#-all holding out their own respective Solution Keys to help him out

[mayashesfly]

Rain Code Chapter 5 and Epilogue Spoilers

The ending of this game has given me such intense major brainrot it's unbelievable. And not to mention all of the FUCKING SYMBOLISM AND PARALLELS AND FOILS I CAN SQUEEZE OUT OF THIS THING

Yuma and Makoto being Number One, looking for a Perfect Solution without Emotion.

Yuma taking the first step to grow out of that ideal by entrusting his memories to Shinigami.

Essentially shedding himself from the chains of his previous identity as Number One. By giving Shinigami the Key to his memories.

Shinigami who creates Solution Keys. Solution Keys that can unlock the Chain of Mysteries blocking the path to the truth. (Chapter 4 Mystery Labyrinth)

And time and time and time and time again throughout the game, Yuma had others helping him. Being there for him. Taking care of him. Loving him.

And despite him falling in despair time and time and time and time and time again, as Shinigami reaps the soul of the culprit, someone was there to pick him up again.

It might've hurt. It might've been painful. Uncovering and facing the truth. But together, he was able to handle it. He was able to live more freely, more happily being unchained from mysteries. Having people there in his life.

Maybe he been different when he was Number One.

Maybe he had been alone.

At first.

But now, he is not.

And though he may have lost Number One, he has gained freedom and happiness through others.

It's ironic how The One chained to a Death God was the free one.

Now let's think about Makoto.

Did he had anyone there when he learned the painful truth?

Had he known during then that there was others like him?

Facing the truth of being a Homonculus all alone...

It would be painful.

It would be lonely.

And even then, when he had found out he wasn't the only one.

He alone was the only one that could've saved them from themselves.

Saved them from the sunlight.

Caging them all in the unending rain.

He faced all of the problems of Kanai Ward by himself.

Manipulating those he see fit in order to keep Kanai Ward safe.

Despite being Number One, He could not seek the Perfect Solution through the Truth.

He covered and chained himself in so many lies and mysteries that he could not help himself.

And others could not help him.

There was no Solution to be found.

Here was no keys to be found by him or someone else who could've helped him escape from the entangle of chains of mysteries he had trapped himself in.

Think about it, in the Mystery Labyrinth, his Mystery Phantom acted so much like the lost and scared Yuma we have known. So blinded by all of the mysteries and alone that he refused the truth.

There was noone in that Labyrinth helping Phantom Makoto except Actual Makoto.

There was noone in that Labyrinth helping Actual makoto except Phantom Makoto.

He, quite literally, wrapped himself up with all of his clones that wore masks.

He, quite literally, continued to change his masks as he see fit.

He, quite literally, hid himself among his clones that wore masks.

Masks upon masks upon masks.

And despite having had multiple Solution Blades at a few points, he had cut nothing. (From what I remember)

I can't help but think about how Yuma said Makoto was asking for help.

And how in Makoto's last stand, he was quite literally asking for help.

Makoto needed Yuma to use the Solution Blade, the Solution Keys, to cut his mask.

Makoto needed someone to help him.

He was looking for a Perfect Solution, no, an answer, as we stared at his real unmasked face.

He had begged for us to search for the truth and now here we are.

If Yuma making a pact with Shinigami was his cry for help to change.

This was Makoto's cry for help to change.

We just have to wait and see if Makoto can finally be free and happy.

(Though seeing the Epilogue, it seems like Makoto still needs some help to truly finally free himself fully.

His journey isn't over yet.

Let's just hope that help won't come too late yet again.)

[softxsuki]

HEY HEY, back at it again with me being ⚜️ anon. kinda embarrassed after the last declined request because i’m like that

sooo, hopefully, could i have trope dabble with trope #3 and it would be fem!reader (one piece as well)

congrats on 1.5k AGAIN !!

1.5k Follower Event Trope #3 One Piece

Trope 3: Friends to Lovers

This even is now CLOSED. You can checkout the masterlist here.

| Pairing: Zoro x Fem!Reader | Genre: uh hurt comfort? idk | Post-Type: oneshot (so much for drabbles omg) | Word Count: 1.1k (bruh) |

Warnings: mentions of making out, kissing, reader gets injured, Zoro is a little hard on her for a bit because he's scared and wants her to get stronger faster, minor swear from Zoro

Note: I was excited for this one! I had trouble choosing whether to write for Luffy, Ace, or Zoro, but I had to go with my man :') hopefully it came out okay! There was so much I wanted to write, but as we can see, I'm struggling to keep this under 500 words...

Our stoic Zoro is difficult to get close to, questioning the loyalty of all crew members before he gets to know them, he’s a hard shell to crack. That included you as well. 

Your key to getting closer to Zoro was your desire to get stronger within the crew. You were tired of being weak and unable to fully defend yourself against enemy pirates and marines. The last thing you wanted to do was hold your crew mates back, so this was your best solution. Zoro spent all his time training anyway, so when you asked for his help, he gave a shrug and a grunt in response. You were in.

From that moment forward, you both spent a lot of time together. He could see your passion and seriousness towards wanting to better yourself for the crew's sake, and he respected that a lot. Training time expanded into spending even more time together; whether it be sitting beside him during dinner, having a drink with him during celebrations, or watching each other’s backs during fights, you guys were joined at the hip.

One specific battle left you severely injured, you hadn’t noticed that enemy pirate behind you while you were too focused on the one you were dealing with at the time, leading to you being slashed deeply across the back.. Thankfully Chopper dragged you away and began emergency procedure straight away. 

After the battle was over, Zoro was the first to stop by and check on you. His face remained stoic as he nodded his head towards, chopper before turning to face you as you laid in your bed. You felt bad, even after all that training, you were the only one seriously injured.

Zoro sighs as you avoid his eye, taking a seat on the chair beside your bed. He felt angry, but not at you. He didn’t realize how scared he was that you wouldn’t make it from that injury until he rushed to your room where Chopper had taken you, and felt how relieved he was when he saw you up and alert. He cared about you.

“Need someone to take care of you, huh? As soon as you’re done recovering, I’ll see you bright and early in the crows nest,” he mumbles, standing up again. He was bad at expressing all these confusing emotions bubbling up inside him, so he decided to keep them to himself, leaving you to rest.

It took a few weeks for you to fully recover, feeling frustrated with yourself and your weakness, you hurry to meet Zoro in the crows nest, who hadn’t visited you as often as you had hoped during your recovery.

Making your way up to the crows nest, you could hear the familiar sounds of dumbbells clanging, meaning he was up there training as usual. As you enter, he nods to you in acknowledgment, before finishing up his set. It was back to training, but this time Zoro was even more strict on you, pushing you beyond your limits.

This went on for a week before you couldn’t take it anymore.

“Zoro, please I need a breather,” you pant, your arms already feeling like jelly from the hours you’d already trained this week, your body couldn’t keep up.

“No, not until you finish your reps,” he answers coolly, continuing his own exercises, glancing over his shoulder to make sure you were still going.

You were done.

You slam the dumbbell to the ground and spin around ready to leave the crows nest. You were trying your best, but each day he went harder and harder on you with no remorse.

“I’m done with this,” you grit, storming off.

But Zoro is quick as he puts his own weights down and races to you, grabbing your wrist. He pulls you towards him, spinning you so you’re facing him.

“You’re not done until you finish your reps. Are you going to give up already? You still have a long way to go,” He says between clenched teeth. He was doing his best to control himself and not do or say something rash, but that all crumbles at your next words.

“No,” you retort, snatching your arm from his grip, sending him a glare, “You’ve been pushing me to the bone all week, you never did this before! What happened to our training sessions when we first started? I can’t do this anymore.”

He stops you once more, grabbing your arm and pulling you into his chest so your faces are inches away from each other. He’s breathing heavily, looking into your eyes, his hands still gripping you to hold you still.

“I can’t lose you too, dammit!” Zoro screams, finally letting those unresolved emotions race out through his growing frustration and fear.

His heart almost races out of his chest when your eyes widen, those eyes he thought he’d never see again that one day after you were seriously injured. Without even thinking, his lips crash down onto yours with such ferocity, you’re frozen in shock until he pulls away.

It all made sense to you now, he was pushing you because he cared. He was scared that day and wanted to try and help you get stronger as soon as possible.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, leaning down to press his forehead against yours, still not making any attempts to let you go just yet. “You understand now, don’t you?”

How could you not? You felt your face go flush as he held you close.

“I just can’t lose you.”

You're silent for a few moments, processing everything until you sigh and finally wrap your arms around him, shocking him now.

“You won’t lose me. I want to get stronger too, but this isn’t the way to do it.”

“I know, I’m sorry. If you still want to train with me, I’ll make it how it used to be,” he mumbles, holding you tightly to his chest, scared to let you go.

That was something you could agree on, so you both made it happen.

After that night, things seemed to move forward naturally between you. Training went back to normal, but there was this new tension between you. Zoro would be a little more touchy during training which would lead to heated makeout sessions later on. It was a nice change, one you welcomed with open arms.

During battles, Zoro was on high alert, keeping an eye on you at all times and always ready to step in to help if you ever needed him to.

It was clear how he felt about you, and maybe he wouldn’t express that verbally right away, but his actions always made it obvious that his feelings for you had a romantic twinge to them. One that would grow quickly the more time you spent together. 

Posted: 1/4/2024

[the-last-flame-au]

[ The Ember That May Reignite The Fire ]

"Cassandra Jones!! You cannot be serious right now!!" April shouted. It was rare for her to truly get mad and chew someone out and even rarer for April to cuss out Casey but this was something that couldn't be left unaddressed.

"Look- I couldn't just leave a baby out there to die. You're the one who's been telling me for years to do the right thing and now that I do it, it's still wrong?! Where is the logic in that O'Neil?" Casey defended herself while holding the dirty orphan she picked up on patrol a little closer to her chest.

Somehow this little creature had awakened a new side in Casey. A caring one. Not in the way she cares for the Hamato clan or the resistance. She started to care like a mother and all the small child had to do was cry.

The situation Casey had found the orphan was dire, her squadron had just pushed back a small group of Kraang hounds and were securing the area for supply runs when the child cried out beneath some rubble.

It was a human child that Casey picked up and something about that small, dirty face made her soft inside. The moment she had picked up the human infant he stopped crying, opting out for more content coos.

"Casey you are out of your mind! We are barely scraping by already! We cannot handle a small baby here! Our resources are limited!" April chastised Casey some more. "Just- just let me try okay? Maybe this kid grows up to be strong and bright. Maybe he's gonna be the

solution to the mess outside. Let me try and raise this kid. April please."

Whenever Casey got to emotional talk April couldn't keep up her tough demeanor. It didn't help that the small child in Casey's arms was malnourished and still adorable. April understood that these two would be an incredible little family and a major pain in her ass. "Fine. He's your responsibility though. You make sure he is fed, clothed, bathed, gets his shots, trains when he's old enough and most important of all: make sure that child is loved. If you wanna be a mom, do it right" commanded April.

Casey saluted, a sign of respect yet there was softness in both women. For each other and the small child that was now snuggled up against Casey's chest and sleeping soundly.

"He shall be named CJ!" Casey proclaimed loudly. It had only been a few hours since she brought the infant into the base and introduced him to her found family, the Hamato clan.

Mikey especially loved the little boy from the second he saw him. The child gave him hope. Hope that within all this death and destruction new life could grow. It gave him hope that his brothers didn't die for nothing. That there might be peaceful days again.

Mikey missed his brothers so dearly, he lost them when they were all just children. When they were thrust into a situation so much bigger than themselves, even bigger than the Shredder.

Michelangelo hoped that this child, CJ, would be the key to making everything up to his beloved brothers.

"May I ask what CJ stands for Casey?" Splinter spoke up. He was also excited at the existence of this little boy, he missed his own so much. Feeling like a failure of a father unable to protect them from the world, from danger.

"Well it stands for Casey Junior, of course!" Casey, now senior, proclaimed proudly. "Casey… Junior..? You named the child after yourself?" Draxum questioned. "Of course! There is no greater fighter than I so this shall set my son's destiny in stone!" shouted Casey.

Casey junior seemed unshaken by his mother's loud antics. While Casey laughed at her own genius she caught unimpressed looks from April, Draxum and Splinter.

The only one not paying attention was Mikey. He was busy holding CJ in his arms, enthralled by the little life he held. CJ seemed equally curious about Mikey, reaching for his beak and trying to grab at him.

The baby babbled away, incoherently but still very headstrong in what he wanted. Mikey entertained the young boy while the other four still argued about Casey's name choice.

"I will protect you CJ, I promise no bad thing will ever happen to you." Mikey spoke, though it was little more than a hushed whisper, just loud enough that CJ might hear but no one else. Mikey failed at protecting his brothers but he would not fail in protecting this child.

That, he swore to himself.

Story written by @spacemimz Art by @noxvee6

[frostfall-matches]

[ matchmaking... ]

@chloiyoomi : [ match report ready ]

your match is…

✦ Yaku Morisuke

-> [ Yaku is someone who is (generally) mature and calm; a good balance to your anxious nature. ] He is more than willing and able to be your rock when things get tough, and he’s so sweet about it, too. Life is tough, especially for folks prone to anxiety and overthinking - but even resilient people have days where they struggle. While Yaku can’t exactly relate to many of your troubles, he can absolutely sympathize and empathize. For him, it’s only natural to try and help his friends and partner overcome whatever they may be struggling with, whether it be in the short or long run. That said, he does tend to be solution oriented - if you’re wanting to just vent, please let him know or he’ll default to coming up with things to help ease your worries.

-> [ He isn’t exactly a bubbly social butterfly, but he’s social enough that it smooths out your initial interactions. ] Yaku is able to comfortably interact with many different types; he doesn’t come off as extremely introverted or extraverted, putting him in a comfortable middle ground for most. So, thankfully, you being socially awkward really isn’t going to hinder much when it comes to him. But it seems that you fare better in one-on-one situations, not as overwhelmed as you tend to be in group settings. He’s quick to pick up on that and is happy to devote some time to getting to know you - especially once he starts developing a crush on you. And learning that you actually love to yap is so amusing to him (in a good way!). He loves hearing what you have to say.

-> [ He would really value your compassion and desire to help others. ] Oftentimes, he falls into the role of the supportive upperclassman himself, naturally guiding or assisting those in his vicinity. If he’s in the position to help, then he will help! So knowing that compassion is such a core part of your identity and the way you approach the world and those around you is a huge point of attraction for him. You’re so incredibly sweet and charming in his eyes! And, sure, he may have a bit of a temper himself, but being kind to people is such a simple thing to do, and it shows that you’re mature enough to be considerate of other people. It’s a big draw to him when it comes to relationships, because he knows you’ll have each other’s backs.

-> [ It’s no problem if you’re not very comfortable with confrontation - Yaku will gladly step in when need be. ] At least you make a solid attempt to deal with confrontation when necessary, even when you hate it; he respects that a lot! It’s funny, though - he honestly does try and let you fight your own battles because he doesn’t want to disrespect your autonomy, but damn if he doesn’t have the urge to step in right away. He will absolutely get heated on your behalf, especially if the conflict involves someone who is disrespecting you. But, to his credit, in many (but not all) cases, he will hold himself back until you either went to him for help or it seemed like you were in dire need of assistance.

-> [ Cat-loving couple! ] If you have cats, he must befriend them. He’s coming over to your place as often as you’ll let him - mostly for the cat… but you, too (he’s kidding–). Yaku is really fond of cats and he definitely wants to have one (or several) in the future himself once things settle down a bit in terms of school and professional volleyball. Chances are you’re absolutely down to take in a few cats with him. He definitely treats them as your shared children, and tends to fluctuate from absolutely spoiling them to sternly (but endearingly) scolding them if they get up to too much mischief.

-> [ Low-key and relaxed dates seem to be your thing, and that works well for Yaku. ] He would absolutely be down with hitting up a place for milkshakes on the way home from school and practice, spending the hours chatting and indulging in your presence until the sun starts to set low on the horizon. And he’s the type to walk you home, even if it isn’t quite dark out yet. Given the fact that he likes going into the mountains in the summer, he might really like camping with you. A trip that is at once both relaxing and adventurous, breaking the monotony but still allowing room for comfort.

-> [ He is definitely someone who puts a lot of emphasis on quality time in relationships. ] All other love languages aside, spending time with you is so important to him and it allows him to really show his affection for you in a myriad of ways. Side note: although he tries to be brave and mature about it, long distance would be a struggle for Yaku. He can send as many sweet messages as he wants and have long phone calls with you, but it’s nothing compared to being with you, seeing your face when he gives you a sickeningly sweet compliment and a tight hug to top it all off.

-> [ The type to become absolutely smitten and lovesick, even when he tries to play it cool. ] Yaku gets teased about it by his teammates quite often - and yes, they are subsequently often on the receiving end of his ire due to this. Any time you do something he considers even remotely cute, he’s melting and malfunctioning on the inside. Any sweet or supportive messages has him grinning and blushing; gifts you give him are kept safe and proudly displayed; he melts into any sort of touch you give him. He doesn’t even realize how much his bold and steady exterior softens up around you!

