#<- not a vague to anyone who follows me although it is a vague to Someone.

[synthetic-sonata]

got a buncha stuff for my switch and kirbys return to dream land deluxe. ... living life large ( i had a breakdown earlier this is a treat )

[adoseofdidreality]

also my blog name wasnt to pretend to be you but to make fun of your username because i think "a dose of did reality" (or even a "a DIDose of reality") is funnier than didadoseofreality

genuinely just replace the word DID with "the shot" or something wild and "a dose of reality" can become a really clever pun for antovaxxers. i think if the op is actually an antivaxxer they can steal that idea and try to come up with a better primary title to be followed by the subtitle "a dose of reality" :P

it would all be really silly shouty lies by an old man/woman/erson who's scared of The Furries Oh my Gosh!!! and it's hillarious

[malkaviian]

the unhinged mav drawing posts the day after tomorrow and i've debated a million times whether to let it post or create an account for these type of not-so-sfw drawings

[churipu]

Idk if u take requests rn, but if you do, could you write fluffy moments with jjk men (pls include toji, i rlly wanna see him w fluff because there is like none) you fav would be cuddling, but you do whatever you want <3 Also, don't stress yourself when writing i, and please take breaks <33

JJK MEN + FLUFFY MOMENTS (๑ > ᴗ < ๑)

featuring. toji fushiguro, gojo satoru, nanami kento x reader

warnings. jjk men being softies

note. i just read the most heart wrenching nanami fic, i think i'm not okay at all </3 but hi anon, thank you for requesting this — this is exactly what i needed after reading angst. i apologize if it took a long time to get this out omg, i hope you like it.

and guys, omg???? 700+ followers? i genuinely never expected my works to be recognized by so much, and meeting new writers here and there, making friends, makes me so happy (i'm not crying) i love u all so so so so much, u guys rock, ily all <;33

TOJI FUSHIGURO

hated talking about the future, but ever since he met you — he rambles about it.

toji has always thought his future was nothing interesting, he kills people for a living, gets money off of it and he gambles. that's about it, so what was there to think about in the future?

meeting you was the firsts to a lot of things in his life.

toji grew up in a loveless household full of anger, and lust for power. which is why he is who he is today. distant, aloof, detached. people tell him he'd be nothing without his strength and face, there is no denying that toji fushiguro has a face card. he knows that.

so when he first met you, all he expected was like every other day. people caring about his face, and only that — and he'd play along although he's had enough of it, but no; you didn't care about all that.

face, money, strength. none of that.

he vaguely remembered the first time you spoke to him: "hey, mind helping me grab that box of cereal?" and he expected you to hit on him after, but you left it at that, muttering out a thanks and then leaving him in the aisle alone.

then for some reason he meets you again, the very next month. asking him the exact same thing, asking for help to take the cereal box which happened to be on the very top of the shelf. god knows why, both you and him just made it a routine every month after that. no communications about meeting and all. you both kind of just, met right in the cereal aisle on one particular day in the month, and then leave.

on the fifth month, he finally asks for your number.

"toji, is that your way of asking me out? because if it is, i'm disappointed."

"maybe."

and then you both kind of just sealed it; you're dating. nothing much changed, every month both you and him still go to the cereal aisle — he still helps you with grabbing the box from the shelf. the only difference was that now the two of you leave together.

toji hates talking about his future. but with you? he could go on for a whole day. he rambles about what he thinks and what he wants in the future with you.

"i wan' to get married. i wan' to marry you," did it caught you by surprise? yes. yes it did, "i wan' to have a family with you, a nice little family. i wan' to have a son so i could throw him around — but a girl is okay too, i can protect her from boys, i'll love them both equally. but i don't think i'll be a good dad to them. i'm scared they won't like me."

"toji, what? where did that come from?"

his back was pressed to your chest as you both lay down on the bed, one of your leg draped over his torso and he has his hand on your plush thigh, squeezing it every once in a while.

"i don't know. just a thought, i never talked about my future with anyone before," his body vibrated as he grunted, leaning his head back a bit, "i just don't think i'll be a good father, y'know?" he squeezed your thigh.

"why do you think so?" you asked him, placing your chin on the crown of his head.

"i just think so."

"stop thinking then," you chuckles, draping an arm around his neck, caressing his throat so softly it made the male shudder under your touch — but he didn't mind, he took comfort under your skin.

"can't." his voice was not stern or bold, it was soft and serene. he laced his fingers with yours, kissing your knuckles gently, "i can't believe 'm saying this, but 'm worried about my future. 'm a little scared."

just the fact he was admitting that he's scared about something was mind boggling, because the toji fushiguro? who kills people? was admitting that he was actually terrified of something, which wasn't even the strongest sorcerer. it's his future.

you were silent, letting him talk because when else would he be able to be like this?

"'m terrified. 'm scared i won't make you happy. what if i don't make you happy? what if my kids hate me?" so many questions that you don't even have the answer to, but you placed your hand over his lips, shutting him up.

toji grumbled, he swiped his tongue over your palm.

"ew!" you laugh, wiping your hand on his shirt, "but why're you suddenly talking about this all? which videos have you been watching again?"

"nothing, can't i think about my own future with you?" he shuffles, turning to face you, prepping an arm under his head as he stares down at you. not in the condescending way — he stared at you with so much desperation for love, he slowly blinks, the glint in his eyes never changing.

"why out of the blue?"

"jus' because."

you poked his cheek, "liar."

he sighs, latching his hand onto your hips, pulling you close. he buries his head into your shoulder in content, "jus' worried about it, i never think about my future in the past. but now — with you, i jus' worry about it because i didn't think i'd make it 'till now."

you chuckled, rubbing the back of his head lightly, "you remember that one time in the park when you see that little boy crying over spilled ice cream?"

he hums softly.

"and you bought him another ice cream, but asked me to be the one to give it to him because you were scared you'd scare him off instead?" you ask him, your fingers tangling with his hair lightly.

"yeah."

"you'll be fine, toji." you tell him.

"y'think so?" he retorts back, squirming a bit.

"i know so."

GOJO SATORU

he has to know about everything that you like, he needs to know why you like them. every. single. thing.

gojo chased after you. you were one tough cookie, he likes a chase. he's so used to people fawning over his looks that when you didn't — he just has to know your name.

the curiosity to know your name ended up pulling him in a spiral of this little thing called "love". gojo swore it was just curiosity, but everyone else besides him thinks otherwise, he promised himself and people around that he didn't like you, he was just, well, curious.

but curiosity doesn't look like that. gojo finds himself asking people about what type of boys you like, and when he finds out about it — he tries his best to be your type. he promised he was just curious.

gojo tries finding out what your favorite flower is, and when he finds out about it, he's out there sending big bouquets of it to you. he promised he was just curious.

gojo tries finding out what your favorite genre of music is, and when he finds out, he listens to them so he could talk about it with you. he promised he was just curious.

gojo tries finding out what your favorite series or movie is, and when he finds out, he watches them all intently so he could talk about them with you and hate on characters together with you. and he still promises that he was just curious.

he was just curious, he kept telling that to himself. so why does it bother him when you were out with another guy? another guy that's not him. not gojo satoru.

gojo asks you about who it was, and when you tell him it's nobody important, he gets upset about it.

"why are you so upset?"

"i'm just..curious."

"it's none of your business."

he left it at that. his whole week was ruined, he couldn't stop thinking about it. about you. and then he finally realizes, he wasn't curious — he was in love. so there he was, in front of your door at two in the morning.

"what?"

"who was that guy?"

"gojo, you're still onto that?" you ask him, tired, "i said it's none of your business. you're here at two just to ask me about that?"

"it's my business because i'm in love with you, damn it!"

gojo was half grateful when you told him it was your distant cousin, but half embarrassed as well. all's well ends well. he gets you in the end, and he doesn't have to worry about anything else — nothing in the world matters to him but you.

"baby, what do you recommend?" was one of the most spoken phrases he has delivered to you.

in restaurants, dessert bars, convenience store, movie theaters, anything you could recommend him, he'd ask for it.

"why do you always ask? don't you have your own preference, satoru? i'm not even sure if you'll like my recommendations though," he smiles at you, tracing small circled on the back of your hand.

"i want to know about everything that you like, and why you like them. i want to know everything about you," you look at him and smiled, honestly, what did we ever do to deserve him?

"why?"

"because i love you." yeah, he wasn't just curious. he's in love. and deep.

NANAMI KENTO

he always orders food that you like, and shares some with you — even if you didn't ask for it.

nanami never expected to be in relationships. in fact, relationships was the last thing in his mind — but when he met you, he just kind of felt attracted. he seeks for your comfort whenever he's tired, and when you weren't there, nanami just sort of drowns in himself until he could see you or hear your voice.

at the beginning of your relationship, nanami was never the one to initiate things because he wasn't an experienced male in relationships. you ask him and he just sort of do it without any other complaints.

but as time goes on, he get the hang of it. what he should do and what he shouldn't — it's adorable, he's started doing things that he never thought he would do in his life, but here he was sitting by your side; peeling apples for you because you wanted them.

"kento, eat some. it's going to be finished by the time you finish peeling every one of them," you joked, your legs on top of his thighs.

nanami hums softly, "it's okay. as long as you like it."

nanami doesn't realize the weigh of his sweet words sometimes, he does it and asks himself to why you were reacting like that. sweet talk is his vocabulary. he says it with no worries, telling you things you've always wanted to hear but never say.

but one thing that always stuck to him and you from the first time you got close up to now was: nanami always orders things that you like. you never understood the reason behind it, and when you tried asking him about it, he just tells you he was craving it.

it didn't seem odd at first — but as time goes on, his whole taste was just an exact copy of yours.

if you get something different than your usual menu, nanami will get your usual menu because he knows damn well that you're going to end up wanting them. although you don't tell him when the food comes, nanami makes it his job to share with you. and that's really sweet of him.

but when you get your usual menu, nanami orders something with elements that you like in them and shares them with you even without you asking for a bite. and not only that, he didn't share a spoonful — he shared a lot.

"ken, you don't have to share with me. i have my own food." you tell him, despite your heart tugging you to just let him share because you were too shy to say that you wanted a bite.

"it's alright sweetheart. i'm a little full." he lies. he ends up snacking on something on midnight, and it's now a routine.

so in exchange for that, you always make it your job to stock up foods ranging from small snacks like biscuits, chips, up to instant or pre-heated food. even cutting up fruits so nanami could snack on it, and he caught on to it pretty quick.

but he didn't complain, he likes it when you do it.

"ken, i cut out some mangoes and dragon fruit. you can eat them if you're hungry."

"thank you y/n."

mutual wins.

© CHURIPU 2023 , DO NOT COPY OR REPOST ANYWHERE

[thydungeongal]

I genuinely don't understand what y'all mean by "ok to kill enemies." Everytime it comes up I feel less and less confident I am following the conversation.

D&D kind of has, as part of its DNA, the idea that combat will eventually happen in the game. To that end, throughout the history of the game there have been many different types of guy that in the text of the game have been presented as like almost self-evidently okay to kill simply because. While different editions of the game have tried to move away from some of the more overtly problematic portrayals of this (basically saying that certain types of humanoids are okay to kill because they look funny and live in caves is kinda fucked up), the truth is that pretty much every attempt to look for a suitable Boogeyman that player characters can kill without any iffy ethics about it is going to end up really weird.

Anyway this is why people will often look for types of guy to present as enemies where characters can engage in no-thoughts-head-empty lethal sports with them without anyone needing to have a "wait a minute, are we the baddies?" moment. Demons and the undead are pretty easy to go for here.

My personal favorite approach is to just accept the fact that D&D kinda sucks with black-and-white morality and instead of making the conflict in the world about clear good and evil teams make it about different groups of people with different goals. Orcs can be present but they're no longer "the evil guys it's always morally okay to kill because of biotruths" but instead just some guys who might sometimes have violent disagreements with other people.

Anyway a lot of this stuff doesn't mean anything and as said not engaging with games as texts on this level isn't really necessary to enjoy them. But for me at least it can often elevate gameplay. When bandits aren't just some guys who decided to become evil criminals some day but actual people whose banditry is a response to something going on in the world and their lives, it suddenly makes the conflicts in the world a lot more real and grounded (and sometimes killing those bandits can be the right thing to do, but sometimes negotiating with them or even cooperating them can be the right thing to do. Basically, once you start thinking about all the different types of Guy that inhabit the worlds of D&D not just as game tokens that player characters can hit to make XP come out [although that is also fine and dandy as a playstyle] but as living thinking creatures with actual goals, the types of narratives the game starts to produce also expands a hundredfold.)

