#Do they realize they are hypocrites or are they just this oblivious?

[zeroducks-2]

"Why are ships so policed, why isn't fandom allowed to be fun anymore 😢🙄😞" says the person with DNI IF YOU SHIP INCEST AND PEDOPHILIA!! in their bio.

[chuluoyi]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐒 !

- gojo satoru x reader // zen'in naoya x reader

in the wake of your scandalous divorce, you fall into the arms of emperor gojo satoru. for a while, you believe you have found love… until it becomes clear that your new husband is scheming behind your back! love, marriage, divorce… are you doomed to go through this path the second time?

genre/warnings: 18+ suggestive content—minors do not interact!—might be ooc, angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, marriage of convenience, explicit smut, pregnancy

note: loosely inspired by and taking some elements of manhwa remarried empress. this is the second part of remarried empress au trilogy! wc. 9.2k ! thank you so much for your love in the first part🩵 but as of now, TAGLIST IS CLOSED so i'd appreciate it if the comment section won't be flooded with asks for tags :')

credit header goes to @/mongsanghwa in twitter!

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Heavens, help me... I love her too damn much!

For Gojo Satoru, love was once an abstract concept. At first, he thought it was admiration, or a sense of obsession—

But on the day he watched you become Zen’in Naoya’s bride, Satoru realized it was much deeper than that. It felt like the sharpest sword had pierced straight into him and lodged itself there.

And then, years later— as if hearing his prayers, you became his. Since then, his life was perfect, because he wasn't lying when he said that you were everything he wanted in life.

Yet in a twist of fate, that same sinking, horrific feeling washed over him... as he watched the pagoda he built for you engulfed in flames.

You were there. Satoru felt himself staggering as he took in the mortifying sight. You and his unborn child are inside!

He didn't waste a breath as he dashed towards where you were, crushing everything in his path in the process, but just as he was about to enter the scorching temple—

“Satoru, no!” Suguru grabbed him, restraining him with his own body. “Get back!”

“No!” he screamed at him frantically. “She is there! Suguru, let go—!”

And then the worst happened, as the pagoda completely crumbled into a heap of rubble. Satoru's breath was knocked out of him as he faced the reality that he couldn't save you in time. And he felt like losing his consciousness as he wheezed, and thrashed in Suguru's hold.

It was all too much for him to comprehend as he struggled against the devastation before him.

How... did this happen? You were happy. You were about to welcome a child into your lives! The two of you really were...

SEVERAL WEEKS PRIOR

Your husband is trying to use you to wage a war... against your homeland.

You secluded yourself in your study, trying to make sense what you just overheard.

In a broader perspective, Satoru's actions could be constituted as national defense. If he perceived the Eastern Empire as a threat, then countermeasures were indeed necessary. But if not...

Regardless, it was not the very idea that blew you, but how he planned to use you to sway sentiment in your former country, to weaken them.

Is that what he's been aiming all this time? You felt like a hypocrite to question this since you too were using him. But these days, you were certainly not using him—you were falling in love with him.

It was strange, because you were supposed to be furious if that was his intent from the start. Yet what you felt right now was profound sadness, possibly even denial and heartbreak. You kept thinking how there must be another explanation—

“Sweetheart, hello~!”

You were startled when the door to your study was suddenly flung open, and the man from your thoughts strode in with a broad grin, completely oblivious to your inner turmoil.

"Satoru." You fixed him with a genial smile, even as nausea churned within you. Straightening your skirts, you looked up at him.

"I've been told you haven't been well, and Shoko said you've seen the physician," Satoru frowned, his long fingers cradling your face as he half-sat on your desk. "How did it go? What did he say?"

"Oh..." you clammed up, feeling at loss. "He said..."

Your dashing husband tilted his head curiously, bright eyes softened, worried lines etched on his face were so clear... and despite your conflict, you didn't have the heart to deny him this news.

"I'm with child." This time, your smile was genuine as you pushed back your intrusive thoughts. "Satoru... I'm carrying our child."

For a full ten seconds, Satoru was stunned, staring at you with a blank expression, his lips slightly parted. "H-huh...? Child? A... baby?"

"Mm-hm. A living baby."

"O-oh..." Satoru blinked his eyes rapidly—looking at your face, then your abdomen—before his expression broke into absolute wonder, broadly grinning. "T-that's... oh— it's—!"

To say he was speechless didn't cut it as he stuttered, messed his hair, pinched his own cheek, becoming restless yet looking so incredibly giddy—

"My queen!" Satoru suddenly lifted you and spun you around midair. "My beautiful wife—!" before gently sitting you on the desk and burying his face in your skirts, hugging your waist tightly. "Good lord, I'm— I'm so—!"

It hadn't truly dawned on you until now that you were going to become a mother. Witnessing Satoru's unabashed reaction as he nestled his face into you… nearly brought tears to your eyes.

Right in this moment, you didn't entertain any other thoughts. You were deeply moved by your husband's overwhelming excitement for your baby. And the realization that, despite Naoya's accusations—

Satoru looked up at you the second you sniffled, and he immediately drew you closer, pressing his forehead against yours.

"Hey, no tears, yeah?" He rested a hand on your jaw, his eyes sparkling with utter adoration as he gazed at you. "This is wonderful. We're going to be parents. This child... a part of you and me—we're going to bring them into the world."

You tugged his collar close and brushed your lips against his. And he responded with equal fervor. You yearned for this closeness with him.

. . .

But still in the back of your head, that lingering, buried fear whispered—

Is the man who adores you this much... capable of hurting you to the same extent?

With your bare bodies pressed closely, and you under him, Satoru could sense the rapid beat of your heart. And in return, you felt the heat of his palms against your skin and the tremors in his breath.

Yet now, in your marital bed, it quickly became clear to him that you, who were usually so composed and collected, were nervous. Satoru couldn't suppress the smile spreading across his face even if he tried.

"This is far from our first time, Empress." His coy smirk taunted you as he littered kisses along your jawline and chest. "What are you so jittery about, hmm?"

"Ah..." you let out a soft sigh as he sucked your breast with his mouth. "N-nothing... you're mistaken."

"Hmm... not confessing? Right..." He then grabbed the generous mound of your other breast and fondled it, making you squirm and moan.

But in the midst of this eroticism, suddenly your mind was thrown back to—

“That’s why I have her here.”

"Satoru," you breathed out, catching his hands. He looked up to you in slight surprise, thinking that you wanted to stop.

But he was in for a plot twist when you first pushed him, then flipped him underneath you, straddling him and capturing his lush lips, yanking his hair in the process.

"Whoa— hey..." Satoru held your hips, visibly startled but clearly enjoying your sudden whim, snickering. "My queen—ohh— you're a sight to behold, on top of me."

He grabbed the flesh of your bottom, sinking his fingers into it and pulling you forward. You let yourself be moved until your thighs were next to his ears.

Suddenly, it was, at once, the most peculiar experience—the greatest confidence boost you had ever received, and the hottest thing he had ever seen.

"You're so damn wet already," your husband nipped your inner thigh playfully as he observed your folds, and you gasped. "Are you ready?"

In response, you slammed yourself onto his face because, right now, you were in a less than forgiving mood.

"You look good under me," you darkly retorted, but then you choked on your own breath when your husband started licking your folds messily with his tongue.

Satoru smirked at the sound of your breathless noises, responding by lapping even more fervently. Your fingers tangled in his hair, tightening their grip on his scalp as you began to grind yourself against his face.

"You a-are really n-nasty!" you moaned, voice breaking at the feeling his sinful tongue parting your opening. "Maybe y-you have lied to me… all th-is time."

Satoru furrowed his brows in slight confusion, and perhaps a bit of annoyance, as he pinched your clit in retaliation, causing you to draw in a sharp breath.

"You're— awful!" but contrary to your claims, your face contorted with pleasure as the tight coil in your belly spasmed. "How m-many women... h-have you beguiled like m-me?"

He almost laughed into your ass. Literally. If being called awful was the price for pleasuring the most beautiful woman in the lands, then Satoru would be happy to be that horrible person every day of his life.

But then, you suddenly shifted on top of him, no longer positioning your hips in his face, and he quickly caught your face, crashing his lips against yours so both of you wouldn’t part for even a second.

"Nobody else," he murmured, wet lips and tongue ravishing yours, so much lust glistening in his eyes. "I'm all yours— forever." Just as he whispered it amidst pants, he groaned when your hand sneakily went to his very hard length.

And firmly grasped it. He got swollen just by tasting you and hearing your noises earlier. He growled, and against his senses, he pushed you down to lodge it inside you, penetrating and splitting you apart in one go.

“Ah—! Satoru— it’s too…!” you babbled breathlessly, your nails digging into his shoulders, feeling his huge cock pulsing inside your tight walls.

“Your fault,” he rebuked, eyes narrowing into darker shades, rigorously moving his hips against yours as he sat up. It was impossible to hold it in any longer, he could feel it already.

He tensed up, adjusting his position, so close to losing it inside you, and when he heard your dirty mewls and felt you shudder—reverberating through his body too—Satoru gripped your waist tighter, groaning, holding you in place to release his load inside you with precision.

Your body gave in as well, releasing at the same moment his cum burst inside you. Your vision blurred as the nastiest of moans escaped you, yet you felt so safe as your husband caught you in his arms.

. . .

"Are you okay?" Satoru asked worriedly after you rolled off him in the aftermath of your bliss. "Do you feel sick?" Your unfocused eyes met his, and he looked panicked, pulling you closer. "Shit, did I go too far? I shouldn't have, especially with the baby still in the early stages..."

"I'm... okay," you croaked, trying to reassure him. "Just tired..."

Heaving a relieved sigh, Satoru pecked you in the lips.

"Am I... a mess?" you leaned on him with a blissful smile, feeling his cum still trickling out between your legs.

"Yeah... My beautiful mess, that is." Satoru chuckled, reveling in the state of your disarray. "Soon enough," his hands traced your skin before settling on your tummy, a fond smile curving his lips. "Our baby will grow here."

"Yes—" you replied, placing your palm over his. "Do you... want a boy or girl?"

A boy would be the much sought-after prince, and you fully expected him to favor it, until to your surprise, Satoru lightly hummed and pressed a kiss on your belly button.

"Does that matter? What's important is you deliver them safely and they're healthy," he chuckled. "A princess will be nice... she'll turn out to be as lovely as you."

"But the heir has to be a prince..."

"Nah. I can always amend the succession norms. I'm the emperor."

And you giggled next. Seeing how free you looked, Satoru thought you were the woman overturning his skies and stars, and you truly are—as now you are the mother of his own flesh and blood, his future empire.

There will be a nation-wide celebration for you. Satoru insisted it was a must, and he would invite dignitaries from neighboring empires and kingdoms as well.

Including the Eastern Empire.

. . .

“Your Majesty. I... bring a gift and an invitation from the Western Empire.”

Naoya clacked his heel on the carpet, casting a sharp, yet uninterested look at his aide.

“There will be a celebration for—” the poor man gulped uneasily, faltering as if he could foresee how his emperor would react. Naoya scowled.

“Spit it out.”

“The former empress’ pregnancy, Your Majesty!”

“What...?” At that moment, he snapped his head towards him. It felt like everything he had ever known came crashing down. “Y/N...?”

That can’t be possible. For many years both of you had failed. That was why he took that maid and divorced you. No, upon reflection, it was never truly his intention to divorce you—he had wanted you to raise that child if you couldn't bear one.

But then you completely ignored him and had an affair with Gojo Satoru. He was furious. He couldn't bear the disgrace of it all, so he went with the divorce, if only to assert some control. However, the joke was on him, as you ultimately fled with Gojo entirely.

But if you aren’t infertile... Then, what did that make him?

Numerous thoughts ran through his mind. Was it possible that it was his child instead of Gojo’s? How many months had it been anyway?

...or could it be that he is the one who is—!

“No...” he muttered, frantic, taking sharp breaths. “Absolute rubbish!”

The aide stared at him in fear, as Naoya appeared unhinged now. But soon, that fear gave away to pity, as the emperor trashed his desk and howled in frustration— but contrary to the expected fury, Naoya looked like he was mourning, evident by the way he flung everything but the very portrait from his coronation day.

Of him and you. Even after that disastrous divorce, he had never taken it down from the wall of his study. Now, Naoya was staring at it, a multitude emotions clouding his eyes.

This man, just as the aide had always thought, has thrown away the only good thing he has in his life.

“Are the invitations sent already?” Satoru asked with a blooming smile, rolling the yarn out of his cat’s reach as the poor kitty grappled to catch it. “And how are the preparations going?”

“Banquets are usually handled by the Empress, but you really go out of your way and do it instead,” Suguru shook his head, unamused by the added workload it brought him, especially considering his disinterest in festivities.

“They’re all sent, some of them responded—before you ask, Naoya hasn’t— and I’ve cascaded the preparation to Shoko, since I have no clue what to do about it.”