[potionpeddlerpatchy]

Oh thank you, kind peddler! I am quite intrigued by many items, new and old, in your dwelling. While many things catch my eyes in interest, the one that truly reaches for my soul is the Intriguing Book of Old. I have quite a love for stories and would love to hear more of your peddler tales. For the price, I humbly offer my best tea, peaceful company and 15 pieces of gold from my travels. I can only hope it is precious in your sight.

How kind of you, dear traveler, to wish to bestow upon me a gift of gold in exchange for the book of old that seemed to take hold of your attention as you first walked in. Though I can assure you Marquie, that such gold is not needed in order to obtain it. I am more than willing to part with an old book if I know it is going into the hands of a good person, which I know you are 💛

Though, I must say, I am tempted to take upon your offer of tea and the chance to let you know of all sorts of adventures I have been on; all the people and places I have traveled to.

But, I think it best you read the story in your own hands first. 🔮

Music was a passion of yours, at least as long as you could remember. A gift given to you by the gods above, a blessing you parents would tell you, whenever you went near an instrument and began to play it. Whether it was stroking the ivory keys, or plucking the strings of a lute, you were blessed with a musical touch, with your muses being whatever song was held within your heart.

With the violin being your most favorite of instrument. How you could pull back your horse-haired bow and have it play out the melancholy that you felt to create a tragically beautiful melody, to then have those same bows and string play a more upbeat tune as you made a strain of music that would have those that listen tap their feet and dance to.

It was the dichotomy that you enjoyed. How those simple strings could help you emote so much better than any other instrument you had ever held. Even after all the years passed, and you memory of how to play eloquently faded through fingers that stumbled over the ebony and ivory, or unable to strum up an enjoyable tune, they never faltered whenever you placed you chin over your violin.

But with age came more responsibilities. Work needed to be done in order to provide a roof over your head and food within your belly; and though many enjoyed your tunes they could not bring themselves to spare you some of their hard-earned coins over it. Thus, you were regaled to work alongside your fellow man to earn your keep, only having the chance to play whenever you weren’t. A task much harder to accomplish when the moment you walked through the threshold of your home you were expected to do your share of the housework and cleaning.

It left you little, if at all, the chance to indulge yourself in the one thing that brought you a semblance of serenity. So, with the knowledge and experience you have earned, you figured out a solution for you and your passions.

On the days that you could, you would sneak yourself off to the nearby woods into the small, flowered, meadow that was kept inside it. There you were able to play with out interruption, without someone calling for your name, to hear yelling voices requesting you of you a tune to play, or to those that were scold you and tell you to stop playing and interrupting the peace they had finally found themselves. It was the rare moments you could find where you could be one with your emotions, without the expectations of the world around you.

Whenever you would play, you would have an audience too; one much more respectful than the townsfolk you were used to. Foxes, rabbits, birds, even a lone whole or two, would stumble across you and would take a moment to sit and appreciate your lovely tunes before wandering back off to where they were meant to go. Sometimes they would even sit upon your lap whist you played, if they felt bold enough to do so. And some days, you would spot him. A lone woodsman as he went to collect some timber for the fireplaces of those who could not get it themselves.

He was incredibly handsome, at least you thought he was. Tall, with hair as dark as any raven you saw, and peculiar dots of freckles upon his face. You always wished you could see him more closely, but the moment he would stumble across you playing, or even catch wind of your beautiful music, he would turn the other way. The sound of his axe strikes would echo further and further as ventured away from you.

You had long to know his name, but perhaps he did not think the same. Whenever he would pass you by, choosing to once again ignore you in favour of his solitude, your music would turn more woe some to match the ache in your heart. Perhaps the Gods above, those that had granted you such a fortune, grew tired of hearing your sorrows, tired of hearing the wonderous gift they blessed you be used for things less jubilant than they intended. Forced, they played their hand and gave forth to you another gift.

This time, a wolf.

One that came up to you whilst you played and sat before you, it waited patiently almost as if it was politely waiting for you to stop playing before it began to speak. And much to your surprise it did, after you gently lowered your instrument down from your shoulder to greet it.

“Y-you can speak?” You questioned, shoulders tensed, as you questioned how this could be as the wolf nodded its head.

“Indeed, I can.” The wolf sat more upright in respect to you, before reaching a paw to gingerly touch the bow in your hand “I wished to pay my compliments to you, for your play beautifully.”

You muttered out you appreciation as you tried your hardest not to move; you did not think that the animal before you would take it upon themselves to harm you, but you could never be sure. Animals had an unpredictability to them, and you always favoured being cautious than not.

“Suppose that was not all you wished to tell me?” You asked, giving forth a weak smile as your eyes kept darting towards the heavy paw upon your hand.

“You are far more perceptive than those around you give you credit for’ The wolf nodded, “I wished to learn to play the violin as well, and am hoping a master as yourself would teach me the needed skills.”

“Well, I…” You began, though you could feel the claws hidden beneath the fur of the paw slow sink into your skin; a clear indication that a rejection would not be tolerated “I would love to.”

You saw the wolf’s ear perk at your acceptance as you felt the sharp sting of its nails recede from your skin. He watched you with interest as you began to think how best to proceed, though he thought it was how to start a lesson, for you to was a way to rid yourself of the beast.

“But we cannot practice here for the rest of the woods to hear, we must go someplace quiet” You spoke, trying your best not to stammer out your words “There is an old oak tree, not far from here, one that is hollow and split in the middle. Do you know of it?”

“I do”

“Wonderful, I shall meet you there for your first lesson” You smiled, moving to stand as you gestured for the wolf to take the first few steps away from you “I shall meet you there one I pack up my violin”

The wolf merely nodding before running forth ahead to where the hallowed oak was. One out of sight, you let out a panic sigh as you began to pack your things; wishing to rush out of the woods and never return. Though you did not get far, only halfway through the foliage that stood between you and your village, before you heard the grumbled growl of the creature you had crossed.

Before you could even think to start a sprint to outrun it, you path was blocked by its figure; how breath heaved in anger as it looked up you – clear that your trickery has caused more ire to the creature that you had hoped. You stumble back as you tried to keep your footing, for at least you found some semblance of control if you were upright.

But to wasn’t long before your fright caused your feet to trip upon themselves; with a loud, broken cry, you fell to the forest floor. You closed your eyes as your body began to tremble fiercely. You hoped that at least death would be swift should the wolf’s anger lead him to such an action as his snarling came closer; so close that you could feel the wet and the heat coming forth from the creatures mouth.

You took one final breath, accepting your fate fully, before you heard a pained cry from the wolf. It took you a moment, a breath as you came to the understanding the wolf was not near you any longer, before you filled your aching lungs with air once again. You peaked an eye open to see where the wolf had gone, only to be faced with a pair of legs, rather than an angry beast.

“D-did you kill it?” You asked the man who stood before you, your heart still pounded as you awaited response.

“No, merely sacred it off” He replied, voice deep as his head never moved from where you assumed the wolf has ran off to.

With that knowledge, you felt your eyes spring with tears of relief as you struggled to calm yourself down; your breathing laboured as you tried to allow yourself to find a balance between the strong sense of both fear and solace it had gone through. Though it stopped altogether when the man finally turned to regard you.

It was the woodman.

“Are you alright?” He offered his hand to help you stand, though he sensed your hesitancy and thus offered his name in hopes it would allow you trust his aide “My name is Sakusa Kyioomi”

You gave your name in kind, gingerly placing you hand upon his as he helped to guide you back onto your own feet. Though once you had stood, he kept hold of your hand. When you tilted your head in question, he ducked his own in a timid display.

“I think I should tell you, now before I lose my nerve like many a time before” He began “But you - !”

~

The call of your name snapped you up from your reading; your friend from the other side of the shop had a look of complete exasperation as she waved you over to come to where she stood; you could only suppose it was to leave. You quickly placed a finger upon the sentence you were reading as you closed your book as best you could; taking hold of the bag you brought with you as you slung it over your shoulder. Though in your haste you fumbled and dropped your newfound book.

A pair of hands took hold of it before you could, gently turning it over before holding it out for you. It was the shopkeeper, and she had a patient smile as she waiting for you to properly gather your wits as you gingerly took the book back.

“Was it a good read?” She asked, watching as you placed the book into your bag “Yes it was, thank you” You rushed, still doing your best to adjust from the dangers you had just seemingly faced to the reality of the world around you.

“Ah, I can see you are a little upset over losing your place.” She nodded her head “But you need not worry over something as trivial as that.” The confusion you were sure was written upon your face made her smile grow larger, more mischievous, “The book knows where you have left off, and much like your friend, it is patiently waiting for you to go back to it.”

Suppose it might be best for you to come back another time for that tea? I think your friend would not like it if I took up more of your time to tell you one of my long, and often confusing, stories.

I do hope you, and your woodsman friend, do stop by soon~ 🔮

I do hope you wish to keep what you found, for all 'sales' are final

[formosusiniquis]

Nancy is sick, sick of not being respected by the school newspaper. They call her a conspiracy theorist who is always looking for a story that doesn’t exist. They want to know why she can’t be content with covering the basketball district win or Mrs. O’Donnell’s twenty year teaching anniversary. Then someone spray paints a dick on every car in the staff parking lot. Twenty-seven dicks.

And everyone says it’s Eddie Munson.

Eddie is a stoner, a loudmouth, a delinquent, and insists on putting his shoes on cafeteria tables; but somehow Nancy just doesn’t see this being something Eddie did.

Principal Higgins and the rest of the Hawkins administration doesn’t seem to want to investigate any further. The paper has already published their piece on the matter. So Nancy decides she’s going to investigate this herself, not only that she’s going to come out with an expose proving Munson is innocent. A film expose, print media is dying anyway.

She recruits Robin Buckley, a band kid and jack of all trades, to operate the camera and she sets to work. She sticks her nose where it doesn’t belong, she digs into the Hawkins gossip mill determined to figure out who else could have done it. She doesn’t make friends.

Except Eddie kind of grows on her.

Robin kind of does too.

Except Robin, just like Nancy, is just as viable a suspect as about seven other people who led after school clubs and had a key to school -- which included access to the brand new security camera pointed at the staff parking lot.

Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley, Eddie Munson, Fred Benson, Chrissy Cunningham, Patrick McKinney.

Each of them had the opportunity and motive and Nancy thinks it’s important that they take the time to explore that. Robin doesn’t appreciate Nancy taking a logical look at her motivation, calling her out for her obvious crush on Chrissy and wanting to cancel prom so Chrissy can’t go with Jason. Nancy doesn’t appreciate how unseriously Robin is taking this. This is Nancy’s chance at something big. Sure, it’s no murder but felony vandalism is nothing to sneeze at, if she solves this people will finally take her seriously. Except Robin who thinks this whole thing is a joke. Who makes some bullshit little flipbook of Nancy drawing dicks on cars to give herself something to solve.

The part ways after that.

Nancy spends more time with Eddie. He’s funny. He helps her relax, not just with the weed but the contact high she gets hanging out with him and his friends is a nice bonus. He’s smart, smart enough she realizes that he could have done it if he wanted to.

She doesn’t want it to be Eddie. She doubles down. She makes up with Robin. They’re going to find out who really did this.

And she has it. She has it. She can prove, circumstantially, but enough that she’s sure she could get a confession from the actual perpetrator. When Eddie goes out and actually vandalizes Mrs. O’Donnell’s place, gets caught doing it by her neighbor. Hopper brings him in, Robin goes to deal with the neighbor while Nancy talks with Eddie. Talks to him about the expose, about how angry he felt about the way she made him out to be this burnout loser, the same kind of freak weirdo that everyone in school already thought he was, someone who’d been at Hawkins long enough to hold the grudge but not smart enough to actually get away with it. The only way they could even prove he was innocent was by proving how much of a fuckup loser he really was. Like anyone expected much better of a Munson.

Nancy isn’t sure what to do about the fact that all her project has really done is hurt people. She proved Eddie’s innocence at his own expense. She effectively outed Robin to the whole school, even if Robin says she forgives her, she aired half of the school’s dirty laundry and didn’t even officially catch who did it because no one will believe her now. Not when she’s got one more person calling for Eddie’s blood.

Some problems don’t have solutions. Some messes get made and can’t be cleaned up. But Nancy does her best. Nancy tries to do right by Eddie, tries to deserve some respect.

Also something, something Steve Harrington is Jenna Hawthorne. Something, something lonely, (queer), rich kid who puts up a cool, collected mask to keep the attention of others but is so desperate for love and affection that they accidentally get blackmailed into doing a felony by the person they thought loved them.

[random-yandere-fandom]

Hi, I had a good idea to order, if you accept of course! What would happen if Yandere Ciel and Yandere! Alois (together) were transported to our universe (21st century) and with that the reader found them and took them home and took care of them, maybe the boys would explain that they are from another place and the reader believes in them and helps them adapt to this century, being kind and patient with them and of course they had to be a little independent (knowing the basics of making something to eat or taking care of the house) especially when the reader goes out to work or something thus. So, over time, they fall in love with the reader, so what happens next? And what will happen if the boys return to their universe without the reader, maybe their demons have found a way to bring them back to their universe.

Ooh, I love the idea!

Yandere Ciel and Yandere Alois transported to our world

It certainly wasn’t a sight you had expected to see so early in the morning. Two men, dressed very strangely, obviously fighting each other on the side of a road. Their clothes, their accent, even the mannerisms felt totally out of place. Were the two of them part of a theatre group or something?

Still, your gut was telling you something strange was going on and so you decided to approach them, furrowing your brows in question when you caught bits and pieces of the argument. Seeing them both alert at your approach you stopped, inquiring what they were doing and if they perhaps needed help. The one with blue hair answered, or rather, questioned where they were and especially when they were. Now, you’ve watched enough movies that your first thought was Holy shit, time travellers!, before you considered them to be on drugs. Engaging them in a conversation, which made it very clear that Ciel and Alois weren’t really on good terms, you picked up quite a few clues as to who these two were, namely, time travellers. Not that they told you themselves yet, but you wished to believe that, notably because your follow up offer would really and truly put you in danger otherwise. 

It takes some time before the two of them warm up to you, but after you had taken them in and cared of them, teaching them some simple housework and basic knowledge with varying degrees of success it was hard not to grow fond of you. For you, it was quite the experience. You had quickly noted that the two of them really weren’t from here and now. You also learned how tiring it is to have two entitled brats trying to one up each other in a childish approach of trying to be better. If it weren’t for their intellect and the way they so easily managed to grasp complicated  new concepts you would have guessed that these are children in adult bodies.

For real though, even though Ciel was extremely prideful he was also grateful and so he worked hard to make up for your kindness. Alois on the other hand often had more difficult times and you’re sure that if Ciel wouldn’t keep him somewhat in check your home would have been trashed once and again. The blonde got better over time though, showing his gratefulness through actions and becoming quite clingy, complaining that you should return earlier from work because he doesn’t want to be left alone with Ciel, cue a fight breaking out on who has it worse with the other. It’s better to give the two of them work to concentrate on while you’re away.

Alois notices his feelings for you first, he has grown dependent on you and he really wouldn’t mind staying at your place. He doesn’t try to hide them either, declaring his affections in ways so blatantly open and unashamed that you can’t help but think of it as simple gratefulness mixed with dramatics for the fun of it. He doesn’t try to deny it either, the thought of you rejecting him otherwise and the more than annoyed looks from the Phantomhive enough to keep his advances going. 

In that process, Ciel will realise his feelings with the help of good old jealousy. The twist in his heart whenever you accept his rival’s admiration, even if you don’t recognise it as such, is enough to make him aware of his own admiration for you. He won’t truly act on it though, too much in the way to act on how his heart wishes him to. Instead he’ll tell himself that it’s just a little crush, nothing much to worry about, even if it’s hard to deny his attraction towards you.

From then on there will be war between the two of them, each compliment and each smile from you remembered and later on shoved into the others face, Alois almost shouting and Ciel replying in snide remarks. 

There comes a fateful day where everything changes and it appears in the form of a silent home with empty, cold rooms devoid of the usual live they seemed to hold. As you turn the key behind you, you call out their names, confused at the lack of any notable sound. You will search each room for the two men that have accompanied you in the last few months, worry creeping into your heart as you are the only person in a home used to host three. There is no use though, the two noble men having returned to were they belonged (even if they’d insist that was by your side).

Back with Ciel and Alois, the two of them had appeared back in their respective bedrooms, a worried demon in the one and an annoyed in the other greeting them. Turned out the butlers had worked together to create a method to bring back their masters only to separate once the means were acquired and they were ready to get a hold on their masters. 

Alois reacted in tears and yells and sobs and wrath, destroying the room in frustration as he realised he was torn from the person he loved as Claude watched in exasperation. Nothing will calm him down, your name leaving his lips in desperate cries until finally the spider demon relents, suggesting to bring you to his master. Trancy will freeze before replying in utter happiness and hope, tears still streaming down his face, ordering his butler to get started, seeing as there isn’t any time to waste.