Anyway I'm not sure if that answers your question because I went on like a bunch of tangents. But it was also kind of a vague question.

[yanderes-galore]

Yandere Deku concept with a hero darling 

This was a bit vague for me but I eventually settled on you both being Pro-Heros and you both went to UA together.

Yandere! Izuku Midoriya (Deku) with Hero! Darling

Pairing: Platonic -> Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Clingy behavior, Trauma, Fear of loss, Manipulation, Overprotective behavior, Stalking implied, Kidnapping, Jealousy, Drugging, Delusional behavior, Dubious turned forced relationship.

Izuku has always had a fascination with heroes ever since he was young.

Meeting his childhood idol and attending UA allowed him to live his dreams.

Although, by the end of his schooling, Izuku became a... changed man.

He's more hardened now that he's seen the world out there.

Even more so when he realizes he can't save everyone.

However... That never stops Izuku from trying.

Izuku first met you when he was in UA.

You were in his class and also aspired to be a hero.

Izuku befriended you through training sessions and... unfortunately shared traumas.

He never liked it when you got hurt in UA, be that in training or villain attacks.

True to his heart, Izuku is protective.

He has the heart of a hero, always wanting to protect those he cares about.

Izuku often found himself worrying for you in UA.

He has a tendency to overthink....

Each year only ever gets more difficult and Izuku, being as close as he is to you, can tell it wears you down.

Honestly, he feels the same.

The trauma he endures alongside you in UA no doubt affects his feelings towards you later on in life.

In UA, you're both just friends.

Even if Izuku had a major crush on you.

In fact, said crush and care he felt for you was often what stressed him out the most.

You two are both heroes... but he's seen people die and nearly lost many close to him.

How long will it be before you're also a casualty?

Such worries and thoughts are what pushes him into obsession as school continues on.

Izuku no doubt takes notes on his obsession and follows them around.

When you were both in school he most likely had a notebook section dedicated to you and your quirk.

Izuku knows your strengths and weaknesses more than anyone else.

He was always a bit too timid to ask you out and often just stayed your friend.

Plus, when you're dealing with constant danger... it would be hard to balance a relationship.

Despite this he's always caring and loyal, never far from you.

Your fellow classmates often joke that you two should date based on how deep Izuku is into his feelings.

But Izuku doesn't want to rush things...

If you're going to be a couple, then he wants it perfect...!

Although, he no doubt writes notes and ideas in his notebook about future date plans... or even marriage... or further than that.

Even when you're both in school he's your lovesick friend/classmate.

He's always so flustered around you, his confidence wavering when you speak to him.

His feelings no doubt persist after school, even after he experiences more horrors than any normal high-schooler should....

Especially due to his fear of leaving you alone.

When you both graduated to become heroes, Izuku became insistent on keeping contact.

It started with just sharing numbers, then gradually became more.

When not busy, he'd often visit.

When you were busy, he'd search for you before providing aid.

Even when he became the #1 hero he was still determined to keep you in his life.

If only you knew it was because he was scared to lose you.

He hates the idea of you somehow getting hurt or targeted if he leaves you be.

Even now he wants to protect you, even when you're capable of being on your own.

Izuku loves you... one could argue it's to a concerning degree.

He often mumbles to himself about you but usually excuses it to anyone who notices.

He's always asking others about you, often writing notes down about your feats.

Izuku is obsessive, even more so due to the fact you're a hero.

He's simultaneously worried yet fascinated due to his love of researching heroes.

So his research is not only about your personal life, it's about your career too.

After all... who else would know more than him?

That alone encourages him to ask you out later on.

He invites you out one day... only to pour his heart out to you.

Other than the fact Izuku is a bit clingy... you probably don't notice anything wrong.

You could willingly go into a relationship with him... or refuse.

If you agree and date him, his obsession is less intense and more subtle.

He comes off as a protective boyfriend who's always concerned when you're on missions.

Sometimes he's even a bit jealous... yet is able to keep that under control more than most.

Why should he be jealous, anyways?

After all, in this option, he has you to himself.

If he ever resorted to darker methods to keep you to himself and safe... It's more likely to be due to a mission.

For example, maybe you two had a fight.

Maybe Izuku was trying to convince you to stay out of a certain mission.

Perhaps he tells you it's too dangerous, leading to a fight before you end up walking out.

On your way to the mission, or perhaps even after it, you're suddenly tackled to the ground.

Strong muscles restrain you and a large hand covers your nose and mouth.

"See...? I knew you couldn't protect yourself... You need me, don't you? Always have...."

You fight against him, no doubt recognizing the voice as Izuku.

Yet he merely shushes you... before slipping a wet cloth over your nose.

"Sleep, love... Let me take care of you now."

If you rejected him before you even started dating, Izuku would resort to a similar method.

Except this time around he delves into creepier territory.

He keeps track of those you hang around with, he notes down where you frequent.

He stalks you for your "safety".

This time he does feel jealousy since he knows you don't like him the same way he does you... yet.

Soon enough he can't take it anymore.

Izuku would then tackle you once again when you're alone, slapping the wet cloth across your mouth and nose.

As you struggle he merely shushes you, kissing your forehead.

"It's okay, love... Don't you see you can't protect yourself? You need me... and I promise I'll protect you, just like back then...."

Both options conclude with the same outcome.

You're trapped in Izuku's home, under his constant surveillance.

He doesn't want to use restraints... but he'll do anything to keep you.

His delusional thoughts tell him you love him, that you need him.

You may want to be a hero... but he's the best hero the world has to offer.

So why not just let him care for you?

Izuku definitely seems like he'd have a thing for caring for you.

In fact, to make things darker... I wouldn't doubt he'd put sedatives in your food to keep you compliant.

He won't force you into anything... but the drugs certainly help him care for you without worrying about your quirk.

Plus... He thinks you look adorable like that.

He isn't violent, really....

As in, he wouldn't really kill anyone over you unless you were hurt. (Which is something someone like Katsuki would do, not Izuku)

Blood may stain his clothes, but he never shows you.

Izuku wants to be the perfect boyfriend to you.

Scratch that... The perfect husband.

He feeds you, holds you, kisses you...

He's yours and you're his in his eyes.

You two are meant to be.

There's no need for any more fights...! (Especially with the drugs in your system....)

Izuku will take care of you...

There's no need for you to play hero with him here.

[gwenllian-in-the-abbey]

Not fluent in English. 

Please tell me I’m not the the only who noticed that team green characters in the show aren’t allowed to hate team black characters. 

Like Aemond can’t even hate Lucerys for cutting his eye and disabled him for life. 

And Alicent can’t hate Viserys for marrying and gr*ping her and forcing pregnancies on her, even though he have no intention to name any of their sons his heir, and treating her mostly like a caretaker and concubine rather than his lawful wife and the mother of his legitimate children. 

Aegon and Helaena aren’t even allowed to hate Daemon the man who ordered the death of their Son.

Like why??? Why aren’t they allowed to hate them???

Hi aleksandra! You make a good point! I think there are a few things going on here.

For one, I think the writing is incredibly inconsistent across the board this season, and there are a lot of dropped plot threads. Some of it is intentional (like, I do think B&C was deliberately downplayed and undermined so that Alicent could have that Dragonstone scene, more on that in a bit), some of it I think is just bad writing and a kind of ... well, look, I can't speculate as to what goes down in the writer's room and have no idea what their workflow looks like or what processes they follow, but a problem going back to S1 is that characters and dialogue vary a lot from episode to episode. I don't think it's all that normal for a fandom to be concerned ahead of time about which writers will be writing which scenes and which episodes, but with HotD there seem to be huge differences in how each writer interprets the characters. Having worked on OFCIR collaboratively with @aifsaath, we work really hard to make sure the chapters are relatively consistent. I gave our first few chapters to my critique partner for original fiction, a guy who knows my writing inside and out, someone I've worked with for about 6 years now, @theravenpiper, and he could not actually tell which scenes were written by me, and which were written by Aife, which I took as a big complement to our collaborative process, and to our ability to edit to a uniform standard. Now I'm not saying we do it better than the HotD writers, but I do think that there is something missing from their collaborative process that makes the entire thing seem disjointed.

I do not think it is entirely that the whole of team green is not allowed to be angry at team black, although that is part of it, some of it is part of an overall bigger problem where major events are not allowed to resonate across the story, and I chalk some of it up to simple bad writing. Rhaenyra is apparently over Luke's death enough by E3 that she can seek out Alicent for some kind of vague "let's stop this madness" ploy, but still conveniently needs "a son for a son" in E8. Although Rhaenyra is negotiating from a position of power in E8, there was no reason for her to feel so desperate as of E3, when Rook's Rest hasn't even happened yet, that she would set aside her grief and anger and go seek peace. Peace was offered in E10 of season 1 and Rhaenyra turned it down after Luke died, so what has changed besides Rhaenyra's own husband beheading a toddler? Other events happen too and have little or no consequence. Rhaenyra and Mysaria kiss in E6 and it's entirely forgotten by E8, with zero follow up. Criston Cole is brought to his knees by the sight of Aegon lying injured by his dragon, but never even visits his bedside. Gwayne never interacts with anyone aside from Alicent and Criston. Rhaenyra sends her younger children to the Vale and never mentions them again (she is shown looking wistfully at a box of toys), nor does Jace. Laena in a vision berates Daemon for not looking after their girls, but does he ask after them when Broome shows up directly from Dragonstone? I could go on. Events just happening and then never really mattering again is a consistent problem throughout the season, which makes it hard to tell when it is happening deliberately and when it is happening because the writers can't get on the same page.

There are two things I do think are deliberate, however, one of them being the scrubbing of Viserys' image. While audiences loved Paddy's performance, a lot of viewers did pick up on how Viserys played favorites and neglected his sons, and I think when the show decided to switch up Alicent's motivation from "she wants to protect her children and knows they will face the sword if Rhaenyra comes to power" to "she misheard Viserys' last words," they knew that the natural question is, "why should she care about Viserys' last words?" A lot of the immediate feedback about that episode involved how Alicent was stupid for not knowing Otto planned to have Aegon take the throne, and a lot of people didn't think that Alicent (or Aegon for that matter) really believed that Viserys changed his mind, but apparently that was the writers' intention, that Alicent truly believed it and managed to convince Aegon (there's a lot I could say about how they could have included this deathbed misunderstanding into the plot without having it replace all of Alicent's other motivations, but they did not do that). So in order to drive home the point that the whole entire war is being fought due to this misunderstanding, they have to make sure the audience is clear that all of these characters considered Viserys a good king. Even if he was Alicent's rapist. Even if he was a deadbeat dad. Even if he was a terrible husband. We are meant to believe he chose Rhaenyra not because he was playing mindgames or out of guilt over Aemma's death, no we must believe he chose Rhaenyra because he was good and wise and to convince us he was good and wise we have to have the green characters reminding us constantly that things were so much better when Viserys was around, that Aegon is inferior to Viserys, that Viserys' wishes are all that matter. Nevermind that it goes directly against the book, never mind that it's not even a particularly powerful or interesting change, it's what enables Rhaenyra and Alicent's relationship to continue. Because here's the thing-- if Alicent put Aegon on the throne because she felt it was the only way to keep her family safe, and because she feels that law and tradition ARE on her side, and because absolutism isn't good (!!!) then there's no chance for her and Rhaenyra to ever reconcile. These are irreconcilable differences, not misunderstandings. And so the show has to glaze Viserys otherwise the basic reasoning falls apart.