“Well, not that I care if he’s going to stay sour and wants his name tarnished in the daily papers as a bitter ex-husband…” Satoru shrugged, petting Sugu-chan as the cat purred contentedly. “He is tactless, he very well might be.”

“You really want to spite him, don’t you…” Suguru sighed. “You even sent him a note. It was unnecessary.”

“He was the one hurling curses at me and my empress first. I’m just returning the favor.”

The note in question was of lines after lines of flowery nonsense about gratitude and whatnot. Satoru imagined Naoya's vein would burst after reading his card.

“I’m happy for you, Satoru.” As exasperated as Suguru was, his smile was genuine when he said it. “A royal baby, huh...”

"Suguru." The emperor's voice suddenly dropped an octave, surprising him. "What about the placement of the totem I told you the other day?"

The abrupt shift in conversation made Suguru visibly uncomfortable, and again, they were back to this topic.

"You're seriously going to do this?" the duke asked, almost in disbelief. "Satoru, you're going to become a father. You have everything already. This will lead to war one way or another, and—what if the Empress finds out? How do you think it'll make her feel?"

However, Satoru's gaze was cold as he dismissed most of Suguru's tirade. There was a chill in his expression that made his longtime friend inwardly questioned who the man before him was.

"I'm asking you. Have you done it or not, Suguru?"

"You're going to put a curse on a whole village, Satoru."

"I told Zen'in Naoya the moment I got Y/N, that it would mark the beginning of his downfall. I'm making good on that promise."

Suguru pressed his eyes shut to calm his fury. Morally, what Satoru did was wrong, but politically, this was the art of war. Suguru purely opposed to this out of consideration for you.

Few understood Satoru's actions as well as Suguru did. He might understand, others like you and Shoko wouldn't.

"Just remember, when the Empress catches wind of this, she's going to resent you," Suguru warned. "No matter what your reasoning might be."

Satoru's upper lip curled upwards, his eyes bereft of light, narrowing with indifference.

"Unless you never tell her, that is of no relevance."

Love... has he ever loved you all this time?

Naoya had never been confronted with that question or pondered it, simply because he never considered love existed within the context of something as grand as monarchy.

You were chosen because you were well-bred and well-versed in the arts of nobility. You were indeed the epitome of an ideal empress, a fact evident throughout your tenure.

But...

"Naoya!" you yelled at him and caught his hand. "You're a fool! Why did you keep doing that!?"

It was a long-buried memory, when you were still in your teens, around the time you were just made the crown princess. His hands, bruised and bloodied, and you tended to them.

"I'm not weak, you know," he sullenly barked. "I have to train to be stronger."

"You definitely have to train, yes... but you have to take breaks!" you retorted angrily.

"Why do you care so much anyway?" he snapped back. "It's not like your hands that are injured."

And that moment, you were suddenly almost in tears. Naoya never understood why.

"Don't cry." But his instincts told him to make you not cry. "Don't cry. I'm fine, see?"

. . .

Zen'in Naoya jerked awake from his slumber, realizing he had forgotten what his dream was, that it was still the late afternoon, and he was still in his study.

All he felt was that nostalgic feeling, and it intensified when he glanced up... only to see his coronation portrait on the wall.

It was almost as if you were still here. You were incredibly stunning, he had to admit that. Why hadn’t he realized until just recently?

The way your crimson dress flowed out, and that thin, serene smile on your face... you were a picture-perfect empress, and that was not an exaggeration. No one could measure up to you—

"Your Majesty~!"

Especially not Hanabi.

"Your Majesty, the princess has started holding her head up!" Hanabi, now no longer dressed in rags but rather in one of your dresses, excitedly remarking, "Soon, she will start to—"

Naoya's gaze fell on her dress. He recognized it instantly. That specific deep, vibrant shade of red with serpent-like waistband. It was one of his gifts to you for your birthday. "Why are you wearing that?"

"Huh?" she seems perplexed. "Oh this... I thought it looks pretty..."

But to her surprise, he suddenly flared with fury. "That isn't yours, you dullard," he spat out.

Her expression sank in heartbreak as he continued with his venomous speech. "Know your place." His words cut like a blade. "And I keep telling you, a princess is of no use to the throne!"

Hanabi fought to hold back the tears, because not only had he insulted her, worse still, he showed no interest in their daughter. "She is still of your blood, Your Majesty," she replied, her voice trembling.

"I told you, I only want a heir." His sneer caused her eyes to widen in shock. "Other than that, I won't care."

"Your Majesty, please—" Hanabi was desperate for him to acknowledge their daughter, when she caught sight of your ethereal face on the wall.

He still hasn't taken it down. It made her eyes twitch, and her own anger to rise.

"The former empress..." she stared at your picture resentfully. "You still have her here. We never even have our portraits painted..."

Naoya's icy gaze leveled at her without a hint of sympathy, despite the woman standing before him being the mother of his child.

"Why do you look at me like that?" Hanabi asked, tears spilling from her eyes. "You used to care for me when you thought I would bear you a son. Even if it's a daughter, she deserves love too, doesn't she?"

In the last five years, she had come to know that the emperor wasn't always this manic person. He used to be gentler, or at least not as vindictive.

And she never truly wanted you to be cast away like that. She looked up to you, admired you from up close, and meant it when she said she would carry your legacy as best as she could.

"Are you dumb?" Naoya barked. "I told you to know your place!"

...yet why? Why are people in this palace so harsh to her?

“I wish you luck on that, Hanabi. Beware, the emperor is fickle…”

Your unkind eyes, Naoya's disdainful stares even after she gave birth to his child... She didn't even care about becoming the empress anymore. She just wanted a happy life!

"If it was the former empress' child... even if it was a princess..." Hanabi turned to him with determination even amidst her pitiful tears. "You wouldn't cast her aside just like you do now with my daughter, would you, Your Majesty?"

Naoya's gaze, devoid of emotion and filled with blatant disinterest more than anything, shot through her, hurting her more than if it was filled with fury instead.

The lack of warmth in his stare made her feel like being looked through rather than being seen. As if she is that insignificant.

"Leave," he ordered coldly next, turning his back on her.

And there is her answer.

Hanabi had been your maid for five long years. She knew who you were, what you stood for, and your whole demeanor. Yet, despite her best efforts, she could never emulate you in the same way, could she?

. . .

"My lady... don't you know that the former empress is with child?"

Once again, Hanabi felt the sting of ice when her lady-in-waiting delivered the news.

"Empress... Y/N?" she whispered. "How...?"

You were stripped of your titles here, and yet you still remained a queen somewhere else. Hanabi might have won Naoya's favor, but now she was losing it while you had another emperor's affection.

Not much had changed about you. You still occupied the highest seat a woman could possibly attain. Whereas she...

"But she is barren!" she turned to her confidant then, almost in disbelief.

"Evidently not. Emperor Gojo has proven that."

How nice. A part of Hanabi wanted to congratulate you because she knew of your sufferings—how much you longed to hold a baby from your womb in your arms.

How unfair... But another part of her couldn't help but despise you. Because even in your absence, she still had to live in your shadow. Because you, who had lost everything, regained it all so easily.

"And my lady... Emperor Gojo is going to throw a banquet for this occasion next month. You are expected to attend it."

"Sweetheart, you asleep?"

One night, several weeks later, just as you were about to drift off to sleep, you felt the sheets shift as Satoru slipped into bed beside you.

Though you didn't turn to face him, you felt his warm hands wrap around your waist from behind.

"Satoru... you're back," you murmured sleepily.

"Mm-hmm," he whispered, pulling you closer to his chest and burying his face in your hair, taking in your scent. "Shoko told me you've been in your bedchamber since breakfast. Are you okay?"

"I get queasy if I walk too much, so I've been lying down all day... But don't worry, the physician said it's normal in early stages of pregnancy."

His grip on you tightened, as he caressed your belly. "Hmm, naughty baby. I'm sorry I wasn't here..."

"Where were you?"

For days now, he had been away, and you hadn't really questioned him. You had your guesses though—

"I was overseeing the construction of a new pagoda," he said softly, kissing your neck. "For you, actually."

That was so unexpected that it made you open your eyes fully. "What— for me?" Building pagoda was definitely not a small affair. Usually it was for religious purposes.

"It's a gift to the heavens for blessing me with you and our baby. It's expected to be completed before your celebration banquet."

The tower would be the testament of his love for you and your unborn child. Despite yourself, your heart swelled with overwhelming warmth.

"You're so silly... why do you spend the tax funds for that?" you brushed off the faint heat in your face, not daring to look at him still.

"Whatever I wouldn't do for you?" he cheekily retorted, chuckling.

You had never felt this cherished before, and this time you were certain—you were more than ready to fall in love with this man.

But he... is planning to use you, isn't he?

"Satoru." You shuffled to turn and face him, causing him to crack his lidded eyes open. You gazed at him, placing both of your hands on his face, caressing his face softly.

You're so kind to me. I appreciate you for that. You wanted to tell him various things, but the darkness in your heart ever since overhearing his exchange with Suguru made it hard for you to do so.

"Mm? What is it?" he drawled with a small smile, leaning into your touch.

“You... love me, don't you?”

His bright eyes found yours then, sharp and steady. An impossibly fond smile graced his lips, as if finding what you said the most natural thing there was.

“Throughout heaven and earth,” he proclaimed, his voice steady to match his eyes. “Yes, my queen.”

...then you would trust him, if only just for this moment. The genuine sincerity in his eyes, the raw authenticity in his words... it all felt too real.

And so, even when you were well-aware of the bitter possibility of truth, you leaned in and kissed him, giving yourself to his touch as his hand slipped inside you.

And soon, came the day of the lavish banquet solely held to celebrate your pregnancy.

You were seated on your throne, dressed in a stunning aquamarine gown. The skirt of the dress was full and flowing, spilling onto the floor in a waterfall of shimmering fabric. Upon your head perched your crown of diamonds, glinting beneath the light, and your ceremonial veil to make you look as queenly as you could possibly be.

Everyone would agree that you were a sight to behold, and that you were worthy of every praise possible.

"Many congratulations to you, Your Majesty."

"This is a splendid news! A royal baby!"

"To think that the emperor has settled down... sniff, how long have we been waiting for this...? We almost gave up."

You almost giggled at the way Archbishop Yaga wiped his tears with a handkerchief as he presented you with his gift.

Despite your initial reservations, you enjoyed the festivities more than you expected. You had opposed the idea at first, finding it quite unnecessary, but Satoru had pouted for three long days until you eventually relented to appease him.

Speaking of him, he was equally dressed to impress, looking every bit as an emperor he was in an exquisite aquamarine military uniform and robes. Despite engaging in conversation with Earl Nanami, he kept a watchful eye on you, stealing glances in your direction to ensure you were well.

You nodded at him, and he threw you a wink. You smiled.

Everything was truly going well... until the herald announced:

"Prince Megumi and Royal Consort Hanabi from Eastern Empire!"

There was suddenly a hush over the crowd as the two made their entrance. You stilled, looking at the figure responsible for your checkered life—

Hanabi was starkly different since the last you saw her at the courthouse during your divorce. Her dress was now a vibrant shade of burgundy red, reminiscent of a gown you once wore. Gone was her air of humility, replaced by a display of extravagance befitting a noblewoman.

She is no longer your maid, but Naoya's consort. There was no trace of the woman who once served you. You were actually impressed, as she could actually shape herself into the image of a royal consort.

"Empress." However, your attention quickly shifted to Naoya's nephew, and once also your ward, Megumi, as he bowed before you respectfully. "Congratulations."

A fond smile tugged at the corners of your lips as you regarded the young prince who had once been a very shy individual. It reminded you of the days spent with him just to get him out of his shell.

"Thank you, Megumi."

"Diamonds suit you far better than golds do. I wish only for the best for you, Your Majesty."

It warmed your heart, really. Using that reference to your gold crown from your time in the Eastern Empire, you could see how much Megumi truly understood your position and bore no resentment towards you.

Could the same be said for Naoya though?

Right after you received his gift—an ornate box that seemed oddly familiar to you—Hanabi suddenly blurted out:

"So, fate has smiled upon you. Congratulations Empress Y/N." She kept that soft, meaningful smile on her face as she offered her felicitations.

Ever since her arrival was announced, something about her demeanor had bothered you. There was a subtle emptiness that seemed to linger in her gaze.

"Thank you," you responded, and that was when you noticed it. There was never any celebration for the birth of her daughter and Naoya, only a passing announcement.

And so, you added. "Congratulations on the birth of the princess too."

You could have sworn her expression fell for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and bowed her head to you.

For a while, you lost sight of her in the crowd, feeling quite comfortable in your dais. Soon after, Satoru returned to your side, and the herald announced:

"Attention! His Majesty the Emperor's gift for Her Majesty the Empress!"

You looked at Satoru questioningly, and he gave you a dashing smirk before turning to the crowd.