Ciel is shocked before he feels his heart clenching, the thought of never seeing you again causing his insides to churn in such an awful manner it’s impossible to not grasp his chest in pain as his butler checks him on injuries. He is quick to think of the solution himself, ordering Sebastian to bring you here, to bring you to him, using whatever god forsaken method he used to get him back in the first place. If he wasn’t sure about his feelings before, he sure as hell is now when he risks having lost you.

It doesn’t matter on who summons you, on who gets his hands on you first. There will be a full blown war between the nobles all the while you’re being kept safe, taught of this world you entered against your will as they will be there for you just as you were for them. The only difference is your utter lack of possibility to return to your own home.

[zafirosreverie]

Must be the eyes (Teacher!Agatha x Fem!Student!Reader) part 3

(Part 1) (part 2)

a/n: this is too cliché and I’m sorry for that. not really.

- - - - - - - - -

"I'm going to kill you" you hit Nick hard

"Ouch!" he exclaimed as he rubbed his shoulder "Damn Y/N, you have a good arm, you should consider boxing"

"Shut up! I’m mad at you!" you growled

"I know, I know! I'm sorry!" Nick threw up his hands in surrender "Listen, I didn't think Dalton was going to sit with me, okay? We were just chatting and I thought he would go to his seat as soon as we left"

"Ah, so leaving me standing in the hallway until your boyfriend left was the option? How is that better, Jadu?!" you crossed your arms.

"Sorry!" he said again "... but it wasn't that bad, was it? I mean, you ended up sitting with Ms Harkness"

"Yes, and then I used her as a pillow!" you hissed "Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was?! She sure hates me now, Nick!"

"I don't think she does" he smiled at you "she has been looking at you since we arrived"

It was true. Since you hurriedly got down of the bus, and in all the time that you had been in the hotel lobby (seriously, how hard was it to give you your rooms?! Why did they have to keep you there for hours?), you could feel the brunette’s eyes on you. But you hadn't been able to look at her face, so you only glanced at her from time to time.

"And?" you asked

"Well, it's true that it could be a 'I'm planning your murder, Y/L/N' look" he joked "But, at least from here, it seems more like a 'I want you to use me as a pillow again, and as a whole bed if you want' look"

You blushed and hit him again.

"Shut up" you muttered "You're on thin ice, Jadu"

He laughed and hugged you from behind. He was much taller than you, so you could hear his heart. You felt safe with him, like an older brother taking care of you.

But you weren't going to forgive him so easily.

"Get off, Nick" you growled jokingly and crossed your arms

"Ok, plan B then" he said and released you, then dropped to one knee and took your hands.

You laughed at his silliness and quickly put yourself on role by faking a pout.

"Y/N  Y/L/N, my precious friend" he said "I am very sorry I hurted your feelings. What can this humble being do to earn your forgiveness?"

You stifled a laugh and tried not to smile "Nicholas Jadu, my idiot friend" you said "I'm afraid there is nothing you can do this time. Your offense is very serious"

"Please, my lady" he laughed "How about I offer you a book as a sacrifice?"

"Uhmm ... add a chamomile tea and you have a deal"

"deal"

Neither could hold your laughter any longer. You helped him to his feet and he put his arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer and ruffling your hair.

_________

Agatha couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy when she saw you laughing and playing with Nicholas. She knew she had no right to be jealous, especially when you were just talking to your friend like she had always seen you do since your first year at school.

She didn't want to hate the boy either (okay, maybe hate was a very strong word. She was just a little mad at him), because it wasn't his fault that she felt that way. He had no way of knowing that his closeness to you stirred his teacher's stomach. But she couldn't help it. Seeing you so happy and careless, hugging him and joking with him, was a lot for her. That, that was something she wanted.

She was so distracted by your interaction with Nicholas, that she didn't really pay attention to what Wanda and Jimmy were saying until her redhead pulled her by the arm and made her look at them.

"Agatha, do you agree?" she asked, making the brunette curse herself for not paying attention.

"Oh sorry hon, what?" she blinked.

"Weren't you listening?" Jimmy asked. Agatha rolled her eyes

"Well someone had to keep an eye on the kids while you guys were distracted at the reception" she lied.

"Sure" Wanda rolled her eyes before sighing "we have a problem"

"Now what?"

"We should have been suspicious when we were missing seats on the bus" Jimmy muttered, but the brunette didn't even turn to him.

"It seems we had more than one error when we did the math" Wanda told her.

"Are we missing a room too?" Agatha asked

"Something like that" replied the redhead "It seems that we are missing one on the girls’ side, and we have one left on the boys' side"

"But we can't let a female student sleep in the boys' area" Jimmy said.

"Not by law" agreed Wanda

"Okay" Agatha sighed "and I'm assuming the hotel can't change it"

"Nope"

Agatha sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. This trip was proving to be a headache and they have just arrived.

"But we thought of a solution" the redhead quickly assured her.

"Which is?" the brunette raised her eyebrow

"Our shared room is registered" Wanda said "And as teachers, one of us can occupy the room on the boys' side, while the other stays with the girls"

"And since they ... respect you more, we thought it was a good idea if you stayed with them" added Jimmy

"So, Wanda will sleep on the boys' side while I take care of the girls, and you want me to share a room with one of them."

"A student sharing a room with her teacher is not against school law as it would be to let the girl sleep on the boys' side" said Wanda

"Stupid heteronormative laws" Agatha thought "They're college students! They know what they’re doing! And it's not like everyone is straight, especially in this college. I'm sure 70% of our students are part of the LGBT + community"

But she couldn't say that out loud. So she just sighed and nodded

"Okay, I stay with the girls"

"Excellent" Wanda smiled "Now we just have to tell them"

___________

Agatha Harkness was not a woman who considered herself evil ... well, not too much. But she couldn't deny that she was slightly proud of the scared looks and worried murmurs from her students when Wanda told them that they would stay in charge of her.

"So who will share a room with Ms Harkness?" the redhead asked.

Agatha felt strangely confident and a little relieved. She knew you wouldn't volunteer in a million years, so she wouldn't have to deal with her feelings and spending time with another student might help her get rid of them. She wouldn't be tempted by you.

"Y/L/N will do it" a voice yelled, causing the brunette to frown.

Wait, what?

But she wasn't the only one confused by the statement.

You had been in the back of the group throughout Professor Maximoff's speech, decidedly avoiding looking at the brunette, no matter how many funny looks Nick gave you.

When she said someone should sleep with Ms Harkness, you thought that girl was lucky, but it was definitely not going to be you. There was no way in the world you would offer yourself, especially after what had happened on the bus. The statement made you freeze.

"Y/L/N will do it" Susana yelled, a few steps ahead of you.

"Wait, what?" you murmured, before feeling all eyes on you.

"Come on Y/N" someone whispered near you "You are the witch tamer"

"The what?" you frowned

"You are Harkness' favorite student" Susana confirmed "You are the only one who could survive the kraken"

"Okay, that's an exaggeration" you rolled your eyes

But it seemed like your classmates only heard the first word, because they immediately pushed you to the front of the group, offering you as a human sacrifice to the witch woman.

"Excellent" smiled the red-haired teacher "Everything settled then. Form two lines, men with Professor Woo and me, women with Professor Harkness" she said, totally oblivious to the scared look in your eyes or the way the brunette froze.

As everyone moved, you felt Nick's hand on your back and turned to look at him. He was smiling at you, but in a reassuring way, there was no mockery in his smile.

"You'll be fine Y/N" he assured you "Just charge your phone as soon as you enter the room and I will talk to you until you fall asleep"

You smiled at him gratefully. You really didn't deserve him.

"Thank you" you whispered.

Nick smiled at you one last time before he went to his line. Sighing, you took your things to form yours too, praying that you could survive these two weeks.

Looking quickly at your teacher, you could see that at least she seemed normal. She didn't look at you while she handed out the keys to the rooms, or when you guys got on the elevator. Perhaps she had already forgotten the incident. You wish you could too.

What you didn't know was that you weren't the only one panicking.

Agatha tried to appear calm and collected, as if she didn't care at all about the situation. She used all her willpower not to look at you while she did her chaperone duties, using her voice of authority. She had a reputation to uphold, after all.

But inside, she could feel her circuits melting and the little voices in her head screaming in panic.

"Shit, shit, shit! This wasn’t in the plan! Abort mission, abort, abort, abort! Mayday, mayday, mayday"

She needed to calm down. She needed to regain her self-control.

So she gave you the room keys, saying that she needed to do her rounds to make sure everyone was in their rooms, needing to put as much distance between you as possible.

____________

You sighed in relief as the hot water from the shower hit your back. You hadn't realized how tense you were.

You cursed Susana and the others in a low voice. How could they sacrifice you like this? Damn traitors. You knew there was no way they could know about your crush (although you honestly thought you were pretty obvious), so they weren't doing it because they hated you. But still, damn it.

"Two weeks" you whispered "Only two weeks. You can do it Y/N"

You desperately wished you could believe your own words.

_______________

It took Agatha almost three hours to get to the room. She had been helping the girls get settled in, making sure everything was in order.

Some of them had had problems with their suitcases, so she had to solve that mess. She was totally not delaying going to her own room.

And she was definitely not thinking about the beautiful girl who was waiting for her there.

Ok, that sounded bad even in her head.

You weren't waiting for her. It wasn't like you were in her bed, in your underwear, specifically waiting for her to give yourself completely to her and-

"Enough" she mentally scolded herself. She shouldn't be having those thoughts about you.

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, turning her attention to the hallway as the girls obediently entered into their rooms. She almost wished they weren't well-behaved little angels. Sure, she knew they were actually terrified of her, but it didn't matter.

The point was, she finished pretty fast (well, fast in her opinion) and she soon found herself reluctantly walking up to her room.

"Well ... let's get this over with" she thought as she used the other key "hopefully everything will be fine"

____________

It wasn’t fine. IT WASN’T FINE!

Agatha had almost turned and fled the room when she saw you lying on the bed.

You weren't exactly in your underwear, surrounded by rose petals, with candles as the only lighting and waiting for her in a seductive pose. No.

But you were lying on your stomach, wearing a set of shorts and a tank top as pajamas, in the middle of the bed, with the lamp on and reading peacefully. And for some reason, that was even sexier than her fantasy.

You looked so relaxed, so peaceful. Your legs kicked calmly as your hands turned the pages of the book, and your blouse left little to the imagination, showing the upper part of your breasts.

For a moment she imagined herself approaching you, gently removing the book from your hands, before kissing you deeply as she climbed on top of you.

She imagined running a hand up your stomach, lifting your tank top little by little. She wondered how your skin would feel under her touch. Would you blush if she caressed the base of your breasts? Or if she kissed your neck? What noise would you make if she lowered her hand to the spring of your shorts and-

Agatha cleared her throat to cover her moan. The noise made you jump up and look at her.

You were so focused on your reading that you hadn't noticed the other's presence. You hadn't even heard the door open. You looked at your teacher and couldn't help noticing the blush that adorned her cheeks. She seemed agitated.

"Are you okay Ms Harkness?" you asked softly, starting to get up. Getting close to her was the last thing you wanted to do, but you couldn't help but worry about her. Fortunately, you didn't have to.

"Perfectly fine, Miss Y/L/N" she smiled at you, although it seemed forced "However, I think the fatigue of the trip is catching up with me" she said, hurriedly walking to the other side of the room, where her suitcase was still unpacked. At least there were two beds, she wouldn’t have to be tortured by sleeping next to you.

You didn't say anything, a little confused by her attitude. You simply nodded and refocused on your reading.

Agatha was grateful for that. However, as she took her things out of the suitcase, she kept stealing glances at you, getting a little mad at you with every second that passed.

Who had given you permission to get into her head like this? You had no right to greet her in pajamas, to leave your legs and collarbones exposed for her to see. You had no right to drive her crazy, and then act worried about her, like it wasn't your fault she was a mess in the first place.

The fact that you didn't know the power you had over her wasn't a good enough excuse in her opinion.

Wait... she wasn't supposed to know about your crush on her either.

"Too bad for you, love" she thought, with a devilish smile.

She knew that she shouldn't do this, but she refused to be the only one to suffer in these two weeks!

Without saying anything, she took her towel and walked to the bathroom, "accidentally" forgetting her clothes on the bed. Upps, guess she would have to come out wrapped in the towel ... we'll see

______________

When the bathroom door closed, you let out a sigh that you didn't even know you were holding. You guessed it could be worse.

"If this keeps up, maybe we can survive the entire trip, Y/N" you muttered

When the thing with the rooms had happened, she didn't say anything about sharing with you, then she'd been gone for almost three hours and now she'd just walked into the bathroom, barely speaking to you. If she continued like this, indifferent, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Smiling and feeling relieved, you read again, quickly losing yourself in the pages. You were reading about the Salem trials, wanting to be the best prepared for tomorrow's tour. After all, you were here for a research that would be evaluated in a lengthy essay. You wanted to be ready for it.

However, just a few minutes later (at least that felt like a few minutes to you, although it could have been hours, you could never be sure when you read), you heard the shower turn off and the bathroom door opened.

By now, you weren't that nervous anymore so you allowed yourself to look up and- OH. MY. GOD.

Agatha Harkness was standing in front of you, hair still dripping, barefoot and with only a towel wrapped around her body. You swallowed audibly and hid your face in your book, praying that she didn't notice the effect she was having on you.

Agatha smiled to herself as she sat on the edge of her own bed, at the end closest to you. She crossed her legs in a decidedly slow motion and reached out for her clothes, exposing her collarbone and neck to you.

You looked away when she started dressing. It was one thing to have a crush on her, but it was quite another to be rude and watch her change, no matter how much you wanted.

The older woman frowned a little, but she told herself that there would be time to tempt you more. When she finished changing, she glanced at you out of the corner of her eye, noticing for the first time the way one of your hands gripped the sheet while your legs were pressed firmly.

"A good start" she thought "Let's see how much more you can take, love ..."

She had agreed to make the trip so that you would be happy, and she was adamant about it. She would let you enjoy the guided tours of the town and you could enjoy your day as you wanted.

But the nights, she had just decided, belonged to her. And she wouldn't be the only one burning with desire and lust. She was completely determined to make this trip a lustful hell for you.

- - - - - - - - - 

tags: @midnight-lestrange @everythingmarvelsherlockspn (tag not working) @amethyst-bitch @juliejules-089 @powerfulmagicalgirl (tag not working) @novohyde @annie-mit-ie @shinkomiii @agentbrownierso @swanqueensupercorp @usernames-are-difficult @philippaharkness @rainbow-hedgehog @parkerprolly @amelia02

[dreamkidddream]

Can I request a teen mc who is like YUJI from jujutsu kaisen as in they are the vessel of SUKUNA PLSS? Like maybe they can manifest SUKUNA in his curse form as another being as well like megumis dogs? (If you don’t know JJK can you just do a chaotic teen mc? ❤️)

WHEW THIS ALMOST DID NOT GET POSTED SINCE TUMBLR DELETED PARTS OF IT.

So let me tell you: I started reading the manga but have yet to watch the anime 😭 it’s really good though and I’m probably gonna start it this week, but I’m not sure if I’m 100% confident in writing Sukuna. BUT this request was too good to pass up, so if you don’t like it I will write the other scenario instead just let me know!

So for these headcanons, I made it to where MC is Sukuna’s vessel like Yuji, and that they can manifest him if needed. But, I still kept it to where he’s not exactly a good guy with MC’s best interest at heart. Reader is gender neutral and younger than the Bros, so the dynamic is more family instead of romance just a heads up! Hope you enjoy!

TW: Minor cursing, spoilers for Lesson 16 in Mammon’s, Beel’s, and Belphie’s part

The Brothers with Teen MC who’s Sukuna’s Vessel

Lucifer

Was very irritated with this revelation, but still curious

Still annoyed either way though

He already had to make sure that you stayed alive during your stay and not disappoint Diavolo, but now he had to make sure that you kept this curse at bay too!

#GiveLuciferABreak2021

He’s very skeptical of you: not only because of you being a young human but also being a human with essentially a demon inside of you

A very troublesome demon if not kept under control at all times

Honestly Sukuna was like an buzzing gnat who wouldn’t just go away, so Lucifer didn’t see him as a threat personally. More of a nuisance that could grow into a threat if remained unchecked

After you explained the whole situation, he still assigned Mammon to you, but he made sure to personally keep an eye on you too

Your presence was seen as a threat at first, but as time passed, he, along with his brothers knew you meant no harm, but the same couldn’t be said for this Sukuna

He wanted to have faith in you, but he couldn’t bring himself to fully believe it. After an incident at RAD with another demon attempting to attack you, your powers (or rather Sukuna’s) came out to play

He saw the markings, the extra eyes, the malice spread on your face, and he then realized just how serious this has become. You were able to gain control back, but the damage was already done. You were so distraught, sobbing before you, trying to apologize and swearing that you didn’t mean for this to happen, all the while Sukuna was laughing, morphing a mouth on your cheek

It was so bizarre to see, and he couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for you. You were such a kind person, always going out of the way to spend time and help wherever you could. You essentially became a part of the family, but he knew that you didn’t feel accepted because of him

After that, your “punishment” was to practice holding control over Sukuna with Lucifer, every day after school (which can just be seen as him checking in on you on a daily basis, and trying out different techniques to make sure repeats of this incident doesn’t happen again). Meaning that you trained on manifesting him at will, instead of him completely taking over

Not gonna lie he’s acting like a proud dad when he sees you making progress and Sukuna just sitting in your head tired of all this positivity lol

Lucifer cares for you, he’s accepted you fully even if you hadn’t for yourself. He wants to protect all of his family (including you), and he doesn’t want to think about what could happen if Sukuna becomes a danger to the Devildom or Diavolo...

