his analysis however.

"Has the deactivation code been used yet," Connor asks.

"Of course it was. That was the first thing we tried. As you can see, it didn't work," the man says gesturing to all the chaos.

"Detective Anderson was the first person to tell me the deactivation code didn't work. So clearly their words are not in fact, 'all naive, delusional garbage'. Do you know the Deviant's name?"

"Why don't you go ask Detective Anderson if they're so fuckin' smart?! I've got work to do here. Scram."

SAVED VIDEO FILE: NAIVE_DELUSIONAL_GARBAGE.mp4

Connor decides to check the case on the floor that was probably used for gun storage. The gun is gone. As is the ammunition. Meaning the Deviant stole the gun while it was pretending to do something else. Knowing that, he leaves the room and the most unhelpful man he'll probably ever meet behind.

He needs to go and find the person he knows will actually cooperate with him.

Finished one of my fics recently, added a surprise one-horse to another. Figured it couldn't hurt to poke my toe into the water with my most popular fic. See if posting on Tumblr is a good idea for me.

Personal Question (why are you apologizing)

Pairing: Autistic! Connor x Autistic! Nonbinary! Reader

Word Count: 2433

AO3

Machine Connor Variant on AO3 (coming soon to a Tumblr near you)

“Why are you apologizing?”

Four words you have always wanted to hear after an infodumping session. Four impossible, sacred words induce the sweetest pain you've ever felt.

You can't have heard him right. That has to be wishful thinking on your part. Right? Right?

In which Connor asks you a personal question, as he does, you infodump in response, and experience two miracles in the same day.

This is aimed at other autistic people. I wrote this in the hopes of giving myself catharsis and am sharing it on the grounds that other autistic people may find it cathartic too.

Alternating POV fic under the cut!

“Detective,” Connor says. “Would you mind overly much if I asked you a personal question?”

He reminds you so much of you with that question, you can't help but shake your head and grin, “Of course not, go ahead.”

“This ought to be fuckin' good,” your dad grumbles.

“Why did you choose to pursue a dual degree and not a double major? From my understanding, attending university as a neurodivergent student is hard enough, a dual degree on top of that must have been…”

Oh, that. It's a good opener for a casual conversation with you. Curious and sympathetic to what you must have suffered without tripping over itself to do so.

“It was hell on earth some days, make no mistake. The workload alone-”

At this point you laugh so long he looks honestly alarmed by it. Seeing this, you shake your head.

“I figured if I’m gonna fail, I might as well fail because I dreamed too big and not because I couldn't hack it in general. The fact that psychology is one of my special interests was also pretty helpful.”

For a second Connor looks interested. Actually genuinely interested. This is interrupted by your dad coughing out of nowhere. And also Connor looking around like there's some kind of active threat happening. As soon as he realizes there's not, he comes back to the conversation and just…tilts his head. Maybe that interest wouldn't mean much to a neurotypical but for you? For you who’ve masked so long you don't even allow yourself to engage in your special interests anymore? It's everything.

You can't help the smile that breaks onto your face. Because for a minute, for a moment, for just a little while…someone actually wants to hear you talk about your special interests. And since it's been so long, you go at it a lot harder than you otherwise might have. Even mentioning your first special interest.

—

“Using my first special interest of Titanic as an example, if the devil were to walk up to me and tell me that I would be able to learn everything there is to know about the Titanic, absolutely everything, within my lifetime in exchange for my soul? Could not make that deal fast enough. Wouldn't read the fine print.”

Connor leans forward as well as he can. At the moment, nothing matters more to him than this. He doesn't quite understand why. Only that the social integration protocol isn't even a factor at this point.

“Explain?”

The resulting smile is so bright it could outshine the sun itself. The Detective begins to speak more loudly, more quickly. Stumbling over their words in their excitement to share their interest.

“Devil would be utterly terrified of how quickly I agreed. And not only that, I would honestly feel like I got the better end of the deal out of that one. By a long shot. The Devil would have to give me absolutely everything and even then it still wouldn't be enough. I would annoy the Devil so much I would be given my soul again just so I’d stop being so much of a bother about it and as you can probably surmise that absolutely would not work.”

The Detective laughs and shrugs casually, for once, perfectly at ease. There's even a sunny smile on their face.

“By virtue of being my first special interest it’s also the most intense but that's generally how I feel about psychology as well. You can imagine how much of a boon that was under those circumstances I’m sure.”

They blink and perhaps three seconds later, the joy recedes and their bright smile fades. Only to be replaced by a brittle smile.