And the second is the events like Luke's death, Blood and Cheese and Rook's Rest come in, events in which the greens or the blacks harm and traumatize each other directly. It is not that the greens are not allowed to hate the blacks, it is that Alicent is not allowed to hate Rhaenyra, and by extension, the people who Alicent cares about are not allowed to hate her (I would argue that Aemond is allowed to hate Luke on screen, he literally murders him, and I don't think the scene with the brothel madame is an expression of true remorse, it's more "I'm kinda sorta sorry there were consequences for my actions."). Alicent cares about Helaena the innocent, and therefore Helaena cannot be allowed to hate Rhaenyra (note Phia Saban's many interviews about how apolotical and neutral Helaena is). Aegon, on the other hand, can be affected by B&C because he is allowed to hate Rhaenyra. In fact, his hate for Rhaenyra puts him at odds with his mother, which is what the show wants. Aegon is gravely injured at Rook's Rest, but good thing Rhaenyra's forces did not cause the injuries, Alicent herself drove him to battle with cruel words, and Aemond burned him, which puts him at odds with Alicent too (and Helaena is allowed to express ire at Aemond by extension). If you look at S2 as an exercise in driving a wedge between Alicent and her family and downplaying what happens to them in order to justify their decision to have Alicent seek out Rhaenyra and surrender Aegon's life, it makes a lot more sense.

The thing is, it still doesn't work. Their efforts are much too transparent and require characters to act in ways that are simply not within the realms of how normal human beings would react to these situations, much less the characters established in S1. There is a twitter user, and I'm so sorry that I can't remember their name at the moment, but I've seen them express the sentiment several times that Alicent's character this season made them aware, in a way that a viewer should never be aware, that these are scripted lines coming out of her mouth. That is, a lot of the characters in S2 do not feel like actual people. Aegon is such a fan favorite this season because he feels real. Alicent garnered legions of fans last season because her struggle felt real, even if we didn't agree with it. She felt like a character who inhabited a quasi-medieval world, bound by restraints we are not bound by, but nevertheless a human with human reactions who had to make difficult choices and persevere through them. And any human would be angry beyond comprehension at Blood and Cheese, would lose all faith in Rhaenyra, would know that there can be no peace if she is ruling with a man that ruthless at her side. If she thinks her sons are devils (and mind, so far as king Aegon's most egregious action is executing a handful of ratcatchers after one of their number murdered his son, whereas Rhaenyra burned about 65 peasants alive in a quasi religious ecstasy-- will Alicent ever find out about that, I wonder?), they are at least the devils she knows. Better they all die than end up in Daemon's hands, surely? And so OP, you're right, they are not allowed to hate each other when naturally you, and many others, feel like they should. That is because they are writer creations who would never do such things as what happen in the books in the first place, acting out plot points of entirely different characters (their book counterparts).

[dr1lldash]

royal!reader x knight!venture 4.4k, fluff with a hint of angst

trigger warnings; alcohol, mentions of violence, vague descriptions of (fictional) political issues

prompts: 2) “name, i’m begging you. if you won’t listen to me as your guard, then listen to me as someone who loves you - please let me get you to safety before it’s too late.” 7) “so not only have you been ‘entertaining’ marriage prospects, but you didn’t even deem fit to tell me about it yourself? am i not even worth that to you?”

Growing up as the only child of the King and Queen of your kingdom, you lived a life of luxury and peace. You were vaguely aware of political issues between your and neighboring kingdoms, even living as far away from the commonwealth as you did, but it never affected you. There was always food in your stomach, an impressive roof over your head, and a warm bed waiting for you at the end of the day. The one thing that connected you to the people of your kingdom was your friend from childhood, Sloan. They were the only child of the Grand Master of knights, and as such, were expected to follow in their father’s footsteps. They took their training seriously, and by the time the two of you had grown up, they had already been dubbed a knight. It was almost unheard of at their age, but you had seen the hundreds, if not thousands of hours they had put into training, and knew, more than anyone, that it was well-deserved.

It almost went without saying that they would be your personal guard, and although the change from friend to guardian was rocky at first, it made sense. They took it upon themself to train you in self-defense, despite it technically not being permitted. They were insistent that something could happen to you while they weren’t around, even though they were with you every day, from the moment you opened your eyes in the morning until the moment you closed them in the evening.

They took their role as your bodyguard very seriously, to the point that eventually, the friendship you originally had with them began to fade. You tried your best to keep the spark alive, but their role was incredibly stressful, and you could see the toll it was taking on them. You convinced them to take breaks in any way that you could, which usually involved tricking them. At one point, you told them you were afraid your food had been poisoned, and persuaded them to take a bite of your cake. And then another, and a sip of your wine. They pouted when they realized you had duped them, an expression you hadn’t seen in a few months by that point.

However, as time went on, your opportunities to deceive them grew far and few between. Your relationship was almost entirely professional, which was to be expected from someone of your status. You started to accept this fact, preparing for the rest of your life. Within a few years, you could become the ruler of your kingdom or a neighboring one, depending on how things worked out politically, and you needed to focus on that.

You weren’t so much a part of the marriage talks. Your parents kept you updated, letting you know how the negotiations were going, and you were aware that the state they were currently considering marrying you into was one with a long, checkered history with yours. You hadn’t yet met your spouse-to-be, but you had heard nice enough things about them. They were apparently passionate about painting, they often enjoyed walks in their estate’s gardens, and, from what your parents said, they were deeply involved in the politics in their country. A few months into the marriage discussion, your parents decided it was time for you to meet your potential spouse.

You hadn’t seen Sloan since the early afternoon, and you were starting to get a little bit concerned. They didn’t often take days off, much less half days, and you were worried they had gotten sick. Asking around, a few maids told you they hadn’t seen them since lunch, and that they had a nauseated look on their face.

You decided to go to the knights’ sleeping quarters to see if you could find them, but you wanted to stop by your room to get some tea in case they had a sore throat. You were surprised when you opened your door to find them lying on your bed, curled up in the fetal position with a bottle of mead wrapped in their arms. The late afternoon sun shone on their face, their eyelashes casting shadows across it.

You closed the door quietly. “Sloan?” Your voice was barely above a whisper. “Are you okay?”

They inhaled deeply, eyes fluttering as they opened. “[Y/N]?” they slurred, trying to sit up. They only try for a moment before they give up, resting their head on their hand instead. “What’re you doing here?”

“In my room…?”

“Oh, it’s your room?” They open their eyes wider, looking around. “You’re right.”

You hesitate before speaking. “Is everything okay?”

They hum in affirmation. “Yeah, I just found this bottle of mead and, uh. Drank it.”

“I didn’t know you drank.” You took a few steps forward, sitting on the edge of the bed. They fiddle with the bottle in their hands, tapping their fingernails on it.

“I don’t.” You glance down at the bottle, almost certainly empty, and put your feet on the ground, moving to stand up.

“Stay here, I’ll go get you some water.” Their hand reaches out for you, as quickly as they can in their intoxicated state, grabbing the hand you have resting on the bed.

“Can you just stay?” Their eyes are pleading, and you can now see that they’re red and swollen. You nod, moving back onto the bed. They relax again as you do, letting out a sigh. You position yourself more comfortably, now sitting next to them. The two of you sit in silence for a moment before Sloan breaks it. “I wish you would talk to me like we used to.”

“What do you mean?”

They shifted a little closer to you, their cheek resting against your thigh. “Like when we were kids, and we were friends. We haven’t been friends since I got knighted.” They hesitated before continuing. “I miss it.”

“I still want to be friends with you, Sloan.” You reached out, gently rubbing your fingers through their hair. “Things are different now, and I’m sorry I’ve been more distant. I just don’t want to be another stressor for you.”

“You’re never a stressor for me.” They let go of the bottle in their arms, reaching up to rub at their eyes. “You make my job easier, if anything.” They paused, taking in a deep breath. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do when you’re gone.”

You sat up a little straighter. “What do you mean? I’m not going anywhere. Did someone tell you I’m sick or something?”

They shook their head softly. “When you get married, you’re gonna have another knight. I’ll just be guarding your parents.”

“I’m not getting married yet.”

“So what’s tomorrow?” You looked down and saw them looking up at you, their dark eyes full of ire and hurt.

“I…” you trailed off, unsure how to answer them. “My parents are entertaining a potential suitor.”

They rolled over, leaving your leg cold. “So, not only are you ‘entertaining’ marriage prospects, but you didn’t even deem fit to tell me about it yourself? Am I not even worth that to you?” Tears started to well up in their eyes and they desperately wiped them away. You could hear the knot in their throat as they continued to speak. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

You looked down at your hands in your lap. “I was going to tell you, I just…I don’t know. I’m sorry. I’m not really a part of the discussion.” Tears pricked at your eyes, and you squeezed them shut to will them away.

“What do you mean, you’re not part of the discussion?”

“They’re choosing for me. I don’t think I get a say at all.”

“That’s stupid,” they mumbled. “You should be able to choose who you want to marry.”

“Yeah, that would be nice.” You opened your eyes, rubbing the tears that were beginning to stain your cheeks away, and laid on your back. Sloan inched closer, laying on their back and staring at the ceiling.

“I’m sorry.”

“What for?” You turned to look at them, only to be met with their gaze already on you.

They blinked slowly. “For overreacting, for disappearing, for not talking to you…for stealing your mead.”

“Wait, that’s my mead?” They closed their eyes before nodding, craning their neck to bury their head in your arm. “From the winery in the village?” They nodded again. “Sloan! I was saving that for a special occasion!”

Their voice was quiet, even if it wasn’t muffled. “Please don’t be mad at me.” You felt moisture soaking into the fabric of your shirt.

“Hey, hey,” your voice was barely above a whisper. “I’m not mad, I promise.” You put your hand on their head, massaging their scalp with your fingers. “We just need to go back and get another bottle, and this time we can share it, yeah?”

“Okay.” They moved their head to look you in the eyes, and you wiped tears off their cheeks. “I think I do need water.”

“I can go get you some from the kitchen.”

“Will you come back?”

“Of course.” You sat up, swinging your legs over the edge of the bed before Sloan grabbed your arm, squeezing it gently.

“Do you promise?” Without a word, you held out your hand with your pinky outstretched. They held theirs out, too, wrapping your pinky in theirs. “Thank you.”

You smiled softly at them before walking out of your bedroom. The trip to the kitchen took a few minutes, and by the time you came back with the largest glass of water you could find, Sloan had fallen asleep on your bed. They were no longer cradling the bottle of mead, instead clutching your pillow tightly. You let them sleep for a while, pulling a blanket over their shoulders and setting the glass of water on the nightstand. You sat on a chair next to your bed, looking out the window and watching as the sun set. After an hour or so, you decided to wake Sloan up and make them drink some water before you let them fall asleep for the night.

You gently shook their shoulder. “Sloan,” you whispered. “Wake up.”

They let out a grunt as they wake up. “[Y/N]?” They buried their face in your pillow. “Why are you in my room?”

“You’re in my room.”

“HUH?” They sat straight up, eyes wide. “Wh-why?” They looked around frantically.

“You were drinking, you fell asleep in my bed.”

“Wait, that was real?” They put their head in their hands. “My head hurts so bad, oh my God.”

“Here.” You handed them the glass of water. “Drink.”

They did as you instructed, draining the glass in a matter of moments. “Did I, uh…did I say anything embarrassing?”

You shook your head and watched as tension drained out of their shoulders. “You just told me you missed being my friend.”

“I am so, so, so sorry.” Their eyes were wide and full of panic as they held eye contact with you.

“Don’t be. I miss being your friend, too.”

Silence filled the air for a moment before they answered. “Really?”

You nodded. “You’ve been my best friend for a long time, I’m sorry we grew apart. You’re important to me, Sloan, I’m glad you’re still in my life.”

The two of you talked for another few minutes, filling them in on what they had missed while they were blacked out. They apologized a dozen more times, and each time, you told them that it was okay, you were glad they had talked to you like that, and you hoped things would be better between you now. You went back to the kitchen to get them another glass of water before they went back to their dorm. You told them they could spend the night in your room, but they insisted, with a slight flush on their cheeks, that they could handle the walk to their quarters.You conceded, wishing them a good night with a promise to see them in the morning.

You fell asleep quickly, your heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time.

You were awoken in the morning to a gentle knock on your door and Sloan’s voice calling your name. “Are you awake?”

You rubbed the sleep from your eyes, sitting up in your bed. “Yes, come in.” This was the same way they usually woke you up, but they seemed more hesitant today than they had in the past. They entered, closing your door quietly and standing in front of it. “Are you feeling okay?”

Their cheeks flushed. “I am, thank you for taking care of me last night.”

“Any time.” You paused. “Although, I would rather drink with you next time.”

They flashed you a grin, showcasing the tooth they had chipped when they were first learning to ride horseback. “I can take you to the winery this weekend, if you’d like.”

