#But I was intentioned to animate some of it and I still haven't gotten anything done about it...

[kyouka-supremacy]

Hey! Your new header scared them shit outta me! I love it, 10/10!

Omg thank you!!!!! That was kinda the goal in a way eheh. Mission accomplished!!

[icedragonlizard]

"Hope Within The Darkness" information: Blade's dynamics with the Kirby cast

Here's the link for the AU to give it a read if you've yet to do so before reading this post.

When the Dark Matter Swordsman (aka 'Blade', the alias he adopts) comes back, how does he interact with Kirby and all of his friends?

Let's find out!

I said in the AU's synopsis that I'd gladly answer if someone asked in my inbox about his dynamics with the other, but I haven't gotten that LOL. It's okay though. I've chosen to do it myself because I feel like it.

Going over how he interacts with Kirby, all dream friends, and Elfilin.

Kirby: As Kirby never holds grudges, this is an easy friendship that Blade successfully makes at the start. Kirby is happy to show Blade around throughout Popstar and some other planets. He's seen how a lot of people are uneasy and hesitant to accept Blade, which makes him feel bad... as he understand their concerns, but he's willing to see the best in this dark swordsman. He's been doing his part well in helping out. Blade appreciates Kirby. As many other people are less willing to be his friend, he's grateful that Kirby immediately accepted him in open arms.

King Dedede: Dedede is incredibly uncomfortable and distrustful of Blade. This is, of course, because of the PTSD he's had of being possessed by dark matter many times. Old wounds were reopened for Dedede when Blade came back, and it's made him paranoid about another dark matter invasion incoming and getting possessed another time. This paranoia has made him feel the need to berate Blade. Luckily, Blade has no desire to invade or possess again, but it doesn't help that he's standoffish and combative when given negative attention (because he perceives it as a threat), which has resulted in strife between him and Dedede a few times. Eventually, regulations have been made as Blade is not allowed near Dedede's castle. Blade has miserably failed to make a friendship with Dedede.

Bandana Waddle Dee: Being among Dedede's very loyal servants, Bandee is also very distrustful of Blade. He can't fathom the idea of Dedede getting possessed by dark matter again! It terrified him when the king had his stomach grow an eyeball and turn into a set of jaws back in the day. Blade has no intention to do that again after he's returned, but that doesn't stop Bandee from completely having his guard up around him. That they've had arguments (because Blade feels threatened by negative attention) doesn't help matters much either. This is another friendship that Blade fails to make.

Meta Knight: Meta Knight wasn't possessed by dark matter back in the day, allowing him to be a lot more lenient than Dedede at giving Blade a second chance. But friendship still doesn't come easy here. Considering Meta Knight is close friends with Dedede and was let in on details about the king's PTSD of dark matter, he's still very cautious of Blade. Sword duels have occurred between these two, although that's just because Meta Knight enjoys fighting instead of having any serious beef with Blade. Blade however misinterprets the fights as Meta Knight disliking/hating him. Friendship isn't necessarily impossible here if given enough time, but Blade hasn't succeeded at it just yet.

The Animal Friends: They were all nervous and uncomfortable of Blade at first. At first, they feared the idea of another dark matter invasion right around the corner, and then their fear shifted to worrying about Gooey. Since the animal friends are close to Gooey, they were afraid that Blade was eventually going to hurt him while watching them interact. But that's never happened, and Blade actually being protective of Gooey more than anything has eased their concerns a lot. Kine, Nago and especially Coo are still rather cautious (even if it's optimistic caution) while Rick, ChuChu and Pitch have came around to start getting along with Blade decently well, meaning that he's successfully made friendships with those three. It took quite some time for them to become his friends, though.

Gooey: Gooey, just like Kirby, is another easy friendship that Blade makes at the start since he's incapable of holding any sort of grudge. They've bonded over solidarity of being dark matter spawns that are free to do whatever they want after leaving their evil clan. Blade has designated himself as a big brother to Gooey and is fiercely protective of him. He'll wreck anyone that hurts Gooey. However, many people are scared about Blade's friendship with Gooey, worrying he'll hurt the little guy. He never will. He's been in arguments with others about this. After proving how much he cares about Gooey, people have decided to let them be buddies, with some being reluctant about it since they still can't shake off their distrust. Nevertheless, Gooey loves Blade as it's given him hope and joy that there's more dark matter that can be good than just himself.

Adeleine: Adeleine is scared of Blade. She's a victim of dark matter possession just like Dedede is, making Blade effectively unable to make a friendship with her. She doesn't ever berate him, though, as she rather just hides behind her paintings or someone else at the sight of him. Blade tried to become friends as he meant no harm, but Kirby and others have convinced him to just let Adeleine be, considering her past baggage with dark matter and how bad of an idea it'd be to open that up further for her. Understanding, Blade just lets her be.

Ribbon: Ribbon has her guard up when Blade is around. She's not as fearful as Adeleine, but she still firmly keeps her distance around this guy. It made her a bit worried about the idea of another dark matter invasion happening, but it does give her comfort to see Kirby being friends with Blade as she knows that he can easily keep him in check. She's still uncomfortable with letting Blade anywhere near Ripple Star, though. Kirby agrees to make sure he stays away from there. This is another friendship that Blade doesn't succeed in making.

Marx: Blade is not a fan of Marx. He tried to become friends with him at first, until he then decided against it when he began finding Marx to be insufferable. Marx has tried to "make Blade worse" so to speak, and let me tell you that Blade has stabbed him at least once because of it. Marx is a chaos enjoyer; he's entertained by watching the tense interactions that many other people have with Blade, and so he's deliberately added fuel to the fire in some of those instances. That's pissed Blade off. Doesn't help that Marx also sarcastically asks him if he's gonna possess people again. Blade thinks that he's aggravating.

Dark Meta Knight: Blade has actually succeeded in becoming friends with DMK! It took a while for this friendship to happen, though. They're both standoffish and easily triggered to be aggressive, and they had some strife at first. But they've eventually come together over solidarity of being dark shady sword-fighters. When DMK remembered that his master Dark Mind originated from dark matter, that made him warm up to Blade. These two like to sword duel, as it's an enriching activity for the both of them. DMK doesn't have many friends, as he's not that good at making them, so Blade deserves some credit for becoming a new friend for him. A win for them both!

Daroach: This is rather complicated. There are moments where they can get along alright, but there are also moments where it's rather tense. When some people helped build Blade a home somewhere in Dream Land, Daroach began stealing from it on occasion. Because of that, Blade has been hesitant to consider him a friend as it pisses him off to be robbed. He's stabbed Daroach over a robbery one time. Daroach on the other hand appears to have no beef with Blade, and there are occasions where he's able to get some chuckles out of him by cracking dumb jokes. It's not hugely heated here, but they aren't necessarily a real friendship. They could be if Daroach stopped stealing from Blade's home, but he's shown no indication of that.

Magolor: The third friend that Blade makes after Kirby and Gooey, and an extremely helpful friend at that. Magolor was initially wary until he learned that Blade just wants to make friends, but hasn't been very good at it. He knows what it's like to try to make friends and get declined, so he's been able to empathize with Blade's frustration at times. Magolor has helped him out a lot, including helping change Blade's personality to be better at making friends. He's taught him the concept of apologizing (Blade didn't know about that beforehand LOL) and helps him understand that even after apologizing, forgiveness from everybody is not exactly possible, but still don't give up on the quest of making all the friends you can. Magolor helped introduce Blade to some of the other ex-villain dream friends in hopes of giving him new friends. A bonus that he teaches him how to cause fun mild mischief! Blade appreciates Magolor a ton. He looks up to him. This is Blade's favorite out of the dream friends aside from Gooey.

Taranza: They became friends as they formed a little "We possessed Dedede!" club. It makes it amusingly ironic for Dedede to treat the two so differently; he quickly forgave Taranza but is still very uncomfortable around Blade. It's because the dark matter possessions traumatized him a lot more by comparison, including that they happened earlier. But all the same, Taranza still doesn't judge Blade for it, especially when knowing that the guy wants to do better and wants to make friends, as he's glad to be one of them. He's showed him around in Floralia. Admittedly, there was a moment when Taranza was upset upon learning that Morpho Knight brought this guy back... he thought it was unfair that Sectonia couldn't be brought back too, but he's not mad at Blade and is happy for him.

Susie: This may be a bit unexpected, but they've become friends! Susie was highly curious upon learning Blade's return, as it interested her to learn that this was another positive dark matter spawn that's different from Gooey. It actually didn't take too long for them to become friends when they met, as Susie compliments Blade for looking super cool and he's appreciative of the positive attention. At one point, after Susie has shown interest in learning more about dark matter, Blade lets her in on details of the rest of the dark matter clan, and how he used to be a part of it but was given the chance to escape because of how it mistreated him. That revelation shocked her. Susie is how Blade learns about modern technology, and he's attempted to use some gadgets she made... with various results.

The Mage Sisters: When they learned about what this guy originated from, it made them all giddy to meet him. Blade has managed to become friends with them! Flamberge is the one he likes the most by virtue of having a sword like him, as they will sometimes sword-duel with each other for enrichment. Zan Partizanne has him learn about calling other people nicknames. Francisca is the one that Blade least interacts with, but they're still friends. All three of the mage sisters have enchanted his sword with elements (just like the element system in Star Allies) to allow him to do various things. Blade thinks they're a good bunch, and he gets along with Hyness as well.

Elfilin: Elfilin was initially very scared of Blade. He's generally rather neurotic, but he also thought the guy was bad because he watched the distrust that others have for him, and it didn't really help matters when he learned that Blade used to be apart of the evil dark matter clan that Gooey was never apart of. After learning that Blade is no longer evil and isn't attempting another invasion, Elfilin's opinion eases just a little bit. But he's still intimidated by how standoffish and aggressive Blade is, so he continues to keep a distance. Sadly this is a friendship that Blade does not succeed at making.

That's basically it!

It looks like Blade has had greater luck with ex-villain dream friends then he did with ones that weren't ever villains to begin with. Many of the characters that appeared in the DMT (except Gooey and some of the animal friends) weren't really in the bag for Blade to become friends with for reasons that may be self-explanatory enough.

Thanks for reading if you did, haha.

[i-heart-hxh]

I'm sure you've gotten this question before but the needle question got me thinking: do you have any idea how the Zoldyck heir situation even works? I'm guessing it's based on a talent and performance base (and having anime protag hair lol), but it's interesting that it's not simply "the eldest child is the heir to the family business." And if so, when was Killua deemed the heir? Love to hear your thoughts!

Hello! Actually, nobody's asked me this before, so it's a fun topic to dig into!

Canon doesn't provide much detail on this topic, so I'll do my best to convey what we do/don't know and then make some guesses based off that.

There's a popular belief I've seen in the fandom that Killua was chosen as the heir because of his hair color (and/or potentially nen type that may or may not come along with this), however this has never been confirmed by anything in the series. I do think when Togashi designed the Zoldyck siblings with Killua being the only one to inherit the white/silver hair like Silva and Zeno, it was almost certainly with the intention of making the fact that he's "special" among the family even clearer, but as far as we know currently, the heir is chosen based on perceived talent/potential.

I'm guessing this might include physical prowess and skill as an assassin, leadership ability, and mental stability. Killua is said to be the most talented Zoldyck in the entire history of the family, so I'm sure that heavily weights the decision towards him (in spite of the elements that make him "unsuitable," which the family seems to believe they can push out of him in various ways).

(Unofficial translation, but it was worded in a more straightforward way than the official one.)

We're never told how or when the heir is decided--perhaps they evaluate the children at a certain age with regards to this, or it's simply an ongoing discussion among the heads of the household until they come to a decision. There may be some formal process or ritual to determine who becomes the heir that we just haven't been given info on. It wouldn't surprise me with how complex the Zoldyck family's traditions, rules, and ways of operating are. I do think it makes sense that the heir isn't just the first born son, because assassination is an intense, multifaceted trade and leaving that business in the hands of just anyone doesn't seem wise.

Here's a bit that implies there's some sort of timeline by which the heir is prepared to take over the family, because Killua is apparently at the most crucial stage of this:

Looking at the other siblings, I think it's pretty clear why Killua is the best choice (in the view of Silva and Kikyo)--Illumi is unstable, power hungry, and has no qualms about killing innocent people to achieve his goals; Milluki is a shut-in who seems more focused on his hobbies than "work" and lacks common sense; Alluka has the Nanika issue and is barely even considered a member of the family to begin with. I don't know if Kalluto has anything in particular that disqualifies him, but it's not as though it's easy to compete with Killua, the most talented Zoldyck in the history of the family...

It wouldn't surprise me if we get a little more detail on the heir situation later in the series, seeing as Killua is still considered the heir as far as we know, and I think that's an issue that's going to have to be dealt with eventually in some way or another.

That's about all the insight I can give on this topic for now because we've only been given little tidbits on how it works, but I hope this was helpful or interesting nonetheless. Thank you for asking!