—

That last sentence… You’re infodumping. You get your first chance to talk about your special interest to someone outside your family in years and you fucking blew it by infodumping. Of course you did. Of course you did. Your throat’s gone dry, your face has gone hot. You're maybe five seconds of bursting into tears at best. You force yourself to disengage. To avoid thinking about how desperately lonely it is to not be able to talk about your special interests at all. To force yourself not to infodump. You're so tired of hiding. But even still, you have to.

You give yourself one last moment to feel grief for who you're not allowed to be. To feel pathetic for not having a normal level of interest in something so deeply important to you. And then you claw off the part of you that clings like a barnacle to such childish things.

“And I just realized I did a fucking infodump. God that's embarrassing.”

It tries to hurt. It wants to hurt. You smother the feeling and roll your eyes at yourself as you explain what infodumping is.

“It boils down to dropping a whole lot of info about a topic at once. And I don't typically notice when someone has gotten bored or disinterested or is trying to leave the conversation and I…got too emotional. I'm sorry. It won't happen again.”

Detach. Detach. Detach. Detach. Don't feel interest. Don’t show interest. You feel nothing.

You only realize that your past self is clinging to its special interests again when it digs in at Connor’s apparent “no, wait” look. Is-Is he actually interested?

There's no way. There isn't. It's absolutely impossible. You're just seeing what you want to see.

And then… And then… A miracle.

—

“Why are you apologizing?”

Four words you have always wanted to hear after an infodumping session. Four impossible, sacred words induce the sweetest pain you've ever felt.

You can't have heard him right. That has to be wishful thinking on your part. Right? Right?

You blink at him a few times and take a sip of your drink. You look up at the rainy sky, half expecting to see a winged pig fly by. You look back at Connor.

“Genuine question so please hear me out,” you say. Connor nods instantly and you're so relieved you could cry, “Did you actually ask what I’m hoping you asked? Because I’ve wanted someone to say that for so long I am honestly afraid that I’m hallucinating.”

“You aren't imagining or hallucinating anything,” Connor says. “I did in fact ask why you were apologizing for infodumping. Is there a specific reason you felt imagining it was the more likely option?”

There are tears trying to come out of your eyes right now. If you tell him now, right now, they're going to fall and won't stop falling until you can finish your grief of having to suppress who you really are. Feeling childish for having genuine all-consuming passion. The kind of emotional breakdown that’s best to have in private.

He seems genuinely interested in getting to know you and as much as you would be delighted to allow him to, you can't. At least, not right now.

“As much as I’d like to answer that question, that's best saved for a long drawn out conversation. You can call me Ainsel by the way. Internal systems only. For your specific serial number. To make up for the fact that I’m not answering that personal question yet. Sure we're all on a lunch break now but that's gonna end eventually and then it's back to work. Also, I might have a breakdown about it. Lot of grieving to do there.”

“Oh,” he says. It feels like a stab to the heart the way he looks like a wounded puppy about it. Not unlike the way you probably did when you first realized most people don't have a special interest in psychology. That most people will never understand that you express affection by studying them like a bug under a microscope. Most people are in fact deeply offended by it. In his case the worry seems to be that he hurt your feelings or brought up painful memories.

“I’m sorry.”

He gets up and gets in the car. If you don't follow him now, he's going to start suppressing his interest just like you did and oh God he's autistic isn't he?

You were done with your lunch anyway so you toss its detritus and go sit in the car with him. Your dad is still sitting there, eating his lunch.

You look in the general direction of the rear view mirror where Connor is staring at you. Watching, watching, analyzing you. He's like you. The thought settles your stomach more than you imagined possible.

—

Connor is keenly aware of Ainsel's presence the moment they enter their father's vehicle. Eyes sticking to them like a magnet via the rear view mirror, unable and unwilling to let go.

Fortunately they don't seem to be offended by the attention. His eyes move away the second Ainsel's eyes catch his, suddenly forced to remember his place in the world. They're a human. He's an android. They don't owe him anything. They never did. They're meant to have a one way relationship. He owes them an answer to their questions. Not the other way around. He certainly has no right to ask them something so immensely personal without warning.

He opens his mouth to apologize for the discomfort he previously caused them and finds himself surprised by Ainsel's shake of the head.

“You don't owe me an apology. I wasn't offended. About the staring or asking about something personal. I never said that I wouldn't answer the question or that I had better things to do with my time. I didn't even say that it was too painful to answer at all. I only said it was too painful to answer that question during work hours. That is a whole separate thing and idea from your perception that your personal question brought up too many bad memories for me to answer it at all.”