"Thank you, all of you, for joining us to celebrate this joyous occasion." The way he carried himself and the sheer confidence he exuded was mesmerizing, you couldn't deny how it made you swoon. "I've been infamous for many things, and I'm sure the tales have spread far and wide. So please, allow me one more gesture with you as the witnesses."

The crowd giggled at his words, and you finally spotted Hanabi among them, quietly assessing the scene.

Your husband turned to you, a soft smile on his face.

"This is for you my empress— my lovely queen. Words can't describe how elated I am to know that now you bear our child." He took your hand and pressed a kiss on it. "And it's only fitting that I praise you along with the skies and the stars."

A footman arrived and presented a pearly box. Satoru opened it, revealing a necklace inside. The centerpiece was a large, flawless diamond surrounded by smaller, perfectly cut stones of the same kind. No matter how you saw it, it was truly a work of art, meant to captivate and dazzle anyone who laid eyes on it.

You let out a gasp. "This..."

Satoru grinned, picking up the jewelry and preparing to place it on you. "Nothing much. Just a little trinket for you."

"This is not just a 'little trinket'!"

Your banter elicited another round of snickers from the audience as Satoru fastened the necklace around your neck. The moment he did, the crowd erupted into applause.

"Actually, my real gift is the new pagoda in the royal gardens, built in honor of the Empress," Satoru stated effortlessly, grinning unabashedly. "Feel free to stop by later, everyone."

To the ton, for him to gift you with something so sacred was the height of extravagance. Some of them wondered how you had managed to turn the elusive emperor into someone so devoted to you.

And a few... might be harboring ill will against you for it.

. . .

Later that night, you were sorting through the gifts you had received throughout the day.

"I don't understand, why would you give an expecting woman this?" Shoko picked apart a manuscript that was the gift from Archbishop Yaga. "Who would read this?"

"I wouldn't, but I'm sure Duke Geto would," you replied, and soon the two of you were giggling together.

From jewelry to ornaments, you were pleased with all the gifts presented by the guests from day one. While most were given out of formality, it was heartwarming to imagine your baby seeing all these someday.

Your attention soon turned to the box Megumi handed you earlier—Naoya's gift.

You were intrigued, because what could your spiteful ex-husband could possibly give you? And you immediately reached over to open the lid to find...

"What's that?" Shoko asked as your eyes widened in slight surprise.

Inside the box was an intricate gold and ruby necklace. One you knew well. The very one you wore during your coronation as the Empress of the Eastern Empire.

Years ago, Naoya himself had chosen this piece for you, and now he was gifting it to you, again?

“From now on, it’s going to be me and you, Empress.”

Reliving years of your marriage with him wasn't easy. You two were childhood sweethearts, and had been happy in the beginning. You couldn't pinpoint when things began to fall apart, but suddenly Naoya turned into such a person you didn't recognize altogether.

Seeing this relic made you nostalgic, and before you realized it, you touched it, trying to get a better look—

"Ah—!"

Suddenly, a sharp, unexpected pain shot through your abdomen. You instantly dropped the jewelry, letting it crash to the ground, and clutched your lower belly.

"Empress! What happened?!" Shoko rushed to your side in an instant, holding you up, and you whimpered.

"It hurts—!" Your breath hitched, as a seemingly invisible knife gutted you from inside. The intensity of the pain was overwhelming, leaving you gasping for breath. "Shoko, please—"

And before you could even scream or think, the pain blindsided you and your vision titled, before blacking out completely.

First came the warmth, then a reassuring squeeze on your hand. As your consciousness returned, you felt groggy, with your surroundings sharpening into focus.

The first thing that became your main focus the moment your eyes fluttered open was Satoru's face, a mixture of fright and relief etched across his features.

"You're awake..." He breathlessly muttered, sitting on your bedside, interlacing his fingers with yours. "How do you feel?"

"Sa...toru..." your voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, and as soon as he heard you speak, he exhaled sharply, pulling you into a tight embrace.

"Heavens, I—" he let out a long sigh, his breath hot against your neck. "I'm so glad... you are..."

"What h-happened to me...?" you were feeling feverish and a dull throb was pounding at the back of your head, before the shock of it all dawned on you. "B-baby...! Our—!"

"Baby is okay too, don't worry," Satoru assured, pulling away from you to gently touch your cheek and squeeze your hand. "Both of you are fine for now..."

The horror that you might lose your baby shook you to the very core. Your vision blurred with the threatening onset of tears.

"Wh-at happened to me, Satoru...?" you asked again as he wiped your first falling tears, your heartbeat sounding so loud in your ears. "I-I was just..."

His expression took on a sudden shift, as if a dark cloud had passed over his face.

"You came into contact with a cursed object," he stated, his eyes hard as he locked onto yours. "You were cursed, Y/N."

"What...?" You were rendered speechless, feeling your body starting to shake. Cursed object? Your past coronation necklace?

Naoya was trying to curse you?

"It's okay, I'm here now, yeah?" Satoru's voice broke through your spiraling thoughts, grounding you in the present. "Look at me. Hey, look at me." he repeated, his deep blue eyes locking onto yours with intensity.

“I’m here. I’m here with you. Nothing—absolutely nothing—will touch you so long as I’m here.”

But in that moment, your mind was so overwhelmed with fear for yourself and your unborn baby that you couldn't fully grasp the magnitude of the mess unfolding before you, and you just cried in his arms.

Feeling your feeble fingers fisting his robes and your inconsolable tears staining his collar, Satoru gritted his teeth.

“This won't happen again,” he whispered into your hair, feeling his rage simmering as he felt the tremors of your sobs against his chest. “I swear, I won't let anything like this happen again.”

To Satoru, that was more than enough to justify all his subsequent actions. Putting a curse on his empress essentially amounted to an act of beginning a war.

And it also meant he no longer had to operate behind the scenes.

“Keep them in Clock Tower. No contact. Only food and water at designated times.”

Satoru's icy gaze on the captain of royal guard compelled him to hastily comply with the order, before his eyes landing on the map of the entire continent.

In response to the incident that befell you, he issued orders for open hostility along the eastern and western borders. Soon after, he would formally declare his intention to go to war.

So close. He was so close to achieving his end goal.

. . .

"Satoru!"

Several days later, Suguru burst into his study, visibly outraged. He clenched his fists, looking as if he was about to throttle him altogether.

"You—" he heaved a harsh breath. "You have gone too far!"

"What are you talking about, Suguru?"

"Is cursing the entire winery village not enough for you?" This was the first time Suguru had been this furious with him. "Did you really have to massacre the neighboring district as well?!"

"They have placed a curse on my empress." It was so easy for him to say it. "Anyone who dares to harm her shall die."

"You can direct it at Zen'in Naoya! Not the innocent civilians!"

Satoru remained silent, neither shaken nor enraged, and he had finally had enough.

“Are you even sure it’s because the empress is cursed?" Suguru challenged. In his view, this farce had been going on too long.

“No, Satoru. You are just using her. For so long, you have wanted to bring bloodshed to Western Empire. You were almost there when Empress Y/N proposed that deal to marry you.”

You were informed, days later.

“His Majesty has placed the prince and royal consort of the Western Empire under strict watch in Clock Tower.”

Clock Tower was essentially the prison where they kept war criminals. Learning that Satoru had confined both Megumi and Hanabi there left you aghast.

After some days of bedrest and getting better, you realized that the entire situation still didn't make sense to you. As hateful as Naoya was, harming you would do him more harm than good. Eastern and Western Empires stood evenly matched in military power, and hence, a conflict between them would bring devastation to both sides.

And moreover, you knew for sure was that Megumi was definitely not the one responsible for this. He was just a boy!

You had to let him out somehow. You had to talk to Satoru about this.

Or at least that was what you thought when you came close to his study.

“Are you even sure it's because the empress is cursed? No, Satoru. You are just using her. For so long, you have wanted to bring bloodshed to Western Empire. You were almost there when Empress Y/N proposed that deal to marry you.”

You stopped on your tracks—stunned into place, to be exact.

“And you’ve struck gold when she did because her influence will provide you with greater advantage.” Suguru scoffed then, lightly shaking his head with a sneer. “Love? How laughable. All these years, you are planning your warpath, how could you claim you love her when you're trying to ravage her homeland without even considering the impact it would have on her?”

It felt like whiplash. Geto Suguru's voice had your feet rooted to the spot, causing all your doubts to resurface and sizzle in an instant. The very question you had tried to avoid, it was suddenly shoved in your face.

What... will Satoru say? Your heart thumped so loud in your ears it made you almost stagger. He couldn't possibly. He simply couldn't. All his actions... they reflected his affection for you and you believed it because you felt it yourself too.

But Satoru's next response was—

“Even when she is derided as the devil, I will bring an end to the Zen’in line in this lifetime.”

And a part of your heart withers then.

The tips of your fingers trembled, finally taking in everything that you had tried to ignore for the past few weeks. It all caught up to you in one overwhelming rush.

Suddenly, it felt as if something inside your chest was torn out and held up for you to see.

"I'm telling you, that day will come sooner than you think, Satoru." Suguru's voice broke through, his frustration palpable. His words snapped you out of your reverie, and you took a step back, retreating to the safety of your study.

The first time you felt utter hollowness wrecking you was when you had suspected that Naoya might have taken Hanabi to his bed. The feelings overwhelming you now were eerily similar to how you felt back then.

Only in this case…

You had used him first, and if he used you in return... you couldn't fault him.

But isn't it still a bitter truth, even when a mutual transaction is very well within his rights, to know that what you believe as love may apparently not really be the case?

Love... of course, he loves you.

Of that, he was certain.

But at the same time… he had his ambitions.

Destroying the Eastern Empire. Was it so wrong that he wanted it? Didn't you want this as well? After all, Naoya had spurned you for a lowly servant and made your life hell, didn’t he?

Satoru strolled through the halls and made his way to your study, where the sight of you, so pretty and regal in your seat, greeted him.

His beautiful, graceful wife and empress of his nation. For so long, he had desired you, and now here you were, perched within his walls. His heart couldn't be more full— his life is complete already.

"Sweetheart, hey... how are you feeling today?" an adoring grin was visible on his face as he approached you. "Does the baby give you trouble today?"

You didn't answer though, and didn't look at him either. It was quite strange, Satoru thought.

"What's wrong? Is there something—" And when you finally turned to him, the look in your eyes was so eerily cold it almost gave him a chill.

"Release Megumi from your dungeon," you told him with a strained tone. "And return him to his home empire."

The smile on Satoru's face vanished that instant.

"I can't do that."

You rose from your seat, facing him. "He is just a child."

Satoru regarded you with a stern look. “That child you speak about is a prince of the Eastern Empire. He has committed a great crime against you.”

“Naoya didn’t do it.” Your steely gaze was unflinching. “He might be senseless, but he isn’t insane enough to deliberately go into a war he might possibly lose.”

Satoru's eyes darkened at your words, as you stood before him with determination. The way you were so adamant somehow took him aback. “How... could you defend him? He has wronged you!”

It was one question you had expected, and you had the answer ready.

“Even if he has, I could never wish doom upon my own homeland, Satoru. I’ve lived most of my life there, I did a great deal of things there— even if you harbor some sort of misguided contempt or just bloodthirsty enough to lay ruin to Eastern Empire, I refuse to be the puppet for your schemes!”

There it was. You had said it. Everything would crumble once again just like your previous marriage.

Satoru was staring at you in slight disbelief, his eyes gleamed with something that you couldn't really pinpoint. Anger? Disappointment?

“Your life was in danger, as was our unborn child’s. Don’t you care about that—!” he actually had to stop to catch his breath. “Don’t you care that our child nearly didn't make it?”

“And? You must have thought it was the perfect grounds for declaring a war?” but you didn’t relent and questioned him with a scoff. “And afterwards, you would try to use me to gain defectors from Eastern Empire, is that it?”

You saw the flash of surprise in your now-husband's eyes right when you recited his words, but you weren't about to hold back any longer now.

“Now you’re using my safety to justify your actions,” you hissed, feeling like suddenly you understood what all of this was. “You’re quite cunning, Satoru. I’ve heard everything—you will do anything to bring an end to the Zen'in lineage! You won’t even consider the repercussions of my reputation being tarnished across the lands!”

“Is that even important now?” Satoru gritted his teeth to suppress his irritation. “You have been cursed. Do you honestly think I would let them get away with cursing my empress? How could I, who seek to protect you, be more vicious than whoever in Eastern Empire who cursed you with that necklace?”

“You’re doing this for your personal gratification!” you exclaimed. “It is never about me. You’re just a warmonger!”

The moment those words left your lips, Satoru stilled. His gaze on you faltered, and you could’ve sworn hurt flashed in his face.

“Just how low… is your opinion of me?” he asked, his tone dropping, eyes devoid of emotion. “You jump into conclusions only after overhearing something in a passing and yet you know for sure Naoya wouldn’t harm you—” he clenched his jaw.