[mesaprotector]

was reading recently about the "to be lawful or good" trope (follow orders/respect rule of law, or do what's right?), and it occurred to me that western values are so idealistic on the matter that "good" is almost always chosen, and a character who believes the law is the greater good is usually painted as morally dubious and hypocritical. tvtropes points out that in the parallel "to be chaotic or good" dilemmas protagonists almost always choose chaotic. i guess that makes sense from the point of view of fiction as wish fulfillment, and the ideal world for an american is one where they can do whatever they want without consequences.

psycho-pass is a really good example of media where this does not happen. anime in general tends to be more respectful of "lawful" values, sometimes to excess from my own western point of view (too many anime i've seen, workplace abuse is "dealt" with by learning to work harder). but urobuchi at least has a nice concept of what a balance can look like. (spoilers below, of course).

akane tsunemori is the most lawful good character to ever lawful good. she has constant positive intentions, cares for everyone in her society, and does so by enforcing and interpreting the law - and would not have it any other way. there's an amazing quote from her near the end of s1 (i have not seen the later seasons):

"People have always detested evil and sought out a righteous way of living. Their feelings, the accumulation of those peoples feelings are the law. They’re neither the provisions, nor the system. They’re the fragile and irreplaceable feelings that everyone carries in their hearts."

when faced with "to be lawful or good", she never once gives up on the law, no matter what. she has at least two chances to kill a dangerous villain outright and rejects both as being against orders; when the law itself tries to ensnare someone she loves, she finds a way out by following the rules instead of just breaking them like any other hero would.

dungeons and dragons kind of threw the alignment system at players and told them "you, there, interpret this". it's difficult and a lot to ask. from the little experience i have with it, most players only care about good/neutral/evil, and as for law vs. chaos they're just treated like different flavors of ice cream. it's far more compelling to treat them as equally important - a lawful good character and a chaotic good character are as far apart, morally, as a lawful good and a lawful evil one.

psycho-pass s1 doesn't have a chaotic good character. the closest it gets is kagari, who could perhaps be called chaotic neutral (though i have trouble calling any literal cop chaotic, he was essentially forced into the role). but it does have a fantastic example of a chaotic vs. lawful conflict, just on the evil side - makishima vs. sibyl.

i think where i wanted to go with this is that part of maturity is learning that two people, or groups of people, who are fighting, may very well both be righteous, and talking it out is often not a solution. i think most modern politics is like this, but that's just my feeling. there are some fairly evil people around, to be sure, but the vast majority of people are not - and recognizing that those different from you are in some ways righteous, and that you yourself are in some ways capable of evil - is really a critical sort of humility.

i might be a little too thrilled with myself for having realized this so early - i was the only kid in my class who liked "lord of the flies", and i still do like it. tumblr used to really have a thing about hating it back when the audience on this website had an average age of 16. i hope those people who insisted "but i'd never have grown up to do anything bad" have learned better since. but looking at how many older people (including apparently most writers) haven't gotten the memo, i'm not too sure.

[howtofightwrite]

Hi! Are there certain types of asks you don’t respond to, and/or do you have a huge backlog of them? I sent one in like 3 or 4 months ago and still haven’t seen it come out, so I’m just curious as to what’s going on :) (I’m sorry if you do have guidelines posted anywhere I could not find them)

There are a few topics we won't touch. As a general rule, we're not particularly interested in covering sexual violence, violence on children, child abuse, and animal abuse. That list shouldn't be much of a surprise.

Beyond that, there are a few other things we, generally, won't cover.

The most common are cases where someone wants us to write their fight scene for them. We do offer that as a Patreon perk, but it's not something we're ever likely to do for free here. Off-hand, I think we've gotten about a dozen of those asks this year. The most recent was in the last couple weeks. Now, some of these asks do get public responses, but it's usually in the form of discussing world-building, or because one of us thinks we can get something interesting out of it. The recent “water horse,” question was one of these. So was Professional Monster Removal, now that I think about it. The original ask didn't come through Tumblr, and so I decided to revise it without the prompt. Which, part of why the tone of first couple paragraphs didn't exactly match the rest of the text (if anyone noticed.)

We also can't privately audit your work. At least, not through the ask system. This does come up from time to time when someone will send a sample of their writing (this did happen twice in the last four months.) There's two issues here. One, I wouldn't, so you'd get Michi editing and she is an absolutely merciless editor. The second thing is, there isn't really a way to do that privately in Tumblr. If you did it through Patreon, it would probably be through a shared Google Doc, or via Discord, but if you're in that tier, get in touch, and we can work with you.

I know this isn't relevant to you, but hate mail doesn't generally get a response. This should go without saying, but, I did publicly clown on that Dragon Age fanfiction writer over her attempted death threats a few years back. Similarly most of the misogynistic responses from Women are not Weaker than Men, or any of the subsequent posts, tends to get summarily executed. That stray fan of Shane O'Mara who never really understood his work, tends to get ignored. Though, I haven't seen anything from them in a year or two. Similarly, that guy who wanted me to know that “Space lizards are very important for the economy,” will probably have to wait... forever.

The real problem you're running into is probably because of how our backlog works. It tends to runs in a FILO pattern. That is to say, “first in, last out,” meaning new asks go on the top of the pile, and pushing down earlier questions in the queue. This has more to do with how Tumblr organizes its inbox rather than an intentional decision. For example, if I remember a question from five years ago, and want to answer it, I probably could not find it. I might be able to write up a post without that ask, but I wouldn't be able to notify the original sender (assuming they still use Tumblr.) This is the other reason that the dude who wanted to talk about space lizard economics will have to wait forever, that question was in 2013 or 2014, and there are roughly four-thousand asks burying his inquiry. (As a general rule, the only stuff that actually gets deleted is some of the hate mail.)

Another way to ensure a question won't get answered is to send it to Michi's personal Tumblr blog. There's only 153 in there, but, when answered, they don't get posted to How to Fight Write, and as a result, they're likely to get missed. (To be fair, the most recent ask in her inbox is from April 20, 2021, so that's not you.)

If you're asking about invisible lightsabers, I wouldn't completely give up hope. It wasn't really suitable for a full post, but assuming I can get Tumblr's inbox to cooperate again, it might show up in a batch of questions like the ones earlier this week.

-Starke

This blog is supported through Patreon. Patrons get access to new posts three days early, and direct access to us through Discord. If you’re already a Patron, thank you. If you’d like to support us, please consider becoming a Patron.

[autocrats-in-love]

villain and hero are pretty close now, but villain needs information out of hero and hero refuses to give it so villain jokingly threatens to hurt them (you can choose how) not knowing hero has a bad past. Basically Hero freaks out and villain has to comfort them

🫶🏻🫶🏻

The Ghosts That Haunt Us

Be warned: mentions of implied past abuse

"Absolutely not." The hero huffed, refusing to look at the villain.

"Why?" The villain asked, tilting their head to the side.

They sighed, staring intently at the moon out the window, pulling on a thread of their bathrobe. They were both in the hero's living room. At the hero's apartment. Which the villain had broken into in the middle of the night.

"Because why would I want another criminal on the streets? Rescue your little friend yourself."

"She's not my friend." The villain said. "My superiors just want me to get her out of Hero Agency clutches."

"Well, good luck with that." The hero said wearily. "Can you leave now?"

"Come on. Don't make me interrogate you."

The hero scoffed. "And what were you doing before? Popping in for a chat?"

The villain chuckled. "Pretty much."

"Well, we've chatted. kindly go away and leave me to a fitful sleep."

"I still haven't gotten the information I need."

The hero groaned and rested their head against the cold window. "Please. Get out."

There was some shuffling. The villain was getting closer. The hero was too tired to do anything more than turn around and face their arch nemesis. By the time they did, the hero was right in front of them. The hero gasped. The villain rested their palms on the window sill on either side of the hero. The hero felt their sleepy heart wake up, beating wildly. No, it screamed. The hero felt sweat start to form at the back of their neck. They couldn't move.

"Are you sure you can't tell me?" The villain grinned. "I might have to, you know. . .jog your memory."

The hero's mind was blaring alarm signals. They could only remember a few snippets. Their mind had pushed everything else out. They remembered falling to the floor. They weren't good enough. Then he was close. Too close. How could the hero contribute to society if they couldn't even block a measely punch? Then he proved how weak the hero was, how bad their self defense was, over and over. Always at night, roughly waking the hero from their slumber. Always when the hero was least expecting it. Always getting too close first. The hero felt the tears welling their eyes. They couldn't breathe.

"Get away from me."

They punched the villain in the stomach. The villain gagged and stumbled backwards. They blinked, confused. The hero sunk to their knees. They curled up and started crying. Crying, crying, crying. What use do tears do, they remembered him saying. Either way, the hero was a disappointment. The hero felt a tug at the back of their mind. It was telling them to stop this. To get up, apologize to the villain, and lead them out of their apartment. The hero sobber harder.

After a few minutes, they heard the villain's voice.

"Hey."

"Don't come near me." the hero said shakily.

"I'm not. I just- are you okay? I'm sorry."

Their tone was soft. The hero was having a hard time telling if it was the kind you used on a friend who was hurting or a violent animal who could strike at any moment. It could be both. The hero sniffed, raising their head enough to see the villain. They blinked away the blurriness in their sight. Once they got a clear view of the villain, they relaxed a bit. The villain was in civilian clothes. A shirt and sweatpants. Slip-on sandals. Hair a bit messy. Illuminated by the light of the moon from the window above the hero, they looked harmless. Beautiful, even.

"What happened?" The villain asked.

"I-" the hero looked away.

Their mind turned, trying to figure out how to say it. They wanted so badly to say the word, but their lips were reluctant to let it pass. That just gave him more power. The hero ground their teeth. They couldn't make everything about him

"I have a complicated past." The hero got out.

"Don't we all?" The villain laughed a bit.

The hero gave them a stare that let the villain know this was not the time.

"Sorry. That came out wrong. Do you want to tell me what happened?"

The hero did. But they weren't ready. They focused on the present.

"Someone didn't treat me right, and you just brought back those memories. Fight/flight/freeze response, you know?"

"Oh, wow. I'm so sorry."

The hero gave a weak smile. "Yeah. It's fine."

"Can I come closer?"

The hero nodded. Their heart started beating faster. They liked it. The villain shuffled closer, sitting next to the hero. The hero might have just been exhausted, but they were suddenly a bit dizzy. The villain's shoulder touched theirs. The hero didn't hesitate. They rested their head on it.

"I'm sorry." the villain said.

"I know. You've repeated that a few times." the hero responded.

The villain reached out, gently taking the hero's hand. The hero felt a bit more melted.

"I really want you to know I am. I'm sorry I bothered you like this. I thought it would be funny."

"How?"

"Honestly, I don't remember."

The hero felt a smile tug at their lips. They close their eyes. They were so very tired. They felt themselves drift off, their head falling from the villain's shoulder onto their lap, something covering their body. Lastly, they felt a quick kiss on their cheek. It made them burn bright, brighter than the moon, as the night turned to morning. And, as sunlight hit their closed eyes, all the hero could think was that they wanted another.

[after-witch]

Okay, hold on because this?

You’re spitting nothing but facts. I’ve said this exact same thing on both of my previous blogs (not this one, not yet xmdkxkdnd) about how x reader just was not a thing in Ye Fandom of Olde. I don’t know if people really believe me or if I just sound like a hunch backed crone standing on her front porch waving her cane at the neighborhood kids, yelling at them to appreciate what they’ve got because back in my day … but it really was such an incredibly different landscape. There are certain aspects of it that I miss for sure and others I’m glad to leave in the past.

The completely random conversations between the author and the character(s) among them, GOD, the way that still activates every single one of my cringe reflexes. 😂 Actually my all time favorite fic had those for the first dozen or so chapters, but she thankfully left them in the fore and afterword, not haphazardly placed in the fic itself, so it was easy to ignore haha. I can laugh at it and maybe even look back at it fondly, but I don’t think I want that particular trend to make a comeback any time soon xmxmdnd

It’s kind of surreal in a way, finding someone who knows exactly what I’m talking about and sharing that mutual experience. I know there have to be more of us out there but I feel like a good chunk of them have probably moved on from anime fandom content so I’m very glad to have found you like this. 💕

I unfortunately got busy with one of my own projects yesterday and didn’t get a chance to read anymore of your stuff, but I’m really looking forward to diving in once I’m done. When I tell you I am 👀 eyeballing the hell out of your Sesshomaru fics cmdkxmdmd

Also, if I may ask, are you by any chance a fan of Yu Yu Hakusho? 🥹

"I don’t know if people really believe me or if I just sound like a hunch backed crone standing on her front porch waving her cane at the neighborhood kids, yelling at them to appreciate what they’ve got because back in my day … but it really was such an incredibly different landscape."

We can both be crones, in that case! But no, I completely get what you're saying. It was SO different. I am genuinely appreciative of the fact that "reader fic" is so popular and the distaste I see for it is mainly "it's clogging up the regular tags" rather than the absolute nastiness that used to be associated with any OCs or inkling of "hey I like these characters, wouldn't it be neat if they wanted me?"

OCs in general were considered taboo enough, but reader fic was just… not a "thing" back in the early 2000s, really, not in the style we know it today. When second person was used, it was usaully meant to be stylized (rather than today where the intent of second person is "reader fic," to pull the reader into the story in a different, visceral way) and second person fics would fall into the OC bucket.

Gosh on that note, I remember "Mary Sue Hunter" groups that would find any OCs on ye olde fanfiction.net and leave reviews with forms to determine how much of a "Mary Sue" someone's OC was.

If you were going to attempt an OC, it felt like you had to make them Super Super Boring and Normal and Ordinary and No Actual Characters Ever Fell in Love with Them (except maybe non-important side characters) in order to get people to leave you alone.

Not that there's anything wrong with writing characters who are ordinary but it rarely felt it was an organic decision from the authors, but rather a reflection of what was "okay" to write.

Fandom is so different now. As you said, there's some things I miss ("don't like, don't read" and "you're responsible for what you read" being the standard etiquette, for one...) but plenty that I don't, too.

Also, if I may ask, are you by any chance a fan of Yu Yu Hakusho?

Yessss. I love it. I have so many discarded OCs from my teenage years from YYH, they were all ridiculously self-indulgent ofc. I do want to at some point write a few yandere YYH characters, but I haven't gotten any inspiration for it yet.

[whataperfectwasteoftime]

It's 2024!

Oh hi! I know I haven't been around much. I've gone back to my favorite pastime: lurking without interacting in any meaningful way. However, despite having the flu all week this week (or perhaps because of, since I've done little else but sleep and sit on the couch), I've done a lot of thinking. Thinking backward and reviewing my progress over the past year, and thinking ahead to what I want to accomplish in the next.

I'm not a New Year's Resolution type of gal, but for the last two years, with the encouragement of my therapist, I've set an intention. Last year's intention was Joy, and despite facing a lot of mental health challenges (mostly because of the work I've been doing in therapy, which has been A Lot), I think I've done a lot of small things that have embodied Joy:

I bought myself not one, but TWO stuffed animals, just for me.

I've stayed pretty consistent with journaling, mostly by rewarding myself with stickers from a 500-count box.

I've painted lots of "Joy" sunflowers for myself and friends as reminders.

I've prioritized self-care and have made pretty big strides in the way I talk to myself about myself.

I adopted a guinea pig.

I've also done a LOT of trauma processing over the past year, which has been helpful, but also incredibly taxing on my mental health. I'm to the point where I feel like I've re-hashed the past to death, and I'm ready to skip to the good part, where I live my present as a healthy, happy individual. That being the case, my intention for the year is:

Discovery

A lot of this intention is going to be focused on self-discovery, which I won't go into here. But let me finally get down to the lede I've definitely buried, and that's what it means for my writing.