Mammon

Is impressed but also low key nervous

Humans are not suppose to be like this, ya know!

He’s not the smartest demon in Hell, but he definitely knows that you can’t summon demons without a pact, and he knows your baby face doesn’t have one with the King of Curses

You had to break down the whole deal, and it made him even more confused and distressed

Was still acting annoyed being your designated babysitter, I mean seriously, just how annoying can you be?!

Just kidding! You guys are totally partners in crime in no time and you both make Lucifer get 2x the wrinkles now

“MC, let the Great Mammon show you how’s it done!”

“Mammon, you’re going to be the reason why we’ll be strung up again for the third time this week.”

“It’s going to be both of your idiots’ faults. Such a pathetic display.”

SHIT HE FORGOT YOU GOT A WHOLE CURSE INSIDE YOU

He HATES whenever Sukuna makes an appearance, whether you call on him or he makes his own special appearance. He’s like a gritty and more sadistic version of Lucifer, minus the style and uptight personality (and honestly the finesse too), which made him 10x the more aggravating

He honestly hates Sukuna in general. Here you are, his MC, one of the only people to stand up and defend him always, struggling to live a normal life because of him. It was bad enough that you got sent down here with no warning, but now you got sent with him, and from what Mammon could hear with the conversations between you two, he wasn’t exactly your BFF

Denies being excited about seeing you perform your cursed techniques, but only because it brings him out (and he guesses it’s a little cool that you know how to do it). But human, you don’t need that lame curse, you got the great demon himself to protect you!

On a darker note, you made Mammon swear to you that if Sukuna took over and you for some reason couldn’t gain back control, that he would protect himself and his brothers first before worrying about you. He hated this even coming up, you should be worrying about what’s the next scheme you guys could pull off, not some weird sharpie colored entity causing problems. But you were dead serious, and you made him promise that if the worst case scenario ever happened, he would make sure it’s taken care of

Mammon realized you were the missing piece to their family. It felt nice to have someone depend on him, to actually treat him with respect and care for him truly. He refused to accept Sukuna as a part of you (really he just acted like he didn’t exist, which he didn’t in his mind), and he refused to let him or anyone else harm you

You’re family now, and he wasn’t going to lose anyone else ever again

Leviathan

Oh look, another normie

Wow, you’re such a normie that you’re even talking to yourself through a manifested mouth on your palm-wait WHAT

You broke it down to him, and you just...stared at you, with a blank expression on his face. Until-

“OMG THIS IS JUST LIKE THE ANIME-“

How ironic lol

He practically had a fanboy overload moment whenever you showed off your cursed techniques to him after he begged asked you countless times

You guys remember that vine with the kid saying, “I have the power of God and anime on my side”? Recreate that while doing your moves and he’ll be in awe and dying laughing at the same time

Will post it to his Devilgram and DevilTube

His envy will start to show at first. How is it that someone boring like you get to have all these cool powers and have an actual king reside in you?? You’re living the Shonen dream and not even grateful for it!

But this reality for him would soon shatter after he saw Sukuna for himself, and the way that he behaved towards you. The way that the curse would just look at with disdain in his eyes just made Levi’s skin crawl. He was made well aware that you were in fact not living the anime dream he thought you were. The look in your eyes reminded him of how he would feel whenever he felt like a scummy otaku, and from that point forward he would find ways to cheer you up

You can plan on having anime marathons, game nights, even talking with Henry (I hc that he can talk and understand aquatic animals) when you get into these moods. Anything that helps him get out of his funks he’s hoping it helps you too. You don’t deserve this type of treatment from anyone, especially someone that even he can no doubt eliminate

You were honestly one of the coolest people that he knows, and one of the strongest too! Not just physically, but mentally too. He can’t imagine what could be going on in your head since Sukuna became a part of you, but he knows that you’re strong enough to overcome anything that he throws at you. And if you had moments where you faltered or doubted yourself, that’s okay! Levi would be right beside you the whole way, doing anything he can to keep pushing you forward

Be the teen anime hero that he’s know you can be MC! You wouldn’t be his Henry if he didn’t have any faith in you, you know?

Bonus: you don’t have to worry about your anime nights being ruined after one night when Sukuna somehow found a spoiler to an anime that Levi was really anticipating became a very visual warning for the curse. Levi convinced you to let him take over, and whatever was said resonated with him because you never heard a peep after that, both out loud and in your head

Satan

Oh he was BEYOND fascinated

We all know how much Satan loves to read and how smart he is, so while you look at your condition as a curse (no pun intended), he saw it as an opportunity

Could you feel this curse coursing through your body? Did you feel stronger? Could he see through your eyes all the time or only when you let him? He had so many questions it wasn’t even funny

Very understanding of your situation surprisingly (but still called you dumb for eating Sukuna’s finger)

Satan would be one of the only people you could really trust when dealing with Sukuna. Yes, you trusted all of the brothers, but if you were really in a bind you could count on Satan to come up with a solution quickly

The only issue was his anger. Everyone knows just how angry he can get, and to avoid him ASAP if you even think he’s getting frustrated. Sukuna knows this too, and will be more than happy to taunt him to truly bring out his wrath. While he does need you alive (for now), it wouldn’t hurt to have some type of fun around here. Plus, this could cause your bonds with these brothers to weaken, and the weaker the bond, the weaker the will to help you keep him at bay and defeat him

But Satan knew better, and you did your best in keeping Sukuna away. He may be the Avatar of Wrath but that didn’t mean he was stupid. However, he did have one slip up unfortunately

You see, he was just having a bad day and already got into a spat with Lucifer, and you sensed that he certainly needed his space. So while you slowly backtracked to your room and from his path, Sukuna decided to be the evil ass that he is, and proceed to provoke him. What finally made him snap was his comment that, “You would be a formidable opponent if you weren’t in your older brothers’ shadow, but oh well. Can’t help who you come from I see.”

It took Beel, Mammon, and Lucifer to properly restrain him from ripping Sukuna (really you) limb from limb, with him laughing manically and you scrambling back in fear. Which called for a very long, detailed family meeting (of course after Satan fully calmed down) that resulted in mediated meetings between you and him for the next month. You felt guilty, you should have done better containing him, but you couldn’t predict whenever he decided to pop up!

But after a long talk, Satan didn’t blame you. He blamed himself for losing to his anger and especially blamed Sukuna. He decided that it was time to get rid of this pest once and for all. Be ready MC, cause once he puts his mind to something, there’s no stopping him

Prepare for your bonding time to be deep into books and practicing new hexes and curses. But don’t worry, it’s not always boring and Satan makes sure that you’re having some type of fun. He’s really doing this to have some sort of protection for you: whether it’s against Sukuna or himself. He wants you to know something besides your cursed techniques just in case they fail for some reason

Will shockingly want you to manifest the curse, one main reason is to obviously collect information on him, the other reason is to test said hexes and curses on him

Can a curse be cursed? Let’s find out

You helped Satan with him realizing that anger isn’t the only emotion that you can feel, and with you being so young, he wanted you to experience life as much as you can. And while you had an extra...passenger with you, he will do his best to make sure that it doesn’t get in the way of you enjoying life. It was nice to see a joyous smile on your face

Also you guys did find a hex that made Sukuna meow for the whole day and it was the best thing to ever happen with him lmao

Asmodeus

Honestly wasn’t really bothered with it at first. If anything, he treated it like hot gossip when you told him in the beginning

One thing he will say though: humans can be so revolting at times. I mean you ate a rotten finger, a cursed, aged, sharp, disgusting- you get the point. He did cringe at that, but everything else was pretty normal besides that

Still talked about your daily gossip, painted nails, the works. But recently, Sukuna’s name has been coming up more and more in your recent convos. Asmo, being quite the messy curious demon, wanted to know more about this curse

He really treated Sukuna like he was just your show and tell act and would want you to bring it out to see how he really was. He was amused with your cursed techniques, but he wanted to see more!

He heard you both talking with one another, and he wanted to see him in person! He hasn’t done anything and you’re among the seven strongest in Hell, so what could go wrong?

So much. So much could go wrong

And so much went wrong

After you manifested him, it went downhill from there. The large amount of control you did show caught his attention, but then it moved to the King of Curses himself. He was very delighted to see him up close for more than a couple of seconds, and took his time admiring his physique up close. It was fun for him, but not for you. Sukuna could feel your will slipping since your focus was being divided dealing with Asmo, so he took this as his time to shine

You had an exhausting day, and you were tired, which he used to his advantage. Asmo started to complain when Sukuna suddenly disappeared, but didn’t have a chance to voice it as your arm suddenly gripped the front of his shirt. He felt himself jolt, feeling his heart pumping. He looked into your eyes and realized that this wasn’t you, this was now Sukuna. The black markings that lined your face along with the new eye color (and the extra pair of eyes) came with a grin that stretched across your face

“What’s the matter? You were so eager to be in my presence, is it not to your liking now that the tables have turned? You claim to be one of the strongest, yet I would be able to kill you just being in this form-Ah, the brat is trying to come back, what a shame. Do me a favor, little Asmodeus, don’t insult me like this again. I am a King, and you will remember that. I might have to pay you another visit and take your heart with me next time to make sure you’re aware of that.”

He didn’t give Asmo time to answer, as his grip loosened and you were back. He saw you stumbling, shook out of his own thoughts and reached to catch you. He knew that this curse was an issue, but he didn’t understand just how serious this was, how serious it had gotten so quickly. The thought of Sukuna didn’t scare him, but the promise of him coming back just for him caused some worry. He wasn’t the weakest, but he didn’t want to hurt you! As much as he couldn’t stand his new found scorn of Sukuna, it wasn’t enough for him to take the chance of injuring you

You didn’t strike fear in him, rather the opposite. To see someone he has grown to care about be the one to try and bring his demise was...saddening. He could just feel his heart breaking at the notion. And if this experience taught him one thing is to be more understanding of what you’re going through

You remembered bits and pieces of the incident, and whenever you asked Asmo about it, he would divulge a tad in what happened, but wouldn’t go into too much detail. He didn’t want you blaming yourself, and he didn’t want you to distance yourself from him either. You already proven yourself of formindable you are ever since you gotten down here, and Asmo wasn’t going to let some jealous wannabe demon get in the way of that!

So no more talk of the thing, and whenever it did want to make an unsuspecting visit, Asmo would be ready. The thing was immune to most curses, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t be charmed to some extent, right?

Has covered the eye slits up with makeup and other beauty products every morning, becomes both of your favorite bonding activity. Anything to erase any evidence of it existing and to hear your giggles brightens his day everytime!

Beelzebub

Is very sympathetic of your ordeal

Has mad respect for you eating that finger though, even he doesn’t think that he would eat that

Maybe with some sauces and some Hellroast he might

Is another brother that tries to keep an eye on you. If this Sukuna really is as dangerous as you make him out to be, then he would make sure to be prepared if things went south

Beel’s motto: stay ready you ain’t gotta get ready

Will want you to practice your moves with him. Beel’s pretty powerful, and on muscles alone is one of the strongest brothers. He wants to make sure that you can recognize your full potential, and to always do your best. Expect to be in the gym or the HoL’s backyard working out and training majority of the week

Is thoroughly impressed with your cursed techniques

Beel doesn’t understand that while yes, you have a whole curse residing in you, doesn’t make you less of a human. He forgets that you still have some limitations, and you have to remind him at least twice a week. You gotten more powerful yes, but you still weren’t at Beel’s level

“You can do it MC! Don’t give up!”

“Beel this is over 500 pounds...are you forgetting that I’m still HUMAN-”

But you can never stay mad at him, he’s just too sweet and he means well. He genuinely wants you safe and prepared if anything happens with Sukuna, and if getting you buffed up makes him feel somewhat at ease, then you’ll deal with it

Shares his food with you sometimes. He makes sure that you eat properly too, so no skipping out on meals!

Great listener! Whether you’re complaining about class, talking about a new restaurant you’re interested in (he’s definitely tuned in), or venting about Sukuna, he’s all ears. Even gives you advice if you ask for it or if you really need it

Has encountered Sukuna while he took over your body once, and let me tell you, he was not happy at all

Beel is one of the brothers that are in touch with his emotions; he doesn’t really fly off the handle into a rage unless someone has done something to his family or if he’s being denied food. But now that you’re family and vulnerable not only to other demons but to this curse inhabiting your body, he wasn’t taking any chances

He made sure to be very clear when talking with Sukuna. He wouldn’t stand for anything happening to you, and he made sure that the curse would wish he stayed scattered if that boundary was crossed

Beel is a very protective big brother that’s constantly looking out for you all the time. Even if you feel like that you need to bare this burden on your own, he makes sure that you never feel alone.

He already lost Lilith, and he doesn’t want to lose you too. He won’t mess up this time

Belphegor

See, he knew that there was something wrong with humans, and you were living proof of that

How can you trust humans not knowing if they have another creature living within them?!

Whatever, he’s too sleepy to even care about it

And you weren’t one of the worst so...he guesses that you’re tolerable, but don’t push it!

In the beginning, he thought it was easy to manipulate you, but he could just sense that something wasn’t right with you (and no, it wasn’t because you were just human). He would hear you talking aloud to yourself, except that you were...responding to yourself too?

He thought you finally cracked up lmao

He brought it up as a joke once, but the way you reacted was tense and...ashamed? Oh, he just hit a gold mine. This could make things much more interesting. You shared a little bit of your story with this so called “King of Curses”, but he was smart enough to make a plan off of the information. Maybe he could take advantage of Sukuna like he is of you. Kill two birds with one stone

Well his plan backfired swiftly. After he was freed from the attic and went straight in for the kill, things went array. His hands were wrapped around your neck, he could-should see the life leaving your eyes, but instead he was met with Sukuna’s gaze. Belphie thought he planned this right, he made sure that he didn’t give you enough time to manifest him or to use your curse techniques, so how was this-

“You think I don’t recognize the look of bloodlust, you spoiled child? You were foolish enough to believe that you could get rid of me this easily like the brat?!”, and he was sent flying across the room. How was this happening, this wasn’t suppose to happen!-

“As much as I would like to see them die, they’re useful to me for the time being. Once they are of no use anymore, the only one who will be relishing in their demise is me. They’ll be dying by my hand, not by some weakened child.”

Those words still resonated with him still to this day. Honestly, the whole incident did. No matter how many times he tried to convince himself that you forgiven him and want to build a real bond together, his mind refused to erase that horrid memory, and he deserved it. When Belphie remembers back to that day, he remembers the horrified and heart breaking looks on his brothers’ faces, the way that your eyes show how betrayed and petrified, and how you were gasping out begging him to stop, before he comes out and puts everyone in danger

He felt disgusting, guilty, mortified, regretful, a disappointment. Those feelings only escalated after having them explain the truth to him, both about yourself and being a descendent of his dead sister. He could see how much you touched his family, and you extended that kindness to him too, and he just exploited it

He stayed far away from you for a very long time. He didn’t try to approach you at all, only staying in the planetarium or even the attic, to avoid crossing paths with you. He didn’t deserve to make a connection with you like his older brothers, as much as he wanted to. He was remorseful, it wasn’t because of the whole Lilith revelation, but because you really didn’t deserve that happening to you

You made the first move to make amends, to have a fresh start, and he couldn’t have been more grateful, albeit nervous. He was so terrified of messing things up again, but you were there to help keep him grounded. “I won��t lie to say that what you did was okay, but I’m willing to move on from it. You aren’t completely forgiven, but we can work towards fixing things, together.”

Belphie was shaken by Sukuna’s words, but he wasn’t necessarily scared of him. In fact, he would personally find a way to cast him out of your body and destroy him permanently as the perfect apology and thank you gift; the thank you for reuniting him with his family, and for helping them develop healthy relationships with one another. They weren’t as separate as before, and it made him feel so warm every time he thought about it

Not that he would ever say that to anyone

You both spent time together either napping or plotting for future LYS (Lucifer You Suck) pranks. And since Belphie is pretty good with magic himself, he would be teaching you some new spells or curses that you could use to protect yourself, even against the curse inside you

Belphie will make sure to not make another huge mistake when it comes to you ever again. He’ll have his little slip ups, but you were never put into harms way because of them. He doesn’t want to sabatoge this bond, and he wants you to truly be happy spending time with him. He’s not the greatest role model (obviously) and may be tight lipped about how he feels most of the time, but he really does have your best interests at heart

[andtheyreonfire]

to make the meaning come through

oh yeah writing exists

Word count: 2,668

Ao3 Link

Warnings: None? Mild bewitchment? This is pure fluff and gayness and not much else.