“That sounds perfect.”

The rest of the morning is a blur. You and Sloan had breakfast together before you showered and got dressed, and then you met with your father to further discuss the possibility of marriage. You were informed that your potential partner would prefer to stay in their own kingdom, so you would be leaving your home, but that they would permit you to bring a few members of staff. They most likely intended for you to bring a maid, a chamberlain, perhaps a chef, but your thoughts drifted to a certain knight. Your spouse-to-be was to arrive in the afternoon, so you had a few hours to consider everything.

Sloan took you out to the garden late in the morning. They wanted to practice their archery, and you were more than happy to get some sun. The castle was large, but spending all of your time inside began to feel like a punishment after a while. The scent of various flowers surrounded you, sweeter than anything the bakers in the kitchen could ever dream of. You found yourself beginning to drift off to sleep, a gentle breeze keeping you cool as the sun warmed your face…

“[Y/N], did you see that?” Sloan’s excited voice startled you out of your slumber. You opened your eyes, covering them with your hand, only to see Sloan’s disappointed face. “Oh, did I wake you? I’m sorry.”

“No, no, it’s okay,” you responded, stifling a yawn. “What did I miss?”

“I got a bullseye!”

“Woah, really?” You glanced at the target and saw a single arrow sticking out of the middle of it. There were several more arrows on the outermost rings, and a few on the ground next to it as well. “Nicely done!”

They beamed at you. “Thank you, thank you. Maybe I don’t need a sword anymore.”

You blinked at them a few times. “You might want just a little bit more practice before you give up your blade.”

They stuck their tongue out at you, quickly retracting it with wide eyes when they seemed to realize what they’d done. They quickly spluttered out apologies, but you couldn’t hear them over the sound of your laughter. You stayed awake for another few hours, watching as Sloan slowly improved their marksmanship before one of your father’s knights came out to inform you that your presence was requested inside.

As you walked in with Sloan just a few feet behind you, there was a sinking feeling in your stomach that you couldn’t chalk up to just anxiety. Maybe the eggs you’d had with breakfast weren’t as fresh as you thought? Were you finally anxious about the situation, now that it was more real? You looked over your shoulder to your knight for comfort, but the look on their face only deepened your concern.

Your footsteps faltered before you fully turned around, now facing Sloan directly. “What is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” You turned back around and continued walking. You had to have been overthinking things, you were just getting nervous. Just before you entered the throne room, Sloan put their hand on your wrist.

“Don’t go in there.”

“My father called me, I have to go in.”

“Something is wrong. Let me go in first.”

“Okay, I’ll wait right here.”

They shook their head. “Let me get you somewhere safe. If I’m wrong, I’ll come back right away, but I want to make sure you’re not going to get hurt.” Their eyes were full of concern and it made your heart hurt. You trusted Sloan, but you knew your father would be upset if you made him wait for your presence while diplomats from another kingdom were visiting. “[Y/N], I’m begging you. if you won’t listen to me as your guard, then listen to me as someone who loves you - please let me get you to safety before it’s too late.”

Without thinking, you nodded. Sloan put their hand on the small of your back, leading you down a few hallways and into the kitchen, where they opened a trapdoor leading to the cellar. “I won’t be long. Thank you for trusting me.” They hesitate before they leave, making sure the trapdoor is properly closed.

You heard their footsteps fade, and then you didn’t hear anything for several long minutes. A small amount of light shines through cracks in the cellar walls, but it wasn’t enough to see anything properly. Your thoughts started to race as the minutes ticked by. When you heard footsteps approaching once again, your breath caught in your throat.

“[Y/N]?” Sloan’s voice was strained. You heard them take a deep breath before something hits the ground. Your eyes widened and you froze, unsure of what to do.

The only sound you could hear was Sloan’s labored breathing. Even though they had told you to stay put until they came back, you couldn’t help yourself. With a decent amount of effort, you managed to lift the trapdoor and you climbed up. Laying on the ground only a few feet from the trapdoor was Sloan, covered in red marks. Their lip was split open, a small amount of blood trailing on their chin, and there was a bruise already forming on their cheekbone. “Sloan?” you whispered, unsure of what to do. Their only response was a low groan.

You ran out of the kitchen, turning to get to the medic’s quarters. You were rushing down the hall when one of your father’s knights stopped you. “Your Highness?” A relieved look is painted on his face as he confirms. “Oh, thank heavens you’re okay. Follow me this way.”

“I can’t, Sloan got hurt. I need the medic.”

“Sloan?” He knitted his eyebrows together. “Where are they?” While this particular knight was not Sloan’s father, all of the knights had helped to raise them. Your concern for them was minimized compared to what he must be feeling.

“They’re in the kitchen, they’re unconscious.” The knight took off without you, running as fast as he can to the medic’s quarters before pounding on the door.

“One of my knights is hurt! Your aid is required immediately!” The knight turned to you. “Your father is in his quarters. Please go to him right away. I promise I will make sure Sloan is taken care of.”

You faltered for a moment before nodding. “Please come and find me as soon as they’re awake.”

“You have my word.”

You took off in the direction of your parents’ bedroom. As soon as you opened the door, you were engulfed in a bear hug by the two of them. Through all their worried mumbles and the hands stroking your hair, making sure you’re unharmed, you were able to learn what happened.

The kingdom that had an unsteady history with yours was not as willing to let go of the past as your kingdom was. They had planned to take your country by force, to overthrow the throne and expand their rule. The security of the castle had managed to thwart most of their forces, but the King and his child were able to sneak in. Sloan’s father had gotten your parents to safety, but the knights were unable to find you or Sloan in order to warn you in time. Behind the throne room doors that Sloan had stopped you from entering was almost certain death.

Sloan had entered the room on their own, catching the two of them unready and without any guards. They took them down, although not without their own injuries, and managed to leave them tied up in the throne room before coming back to retrieve you. The two would-be usurpers were now sitting in the castle dungeon, safely behind bars as they awaited a trial and punishment. The future of their kingdom was unclear, but the future of yours was definite. As your parents finished telling you what had just happened, your knees felt weak.

“I almost didn’t listen to them.”

Your mother wrapped you in a hug once again as she responded, “I’m glad you did.”

A few minutes later, Sloan’s father entered the room. “They’re awake. They want to see you.”

Your feet barely touched the floor as you ran to the infirmary. As it was almost empty, you were able to find their bed easily. Tears pricked at your eyes as you wrapped your arms around them, burying your head in their neck. “Thank you.”

They winced at the contact, but didn’t push you away. “It’s my duty. I’ll always protect you.”

You didn’t want to let go, but you forced yourself to. You stayed seated on their bed as the two of you talked. Your conversations filled the room for a while before you remembered something. You played with your fingers, unsure of how to mention it, or if you even should.

“Sloan?” Your voice was quiet. You needed to know.

“Yeah?”

“Do you love me?”

They blinked a few times, stammering before they were able to answer. “O-of course I do, you’re my closest friend.”

You shook your head slightly. “That’s not what I meant.” You looked at them, only to find them looking at their hands in their lap. “Before I could go into the throne room, you told me to listen to you, not as a guard, but as someone who loves me. Do you love me?”

Silence settled over the two of you. “I’m sorry.” they finally said.

“I misunderstood. I apologize.” You stood up, wanting to leave the room and get away from your embarrassment.

“No, you didn’t.” You almost didn’t hear them.

“What?”

“I’ve loved you for a long time. Longer than I should have. I’m sorry, I’ll try harder to stop.”

You lingered by the door. “How long?” You looked at them. They were still looking at their lap, face almost completely hidden by their hair hanging down.

“Do you remember that storm, ten or fifteen years ago?”

You thought as hard as you could. “The one that lasted for three days?”

“Yeah.” They took in a deep breath. “I was so scared I just wanted to cry, but you made a blanket fort and stole cookies from the kitchen for me. You held me and told me stories the whole time just to take my mind off what was happening outside. Do you remember the story I kept asking you to tell me?”

“I…don’t remember.” You did, you just wanted them to tell you about it.

“It was about a brave knight who would do anything to protect their monarch. They fought a dragon, they rescued their ruler from an evil wizard, they did everything they could to keep them safe. I was already going to become a knight, I knew that, but after that story, I wanted to be a brave one.” They laughed. “It’s dumb, right?”

“It’s not dumb.”

They looked up at you and you could see tears welling in their eyes. “Don’t lie to me, please.”

“I’m not lying.” You sat back on their bed. “Do you know when I started loving you?”

“Just now?” They smiled half-heartedly as they spoke.

You shook your head. “It was the day you were knighted. You were smiling so hard the whole day, even when you lost balance on your horse, even when you lost a duel, even when it rained during the ceremony. I remember you complaining about your cheeks hurting for weeks, but any time we would talk about that day, you would get that same grin on your face. I liked you before, but I couldn’t get you out of my head after that.”“I didn’t know you remembered that day.” “Of course I do. It was the most important day in your life.”

A small smile spread on their face. “Do you really like me?”

“I do.” You moved closer to them. “Do you really like me?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then we should go on a date, right?”

They nodded, their smile expanding. “Today?”

You looked at them in the infirmary cot, covered in still-forming bruises and gauze. “You should get better first.”

“I’m strong, I’ve been hurt worse than this.”

You blinked at them. “Sloan. I’ve known you your entire life. You have never been hurt this badly, the most you’ve ever been hurt is when you broke your arm a few years back.”

“…That may be true, but I’m still strong,” they pouted.

You laughed. “I know you’re strong, but you need to heal before we can go out. What if something happens? How would I protect you?”

“You could do it! I trained you, I know what you’re capable of.”

“You’re right, you’re right.” You shifted on the bed, now almost in their lap. “There’s still something we can do while you’re hurt, though.”

They swallowed. “A-and what is that?”

You moved your hand to the side of their face that isn’t bruised, tracing your thumb along their jaw. You craned your head slightly forward, stopping just before your lips touched theirs. “Can I kiss you?”

Their eyes fluttered as their breathing sped up. “Like, right now?”

Your head moved back a bit as you laughed. “Right now.”

“Yes, please.”

You didn’t hesitate before connecting your lips with theirs. The kiss was awkward but sweet, your lips eventually moving together as your heart flutters. They smiled into the kiss, bringing their hand up to rest on your nape and entangling their fingers in your hair. The two of you pulled apart too quickly for either of your liking, but you pressed one more quick peck to their lips before actually separating.

Sloan’s face was flushed red as they lay back on their pillow. “Wow.”

“Yeah?”

They smiled lazily at you. “Yeah.”

[sillyteecup]

The Wrong Way

Roman Reigns x black!o.c

Jey Uso x black!o.c

Chapter 3

Warnings:

18+

Strong language

Slut shaming

Taglist: @wrestlingprincess80 @nbanenefrmdao @vebner37 @theninthwonder @tshepisho @lensilver @trentybenty @empressdede @queen-shadow22 @becauseimher @jstarr86

A.N: I would like to apologize to anyone who was expecting Main event Jey Uso. No pookies, this is 2021 Jey, or as I like to call him, "crashout Jey"🤭. Anyway, a delightful bunch our characters are yes? I honestly can't wait to get them to fully interact so we can see where this shit storm is going😭😭. Anyway here's chapter 3 of The Wrong Way. I hope you like it. Enjoy.❤️

The journey to Lori's new pris-home was long and silent. The Wiseman had arranged for her and her maidens to be seated in their own section of the jet with Sami for supervision. He said it was by the order of the Tribal Chief, which was a pleasant surprise to Loreal. However she still wasn't sold on the family.

Her maidens however were elated. Although they had not directly interacted with or even seen the Bloodline outside of Sami and the Wiseman, the closeness in proximity to the family was enough to spike their excitement levels. That paired with the opportunity to fly private with their Mistress. Previously When Lori and her family traveled, Lord Byron would have the Maidens fly commercial and in separate seats. No one understood why, and when Lori would protest he would be dismissive. So naturally, their current arrangement brought them joy.

While the maidens drank cocktails and shared hushed theories of how the palace would look, Lori sat opposite Sami in silence. His jaw often twitched as though he wanted to say something to her, but he never did. While he was slightly more relaxed away from the Tribal Chief, he was still on edge. Fidgeting with his rings and shifting relentlessly in his seat. All of the sudden movement was starting to annoy Lori.