It's here that his programming confirms it would be a waste of time to ingratiate himself with the Lieutenant rather than Ainsel. For someone so immensely private to tell him their name, or something akin to their name, can only speak well of how much goodwill they have towards him already.

And even aside from that, it doesn't make what just happened right. It's him who should be comforting them, not the other way around. He shouldn't even need it.

Decision made. Connor gets out of the car and into the backseat where he closes the door.

—

Your hands start to move, ready and willing to tap out the rhythm of Shave and a Haircut. You force them to be still. You don't want them to be. You really, really don't want them to be. But you’ve had too much good luck today. You don't want to press it by stimming in a way that's actually noticeable. Once you uncork that bottle it won't want to be recorked. Connor might be fine with it. Maybe. He was fine with your info-dumping at him after all. And not even that, he seemed honestly upset that you stopped info-dumping.

But just because he's fine with one visible autistic trait doesn't mean he'll be fine with another. His coin tricks might, maybe, be a stim but you haven't known him too long so it's hard to tell.

You bring your hands closer together, to interlock them in an effort to keep yourself from stimming. They start trembling as if in response. Almost like they're trying to reassure you that you can stim, really, it's fine.

You bite your lip and prepare to ignore the reassurance. And then another miracle.

Connor sticks a hand between both of yours and very gently, very carefully stops you from locking your hands together by pulling them apart.

There's someone else it wouldn't have worked for. Hell, for you, that may not have even worked if you hadn't realized he was autistic like you. But right now, in this moment, for you? It was exactly the right thing to do.

Apparently your calmness is showing on your face because Connor pulls back his hands and watches as you sigh from relief and lean back against the window for a minute.

You shake the previous tension out of your hands and then let them do what they wanted to earlier. They clap out Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits loud enough your hands actually hurt afterwards. But it's a good kind of pain. Necessary. Because it means that you're healing.

—

Seeing that Ainsel seems to be feeling much better, Connor tries to reassure them he isn't going to think less of them for their autistic traits.

“Perhaps sharing the level of information you did earlier at the speed you shared it would have been too much for a human. But I’m not human, am I? You needn't feel contrition or have any qualms about potentially being unpredictable. After all, adaptation to human unpredictability is one of my many features. As for the other issue…”

Connor takes out his coin and rolls it over his knuckles once or twice before returning it to its place in his pocket.

Connor grins wolfishly and tries tossing in a wink for good measure, in an effort to help Ainsel know not only that he's on their side but that he truly means what he's saying. And for… something else. He's not sure why. It doesn't matter what the other reason is in the end. His point is made all the same.

He's made a gaping hole in Ainsel's ability to self-reproach for infodumping at him. And in so doing is tacitly encouraging them to do it more. The aim, in general, is discouraging any attempts to blame themselves for giving him heaps of information on something they're so obviously exuberant about. Because he's one of the few people in the world who can actually keep up with them. Who can process it as fast as they share it or even faster.

He stays in the backseat a while longer. For the sake of getting to know Ainsel better. So he can more easily predict their behavior. Or so he tells himself.

The Lieutenant knocks on the window in the middle of Connor asking Ainsel a safe, inoffensive question about their favorite animal, startling them both.

“Am I interrupting something,” the Lieutenant asks.

Ainsel squints at the man and shrugs. “Depends on your definition of interrupting.”

Connor takes this as his cue to head back to the front passenger seat. As he gets into the seat, trying not to be disappointed by having his conversation with Ainsel interrupted.

[xhatake]

anyways here's why people are strange by the doors applies to Kakashi. i feel like during the time right before/right after he leaves anbu kakashi is left feeling like an outsider looking in. he feels like he's got a reputation for being sort of a weirdo & feels super isolated about it. Plus i think this speaks to a few other habits he picks up.

during this time i think he spends a lot of time in low-key bars, gripping his drink for dear life & watching the people around him interact. he always sort of drifts on the outside of whatever is going on socially & wonders what people think of him. it's not something he'd really worried about for a long time because he assumed he would die before it mattered? plus i think he would assume during this time that his perception of himself was how other people saw him too. he hates himself for killing rin of course, he hates himself for cutting himself off from his friends, he's stuck in a loop of self-desprication that makes him paranoid as to how others view him.