Curled up against a couch pillow, Logan was struck with the feeling that something was wrong.

It was the feeling of walking into your room and finding your belongings slightly off-kilter. Like someone came in, rummaged around, and left after deciding the mismatched stacks were close enough to the original thing. The back of Logan's neck prickled.

Something was off.

The borrower shook his head. Superstition was an unproductive venture created to ward against bored witches and the occasional fae. He hadn’t felt the need to listen to his instincts for a while, even if this wasn’t the familiar jolt of fear or need to hide coursing through his veins.

Besides, the only dangerous thing around here was Roman.

Roman, who owned the shop of Logan’s previous residence, and who’s first reaction to finding a borrower was to flirt with him. Roman, whom Logan began bantering with against his better judgement, and who he found himself growing fond of. Roman, the strange, infuriating, intoxicating human that Logan currently lived with.

Roman, who, judging by the creak of their cottage door, had just arrived home.

“Hello, my sweetest honeybee! It’s so wonderful to see you again, my love!” A boisterous voice boomed out.

Roman must’ve had a good day at work. Certainly nothing to be worried about. The borrower allowed a small smile to slip onto his face.  

“It’s wonderful to see you as well, my prince,” Logan said.

Or at least, he tried to say, because before he could finish, a wall of flesh scooped him up and away from solid ground.

Logan blinked.

Confusion struck like a dull cord when Roman’s chest filled his vision. When was the last time he’d been manhandled without permission? When was the last time Roman had done so? Despite being one of the loudest humans Logan had ever met, he the first to ever listen to him, and respected his boundaries like a code of honor.

Suddenly, horror filled Logan when a warm, soft surface began rubbing against him, and with a start, he realized the human was nuzzling him.

Logan squirmed, only managing to free an arm before pressure enveloped him and the nuzzling continued. He gave one of Roman’s fingers a pat before asking, voice strained, “What’re you—doing there, ah, Roman?”

The human brought the borrower up to his face, mouth fluttering down into a pout. Logan froze.

Something was wrong.

Maybe it was the way Roman was cupping him, holding Logan like he was the most valuable treasure one could ever lay eyes on. Maybe it was the way Logan found himself blinded by Roman’s smile, or the way eyes were filled with so, so much love.

Or maybe it was how Roman purred, voice honey-slick and twice as sweet, “Can’t I show my undying love for my spectacular, talented, breathtaking sugar pea?”

Oh, God.

Logan gave Roman’s finger a hesitant squeeze. The human brightened further, and gave the borrower a gentle squeeze in return. Logan finally stuttered out, “Roman, are you—are you alright? Is something wrong? Why are you doing all...this?”

Roman paused, dopey look still on his face, before he cooed, “The only thing that’s wrong is how gosh-darn adorable my boyfriend is.”

Logan didn’t have time to protest before a massive finger booped him on the nose. He pushed it away only for another one, Roman’s thumb, to start petting his hair.

Logan swallowed. Were Roman’s hands always this warm or was it just him?

“Did something happen at work today, uh, darling?” Logan asked, trying and failing to ignore the gentle caressing. He wasn’t sure if his boyfriend would even stop if he asked. “Did something change? Are you okay?”

Logan looked up to see Roman doing his best impression of a puddle. “The only thing that changed was when I met you, my galaxy.”

“N—no, I mean like—” Logan resisted the urge to groan. “You’re not usually this...affectionate.”

“What do you mean, love? Why wouldn’t I be this loving towards my smart, stunning sweetheart? You light up my world, sunshine, you’re—you’re—”

Roman sniffed. What was most likely his partner’s other thumb brushed up against Logan’s side. “I—I just—”  

Logan realized with a shock of horror that Roman was crying. Over how much he loved the borrower. Logan’s eyes widened.

This was worse than he thought.

“Y—you’re so handsome and talented, lovebug,” Roman blubbered. Logan tried, foolishly, to shy away. His boyfriend’s fingers curled around him. The borrower gave them a reassuring pat. “You do—you do so much. You're so good. You’re so—so good.”

Roman’s inane—and, well, utterly touching—whimpering faded to white noise as Logan noticed the human’s eyes.  

His glowing, spiraling, wrong eyes.

“Roman!” Logan blurted as realization struck, both of the situation and of the fact that Roman was about to continue nuzzling him. He repressed a shudder. “Roman. Could you—could you do me a favor?”

Roman paused, before he whispered, voice almost as soft as the look in his eyes, “Anything for you, my darling.”

Logan glanced away at the intensity of Roman’s gaze, knowing if he stared too long into the swirling abyss, he’d never look away again.

“Could you get me one of the magic books from the shelf?” he asked. “The one with the rose on it?”

Roman made a noise in the back of his throat. “But—but that would mean setting you down! Seeing you go! Not being with you!”

“It’ll just be for a moment. Please, Roman.”

Roman bit his lip, brow furrowing in way that it did when the human was lost in thought. Suddenly, the human’s eyes brightened, and with a gush of air the borrower found himself with a side view of his boyfriend’s face.

“There!” Logan could feel Roman’s voice, vibrating up his legs and through his entire body. Set on a shoulder, then. Better than not moving at all. “Now we can still be together!”

Logan sighed, gripping onto Roman’s shirt, and they began to move.

After grabbing A Scholar’s Guide to Solutions and Spells, Roman made his way over to the table and sat down. Logan dangled his legs over his partner’s shoulder, about to slide off, only to be met with a hand hovering below him. Not sure how Roman would react if he didn’t take it, Logan scooted himself into the awaiting palm.

The borrower braced himself for the familiar drop of his stomach, but it didn’t come. The hand was still moving, but slowly, painfully so. Not even the lifts Logan had built for himself around the house operated at the snail’s pace Roman’s hand did. Logan sighed, knowing it would be too quiet for the human to hear.

After the mental equivalent of half a century, they landed. Logan crawled off of his partner’s palm, giving an awkward smile to the human above. Roman beamed back.

Suddenly, a warm, fleshy material enveloped Logan from behind. Roman’s gaze was soft, and the borrower realized he was cupping him, cherishing him one would like a precious jewel. Roman leaned down to lay his head in the crook of his arm, inches away from his treasure.

“Roman.” Logan shifted against the warm weight around his back. “I can’t exactly read with you like...this.”

“Oh! I’m sorry, darling! Let me just—” Roman’s hand moved to rub the back of his neck. He looked between the tome and Logan, and frowned. “Do you need any help with the book, Lobear? It’s pretty big!”

“I’ll be fine, please don’t worry.” The book was, in fact, big, almost too big for a borrower such as himself to use. Fortunately, Logan was used to operating in a world not built for him. He took a breath, and began the process of heaving pages almost twice the size of his body up and over his head. Immediately a chorus of ‘You’re so strong, my love!’ and ‘Look at you go!’s chimed out behind him.  

Things could be worse. At least Roman wasn’t snuggling him. Yet.

As Logan arrived at the section on persuasion magic, he decided to break Roman’s stream of gushing.  “What did you do at work today, Roman?”

The human paused. His eyelids drooped. A grin slid onto his face.  “Think about you, my light, my love, my—”

“Aside from that.” Logan interrupted, before dropping the page he’d been tugging. “Did you meet anyone strange? Ingest anything odd?”

“Well...” Roman trailed off. “We did receive a shipment of rather funny potions this morning. They were all red and swirly, and they smelled like roses. Probably made from them, too.”

Logan perked up. “Did you happen to get any on you?”

“One of the bottles was leaking so I threw it out. Probably wasn’t the best idea but—”

“How did you feel afterwards? Strange? Elated?”

“I...It was like I was hit with a tidal wave. I remember it now. I could hardly think of anything but you.” Logan heard a rustle of movement behind him. When he turned to look, Roman was leaning forward on his elbows, eyebrow raised. “Darling, what is all this about? You’re breathtaking. You know that.”

Logan beckoned him forward. Roman obeyed, leaning closer until his nose brushed up against Logan’s chest. His eyes darted past the borrower’s shoulder, keying in on the page he stood on.

Roman paused.

After a beat, he laughed, stilted and awkward. “Nothing’s wrong, is there? Is there something wrong with me, Logan?”

Logan patted his nose, before making a shooing gesture towards his partner. The human complied, moving his head off the page. “Nothing serious, I hope. The logical assumption I can make is that the potion you interacted with is responsible for your new...behavior.”

Roman tilted his head. “Behavior?”

Logan glanced back. Even through the confusion, a hint of that dopey, lovestruck look painted his partner’s face. Roman was looking at him as if Logan were worth more than all the gold in the world could buy, as if Roman was completely, utterly his.

Logan willed his knees not to go weak.

He turned back to the book, focusing on dragging another page across its surface. A grin slid on his face as the answer to this strange afternoon presented itself.

“Yes; behavior. And I think,” He beckoned Roman forward. “This may have had a part in that.”

Roman peered over the borrower’s shoulder, though the action was probably unnecessary considering said shoulder was smaller than his own eye. Logan felt the human swallow behind him. “A love potion?”

Logan shook his head. “The concoction acts more to induce an autosuggestion state, amplifying the bearer’s pre-existing inclinations in accordance to the intensity of the sample. Though the enchantment is most conventionally used for romantic or...other such feelings, it can be used to increase any emotion depending on tweaks made to...”

Roman blinked, uncomprehending.

Logan sighed, before muttering, “Yes. It’s a love potion.”

Roman’s eyes widened. He brought his hand up to his mouth. “I suppose I have been feeling a little...buzzed, today. Almost fluttery. I—I thought that was just my love for you.”

“In a sense, it was. It’s most likely a side effect of the hex, and should wear off when the spell does.”

Roman fell silent, processing. When Logan turned to look at him, he was deflated, solemn, like a puppet with its strings cut. When his partner he caught Logan’s eye, he choked. “Do I not love you enough normally?”

Oh.

Logan shook his head, and the first genuine smile of the afternoon slipped onto his face.

“On the contrary, my prince,” he began. “While I understand that sometimes we can, ah, figuratively butt heads, I know you love me more than anything else. You care for me, let me stay here don’t mind my rituals. You listen to me, and don’t expect me to treat you more, or demand anything because of your size. More than that, there’s something I feel around you. Even when we’re not together my thoughts are often occupied by you...and I know you feel the same way, too.”

By the end of it, Logan had rested his forehead against the bridge of Roman’s nose, gazing into his eyes the best he could. Roman sniffed, unshed tears threatening to spill. The borrower sighed as a warm weight settled behind him. Hexed or not, this was still his stupid, wonderful Roman. Logan smiled.

And was immediately caught off-guard as Roman pulled him forward and kissed him.

Oh.

A curious thing it was that Logan, a borrower of eloquence and articulation, found few words to describe the sensation of Roman’s lips covering his body.

Warm, he thought as found himself melting against the plush surface. Soft, lingered in his mind as he buried his face into the kiss. Heaven, was all the came at the intoxicating sensations, the scent of cherries Roman ate for lunch wafting over him, the taste of the rose lip product he liked to use overwhelming. Logan shivered as a thumb ran down his back. Liquified as wave of euphoria coursed through his veins. Felt the last coherent thoughts he had shrivel up at Roman’s pure, radiant love.

Finally, the rational part of Logan’s brain sighed—too soon, the instinctive part screamed—the couple parted.

Logan collapsed against Roman’s hand, face scorching.

Roman sniffed. Logan hardly heard what he said next over the pounding of his heart. “That was really, really sweet, Honey-Pie. I do love you, to the—the moon and back.” He paused to wipe his eyes. “Thank you, Logan—Logan?”

If there was anything that would snap Logan out of his gay panic, it was a gentle finger almost the length of his body maneuvering his head up. He stared, wide-eyed, into Roman’s beautiful, beautiful swirling gaze.

Logan, a borrower of eloquence and articulation, squeaked.

“Was that too much, my love?” Roman asked, a concern and a hint of amusement in his voice.

Logan’s tongue was too busy feeling like it was about to fall out of his mouth to form words. He nodded.

Roman’s expression softened. He gave Logan a gentle squeeze. “I’ll give you a moment, starshine.”

With a finale ruffle of his boyfriend’s hair—and a completely un-high pitched, non-existent yelp—Roman departed, leaving Logan on the table, alone.

The borrower took a deep breath, before collapsing to his knees and burying his face in his hands.

He exhaled. Took another breath and tried to ignore the way it tasted like flowers. Released that one with a shudder and a whimper.

In.

And out.

Breathe. Don’t think about all-consuming warmth or the smell of cherries the strangest, softest embrace or Roman—

After a few moments of being the epitome of the verb flustered, Logan hauled himself up and walked back over to the book, skimming the tome for any information he missed while being...distracted. He sighed, relieved, when he found the section on effect length.

The good news was the potion wasn’t permanent, and would, at most, wear off in the next 16 hours.

The bad news was that based on when Roman had encountered the solution, it would likely last for the rest of the day.

Logan glanced up at the sound at heavy footsteps, eyes meeting only a torso and hips. He craned his head back to find Roman looming over the table, massive shadow enveloping the borrower. In one hand, a finger was looped around an ornate teacup. In the other, the human delicately pinched Logan’s favorite mug, willing his hands not to squeeze too hard or too light.

Noticing his presence, Roman took a seat across from Logan. The shadow vanished, and Logan found a cup of sweet-smelling liquid in front of him.

“I made blackberry and pomegranate,” Roman said, voice low as not to damage his boyfriend's hearing. Logan was struck with how brightly Roman’s eyes shone, full of passion and light and love. “Your favorite.”

Oh, who was he kidding, Logan had been enchanted since day one.

[theseerasures]

Re: that anon who asked about the shuffle step of the themes of sacrifice

I also found the ideological shift in the volume very interesting, and I think she most interesting bits are with Team RRAYNBOW. Like I think the dynamic between Yang and Ruby and their respective missions this volume is very interesting (if maybe a bit underdeveloped, atm at least). You said a little about it with Team JOYR in Chapter 7. Do you have anymore thoughts about the "shuffle step" in regards to that?

i’m gonna admit upfront that i find this question kind of perplexing, because i don’t know what “ideological shift” it could be alluding to when imo our heroes didn’t so much pivot (or shift, or shuffle step) ideologically so much as make a series of context-specific decisions according to what they felt in the moment they could live with, or would die for (don’t make me tap the sign, etc).

what i DO think might be helpful, though, is to lay out what was at stake in each of the weighty choices/discussions our heroes took part in, from the very beginning of the Long Night to the end of volume 8, to see what (if any) throughlines persist or change. so:

Cordially Invited (7.8) to Out in the Open (7.10): our heroes are all in accord. transparency (telling the truth to Robyn) and collaboration (working with/helping Mantle) are paramount, and Ruby specifically takes steps to remedy her own wavering in that earlier in the season, by letting Oscar tell the whole truth to Ironwood. what’s key about this run, though, is that our heroes aren’t calling the shots yet. they advocate for certain actions when advising Ironwood, but they still trust him to take charge of deciding Atlas/Mantle’s fate.

Gravity (7.11): the Big Shift in terms of status quo. our heroes (JNR more implicitly) remain in accord--abandoning Mantle is the line in the sand they refuse to cross. but what does RWBY advocate for, if not Ironwood’s plan? they all agree that the best thing to do is to stand their ground, but for what? Blake and Weiss are comparatively silent on that front, but Ruby and Yang are more explicit. Ruby makes her plea about Amity--that if they hold out long enough, they can do what they always planned, and unite the world, and get help. Yang’s argument is that Huntsmen and Huntresses don’t back down from a fight. (she’s also the first person to suss out that Amity isn’t ready for launch.) this difference is going to come up later.

The Enemy of Trust (7.13): Oscar makes his last individual plea to Ironwood. his reasoning, much like Blake’s (and presumably Weiss’), is simply that abandoning Mantle is a sacrifice of such magnitude that it becomes unconscionable. it’s wrong because it’s wrong, and Ironwood’s rebuttal that it’s pointless to argue about philosophy when Salem’s right on their doorstep, is dickish, but not incomprehensible. Oscar is still looking to retain the advisory capacity that Team Unwieldy Acronym has had for the entire season, and guide Ironwood to making the right call, but that bridge has already been burned. they have to decide the fate of Atlas/Mantle now if they want to save both.

Divide (8.1): The team is no longer in accord. Ruby and Yang recognize that though they agree about Ironwood, their reasons for not abandoning Mantle are different. Ruby’s looking at the big picture, both in terms of what they have to do for the world, and what the world can do for them. Amity looks to be the only obstacle to getting both and saving everyone. Yang thinks it’s pointless. Yang didn’t want to abandon Mantle because that’s just not what you do, but she has no expectation of fighting toward any good outcome. she’s gonna do what seems more readily achievable, which is saving whatever lives can be saved. Ren and Nora split along similar lines more acrimoniously, because Ren at this point is desperate for tangible success and Nora is...just as desperate for total consuming optimism. Blake throws her lot in with Ruby, Weiss abstains, remaining the most quiet on the fate of Atlas/Mantle despite being Atlesian. Jaune and Oscar, though they go with Yang, mostly go for pragmatic reasons.