“You… really loved him, didn’t you?” he asked with a sardonic smile. “I know it already. You won’t ever be able to do the same for me. You can’t even trust me.”

You were rendered speechless. Despite your doubts of him, hearing this still felt like a slap in your face.

Won’t be able to do the same for him? No. That’s not true. You are—

Satoru let out a defeated laugh and ran his hand through his hair, leaving you uncertain whether he was amused or heartbroken by your lack of response.

“It’s funny, how I have loved you for so long... but apparently the woman I believed to have even a semblance of affection for me doesn’t even exist.”

It felt like that one part of you that was capable of feeling love had been stabbed once again.

To say this out loud hurt you deeply, unbeknownst to him. You didn’t mean this at all, still it was what came out of you, out of spite—

“In the end, we’re just using each other. That’s all we amount to.”

Satoru bitterly snorted, finding your accusation so unfair to him.

“How cruel is it that I’m the only one who has to prove this love to you? What about you? You’re terribly, horribly selfish!”

You stayed silent, looking away, caught between the scorching knives that seemed to twist your heart and conflicting emotions in it, uncertain of what to believe anymore. And you didn't really know what heartbreak was like before—

“It has been really exhausting, and I don’t want to bother anymore.”

When his gaze next met yours, dark and piercing, you realized he was no longer the same man who once promised you love and devotion.

“You're free to believe whatever truth you wish. But remember, even if you are my wife and the empress of this nation, should you commit any transgressions… I won’t hesitate to accuse you of treason, Empress.”

You have committed treason.

Satoru had conducted investigation of the sorts just to prove his point. And yet days later, no direct evidence pointing towards Megumi or Hanabi were found in that cursed necklace.

Punishment for treason is imminent death. You were well-aware of that more than anyone, but your consciousness wouldn't allow it if Megumi had to be hanged due to Satoru's antagonism.

"Your Majesty, your kindness knows no bounds," Megumi said, dropping to one knee before you and lowering his head in the throne room. Satoru had chosen not to grace any of you with his presence, leaving you alone to bid farewell to both Megumi and Hanabi.

Since then, you hadn't spoken with him, nor had he visited your chambers. It was as if he considered you nonexistent at all.

And it is really only a matter of time before he finds out.

But at the very least, you were right. It was never Megumi. That boy was fond of you, he could never. So, you shifted your gaze on the woman next to him.

"Royal Consort Hanabi. A word."

It was the cue for everyone else to exit the throne room. Now, you were faced with this woman once again, and yet one thing remained the same— you were still towering over her.

"Why did you do it?" Your calm gaze betrayed a quiet anger that was unmistakably clear. All because of this woman. It was beyond you, how despite having left your past life behind, she had somehow managed to taint your new one as well.

Hanabi looked away, a hint of shame coloring her features. "Your Majesty knows, so why do you spare me?" she asked quietly.

"How preposterous of you to think that I have spared you," you scoffed. "All this time, have you learned nothing at all from standing by Naoya's side?"

She flinched, visibly making herself smaller at your unforgiving tone, still, she dared herself to meet your eyes.

"Can I ask... why you never consider it as Emperor Naoya's doing?" she seemed more confused more than anything, even as her lips wobbled. "The two of you... you don't really hate each other, so why...?"

You didn't want to dwell on why Naoya had chosen that specific piece of jewelry to return to you. If anything, you'd consider it his final parting gift and be done with it.

But the naivety of this woman was astounding. Someone like her wouldn't last long in your seat. You let out a sigh, torn between feeling sorry for her or not.

"You have much to learn about court affairs, Hanabi. And do not think this is an act of mercy. Sending you back to Naoya is a punishment in itself—you know that by now."

Hanabi trembled where she stood, her breaths were shallow, and her hands shook slightly as she struggled to maintain composure in your presence.

Realizing it was futile to continue the conversation, you decided to conclude it.

"Know that I will never forgive you for what you have done to me." Your sharp eyes squared on her, the cold ire in your tone making her shudder.

In all the years Hanabi had known you, you had never appeared more fearsome than you did now, adorned in silks of deep blue hues, with that crown of diamonds gleaming in your head.

Then, as if sealing her fate, you delivered these parting words:

"You've always coveted what I have, and sooner or later, that will be your downfall."

The palace felt suffocating for you. After sending Hanabi away, you took a walk in the gardens, followed closely by your ladies-in-waiting.

Good heavens, what have you done? You definitely didn't regret saving Megumi, but no matter how, you had committed a great crime against your own empire. A sentence would loom over your head!

And what about your baby? Would Satoru execute you while you still had his child inside you?

The very thought made your vision tilt, and you had to lean on the wall for support. Your ladies-in-waiting were immediately clamoring against each other.

"Leave," you commanded, trying to catch your breath while doing so. "I'll… take some time to rest here."

It took you a moment to realize you had reached the pagoda that Satoru had commissioned for you. This was your first time visiting it. The structure was magnificent, towering in height and adorned with exquisite decorations, leaving you in awe.

"It's a gift to the heavens for blessing me with you and our baby."

You wanted to cry. His voice, soft and smooth, conveyed those words so easily to you. He really loved you, didn't he? What made you so unsure about that undeniable fact?

And now you had broken his heart.

Your hand reached for your belly. Though hidden by your dress, you could distinctly feel that it had become firmer these days, holding the product of your love with Satoru.

"I'm sorry, baby..." you whispered, heartbroken. "I didn't mean to drag you into this too..."

You felt nauseous, your breaths come in short pants, and you felt a headache coming. It didn't really register to you that you had crashed into the candle table, before you collected yourself and ventured deeper inside.

You just wanted a sense of peace and quiet. You would think more later, and right now, the darkness inside felt like a comforting lull for you to rest.

. . .

Or at least that was what you had intended, until you looked back and saw the swirling inferno creeping through the halls.

It didn't take long for Satoru to figure out you had really orchestrated Megumi's release.

More than his wounded pride, it was the searing pain of realizing that you truly believed he was only using you for his own benefit. It felt like an insult to everything he had done for you.

Why couldn't you see that? Just how hard is it for you to understand?

And now that it had come to this... what did you expect from him? Should he really make good on his word and punish you? It tore his heart to even consider it.

However, what was worse was… did you think he was really capable of that too?

Amidst his heartache, suddenly he heard loud commotion from outside his study, yells and cries of help— and it roused him from his thoughts that he came out of his study, only to come right into a familiar face.

"Anyone! Anyone at all!" one of your maids was running, sobbing and hysterical. "Her Majesty! Please help Her Majesty!"

"What is all of this ruckus?" Satoru demanded, catching the maid by the hand, as she stuttered in tears.

And then, everything came crashing down with the next words.

"The Empress— is trapped inside the burning tower!"

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[aimedis]

redacted audio headcanons: jealousy | damn squad edition

gavin being an incubus and using other people's attraction to him as fuel feels like it would be quite hypocritical of him to be jealous. and he really doesn't get jealous often, he trusts freelancer just as much as they trust him and actually finds it quite amusing when their classmates try and "shoot their shot" because while his lover is attractive, they're his. yes, gavin occasionally finds himself randomly getting irritated whenever freelancer spends a little too much time away from him and with whatever group they've been assigned to do a project with. or when he's watching them laugh a little too hard with some random unimportant guy he doesn't even know. he'll usually wait for freelancer to notice him being whiny, to which they shush him with a little kiss and that usually fixes him for long enough. but over everything, gavin doesn't get jealous over people. no, no, no, he gets jealous over the stuffed animals freelancer keeps in their corner of the bed. the collection of cute little cotton stuffed creatures they seem to treasure almost as much as him. and he can't believe his eyes every morning he watches them kiss each and every one of their foreheads after they get placed back on the freshly made bed. freelancer's friends are one thing but these things are so much worse. and god forbid they want to cuddle with one of them at bed time. every time gavin watches them interact with the wretched pieces of fabric he sulks. freelancer saw the face he was making and asked him jokingly if he was jealous. the realization in their head clicked when they saw that he only sulked harder. freelancer laughed at him for a solid five minutes before reassuring him that he was, of course, way more important to them than their stuffed animals. gavin perked up after that but refused to believe it until they spent the remainder of the afternoon cuddling with him on the couch. gavin still glares into the stuffies' beady little eyes every time he sees them and freelancer only has to kiss his cheek to get him to stop. freelancer, unsurprisingly, doesn't get jealous when people flirt with gavin. they knew what they were getting into when dating a literal incubus and they would never try to take away a facet of gavin's personality. it's apart of who he is and they love all of him. it's also a favourite hobby of theirs to encourage gavin's antics. that being said, people have tried to flirt with their boyfriend in more of a "i’m better than your partner" way and that's what has them riled up. especially since the people who have the balls to do so also have the balls to ignore the fact that gavin's partner is literally right there. the most they'll do in front of the person is just grab onto gavin's arm and stare at the person with the nastiest look they can muster. but when they have gavin to themselves? they spend at least twenty minutes rambling about the audacity of people and how they would dare do that right in front of their face like that. they could, and would, go on forever if gavin didn't interrupt them by kissing them and gently caressing their cheek, telling them to relax and that he's theirs. freelancer still spends the following three hours pouting into gavin's chest before they're back to normal. gavin is also more than willing to block whoever makes freelancer uncomfortable because he actually has no need or desire for other relationships outside of the freelancer and the damn crew.

damien gets jealous quite often actually. it just takes a really bold person + a really really oblivious huxley for him to actually show it. part of it has to do with a small nagging voice in the back of his head that says he's not good enough for someone as kind and beautiful as huxley. but then again, he has full trust in his relationship and his boyfriend, it's just other people he doesn't trust. huxley barely understands damien's (or even gavin's) very obvious attempts at flirting with him sometimes, so imagine how much more oblivious he is to a stranger or coworker trying to make a move on him. huxley is not naive, but he just doesn't see things he's not interested in looking for. so damien has had a front row seat numerous times to huxley thinking someone was just really nice when they were trying to get into his pants. half of the time, it's hilarious to watch huxley tilt his head to the side in confusion at the blatant innuendo, the other half of the time? damien is seething. and he's not subtle in the slightest. but he doesn't blow up, he's too grown for that. he just takes the opportunity to sigh way too loudly to express his discomfort. that shifts huxley's attention immediately from whoever's in front of him over to damien real fast. then damien gets to enjoy the power trip that comes from having his boyfriend fuss over him while huxley potential "suitor" stands there entirely in shock before walking off in irritation. he also does this if he's not around when huxley gets flirted with or if he's just spending a lot of time with someone else. he sighs once then relishes in being fawned over for ten minutes. damien takes pride in his ability to have huxley's attention at the drop of a hat, it's the only time he lets himself be doted on. huxley picked up on damien's little habit after more than a few times and has used the information to tease him relentlessly. he smirks when damien starts acting antsy on purpose but he still follows through his overdramatic doting just to see the little grin on damien's face. just to make him happy. huxley, despite being so clueless when it comes to people flirting with him, is hyper aware of when it's happening to damien. he narrows his eyes whenever someone so much as touches damien for a second too long. it isn't something huxley finds himself getting angry over, necessarily, he just gets mildly annoyed whenever he knows someone is trying to get with damien. annoyed that people have the gall to flirt with his boyfriend when huxley could hypothetically throw them over his shoulder if he wanted to. the longer the two have been together, the more comfortable both of them have gotten with being possessive. comfortable enough to not feel guilty about being jealous. and despite how semi-often huxley finds himself being jealous when damien talks to someone for too long or just talking to someone who obviously wants him, huxley doesn't voice it at all. but damien knows he's jealous because he knows huxley. he notices how quiet his boyfriend gets when brings up that one coworker or the slight twitch in his eyebrow or the tense laugh he lets out. he knows that's how huxley acts when he's irritated but doesn't want to tell anyone. but damien puts the pieces together and he finds it quite amusing ("what, you jealous?"). and after that they go back and forth while huxley refuses to admit that he's jealous until he makes a silly little comment like, "that's totally not cool, bro, i already know that you're mine even though other people are far too cocky to understand that. like they’d ever be good enough for you-" and damien smirks like he's won. after that, damien (jokingly) condescendingly reassures huxley that he would never leave him for his coworker and that no one could ever compare to his big, fat- and huxley tells him his coworker can have him. as a joke, of course. he makes sure damien knows that.

lasko probably gets jealous the easiest out of the group. if someone looks at dear the wrong way (or even the right way), he's jealous. they talk to someone for too long around him, he's jealous. even with the d.a.m.n squad, he gets jealous. after dear gets a little more comfortable around everyone, he argues with freelancer about "stealing his partner" all the time and everyone makes fun of him. dear thinks it's the funniest thing ever. especially when lasko goes on a rant, saying it's not about trust, it's just the fact that sometimes he kind of just doesn't want them paying attention to anyone other than him for too long. he doesn't say it like that, that's embarrassing, but it's basically what he means. lasko felt bad about it the first few times, thinking he was turning into a psycho obsessive boyfriend but dear reassured him it's totally fine that he feels that way since they know he would never act out because of it. lasko is always incredibly transparent about being jealous, whining into dear's shoulder about them being so popular while they laugh at him. dear still reassures him that they love him more than anyone but they let him complain because they think he's cute. but lasko fully trusts them and just allows himself to be a little whiny because he trusts himself to not be an asshole boyfriend. it's mostly comedic relief at this point. dear literally doesn't get jealous. i don't even think they know what the word means. lasko could blatantly flirt with someone in front of them and they wouldn't even care. and he has. lasko and the crew play-flirt with each other all the time and dear finds it endearing rather than off-putting. they don't think it's a problem that lasko gets jealous when they don't, they just physically can't be themselves. if lasko gets flirted with, they focus on how hilarious he sounds stuttering through his "i'm taken" explanation. dear got jealous one (1) time early on in the relationship when lasko was super busy with a new teacher assistant but they literally said to themselves "?? he's literally mine" and moved on.

i think the d.a.m.n. crew are all super sexy and get hit on a lot kthxbye

[lani-heart]

|| series masterlist || next // previously

parings -> ( eventually ) enhypen x reader genre -> soulmate au, fantasy au, angst warnings -> angst word count -> 1.9k

abstract -> “Rejecting her… is protected her from being hurt by me”

y/n's perspective

I waited for all of them to leave… Haechan said they haven’t though. They were waiting for me to come out but I didn’t want to.