"Sir-" she began, only to be interrupted by Sami.

"Sami. Just, Sami is fine, Miss Loreal," he said nervously with his hand up.

"That doesn't seem very inappropriate," Lori pointed out with an arched eyebrow.

"Well, Sir isn't exactly my title so calling me by name is as appropriate as it gets," Sami explained with a shrug.

Lori tilted her head as a look of confusion washed upon her features. "You are part of the most powerful family in the world, and you do not have a title?" she inquired.

Sami nodded before replying, "Well yes. But also no," he said vaguely.

"I don't follow," Lori said, folding her hands over her lap.

"I am a part of the Bloodline don't get me wrong. But I wasn't born into it, therefore no title. Well, unless you take, 'Honorary Uce' into account, but otherwise no title. Just good ole' Sami," Sami rambled, finishing his explanation with a nervous chuckle.

"Ah, I see. Honorary Uce Sami is quite the mouthful, but so is Miss Loreal. So you will call me Lori," Lori said jokingly to try and ease Sami's nerves.

"Lori," he sounded out slowly, as if testing it on his tongue. "I could work with that. Just not around the Tribal Chief," he added, his anxiety seeming to spike at the thought of Tribal Chief Roman.

"I'm sure he would not mind. At least until after the wedding," Lori shrugged, but Sami shook his head.

"Oh he would. He's very big on the title thing. Says it has to do with showing respect and humility," Sami explained.

"I don't think he'd care too much about showing me respect, I am after all an outsider. On top of that I am damaged. No one respects a damaged woman. They only seek to humble her," Lori said dryly, earning a soft small from Sami.

"I respect you, Lori," Sami said softly.

Lori's eyes softened. "Sami, while I appreciate the sentiment, you do not know me. You have no reason to respect me."

"Actually, I do have a reason. A couple actually," Sami stated, confidence slowly oozing into his tone making Lori smirk playfully.

"And praytell Sami, what are they?" she asked him.

Lori's smile grew at Sami's grin. His posture had slowly started to relax throught their conversation, and judging form his demeanor, he seemed very friendly. A stark difference from the family that took him in.

"Well, you're head strong, you're confident and you're kind. Well, at least kind to me and your maidens," Sami listed, counting his points with his fingers.

In a weird way, Sami reminded Lori of her mother. Although Azalea and her daughter hardly spoke, whenever they did, Lady Azalea always made sure to encourage and reassure Loreal. Lady Azalea would tell her that she was beautiful, intelligent, confident and kind. She would also remind Loreal not to let anyone take advantage of her kindness. Thus, her hot headed nature and occasionally cold demeanor.

"Thank you Sami. It might not mean much, but you have my respect as well," Lori replied softly.

She could've sworn she had just seen a tear roll down her new asset's eye.   

➽──────────────❥

Roman exited the jet, followed by his cousins. His hands rubbed at his temples as a headache had begun to set in from Jey's incessant complaining, paired with Jimmy's snarky rebuttals. He already tried his hardest to limit his time with the twins due to the constant bickering, always preferring Solo's quiet company above them. But if there was one thing he loathed, it was traveling with the twins because that meant he had to listen to every grating word.

Alas, however, the trip was over and he could finally get rid of them.

"It just feels so fucking disrespectful, you know? Of all the bitches yall could've picked, it had to be the one that's been around every street across the seas! I'm a prince man! I deserve better!" Jey complained for what was probably the 90th time since they had left the Moore house.

Roman had taken it with silence as he, to some extent understood his cousin's frustration. He knew that Jey felt undermined by the choice for his fiancé, and that he felt like a second-class citizen. However, Roman was not the one who chose Miss Loreal Moore, Rikishi, Jey's father was. And the last thing Roman wanted to do was involve himself in the affairs of a father and his son. Even if it was simply a power move.

Also, aside from her unfortunate status, Miss Loreal Moore was actually a good pick. Lord Byron held quite a lot of political influence across the seas and according to the file Lord Byron had sent to Paul, she was highly intelligent, she had a leadership streak, and she was incredibly ambitious. All of that was enough of a sell as it was, but it was at the meeting where she truly caught Roman's attention. Her defiance, to Roman, was a sign of strength.

Roman liked strong women.

Miss Loreal Moore was not a pushover, and that was a quality that she would need most in being part of and dealing with his family.

However, most of all, she was astoundingly beautiful.

Roman had hardly found himself in positions where he was taken by a woman's appearance. Apart from Nadine, he barely even noticed the women around him, but Loreal was a different story. Her piercing brown eyes, her glossy, plump, two-toned lips, her the stud on the left side of her wide nose and her deep, brown skin that seemed to glimmer in any atmosphere. That, paired with her breathtakingly curvy figure made it a mission for Roman not to stare at Miss Loreal Moore throught the meeting.

Miss Loreal Moore was going to be his cousin's wife in about a month. His thoughts on her looks were then thrown to the back his mind. They did not matter.

"I know you not talking, Mr 'I fuck every bitch that breathes in my direction'," Jimmy commented from his brother's side.

"Man, this is not the fucking time to be joking and shit! This is my fucking life we're talking about and I'm supposed to spend the rest of it with a ho?" Jey hissed, making Roman's temper flare up.

Clearly Jey was struggling to understand that this wasn't about him anymore. That this was a sacrifice he had to make for the family to prosper and maintain their power. Roman only hoped that Jey wouldn't fuck the engagement up, otherwise he would have to punish his cousin, and the last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt the man he considered his right hand man.

Jimmy waved him off before saying, "Man I don't see no difference. You a ho, she a ho-hell yall are perfect for each other if you ask me," Jimmy snickered.

"Well then it's a good thing nobody fucking asked you."

"Enough!" Roman grunted, immediately shutting his cousins up. He could've sworn he saw Solo's lips twitch into a grateful smile. But it was gone as soon as it appeared. Jimmy pressed his lips together in a thin line while Jey downright scowled. Roman sensed that his cousin had long passed the stage of dissatisfaction. He was angry, but he knew not to direct it at the wrong person.

"I understand. I understand that you don't like the fact that you're marrying a damaged woman. But you had your opportunity to choose a good woman for yourself," Roman started as he began to get in Jey's face.

"You had the chance to get you a fresh one, but you fucked up by deciding to fuck around with every whore that smiled at you. So if you wanna complain about the quality of woman your father found you, take that shit up with him, but never forget the chance you had to prevent that shit," Roman stated as he poked Jey in the chest to emphasize his point.

He then leaned in to whisper in his cousin's ear, "It's not about you anymore Uce. Get that through your thick fucking skull! This is about our family! This is about what's best for all of us," his tone was menacing as he reminded his cousin of the situation.

He stepped back to see Jey still scowling, but nodding in understanding. That was good. All Roman needed was for him to understand.

"You can still do your shit on the side, I'm sure she won't give a fuck anyway," Roman suggested. His short encounter with Miss Loreal Moore, although short, showed him that the regard she would show for his cousin was low.

As much as Jey knew about her reputation, Roman theorized she likely did not care in the slightest as she barely wanted to marry him in the first place. The only thing Roman worried about was her willingness to actually be a part of his family. That was a huge factor to take into consideration. One Roman would do everything in his power to sway in his favour.

"Yo Uce, your ho may be a ho, but she a mighty fine ho for sure," Jimmy said with a snicker.

Roman's eyes snapped to the open jet that had just landed. There she was, gracefully making her way down the stairs, wearing what seemed like her usual, disinterested, yet mildly irritated expression. Right behind her were her four servants, or maidens as her father had called them. The young women, each with eager smiles on their faces made their way down with their mistress's luggage and their own. Finally Sami stepped out holding another one of her bags. A gesture she rewarded with a kind smile that shocked Roman.

And angered him.

Roman watched in an unexplainable annoyance as Miss Loreal Moore conversated with Sami as she and her travel party made their way to him and his cousins. While the sight of her laughing at his jokes seemed to piss him off, the sound of her laughter did something to him. Something akin to casting an enchantment. However, it was washed away as soon as it was chanted. This was not the time.

"Miss Loreal Moore, I should hope that your flight was comfortable," Paul said as she approached.

Her happy expression quickly turned neutral, as if she had just remembered her situation all over again.

"It was. Thank you," she said curtly, her now scrutinizing gaze cutting through Roman's family and Paul in one clean swoop.

Paul, as though he had felt the slits of her irises like a blade to his skin, cleared his throat nervously before speaking again. "Well then, I'm sure the long journey has left you and your maidens in need of some rest. Tomorrow will be quite the long day," Paul said with a nervous chuckle.

Miss Loreal Moore's features never wavered from the stony expression she wore. Roman could feel her sizing him and his cousins up. He almost smirked at how shamelessly she glared.

"I agree Wiseman. But I must ask, will my fiancé be accompanying me to the palace?" she questioned, finally shifting her gaze to him. The bitterness in her tone was subtle, but still noticeable to Roman's ear.

Paul looked taken aback, not expecting her question as she seemed to not want any part in their marriage. Then it clicked in Roman's mind, she didn't know that Jey wouldn't be staying at the palace during their engagement. He then shot a glare to Sami who he had told to clue her in on what would happen next. Sami shrunk beneath the sharp glare.

"Oh, Miss Loreal, that's not-traditional we don't-" Paul began to sputter, being cut off by Roman's low tone, but gentle.

"Is that what you want, Miss Loreal?" Roman asked, attempting to gauge her reasoning.

She shrugged in response, saying, "Well we are to be married. It would only make sense for us to acquaint ourselves with one another."

Roman nodded then flashed a charming smile. "Then that's gonna happen," he said.

The moment Paul and the women were out of ear shot, Roman's gaze morphed into a deadly glare. "If you fuck this up, there will be some very dire consequences," he warned in a cold, low tone.

"Wiseman, please lead Miss Loreal Moore and her ladies to the car. Jey will catch up in a second," Roman requested, turning to face an irritated Jey.

Jey nodded silently, prompting Roman to release him. Jey ran to catch up with Paul and the ladies, while Roman turned around and headed to his own car followed by Sami and his remaining cousins. He contemplated having a little 'talk' with Sami, but decided against it.

If Miss Loreal Moore trusted Sami, then Roman would use that to gain her trust as well.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

oooh I got one! prompt 74 with any of the follower!bishops, where they get hurt on a crusade and reader, who is a healer finds them and helps them <333

74) "I think I broke my leg!"

.......

"I can't believe this...betrayed by my own-!!"

"Lord Kallamar?"

Surprised by the voice, Kallamar looked up at you, the figure dressed in white tattered robes, clean of any and all ichor. The metal halo behind your head reflected the sunlight from above Anchordeep, making it seem as though it were glowing.

Now he remembers.

You're one of the many nameless Healers in his former army of cultists and devotees. He thought most of them were culled by the Lamb at this point, yet you were somehow still alive.

"You have returned to us in such a miniscule form." You mused, to which you saw him tense up, trying to shuffle away.

So far, every creature here was trying to kill him during his crusade, and he wasn't sure if you were going to be any different.

He knew should've gone to the tailor first; at least they wouldn't attack him on-sight just because his red robes remind them of the Lamb..and that his defeat permanently shattered his image as a leader.

"Back away from me! I'm---ow!!!" Feeling a sudden sharp pain in one of his legs, Kallamar stopped moving and looked down, realizing it didn't look quite right. "Ah...a-ahaha...I-I think I broke my leg...!"

"Do not fear, my lord. I will make it all better." Floating down to the ground, you gently reached your hands out to him, green magic appearing from your fingertips. "How did this happen, if I may ask?"

"Well..I fell.." He mumbled quietly, and you looked at him, mishearing him.

"What happened?"

"I-I fell while fleeing from one of those sea creatures..." Red dusted his face as he averted his gaze, embarrassed to be seen like this--especially by someone he used to rule over.

But you seemed to show absolutely no bias nor resentment towards him, even though he now wore the same robes of the enemy cult.

Part of him was afraid you'd refuse and leave him to suffer on his own, although he remembers that your singular job is to be a healer. And despite knowing that he wasn't some all-powerful god anymore and allowed himself to be beaten by Lamb into submission...you wanted to help him anyways. You didn't huff or laugh or show any indication that you thought of him as pathetic for breaking his leg over a simple fall.