Refuge (8.2) to Midnight (8.6), Yang’s Team: the plan to help with Mantle is almost immediately derailed when the Hound kidnaps Oscar. i’ve talked about JYR’s plea to Winter in War, but that of course is not the first time that team chooses the few over the many; they do that IMMEDIATELY after Oscar is kidnapped, when Fiona calls for their help and they--without even verbally consulting with each other--go for Oscar instead. in that moment the more proximal thing they can and need to achieve becomes rescuing their friend, whose captor was still in view. but crucially: as soon as they lose Oscar in Fault, and especially after they discover the Grimm River in Amity, JYR had been on their way back to Mantle, and presumably, back to the less impossible thing to do, the thing they promised the Happy Huntresses they’d help with. running into the AceOps and Salem’s invasion throws a monkey wrench into that plan. suddenly rescuing Oscar becomes possible (though not probable)...

War (8.7), Yang’s Team: but not if Ironwood blows up the Whale, whereupon the equation changes again because now doing nothing for Oscar means leaving Oscar to certain death. tbh the confrontation on the airship is about like fifteen different things at once, because the variables keep changing and everyone is having their own argument over whether to rescue Oscar, and why. Yang’s response once she hears about the bomb is mostly you can’t; it is once again just not what Huntresses do, with some personal stakes thrown in. for the AceOps it is about the weighing of lives, and how they can’t put the mission to save Atlas on hold for one life. Jaune is the one who thinks of an idea where they might be able to do one without delaying the other (the second time this season Jaune has suggested the “go for both” option), where they would be the only ones risking their lives, and no harm comes to the greater good. only then does Ren jump in and shift the argument to caring and friendship; that is to say, after the stakes have been lowered so it’s not Oscar vs. Atlas anymore. i don’t think it takes away from his big moment, though: we know from Fault that Ren has taken Yang’s challenge of “let’s do what we can do” and run with it, and come up with “and what we can do is nothing because we’re not ready and we get everything wrong,” so him vowing to do whatever we can here is important. the point is clear: Team Hero draws their strength from their friends, and they’re willing to die for each other...but the question of if they’d let the world burn for their friend is put off for now.

Strings (8.3) to War (8.7), Ruby’s Team: in contrast to Yang’s plan faceplanting at the first hurdle, Ruby’s plan...works. they accomplish their primary objective! but they had to pay a steep price, and the only immediate consequence of that victory was entirely negative. Nora threw so much of herself into Ruby’s optimistic gamble that she now has lasting scars, and if they had never gone to Atlas Command Penny would not have been hacked (so easily; she might have been regardless). Ruby successfully put the ball in the world’s court, but that the problem: the ball is in the world’s court, and the longer it stays there the less sure she is that help will come. and it IS just about the help they’ll receive by War; Salem batting away Atlas’ hard light shields has shifted the goalposts from “hope the other Kingdoms can prepare :/” to “BLAKE’S PARENTS CAN YOU PICK US UP???” the question of Atlas or Mantle rears its ugly head for the first time since Gravity, and this is the first time Weiss is the first one to advocate, and she says we can’t leave--which, not coincidentally, is also what RWBY said to Ironwood in Gravity. May’s argument, of course, is driven by far more compassion: the need in Mantle is greater, and having finished facilitating Ruby’s (and Robyn’s) plan she’s going to do what Yang decided to do, what Joanna wanted them to do, which is fight for every last life. there’s no longer any big wheels to turn, nor any big powers to convince; all they have to do is decide what they themselves will do, and who to fight for. and Weiss finally shows her hand here. she believes in not leaving Mantle behind, but when it comes to the faces she’d fight and die for, Weiss’ are still in Atlas. Blake and Ruby are the ones to abstain this time, and notably when Ruby tries to argue that they’re all in this together it’s much less effective, because...there’s nothing left for them to do together. Ruby is out of concrete solutions.

Witch (8.9): what goes easily missed here that in retrospect is very important is...Oscar kills Hazel. (which means that an Ozcarnation killed BOTH of the Rainart twins.) we all thought he doubled back to make a sacrifice play, and he did, but not for himself. he received Hazel’s verbal consent, and Hazel would have died regardless, but the point still stands. he had to kill Hazel to neutralize Salem, to buy them the time they desperately needed. an unsettling portent for what comes later, innit? it highlights what his own kidnapping, Nora’s injuries, and Penny’s hacking already illustrates, which is that they are now risking every inch of their body and souls in this fray, and it also illuminates the other part of that, which is that by continuing to throw themselves back into this conflict, they now control the fates of other people as well. Hazel trusted Oscar to make the right call, but Oscar had to make the call.

Risk (8.11): where we ultimately land with the splitting of teams is that: Yang’s team went out to achieve the easily graspable, and they ended up forging alliances they never anticipated and dealing a devastating blow to Salem. Ruby’s team went out to achieve what should have been much more difficult, and they did, but with little palpable impact beyond the negative. what comes out and blends exquisitely with their conversation about Summer is that yes, Ruby sent out the call to warn the world, because she believed in humanity and unity, but Ruby sent out the call because she wanted help. she wanted people--say, parental figures--to save her and tell her things would be okay, and she wanted back the innocence to believe them. Ruby didn’t ask to be the face of the war against Salem, and she most certainly does not want to be in charge of it; she has lived with the material consequences of her family being the centerpiece of that war for her entire life. the Hound reveal is the final twist in the knife of Ruby’s childhood, because now the figure on the highest pedestal in Ruby’s mind has been perverted to a malevolent specter, and if that’s the case there are no more adults. THEY have to be the adults now, and look what a terrible job she’s done with that. Yang’s response is that Ruby is not alone--either in her traumatic fall into adulthood, or in her choices not panning out as expected. all they can do is the best they can in the moment, and Yang’s probably going to keep defaulting to what feels more tangible to her, but that doesn’t mean she wants Ruby to stop going for pie-in-the-sky options, either. Summer is still Yang’s hero, which means Ruby is too. what matters most is that they remain responsive to the moment, and don’t get bowled over by despair when something inevitably go off the rails.

so given all these developments, what are we to make of the plan from Creation (8.12) to The Final Word (8.14)? we start with the archetypal Third Option, as championed by Ruby and Jaune: use the Staff to save Penny and Mantle, and Atlas along the way. but the priorities of the plan--civilians first, presumably even before the Relics or the Maiden powers (though the question of one of them or a Relic is really only answered by Winter, who does not speak for Team Hero)--have Yang all over them. we have to do this for Yang isn’t just because Yang’s gone, it’s because they know it’s what Yang would have wanted, and they will respect that. they made a Ruby n Jaune style Big Plan, but when that plan fell to pieces there was no time to think of a fourth, or fifth, or sixth option that would get everyone out, so they had to improvise and double down on what they all agreed was most important. the choice between their friends or the people could no longer be deferred, or augmented, so they chose. civilians, then the Relics and the Maiden powers, then each other. and when any of them wavered--Blake, Ruby, Jaune--someone else checked them, reminded them to trust and respect what they all committed to. they’re still drawing strength from each other, still dying for each other, but they acknowledge that they are not directing just their fates with their decisions anymore. they took a huge desperate gamble to save Atlas/Mantle, and it worked, but what they gambled with was their own lives. and they made themselves make peace with that--that they’d have to do what they can, everything they can, without hoping for salvation for themselves, even from friends or family.

in the end, what comes across just from doing a close reading of these moments is that RWBY’s views on sacrifice, logic vs. sentiment, the greater vs. the few, etc can’t really be plotted on a solid line. that’s why i can’t really think of what happened this volume as a palpable shift--because so many of these choices were context and character dependent. what i DO think happened with our heroes’ ethical beliefs (or “ideology” ig) is that they were tested across a sequence of stressful and traumatic situations, and as a result they had to compromise on a few things they hoped to never have to compromise in order to shore up defenses on what they were certain they could not live without, or would die for (or both! in the case of six of them). if they have to die like every other Huntsman in history so be it, but they refuse to be so cavalier with the lives of others. none of that is meant to be definitive, however: in-universe RWBY is far from over, and Team Hero is going to get to re-litigate and reexamine these questions from lots more angles, out-of-universe...RWBY is far from over, and the point of the show is not to provide an ethical rubric against which the audience can judge themselves and the characters. there are things--like y’know. genocide--that this show will always consider to be beyond the pale, but in terms of grayer complex questions it is content to simply feel out what is and is not allowable in each particular instance, without trying to resolve all options into One Correct Option.

because sometimes you do just have to sit with the discomfort of there not being one right choice or one golden rule, and sometimes you are awash in the consequences of not only your own actions but the actions of others. and then you have to keep going.

[thesmokingguns]

Fighting with the Girlfriends

Vince

-100000000% deserves it, whatever it is, whatever she screams, throws at him or does he did something to deserve it

-Gets mad when she is emotional about him doing something that hurts her feelings

-”Babe, that’s what happens when you date a rockstar”

-Doesn’t bother him seeing a girl cry, actually kind of pisses him off and he acts like it’s manipulating

-Blames other people instead of taking responsibility for his actions

-”If you didn’t fly in a day early you wouldn't have caught me” or “We have someone to do our laundry. You didn’t trust me and were looking to start a fight”

-Feels bad but just deflects everything

-Tries to make up by intimacy like hugs and touches instead of just sex. Offers things like alone time and vacations to reconnect 

-You have very nice jewelry because he is not very good at not cheating but is very good at picking out diamonds.

-Feels worse when other people judge him for his mistakes and know the shit he puts you through

-If you yell at him the Diva will leave whatever building he is in

-Willl sleep in the guesthouse because he is a pouty princess

-If he is on the road he will avoid calls so that he doesn’t have to deal with his real life problems but will send flowers, candy, and expensive gifts because that's his bandaid solution

-He needs a therapist for himself and relationships but he fucked his last therapist so you’re stuck in this shitty cycle with him

Mick

- “I’m not fighting.”

-Literally will do anything to avoid a fight.

-Has been known to vanish until she is calm enough to forget or forgive him for whatever bullshit that he pulled

-Sends red roses with a note that makes her feel better

-Makes promises that he will do better and actually tries to put in an effort

-Do not cry in front of him because it will fry his fucking mind and he will need to drink himself into a stupor

-If you lock yourself in the room he’d just stand outside the door waiting for you to be reasonable but would respect you need time

-No one is going to sleep mad because he wants to fix things so this is not a lingering issue

-When someone is being moody or trying to start a fight he will literally throw them in the pool

-Will leave a semi threatening voice message if he’s on the road with a time he will call back and you will talk about whatever going on

-Could be a couples therapist in another life

Tommy

-Everybody is crying during this fight. It’s literally a lot of tears and apologies

-This is the best makeup sex

-If he’s mad at you he’s a fucking lunatic though. Like flipping tables, throws shit through windows. Lots of red flags but when he realizes he’s a lunatic everything gets tones down and you are on the same emotional wave length

-Holding each other naked in bed to comfort each other

-”Do you want to go get matching tattoos so we feel close?”

-If he messes up he tries to hide it because he doesn’t want to hurt you. Like he generally knows he’s done something bad and he always feels so insecure about losing you

-He wouldn't want to leave your side for WEEKS because he’d be so worried about you being mad as soon as he’s gone

-Kind of codependent so fighting feels weird

-Tommy yells when he is mad, which feels super out of character and makes you cry which then throws him off balance because he doesn’t want to be the bad guy

-”Why are we fighting again?”

-Locking yourself inside and eating ice cream and watching movies for days together as couples therapy

-Tommy beats himself up after fights and can really sink into these bad spots because of it. He loves so deeply and he can’t help but feel deeply too

Nikki

-Honestly, this asshole must love to fight because he pushes all of your buttons knowing he’s making you mad

-So you push all his buttons which makes him mad because he is super jealous and honestly can not take his own game

-You can be fighting in public with your eyes but no one knows what’s going on

-That quiet car ride that is filled with either pure silent rage or anxiety. It can really go either way depending on the mood

-Nikki is a slam his hands on tables, slam the door, throw his keys down type of hissy fit princess

-Gets mad and jealous so easy but doesn’t understand if anyone else gets jealous

-Is kind of an asshole and says shit that he probably will regret because he’s a moody bitch

-”Don’t raise your voice at me, sweetheart, or you’re going to regret it”

-If he makes you cry he feels bad and kind of freezes unsure what to do

-Nikki always apologizes because he knows he is flawed and can admit it

-Will hold you, play with your hair

-When you fight you’re kind of turned on because angry Nikki is super sexy and even though jealousy is shitty it’s kind of hot that he’s crazy about you

-If he can’t be there he will call to check in or leave voice messages.

-He will send hand written letter letting you know he is sorry

-Would also light the couch on fire before sleeping on it so you’re stuck with this moody grump

[ssplague]

Chapter 0ne

“And so it begins”

Katsuki B. X Reader

Rated M

Warnings: Gaslighting, manipulation, power play, light degradation

The day before the two of you left for UA; Your best friend gave her word to your mother that she would always look after you. Now that the two of you are in your third year she’s officially FED UP with your attitude and childish antics. Mentioning her dilemma to your shared group of friends results in the most unlikely person offering to be her solution to the problem that is YOU.

A/N: The girl in the banner is NOT how the reader is “supposed” to look, it was just a drawing I did specifically for this. You look however you want to, I don’t really make any specific references to your appearance in this story.

🌅

Its Saturday morning; Ive been awake for about five minutes now, but I’m not ready to open my eyes and embrace the conscious world just yet. Hearing the door of my room unlock and open does the trick though. Only one person (other than myself of course) has a key to my dorm room.

“I made breakfast for the both of us, its your favorite” announces Euphie as she walks in, kicking the door shut behind her. I sit up, just as she’s pushing my black out curtains to the side I let out a hiss of disdain as sunlight immediately begins to permeate the room.

“Thank you Euphie” I say with a yawn.

She hands me a plate before settling down on my bed, acknowledging my thanks with a nod as we both tuck in.

“We have plans this afternoon, can you be ready by at least 12:30? No need to get super made up but at least out of your pajamas?” Euphies voice is gentle, but I catch the underlying “I’m not asking, but telling you” vibe she tries to hide.

“For sure”

She smiles at my seemingly agreeable mood so early in the morning and we easily segway into our standard start of the day discussions. “Are we um…Are we going to be busy all day? I….I kinda planned on going to hangout with-“ Euphie cuts me off as she picks up our plates: “No worries you’ll have plenty of time for that, I promise!” Giving me a wink before shutting my door.

She didn’t even know who I was referring to, or what I was going to say….

At 12:55 Euphie reappears to rush me out of my room.

“Hey I forgot my purse I-“

“Don’t need it”

“But my wallet is-“

“Not necessary”

Her tone is clipped, and she has a death grip on my wrist as she quite literally drags me down the hallway. Initially I was taken aback, not being used to receiving this type of treatment from her. My bearings have started returning along with growing frustration each time one of my questions are receiving one word answers, or met with a complete dismissal. Reaching my limit I fail to notice that she’d began to slow down, and I’m wrenching my wrist free of her grip at the exact same time she’d come to a stop.

“What in the fuck is your problem?! You told me that we had plans to go out this afternoon, and you’d treat me to whatever I want!

This-“ I’m interrupted again.

“I certainly wouldn’t do anything for a fuckin’ brat throwing a tantrum like this”

My eyes snap to the side where I see the irritated scowl of one Katsuki Bakugou, as he leans against his door frame glowering at me. Embarrassment further fuels my anger as I turn toward him, pointing an acusatory finger as I begin “No one fucking asked you, stay out of it Katsu-“.

Kirishima suddenly emerges from Bakugo’s room, giving Euphie an enthusastic greeting

“Hey there! You look nice, ready to head out?”. The red head is flashing his signature shark toothed grip at my best friend as he offers her his arm. “You know it” she giggles, taking hold of his muscular bicep. The two of them start to walk off, confused and furious I start to head after them, but a large hand grips my shoulder grounding me in place.

“Bakugo told me he wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on you while Kiri and I went out this afternoon, this way you’ll stay out of trouble and get to keep the plans you’d made with him, bye!” The closing elevator doors add a sudden finalization to her brief explanation.

“Plans?” Bakugo questions while uncermoniously yanking me backwards.

I stumble back, falling through the doorway and landing flat on my ass in front of the now closed door (Which he is standing in front of). Glaring up at him as he continues: “She must have me confused with the local brothel, because thats the only place I’d imagine wearing a skirt as short as that would be deemed appropriate”. His insult doesn’t deter his crimson eyes from roaming the length of my body, lingering on the aforementioned skirt. Getting to my feet, he walks around me and move towards his desk, taking a seat behind it.