It wasn’t until I heard yelling that I peeked out the door.

It was Jungwon and Sunoo berating Jake, Jay, and Sooha.

“Found you!” I heard and I turned around to see Niki. He scared me causing me to jump a little and he smiled a bit waiting for me to come to him. 

“What’s wrong, little witch?” He asked and I sighed. “Jay is gonna reject me… and I got scared of Jake touching me…” I confessed and he rubbed my back comforting me.

“Close your eyes,” he said and I closed my eyes until I felt him pull away. He told me to open my eyes when I noticed we were now in my room.

“Those idiots are currently probably looking for you,” he said and I chuckled. “Was this not your plan?” I asked and he smiled.

“Mine but I didn’t include them in it” he shrugged and I laughed

“Thank you guys for coming for me,” I said and he nodded. “You should get something to eat,” he said and I nodded.

He left to get some food from the cafeteria when I was waiting in my common area. 

I soon heard a knock and opened it thinking it was Niki when it wasn’t… 

“Hello,” he said and I sighed. I hated him… I trusted him for a little to let myself be vulnerable but he was only keeping my soulmates away from me…

“Why are you here?” I asked and he sighed. “To apologize on Jake's behalf,” he said and I nodded trying to close the door when he didn’t allow it. 

“And also for Sooha… She's being a little out of line but I’ll make sure to talk to them. I’m sorry y/n”

I felt for once that he was being sincere.

jay’s perspective

What did I want?

I liked my time with her… she was sweet and kind. Maybe my suspicion was right... I didn’t like Sooha like that anymore. Not more than a friend.

“Why was she so scared of me?” He muttered as Sooha comforted him. He looked like he finally realized just how much he hurt her.

“You hurt her… a soulmate's pain is amplified when their soulmate inflicted it,” I said and he almost looked broken.

“She looked at me like I was a monster,” he said and I knew he was upset about that. He was called a monster before… but for his soulmate to think that was another story.

“She’ll get over it,” Sooha said but I doubted it. “What are you gonna do ?” I heard as I saw Sunghoon… was he here to yell at us like Jungwon and Sunoo did?

“I don’t know,” I said and he sighed. “She doesn’t hate you… not like she does Heeseung nor is she scared of you like she is that bastard. She enjoyed your time together but she’s now waiting for what you’ll do” he said and I sighed.

“I don’t know what I wanna do. I respected her wish for not wanting me to touch her but I was worried when she crouched down scared of Jake” I confessed and he sighed.

“Why was she so scared of me?” Jake asked Sunghoon and he scoffed.

“You hurt her once. Burned her and don’t you notice how she’ll wear scarfs or turtlenecks to cover her neck? She’s still healing Jake and honestly, I’d rather you stay far away from her” he said and Jake couldn’t say a word.

“Sunghoon—“ “Sooha you need to apologize also… you called her a hypocrite when you’ve been one the whole time,” he said and she was confused.

“No I haven’t… It’s unfair that K rejected me for her—“ 

“Jake rejected her for you, Heesung rejected her for you… how is that fair on her?” He asked and I realized just how much everyone stopped giving her what she wanted. 

She wasn’t a bad person but a little oblivious.

“Is she okay?” I asked and he nodded.

“Sunoo right now is pampering her,” he said and I had the urge to follow him and make sure she was okay.

Maybe cook for her like I have… but I couldn’t cause I knew I still cared for Sooha.

y/n's perspective

I had to move on from yesterday. 

I told the boys about my deal with Jay and they agreed to eat lunch I didn’t need to go to the home ec class anymore…

Going to the library again felt weird when I was used to going to the home ec class and eating something sweet.

I was studying in the library when I felt a familiar presence close by.

It was Jake and Jay… I stood up quickly and ran away. I wanted to hide so I was pretending to look for a book.

Wait, why were they at the witch library? They weren’t allowed here?

I decided to peek and maybe do a general spell to hear what they were saying.

“Even if you’re looking for the witch council president you can’t come in because of the other students. I have to ask you two to leave” the librarian said.

I really need to change that rule.

“We really need to talk to her, it’s a council emergency,” Jay said. Why were they trying so hard?

“I’m sorry but there are no exceptions and besides, I don’t see her at any of the tables,” she said and they seemed to give up.

“I can feel your spell, Miss President” I heard Jake whisper. I turned around and finished the spell. 

I don’t know why they were looking for me? 

I couldn’t even study the rest of the time. Instead, I just packed my things and decided to walk out when I saw Jay and Jake right across the door waiting…

“We need to talk,” Jay said and I looked at the time and shook my head.

“I have council work—“ “Have Wonyoung do—“ 

“No,” I said and walked away only for them to follow me. 

I made it to the council room and got there when they weren’t allowed in.

“Really? You have a vampire veil?!” Jake yelled and I was startled at the sound of his voice but was also just as confused.

“No vampires allowed in the council unless there’s a meeting” I heard Wonyoung say.

“What if we were here for stuco work?” Jake asked and she scoffed.

“She knows you aren’t” I heard and I saw Heeseung…

He came by last night to make sure I was okay… I hate how on opposite ends he acts.

He acted like he cared but still rejected me? Even dared to keep me away from Sunoo and Jungwon.

“Why are the two of you here bothering her?” He asked and the two scoffed.

“I needed to talk to you about the announcement but Wonyoung will fill you in,” Heeseung told me and I nodded.

“Come on you two if you have nothing to do might as well do work”

jay perspective

“What the hell Heeseung! I need to talk—“ “Stay away from her. Reject her move on, don’t lead her on,” he said sternly.

I didn’t know what to do though.

“If you don’t have any 100% certainty that you want her then just stay away from her. And you stop adding stress to her, she’s scared of you already, what else do you want?” He now said sternly to Jake.

“I just wanted to know why she was so scared—“ “You physically hurt her that’s why! You burned her skin raw” he scolded and for once I saw Jake ashamed of this incident.

“You rejected her. Why do you suddenly—""Just cause I rejected her doesn’t mean I don’t care about her,” he said and I didn’t get him.

“Sooha has a soulmate though…” Jake said and it caused him to scoff. “So she’s your second choice now? You already rejected her because you’re so in love with Sooha. She’s happy with those four so leave them be” he said and it was confusing.

It almost seemed like he wanted to accept her as his soulmate…

Jake was quiet the entire time so by the time it was the end of the day.

He seemed to now think about what he did. He keeps staring at his hands now guilty.

I couldn’t sleep knowing I had to make an option now… it wasn’t until I felt a sudden snap. Almost like my heart has broken in two?

“Jay?!” I heard Jake’s voice try to get to me but the pain hurt. All I could think about was y/n…

“Heeseung, I don’t know what happened but suddenly Jay—“ “I had y/n reject the soulmate bond between you two,” he said and I didn’t notice when he came in but I felt betrayed.

“You weren’t gonna accept her and you know it. Your thoughts wondered what could happen with her and your true feelings with Sooha” he said and I knew he was right but I couldn’t bear this pain…. Did she handle this twice? And Sunghoon, Jungwon, and Sunoo did too…

Jungwon twice?

“Stop it” I heard his scold but he was looking at Jake. “Stop thinking about her. Everything that has happened is done!” He yelled clearly frustrated. 

“Heeseung… Do you love her?” Jake asked and Heeseung didn’t have an answer. “I love Sooha,” he said but I didn’t have to be a mind reader to know that was a lie.

“Jungwon is good for her… he’s the most responsible one out of all of us. It's why he was elected president despite us being older than him. Sunoo is a romantic. He can give her love and show it. Niki is innocent and loves the thought of soulmates. He’s a confidant she can rely on. Even Sunghoon, who I didn’t expect, is good when all she wants is silent comfort!” He yelled. I felt how pained he was…. He was in love with our soulmate yet he rejected her first?

“You just wanted to use her because you knew Sooha would never love you!” He yelled at me… “You just didn’t want to be alone and that’s why you’re constantly conflicted!” He told me and I knew he was right.

I wanted Sooha… and by that, I saw my soulmate as a second option to not be lonely.

“And you physically and emotionally hurt her! Burned her when you were learning how to control it and felt no empathy!” He scolded Jake. He couldn’t even look at Heeseung.

“You haven’t even seen her neck. You of us all are the blindest one for a woman who will never love you. You could’ve just rejected her but you rejected and hurt her” he said and I saw how glassy his eyes looked not looking up at the older scolding us.

“And you?” I asked and he scoffed.

“My loyalty to Sooha would never be fair for her,” he simply said. I don’t think he was ever in love with Sooha. He definitely cared for her… took care of her.

I could now see the love he had for her.

“Rejecting her… is protected her from being hurt by me”

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please don't be a silent reader !! reblog, comment, and like <3

[phoenixeclipse-lmkau]

ok, so I think this is the first time I've posted a question as such and it's not just a comment but I'll try to be brief. I have to say that I loved the scenario in which they go to the world of Reader, it's very good and honestly I laughed a lot, but now changing the subject, considering that this is a ShadowPeach x reader universe, before the monkeys became warlords and met Reader, who was the one who became yandere first, Wukong or Macaque, because it would be interesting to have a little background on that. Another question is, if Reader can use her magic through artifacts, and suppose they change with her emotions, what if when she discovers that they are actually Wukong and Macaque, her desperation drags her to another world by accident (Perhaps as a method of survival for the adrenaline of the moment) and take him to another world with another Wukong, perhaps the canonical world of LMK, perhaps that of Black Myth Wukong, perhaps that of Monkey King Reborn, and Reader meets another version of Wukong or Macaque and genuinely becomes friends/falls in love with them and they are not Yandere, how do you think things would happen when the monkeys (inevitably) envelop Reader?

Anyway thats all i Have for Now, your ideas really change The chemistry un my brain, Hope you have a nice day

For Reader's ability. That is a really cool idea! A pure survival instinct truly. Now I don't think that she'll be meeting any other Wukong or Macaque in this au. (Maybe if I make another au and a crossover? But not in my main Cursed Warlords AU)

My reasoning is quite simple. Too much drama, okay thats kinda hypocritical I guess since there's probably gonna be quite a bit of drama.

Anyways, the pure survival instinct to get her out of the situation is really cool. In my mind, her dimensional travel ability stems from more of a teleportation type.

Because of this, I believe she would either teleport back to her own dimension or she might just teleport far away from them. Even if far away happens to be on Flower Fruit Mountain while they are away. Maybe haven't decided yet.

Anyways love that idea. Will probably use it at some point for the Reader (gonna make it happen at the worst possible moment too, probably. Hehe~)

>>><<<

Spoilers for unwritten Arc below. I will be writing the actual scenes for this later but since I don't have the time write at this moment a few short points from it will suffice.

Read at your own spoiler risk. This is basically an outline for the Arc. Which is the reason I took so long with this ask, Sorry about that, @bluewillbon! Loved writing this though ❤️

Ding... Ding... Ding...

Shadowpeach Arc Unlocked!!

Hehe~ I have a few ideas for this.

Surprisingly, I actually have Macaque go yandere for his husband before Wukong did.

Wukong is pretty oblivious to romantic emotions originally. He just knows he wants something so he takes it.

Basically a short Summery would be Macaque comes to Floqer Fruit Mountain as a traveler and meets Sun Wukong. The two fight each other because Macaque is an 'intruder'.

However, Wukong isn't going all out at, nor is Macaque. Wukong finds that he likes this new monkey demon, and eventually offers him a place in his troop.