Instead, you quietly allowed your magic to go to work, mending the broken done and repairing the torn flesh. Soon it set itself back into place without causing him further pain, making it good as new.

Like nothing even happened.

"You should be good now, my lord. Do be careful with your new mortal vessel." Bowing your head, you rose to your feet and watched as Kallamar slowly got up.

"Only now I see how fragile this body is..damned Lamb.." He grunted, checking out his leg before picking up his backpack. Then he gazed up at you. "What's your name?"

You blinked. "My name..?"

"Yes, that's what I said. I never knew your name, but I wanna know it now."

"I see, then...I'm [y/n]." You answered, surprised and flattered that he asked.

It's been so long since you've said your name to anyone, that you've almost forgotten it entirely.

"Well, [y/n]..would you care to accompany me for the remainder of my crusade? I was sent to retrieve as many crystal shards as I could carry...but I keep running into dead ends, and death traps.." Kallamar shuddered. "And I-"

"You needn't worry, my lord. I would be happy to join you." Although he couldn't see your smile under your hood, he could hear the delight in your voice, and chuffed.

Why were you so kind to him? Why did you treat him as though he was still your ruler?

"None of this bothers you at all?" He vaguely gestured to himself. "You don't see me as your "enemy"?"

"I only see the injured and the sick, and I heal them." You assured him, chuckling softly. "Do not fret. It matters not what form you take or how limited it is, my lord-"

"Okay, I'm not your "lord" anymore. Just Kallamar is fine."

"...very well, Kallamar. Then let us go. I know a safe path."

[hmserebusadjacent]

OK, I want to try and get this out in a vaguely coherent way. So follows a discussion on Emmrich Volkarin and the want to be wanted.

From that little line in the Flame Eternal, we get a glimpse into how Emmrich wants to have enough affection for someone to scream into the world until he and they would be reunited. But the statement itself is a double edged sword, if you will.

He doesn't just want that affection in his own heart, although that would be a lovely start. He wants to be wanted by someone else, to be told it could only ever be him. He wants both sides of that coin of devotion and to know what it is like to be desired and needed above all things.

It's not just his own feelings of affection that he craves, it is the other person's affection for him that he craves too. Perhaps after a lifetime of being misunderstood by people, he just really, really wants someone to want him for who he is. To treasure him and adore him unconditionally, who will love him despite his own perceived flaws.

It leaves me wondering if we will get a similar scene to the one found in Dorian's romance where Dorian asks whether he should stay with his amatus or go to Tevinter after the world is saved. The knowledge that Dorian looks so happy if you ask him to stay has me thinking. What if Emmrich asks in such a scared little voice whether Rook will stay with him, that he understands why they wouldn't, he's only an old man after all, and Rook is a treasure that can't be compared.

But Rook would have the opportunity to say that they aren't going anywhere, that they'll stay together and make it work. And Emmrich will be shown again that he is so wanted, that his life long need to be wanted by someone has been fulfilled all over again. There could never be anyone else because Emmrich is in the world, Rook would say, and I think Emmrich would be holding back tears all the while.

Both sides of the coin of devotion filled, and Emmrich Volkarin will know once again that he is wanted, needed and desired in all the ways he had always been dreaming of.

I hope that all made sense. It's been running around inside my head for a few days after I noticed similarities between Emmrich and Dorian. With that in mind, I'm even more certain that Emmrich's romance is going to break my heart, even if it is in a good way.

[darkfantasysworld]

Love your work! Could you please do m reader(elf or human, your choice) x m human with feminization(reader receiving)?

Thanks for the compliment Anon! I finally have an excuse to make reader something other than a human. I have no clue if this is what you wanted exactly or not.

Elf M!reader x M!human

You, as an elf, were smaller than the humans in the village you grew up in. You were left in this human village as a child and grew up as a bit of an outcast because of your appearance, it wasn't just because your ears were pointy or your height but you had a more feminine physique. As a teen other guys would jokingly grab you hips and make comments about you needing to be fucked by a man since you were too feminine for straight girls, while girls would sit on your lap during gatherings and tease you about not having a boner, although you didn't find any of them attractive. Everything got worse when you became an adult since older men in the village would ask for 'a go' or say they wanted to test out a guy, they'd even offer you money which you turned down. The only human that didn't make perverted comments was your friend, Ryan, he was the largest male in the village, he was 6'10 and built like a beast, his eyes were a pretty hazel color, he had a low-fade haircut, his hair was dyed a deep red although his roots were a dark brown. He was like your bodyguard even though you told him he didn't need to. He was quiet but spoke up for you. You were walking in the forest outside of the village to get away from everyone when you heard someone call out from behind you, it was one of the guys who insisted on testing out their theory about you being gay. You immediately started running, you were alone in the forest so it's not like anyone would be there to help you, especially Ryan, you didn't even tell him you were going into the forest since he'd insist on following you. You heard the other male chasing you, calling out, trying to convince you to stop and talk with him. You ended up tripping over a rock but you didn't fall, instead someone grabbed you and picked you up. You looked up and saw Ryan, of course you were confused as to why he was there but he just helped you stand up properly then turned to the other male who was chasing you. "I thought I told you to leave him alone." Ryan said as he stepped closer to the male. "Come on, he's either a girl or he's made to be gay." The other male responded, looking at you. "He's an elf. What makes you think he even likes men?" Ryan asked, he looked down at the other male, you always saw him look down at people but just based on his body language you could tell he was pissed. "Well, Ryan, the little elf has the perfect body to take cock… even if it's forceful." The male said, a sadistic smirk on his face. Ryan clearly didn't like that answer and pushed the other male against a tree, you couldn't hear what he whispered in the male's ear but he turned pale and looked panicked before Ryan let go and the guy ran off. "I told you not to come out here alone." Ryan said to you as he began walking away. "Wait! Ryan! How'd you know I came out here-!? How'd you find me so fast-!?" You asked, quickly following the tall male. "I followed you, dumbass.." Ryan admitted, trying to put on a tough guy act. You continued to walk with him, a little creeped out that he followed you but also grateful since he saved you… again.

You and Ryan were sitting, talking and drinking with a few other people when they brought up sexuality. Ryan seemed to get quieter, he just quickly said he was straight and that was pretty much the end of his additions to the conversation. A few of the guys asked him questions like if he was more into ass or tits, if he found various girls in the village hot, and various other questions about his type. Ryan just nodded or shook his head at yes or no questions and gave short, vague answers to other questions. The girls asked if he found any of them hot and he just shrugged. Suddenly one of the girls asked if he saw you as hot and you looked at him for his answer. Ryan's expression changed from basically uninterested to the slightest bit of panic. "Wh-what-? No-! Of course not-! I-I'm not gay." Ryan replied a little too quickly but the others didn't seem to notice, they just teased him a bit, asking if he was sure he wouldn't 'hit that' among other things. Ryan looked like he wanted to disappear and just took a sip of his drink which made the others focus on you, they asked things like 'would you let Ryan hit' and a bunch of other questions involving Ryan, one girl even commented about how Ryan had to be large in more ways than one, insinuating he must have a large cock and that you should practice so you'll be able to take him. Ryan grabbed your wrist and got up, dragging you out with him. "I hate when they make those comments about you." He said, walking you to your house. You decided to question why he answered the question about finding you attractive so fast. "I-I didn't answer that fast." Ryan responded, his cheeks seemed to flush. You decided to invite him inside of your place to keep drinking, you didn't want to stop hanging out with him just yet.

You and Ryan ended up over doing it and somehow ended up naked, making out, drunk, and very horny. You were underneath Ryan, you just wanted to test the waters, see if you were into him, but as his cock pressed into you, you moaned and tensed up a bit but his tip made it in. "Hey hey hey.. shh.. calm down.. relax.. I'm not trying to hurt you.. I know it's your first time and I'm a little large but I promise that I'll be careful.." Ryan reassured you, he let you adjust to his tip before carefully pushing in deeper, you felt like he was slowly splitting you in two but you trusted him. "Good girl.." Ryan said, slowly moving his hips. "Girl..?" You repeated, confused, Ryan didn't see you as a girl… right? "I-I meant good boy.." Ryan responded, clearly embarrassed. He began thrusting faster, keeping a gentle pace, he let something else slip out, calling you a girl once again. You moaned, enjoying the feeling, you hardly noticed him calling you a girl again. Ryan grabbed your hips and held them as he thrusted, clearly making a mental note of the curve. You questioned him through moans but he came up with an excuse that you just accepted, especially since he hit just the right spot. You came on your bedding as Ryan continued thrusting, his thrusts were a little rougher but felt like heaven, you practically saw stars as kept thrusting. It didn't take long for him to cum inside of you. Ryan laid you on the couch with a towel under you while he changed your bedding. When he was done he carried you to bed and laid down with you, whispering about what a good girl you were and how beautiful you looked. You didn't notice the feminine words he called you as you fell asleep. You slept soundly, blissfully unaware of Ryan whispering about how feminine you were, talking about how all the things he'd do if you were a girl.

You woke up and rubbed your eyes, realizing Ryan was gone, you wondered where he was until you smelled food. You got up and slightly limped to the kitchen, your ass sore from Ryan's size. "Morning sleepyhead, I made your favorite." He set two plates on the table along with something to drink. You sat down and ate with him, you knew he could cook but you were still impressed by how good it tasted. Ryan took a drink of his coffee and glanced at you, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. You finished your food and drank your drink then went to wash the dishes but Ryan got up and stood behind you, placing his dishes in the sink and guiding you away. "Go put some clothes on." He said and began doing the dishes, you realized you were still naked then realized Ryan had different clothes on, you didn't think much about it and went to your room to change only to find more… feminine clothes. You were confused but put a crop top and shorts on, the shorts barely covered you but they were oddly comfortable. You walked back to the kitchen where Ryan was drying dishes and putting them away, when he noticed you he complimented your new outfit. "You'd make a hot girl." He added after complimenting you. You suddenly liked the thought of dressing in feminine clothes, especially if you'd get more compliments from Ryan.

[dreamwavesexploringreality]

SHADOWS OF THE PAST:

NIGHT IN THE LIBRARY PT2

Niragi x reader

TW: Violence, physical harm, abuse of power… Niragi on his own can be a trigger warning…

The cold air of Borderlands burned in her lungs with every breath she took. Her heart raced frantically in her chest, and she could feel the adrenaline coursing through her body, still fresh from the last game she had faced.

In moments like these, wandering aimlessly looking for a place to spend the night, her mind traveled to her most inhospitable memories. She often thought of Niragi Suguru, the boy she had met in the library. Secretly, she had been fascinated by the bespectacled boy since the first time she saw him. It was almost a miracle that he had also felt some curiosity about her and had agreed to go on a simple coffee date. She remembered it as if it were yesterday, almost able to taste the cappuccino on her tongue. But that had been a long time ago. After that unexpected date came others, and then some more, and eventually, the inevitable happened: he kissed her. Y/N wouldn’t consider it the best kiss of her life, but without a doubt, it was the most special, the most real...

Now, all of that remained as vague memories hidden in her mind, casting light on an uncertain future. Sometimes she wondered if he was also in this world, trapped as she was. Then she dismissed the thought as if it were toxic; she didn’t want him to be in a place like this, her innocent and naive Niragi… no, he shouldn’t be in such a place.

Her thoughts were pushed to the background when she heard a scream not far from her position. Her heart raced once again as she tried to decide whether it was worth investigating. Y/N knew it would probably be foolish to approach the place where the screams were growing more and more desperate, but on the other hand, you never knew what the place had to offer... maybe she could get a weapon, or an ally in the best case. She decided to follow the sound of the voice.

She did so cautiously, moving through the shadows and hiding among buildings. She wasn’t willing to face whatever the situation was head-on, so when she got close enough to observe the scene, Y/N remained hidden behind the rubble of some huge building that had succumbed to that hostile land.

The screams and cries clearly came from a man on the ground who was being kicked mercilessly by a group of striking characters. Five, Y/N counted. "Five against one..." she thought.

"Do I have to repeat myself? Give me all your cards!" said one, who seemed to be the leader. He wore a printed t-shirt, and although Y/N couldn’t see his face from her position, it was evident that he emanated a dangerous and intimidating aura. “I would never want to have someone like that as an ally…” she thought, discarding the idea of seeking out a companion, the reason she had approached the scene.