“Oh fuck you Katsuki, you can be a real dick sometimes, I dunno what stupid Euphie told you about keeping and eye on me, but I dont need a fucking baby sitter! So ill be off now” with a huff you turn towards the door. “________, I’m not in the mood for bullshit today so just sit down and shut up” he growls, not turning to look at you. He always feels embarrassingly giddy when you adress him by his first name, thats why he insisted you call him by it. That in itself should be an indication of how he seems to favor you.

It makes him almost feel a bit guilty for using a harsh tone when he’d spoken to you. Despite how he treats others, Katsuki is hardly ever outright mean to you; He’s never even given you a derogatory nickname like he has for everyone else. Today’s an off day though…He’s just not used to running on little to no sleep. That paired with his already non existent level of patience makes for a blow up. Especially when YOU were the cause of his latest bout of insomnia….turning to look at you has his thoughts beginning to wander.

Those lips of yours flapping away as you berate him…

They sure would look a helluva lot better wrapped around his-

“-Not even fucking listening to me are you?!” You snarl, starting towards the door again. “I cant believe I woke up this morning wanting to hangout with YOU, guess I’ll change my plans and hangout with someone not so shitty to me…. Like Deku!” A loud crash comes from behind you. The now enraged man had stood up so abruptly, it sent his now vacated chair careening into the wall and toppling over.

“You really just cant help yourself can you?”

His voice is so eerily quiet as he turns to face you, something unidentifiable flashes in his rapidly darkening crimson orbs. You couldn’t exactly identify it, considering it disappeared as abruptly as it had originally came.

“Course you cant, I already know that”

A menacing smile appears on his face as he takes his first step toward you, immediately triggering your natural “Fight or flight” response.

“I know what you need”

He’s only an arms length away when you start to step back.

“You dont know shit”

You somehow summon the courage to speak, but are unable to summon any false bravado to keep you from betraying how unnerved he’s got you feeling as he takes another step.

“I know that your best friend cant stand what a spoiled fuckin’ brat you’ve become, I know she’s so fed up with your shit that she’s about to write you off completely”

The defiant expression you’d worn all this time finally starts to falter.

This marks the first time Katsuki has ever seen how you look when your confidence begins to ebb away, only to be replaced with a mixture of uncertainty and fear.

His sadistic side emerges with glee as your now saddened doe eyes meet his.

“You’re constantly disregarding everyone’s opinion of you unless it aligns with your own, but you dont even know what to think of yourself now that your faced with the possibility of being alone now…do you?

You remain silent, taking yet another step back as he continues speaking.

“You need someone who isn’t afraid to correct you, but they’ll have to of earned your respect….So when you inevitably step out of line, you wont put up a fight when you get put over their knee”

Your back hits the wall.

You swallow down the panic that slowly begun to rise from your chest up into your throat as you realize there is nowhere left for you to go.

“You desperately want to be a good girl, just dont know how to be one, huh princess?”

It’s so adorable the way your bottom lip juts out, but at the first quiver it quickly gets sucked between your teeth.

“That’s why you’re acting out right now isn’t it?

I bet you drench your cute little panties every time you get a rise out of me. Always hoping that its going to be the time I yank you the fuck up and put this brat in her goddamn place, hah?”

You shamelessly lean into the large hand thats now cupping your cheek, letting out a sigh as his thumb caresses your soft skin.

“Mhmmm”

It’s horrifying how easily you just admitted your most guarded secret! The triumphant smirk he sports makes it even harder to accept.

His tone is surprisingly gentle when he starts addressing you once again;

“I can do that for you baby….Let me be the one that finally brings the princess down on her knees”.

Your eyes are practically sparkling at the feel of a sudden pressure being applied to your throat. His calloused fingers squeezing the delicate skin of your neck, effectively making it harder and harder for you to breathe. The thrill of this foreign feeling is instantly addicting.

“Tell me if thats what you want: If its not then shake your head and we never speak of this again”

Bakugo has to at least give the illusion that you have a choice in the matter. Even though its more than obvious that you need want this just as much as he does.

“I want it, I want you” your words come out in a breathy whisper as he releases his hold on your throat.

“I wanna hear you say it princess, what do you want me to do with you”

“I want…no I NEED you to….t-to make me into your good girl please…”

He gestures for you to continue, his raised brow implying you must be forgetting something.

“Please make me into your good girl….Daddy”

The pleading expression and twinge of desperation in your voice stirs something deep inside Bakugo. It was something akin to the last vestiges of some ancient seal had disappeared: The monster that it had rendered dormant had finally roused from its slumber, intent on wreaking havoc.

“You do understand that you’re mine now right ________? Every part of your being belongs solely to me”

Gorgeous ruby eyes scrutinize your face carefully, searching for a single trace of fear, uncertainty, or possible apprehension. All they found was admiration and girlish excitement, and this earned you a genuine smile from the almost always scowling young man.

“Yes, every part of me belongs to you now Katsuki”

“Better get used to this then”

Before you could inquire what he was referring to, he was kissing you.

❤️‍🔥

A/N: So concludes chapter one

Oh god I hope this is well received.

Should I get a tag list together? Is it too soon? If anyone would be interested leave a comment. SMUT in the next chapter, we’re moving faster here because let’s be honest; Smut is what all of us want! 💦

[houseboatisland]

I'm rather curious for your own takes on Thom Thom~✨💙

Edit credit to @/ComradeOpThomas from Twitter, this is my ideal Thomas!

(Season 5 Thomas is the best Thomas, I don’t make the rules)

I started this hoping for it not to become a whole biography, but it just kept pouring out of me, so here's a very, very long post indeed lol

Thomas is NOT an L.B.S.C.R. E2 Class. He’s actually a unique design born to the North Western Railway in its earliest days… and in remarkably sad circumstances.

When the Railway Executive Committee first took over in August 1914, they were repulsed at the state of the Sudrian railways. Here were several argumentative companies operating in isolation from one another, with geriatric engines and stock, and one of them hadn't even run a train or maintained its permanent way since the start of the century. A key agenda item of the R.E.C.'s was a continuous, efficient railway system to quickly move men and materiel to the Island's eastern coast were Ireland to side with Kaiser Bill against John Bull. The existing standard gauge railways would have to be more or less torn up and rebuilt from scratch, and several new miles of track laid in to make for a single fluid network.

This required, among other things, many new engines. Several came over the Channel as and when could be spared by the Mainland, but as it became increasingly clear that the war would not be over "by Christmas," this wasn't an ideal long-term solution. The R.E.C. was especially upset that it had to put so many of its tender engines onto construction trains when their strength could be better used on other work. Two tank engines off the former Wellsworth and Suddery Railway, No. 1 "Short" and No. 2 "Stumpy" were by now nearing fifty years old, and exhausted mechanically.

The R.E.C., out to keep costs down and use resources to the fullest, ordered the N.W.R. to scrap these two engines and use the best parts of each to create one new engine. Measurements were taken, plans were hastily drawn up, and Short and Stumpy were quietly cut up in January 1915. Several fittings were made new for what odds and ends neither engine could contribute a usable part. The resulting new engine was "Thomas," who was put to work fresh off the shop floor.

Thomas at this point became the N.W.R.’s No. 1 quite by accident. He was the first engine to be built at Crovan’s Gate, and the REC misinterpreted this on his builder’s plates as an intention by the N.W.R. TO make him No. 1. So when Thomas gained his number, the R.E.C. and the N.W.R. both assumed this was deliberate by one another. And it was just too much of a hassle and too unimportant to change, so No. 1 he stayed.

As for his name, Thomas is named after Thomas Reginald Payne, the North Western Railway's first Chief Mechanical Engineer. Payne had made Thomas' construction a reality, from drawing up his blueprints to supervising his piecing together. Payne, who was CME from 1914 to his death in 1951, never forgot this connection to "his" engine, and often wanted to be on the shop floor whenever Thomas was in for repairs.

Thomas’ “infancy” was in a word, harsh. He was working around the clock, surrounded by engines who came and went, and did little if any socializing. Foremen were ordering him about at every turn. His first friend ever was the new N.W.R. No. 2, Edward, the former Wellsworth and Suddery Railway’s No. 5 and only tender engine, who knew his old crewmates were chopped up to make Thomas. Thankfully, Edward knew better than to let Thomas in on this, lest he give him some sort of existential crisis, and he made quick work of making himself a mentor to the little engine.

In these conditions, Thomas’ “cheeky” and anti-authoritarian streak took shape. His whole life thus far had been work and taking lumps from his superiors, most of whom were English and not Sudrian. This morphed into a disrespect for big engines, who wanted him to be their errand boy as construction work began to ebb and focus shifted to running trains. Ever the contrarian, Thomas only doubles down on his disrespect for tender engines when he finds out that that’s “the traditional order of things.” Edward is of course exempt from this attitude, but in his tensest moments Thomas can even lose patience with HIM momentarily.

The war finally ends. January 1919 sees the N.W.R. out to make an identity for itself as peacetime takes hold and Parliament quietly rumbles about Grouping or outright Nationalization. Thomas is the first engine to wear "Hatt Blue with Red Stripes," the company's planned standard livery. This isn't unique to him for long, however, and Thomas' new line of work from hereon is Station Pilot for Vicarstown. Needless to say this is upsetting to him. He's not moving up and down the Island like he was when building the railway. He's still rushed off his wheels. He's expected to be answerable to tender engines as he makes up their trains. Most importantly, he's still having as much difficulty as before to make time to make friends. This new job is in every respect everything Thomas could have wanted to avoid, and there's no telling if he'll ever even get out of it. January 1919 is thus where "Wants to See the World" Thomas begins.

Thomas still gets to see Edward regularly, and he is for a pinch joined by two other tank engines shunting at Vicarstown. They're also ex-Wellsworth and Suddery Railway, Nos. 3 and 4 "Edwin" and "Victor." Thomas befriends Victor, who is a friendly old joker, but dislikes Edwin who has become cranky in his old and as a 2-4-0T has a tendency to slip and not be of much help. They leave him too, in 1922, when The Fat Director relocates them to run other branchlines on the Island. So, 1922 onward, we meet Thomas as the sole pilot, thoroughly busy and thoroughly lonely.

This seems more or less canon, but The Fat Director probably sent Thomas to Wellsworth after his runaway with Edward's trucks in anticipation of giving him the Ffarquhar Branch once he was a matured engine. He didn't give Thomas the line just because he rescued James in fine style, that was really what made his mind up.

Thomas looks kindly enough on Henry as a big engine at this time, he and Edward as mentioned aren't necessarily the kinds of "Big Engines" he dislikes. He'll occasionally give him a tease or two, or lose patience with his health, (something he now deeply regrets years later,) but there's no real malice in it. Think of him as the little brother poking fun at his bigger brother for having one arm in a cast, but altogether still feeling sorry for him and accommodating him how he can. Henry for his part appreciates Thomas, but takes his teasing very seriously considering how sensitive and implicating it is to, you know, his whole existence.

My idea of Thomas' relationship with Gordon is heavily inspired by @/mean-scarlet-deceiver's: Thomas is initially awed by Gordon's arrival and finally confident the N.W.R. can survive, but quickly resents him when he shows his true colors as a "big engine" through and through. I wouldn't even call Gordon and Thomas "friendly" until their alliance at Toryreck Mine. From 1923 all the way up to then, depending on when you place it, they... legitimately dislike each other. There's no affection beneath all the ribbing and jibes, they ACTUALLY disliked each other that whole period of time.

I'm still hashing out my headcanon of 98462 and 87546, (just know that those aren't actually their numbers,) but it's safe to say Thomas hates their guts, and '62 and '46 hate his guts in return as a servant willing to speak up for himself.

Thomas and James were a couple from 1924 to 1933, when they broke up amid the Big Engine Strike. I'd really rather reserve this for a post of its own at a later date.

Thomas and Percy are good friends, but I wouldn't go so far as to call them "best friends" like the TVS has so often hammered in. They clearly come to blows whenever the tension's too much. I like to explain that away as a shift in Thomas' character. With him doing more passenger work as Percy and Toby handle the stone trains, and his increasing fame, Thomas begins looking down on Percy, not long after he transferred to Ffarquhar in 1955 in fact. This might also have to do with unresolved feelings between them both. (Hey, remember that little green engine you kissed once just to try it over twenty years ago? He's your roommate now, probably forever. Play nice!)

[smhalltheurlsaretaken]

I wonder at what age can a Jedi be allowed to leave the Order? Like, obviously a full grown Knight/Master can do it (Lost Twenty), Obi-Wan and Anakin were considering it as Padawans, but what if, hypothetically, and Initiate/Youngling wanted to go back to their bio family? Leaving is not a decision to be made lightly, but kids don't have that maturity/thought process developed yet. Would anyone even take them seriously over, say, a bout of intense homesickness? Or is that considered attachment?

I think it would depend from case to case. We don’t have all that much to go on from, but I’ll try my best to answer.

I’m not taking into account the JA books (because they aren’t canon, haven’t been canon in ages and imo Watson and Wolverton had no business creating so much worldbuilding when Lucas wasn’t done with the PT yet) or any other Legends stuff, because it can be contradictory, confusing, and it often doesn’t reflect creator intent for the movies and TCW. 

So, let’s see: Ahsoka’s choice is respected even though she’s only 16 or 17, with s7 and the unreleased crystal arc really emphasizing that it was her decision as a young adult trying to find her way. In s2, Obi-Wan states that he would have left the Order for Satine had she asked, when he was only about 16 at the end of the Mandalore mission. Maybe he would have had to wait a few years? Maybe the Masters would have first talked with him for some time, to try and understand if it was really what he wanted? But he would have been able to leave. In s6, when he talks with Anakin about Padmé and Clovis, he says again that acting upon one’s feelings is a matter of personal decision, so it’s not like he and Satine couldn’t be together because he was forced to stay. He says he chose to stay. 

So clearly, Jedi teenagers are considered mature enough by the Order to understand what they want in life. 

As for the Younglings, hmm... Several key things here. 

One, the Order doesn’t disapprove of wanting to connect to one’s birth culture. (Evidenced by the very diverse clothing, Barriss’ Mirialan prayer statue, Ahsoka and Shaak Ti’s headdresses, this long post on Jedi views on blood families, Byph and Gungi speaking only their native languages instead of Basic, etc etc...) So I think Jedi kids experiencing serious homesickness would be encouraged to connect with their heritage to try and understand if it’s really what they are looking for. 

Two, it’s implied that even little children have some say in whether or not they become Jedi in the first place. When Plo finds Ahsoka, we see him holding out his hand and waiting for her to take it while the Togruta adults stay back. They don’t just drop her into his arms and wave bye-bye. The Rodian child in the Holocron Arc in s2 is shown to be super precocious - super eagerly floating toys around when Anakin himself didn’t display fine telekinesis when he was untrained - and he is in a transitory period. His mother has met with Jedi before, but says he’s still in her care “for some time.” That might indicate there’s still time for a change of plans. In the newest Mandalorian episode, Ahsoka tells Din that Grogu will be the one to decide his path, even though he’s a toddler. Similarly, Qui-Gon asks both Shmi and Anakin before taking him to the Temple. 

Three, we have no idea if there is such a thing as “being a minor” in the Galaxy, tbh. It would vary between species, obviously, and probably between planets. I mean, Padmé was Queen at 14, and her handmaidens/bodyguards were her age. Leia was involved in politics at 15. Jedi Padawans were considered mature enough to teach academic subjects - like politics - to kids older than they were (see Ahsoka being asked to teach older Mandalorian teenagers at age 14) and mature enough to be Commanders within a very strict chain of command. 

From what we see in AotC and TCW, it’s never in line with Jedi teachings to just dismiss any kid’s thought process as “too immature.” Yoda values the little children’s contributions in AotC, and in Lightsaber Lost (TCW s2) Jocasta and Tera Sinube respect Ahsoka’s decision not to go to Anakin about her lightsaber - and they help her figure it out by herself and grow. And while Aayla forces her to come along and leave Anakin behind in Jedi Crash (TCW s2) she does take the time to explain to her why it’s important, Ahsoka does choose to obey, and they do have a very serious talk about it as they walk. Luminara does dismiss Ahsoka as inexperienced in s1ep9, before fighting Ventress, and then takes it back and apologizes. Obi-Wan frequently asks Anakin and Ahsoka their opinion, and even lets them make the plans. In Yoda’s vision meant to tempt him with his deepest desire, he sees Katooni (who is like 11, maybe?) as his guiding figure. Younglings go alone in the caves of Ilum and Yoda trusts them to understand that his warning about being trapped was just a trick - he doesn’t want them to take everything he says as gospel, he wants them to think, and he praises 12-year-old Petro for just breaking the ice door. Throughout canon, we see that Jedi see children as people, with a mind of their own and the ability to understand what’s going on around them and make informed decisions. 

Based on all of that, I think that younglings wanting to leave would be taken seriously. I think it would be extraordinarily rare (because as I’ll show once I finally manage to finish that analysis of the Ilum arc, Jedi kids appear to love their lifestyle and their community, and to be emotionally healthy), but it might happen - and I think the Masters would really take the time to talk with them, try to understand why, and provide them with solutions - and possibly help them return to their birth families, if that’s what they decided in the end. 