Macaque decides to agree, at first to find out more about this other monkey. He doesn't know how he feels at first and is debating what exactly he wants to do.

As they get to know each other and begin to fall in love, but only Macaque seems to realize. Wukong is as dense as a rock (pun intended)

Macaque is already close with Wukong as his right hand man, he doesn't share his feelings. He can be rather shy at times, and believes that he'll have to fight Wukong to the death or unconsciousness like all of his other suitors.

But even though he believes that Wukong won't accept him, he won't let anyone else have him. If he can't have him, no one can. Will he harm his love? No, he'll just kill anyone who shows romantic interest in him.

Of course, he won't tell him, and the person will simply go missing without another word. Macaque is a great actor and no one will suspect him for a while... until...

Everything comes to a head when someone decides to challenge Wukong to a courting dual in public. Obviously, Wukong would have beaten her easily however Macaque who had finally decided to offer his love and picked out the courting gifts and had everything ready, would not have it.

Not only did he have everything ready, but the girl decided to challenge Wukong when Macaque had planned to. So~ yeah, the girl died... at Macaque's hands.

That is how the two got together, by Macaque slaying one of Wukong's suitors (he had quite a few before he became a warlord) and bending the knee to ask for his hand.

It is only then that Wukong actually thinks of his feelings for Macaque as love. Admitting it to himself as Macaque bends on his knee and promises to stay by his side for eternity.

At first Wukong is furious, his right hand doesn't think he can fight for himself- oh. Oh that's why he did it. This Boi was a blushing mess, because it's at this point that his own feelings hit him in the gut (or rather the point where he actually recognizes his own feelings.)

They soon become completely inseparable, more so than they already have been.

So even though Macaque is the first to go yandere, Wukong is NOT far behind him. Of course, there are some stupid enough to try and woo Macaque as well, only to be slain by Wukong's staff.

The suitors only diminish as Wukong and Macaque become Warlords. It becomes widely known who they are and who they are with. Even if some (very few) are stupid enough to try to get between them, they are quickly ended.

No one will come between them, and neither of them are interested in polygamy... at least not until... you.

[authormars]

how do you think the brothers would react to catching mc smoking weed/being high? I've always wondered what they would think and if they were to smoke it if it'd effect them. just curious, thank you for reading!

(sorry if you don't feel comfortable with this request, feel free to ignore if so

No, I'm perfectly fine to answer! I can also incorporate some of my own world-building headcanons.

So, most human world drugs work on demons, just without the bad effects. For example, (in my headcanon) Lucifer smokes. It doesn't do anything harmful to him, it just relaxes him (and obviously its addictive)

Anyways, continuing with the actual prompt

Lucifer

Let's get something straight. Lucifer is a very big hypocrite. He knows he's a hypocrite. This doesn't stop him from being a hypocrite.

That being said, when he finds out, he is not happy. Your fragile human body can't take that! Are you trying to hurt yourself, MC? Why don't you just go and provoke Satan! It'll have the same effect!

Lucifer is very protective over you. He considers you as important as his family. So when he finds out you're using drugs - which he knows are harmful to humans, don't try and lie to him - he immediately tries to put an end to it.

He's relieved you aren't using something extremely harmful (like some of the party drugs Asmo does) but at the same time, probably don't let it be known you're high around him, lest you be caught up in a lecture.

(that's not to say he doesn't get high himself, but I did say he was a hypocrite)

Mammon

The first time, Mammon doesn't realize you're high. He just thinks you have some curse put on you or you didn't sleep enough.

The second time... still doesn't notice. If you're just high around him, he'll probably be oblivious to it for the first five times it happens. But if he catches you getting high?

Mammon is also protective. He doesn't want his human being hurt! But Mammon also gets high. And unlike Lucifer, he's not a constant hypocrite. So he won't reprimand you, but he may be like "Ya know that's dangerous fer humans, right?"

After a while, as long as it's not using it a lot (to which he will report you to Lucifer for your own safety) he may offer to get high with you.

Leviathan

Ah, Levi. When you're high around him, he notices the signs. He's been around Mammon and Asmo when they're high. Will he say anything? Absolutely not! He's not a tattletale! (Unless he catches you with Mammon, in which case he will immediately report you)

Levi doesn't get high and only ever intakes drugs when he accidentally eats Mammon's pot brownies that he sells. He's a bit to anxious to ask you straight up if you're high (cause what if you're not and he's just being rude?)

If you offer to get high with him (because he will not offer) he may give in, depending on how close you are. But eventually he'll crack and tell Lucifer.

Levi doesn't want you to harm yourself (and will get Mammon in trouble when he can)

Satan

Satan is a strange case. He noticed the first time, but he didn't tell Lucifer (if that old man didn't notice, jokes on him) That doesn't mean he won't approach you to ask if you're high. (Even if you lie, he can smell the weed on you MC, demons have strong noses you know)

Satan disapproves mostly, constantly reminding you of the bad effects of getting high are. If he views it as using it to much, eventually he'll report to Lucifer (even if he doesn't want to)

Satan will not get high with you, do not ask. He's much more content to just read with you because that's what relaxes him, why can't it relax you? Disapproves the most (without being a hypocrite)

Asmodeus

Asmo is also a strange case. He knew you were high the first time you were around him and immediately asked you what you had done, what you wanted to try, brought stashes out of various hidden corners because "Sol and I are always trying new things and Mammon hides the drugs he sells in here. Nothing special, darling!"

Asmo will get high with you and will introduce you to demon drugs (not knowing if they're harmful or not) Thankfully, your guard dog and the actually smart one with stop him before it goes too far.

Asmo is overjoyed because he doesn't have anyone he gets high with besides random demons (and they're not as much fun as you)

Beelzebub

Beel is one of the brothers that doesn't do drugs. He's been high before after eating nearly an entire plate of pot brownies Mammon left to cool in the kitchen. (That was an experience, let me tell you)

Once he finds out (which one of the brothers will have to tell him or you will) he sort of frowns and goes "But Satan says that's harmful for human bodies. Are you okay, MC? Do you need a hug?"

He won't get high with you, but he's fine to be there while you're high (unlike Satan) He'll report harmful usage to Lucifer (and unharmful usage, normally he'll just tell Lucifer if you're high) Doesn't disapprove, but will check up on you if you start using it more to make sure you're still okay

Belphegor

Doesn't notice for the longest time. You could be high around him, get high around him, smell really strongly of weed and he won't notice. Probably the last to find out besides maybe Beel.

Will get high with you, but doesn't really use drugs outside of using them with you. He can sleep just fine and he doesn't really need that euphoria so what is he getting out of it other than time with you?

Belphie doesn't use drugs but will also never report you getting high to Lucifer. (Fuck that old man)

Thank you for your ask, as always! Feel free to request headcanons or fic ideas, I'm always bored and need something to do. Remember to drink water!

I can do the undateables next, if anyone wishes

[susiephone]

i’m doing my annual reread of “gone girl” (happy women’s history month!) and as much as i ADORE the movie, both as a movie and an adaptation (seriously i think it’s one of the best adaptations i’ve ever seen), the book just has something to offer that i feel like couldn’t really be translated into film: the narration.

like yes there’s some narration in the movie, but films are a visual medium. for the most part, you don’t have the character tell us what they’re thinking, you show us via their actions. but a book, especially in first person POV as the book is (alternating perspectives between nick and amy), you have the benefit of having the character’s thoughts, and their actions, which can often hint at some stuff the characters don’t realize or don’t want to admit. especially because in the book, nick and amy are both aware they are telling you a story. they are both playing to an audience, they both know you’re there, and they both want you to side with them. and that is fascinating to consider as you read.

and we’ve all seen amy get made into this feminist girlboss heroine, and i know some people are joking (i mean, i joke about it), but some people are not. and that is baffling if you read the book and realize amy is also a complete misogynist. (actually she’s a misanthrope, she hates everybody, but she really has contempt for other women that doesn’t come up as much in the movie.) i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: it is a tragedy the book cut out hilary handy, because what amy did to her is an EXCELLENT example of amy’s lack of care for other women. 

the book also delves more into how amy, while brilliant and clever, is also not nearly as smart as she thinks she is, and she’s also a complete spoiled brat. the movie definitely mentions that amy was rich, but in the book, it’s clear that she’s never actually had to have job in her life (she does have one, but it doesn’t pay that well and it’s clear she could quit and live off her parents’ money any time she liked), and when she complains about being dragged “penniless” to missouri, she can still afford to not work and never has to think about the cost of gas. like she and nick aren’t RICH anymore, but they’re certainly not poor. amy in the book pays ten dollars for a carton of milk because she doesn’t realize she’s being overcharged. she expects $12,000 to last her nearly a year living in hiding, without actually budgeting (or rather, sticking to her budget) or compromising on comfort. 

furthermore, the book gets more into amy’s childhood and why she is the way she is, and also how her actions affect people who did nothing to her. the book spends a lot more time with her parents, who while not GOOD people in the book, get a lot more depth and really highlight amy’s callousness. the book does more to explore her psyche to make it clear that amy isn’t some super-cool ice queen mastermind who Does What She Wants; she’s on the edge of a breakdown basically 24/7, she’s a total hypocrite, she’s completely oblivious to her weaknesses and other people’s strengths, she’s motivated almost entirely by what others think of her, and her ego is both VERY inflated and incredibly fragile.

and in the book, amy and nick are perfect for each other. seriously. i have personally concluded that neither of them are capable of selfless or healthy love--except nick’s love for his sister, which is his main redeeming quality as a human being--but they do love each other in the most twisted, fucked-up, masochism tango way possible, and they’ll live miserably ever after because neither of them could ever be happy with someone else anyway.

like i get this stuff had to be streamlined or downplayed to make a 432-page book work in a single film. but i wish more discussion of the story was centered around the book instead of the movie, because i feel like when you have to cut down on stuff, some nuance and depth inevitably gets lost. and i wonder if amy would be as widely idolized and praised if the fanbase was centered more on the book than the movie.

tl;dr: if you’ve only seen the movie of gone girl, i implore you to pick up the book. it’s fantastic and makes an already stellar story even better. the audiobook is also excellent, although it did take me a couple chapters to get used to the narrator’s voices. they’re both FANTASTIC but it was jarring to hear nick as Not Ben Affleck and amy as Not Rosamund Pike 

[coldshare]

I know you’ve done contagion scenarios already, but please do more! I love your stuff!

thank you anon! ♡ i realize it's been a hot while (pls forgive the wait), but i missed writing and posting prompts here. here goes...

-

a character (A) who is always snapping at others to not pass on their colds, but who is simultaneously hypocritical about their own standards. they can barely go one cold/flu season without berating others to cover their mouth ('why did you even come in today? i can hear you sneezing from all the way over here!' or 'have you ever thought of covering your mouth?' or 'can you take another step back? i really don't want to catch that' or 'they have a cold? you'd better keep your distance')

on the rare occasion when they come down with a bad cold, though, it doesn't even cross their mind to be considerate. so what if they let out another, spraying sneeze? it's not like they can help it, the sneezes just snuck up on them! you'd understand how hard it is to cover if you had their cold... the sneezes are just so unpredictable!

why didn't they stay home today? well, the world isn't going to stop for a cold, obviously! and what if someone catches this from them? well, clearly someone else wasn't careful enough with their own cold if they have this cold in the first place, so why should they be the first one to pick up the torch? they sneeze openly, reveling in how good it feels to get them out, and blow their nose loudly and with no shame, oblivious to - or unbothered by - the irritated looks sent their way.

but what they don't account for is...

colds can often be invisible. one day, another character - B - comes in with a cold, and has to occupy a space that A is later going to occupy. maybe it's an office cubicle, or an elevator, or an aisle at the grocery store; maybe it's a particular seat on a train, or a table at a cafe.

either way, B - who has a terrible, contagious head cold - finds themselves sniffling incessantly, so much that they have to wipe their nose on their hands to keep it from dripping. and god, their nose is so ticklish... they find themselves with their eyebrows scrunching up, eyes half lidded, to sneeze and sneeze. some sneezes get caught in a cupped hand, the spray narrowly escaping from between their fingers; some they don't even bother to cover, given how fruitless the endeavor feels.

B really wouldn't have shown up if they had any choice, but for whatever reason, they're here, running errands or getting work done, or heading home... best to go through with it, then. it's a good thing there aren't many people around to hear them sneezing.

by the time B is done, the air is heavy with contagious particles. everything they've touched is thoroughly contaminated, every surface gleaming with spray. they pack their things up and leave, but not before unleashing another spraying sneeze into the area

...a few hours later, enter A, unsuspecting, ready to use the space as they believe they're entitled to...

[morganacorp]

Lena knew that kryptonite hurt Supergirl in ways she couldn't imagine. She had heard her say once that it felt like molten lava running through her veins, broken glass against her skin, piercing her until she was weak and vulnerable.