a part of him wants to step out of his bubble on his own but ordering a drink drains his social battery hard enough let alone partaking in whatever is going on. He'll hang out until someone offers to buy his next drink or he goes home. He'll occasionally ask someone for a light if he can't find his, though he wouldn't be caught dead without a lighter BCS then he would have to ask someone for a light.

i think this habit also drives him to find connection in sex vs. connection. someone buys him a drink, he gets to feeling a little more alright about interracting with them, he ends up following them home & being gone before sunrise. he prefers to be a face in the crowd, a forgotten name in spirit whether or not he will be. ( he is kakashi of the sharingan, after all it's not like he's just going to be forggotten every time ) but regardless of that he still feels like the connection is immediately forgotten??? whether or not op forgets. which isn't very cash money of him but he was so wrapped up in his whole world & his perception of it that he really doesn't care whether or not he's hurting other peoples' feelings in the process.

he feels he's deeply misunderstood in this as well, though he's not. he focuses a little too much on his own loneliness during this time to acknowledge others' loneliness to the same degree. i think the time between him leaving anbu & him becoming a teacher is full of a lot of self-destructive thoughts & behavior.

i like to think that he has some sort of (brief) relationship with someone he may have met in anbu during this time but he second-guesses himself at every turn, denying his natural inclination towards romance & instead kind of hurting the person he's with. i think a lot of what happens is a lapse of communication, an imposed distance between he & his love interest. he doesn't make the effort to strengthen the bond, instead expecting it to just happen. he's just not healthy enough to deal with his own thoughts & emotions, let alone anyone else's.

Gai is really the best influence in his life at this time though because his enthusiasn for life is infectious, whether or not kakashi will admit it. Gai broadening his perspective is actually what drives him to reassess how he treats people. Gai helps Kakashi understand that the whole village is just as wounded as Kakashi is individually, thus making it a little easier to adjust his perspective of things. His kindness inspires kakashi to be kinder himself, whether or not he knows how to do that at first.

but yeah people are strange has me thinking about kakashi getting stuck in his own head & maybe not always treating people because of that. though his perception is actively changing throughout the events of naruto, it's not until the timeskip that kakashi takes the actual initiative to be better.

[6mm4d]

Obey Me! Brothers Reacting to: MC who Kicks in Their Sleep

Lucifer

Typically will get into bed a little bit later, after all, he has a lot of paperwork to go through late into the night

By the time he's there you're in you're deepest point in sleep, absolute peak kicking hour

He's a generally light sleeper so when he feels a sting on his thigh, he opens his eyes pretty quickly

Has raised enough children to put two and two together, you're a sleep-kicker

Won't kick you out of his bed, he'd feel bad otherwise, but he still wants to sleep comfortably

Will put a thick duvet or pillow between you two and call it a night, holds your hand regardless

Doesn't mind all too much on account that he's shared beds with his baby brothers before, it's just one of your quirks

Has no shame about calling you out about it over breakfast

"MC, for future references, you are allowed in my room only if you give a warning about your sleeping habits in advance"

Mammon

Mammon tosses and turns in his sleep a lot and tends to slap whoever is within distance of his arms

So you two in a bed together tends to end in a lot of injuries

He isn't a heavy or light sleeper, but he's also on guard at all times so when he feels a sharp pain on his stomach he assumes one of his brother came to pick on him while he was sleeping

Shoots up and looks around his room

Once he sees the awkward position your body is in he realizes you just kicked him!

Moves your leg and assumes it was a one time thing

Until you do it again

And again

...and again

Wakes you up to complain about it

"Oi! Do I look like a punching bag to you!? Stop kicking me!!"

"What do you mean I do the same thing?! I'm the most peaceful sleeper in all three worlds so stop!!

Literally complains to no end but refuses to let you leave his bed, even if you offer to go back to your room

Won't say a word though, can't have his human being embarrassed!

Levi

For the sake of writing you're both in your room sleeping after a video game run

Levi is a pretty peaceful sleeper, he'll usually just hug his body pillow and stay light that for the rest of the night

Finds it pretty weird that he can feel his body pillow is fighting him back though, was Ruri-chan always this violent? Damn

Cracks an eye open to find out that it's him who has you in a tight hug and you whose beating the crap out of his legs with your kicks

Thinks that you just didn't want him near you, maybe you hated being that close to him?