I am also going to focus on *discovering* new hobbies, new talents, and new stories.

What does that mean? Well, my biggest goal this year is to start writing Lavish again. I'd added quite a bit of backstory to the original fic when I first started kicking around the idea of turning a few of my fics into novels. I've got a full outline, with what I hope is a coherent and compelling plot, and all that remains is, uh... *checks notes* ...writing it.

It's funny that I've gotten so incredibly fatigued over what was once my most popular story on this site, but for the last couple of years I've wanted to write anything but Lavish. Now that I've taken an extended break, though, I hope that I can fall in love with it all over again.

In the meantime, Control is still out there to purchase! I've been pretty absent (okay, completely absent) from my author socials, but I'm hoping to pop back in with no preamble at some point and actually try to promote my work.

Thanks to all of you for sticking around with me <3 I hope everyone has a wonderful year ahead.

[oakantony]

hey emanthony I love your hxh fics some much I have a random question that you can totally ignore if you dont feel like answering 😄 I've noticed that killua is usually away in your fics like in your last fic he was on a boarding school and in your other fics he is just mentioned but doesnt have a major role except for the sharpest knife though he was still more like plot device there imo, do you try to avoid writing him because he is arguably the most popular hxh character and you prefer not to deal with the unnecessary fandom drama that writing a fic about him might cause? Which is totally fine if thats the reason, your fics are still amazing with killua involve but I was just curious.

I have MANY thoughts and I'm preemptively sorry for the wall of text that's about to happen. ily, though, here's the TLDR: it's honestly mostly logistical issues that have caused me to avoid inserting Killua into stories.

tbh if I didn't want fandom drama I wouldn't have written that opening for The Youngest Child. That shit was risky af. I still marvel that I haven't gotten e-flayed over it and sometimes I consider removing the story entirely because I have anxieties. (Obviously Chrollo and Kalluto's tryst at the beginning is not meant to be some hot aspirational kink-thing [you do you if you're into that]--the intention has always been to show how far Chrollo had fallen, socially, and how Kalluto has been placed in a dangerous position his entire life without parental figures to care for his well-being [enter: Gon, our knight in sun-shining armor.]) But we're not here to talk about that, so I'll stop lmao.

I've gotten a few questions about Killua throughout the years, ranging from people wondering if I hate him (I love him; I have him as a tattoo) or if I'm just not confident writing him (I'm not confident writing anything, ever), and really it's mostly just logistical. I actually would love to do a Killua-centric story one day, but I haven't had time (though I'm constantly trying to figure out how to write more and faster so I can write more fic. I legit have a pretty fleshed out story in my mind featuring Killua Zoldyck x Shouto Todoroki, which sounds WILD, and it is wild, but I also think I could make it work).

When I say logistical, it's like... We can use The Youngest Child as an example. Obviously Killua being absent is one of the main plot points, but if we pretend instead that his parents decided Kalluto was a better heir, the story doesn't change much... Except that I now have another big personality to contend with. Killua is, without exception, a main character. If he's there, he's going to be there, you know? He'd have to have a whole subplot of his own (which I'll touch on more in a second). The Youngest Child would likely be double in length. Maybe even triple, because I'd have to explain him and Gon's relationship from the onset, too. That would take my idea for a novella-length story and turn it into a full on novel. Which is fine, but as previously mentioned... Time. I can either knock out a story with Kalluto, Gon, the Troupe, Illumi, Hisoka, and the Zoldycks (that's already a wild list to write concisely) in ~20k words, or I can add Killua and watch it bloat up to like, 50k at the least.

There's also an element to writing Killua that I'm not sure a lot of people realize is actually a lengthy subject to cover, and that's his responsibility to his family. Even as a side character, there's so much to address. His story ends (both in the manga and in the anime) with him rescuing his sister, running away, and presumably keeping her safe from Zoldyck influence. But what about the other kids? Maybe we can write off Illumi; he's fully grown, and abused Killua deeply enough that Killua could dismiss him as a victim of their upbringing. But what about Milluki, who's openly derided and dismissed by their parents? What about Kalluto, a small costumed doll handed over to a genocidal gang? Is Kalluto not worthy of saving? We know Kalluto loves Killua; we never see Killua think of Kalluto at all. Does that mean Killua doesn't love his other brothers? Does that mean he doesn't think they suffer? Obviously Alluka needed rescued, that's not in question. But any canon-compliant fic that includes Killua has to answer this question (and many of them do not, and I don't blame them): does he care about his family at all?

(The answer, imho, is yes, but Killua is so afraid of his past and his parents and his role as heir that it paralyzes him similar to the ways we saw him paralyzed trying to fight for Gon in the Chimera Arc.)

That's why it's hard to include him in fics. That's honestly probably why Togashi hasn't included him in the manga in 11 years. There're so many loose ends. It's a nightmare to tie up neatly so that other characters and their stories can shine. I mentioned it before, but he's got some of the biggest main character energy of any fictional character ever made (this is a compliment). His capacity for love, violence, humor, poise, intelligence... He's really remarkable. He's going to outshine anyone if he gets involved. Illumi's whole arc in The Longest Job was learning some of the things that Killua's been capable of his whole life. If Killua was there, Illumi probably would have seen even more pathetic than he already was. Which maybe isn't a bad thing, lol.

Anyway. I should write a Killua fic one day. Lemme just finish...uh...man, idek. I have like 6 WIPs at the moment. I'm gonna go lay down.

[lisxdumbr]

Yeah lately things have been pretty weird with how HappyEle has been doing things and it's like... hmmm. I assume they have a plan and a reason for why they're doing this. But they have also been/are making things easier for us with the way they're handling the events.

We get 50 whistles for each climax event, which I do understand and it makes sense since, well, 100 whistles is usually given for special celebrations/campaigns. And when it comes to the climax events that are supposed to be really important, it makes sense that they're gonna put them all on equal grounds rather than some getting 100 whistles while others get the usual no whistles. And maybe 50 whistles might not seem much, but damn, they will really help and make grinding a little easier and cheaper.

Not to mention that supposedly the album announcements will coincide with the climax events like Crazy:B album does with their climax right now. Personally I am still suspicious of that theory, so we'll have to see if it holds up in the future. Though considering the album *does* contain the climax event song, it's very likely that the theory will hold up. Which will also make things easier for the players since, if they are going to announce a new album every broadcast, it will (in most cases) give a bigger timeframe on knowing what event is coming than the timeframe of a tsukisuta guest announcement. Which means more time to prepare and grind dia. It will keep (f2p) people from pulling on gachas bc they know what event is coming.

No anni cards makes it easier too because nobody will spend dia on it because they simply don't exist.

Extra memorial coins though? I think that's just to give players more of a chance to get the cards they want because it's been some time and theh probably estimated that people are more likely to grind a lot for the climax events, so they want to reward that. Probably also to give potential new players a boost as well since we seem to be at peak enstars or smth.

So??? What *is* HappyEle doing here. Whistles, album, no anni cards. It's all very strange. They're being awfully kind here. Are they swimming in money this much that they can afford to be nice? That they can afford to continue making the reminiscence anime adaptations as well? All without repercussions? It just seems a little too good to be true, all of this. I also don't think they're gonna end the game just yet, but all this generosity makes me very suspicious of their intentions.

As for the climax events themselves? To me they always seemed like they were going to be the events that will give every unit TRUE development. The development that's needed to keep the story going and have new options open up for the writers. Like idk if it's just me and my Trickstar tunnelvision, but it feels like we have gotten nowhere lately in terms of development and story. Of course we have had Yuta's hairstyle change and we have had Ryuseitai's change, but what has really happened?? We continued the godfather plot, but where are they actually going with that now? Speaking as a TrickstarP, what the fuck is going to happen to them. They haven't really done much either, there's been some things dropping, but nothing that really brought them to a changing point. And it's been for a lot of characters that way, dropping some things here and there, but never tying up the loose ends. We have had Obbligato, but there's still a lot more that they can do with it, will they do anything with Kaname? Who knows!

I guess one thing they finally addressed though was Makoto with Portrait. You know, after 7 years. But still, there's a lot more to just conclude or reveal than just Makoto's trauma. And speaking of Portrait! It's been 7 months since then. It's been 7 months since our first and only look back scout. The scouts that were supposed to happen periodically like circle scouts. Well I have yet to see it!

Though I would assume that they are cooking up those look back scouts as much as they are cooking up those climax events... I hope...

But you know what worries me? All of these climax events are going to be this rotation. I worry that there's going to be sooo much happening so shortly after another that everyone is going to explode with information. You could say that the SS was also a lot, but those were 8 events, climax is going to be EVERY unit which is 14 fricking events. 14.

Everything has been so weird lately and I trust HappyEle is just cooking a 14 course meal for us, but part of me just wonders what the actual plan is.

.

[crystalelemental]

Plot is actually happening in Class of Heroes. In as much as we're going to get plot.

I've taken on and defeated all the Advanced quests. They were, uh...a mixed bag. Most were really easy, but the Thievery one was bullshit. It's on the same floor as the Advanced Combat one, which was stupid easy we rocked its shit, but then we encountered the Thief who hit everyone for Fear so I couldn't cast, and hits like a truck so we wiped. I was not happy.

I also completed the quest for the Labyrinth. That was. Irritating, if I'm being honest. There's no map, so you rely on spells to make the map appear, which isn't the worst thing. What is the worst thing is that the first labyrinth relies on those pure dark zone tiles where you can't see anything, including your map, but it's actually a maze and the only way to push through is turning on volume and listening to the anime girls screaming about bumping into walls. If it wasn't clear, I disagree with the pure dark zones. The boss was hilarious, though. Big thing pops up, level goddamn 20, I get ready to get blasted to hell. Throw up my Impenetrable Wall team maneuver, get ready to buff and cast all my best shit...and my Celestia girl swung her +5 super hammer that has a max damage threshold of over 200 and we killed it in two hits. It didn't even attack. Despite a rough start, I feel like we've kinda blown past the "I understand but am struggling a bit" straight into "very little seems able to stop me." But, overconfidence got me once before.

They seem to be setting up the Labyrinths as the big focus, and I'm now on my way to get the next key. They're doing this thing that some of the Etrian Odyssey games do that's really funny, where they're like "Wow, you're so good, no one's ever made it this far!" and you're like super early in the game. It's very funny.

Right now my big exploration issue is one of inventory. They do not let me hold enough stuff, man. And the cluttered inventory spaces create major issues, as far as organization. I have gotten some good gear, like the aforementioned hammer, a bow which lets my human mage deal good damage, some funny +8 armors, and a Scrap that I literally cannot identify. No seriously, I must've tried like a hundred times with the Bishop, and no luck. I assume identification relies on your level, and the level 1 Bishop I hired just to appraise stuff couldn't do it. I checked, and it's like 12000 gold to identify it at the shop, so I am assuming it's roughly endgame equipment. Maybe, similar to Etrian Odyssey, bosses drop big stuff when you defeat them.

I haven't yet changed classes, but we're getting close. I wanted to get my characters access to all eight levels of spells before transitioning. We're up to rank 6 spells right now. My intention is to look at shifting everyone to new spell types. I'd like to get some Psionics going, and I might aim to get my Gnome into Summoning. I think those magic circles are for summons? No one can get them to do anything, which implies to me that they're for summoning beasts into this dimension or something. I've seen quite a few, so I'd like to do that. Human will likely go for a Psionics class, and I think my Elf is going to go into Wizardry so she can cast both healing and damaging spells. Not sure on the Celestia one, still deciding. Felpurr is my Thief, and I'll likely push her into more combat-oriented classes, though I am a bit hesitant to do that. We rely so heavily on Thief to crack chests, but there are spells for that too.

Progressing smoothly. I feel like I need to just charge the main story, because most of what I'm encountering is still easily blown away. Apparently, bosses included.

[atomic-thomas]

(Fake ASMR Commission) Picked Up By A Rebel Giantess

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

"Let's see. What to eat today. I'm out of vegetables. Don't have any fruit either. Jeez, I've really been slacking on resources lately. Do I at least have some animal meat left in the cooler?"

...

"Damn. Nothing. Looks like I'll have to go foraging today. Didn't realize I was running this low on food."

*door opening & closing sound*

"Oh... Hey Giganta. What's up?"

...

"Sigh... No, I don't feel like hunting humans today."

...

"Yeah, I know I don't really feel like hunting humans... Any day."

...

"I've been acting strange recently. What do you mean? I feel fine."

...

"Ugh... Okay. You got me. Truth is... I'm not fine. In fact, I'm anything but fine."

...

"Giganta, I've been very distressed these past few weeks. I'm realizing more & more... The person I want to be rather than the person I'm expected to be."

...

"What I'm saying is... I don't want to harm humans anymore."

...

"Yeah, you heard me. I'm done with that business. I have no desire to hurt them. And I never will ever again."

...

"I've gotten soft. That's where you're wrong, Giganta. I've learned compassion. I've realized that humans are so similar to us. Thier mental capabilities, the way they socialize, their ability to adapt & work together to solve problems... Besides our size difference & notable lack of physical strength, we're basically the same. Humans can achieve great things. Why be enemies with them when we could be allies? What's wrong with establishing peace?"

...

"You're not seeing the bigger picture here. If we made peace with humans, we'd gain more & lose less."

...

"Too much work. Okay, that's a fair point. It definitely wouldn't be an overnight affair, but the long term effects would have immense benefits. I'm telling you I know what I'm talking about. So what's the real problem here?"

...

"Not the way of the giants. So you expect me to conform? Is this some unwritten law I should be aware of?"

...

"It's treason. How is that treason? Do you even know what that word means? I just don't want to attack humans anymore. I'm done with that lifestyle."

...

"You're going to tell the chief?! What do you expect him to do?! Exile me?!"

...

"An act against giant-kind?! Did you not listen to a single word I said? I'm not betraying any of you. I'm just doing what's right in my eyes."

...

"You know what?! Fine! Go ahead & tell him. And tell him this while you're at it. He doesn't even need to exile me. I'm gonna leave on my own volition. I clearly don't belong here anymore."

...

"I'm gonna pack my belongings now. Goodbye, Giganta. Maybe one day, you'll realize how precious life is."

..........

*giant footstep sound effects*

"Uuuggghhh!!! This is so bad. I wasn't prepared to leave today. I knew I would've left eventually, but this is too soon. I still haven't eaten anything today. The timing couldn't have been any worse."