Lena saw the way Supergirl's skin started glowing green the moment her mother stepped closer to her and pulled out a gun loaded with kryptonite, shooting her with a short green beam of light from the rock making her fall to her knees in agonizing pain. She saw her mother's satisfaction when she took a step back and Supergirl stayed down on her knees, trying to catch her breath while she tried to fight the pain.

"Something as simple as a green rock can bring the most powerful woman down to her knees and make her soft." She smirked, nodding so one of her goons would step in closer and punch Supergirl.

The hero was obviously affected by the kryptonite, struggling to defend herself. Lena watched in horror how one of the goon's punches landed on her jaw and followed with another one in her eye.

"She bleeds!" Lillian said with delight.

"Stop hurting her!" Lena screamed, trying to free herself from the man that was holding her still.

"That's nothing compared to what we're going to do to her." Lillian smirked at her daughter. "Her family destroyed your brother's life, and it's her time to pay."

"Lex went insane because he's a psychopath, but Supergirl is innocent!" Lena said loudly, hoping to distract her mother while Supergirl caught her breath. "She has done nothing to you or Lex-"

"She's a dirty alien, Lena! She's Superman's cousin." The woman scoffed, stepping closer to Lena. "He took your brother's sanity away, and I'll take the last living member of his family." She said with disgust.

"she's innocent!" Lena insisted, pleading at her mother with her eyes, watching how Supergirl stood up with difficulty, the open wound on her lip bleeding profusely.

"She's from Krypton!" Lillian yelled and nodded at her goons so they forced Supergirl back down to her knees again, punching her hard. "Besides, my dear Lena... My sweet, oblivious daughter." She said mockingly. "Would you be defending her this fiercely if you knew the truth?" She smirked, her bitter voice making Lena's heart race.

"Lillian." Supergirl managed to say. "Your problem is with me. Leave Lena out of this." She said and one of the men kicked her side so she fell and curled into a ball, feeling how her body struggled with the pain.

"Isn't that sweet." Lillian mocked her. "Little alien hypocrite."

"Let her go, mother." Lena pleaded.

"It's funny, now that I think of it." Lillian said, approaching Lena. "You defend her and you don't even know who she really is." She smiled, that cruel grin Lena knew all too well. "The truth has been in front of you the whole time, and you have never realized it... I'll be honest and say I thought you were pretty close to a genius, but it has been disappointing watching you be fooled by a pair of glasses and a sweater." She scoffed.

"Lillian!"

"Shut up, alien!" She yelled and shot her with a green beam of kryptonite that made her writhe in pain.

"Mother, please! Let her go." Lena pleaded.

"You hate lies, don't you, Lena?" She asked with a sarcastic tone. "You hate being lied to and you hate when people hide things for you."

"Whatever you're trying to do, just stop it." Lena replied bitterly. "This woman hasn't done anything wrong, all she's done is help people!"

"Did you know she has a job? And an apartment, and friends." Lillian continued, ignoring Lena. "She lives the life of a mere mortal, with the powers of a goddess." She said and stepped closer to Supergirl, making her skin turn even greener as the gun was pointed at her. "She will hate you, she will enjoy watching you die." She whispered in Supergirl's ear, a satisfied smirk on her lips before she used her gun to hit her on the head, opening a wound that started bleeding profusely.

"Stop, mother!" Lena pleaded, struggling against the man holding her. "Please, mother. I'll do anything you want but please let her go." She implored and Lillian laughed.

"Oh, Lena. You're a fool."

"I am a lot of things, so take it all out on me. Let Supergirl go." She said angrily.

"Supergirl... What a curious way to call your best friend." She said and Lena froze, her green eyes fixed on her. "Should we tell her the truth, Kara?" Lillian asked, and watched how her daughter's eyes filled with tears.

"What?" Her weak voice causing more pain to Kara than the kryptonite.

"That's right, Lena. This woman, this hero you have idealized and defended over your own family, has been lying to your face for years." Lillian said and pointed the gun at Kara, who was using all her strength to look up at Lena.

"It can't be." Lena shook her head.

"Lena." Kara whispered and then a green beam was shot from Lillian's gun, making her fall back and whimper in pain again, the blood from her head wound making her blond hair stick to her forehead.

"Not so eager to defend her now, are you?" Lillian smirked, stepping closer to Lena while they watched Kara gasp for air. The two men that had been next to her moved back to continue carrying the loaded boxes of guns Lillian had been trying to smuggle out of Lex's vault, leaving only the man holding Lena back.

"Kara..." she asked, a quivering lip and tear stained cheeks.

"Lena..." Kara sighed, trying to get back on her knees, but feeling the pain of broken ribs weighing her down.

"I'm gonna kill her." Lillian told Lena, making her snap back into reality.

She was mad, furious and hurt, but she couldn't let Lillian hurt Supergirl. Sure, she had lied to her, but her point that she had done nothing but help people still standing.

She wanted to see her suffer and make her pay for her lie, but torturing her with kryptonite was not what Lena wanted. She saw Lillian shot at her again, this time making Kara -Supergirl- slide back a few yards from where she lay.

Supergirl moaned in pain, her bruised and broken body hurting so much she could barely focus on anything. She tried to get back up again, but when she looked up she found Lena's pained and conflicted expression.

"Lena- I just-"

"Save it, alien." Lillian told her, shooting her again.

Lena was hurting and struggling to reconcile her thoughts and her heart: she saw Supergirl, a hero who had saved her life and had protected the city and the world countless times, and then she saw her best friend Kara, who lied and betrayed her. She couldn't stand the sight of Supergirl suffering, but thinking that Kara was there in front of her, whimpering in agony and helpless, made Lena's heart break.

She was mad, but her heart was soft and bleeding for Kara. That one person who always had her back, saved and protected her in her own way.

The same Kara that always knew how to cheer her up, or when to sit by her without words. The same Kara she looked forward to seeing, the same Kara that always greeted her with a warm hug that made Lena's heart race.

"Does your people have some kind of prayer for when you're about to die? I'm feeling generous." Lillian said with poison, watching how Supergirl struggled but managed to get on her feet, wobbling and almost falling down twice before she found her footing.

Lena looked at her and noticed everything she had refused to see before, all the clear signs that Kara and Supergirl were one and the same. She stared at her, noticing the bruises on Supergirl's face, the blood on her suit that was still dripping from her open wounds, and then she caught a glimpse of the blue eyes she knew all too well.

She noticed that now that she was slightly further away from Lillian the kryptonite didn't have the same effect on her, allowing her to recover enough to stand on her own. She was obviously very weak, but Lena knew that she still had enough in her tank to escape if given the chance.

"Lillian, let Lena go." She said with effort, her voice breaking.

"Don't say my daughter's name with your filthy mouth, hypocrite." Lillian scoffed bitterly.

"She's innocent and she-"

"Stop trying to defend me." Lena said firmly, tears streaming down her cheeks in earnest. "Don't you dare to say my name." She said angrily and looked back at the man holding her back until he let her go, sure that she wouldn't try to run.

"Lena-"

"I think my daughter was pretty clear." Lillian said and lifted the gun, pointing it at her. "You have betrayed a Luthor, alien, and now you'll pay for it." She said and Lena waited until she was surely about to pull the trigger, knowing that she only had one chance to do it.

She knew kryptonite wouldn't kill her, that it doesn't hurt her body in the way it hurts Supergirl. She knew it was a gamble, but she had always liked tempting fate.

She ran towards Kara, stepping in front of the green beam that would've ended her life and protecting her with her own. She felt the force of the green light hitting her square on the chest, pushing her back until those strong arms wrapped around her.

Kryptonite wouldn't kill her, no, but the force on that beam was enough to disorient her and take her breath away. She could hear her mother cursing and Kara's voice- Supergirl's voice-yelling at her, but she couldn't make up what they said.

She closed her eyes, feeling Kara's arms holding her against her body, and then everything went black.

"She's waking up." A familiar voice said softly when Lena opened her eyes, trying to focus while she loked around. "Lena, it's okay. You're safe." The same voice said softly, and her eyes finally found her face.

"Alex." She whispered.

"You have a concussion, and you were out of it for a few hours. You're safe." She explained, looking into her eyes with a concerned frown. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was hit by a truck." She said honestly.

"You have bruised ribs too... What you did was stupid." She said, grabbing her hand. "But incredibly brave." She said giving it a squeeze. "Thank you."

"That should be me thanking her." Kara's soft voice caught Lena's attention, and it was until then that she noticed her sitting on a chair next to her, the warmth of her hand resting on top of hers.

She was dressed as Kara, even though the bruises and dried blood reminded Lena of the truth.

"Kara-"

"Alex, can you-"

"I'll be back in a moment. Call me if she gets dizzy." She nodded, knowing the two of them needed to talk. She walked out of the med bay area and informed Nia and Brainy that Lena was awake.

"Thank you for saving me." Kara whispered, looking down in shame. "I'm sorry."

"You should be under the sun lamps." Lena responded, slowly removing her hand from Kara's.

"I will heal, eventually." She shook her head, removing her glasses and looking up to try and contain the tears that inevitably made their way down her cheeks. "I was going to tell you... I just-"

"You lied, and that's something I can't forgive." Lena whispered, her own tears making an appearance.

"Let me explain." Kara whispered, pleading blue eyes behind bruises. "Lena, I just... I was scared."

"You should get under the sun lamps, Supergirl." Lena said softly, her voice breaking. She turned her face away from Kara and felt a horrible headache making her brain throb, something that wasn't helped in the least when she tried her best to contain a loud sob.

Kara sat there in silence for a moment and then moved to her bed, feeling the warm from the sun lamps engulfing her like a healing blanket. She rested her head on the soft pillow and cried quietly, trying her best to not hear Lena's quiet sobs a few steps away.

[outivv]

Can we get some separate headcanons of Xiao and wanderer with a Timid but kind reader?

Reader is extremely quite at first but show lots of act of service (like when they were injured, reader is the first one to try to help n stuff), and because of how timid and weak the reader look people always take advantage of themm(￣∇￣+)

It's alright if ya don't want to,have a nice dayy!^^

Synopsis: timid/ quiet reader who’s love language is acts of service!!

Warnings: not proofread

Characters: xiao, wanderer, and dehya

Pronouns for reader: gender neutral/ not mentioned

A/n: hello hello!! Thank you for requesting!! I hope you don’t mind me adding dehya, I just reallllly wanted to write for her :’). Anyways!! Hope you enjoy, and have a great rest of your day!!

— Xiao —

I think your more timid, and quiet personality mixes with xiao’s really well. I don’t know why but it’s givingggg power couple.

Anyways, I feel like xiao is pretty oblivious to your acts of service, he appreciates them but he doesn’t know why you’re doing them you know? Like when you help him with his wounds, or make him food, or do literally anything for him, he doesn’t understand… why.

You hum happily as you tend to xiaos clothes, mending them, and sewing back the tears in his clothes. Xiao watches from afar, seeing you so happy just… doing something for him. He doesn’t get it. Why are you being so nice to him? You even lent him some spare clothes you had, the thought of wearing clothes that are originally yours makes his cheeks flush. “Here you go!! All better now.” You say handing him his clothes and returning his thoughts to normal. Your sweet smile, and the way his clothes are gently folded- it’s all too much.

“Why do you do things for me?” He asks rather bluntly. Your smile drops, “what do you mean?” He glares, not out of malice, but out of frustration. He feels his question is rather silly to be honest, “I mean you help me when I’m wounded, you fix my clothes, you tidy my room at wangshu inn, and I don’t have to ask for any of it. Why do you do it?” Your blank face turns to one of pure adoration, and almost… pity, “because I care about you. Taking care of things, and people- it’s how I show love.” Your response isn’t what he expected, he honestly expected you were doing it an an exchange for your guaranteed protection. But in reality it was just as simple as… you loved him. He took his nicely folded clothes and disappeared, his heart racing, and face flushed. He hoped you didn’t notice before he left. 

I think after that encounter he gets much more flustered, and aware of your acts of service. He definitely appreciates it, and voices that appreciation in various ways. By checking in on you, idly hanging around you more, developing a crush on you you know. Simple things like that :)

He really hates that people take advantage of you, but he’s also very concerned that he’s doing the same… unintentionally JEGJEG. He’s like “that jerk just took advantage of [name] and I know it. Oh my god am I being a hypocrite right now? Am I doing the same as that jerk? Oh…” he’s very self conscious and worried that he’s taking advantage of you without realizing it. He’s not. You know he’s not.

— Wanderer —

Respectfully. He probably has told you to have a spine because of how often people take advantage of you. He’s harsh with his words, but they hold a strange sense of genuine concern, and care in them. He sees how these people hurt you, and he doesn’t want that of course, but he’ll express it in a way that comes off as much harsher than intended.

“I just don’t understand.” You say wiping your tears and sniffling. Wanderer sighs, and moves your hand from your face to wipe your tears himself, “I do. It’s because you don’t know how to tell others to do it themselves.” His usual glare is focused, worry pooling in his eyes, though he hides it very well. His heart may break a thousand times from seeing you cry, but you’ll never know that.