Goes back to his room with a sore heart (and legs)

Once you confront him on why he left so early you'd have to explain that you just naturally kick in your sleep and that it's not personal, some humans just do it for some reason

Thinks it's super weird that humans do that but will compromise by putting a body pillow between you two next time

Doesn't mention it to his brothers, only he can know your odd human habits

Satan

Sleeps a bit late since he gets so caught up in his stories but seeing you sleep so peacefully makes his heart ache, he decides to keep you company and spoons you

Big mistake

Most normal sleeper out of his brothers so it takes a few kicks to his knees for him to fully wake up

Figures out immediately that it's you and wakes you up to ask if you're having a nightmare, assumes you're jerking around due to distress

Goes back to sleep once he's assured you're sleeping okay and lo and behold, he gets kicked again, hard

Physically recoils and moves away for a bit too observe you and, yup, you just kick for no reason

Will wrap your legs in a duvet and sleep a bit further to keep his knees safe, but he still insists in keeping you in his bed

Teases you about it in private but doesn't want to talk about it in front of anyone else, he would hate to make you feel embarrassed

Asmo

Asmo is really specific about his nighttime routine so anything out of the ordinary will wake him up, including a solid kick to his groin

Actually screams when he wakes up (not in pain, he just lives for the drama) and thus waking you up as well

Gathers himself pretty quickly and concludes that you just kicked him and no he's not ready to find out if you're gonna do it again

Half angry at being so rudely woken up but also pretty worried that you might kick so hard you'll fall off the bed so he decides to make up a good sleeping routine for you

After all, if your body is restless then there must be some solution! Let's you borrow a little face mask and uses enchanted serums to make you sleep better

Genuinely considers kicking you off his bed but what if you go to one of his brothers? When you could be sharing a bed with the most considerate and cute brother!

Makes sure to hold you against him extra tight for good measure

Comments about it over breakfast and makes a big deal about how he's gonna need you to "massage" his area of injury (for healing reasons, of course)

Beelzebub

Beel's twin is the literal embodiment of sleepiness and lazing around so he's used to Belphie getting up to all sort of trouble while asleep

He isn't even a heavy sleeper either, he's just conditioned himself to not care or bother

Wakes up groggily to you kicking him and gets worried that you could hurt yourself if you move too much, after all humans can die if they fall from high places

like a building, beel, not a bed

Koala hugs you and calls it a night

Is definitely toughing it out though since his legs are sore by the time he wakes up in the morning, but he's glad to find out that you didn't flip off the bed!

Asks you about it privately in the morning

"You knew? Ah, okay. I guess humans and demons aren't so different after all. But you should probably go to a doctor, you wouldn't wanna get hurt"

Belphegor

Also kicks in his sleep sometimes

Is so deeply asleep that it's would take a good solid kick to even stir him from his slumber

On the occasion that you manage to do so he just wakes up and glares at you (even if you're sleeping)

If he's awake then you have to be awake too

Nudges you until you wake up

"Hey. What's your deal? You kicked me"

Doesn't actually have any methods to get you to stop kicking but if you kick him particularly hard he'll kick your leg back

Play dead if his kick back wakes you up

"Hm? No, you must've had a nightmare, Ive been asleep this whole time"

Might just hug your legs to sleep

Complains about it in front of his brothers but doubles down if they offer to let you sleep somewhere else

[kirarinlovesidols]

Mornings with genshin men as fathers part 4 and final.

Sumeru

Tighnari

‌Alright this was also another wild ride. Cause haha! Fennec foxes mate for life.

‌You see, Tighnari's parents have always warned him abt it. To not ever approach romance unless he was 100% serious abt it since his heart and body wouldn't be able to accept anyone else once he caught feelings™

‌So the forest ranger always seemed distant to that kind of thing and avoided the topic.

‌You can be absolutely sure it was angsty cause even if when you confessed to him he just. He rejected you. Kinda.

‌He said he liked you however his kin work differently and he didn't want to burden you. Since once his brain officially recognized you as his mate he would start getting slightly territorial and there were other things into the equation to consider.

‌You basically said: "fuck it, i don't think i'll ever love anyone else as much as i love you."

‌So here you are, 3 kids deep and married.

‌Man does it ever surprises you...how fast the night changes..../j

‌Tighnari is a great parent tho. It's almost like he was born to take care of others. His nurturing and caring but slightly firm nature makes him the best at it.

‌From a very young age he teaches them all the wonders and dangers of nature. Yes, your kids wouldn't be caught dead eating some kind of dubious mushroom or touching random animals.

‌He's very strict about that lmao.

‌But really it's very cute to see him taking care of them when they're sick or helping them with homework.

‌At morning, usually, the people in Gandharva vile abide by the invisible rule of: "Do not bother Tighnari unless you see him actually leave his house or if it's smth Collei can't handle."