"I guess I could uproot some trees & eat those if I'm desperate enough, but... They taste so bitter & bad. They're really crunchy & get stuck in my teeth."

"Wait a second..."

*giant footstep sounds stop for a moment*

"That's a human down there. Maybe I can talk to them."

"Oh... They're running away. Guess I can't blame them. Although... I can't really let them go either. I have to at least try to convince them that I'm not a threat."

*faster giant footstep sounds for just a moment, but not a run.*

"Gotcha!"

...

"Shhhh... Calm down, little human. I have no intention of hurting you. I'm just gonna bring you up to my face."

...

"Yeah, I'm serious. You don't have to struggle. You're just going to exhaust yourself. I'm not your enemy."

...

"You don't trust me. Why not? If I really had any ill intent, you'd already be dead right now."

...

"You've done your research. Oh, I'm sure you have. I bet you've also heard stories about how we giants are such savage creatures & that you should never tread upon their territory or you'll most certainly die... Right?"

...

"Figures. Well normally, you'd be right to assume that because it is mostly true... However... I am, to my knowledge, the first exception to what you've been taught. I'm not like other giants. At least... Not anymore."

...

"I'd turn that frown upside down if I were you because you're not dying today. Tell me... What's your name, little one?"

...

"That's nice. My name is Titania. And I'm a giantess from the great marsh. Have you heard of that region?"

...

"I thought so. Any human worth their salt would brush up on their knowledge of regions where giants live."

...

"Finally calming down, huh? About time. I was wondering when you'd relax. I'm serious when I say that you'll be fine. You can trust me. I promise."

*stomach growling sound*

"Ah, jeez. You totally heard that, didn't you? I need to eat something soon. I'm really hungry."

...

"Oh My God, please calm down. I'd rather starve to death than eat you. Just relax, okay? You're not on my menu. I swear."

...

"You have some apples. How many? I hope it's a lot because I need many just for a sufficient snack. Let alone a whole meal."

...

"Only three. Eh, you can keep them. At least you'll get some actual value out of them. If I ate them, it would just be a waste. I'd need least a hundred apples to be even remotely satisfied."

...

"Why did I pick you up. Oh yeah. I guess I should explain. Kinda awkward how I'm just standing here with you in my hands. I need to keep searching for food. Here. I'll put you on my shoulder while I walk."

...

"Hmmm... I don't want you to accidentally fall off my shoulder while I'm walking. I know. I'll tie my hair around you to keep you in place. It'll be like a soft, fluffy belt."

...

"There. Are you comfortable?"

...

"Great! Guess I should start explaining myself."

*giant footstep sounds continue*

"So... As you know... I obviously come from a race of giants. Specifically the clan of the great marsh."

"Like most giants, I lived a... Let's just say... Brutish lifestyle for a long time. I was raised to destroy & conquer. Giants battle for land, food, overall superiority & well... We're really good at it."

"And of course, humans are a prime target for us since they give us the most competition. But one day... Recently at that... I realized that humans & giants aren't so different from each other. Besides our obvious size difference, we're biologically & intellectually identical."

"This made me feel like... I was harming a smaller version of my own race. Whenever I see a human experiencing fear or pain... I'm able to relate & feel sympathy. The more I harmed humans, the less enjoyable it became. It didn't feel fulfilling or rewarding anymore. It just felt... Wrong. In fact, the last time I killed a human sickened me so much that I wanted to vomit. The strain on my heart, the stress on my mind... It was miserable."

"And this morning, I finally snapped. A fellow giantess named Giganta asked me if I wanted to hunt humans today. And I couldn't bring myself to oblige. I just didn't want to do it anymore."

"The conversation quickly spiraled out of control. It turned into an argument & I just ended up leaving. I couldn't take it anymore."

...

"Yes, this is where you come in. Without the companionship of my fellow giants, I was isolated & alone. And I couldn't begin making peace with humans until I tried talking to at least one. So I found you, picked you up &... Well, here we are now. I told you more information than I did with Giganta. With her, I just got angry & left. The argument ended before I could be bothered to say more. Not that it matters. She probably wouldn't have listened anyway."

...

"Heh... Yeah. I guess this makes me a rebel now. I can see this making waves throughout the land at some point. Titania the Rebel Giantess defies the ways of her own race on a quest to make peace with humans. That's me. That's what I want."

"I also really want food right now. Traveling on an empty stomach is painful."

...

"I swear I haven't even considered eating you. I'm not going to throw away a human's life just for some fleeting short-lived relief. That would completely go against my long-term goal & negate the reason I left my clan in the first place. I'll endure as long as I have to."

"Wait a second..."

*giant footstep sounds stop*

"Is that a fungal forest over there?"

...

"Oh My God, it is! Yes! Food! Sustenance! Giant mushrooms! And in such vast quantities. I love mushrooms! This is the best thing that could've happened."

...

"You like mushrooms to. Fantastic! Now... Leave the foraging to me. While I do that, you should gather some firewood. We'll light a big bonfire so we can cook them. I'll untie you from my hair & put you down so you can get started."

..........

*fire crackling ambience*

"Hahhh... It feels great to rest my legs & enjoy a good meal. How do those mushrooms taste?"

...

"Of course they're delicious. They're so filling & naturally flavorful. We didn't even need any seasonings. They taste great on their own."

"So... Tell me little one. Do you have any family back home or are you a lone adventurer?"

...

"I sense hesitation from you. Do you still not trust me? Have I not proven my innocence yet?"

...

"I... I'm sorry. I suppose I should understand how this feels for you. I shouldn't expect a human to reveal their family to a giant. Given our... Reputation & all."

...

"Oh! Your family is still around. That's nice. Guess you felt comfortable telling me after all. Are they doing well?"

...

"That's great to hear. I'd love to meet them. You know... Get acquainted with more humans... Establish healthy bonds... Use my strength for good. It all sounds so fun."

...

"Well... Yeah. I can understand why a giant approaching a human home could be alarming. I can't exactly walk up to them & say 'Hello'. No matter how friendly I try to be, they'd most likely scream in terror & run away from me."

"Actually, now that I think about it, I didn't even consider the possibility of you & your family living in a village with even more humans. Is this the case?"

...

"It is. Hmmm... In that case, a direct approach would most certainly result in conflict. I don't exactly want to spears thrown & arrows shot at me just for saying 'Hi'."

...

"Yeah... And I definitely don't want people slashing at my feet with swords either. I also wouldn't want to step on anyone by accident for that matter."

"I don't know. Should I even bother? This seems like it would be really difficult."

...

"Yes, I do want some more human friends. We... Are friends now, right? I don't think we really established that yet."

...

"Okay, yeah. I figured. We're already this chummy. I shouldn't expect any less. You're not just agreeing because you're afraid to say 'No', are you? I wouldn't judge you If you declined although I would be sad about it."

...

"You really mean it. Ahh... Thanks. That's such a relief to hear. Makes me feel like I've done a good job so far. So what's the plan? How will I be able to meet your friends & family without causing a mass panic?"

...

"You could be an ambassador. Really? You'd actually do that for me?"

...

"Aww... Thank you so much. That's a great idea. It means a lot to me. Hopefully, your fellow humans will listen. I don't want to be feared or seen as a monster, but rather..."

"A beacon of hope."

*fire crackling sounds stop*

------------------------------------------------------‐-------

THE END

[rileythelonelyalien]

BSD Fyodor x sick! GN reader

You open your eyes as you feel your head throb, and your throat is dry. Furrowing your eyebrows, you borrow your head into the abundance of pillows and blankets, clinging to your stuffed animal for comfort. You thought to yourself ‘oh god why must I fall ill now of all times!’ After a short while of sulking, you raise your head feeling extremely dizzy as soon as you make the intention to sit up. A low sigh escapes your lips as you get out of bed and retrieve your laptop off your desk, if you were too ill to attend work in person you will have to firstly call in sick and have to continue to work at home. You had a deadline that your boss had set and you could not afford to miss it. After suffering through a call from your boss reprimanding you for something that was not your fault, you reluctantly open your laptop and load up your work. 

You’ve spent hours in front of the screen typing and making calculations, you scowled to yourself ‘why must people at work be so incompetent I'm practically doing all their work’ you thought. A huff left your lungs as you looked at the time and realised you haven't gotten yourself anything to help with your most horrible of moods. You set your leg out of the bed and made an effort to stand without having your legs give out, using the wall for support you made your way to the kitchen. 

In the hallway you see a familiar figure pass by before stopping and turning to look at you. As you met his eyes, he gave you a curious look ‘I had assumed you would be at work by now’ he hummed to himself. You gave him a weak smile ‘well I'm sure it's obvious but I'm not in the best of health today so I've been working on the bed’ a nervous chuckle followed behind. His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he closed the gap between you ‘Fyodor Wha-’ your question was cut when he put his lips to your forehead. As he pulls away, he quietly states ‘you do seem to be warm, have you taken your temperature?’ You shake your head ‘ah no, I haven't, I've been too busy with trying to do my work I haven't been able to relax yet, in fact this is the first time I’ve gotten out of bed’ you explained yourself to your beloved. You hear a sigh come from him as he moves in once again and proceeds to pick you up ‘well seems like your priorities are misplaced, you must stay in bed I'll be here if you require anything, you do know that yes?’ 

With that he carried you back to your shared bed where your laptop lies, your work deadlines taunting you. He proceeds to take your laptop ‘and this is where our problem lies, you must not overexert your body when you are in such condition, моя любовь I shall bring you some medicine and a meal to bring your strength back’ He disappeared away into the house you both abided in. His scent still lingering, it soothed you. Not too long since then you hear his soft footsteps approach the room. You hear the door creak open and you emerge from yourself made cocoon of blankets. An amused smile graces his face ‘are you comfortable моя любовь?’  Being in such a weak condition all you could do is smile softly and hum in agreement. Fyodor sets the medicine down on your bedside table and he carefully sits down on the bed cautious not to accidentally crush your legs. You bring yourself to sit up so that you could face him properly ‘I have your medicine here, please take it ‘he states as you look to the bedside table and take the medicine in hand as you pour yourself some onto a spoon and swallow. A look of disgust tugs at your face, he smiles amused by your reaction, you quickly reach out to the glass of water and guzzle it down in an attempt to rid of such a horrid taste off your palette. ‘Ugh I hate being ill, everything just seems to be against me’ you complain as you let your body go limp and sink into the blankets underneath.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips and he states ‘Even when your body is being tantalised by the unseeable, you still hold such an ethereal glow’ Although your face was already warm thanks to your fever you could feel your skin tingle as your face got even warmer. He couldn't help but smile as he saw your reaction to his words. You continue to lay in your bundle of blankets and pillows, without warning Fyodor asserts himself next to you on your shared bed ‘my matters can wait for a small while, it would be cruel if i were to leave you all on your lonesome’ a ghost of a smile graces his lips as he awaits you to accept his embrace. 

You revel in his rare show of compassion and further lean into his body. The slow rhythm of his breathing and the beat of his heart soothed you, lulling you to go to sleep. Before you lose your conscience entirely you manage to half mumble out ‘I love you Fyodor, thank you for taking care about be’ you smile as you finish your sentence and proceed to drift off into the land of sleep. Unbeknownst to you Fyodor had heard what you had mumbled and now he lays staring at your face now snugly against his chest. A small sigh escapes him as he realises just how much he is infatuated with you, no one shall come to harm even if it costs him the world. Nothing will stand in his way, No one will be able to taint your purity, no one will corrupt you with sin. Soon after he had finished his internal monologue and determined where his plans shall lead to next, he had fallen asleep too, in your comfort he has found solace.

AN: lol sorry that this suddenly different from my different posts, also I know this Fyodor is super ooc but I wrote it ages ago back in May and I thought I would post it I have some other works as well related to this character but I don't know I ill post them just yet. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this soft(ish?) fic lol!! :)))

[holdingforgeneralhugs]

Bitter Pill to Swallow

Chapter 3 (Ch.2, Ch.1)

Thank you again to the lovely @tvserie-s-world for letting me use her screencaps💕

"Curahee!"

Valarie grinned as she cheered along with her fellow paratroopers. Liebgott managed to slosh some of his drink onto her boots but she couldn't bring herself to get mad about it. After the thrill of completing the five qualifying jumps and managing not to vomit during any of them, Valerie and the rest of Easy felt like they were on top of the world.

She spotted Gene getting a drink at the bar and wandered over to him. He jumped when she clapped him on the shoulder, whacking her in the arm good naturedly for frightening him. Valerie grinned before turning to George who had just popped up with a drink for Gene.

"Hey Georgie, you got another one of those beers under there for me?" She asked.

"That depends," George responded cheekily, "you gonna tell me the magic word of the night?"

"The magic word of the night," Valerie teased, "is kiss my ass and gimme a beer Luz."

George smirked and reached under the counter, pulling out a full glass and planting it firmly on the counter in front of her. He got a mischievous twinkle in his eye then and reached under to grab a glass for himself.

"Now in response to your cheek," stated Luz, in a scarily accurate impersonation of Sink, "I'll have to challenge you to a contest. Whoever downs their drink the quickest gets a full pack of lucky strikes."

"Well how could I back down from a challenge like that," smirked Valerie. "You wanna get in on the fun Gene?" She asked, laughing when Gene vehemently shook his head.

"Oh no, I'm quite happy to drink my beer and watch you two act the fool," he retorted, sipping his drink and leaning against the counter. George and Valerie shared a look, and with a nod they raced to down their drinks. Clearly they'd drawn a crowd, because she could hear the guys shouting out a countdown around her. With a gasp she slammed her glass on the counter, and cried out in dismay when she realised George had just beat her.

"C'mon Val, hand em over," he teased, holding out his hand and fluttering his fingers. She grumbled something about him obviously cheating before pressing her precious box of lucky strikes into his palm. He opened them gleefully and plucked one out for himself before holding out the box to her.

"Aw c'mon Val, you didn't think I'd take em and not offer you one as a peace offering did ya?"

She rolled her eyes but took one gratefully, nodding her thanks to him when he lit it for her. He placed another drink on the counter for her and she took a sip, content to enjoy this glass.

Toye and the mortar gang had decided to stick around at the bar, and she laughed with them as they challenged each other to drinking games. She almost choked on her drink when Skip spilled beer all down his shirt in his eagerness to beat Penk, who was surprisingly good at downing drinks.