"I told you! I don’t have anything, please, a group attacked me yesterday and took all my cards, maybe they were yours, your friends, definitely. Please don’t hurt me!" the man sobbed from the ground.

Y/N’s heart broke at the sound of that boy's plea for mercy; he couldn’t be much older than her and was just trying to survive, like anyone in that place. Y/N watched in panic as the man she had designated as the leader aimed a large shotgun directly at the man on the ground without hesitation.

"If you have nothing, you’re of no interest to us... Maybe we should get rid of a potential rival... What do you say?" His voice sounded maniacal and disturbing as he laughed along with his three companions.

“Wait… three companions?”

Y/N had no time to think much more when a rough yank on her arm pulled her out of her hiding place.

"Hey, look what I found! We have a little spy among us!" Y/N felt all attention shift to her, and her body froze as she realized the gravity of the situation she had gotten herself into.

The man continued to yank her arm until they reached the rest of the group and forced her to kneel violently beside the man still lying on the ground. She took a quick glance at the man, seeing his bloodied face and imagining the rest of the injuries he might have all over his body, and it was at that moment that she understood she wasn’t going to make it out alive.

“Well, well… what do we have here? What were you doing hiding there, sweetheart? Too shy to join the party?” said the leader, with a sweet and deceptively concerned voice as he crouched down to face her.

It was at that precise moment that two hearts stopped for an instant. There, kneeling before her, with more piercings and predatory eyes she could never have imagined, was Niragi. For a moment, she thought her mind was playing a cruel trick on her in what she considered one of the last moments of her life, but no, it was him. She recognized his facial features, his eyes, even his voice… he was Niragi, her Niragi… Although he might never be “her Niragi” again.

The man wasn’t much better off than her; he recognized her the moment she knelt before him and, for the first time in all the time he had been in Borderlands, his mask fell, and he didn’t know how to act. It was her… “What is she doing here? No, she can’t be here, no… Please, no…”

Neither of them noticed as one of the men rummaged through the girl’s pockets and pulled out a considerable stack of cards.

"Look, Niragi! She has tons of cards, she must be a good player. Maybe we should take her to the beach!"

Neither of them flinched, still lost in their own thoughts.

"Leave us" Niragi broke the silence with a dangerously low voice.

If the men accompanying him were surprised, they didn’t show it; they left, disappearing among the buildings, leaving the pair alone with the man still lying on the ground.

"Are you deaf? Get out!" Niragi barked aggressively, delivering a final kick, full of frustration, to the battered body of the man, who ran away as fast as he could, falling repeatedly.

Silence settled like an unwelcome intruder. Y/N remained kneeling on the ground, staring intently at the man’s face, trying to discern if all of this was real. Niragi, on his part, moved nervously, trying to look anywhere but at the woman still on the ground.

"Get up," he ordered, his voice slightly trembling, trying to regain some of the confidence he seemed to have in abundance until that moment.

Y/N did not obey; perhaps she didn’t even hear him. She was in shock. She couldn’t believe that the man standing before her, with a shotgun in hand, was the same shy, insecure, and withdrawn boy she had come to love. The last kiss they had shared at the doorway came to her mind suddenly, when he had walked her home shortly before the fireworks lit up the Tokyo sky. It had been a cautious, silent, and intimate kiss, sharing the promise of their love. “I couldn’t kiss this man,” she thought, immediately regretting it as she felt a hollow space in her stomach, remembering that this man was Niragi.

The boy sighed impatiently and yanked on the girl's arm, ignoring the spark he felt when touching her skin. He loved seeing people kneel before him, fearing for their lives and begging for his forgiveness… but not her. Something in his body ached and hurt to see her like this before him.

The girl forced herself to stand, not breaking her gaze from his. She reached out tentatively, needing to touch him, needing to know if he was really him, if behind the character her eyes were seeing, there was still the boy from their library nights.

Niragi pulled her arm away with more force than necessary, immediately regretting it. He couldn’t let her touch him, didn’t want to feel her caresses… didn’t want to stain her soul.

"What are you doing here?" he asked harshly, almost growling.

"Niragi…" she whispered. Hearing her own words, she knew at that moment that everything was real.

Niragi’s mask fell a little more upon hearing her voice, and he felt his walls threatening to collapse. No. He couldn’t cry. He wouldn’t.

"This place isn’t for you," he said, stepping brusquely away from her, picking up the cards from the ground that his companion had left. He examined them one by one.

"This isn’t a place for anyone. Not for you," Y/N countered, slowly returning to reality. She felt as though she was waking from a long dream. Niragi, her Niragi… that memory that had allowed her to survive in that place… it had all crumbled.

A sarcastic laugh escaped the man’s lips.

"What do you know? This is exactly my place, the place I’m meant to be…" A thousand unspoken words were left behind. He wanted to tell her how much he missed her, how many times he had thought about her and wished they were together. He wanted to tell her he loved her… But he couldn’t. Not there, not now.

Niragi watched as the girl’s gaze fell, those expectant eyes that had just collided with reality, and he put the deck of cards in his shirt pocket.

"You’re not like this…" Y/N began to say.

"And what do you know?" The words came out harsher than he intended. "This is who I am," he said with feigned pride.

"You’re a monster," she whispered. She wouldn’t have wanted to say it, but the words came out on their own; it was what she had been thinking since she saw him mistreat the man on the ground while hiding among the rubble.

That word pierced Niragi’s heart like a thousand burning daggers. It wasn’t the first time he had been referred to like that, but he never would have imagined Y/N calling him that, and he never would have imagined the pain it would bring.

"Get out. I’ll tell them you escaped," he said, making a heart-wrenching effort and facing the girl with false indifference. "Oh, but I’m taking this with me," he added, touching the pocket of his shirt where he had stored the girl’s cards.

Y/N looked at him, her eyes showing pain and disappointment.

"If that’s what you want," she spoke firmly, ignoring the pain in her heart. She looked at him one last time, trying to find in his gaze traces of the Niragi she knew, the one she loved. She didn’t find them. She turned away, leaving and disappearing into the darkness of the night.

Niragi watched her turn that last time, sharing that final glance. Maybe he would never see her again; Borderlands was not a safe place. He was left alone, watching the place where the girl had vanished, as if hoping she would turn around and run into his arms, as she had done so many times in the past… He remained trembling under the stars, watching as the only light in his life disappeared once more before his eyes, this time because of his own fault. He could previously blame the fireworks that had deprived him of a happy future together… but not now. This was his fault, and he knew it.

© 2024 [@dreamwavesexploringreality]

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Should I continue it?

I've taken some time to write the second part of the Niragi x reader story, and I really hope you enjoy it!

If there's enough interest and feedback, I might consider writing a 3rd PART or even turning it into a series. Your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated!

[ryuua]

After the Curtain Call

!4.2 ARCHON QUEST MAJOR(?) SPOILERS!

Furina has found herself indulging in more simple pleasures lately — one of which includes drowning in your comfort and attention. However, today takes a different turn than usual.

🌢 Furina x gn!reader

🌢 Genre: Fluff, comfort(?)

🌢 Warnings: 4.2 ARCHON QUEST MAJOR(?) SPOILERS, Furina might be OOC, may not be canon to lore or what happened after the 4.2 archon quest since I haven't done Furina's story quest yet, not entirely proofread

A/N: As mentioned in the warning since I haven't done Furina's story quest yet, I don't actually know what happened after the events of the 4.2 archon quest. Although I did have a f!reader in mind, it's mostly gender-neutral so anyone and all can enjoy :D The reader's origins are kept as vague as possible so their identity in Teyvat and how they came to know Furina and whatnot are up to your imagination BUT it's set that you're Furina's significant other and you know about the deeper plot line. Anyway I've become such a Furina enthusiast I had to write this love live laugh Furina

"Furina..."

"Huh? Who's that..?"

"Furina..."

"..Ah!"

Hey eyes widened, the déjà vu settling uncomfortably inside her yet she calmed at the sight of the caller.

"...Y/N.. did I fall asleep..?"

Furina asked groggily, reaching her hands to rub her eyes and to her surprise, it was wet.

"Oh.. was I..?"

"Mm, you were out for quite a while. What were you dreaming of?"

They glided their finger from her cheek to her eyes, gently wiping away the tears that formed during her slumber. Their warmth spread out onto her face, replacing the cold droplets that stained it before. It was comforting to say the least, and Furina wanted to bury herself in this feeling forever.

"Dream? I was dreaming of..."

(Thank you— all you've done— this moment—)

"—Furina?"

"..Sorry, did I space out?"

Furina's vision slowly came back into focus, giving them a tired smile and in return, received a worried one.

"Haha, it's alright. Do continue where you left off, you'll feel better once you let it out."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

Y/N stared at her solemnly, though their smile still there. Furina sat herself up and turned her curious gaze towards them. Once again, their hands moved to cup her face in them, shifting closer to Furina as they pressed a small kiss to the side of her eye where she finally felt it. Was she crying? Pulling away, they chuckled at her realization

"You were crying."

"Eh.. Is that so? ...This must be an overflow of Hydro from my person."

A stare down accompanied by a long silence followed before both of them bursted into a fit of laughter.

"Really now? As expected of the great Furina. Only one such as she could store so much Hydro in them to the point it'd overflow."

Their giggles continued to surround the quaint room they were in and as time would go on, so would the moment. They soon found themselves staring into the other again until Y/N ultimately broke the silence.

"Hey.. you're not the Hydro Archon anymore, okay? You don't have to carry your burdens by yourself. You could always tell me... or even Neuvillette! I'm sure he'd be more than happy for you to waltz into his doors unannounced, just as you once did."

"My dear, what are you implying!"

"Hehe, it's nothing. But.. seriously. I'm sure... Focalors wouldn't want you to be stuck in the past as well."

Furina's eyes widen. Now fully able to feel the tears falling down her face like a waterfall. Her façade slowly cracked, revealing her inner troubles deep down one by one as she buried her head into the crook of Y/N's neck. She sobbed endlessly, her hands clinging to their clothes with desperation as if they would leave her. Images flash through her mind: when she worked tirelessly to contribute to saving Fontaine, when she was found guilty and thought all hope was lost, when everyone had turned their backs to her upon the truth. All of them were still weighing in the back of her mind all this time, but she had deceived herself into thinking she left everything in the past, to the past.

"You're not alone anymore, Furina. I'll always be here for you."

That's right. Furina was no longer alone, now she could — and she would — rely on other people for her problems. Rely on Y/N.

"And I wish nothing but for you to be happy, Furina. Hush now, love."

Their voice made her feel like she was floating, slowly carrying her away from a deep, dark void into a world of only comfort and happiness. Their words swayed her back and forth gently and lulled her into slumber, one that was full of bliss, one where both of them would be in, one that made her the happiest.

With a final kiss to her forehead, they whispered lovingly to Furina.

"Let's live happily from now on," (—live happily—)

"As you once wished." (—Just as I wished we could—)

Oml I finished it. This was done over the course of a week or two so I'm starting to not really like how it turned out but OH WELL I'LL WRITE ABT GOING ON A DATE WITH HER NEXT MAYBE JUST SIMPLE WHOLESOME OUTING STUFF Thank you for readinggg

[genericpuff]

I finally, FINALLY found a shred of proof that Rachel depicted Persephone before 2017/Tumblr era LO.

Now does this confirm that Greek myth was, in fact, a big part of her childhood like she claims? Not entirely, considering she would have been the age I am now when she drew this, nearing her 30's. But it's more than what I've seen leading up to this where it's all been Tumblr-era-LO art. This seems to be purely for a zine that I unfortunately can't get my hands on a copy of due to it being very outdated and likely out of print (as it's a decade old now). Still, I'm tempted to reach out to the people who run the site to see if they still have any copies floating around, even if it's just a digital PDF version, otherwise, if anyone out there happens to have a copy of it (this is a LOOONG shot mind you) let me know because I'd love to see this zine in person and know what was going on in the development of it. More specifically, I wanna see if she included any sort of blurb about her choice to draw Persephone, if it was even an actual choice at all. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm deadset on Rachel having to "prove" herself, but a lot of her statements H x P seem to be quite vague for someone who calls them her "muses".