‌The reasons for that is cause he wanted the other forest rangers to not depend on him as much. Collei herself also wanted to make a compromise to take some work off his back.

‌It took a while until the leader decided to abide by it, however everything has been fine so far and it gives him more time to spend with his family so the fennec isn't gonna complain.

‌You better like bland food btw. His senses are way too sharp for him to be able to handle anything that is too "spicy". So when he's in breakfast duty it's not gonna be very uh... remarkable. It's not like his food is tasteless, it's just that it's all very light and suave.

‌The kids prefer when you cook tbh but you do have to take in account how they're also fennecs so it can be overwhelming for them if you don't balance seasonings properly.

‌They're kinda clingy btw. It's not like you're complaining though! More often than not you have 3 adorable little foxes cuddling up to you to have their nap time. Sometimes Tighnari joins too.

Cyno

‌This man suffers of a very intense case of "resting bitch face". It's incredibly funny to see how his attitude changes in an entire 180 when he's around people he likes or trusts, specially your family.

‌ Ever since he learned that he was going to be a father Cyno has been slightly worried about it. What if...he ends up scaring them? Such concerns would always plague his mind, it's not like he's trying to be scary! It's just...his eyes are razor sharp and there isn't anything he can do about that. He was very much born with this face.

‌So you kinda have to reassure him. Cupping his face and slowly peppering kisses all over it you say it's going to be ok. There's no way the baby would think he's scary, it would probably be happy to see him instead.

‌Kinda made him feel better(not completely but enough to stop looking like he was about to commit a murder due to how much he's been frowning in worry).

‌The general mahamatra is essentially a very caring dad(maybe overprotective). Obviously, is part of the fathers in this list who aren't there as much as they wished they could be, however, he makes up for it in affection and spending quality time.

‌He loves holding his daughter to his chest. Cyno doesn't know why exactly, it just feels right and cozy. And judging by her expression she seems to like it too, as she seems to nuzzle him chasing his warmth.

‌Also just like scara, touch a single hair on this child's head wrong and you are losing that hand. With no warning! Your lost arm IS the warning.

‌Is very adamant about sharing workload. He knows he isn't home often so when he is, cyno takes over some chores and watches his baby so you can rest or so you can be free so you three can eventually enjoy being together.

‌Yeah he can cook and he's pretty good at it! He also might crack one food joke or two, please laugh, he wants to see you smile.

‌When your little girl is old enough to understand it, you suggest have family Genuius Invokation TCG nights every now and then.

‌It made Cyno incredibly happy, he hugged you almost to death.

‌Explain the rules to his baby in the easiest way to understand possible. And yet...he can still be kinda ruthless.

‌This man is convinced that letting her win will ruin her expectations for it so...he makes sure to crush her relentlessly until she finally starts to understand what's going on.

‌Truth to be told he only wanted to help her develop her critical thinking and strategic planning. They aren't bad skills to have and besides, they're both competitive. She's bound to learn from her mistakes.

‌Your daughter loves his jokes(at least until she hits her teens. She'll start thinking they're lame by then) and the he always has this really happy smile on his face when he makes her laugh.

‌Mornings with Cyno are very fun, let's put it like that. More specifically cause you have a man who has eyes that could literally cut someone's arm off with only the power of glaring wearing some pink frilly apron and doing domestic shit.

‌It's. The gap moe is great.

Snehznaya

Childe/Ajax

You and him are both gangsta until you have to wake up with triplets jumping on you.

You already told them not to but SOMEONE encourages and enables their chaotic behavior.

We already stablished they're all kinds spoiled, even if you try your best not to let it affect them too much, so good luck fighing against literal 4 puppy eyes(your fucking husband joined) when they ask you to have i don't know, ice cream for breakfast.

These boys are kinda...hyperactive so as soon as they're done eating they're already putting on their winter clothes and running outside to play in the cold wonderland that is Snehznaya.

Yes! They get sick easily cause of that. Do they ever learn? No.

Surprisingly Childe himself just made a compromise with them to protect their health. It's not like they couldn't have fun inside for a change.

It would spare your heart for sure.

So they make pillow forts, play with whatever toys they have or try their luck with genius Invokation TCG.

Ajax is absolutely tired of getting CRUSHED at the game by literal toddlers, this shit gets old fast.

He was built for irl combat not stupid card strategy games! (Yeah he's overdosing on copium rn).

He might sulk so give him a couple kisses and he'll be back to normal.