"Hate to interrupt your fun fellas, but I was wondering if I could have a word with Lieutenant Landry."

She went stiff in her seat, cigarette in hand suspended right in front of her lips. She glanced to her right and met Gene's eyes, and he was giving her a very pointed look. She glared back at him before turning around and facing her fellow Lieutenant. He gestured towards a quieter corner and she nodded, following him without a word. She smoked her cigarette harshly, wondering what he could possibly want with her tonight of all nights.

"So," he started cautiously, "The batallion officers are drinking in another room to let the enlisted men enjoy themselves here. Nix, Welsh and I were wondering if you'd like to join us?"

She stared back at him sceptically. Outside of the necessary consultations on exercises they hadn't spoken since their argument, and she wasn't quite sure what to say now that he was.

He could sense her hesitation and sighed softly. "Look Landry, I know we haven't exactly gotten off on the right foot but we're celebrating tonight, so how about we put all that aside and enjoy a well deserved night off?"

She contemplated that for a moment, but she agreed that a night off was well deserved, and the men would probably have more fun without any officers breathing down their necks.

"Alright then," she sighed, "lead the way."

He seemed almost surprised that she'd agreed so easily, but he recovered quickly and led her out of the room and down the hall to a smaller room.

"Hell Landry, what a delightful surprise," grinned Lewis when he spotted her walking in behind his friend. He was standing behind the bar and pouring a very generous helping of VAT 69 for himself.

"Don't get used to it Nixon," she shot back.

"Oh don't worry," he replied nonchalantly as she took a seat at the bar, "we're all very aware that you prefer the enlisted men to us 'stuffy' officers."

Ah, so he'd overheard her talking to Bill that day he'd asked her why she was hardly ever with the other officers. "Yeah well, ain't my fault you all wouldn't know fun if it slapped ya," she retorted. Lewis and Harry exchanged a glanced and then burst out laughing.

"You know what Landry," Lewis chuckled, "you're not half bad. What's your poison then? Or are you on the soda water with Dick here?"

"Why am I not surprised Saint Winters doesn't drink?" She snarked, rolling her eyes, "I'll have some of that VAT 69 if you please."

He looked sideways to Dick at her comment, and if he didn't know him so well he would have missed the slight tick in his jaw. Lewis decided to note that down to ask him about it later.  He poured Valerie a generous glass, and whistled in surprise when she downed it in one and put the glass back down in front of him expectantly.

"Hell Nix," chuckled Harry, "I think you may have met your match on the drinking front." Lewis smirked as he poured her another and topped up his own glass. He picked up his and tilted it towards her expectantly.

"I think Harry here may be on to something there," he grinned, "what d'ya say Landry, why don't we start anew and be drinking buddies?"

Valerie sized him up for a moment, contemplating. She'd tended to avoid spending much time with her fellow Easy officers, preferring the company of the enlisted men. She still maintained they were stuffy as hell, but maybe they weren't all bad. Sure, Nixon was another rich jerk from another posh college, but he did seem like the kind of guy who knew how to have a good time. As for Welsh, he was a late addition to the crew and she hadn't exactly taken too much troubles to talk to him. Maybe if she gave them a chance she might grow to like them.

"Hell Landry, you sure know how to keep a guy hanging," quipped Lewis, shaking his glass in front of hers. She rolled her eyes at his impatience but smiled slightly as she clinked her glass against his and they downed their drinks in unison.

"Well I wouldn't want to seem too eager, now would I?" She smirked, sliding her glass across the counter for another. He raised an eyebrow at her sceptically and she narrowed her eyes at him as if to say 'are you doubting I can handle it?' He poured again and watched with fascination as she downed it.

"Jesus Landry you really are somethin' else aren't you?" He laughed.

"I'm here all week folks," she grinned, spreading her arms and doing a mock bow, with Harry and Lewis joining in with a round of applause. It was fun, they were fun, and she thought that maybe, just maybe giving them a chance wouldn't be so bad after all.

She felt a pair of eyes on her and when she looked beyond Harry she was unsurprised to find two blue eyes watching her intently.

"Something you'd like to say Winters?" She asked, narrowing her eyes at him. He sat up a little straighter then and cleared his throat, clearly not expecting she'd pay him any mind.

"Well, I...was just thinking to myself that I'd never met a lady that could drink like that," he replied honestly. Valerie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Well then it's lucky I ain't no lady, as I've already told you," she replied dismissively, "and there's a whole lotta things you don't know about me."

"Well it'd be hard to know anything about you since you hardly ever talk to us."

Lewis eyed his friend in surprise, and he shared a look with an equally shocked Harry. He subtly poured himself and Harry another drink and sat back to see how it would all play out.

"Well maybe I would talk to you more if you weren't so godamn stiff. You got the rule book stuck up your ass or something?" Valerie snapped. Dick gazed back at her, his jaw clenching and his eyebrows furrowed.

"And maybe if you weren't so argumentative, or didn't act like you were so much better than us, you wouldn't be such a chore to be around."

His eyes widened the minute he realised what he'd said, and she could see that he was about to try and apologise for it, not that she would give him the chance. He'd meant every word of what he said, and they all knew it.

"Well I'll be sure not to impose on your time any longer," she hissed, pushing her glass across the counter and standing abruptly. "Lewis, Harry, it's been fun. We should do it again sometime."

Without waiting for a response she marched from the room.  Lewis and Harry watched her walk out the door before turning to Dick with barely smothered smirks.

"Wow Dick," Lewis said, "I've never seen you get so animated. What's going on with there?"

"Yeah," chimed Harry, "I didn't think anyone could get under your skin."

Dick finished off his own drink and placed the glass on the counter, unwilling to meet their eyes. "There's nothing going on," he stated as he pulled on his coat, "Now if you don't mind I'm gonna hit the hay. I'll see you two in the morning."

"Aw c'mon Dick don't be like that," pleaded Lewis, "there's clearly something going on."

Dick shook his head and bid them both goodnight as he walked out the door.

"I'll get it out of him yet, don't you worry," promised Lewis, pouring himself and Harry another drink. There was clearly something with those two and he'd be dammed if he was left out of the loop.

Taglist: @tvserie-s-world @generousdreamlanddestiny @sunsetmando @geniedocroe

[enigma-im]

Fourth Day of Christmas...

Trope: Damsel in Distress (Trigger warnings) Relationship: Dragon x Human Word Count: 7,990

Nobody knew about the Dragon living in the old castle. When the crew went over to tear it down they woke him. The task of collecting bricks seems shallow to the lives lost at the jaws of the mighty beast. All who near his home face a treacherous death, few make it back to tell the tale. The king grows restless, stubborn, and bitter about the loss of an abandoned castle. It meant nothing to him at first and now it means everything.

"Father, when are you going to get out of this stuffy office," I ask, pulling back the curtains. The room has taken on a sour smell, the king being the center of it. The litter decorates his desk and floor, piles of paper stacked on the edges of the table.

"When I'm done," he winces at the light," you understand, darling, the wretched dragon still runs amok. I cannot rest while he kills more of my people."

I scoff, picking up the crumpled pieces of paper," wouldn't have to worry about that if you just left the stupid thing alone."

"Excuse me," he snaps," would you rather have the beast fly down to our part of the world and snatch up our people for his meals? I say, I had you pictured as a better princess than that." I bite back a remark. I cannot have this argument again. Nowadays it's all we can talk about, that cursed scaled bird.

I straighten his station and much as I can, first wanting the excuse to speak with him and now wishing to leave as soon as possible. That dragon has twisted him, turning all his thoughts to destroying it and wearing its hide as armor. This ridiculous feud hasn't gotten us anywhere, just more people dead.

Wondering the castle I try to find ways to entertain myself. With father busy calling out for help to the knights of the area he no longer has time for me. I'm so narcissistic to assume he should only cater to me but I was his sidekick in matters of the kingdom. It was nice being useful for that short time. I sigh, looking up at the painting decorating the halls.

"I just want something to do," I mumble," I wish he would stop bothering with that stupid dragon."

The afternoon rolls into night with another day wasted roaming the halls. I retire to my room, falling into my bed with an annoyed huff. Tossing and turning all through the night as sleep evades me. How can one sleep when they haven't done anything during the day to earn it? A crack of thunder sounds in the distance, though no light shines through the window. I lay back and listen for the rain.

Closer now thunder echoes around me, startling my body into sitting up. I look towards my balcony, trying harder to listen for rain or see the bright flickers of light. I hear nothing, I see nothing. Getting up out of bed I walk over to the double doors, pulling back the curtain to look out at the land. Seeing nothing I open the door.

Walking out onto the balcony I take the moment to admire the dimly lit kingdom below. I soon look to the sky, seeing the beautiful starry night. Not a cloud in sight despite the loud cracks of thunder. Confused, I turn back to my room.

As I walk for my doors I catch movement out the corner of my eye. I freeze. Turning slowly a gut dropping sight greets me. Hanging off the roof, latched onto the side of the wall, is a crimson dragon. It's golden eyes watch me, it's clawed hands gripping the banister of the balcony.

"Evening, princess," he purrs, his tongue slithering out. I recoil a step, dumbfounded and terrified as I grab at the door. Not looking away from him I slowly try to tug the handle towards me. His large head turns as the hinges creak. He stretches out his wings, pushing it back just as slowly as it was opened.

"Let's not make this harder than it needs to be," he crawls onto the balcony," I have no intentions of harming such a delicious looking morsel." I gulp, taking another step back as he approaches. He cuts off the door, circling me, guiding me towards the railing. I jump when my back hits the wood beam, steadying myself as I grab it in a tight grip. He regards me with amusement, stalking closer till his face is in front of mine.

"Please," I whimper, turning away. His horridly warm breath fans over my face, his tongue slithering out inches from my cheek. I shake in terror, wanting to scream, or run, or… something.

"Pretty, pretty," he sniffs at my hair," you would make a fine addition to my hoard." his claws trail over my waist as he guides me away from the banister. I stiffen at his touch, walking forward in hopes of lessening the contact. He tugs me against his chest, his warmth invading me. Without preamble, he crouches, stretches his wings, and launches into the air. I hear the balcony crack, the rails snapping off from the force.

I scream, clenching the damned beast tighter as he begins his ascent over the kingdom. My nails dig into his skin, feeling his laugh against my chest. He lets out a triumphant roar as he flies over the plains, his roar sounding similar to thunder. I whimper, clenching my eyes shut and hoping for a swift death.

We land in the ruins of a castle, falling through the caved-in roof of the main room. He stomps through the halls, his nails biting into my waist and his scales rubbing into my skin. We twist and turn down many halls till we enter a large bedroom. He sets me down, gentle to my surprise. I watch him waddle away towards a broken frame of a bed. The mattress sits on the floor surrounded by a large number of pillows and blankets, a nest. He plops down, resting like a dog with his chin on his hands.

I look at him confused, barely taking in the rest of the room as I fear for my life. What should I do now? Surely he plans to eat me as one last insult to the king. To pick my bones clean and personally deliver them to the palace front steps. That gruesome images plan on and on in my head till I'm trembling in the center of the room. This will be my final resting ground.

"Sit down! I'm not going to hurt you, princess," the dragon chuffs, smoke escaping from between his teeth. I jump at his gruff voice, grabbing at my chest in fear.

"W-what," I ask. I watch him twist his head towards me, eyeing me lazily.

"Do you assume I wish to eat you," he cocks a brow. I furrow mine confused.

"Well, of course, you are the man-eating dragon of old Brittania castle. Everyone knows of your appetite for men," I explain," what else would you do with the likes of me?"

His eyes roam over my body as he answers," I can think of a few things I could do with you." I stutter on his meaning, heat blossoming over my cheeks. Surely he didn't mean that.

"I-I have no uses, sir, I cannot think what I could possibly do for a dragon besides be his meal," I fidget, shifting weight from side to side.

He snorts," you clearly haven't entertained many men if you believe you have no uses for the likes of me."

I scoff at his insinuation," are you being crude?"

"No, I'm being lewd. Crude would mean I'm being simple or unrefined. I'm being more perverse and sexual," he explains. I'm caught off guard by his words, it rather educated than most. Even though he has been immodest, I'm near impressed with his explanation.

"Well, I have no use like that in either definition," I huff," if I may be so bold as to make a request, eat me if you wish to do anything lewd."

"Well, here I thought you would be stuck up and boring. Foolish of me to assume a spawn of king Fjord wouldn't be anything but," he looks away again, resting his eyes. I wait, expecting more from this strange conversation but he stays put. I almost feel brave enough to demand answers but seeing his large tail lazily flick a pillow aside stops that. So many questions run through my head as I stand in the room. There surely has to be a purpose for kidnapping me. I cannot be so ignorant to assume it's for money like normal men. What would a dragon even do with gold?

My legs grow tired, forcing me to sit against the farthest wall. I debate leaving, looking to the open door many times. I try to recall the journey from the main room to here, remembering the collapsed ceiling blocking the main exit. Even if I managed to sneak out of the palace, how would I get home? I do not know my way from here to there. The journey would be spent getting lost and starving to death if the animals don't get to be first. I drop my shoulders and sigh. No, it seems to stay put is sadly my best option.

The morning I awake to loud stomping shaking the floor. I startle awake, wincing as my back pops. My shoulders ache as I lean over my legs. Stretching I try to alleviate the pain some, failing utterly. This is as bad as when I fall asleep in the stables after playing outside too long. Though this is perhaps a tad worse. My shoulder pops as I raise my hands above my head and groan.

"All these pillows and blankets and you didn't think to grab one, or even sleep on the bed," the dragon says. I stiffen, looking to the beast.

"I wasn't sure if I'd be allowed," I answer quickly. He chuffs, shaking his head in disbelief.

"a princess who doesn't take without asking, surely the world's gone mad," he laughs dryly. I grimace, hating the jab more than I can admit.

"I was raised by good parents who taught me to ask first," I bite back, stretching out my legs with another groan. He watches me, sizing me up before rolling onto his back.

"Excuse me, I've never met any royalty who could be accused of 'being raised right'," he wiggles on the blankets, scratching his back," you all are a bunch of greedy bastards who will take anything even if force is necessary."