About the attachment thing, I have another meta in the works that’s been sitting in my drafts for months x) And it shows that the Jedi aren’t paranoid about it, merely cautious. Attachment (which is very different from love or healthy connections to other people and/or a culture) is a very really danger for psychic people so vulnerable to their emotions, but Jedi don’t spend their days scrutinizing every single aspects of their relationships and their intentions trying to determine if there’s even the faintest shadow of attachment lurking behind. It’s not some frightening taboo thing. They discuss it freely (again, Aayla and Ahsoka in s2). If a kid was attached to his birth family and wanted to go back, then all the more reason to seriously consider his opinion and let him go. (Just like with Grogu and Din). Because the path of a Jedi isn’t for everyone, and that’s perfectly okay.

Anyway, hope that’s good enough of an answer. I know there are older asks in my inbox I haven’t answered yet, sorry. I promise I’m working on them. 

[robininthelabyrinth]

Tedious Joys - Chapter 7 -

- Ao3 link -

“You could have mentioned that your father likes to kiss his saber,” Lan Qiren hissed at Nie Mingjue, who flailed helplessly as both of them tried to whisper outside of Lao Nie’s hearing – a task only rendered possible from the fact that he was currently scrubbing his hair extremely vigorously to get rid of all the dirt and grime, Lan Qiren’s extended hand firmly on his back. The jade pendant was back to hanging at his waist, since hasty experimentation had revealed that the physical contact with Lan Qiren was the key aspect, although the jade pendant seemed key as well - removing it appeared to make the contact less effective.

“He didn’t, did he? Are you all right?” Nie Mingjue asked, and he looked so serious and earnest about it, like he was going to march up to his father right then and there and challenge him over Lan Qiren’s honor or something if Lan Qiren implied that he should, that Lan Qiren’s irritation faded away at once.

“Only on the hand,” Lan Qiren assured him. “He didn’t take any liberties.”

That last part was more of a joke than anything else – however intimate Lao Nie was with her, Jiwei was still a saber – but Nie Mingjue looked alarmed. “You’ll say something if he does anything you’re uncomfortable with, right?” he asked anxiously, and Lan Qiren stared at him.

“Nie Mingjue,” he said stiffly, attempting to quell a little bit of possibly hysterical and definitely inappropriate laughter. “Is there something you need to tell me about you and Baxia…?”

“Tell you – oh! No, no, nothing like that,” Nie Mingjue said, turning bright red. “That’s not what I meant, Teacher Lan! Really, I swear!”

Lao Nie poked his head out of the water briefly to look at them both suspiciously, but accepted it when Lan Qiren shook his head at him and turned back away.

Nie Mingjue waited until his father was distracted to continue whispering. “I just meant – our sabers may be our partners, but it’s not…it’s not an equal distribution of authority, you know? In the end, they’re the weapons and we’re the masters.”

Lan Qiren frowned, finally understanding the nature of Nie Mingjue’s concern, and it was much more astute than he’d initially thought. “I see. So if Baxia refused to cultivate with you…?”

Nie Mingjue shifted uncomfortably from side to side. “Well, I mean, I wouldn’t, personally,” he said. “She’s my friend. But A-die’s always saying I’m too soft on her, that I need to take her more firmly in hand, so…I don’t know. It’d definitely be a few days before he forces the issue – uh, that is – I mean – not that he’d ever –”

“It won’t come to that,” Lan Qiren assured him. “A few days will give us enough time to come up with a plan, and at any rate I would not allow him to mistreat me.”

Nie Mingjue looked relieved, which was a flattering if perhaps not entirely accurate reflection of how strong he believed Lan Qiren to be.

“A good night’s rest will help more than anything,” Lan Qiren continued. “For him, and for you. I suggest you take advantage of it at once – actual sleep, not meditation.”

Nie Mingjue nodded again. “But he’s going to be all right?” he asked, anxious. “Eventually?”

Lan Qiren glanced at his friend, happily humming some bawdy song and appearing likely about to break out into actual singing at any moment, and felt a pain in his chest at the thought of what might be necessary.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I really don’t know. We’ll do everything we can for him.”

Nie Mingjue accepted that, taking a deep breath and centering himself, then striding away – he would probably go and do some work before he actually retired, rather than actually go straight to sleep, but Lan Qiren did not call him out on it. There was still a chance that Nie Mingjue would end up as sect leader, and then he wouldn’t have a choice in it at all.

After being tormented briefly by some rather off-key singing and extremely dubious lyrical choices, Lan Qiren found himself bundled off to Lao Nie’s quarters and into his bed, with Lao Nie curling up quite happily against his back.

“There are rules about judging other people,” Lan Qiren mumbled, staring at the wall and ignoring the feeling of Lao Nie’s chin on his shoulder. It was pointy, and they didn’t quite fit – Lan Qiren was the just barely taller of the two, although Lao Nie was broader, and his arms were heavy around him – and all in all Lan Qiren was not especially enjoying the experience of sharing a bed any more than he had any of the previous times it had been forced upon him by necessity, luckily small in number. “I am currently breaking it. I will need to think of a suitable punishment for myself later.”

“Judging me, sweetheart?” Lao Nie said into his ear, sounding amused. “What did I do?”

“Sleep in the same bed as an extremely sharp and angry blade, apparently.”

“Only when you’re angry at me,” Lao Nie said, completely shameless. Lan Qiren really didn’t know why he’d been expecting anything different, really. “You know, it’s much easier to hold you in my arms when you’re like this, all soft, even if your hips are a bit knobby. I like it.”

Lan Qiren sighed.

The next morning, Lan Qiren woke at the prescribed time and performed his morning ablutions in the time before Lao Nie woke, settling himself down beside the bed to play calming music and think about what could be behind Lao Nie’s current fixation on believing that he was Jiwei.

He thought it must have something to do with the jade pendant he had cultivated on Lao Nie’s behalf. Indeed, now that he thought about it, that might in fact be the problem – he had cultivated the pendant, not Lao Nie, and he had done it using Jiwei’s spiritual energy. A Nie saber had only one master, but he had apparently won enough of Jiwei’s respect for her to allow him access to some part of her; just as Lao Nie had intertwined himself with his saber, so to had Lan Qiren, albeit unknowingly and at a distance. There was certainly no overly intimate sharing of qi between them, but they had an undeniable connection. That might explain it.

There was also the ongoing mystery of why the pendant burned so fiercely. It had always been reactive to Jiwei’s anger, full of her spiritual energy and spillover rage as it was, but Jiwei was gone – shattered. Whose energy was powering it now? And how could it maintain such a high level of energy, so hot as to damage someone like Lan Qiren, who while not martially inclined was still a powerful cultivator in his own right?

He had more questions than answers.

Unfortunately, he did not have a great deal of time to find answers. If Lao Nie’s condition persisted – he hoped that it wouldn’t, that his friend would wake knowing who Lan Qiren was and not in a horrible rage, but he wasn’t optimistic – they would need to find a solution, and fast. Lao Nie was the unquestioned master of his sect and even he’d only managed to leave it behind for a month and a half before his duties forced him to return; Lan Qiren was a substitute for his brother, a pale and inferior custodian put in place solely to fill the time between the generations, and his sect elders would never let him forget it. There was no way he would be able to stay away so long.

And if he left…

“Jiwei,” Lao Nie murmured in his sleep, which had become restless. His face had gone from a neutral expression to a frown, twisted in anger and pain, and when he opened his eyes, they were once again red. The music was not helping. “My saber – Jiwei…where is my saber?” Lao Nie struggled to sit up. “Where is it? Give her to me!”

Lan Qiren stopped playing and reached out his hand, interlocking his fingers with Lao Nie’s as if they were back once again to all those years ago when he had been a slow, stuttering child and Lao Nie a kind young adult, taking him in hand to show him the basics of night-hunting without worrying about him falling over his own feet.

He watched as the red slowly faded out of Lao Nie’s eyes – not gone entirely, still there, a thin pink film that seemed as though it could be blinked out of existence.

He sighed.

“My friend,” he said. “I am going to need your help with this.”

“Anything,” Lao Nie said, then paused and amended to, “Anything that won’t cause undue harm.”

“It involves research.”

“…one could argue that that would be undue harm to my ability to enjoy my free time.”

Lan Qiren shook his hand lightly. “You are in need of healing. Do you understand what I am saying?”

The humor slowly faded out of Lao Nie’s face.

“You had a qi deviation,” Lan Qiren said bluntly. “The one you’ve been afraid of, the one you always knew was coming – it happened. You went mad, years before your time. But you did not die, and so there is still hope…but I will need your help. I will need you to try to get better. I cannot do this without you.”

Lao Nie looked at him, lips pressed together tightly.

Lan Qiren waited, patient. Whatever the reason for it, Lao Nie regained much of his clarity when they were in contact – and if he could think, he could be an ally in this. He would have to be.

“The strangers weren’t strangers, were they,” Lao Nie said abruptly, and it wasn’t a question. Lan Qiren looked at him. “A-Jue…I was the one who did that to him, wasn’t I? I was the one that hurt him. That’s why you wouldn’t tell me about it yesterday.”

Lan Qiren nodded.

Lao Nie looked away, angry – real anger, this time, and entirely self-directed – but it was only a few moments before he collected himself and looked back, his eyes bright with tears but fiercely determined. “What can I do to help?”

“For now, answer my questions, no matter how unusual,” Lan Qiren instructed, and Lao Nie nodded. “First question: who am I?”

“…Jiwei.”

They were still there, then, although Lao Nie sounded much less sure about it than he had the night before. Lan Qiren fumbled for the pendant at his waist. “Can you sense the spiritual energy in this? Whose is it?”

Lao Nie reached for the pendant and focused. “Also Jiwei.” This time, he sounded more confident.

“The energy in the pendant exceeds what I previously put in there,” Lan Qiren said. “Do you know why?”

Lao Nie frowned down at the pendant. “I’m not sure,” he said. “Have you cultivated with it recently?”

Lan Qiren arched his eyebrows, think that that would be rather difficult without Jiwei around to transfer energy from. “No, I haven’t. Why?”

“There’s something strange about it, that’s all.” He shook the pendant lightly. “Familiar. Same as you, but not; same as me, but not. It wants to fly.”

Lan Qiren stared at him blankly.

Lao Nie shrugged and scratched at his beard. “What did A-Jue say about it?”

“…Mingjue?” Lan Qiren asked blankly. “Say? About what?”

Lao Nie blinked at him. “Well, he’s the only other one with a similar pendant, right?”

Actually, Lan Qiren had made one for little Nie Huaisang, too – he used it as the base of his fan tassel, transferred from one fan to another – but it wasn’t really relevant to him yet, weak cultivator that he was. But that was a good point: in his fear for Nie Mingjue’s health, his worry for his safety, he had forgotten that Nie Mingjue was the closest thing they had to another perspective on the connection between pendant and saber.

Lan Qiren frowned at his oversight. “I’ll ask Mingjue to join us.”

Nie Mingjue looked better already, even if Lan Qiren’s heart hurt at how cautious he was around his father, at how Lao Nie could barely stand to look at the colorful bruises littering his son’s face. “What can I do?”

“Take this pendant,” Lao Nie said, holding it out.

Nie Mingjue extended his hand in return and Lao Nie dropped the pendant into it before Lan Qiren could intervene and point out why it was a terrible idea to just hand it over to someone who was both unprepared and little more than a child, however talented a genius he might be. The second it touched Nie Mingjue’s palm, he yelped and nearly dropped it, Lan Qiren snatching it away from him with his free hand before it could fall to the floor.

“It hurts!” he exclaimed, as Lan Qiren might have expected.

What he did not expect, however, was that Baxia abruptly drew herself, hurtling out of her sheath to hang in midair, emanating the distinct sensation of rage that was the characteristic of a Nie saber.

The pendant abruptly flared up, the heat in it rising as if in response to Baxia’s challenge, and Lan Qiren had to temporarily free himself from Lao Nie to quickly loop a guqin string through the pendant, letting it dangle away from his flesh, and then returned his hand to his friend before the red got too far into his eyes.

“What in the world is going on?” he demanded. “Lao Nie – explain.”

“I have no idea,” Lao Nie said, rubbing his eyes as if he realized something had happened to him in the brief interlude where they were separated. “They’re…fighting. I think? How can they be fighting? Why would a saber start a fight with a piece of jade?”

“Can you ask Baxia?” Lan Qiren asked Nie Mingjue, who was still clutching at his hand and looking blankly at them both. “I know it doesn’t exactly work as cleanly as all that, but your father always said you had an unusually strong connection…”

Nie Mingjue reached out and caught Baxia by the hilt, brow creased in a frown. “It really doesn’t work that way, Teacher Lan. All I can tell is that she’s angry.” He hesitated. “She feels betrayed.”

“Betrayed?” Lan Qiren asked, surprised. “But – how can she be betrayed? That would imply an initial association, familiarity, that something changed…”

“Jiwei,” Lao Nie suddenly said. He was staring at the pendant swinging in Lan Qiren’s hand. “Jiwei’s in the pendant.”

Nie Mingjue glanced at Lan Qiren, clearly concerned that his father had simply started seeing Jiwei in everything, but Lan Qiren bit his lip, thinking it over seriously.

He had initially thought that the reason for Lao Nie’s mistaken impression of him was because he had cultivated with the pendant using Jiwei’s energy, acting in Lao Nie’s place, and thereby he had been imprinted with the qi of the saber, that it had been that shadow upon him that Lao Nie had recognized.

But what if he had thought about it backwards?

“Is it possible,” he said slowly, wishing he knew more about the saber spirits, wishing that he’d had more time, wishing even that his Xinfei could speak as clearly as a saber could, “Mingjue, is it possible that Jiwei’s spirit is in the pendant? The saber spirit itself, I mean, as opposed to the physical saber?”

Nie Mingjue goggled at him. “In the pendant, Teacher Lan? A saber? But how?”

“I tied the two together using resonance,” Lan Qiren explained. Poor tone-deaf Nie Mingjue had never really understood what he was doing with his music, which Lan Qiren couldn’t blame him for – it was esoteric even by musical cultivation standards. He’d more or less made the entire thing up over the past few years. “Adjusting the internal music of the jade to match Jiwei, so that the two recognized each other – and, once recognized, forged a connection between them. That’s what allowed me to continue to draw out Jiwei’s anger even from a distance.”

Both Nie nodded, listening intently. Good students, both of them, for all their occasional faults; if only he had three dozen like them. As a teacher, it was the highest compliment he knew to speak.

“The unusual heat started, as far as we can tell, when the saber shattered,” he continued, now thinking out loud. “If Jiwei’s anger can transfer from one container to the other through the pathway forged by the resonance, why couldn’t the rest of her spirit do the same? Why couldn’t she come to possess the jade if she so wished?”

He wasn’t sure what to do with that idea, in all fairness – he might speak of questioning the sabers, might have reluctantly accepted them as having some form of sentience, but the idea of an entire spirit transferring from one body to another within the same lifetime in a method not unlike possession was rather disturbing. But at the same time he couldn’t imagine any other reason for Baxia to try to challenge a jade pendant to a duel.

Proud, strong Baxia, the only match to Nie Mingjue’s matchless talent, so fearsome that even other saber spirits yielded before her…

“But –” Nie Mingjue glanced sidelong at his father. “Teacher Lan, he also thinks you’re Jiwei.”

“Because I cultivated the pendant,” Lan Qiren said, because it made a certain amount of sense. “There are two types of spiritual energy in there: Jiwei’s and my own. Perhaps when I offered him the pendant, he recognized Jiwei in there, and also me, and thereby conflated the two…”

“I’m right here, you know,” Lao Nie interjected. “Being talked about as if I’m not.”

Lan Qiren leveled a quelling look at him.

Lao Nie gave him an arch look in return. “Just reminding you that I understand spoken speech, in the event you’ve forgotten.”

“Very well,” Lan Qiren said tetchily. “In that case, who I am again?”

Lao Nie paused, eyes traveling between Lan Qiren, the pendant dangling from his hand, and Nie Mingjue.

“You feel like Jiwei,” he said hesitantly. “But – the strangers felt like strangers, and weren’t. So you’re – not Jiwei. You’re…” He glanced at Nie Mingjue again, seeking external confirmation that his senses were misleading him; Nie Mingjue nodded eagerly. His gaze slide back to Lan Qiren. “Qiren?”

“Well done,” Lan Qiren said, full of relief. “Full marks, passing grade. Would it be possible for you to stop calling me ‘sweetheart’ and ‘darling’ now?”

Lao Nie – despite being the shameless scoundrel that he was – abruptly flushed bright red, while Nie Mingjue covered his face with his hands.

“I understand, of course,” Lan Qiren assured him. “What passes between a man and his spiritual weapon is very private, and –”

“Stop talking,” Lao Nie growled. “Just – stop talking.”