But also, besides the fact that it involves Rachel, this is the sort of media preservation that I'm really interested in! This Persephone is a far cry from the final version we'd later see in LO half a decade later, it's really interesting (although sad in some ways when we know why LO Persephone looks the way she does) to see the transition and changes in a tangible form. And again, it's really odd Rachel never mentions these works, like sure they weren't multi-million dollar hits, but they still showcase a history that pre-exists LO in a pretty monumental way, and some of these projects were incredibly collaborative with actual success behind them, including artists that went on to build their own followings and communities! It's so interesting and yet so bizarre that some of these projects are kept behind locked doors. I can get wanting to bury the more 'cringe' stuff like the medical fetish art, but why stuff like this that only stands to legitimize the claims that Rachel cares about Greek myth?

Unless... y'know, she doesn't want people to see how far her art style has fallen. But that's tinfoil for another day.

[gyusimp]

°•300 followers gift! •°

⚠️Warnings: NSFW, MINORS PLEASE DNI!, Smut content, Very explicit content, Dark content, Kidnapping at Kyogoku house, Stockholm syndrome, submissive reader, Female reader, Insults, Inappropiate languaje, Canon Gyutaro. Read at your own risk.

I reached 300 followers! I promised a good smut so here's a gift from me to all of you for being so amazing. I have no words to thank all your support and kind words since the beginning of this adventure on Tumblr, writing for Gyutaro makes me very happy and it also makes me happier to know that I am contributing a little to this fan club of his. Thank you very much so enjoy! 💚

Special thanks for @mrsshabana and her interesting suggestion 👀

It had already been a long time. were they days? Weeks? Months? You don't remember, but since that day your life took a 180 degree turn. You entered the Kyogoku house with the hope that you could have a better life than you've led up to now, even if it meant selling your body as if you meant nothing. They say that money is not everything in life, surely someone who never lacked for anything said it and now here you were, in your training to learn to be a refined and elegant girl capable of attracting clients with something more than just your physical.

It was easy for you to be accepted, you were one of the few most beautiful girls that existed within the Entertainment District, the house would grow enormously with you so if they didn't accept you it would be stupid. Your beauty had saved your life but it had also condemned you in a way, without you knowing it. You didn't even imagine it.

He had seen you. At all hours of the day, although you could not see him he could watch you, from the dark depths of the shadows he watched you. Every step you took, every word you said he could hear you and hell, you were driving him crazy, just looking at you made him want things that had never crossed his mind before in all his long years of life. Would he just keep watching you or would he do something to change his reality?

His selfishness took him too far this time. You were perfect, you were his and he would not allow you to be contaminated by the dirt of any insignificant worm. You were clean and beautiful, he wouldn't let anyone get their hands on you until it was his turn. If someone was going to try you, it would be him, if someone was going to stain you, contaminate you or desecrate you inside this house, it would be him and no one else but him. He wanted that just by seeing you, everyone would know that you were his and no one else's, that you belonged to him, that every corner of your body screamed his name.

Gyutaro Shabana.

That was when his sister let him do as he pleased, it would be easy to invent a rumor about the girl's escape or murder, it didn't matter. Like her, her brother always got what he wanted. He took you all to himself, he owned you in the darkest and most secluded place in the Kyogoku house, the place furthest from all human contact that no one had the slightest idea existed, where he could remind you that you were his when he wanted.

The first few days were difficult, this client took you all to himself and it seemed like he would never let you go. That twisted idea had no place in your head, you cried, you got angry but no matter how big a scandal you made you couldn't escape from his side.

Those days are just memories now, vague memories where you still can't understand how your way of thinking changed by being by his side. As if you felt anger and frustration when you saw him, you went from wanting him in the same way and doing whatever this man could think of. It would be enough for him to snap his fingers to have you on your knees in front of him completely at his will, because you were his.

Summer was just arriving, the nights, despite being windy, were still hot and irritating. You were in the same place you had been since he took you in trying to find a way to deal with the high temperatures in the environment. Small amounts of sweat began to dampen your body under your clothes, your loose hair was a torment and that feeling between your legs was too annoying. It wasn't because you felt aroused, just the heat made your panties feel very wet for some reason and that was starting to irritate you. When suddenly, he appeared.

Your heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, your heartbeat quickened, and thrilling joy blossomed from the depths of your chest.

"Gyutaro-sama!" You squealed with excitement.

He walked towards you and you just greeted him as usual. You sat on your knees with both hands resting on the ground in front of you as he continued to move closer to you. You looked at him happily, waiting for his return greeting. Gyutaro watched you from above, from head to toe. He noticed the big blush that was painted on your face, how little hairs stuck to your forehead and shoulders due to your sweating and then he looked down at your chest. Your kimono was slightly open because you were trying to freshen up a few minutes ago, which left the beginning of your breasts exposed, making Gyutaro start to feel hard.

He cupped your chin in his thin, bony fingers and forced you to look into his eyes.

"It's hot in here, don't you think?" he asked, with a lazy smile.

"O-Of course, it's quite annoying!"

He kept looking at you "It's different for demons but..." he placed his thumb over your lips, touching them with his fingertip noticing that they were a bit dry. "I suppose you'd do anything to get some water, wouldn't you?"

Water. That would be the solution, you were dying and you didn't know why but Gyutaro had given you the answer. You were probably dehydrated so that was what would get rid of this unbearable heat.

"Yes! You're right!" You answered agitated. "You could get me some, right? You are very good to me, Gyutaro-sama. Could you get me some water?" You asked, eager to hear an answer as you rubbed your face in the palm of his hand as if you were a cat happy to see its owner after a day without seeing him.

Gyutaro laughed after hearing your request. "Of course! You know I can give you whatever you want, as long as you do your part...would you do what daddy asks, sweetie?" He asked.

"Y-yes! Of course I do!" You responded excitedly, almost jumping in place to get closer to him and hold his hands. "You know I would do anything for you, I'm yours!"

Gyutaro watched you with a mocking smile, he thought you were desperately pathetic and that turned him on too much. He loved seeing you so desperate and surrendered at his feet, willing to leave you in his hands so that he could do what he wanted with you.

"Then you'll have to take care of this." Gyutaro took a part of your hair to pull it and bring your head closer to his hip in an abrupt way, to bury your face in his crotch making his length crash against your face. "Look what you've done, my little slut…you'll take care of it."

Gyutaro pulled your hair again and forcefully threw you to the ground so that you were lying on your back. He didn't wait another minute to loom over you in an imposing way and watch you eager to do with you what he wanted.

He took the red ribbon around his neck and took it off, took your hands and tied them above your head to hold you steady. Immediately after, Gyutaro grabbed the collar of your kimono with one hand and pulled it down with all his might to open it, ripping your obi and the rest of the garment leaving you completely naked since you weren't wearing any underwear. Gyutaro looked at you carefully and made fun of you when he saw your extremely flushed face, trying to cover you but your hands were tied.

"What a pathetic and poor girl...I will make you feel like never before." He said between laughs.

Gyutaro settled on you and took your knees with both hands to separate them and open your legs wide, finding your cunt naked and already very wet. He licked his lips and without wasting another minute he pounced on you to start tasting you.

Gyutaro squeezed your thighs hard, making you moan shakily the moment his tongue made contact with your slippery folds. Your hips moved in circles to one side and the other to try to get more pleasure than what Gyutaro was already giving you. You could feel his tongue and teeth running all over your wet vagina, he didn't take breaks, he just devoured you completely like there was no tomorrow. After his mouth had been in each and every one of the corners of your core, he separated from you with a snap coming from his mouth after having made one last suck.

You could feel how wet you were between your legs, a part of your juices had trickled down your butt, wetting your thighs and crotch, mixing with Gyutaro's thick saliva. When he separated from you, a transparent thread was the only thing that united him between your pussy and his mouth. His lips were wet, drops dripping from the corners of his mouth to his chin and he wiped them away with the back of his hand. You felt very aroused and the best of all is that all this was just beginning.

You gave Gyutaro a submissive but daring smile, letting him know you needed more from him. Sometimes, he just bothered you, stimulating you for a while, making you believe that he would fuck you, but actually, he ended up getting up and leaving on purpose, leaving you irritated and desperate. The times when this happened, you usually ended up masturbating, but it was nothing like when Gyutaro did it to you.

"Aren't you going to continue? I thought you wanted to" you said, feigning sadness. "I need more of you and you know it..." your legs stayed open on your own and you weren't going to close them. Gyutaro was in front of you so your intention was that your open and wet cunt was under his gaze to seduce him. "Sure? You don't want to continue?" You asked, you started rubbing against the futon you were lying on to tease him, Gyutaro untied your hands and you lowered your fingers into your pussy. "I'm yours, Gyutaro...see?" You took your labia and spread them wide to expose your wet folds and swollen, throbbing clit to begin rubbing it with your fingers slowly and carelessly until your movements became faster and more rushed as you began to feel more pleasure. "Don't you want to do this? Don't you want to touch me and do everything you want to me?...that's what I'm for!" Your voice was desperate and a bit demanding begging for him. "I told you you could do whatever you want to me so here I am, see?" You said, and you spread your legs more showing Gyutaro your vagina. "Th-this cunt is yours Gyutaro-o...aahh...it's all yours and you can do whatever you want, whatever you want but I-I need you inside, I need you inside of me...j-just take me and do what you want, open me as wide as you can and fuck me until you can't anymore...fuck this little pussy and make me feel complete! Do it Gyutaro-sama!"

Gyutaro removed your hand from your vagina before you could cum on your own, grabbed your hair and turned you to place your chest on the futon, exposing your back. He took you by the waist with both hands hard and put them under you to squeeze your tits making you gasp. Gyutaro came closer to you and lowered one of his hands towards your pussy to insert his fingers directly into your wet hole. Every time Gyutaro moved and arched his fingers inside you there were wet sounds that caused you to get more and more wet.

Your eyes were blank and a thread of saliva ran down your mouth to your chin while you couldn't stop moaning desperately.

"I love to make my whore happy!" Gyutaro said, full of pride in himself. "Do you really want me to do everything you said? Well...you asked for it."

Gyutaro took his hand out of your pussy with another loud sound caused by your juices, he took your hip and made you lift it up, leaning on your knees but without letting your tits come off the futon, arching your back. The only view Gyutaro had now was of your ass so in awe of the view he gave you a hard and painful spank that made you moan. Your ass was on top so he didn't have a perfect view of your hole unlike when he just spreads your legs to fuck you. Gyutaro lowered his hand to your pussy again and began to touch you "looking for your hole" while with the other hand he pulled out his hard dick dripping from his pants and when he finally knew where to enter, he rammed you and penetrated you the first time making you scream with a bang painful pleasure. Your hands were clinging to the futon trying to hold you steady but Gyutaro was too strong and moved too fast. "Is that okay? Is that how you wanted me to fuck you?" he asked sarcastically. Gyutaro cupped your pussy with both thumbs and spread it open to expose your swollen folds. "That's how you wanted me to fuck and open you, right bitch? To fill you up and make you dirty with me, to stain you and make you impure! Are you enjoying it now? Is your pathetic cunt better now or will it still be dripping and writhing for me until i destroy it?!" He spoke mockingly.

You were dying in every way, this hurt as fuck but the pleasure that Gyutaro gave you was completely indescribable, his thick cock was demolishing you but that was what you wanted and you didn't care that your legs and your entire cunt hurt tomorrow and during some days. This is why you were by his side, right? Gyutaro took you by the hips as he dug into you, squeezing your ass and showering you with insults and dirty words, he pulled your hair up to see your expression and your eyes rolling up non-stop moaning until he kissed you abruptly without stopping moving. Gyutaro kept going until he realized how tight your pussy was, your body began to shake and your hair was a mess mixing on your face with your tears, sweat and saliva. Your entire cunt trembled and after feeling that perfect sensation of burning and pleasure at the tip of your clit, you cum. You cum all over Gyutaro's dick just like he did inside you, his release so great that it began to overflow through your folds until it seeped out of your vagina and trickled down your crotch, thighs and knees until it dripped onto the futon and created a small thick puddle under both of them. This orgasm was a relief for you, after having come all you could do was fall on the futon without caring how you got daub in your semen and Gyutaro's. Your eyelids were starting to feel too heavy until you started to close your eyes.

You couldn't even get the water that Gyutaro had promised you because after that amazing fuck, you fell asleep or passed out even with Gyutaro deep inside you. Maybe you had reached your limit but... are you sure that Gyutaro too?