"Bold of you to say having taken me from my home," I scoff under my breath. He rolls back onto his stomach, arching his back. It's fascinating to watch him move, the light from the window making his scales shine. I've never seen a dragon besides in picture books, this is truly a once in a lifetime sight. Even if he looks smaller than I'd imagine.

"food," he grunts," what should a man-eating dragon eat for breakfast?" he looks to me, licking his teeth. I recoil, flattening my back to the wall to be further away. He crawls off his nest, stalking towards me with smoke rolling out his nose. I shuffle onto my feet, stumbling to the farther corner of the room. He prowls as I try to find anything to fight him with, my corner lacks proper protection. As he steps closer I nearly whimper, not wishing to die so soon in my life. He reaches out a claw, snatching my shirt and forcing me on my rear. Towering above me he licks at my cheek, humming to himself.

"Sweet," he purrs. His maw opens, his teeth grazing my skin as he covers my neck. My heart beats wildly, making my head dizzy with the rush. I shut my eyes. His teeth press hard enough to dimple my skin, his tongue slathering my neck in spit. Before I can pass out from the adrenaline, he lets go.

"Looking a bit pale there, princess," he chuckles," you don't actually think I'll eat a pretty thing like you?"

I squint my eyes open, looking at his amused face. Confused, I turn back to him, watching as his lips curl into a smile.

"Of course I assumed you would," I snap," why else would I be here if not to fill your belly?"

He purrs," perhaps to let me fill yours?" I gawk at him, flustered at the suggestion. He barks out a laugh, taking a few steps back.

"lewd," I cross my arms," Lewd and mean."

He shrugs," I've been called worse."

The dragon waddles out to a side room. The doorframe is broken with the archway crumbled on the floor. I wait patiently for him to return, still confused about my purpose here. At the palace it was clear what I was to do and not do, as of lately it was a whole lot of nothing. The dragon returns dragging in a half mauled cow. He drags the horrid thing beside his bed, lounging on the pillows before feasting on the creature. I watch in disgust as he shoves his snout into the open chest. He tugs off a piece of meat, chewing happily as he looks over to me.

"Want some," he asks, nodding to the meat. I cringe at the meat, looking at him equally grossed out.

"I think I would literally die if I ate that," I answer.

He huff," drama queen. It's this or nothing."

"Then it's nothing, I can't eat raw meat," I answer.

"Can't eat ra-," he shakes his head," humans are too much."

I watch as he tugs off another piece of meat, pulling it out his mouth with pinched claws. He holds the morsel out in front of himself, lightly blowing on it. The air around his fingers seems to waver as if extreme heat is being applied. The meat begins to brown the longer he blows till the smell of cooked beef scents the air. He inspects the meat, nodding in approval before looking to me.

"there, cooked," he stretches his hand," now stop being difficult." I look from him to the meat. I'm reluctant to crawl over to him, still thinking of his neck clasped in his mouth. Crawling over I snatch the meat before retreating back to my corner. I take a tentative nibble, acknowledging its lack of flavor.

"Thoughts," he asks around another mouthful.

I chew the tough meat," it's dry."

He snorts," can't say that I'm a high-class chef. People generally say thank you but I guess I shouldn't expect that from royals."

I eat the rest of the meat, choking it down before I can think too much about it. The dragon inhales his meal like a savage, ripping and clawing at the meat with small growls.

"Thank you," I mumble. I couldn't figure he would hear me over the sounds of his loud chewing. Huddling in the corner I wait for whatever will happen next.

"You're welcome, princess," he says as he inspects the cow's head.

He eats for so long that I'm almost used to his grotesque manners. I actually grow bored sitting her before this ancient beast. Admiring his scales and the large room can only entertain for so long. As I reach my last strand of patience I demand his attention.

"Why am I here," I finally ask, the tension of the question pulling taunt. He freezes, looking to me over the nearly cleaned ribcage.

"Payback," he answers casually.

"To the king?"

"Who else? He keeps trying to take my home so I'll take his daughter," he looks back to his food," don't need to worry, I have no plans of harming you. I just want to make a deal with him. I'll give you back if he stops sending his men to try and kill me. Because despite what you may believe, I do not enjoy eating men…too oily for my taste."

I want to laugh if the image of him chewing up soldiers wasn't so horrid. Him admitting his plan does take the pressure off my shoulders. I believe I can trust him to keep his words, even if he is lewd and disgusting. It shouldn’t be too long before father sends one of his men up here to try to rescue me. Perhaps I can try to enjoy the company until then.

"What's your name," I ask as he shoves the bones aside and begins picking his teeth. He licks at his lips as he cocks a brow towards me.

"Kodim," he answers," what about you, princess?"

"Marie," I smile," I would say it's nice to meet you but I'd be lying. Hello Kodim."

"and I'll say with the utmost honesty that it has been a pleasure to meet you, Marie," he bows. I'm surprised by the bow, not truly expect something so polite. Perhaps he does have redeemable qualities that live up to his elegant status.

"So, what do you do here for fun besides kidnap princesses and eat the king's men," I only half-joke.

He shrugs, rolling over onto his side," not much. Besides eating, sleeping, rubbing one out, and hunting, I don't have much else to do."

I bunch my face up confused," rubbing one out?"

He sits up, a smile starting to curl up his face," you don't know rubbing one out?"

"Can't say that I do," I say cautiously. The mischievous look in his eyes tells me enough about where this may be going.

"excuse me for being lewd again but I really don't know how to explain it otherwise," he starts," it's masturbation. To rub my cock till I cum."

My neck heats up, rolling down my chest and up my face. An unwanted image of him doing such a thing in those pillows makes me cringe. I shake my head to rid the horrid thought, making him laugh in the process.

"Don't act so prude, princess, I'm sure you have done the deed in the seclusion of your room," he teases.

"For your information, I haven't, and I would be ever thankful if we changed the topic to something less invasive," I huff, embarrassed with myself. There isn't much I don't know but desires of the flesh is a genre I don't particularly dabble in. so much is to be done most of the time that I can't be bothered with thinking about what the maidens giggle about in gossip.

"Alright, alright, I didn't mean to fluster the pure princess. How about we talk about you, living the high life up in the 'untouchable' kingdom of Duloc," he scoffs at the end. This dragon has made his distaste of my land very clear, along with his hatred of my father. It's truly a blessing that he hasn't offed me for the sole crime of being born into high-class living.

"What is there to talk about? It's not an exciting life like people expect," I shrug, getting comfortable in my corner. I shimmy this way and that, getting poked and prodded with rocks.

"Come sit in my nest, watching you struggle to get situated is going to drive me insane," he exaggerates. With a sigh of defeat, I crawl over to his bedding, stopping before I can touch it as his previous activities echo in my head.

"Are these," I look up to him," Clean?"

He shrugs.

"ew," I sit back on the ground near the bedding. He barks out a quick laugh, snickering to himself as he reaches over. I try to bat away his hands but he snatches me by the leg and drags me onto the bedding. Sitting stiffly beside him he snorts.

"Tell me an average day in the life of a princess," he lounges behind me, curling around with his tail thumping in front of my legs. I can't bring myself to think just yet as I admire the spikes on the end of his tail. The appendage reminds me of a mace that's hung in my father's room.

"depends," I start," when I was younger it was filled with lots of classes. Had to learn the basics of reading and writing, studying tons of literature until my teens. Learned how to ride a horse, use table manners, math, history, and art. As an adult, I was introduced to actual work for the kingdom. How to formally address the people and begin diplomatic sessions between the ruling parties. It sounds boring but I really enjoyed helping out my father. Recently though… it hasn't been so lively." I reflect on the past year.

Father has been trying really hard to share the responsibilities with me, and I'd argue he was doing a swell job. It isn't till offers of marriage begin coming in, reminding him of his position. I can't be the son he wanted, and I think we both got to forget a little about that. Soon I will have to marry some snooty prince from another kingdom, to let him rule my people. It sours my stomach every time I think about it.

Kodim taps me with his tail, bringing my attention back to the present.

"Why is it different now," he asks.

I drop my shoulders," doesn't matter. It's nothing I can do even if I wasn't here."

He hums, turning his head to rest on his cheek," sometimes a little time away can bring perspective to things you couldn’t see before. Maybe being here is just the perspective change you need." I look to him, thinking on his advice. Could I dare to be so hopeful for a change?

"Don't try to twist this kidnapping into a positive light," I nudge his tail. He sniggers.

"Can't blame a guy for trying to make his princess happier," he jokes.

I cock a brow at him," your princess?"

He shrugs," I think we can both be optimistic about this little business deal."

We chat for a while, actually being more pleasant than I expected. One gets used to speaking with their words restrained. No one has ever spoken to me as Kodim does. It's almost…refreshing, even if it's sometimes lewd.

The next day I wake up laying in the nest next to Kodim. He is a good hands length away, curled around me. I roll over onto my back, seeing him glaring out the window.

I sit up," what's wrong?"

"A knight," he growls. I crawl out of his nest, standing as I near the broken window. Across the plain I see an armored figure riding a horse. They are still a bit a ways away but the threat is clear.

"What are you going to do," I ask, twisting around to Kodim.

"say hello," he smirks, getting up on his legs. I watch him walk out the room, stomping down the hall before I hear his thunderous roar from the skies above. Rushing to the window I catch a glimpse of him already gliding down the valley towards the knight. He circles the man, letting out another earth-shaking roar.

Kodim lets out a mighty burst of flame, cutting off the path for the rider trying to head towards the castle. The knight tries circling around, being forced back once again. I can't help but snort as he does it a third time. It's clear Kodim is messing with the poor man.

The dragon finally lands, standing stoically before the knight. I still can't help but laugh at the size difference. The survivors have told tales of a beast larger than small Kodim down there. He is still big but the exaggerations are clear. Kodim speaks to the man, walking around him as the man tries to wave his sword. Snatching the man up and slapping the sword away he lifts him high above his head, opening his mouth as he dangles the lad. The threat is clear, almost stomach retching.

I sigh in relief when he sets the man down, leaning down low the man tossed to the ground. After a moment Kodim takes flight, leaving the poor man to run to his horse and ride off away from the castle. I watch him till he is but a dot on the horizon, by then Kodim is heard stomping around outside.

"Did I kill your best men because that boy had to be some sort of insult if not," Kodim chuffs as he walks in.

"Not sure," I turn to him," I wasn't in charge of the soldiers."

"Pity," he stops beside me to look out the window," I think the king's men would have been properly motivated if they knew who they were fighting for." I scoff, ignoring his comment as I don't know if it was meant as a jab or a compliment.

"What did you tell him," I ask instead. He glances at me out the corner of his eye, then walks back to his bedding.

"Some beautiful theatrics before I told him to tell his king of the deal," he collapses on the nest," I sure hope he got all that because he looked damn near ready to piss himself."

"Well yeah, he had a scary dragon dangling him over their mouth. I'd be damn near ready to soil myself too," I defend the man.

Kodim laughs," don't flatter me so much, you'll make me soft."

I sneer," that better not be another vulgar joke." he laughs again.

Now with nothing left to do but wait I can't seem to find anything to entertain myself with. Kodim is only so amusing in such a barren room. I'm almost tempted to start cleaning the rubble up. Instead, I lounge around, trying hard to stir up some conversation with Kodim. He hasn't really done much since he left his home in the mountains. Even the story of growing up has been droll.

"What's around the castle," I ask, laying starfish on the bedding. He crawls out from his 'pantry', licking at his teeth. I watch him walk over and plop down beside me, resting his heavy head on my stomach. Air rushes out my nose along with an 'oof'. I try to push him off but he adjusts himself more on top of me. Reluctantly I let him win.

"some ruined houses, a lake, and lots of grass," he grumbles," why? Looking to escape before your father can send someone to retrieve you?"

" And ruin this vacation? As if," I pat his snout," No, I was just curious." he nuzzles against my hand, prompting me to scratch at his scales. I don't pay attention as I try to think of anything else to talk about.

"You want to see it," he asks. I stiffen at the question, constantly cautious of his double meanings. He snorts," not that, you perv, I meant the houses and lake."

"Oh," I blush," yea, I'd love to."

Kodim sits up off me, leaving me to get up and follow him as he walks out. As he reaches the door he glances over his back," maybe afterward I can show it to you," adding a wink before walking on. I stand flustered in the middle of the room, taking a moment before chasing after him.

"you're disgusting," I shout.

"Eh, you love it, princess," he bumps my leg once I catch up.

"I don’t know, jury's still out," I joke back.

"It's not a no, I'll take it," he smiles.

He guides me around the castle, lifting me once we reach the main room. Instead of flying out towards the destination, he drops me in the grass. Confused, I watch him land and begin walking away. Not questioning it I follow after.

Kodim leads us towards some torn down houses, the rock foundation is all that’s left. We look through each one, investigating the rubble with no real purpose. The conversation is amicable, him making me laugh more than a few times. I'd have to say this was a rather pleasant outing.

Back at the castle, I don't have a lot of opportunities to acts less than proper, being scolded for every unflattering snort or chuckle. Around Kodim I can be improper, even downright crass, with our conversations. He even encourages it, feeding into the conversation with his own crude comments.

With the afternoon already before us, I debate going back to his home. Yet, I'm not ready for it all to end. Kodim seems to feel the same as he knocks me from my thinking.

"You wanna see the lake," he asks.

"Can we walk from here to there and get back to the castle before it gets too dark," I ask.

"Who said anything about walking," he smirks, cocky as always.

I scrunch up confused," what would we do besides walking?"

He scoffs, crouching down and lowering a wing towards me," you can ride me."

I stare at the offering, a bit giddy at the prospect of flying with him and not held against his chest. To feel the wind in my hair and actually see the sights the height offers. I meet his eyes, biting my cheek to stop smiling.

"Now I know that's an innuendo," I joke. He barks out a laugh, snickering to himself before he gets the chance to retort.

"Only if you ask nicely," he winks," now stop, this is a once in a lifetime chance to ride a dragon. Don't ruin it."

I shake my head, amused, and begin the event of climbing on his back. He gives me a hand, using his arm as a stepping stool. I straddle the back of his neck, my legs hanging over his shoulders. I almost feel ridiculous up here, like when I first rode a horse. Looking around I try to find somewhere to hold onto. I open my mouth to ask when his wings spread out and swipe through the air. Yelping, I fall forward, squeezing his neck tightly.

"Not so tight," he grunts," choking the dragon is saved for the bedroom." his voice rumbles at my thighs, vibrating against my chest. I can't scold him for his joke as I'm looking at the ground so far below. I didn't figure I was one too afraid of heights but right now I can't piece together why I wouldn't be. I squeeze him tighter, folding my legs in against his shoulders.

"Don't look down, look ahead," he shouts. It's hard to tear my gaze from the ground. All my will power is put into looking to his neck, then his head, and finally the horizon. The fear drains slowly from me as I gawk at the view before me. The clouds look almost eye level, so close I almost dare to reach out and touch them. The trees and hills in the distances look so small, incomparable to looking at them from the castle. Up here everything feels so new, a perspective I never expected to have.

"Wow," I say in wonder.

The flight is ended shortly as I spot the lake coming into view. The sight is gorgeous, changing as we descent. For a moment I can almost see the whole lake, all edges. As we land I can see the pebbled beach below.

The landing is a bit bumpy as he more or less falls to his feet. I clench around him again, nervous about dropping the few feet to the dirt. Before I can start trying to climb off him he shakes, shifting me to his front. I yelp, holding on for dear life, to his amusement. His clawed hand rests against my back, the other cupping my rear.

"We're here," he stands on his two legs and walks to the water.

"Really," I bark," I didn't notice from the awful landing and sudden position shift."

"For someone who got to ride a dragon you seem rather hostile," he squeezes my rear.

"I wasn't till recently," I try to wiggle out his arms," and stop touching my ass!"

His laugh vibrates through me, even echoing as he sets me down. I scowl up at him, wanting to slug him in the chest for being such a jerk.

"Excuse me, princess, you are just too tempting," he purrs, falling to all fours to growl near my ear. I shove him aside, fighting back a laugh. Ignoring him, I turn to look over the lake. The sun has begun setting, making streaks of light dance over the water. I've never actually seen such a large body of water before, only admiring ponds and fountains.

"pretty, right," he asks, walking beside me and flopping down against the rocks. He groans, stretching out on the stones. "Warm," he mumbles. I grin down at him, enjoying watching him stretch out like a cat. I plop down beside him, spreading my legs in front of me. The view keeps my attention, the fresh air clearing my head. It's really peaceful out here.

"It is pretty," I nearly whisper.

We both rest by the water, Kodim resting his head on my lap. I lazily scratch him, watching the sun begin its colorful descent. I never understood wanting to stop and smell the roses before, taking the saying too literally as a child. It makes sense now.

"Thank you," I say to Kodim.

"For what," he asks. I look down at him, seeing him snuggled against my stomach with his eyes closed. I pet over his cheek, admiring the way the scales reflect with the setting sun. an eye peaks open, looking up at me.

"For flying me out here," I look back up at the water," it's really nice."

He shuts his eye back, humming with a smile. "it's truly my pleasure, princess."

We stay well past sunset, resting against one another while stargazing. At some point we shift positions, me resting against his stomach as he curls around me. I hold his tail in my lap and watch as each star begins to shine. A breeze rolls through, making Kodim shiver and snuggle in closer to my side. I pet at his neck, figuring it's time to head back.

Groggily, Kodim gets up, stretching before helping me onto his back. We fly back to the castle, the view just as amazing with the ground looking nearly completely black. A chill runs up my spine, forcing me to curl around his back.

We fly into the collapsed ceiling and walk back to the bedroom. Kodim beats me to the nest, flopping down onto the pillows with a pleased groan. He tugs some blankets on over himself, curling nearly into a ball. I can't help but watch him, dumbfounded at the adorable display. He looks up to me, lifting his tail and patting the space in the middle of his circle. I happily walk over, snuggling in next to him.

The next morning I wake up to something shaking my shoulder. I slap the annoyance away, pulling my blanket around myself more. I'm nudged again, even grabbed and tugged forward. Startled, I open my eyes and look around. I look up to a man in overly polished armor. Before I can say anything he covers my mouth, pulling me into his arms and dragging me out of the bed. I'm confused about my course of action as this is clearly one of my father's knights but I can see Kodim still sleeping a mere foot away.

"I'm here to save you, princess, try not to make too much noise," he whispers. The title rubs me the wrong way, it not rolling off his tongue like it does Kodim's. reluctantly I nod, knowing this was how it was all supposed to end. The knight helps me up, guiding me out of the room quietly. I pass one more sad glance at Kodim, guilty that I can't say goodbye.

I follow the knight around the castle, taking a different path than the one to the main room. We walk out a large gap in the split foundation into the bright morning. He walks over to an awaiting horse, petting them on the nose before grabbing at their reigns.

"We must leave quickly before he awakes," the man says, hurrying to help me onto the horse. He jumps on behind me, kicking the sides of the horse before we ride off away from the castle. It stings to leave, already missing Kodim's company.

Once we are a good distance from the castle does he slow his horse to a walk.

"Now that you're safe, I should introduce myself," he starts rather civilized," I am prince Ricardo of Florin."

I hesitate at his title," a prince? What are you doing coming out here?"

"I had to come out here," he grabs at my waist uncomfortably," I had to save my future bride from that horrid beast, as per your father's request." my heart sinks at his words. Future bride? No, that's absurd. There is no way any prince would bother with the ride out here, let alone to a known dangerous location.

"Future bride," I ask, pushing his hands off me," now I didn't agree to any of this. Why are you really here?"

He ignores my attempts of pushing him off and wraps his arms around my middle," alas, princess, I speak the truth. I made the deal with your father to have your hand in marriage if I am successful in rescuing you from the dragon. It would have been easy to get some lowly knight but I knew this task couldn't be trusted with just anyone."

His cheesy words spoil my stomach, rotting like a half-eaten apple in the bottom of the bin. I can believe my father doing something so desperate as promising me to another. I'm not naïve to assume otherwise. What really picks at me is the fact this man took on the journey himself. All princes I've met wouldn't dare get their hands dirty with a task like this. A knight for hire would have been an obvious choice, letting them venture inside and sneak me away. No, this doesn't sound like princely behavior.

"Alright," I drop the prim and proper," what is your goal here? Think you can marry into a royal family and get all the fame and riches as you like? It's a genius plan if only the princess you planned to save was an idiot. On the account that I am not, it's best if you just take me home and we pretend none of this marriage business happened." it's a clever plan, I won't deny it. The main mission would be to save me, not kill the dragon, so it would just take a quiet hand to snatch me away. I'm almost smug being able to see through his ruse. That is until his fingers begin to dig into my skin.

"I wanted to take the ride home to endear myself to you but it seems that's not an option," he sneers," so how about I just teach you what happens to little girls who don't understand how to show gratitude to someone who helps them." I wince as he squeezes harder, a hand trailing up to my chest and groping. I freeze at the action, very unprepared for such treatment. His lips peck at the back of my neck, making my skin crawl with every caress.

"Ricardo, you better take your hands off me right this instant," I try not to let my voice waver. His answer is a chuckle, reaching under my shirt to pet at my stomach. I jerk at the feeling of his cold fingers, jumpstarting my will to fight. I wriggle in his hold, tugging his hands away as I fight to get off the horse. He gives me a hand, pushing me off into the dirt.

I hit the ground hard, wincing at my shoulder take the brunt of it. Before I can recover he is on top of me, straddling my waist. I slap at him, swinging wildly with closed fists. I beat at his armored chest and get a single weak hit against his cheek before he grabs my hands. Pinning them to the dirt and smiling down at me.

"Such a spirited little princess," he grips my hands in one of his," I'll enjoy breaking you." I fidget and jerk away, trying to free my hands or kick my feet. He just laughs at my attempts, reaching for my collar and pulling it harshly to the side. A tear echoes around the morning air, making my eyes stinging as tears threaten to fall. He gropes and plays with my breast, growing hard in his trousers. I fall lax, stopping my fight for just a moment. He smiles wide.

"Good girl," he purrs," just let it happen." he bends down to suck a nipple into his mouth, his hand trailing down my arm before grabbing at my chest. I hiccup, tears falling towards my ears. His touch repulses me, my body ready to cringe away. With him distracted I clasp my hands together and bring them down harshly to the back of his head. He yelps, trying to rise and grab my hand once again. I hit him again, knocking him aside. He falls to the ground, clasping his temple as I scurry to my feet. He makes a grab for my ankle, missing by a hair as I book it back the way we came.

"You bitch," he growls, stumbling to his feet. I don't bother looking back, running as quickly as I can. His footsteps begin a bit of way behind me but stop after a bit. I can't bring myself to rejoice in his departure, just running till I can't anymore.

The castle appears in the distance, planting a seed of joy in my heart. The sound of hooves stomping behind me squash any potential happiness. My lungs burn and my heart beats fast as I race to the crack in the foundation. Everything fades from vision besides that single skewed entrance. I don't listen to the horse closing in, or the screaming man, I just focus straight ahead.

I can almost feel the horse's breath on the back of my neck. It sending chills up my spine. I slam against the crack in the wall, crouching to crawl through it. As I wedge myself in a hand snatches at my shirt. I chance a glance behind me, seeing the red face of the prince. He pulls, I pull. I wiggle away, gaining no ground till my shirt tears. With the clothing torn off, I manage to get back into the castle.

I run through the halls, huffing and puffing as I speed through familiar territory. The bedroom door is like a holy blessing as it comes into view. I snatch the handle and run into the room. Kodim still lounges in the center of his nest, just now waking up. He groggily looks at me, not getting the situation till I fall against him. I wail, grappling him closer as I finally let myself cry.

"Whoa, whoa," he sits up, curling around me," what's wrong, what happened?" I can't answer yet. I hiccup, rubbing my face against his chest as I take the comfort of his arms around me. He is safe, I repeat in my head, Kodim won't let him take me again. It's hard to calm down as the fear still demands action. That man could be trying to get in right now, that idea makes me hug Kodim tighter.

It takes a good minute for me to collect myself enough to speak, even then it's hard. I sit up, finally looking at him. He meets my eyes, looking away for a second to look at my chest. As his eyes meet mine, he looks angry. Reaching over he grabs a blanket, wrapping it around me before asking.

"What happened, Marie," he growls. Him saying my name is enough for me to understand his ire. In the week that I've known him, he has only said my name once. It's oddly comforting to hear him say it, knowing that his playfulness has left to make way for his seriousness. I'm hurt and he isn't happy about it.

"a knight snuck in," I finally answer," an-and he took me away from here. Then he…then he said some things I didn't agree with. He- I can't." I turn away, too terrified to repeat what happened. The feel of his fingers still lingers on my body. It was all too much, I can't even say it without wanting to cry. I hiccup, sniffling as my body trembles. "Please, I can't," I whimper," I can't."

Kodim holds me against his chest, petting at my hair," it's ok, I get it, you don't have to explain. I just need to know where he is, can you do that for me, princess?"

I nod," I left him near the right-wing. He found a crack in the wall to sneak in and I used it to get back here."

"good job, princess, you did great," he rubs his snout against my head, licking at my tear-stained cheeks," I have to go get him, you ok being alone for a second?" I startle at his request, grabbing at him in a flurry of panic.

"No, no. don't leave me, Kodim, please," I beg, not caring how pathetic I look. He grabs my hands, shushing me.

"it's ok, I won't let him come near you. I'm going to find him and he won't ever hurt you, understand," he asks, I nod," good, just rest in our nest and I'll be right back." I nod again.

He guides me to lay down, tucking pillows and blankets around me. Pressing a rough kiss to my hair he storms out the door, shutting it behind himself before his steps echo down the hall. I try not to think as I snuggle into the blankets and pillows. I try to think back to last night, not believing only hours ago I was truly happy. It was nice being there with Kodim, feeling all warm and fuzzy while I rest against his stomach.

A thunderous roar breaks my thoughts, the present trying to sneak back in. I push it aside, thinking about the long hours we've spent talking in this very room. The conversations about childhood and life, memories, and moments. I like Kodim more than I realized I would. This thought brings a smile to my face.

It's a good while later when the door opens. The stomping beforehand is warning enough. I don't move, just watching him toss a set of armor off the far corner before crawling into the nest. He walks around me, falling behind me with a soft thud. He reaches under the blanket, snaking his arm around my waist. Pulling me against his chest, he curls around me. His tail falls limp over my legs and his breath ghosts over my neck.

"how're you feeling," he mumbles against my head. I grab his hand against my stomach, giving it a squeeze.

"better now," I answer. He hums, leaning down to lick at my shoulder.

"Do you want to go home or stay here, I think it's time for you to have a choice," he bumps his snout against my head. I rub at his fingers, enjoying the warmth.

"I wanna stay here, if that's ok with you," I answer.

He nods," this home is yours as long as you wish. This nest is ours as far as anyone's concerned."

I smile, feeling safe, loved, and cherished at this moment. Shutting my eyes I let myself feel protected. I'm in my nest with my dragon, and everything is going to be ok.

[lilred8220]

Well, yet another fic no one asked for😃

I wanted to write this because some time go, I was watching the fireworks when this song started to play↓↓↓

And I just thought how romantic it would be if I wasn't forever alone 🙃 so, I build a story around that. I hope you enjoy it!

P.s. This is a F!MC

--

I had been so excited for this day! In the human realm, my hometown this time of year had a huge festival ending with a huge firework show. I had asked to go a week in advance but due to being in the Devildom for the exchange program, I couldn't go. It definitely was a disappointment. However Diavolo, seeing me upset and now curious about the tradition, asked all about it and he thought it sounded fun. Thanks to him always wanting to do anything new, he immediately decided to do the same here in the Devildom.

So through the long week, he asked about everything we would do at the event to make it much more fun and quickly get everything ready to make this last second festival. It somehow all came together and it feels almost exactly like the festival from the human realm. The food, sweets and all! Now it was the time to enjoy the festival!

The brothers couldn't understand why I was so excited for this. Though we all went to festivals and saw fireworks, It was just something that I would always look forward to this time of the year and it's just more special this time around. It kinda feels as if I'm sharing something that I love with everyone I care about in a place where I like to call my new home. Hopefully they'll come to enjoy this as much as I do.

"So, this is called an Elephant ear?“ Beel asked, drooling at the large fried sweet in front of him.

I laugh, as I grab a piece before he can scarf the treat whole, "Yeah, it's just fried dough with powdered sugar on it. They usually sell these at any carnival or festival." I pop the elephant ear in my mouth, savoring the amazing taste.

The brothers each had something to eat as we took a break from all the festival games littered around. We all take two picnic benches for the 8 of us, well, us and Beel's giant pile of food he got. Everyone had won something from the games…well everyone but me and Mammon. Mammon was determined to win a game, yet his luck seemed to be the worse for wear today and all the games we'd gone to all ended up with one of the other brothers winning the game. My luck honestly wasn't any better due to playing the same games that the others had won.

"I'm telling ya! Those games are rigged! The people runnin 'em are just a bunch of con artists!“ Mammon yells, clearly frustrated that he hasn't gotten anything.

"Or maybe you just suck lol" Levi says, holding a Ruri-chan plush to his chest.

"Honestly, you really shouldn't be surprised, you were pretty terrible at all those games since you had no choice but to play fair." Satan adds on, which all the brothers nod in agreement.

Asmo laughs, "Well, what do you expect from a scumbag?"

I start to get annoyed as the brothers all start to bash on Mammon. He seems fine on the surface but I've been around him long enough, with him basically living in my room and all, to see all his little ticks. Like when he's excited, his hand gestures are more dramatic, to emphasize his point or how his eyes light up when something catches his attention, like something to make a quick buck. However, right now, with the way his mouth slightly twitches and his hand shoved into his pockets, he's upset. He really only does this when the brothers throw insult after insult at him, like right now.

I sigh as they continue their assault on him. But an idea comes to mind and it'll be easy enough to pull off.

"Does...that all that stuff apply to me too? Since I didn't win anything either, after all..." I say, putting on my best pouting face and looking down at the ground.

Immediately, the brothers started to panic, trying to reassure me that it wasn't true, successfully drawing their attention away from Mammon. I slightly looked up, passed the frantic brothers to lock eyes with Mammon. He stood there for a moment, a bit confused by my sudden comment. I flash him a quick smirk before looking up at the brothers, accepting their apologies. The brothers seemed to relax and drop the topic after that, returning to the food they have. Mammon, who had seemingly understood what my intentions really were, looked at me, with his face slightly flushed, then stared down at his food.

In Mammon's mind, he honestly doesn't know what force sent Y/N here but, she is honestly the best thing that has ever happened to him. At first, he hated the idea of being her guardian due to all of the extra work he was given. But, as days turned to weeks, her treatment towards him was nothing but sweet and loving. It honestly was a huge adjustment for him, since everyone treated him like scum or useless, having her place so much faith in him, even defending him and doing little gestures like this, it makes his head spin. He honestly couldn't pinpoint when it happened, but, his feelings for her drastically changed, he couldn't deny it now, how he longed for her, wanted her all to himself. How he loved her unconditionally.

I smile, quickly finish eating my food then stand up, "Ok! Time to get back to the games!“ I say, excitedly.

"Y/N, I'm glad you are excited but some of us still need to eat." Lucifer says, glancing at Beel and his mountain of food.

"Awww, come on Lucifer, I wanna try to win something before the fireworks start." I plop down again, putting my chin in my hands.

"Well, I'm sure we'll have plenty of time." Lucifer tries to cheer me up, eating some fries.

Mammon looks up at Y/N, upon seeing her upset. He honestly hated seeing Y/N upset, even if for something so small as to wait for everyone to finish eating. He wanted nothing more than to see her smile everyday, it honestly was one of his favorite parts of the day to see her smile so sweetly. He'll do anything to make her happy. He sits up and scarfs down his food before standing up. "Ok, how 'bout this,' ' Mammon gets up and walks over to me, ' ' since I haven't won anythin', I'm gonna go play some more games and I'll meet ya guys later. Y/N, ya can come if ya want to." Mammon starts to walk away, at a slower pace than he usually would.

"Yeah! Ok!" Before any of the other brothers could protest, I quickly got up and hurried over to Mammon. I can hear the brothers stumbling to get up to follow us.

"Hey! Mammon is stealing Y/N!"

"That's not fair!“

"That scumbag..."

I hear some of the things they're saying as they seem to be trying to catch up.

I grab Mammon's hand and start to make a run for it. "Come on!" I glanced back at Mammon, who seemed shocked. He looks back to see the brothers in hot pursuit of us. Getting the hint, Mammon picks up the pace. We high tail it out of there, laughing like a bunch of kids all the while.

--

Me and Mammon finally stop and I flop on the floor, trying to catch my breath as Mammon puts his hands on his knees.

"I…I think we lost 'em" Mammon pants, out of breath from running around.

"I…I think so…jeez, how…how do you always do this when you get in trouble?“ I wheeze out, my human body not used to running as much as a demon. Especially if that demon is Mammon.

Mammon straightens up, finally catching his breath, "Well, I'm not usually running from ALL of my brothers, just Lucifer mostly."

Mammon reaches his hand to me and after a moment, I let him help me up. He helps me to my feet and when I look up, his face is very close to mine. We stare at each other for a moment before both of our faces turn more flushed than we already were.

His bright blue eyes that have a hint of that golden yellow has me in a trance. When I first met Mammon, it was the first thing that drew my attention, it's honestly something that I always find myself staring at all of the time. They are very beautiful to me and never fail to make me feel relaxed when I see them. But not only that, he is a very handsome man. His rich caramel skin with his pure white hair makes his face stand out even more. He is just so captivating to look at, however his personality is what truly makes him shine. Even if he tries, and fails, to hide his true feelings, he always has his heart on his sleeve, rather if he realizes that or not. He tries so hard to help me or to even make my day brighter when I'm not feeling my best. He even tries to protect his brothers and is always there for them. He honestly is the most caring person I've ever met and I can't help but fall for him because of that.

Mammon looked down at her face, he honestly couldn't help but stare. In his mind, she was more beautiful than anyone he's ever seen. Her beauty not only stopped at her looks but the person she was. She was a true wonder to him, too good to be true yet, here she was, defying all logic. All he wanted to do was look at every detail of her face, her eyes as they shine, her soft skin as the blush covers her face, her parted lips as her breath finally slows down. Mammon was the first to turn away, catching himself now staring at nothing but her lips.

He clears his throat. "W-Well since we're here, let's get to some games!" Mammon says, his fangs flash with his grin.

We made our way to the nearest game booth, both of us looking at the various prizes. The booth in question is a simple ring toss, the bottles are organized by colors which show what size prize you can get. There are the ridiculously large stuffed bears that are taller than me to the very small animal plushies. Scanning all the prizes, one catches my attention, a black plush crow with a yellow tag on it. It was big enough to hold in your arms, it's wings dangled at its sides. It had its beak opened slightly to look like a smile. I glance over at Mammon, who is currently eyeing a plushie of a grimm, that also has a yellow tag hanging off of it. I laugh, thinking of how that plush crow reminded me of him.

Mammon looks at me, slightly confused, "What are ya laughing at?"

"Oh nothing, though I know what prize I want." I smile, looking back at the crow plush.

Mammon follows my eyes over to the plush, he tilts his head at my choice, "Ya sure that's what ya want? There are plenty of things better than that ol' crow."

I nod enthusiastically, "Yeah, I think it's cute, like someone else I know." I playfully push him.

His ears turn a dark red but he laughs, "Well, I know what I want so, let's go and win some prizes!“

We pay the demon running the game and start trying to make the rings reach its mark. However, as in most carnaval games, the rings in question are only slightly bigger than the top of the bottles, making it much harder to win. Not to mention the bottles for the better prizes are further back, making it much harder. As we try a couple times, we don't get much luck and we're running out of grimms to play. However as we reach our last game, even though I end up with nothing, Mammon manages to sink a ring on a yellow bottle.

"We have a winner!“ the demon behind the booth says, walking over to grab the ring.

"Yeah! This was nothin' for the Great Mammon!" Mammon threw his hands in the air, and I cheered with him, "You did it! You won!“

The demon walks back over to us, "Alrighty, you can pick a prize with a yellow tag. Which will it be?"

Mammon's eyes flick to the plush he was eyeing earlier and he goes to speak, but an announcement rings through the speakers all around the festival, "The firework show will be starting in 15 minutes, marking the end of the festival! So hurry and grab a seat to enjoy the show!“ a cheery voice says before the music from before starts to play again. Mammon looks down at me for a moment before a small smile appears on his face.

Mammon looks at the demon and points at the plush crow, "I'll take that one."

I look up at Mammon, "But, I thought you wanted-“ I get cut off by the demon swift return, "Here you go." The demon hands him the crow plush.

Mammon takes the plush from the demon with his usual bright smile and starts walking off, I quickly follow, still confused. Once I catch up, he looks at me with a blush on his face and holds out the crow to me.

"W-well, there wasn't really anythin' I wanted, so I figured I'd get this ol' crow since ya seemed to want it so bad." He says with his usual bravado, yet it was a bit more shy than normal.

"But, you said…" I start to say as I take the plush but, cut my thought short.

Even though I know he wanted something, that much he's been saying all day, he still got me this crow plush. Knowing how he struggles to do these things and becoming a stuttering mess when it's pointed out, I choose to not question him. Yet, I can't help but love him even more, him knowing that I wanted something as well and that he'll be going back home later with nothing. I'll have to repay him later but for now, I'll just enjoy the rest of the festival with him.

I shake my head and give him a smile, one that shows how much I truly appreciate and love him, "Thank you so much, Mammon." I hold the crow close to myself.

Mammon feels all the air in his lungs escape him. Y/N's smile, the sparkle of joy and something more…intimate in her eyes. Honestly, for a split second, he found himself jealous of that crow, seeing Y/N holding it so lovingly. He wanted, no, needed to show her how much he loves her. If not tonight, it'll drive him insane.

--

After looking a bit, me and Mammon found a perfect spot to watch the fireworks. We sat on a hill that was a bit further away from the festival and luckily, we could still hear the music playing from one of the speakers nearby. We sat in a comfortable silence, waiting for the fireworks to begin. Which based on the amount of time it took to find this isolated spot, it should start at any moment.

Mammon is resting his arms on his knees as I sit with my legs crossed, the plush crow close to my chest. I watch all the demons in the distance hurrying to find a spot to watch the show as well. Thankfully, none of them seem to look in this direction. So right now, it's just us, alone.

After a few moments, Mammon looks over at me and shyly starts to speak, "H-hey, Y/N?"

I look back at Mammon, noticing his face slowly forming a blush, "Yes?"

"I…I wanted to tell ya-" Mammon gets cut off by the first firework going off.

We slightly jump, but my eyes widen as the firework show starts, "It's starting!"

I watch as the firework starts to make the usual dark Devildom sky shine bright with many different colors. All the while, a familiar song starts to play on the speakers, making this a moment that I want to treasure always. It was a song from the human realm and it was a song that made this moment feel more intimate. I honestly couldn't ask for a better day, I got to go to the festival with all my favorite people and I even had, dare I say it, a wonderful date with Mammon. The thought of going on a date with Mammon makes my cheeks burn but I truly wish that this day would never end.

Mammon's heart starts to pound in his chest, his gaze never leaving Y/N. He watches as her eyes glow with wonder, watching the fireworks as if it were the first time. She never looked more beautiful, more perfect than right now. If he was ever gonna make his move, it had to be now. Mammon opened his mouth to speak but he couldn't find it in himself to break her trance. However, his greed for her attention, her voice, her touch, for nothing but her, was growing. So, he closes his mouth and takes a deep breath. He leans closer to her as his shaky hand gently touches her cheek to turn her face towards him.

When I suddenly feel a light touch on my face, I snap back to reality. Before I can react, I feel my face being turned and suddenly, Mammon leans in, his eyes close and gently presses his lips on mine, like he's afraid that I'll break. My eyes widen, taking a moment to realize what is happening. Mammon, feeling me not move, starts to move away, most likely worried he did something wrong. But, not wanting to lose the moment, I quickly filled in the space he left, pressing my lips a bit harder than he did. Mammon tenses at my sudden movement but quickly melts into the kiss, holding my face with his hands. I place the plush to the side, momentarily forgotten, I place my hands on his chest for support.

The air stills, the world around us starts to disappear. The only thing to keep us from forgetting the world completely is the sound of fireworks and the song playing so sweetly.

I snake my arms around Mammon's neck, then he takes the chance to pull me in closer by my waist, closing the gap between us. Even though he was nervous at first, he seems to have relaxed, even nips at my bottom lip, causing me to gasp. He swiftly slips his tongue in my mouth, tangling it with mine, deepening the kiss. We held each other close, like we were afraid that the other would vanish.

Needing to breathe, we lean away slightly. I'm not sure when it happened, but I managed to end up on Mammon's lap. Mammon seems to also realize the position we're in and his breath hitches.

His hand comes up and holds my face, "I love ya, Y/N."

My heart flutters and I lean into his touch, "I love you too, Mammon. I…I always have."

"Y/N, I care about ya so much and I…I don't want anyone else trying to steal my most precious treasure from me. The thought of it kills me, because I'm yer first man." Mammon stops, becoming more shy, "I w-want ya to be mine and…I'll be yers…if ya want me."

I feel as though all of the butterflies in my stomach would explode out of me. I can't stop the big smile that appears on my face, "Mammon," I hold his face in my hands, "no one could ever take me away. And not only that but…" I bite my lip, feeling a bit bashful, "You already have me. Now and forever."

If Mammon could, his eyes would have hearts in them. He looked at me with such lovestruck eyes, his face is probably the most peaceful expression I've ever seen. I look back at him in awe, honestly have never seen him so happy, like he's on cloud nine.

A smile is plastered on his face, "I promise that I will be with ya till the end of time. I gotta be the luckiest demon in the whole festival, no, the Devildom. But, I guess I did win something at the festival after all." His smile suddenly turns into a smirk, "What do ya say we go somewhere more private and we can continue…this?"

My face turns red, but I nod. We stand up, I grab my plushie so that we can leave when I suddenly hear someone, or rather, some people, running this way.

"MAMMON!"

We spin around, both of us knowing too well who that voice belongs to. Lucifer and the rest of the brothers are running at full sprint in our direction.

"Oh shit!" Mammon yells out, quickly sweeping me off my feet, making a run for it.

Startled, I grabbed on to Mammon's jacket, making sure to not drop my crow plush, "Ah! M-Mammon!“

He looks down at me, " Well, I might get strung up later, but I'm yer man now. I want ya all to myself and I don't know about ya, but I'm not ready for tonight to end." He flashes his signature smile.

I can't help but laugh, as we make yet another escape from the brothers. This is truly the best day I could have asked for.