You look up at him, your tear filled eyes, and red face drenched in sorrow, and confusion as to why people are continuously walking all over you, how they have the audacity to do so. “I just… I wanna help people, I want to show them that I care.” You sob harder, your words broken up by hiccups. Wander thinks back to all the times you help him and his gaze softens, “people who have the sheer nerve to take advantage of you, don’t deserve your kindness. You need to actually have a backbone, and ignore them.” His words sting a bit, but you know he’s right. You wrap your arms about him to hug him, a sign of thanks for his advice.

He appreciates your help, and everything you do for him, but he’s the type to be like “no it’s fine I can do it myself” and be all stubborn even if… he can’t do it himself KEVEKEG. It’s rather annoying to be honest, you wanna showcase your feelings for him, and you can only do that in a simple way, and he won’t let you because of his own pride!!

He does let you do some things for him though. Mostly just things he doesn’t necessarily know how to do, like I feel like he isn’t superb at writing. Not that he’s bad at it per say, but he just isn’t great at it. So when you write him things, or write for him, he’s very appreciative. :)

— Dehya —

Strong independent woman!! Who will crumble by the fact that you so kindly do things for her, and enjoy doing them, and ahh. Dehya is a big acts of service person, it’s one of her main love languages too, so if you’re trying to tell her you love her (in a platonic/romantic way) then she absolutely loves it.

Dehya returns to your camp to notice food freshly made, clothes folded, and tents and beds made. “[name] did you really do all this while I was gone?” Dehya asks astonished. You turn around from folding another pair of clothes “hm? Oh yes!! I wanted to get some stuff done so we could enjoy ourselves. We’ve been traveling for a while, and while you were gone completing a commission, I just thought I’d be helpful…” a smile grows on dehya’s face at your words, her heart swells with all the love in the world for you.

I feel like dehya would try to do the same for you in a way. I don’t know how to explain but you both do things for each other, and it’s just a never ending cycle of basically saying “I LOVE YOU” “I LOVE YOU MORE” “NO I LOVE YOU MORE” “NO THATS IMPOSSIBLE I LOVE YOU THE MOST” “NO I-“ you get what I’m saying.

No one dares to take advantage of you, especially by the mere mention of dehya’s name :), so thankfully, you don’t have to worry about that.

[genshinemblem564]

Sagau headcanons

Some of these may be important to future stories and story chapters

_______________________________________________

• The Creator of Teyvat has a divine presence so powerful that those who suffer from a curse need only stand in their presence for the curse to be lifted, this also affects spiritual contracts with steep prices, however, this dissolves the contract completely, both positive and negative effects.

• The immortals (archons, familiars, adepti) are all extremely bothered by how often you talk about "When I'm gone..." You apologize profusely telling them you haven't fully processed this information yet.

• Kaveh was the one to design your temple, and he's quite proud of this. You made the request to add a few extra rooms and he obliged, not knowing what you'd do with this space but not daring to ask. To his, and many others', surprise you had invited some of your loyal followers to live with you, these extra rooms were to provide proper work space for everyone.

• Unfortunately for your followers, the more important they were, the less time you could spend with them, as they are almost always busy with something. The only exception to this is Ei, with her Plane of Euthymia and the Shogun bearing the responsibilities, she could spend hours with you. She'd like to spend more time with you, but you also have your role to play.

• After being revealed as the creator, you spend a lot of time talking with Ayaka, as you begin to worry that some people are only being nice to you because of your title, just like her, so you know she's the right person to talk to about this. She can't help but feel a little guilty with how happy this makes her, she hates seeing you suffer, but she loves not only that you're relying on her, but that she's able to relate to you in some way as well.

• Venti is not happy with how he found out your identity. One night the two of you had a chance meeting, you spent a good few hours trading stories and ballads, the ones you shared were from or about other game worlds, and eventually the traveler and Paimon came by. As you spoke, the phrase "Tone-deaf Bard" left your lips, upon realizing what you said everyone there nearly screamed, you included. The only one to use Paimon's ugly nicknames other than Paimon, is the creator.

• Not really a self aware headcanon, but the traveler will always be Aether and the abyss ruler will always be Lumine in my writings,for two reasons, one, this is the choice I made on my account, and two, that is how it is in every trailer and ad I've seen.

• Aether once asked you your opinion on the Abyss Order, hoping to indirectly ask about Lumine. Everyone was shocked and annoyed by this "Why bother their grace with such a pointless question? The Abyss is the enemy of Teyvat so obliviously they despise them just as we do." That's what everyone said. You told them that the Abyss is one of the biggest bunch of hypocrites you've met. Everyone but Aether was confused by this, what made them hypocrites? That's when you revealed the Abyss Order's motives, needless to say everyone was shocked by this.

•More of a theory but I felt like sharing it in this format. It was only a matter of time before this happened. Abyss mages had surrounded you and Aether, not trying to harm you, more forcefully recruit you, and the Abyss princess herself was present. As expected, she "requested" you join her cause, to which you replied " I'm not siding with anyone who can't get their facts straight." Even Aether was confused this time, before Lumine could speak, you asked what she remembers of Khaenri'ah's destruction, she described it exactly as you remembered it except for one thing. You inquired about the strange power used to destroy the nation, because that power was eerily similar to the powers of the unknown god Aether is tracking, the fact that the Irminsul was tampered with only furthered your suspicions. Needless to say Lumine, as well as the present abyss soldiers were absolutely livid.

• The Abyss Order, upon gaining the knowledge you possessed, were quick to apologize and turn over a new lead, leaving everyone shocked and confused, even more so when you told them that a simple heart to heart was all it took. Now the siblings are reunited, hopefully for good this time, and Teyvat has one less major threat to deal with.

• You practically demanded that the anemo gnosis be returned by the Fatui, they thought you wanted all of them returned so they brought all of them to you, which prompted the response "Why did you bring all of them? I only wanted the anemo gnosis returned because it was stolen, the rest were obtained through fair deals and trade, you can keep them." The Fatui soldiers and harbingers were confused, but they weren't going to argue if you're letting them keep the rest of the gnoses.

• When you were first revealed to be the creator, Venti had asked why you drink so little, about one glass of wine a day. You thought you'd be funny and mess with your acolytes a little, leading you to say "Because, last time I got wasted tarantula hawks became a thing." You then proceeded to describe these nightmarish creatures in great detail. You come to regret this sudden outburst of mischief when you noticed Diluc hiding a wine bottle from you.

• If you're like me, then you tend to ramble about the games you enjoy, leading the younger followers to gather as you tell other worldly tales of heroism.

• Yanfei was impressed with you before you even arrived in Teyvat. In fact, you had her respect soon after you first met, looking for the smaragdus jadeite, the moment you learned that the jadeite was made into earrings you immediately guessed that either they were fake or that the man who rented them out didn't care about customer safety. While she had deduced as such just as fast, the same can't be true of other people, the traveler and Paimon are proof of this, so the fact that you can so easily keep up with her is rather impressive.

_______________________________________________

I'm sorry about the two exceptions to the headcanon topic, I just really felt like this format fit them and I couldn't think of enough details for them to warrant their own post, but I hope you enjoyed this. Also, feel free to use any of these, generally make posts like these when I can't flesh an idea out properly, so these are free game.

[lunexrin]

"As our souls fade."

Dazai Osamu. (post-mafia.)

TW: mentions of suicide and self harm.

It started years ago; when you selflessly took care of him ever since he was in the mafia, making sure that no vein in him was injected by any weird chemicals, that his neck wasn't hung on some rope, that his heart was beating well, and that he wasn't chugging down bleach like it was water.

It can't be helped. He felt that it was wrong to leave his wrists untouched as the earth spins, as the sun disappears and the moon shows, and as the blue skies fade to the darkness of the night. He felt that it was wrong to stop looking up about chemicals that could potentially make his heartbeat stop.

Even so, he notices changes about himself. How he hesitated before pouring arsenic down his throat, how he thought it over and over before putting a brand new rope in his shopping cart, and how his fingers shake before drawing the metal of the razor closer to make contact with his scarred skin.

Torn between disappointing you and his willingness to end his life, he tried his best to stay further from the things you tried to keep him away. But the latter got to the best of him, and his habits continued.

And he would've never thought there'll be a day where he was happily skipping to the rooftop to indulge himself in the possibilities where he could finally die-- but he saw you.

You were standing horrifyingly still on the edge of the rooftop with one foot dangling in the air, and your body slowly limped forward..

No.

No no no no.

A familiar bandaged grip made its way to your wrist, pulling you back just in time. You fell back into his arms, and you both stumbled back onto the hard concrete of the rooftop floor.

He would never be angry at you. He couldn't. But now? He found himself bruising your wrist with his grip, yelling at you on the top of his lungs as the crystal liquid runs down his face.

It's hypocritical, he knows. But he couldn't give a damn about it. He doesn't care how barbaric he is being to himself-- to insult his pride in such a way. Scolding you for doing the same thing that he does daily? Yeah. That's what's happening.

That was when he realized how cruel he has been to you all these years; how he was oblivious to how you felt every time he had done an attempt. And that was when he realized that he didn't want you to be anywhere but his side, and how his heartbeat matters to you just how much yours matters to him.

Your poor souls just stayed there, bawling your eyes out in front of one another. The orange skies disappeared, replaced by a much darker tone.

That night was oddly peaceful, even after a storm rampaged in you. The moon glowed brighter than usual, and the stars shone such a hopeful glint from them.

"I'll be your lifeline," you spoke as you rest your head upon his beating heart. The long fingers that brought the feeling of home slid under your shirt, resting well on your ribcage.

"And i'll try to make us hold on as long as we can, darling." You felt the slight vibration going through his chest that was beneath your head as he spoke. His fingers moved freely under the layers of your garments, and you could've swear he's trying to cast a love spell on you with that.

"As long as that heart beats for me, and you." He shifted you so he could hold your gaze with his, your skin feeling the texture of the gauze that was wrapped around his hand as he caressed your face lovingly.

"As long as eternity exists," the softness of his sultry tone is making your heart flutter, its pace beating faster.

"And as our souls fade."

© 2023 lunexrin, do not copy, translate or repost on any other websites without proper credits.

[kuzure-collapse]

watching a romance drama with your crush prompt?

finished watching See You In My 19th Life with a friend of mine and this idea came to mind

---

X and Y are friends watching a romance series together. maybe it's with a group, maybe they're alone together, but they're sitting next to each other

Y asks teasingly, "since when do you enjoy romance dramas?"

X, pouting, "I don't normally watch them, but I really like series about [insert trope that perfectly describes X and Y's dynamic]"

maybe X's the type to crack jokes a lot during watch parties.

"how can you be so dense!" when a character is oblivious to affection. X doesn't realize how hypocritical they are

"make a move already!" when a character is hesitant to shoot their shot. Y chuckles, and smirks at X. it feels like a call to action.

or X simps over a character that's very similar to Y, has no idea of the implications.

but Y notices X is suddenly quiet when a heartfelt romantic scene occurs. Y's head turns towards X's, watches how X's shoulders relax and their eyes go soft

X seems to gaze longingly at the screen, eyes trailing the lead's hand as they caress the love interest.

most of the time, Y is watching X more than the show. absorbing their every minute reaction, trying to read it.

X: I want that, too

Y: I can give that to you

maybe it's a series that's very different from X and Y's dynamic. like they're frenemies that always bicker and insult each other. but seeing how soft X goes when watching a soft, wholesome, fictional couple makes Y feel guilty/regretful/conflicted. Should I be nicer to them?

is that what makes X happy? is that what will make X fall for me? if I start acting like that, would X like it or would they be weirded out?

Y wants to know. disguises the question as just poking fun. "You're into that? You like [insert some affectionate gesture]?"

X, sheepishly. "Yeah, so?" They pick their knees up and hug them to their chest.

Y scoffs. "That's so corny.”

X rolls their eyes and returns to the screen. Y frowns and looks down. Their hand shifts closer to X's side, doesn't touch.

[tangerinesgf]

You Look Happier Pt.2

Tangerine x fem!reader

Summary: Tangerine left because he thought you’d be better off without him, but neither of you really moved on.

Tags/Warnings: language, jealousy, smut, bit of angst, cheating

Disclaimer: English is not my first language and I didn’t proofread it, cuz I'm lazy and really wanted to get this out there :)

A/N: this got a bit longer than I intended it to be, but I was having too much fun with it so I couldn’t help myself. Hope you like it too!!

18+ Minors DNI!!

Tangerine had been sure leaving you had been the right decision. It’s like he said on the night he left, what he had to offer you was no life, no matter how much he loved you. He still believed that. He also still loved you. 

That made the way you had talked to him sting ever more. You had every right to hate him. Tangerine certainly hated himself for leaving you, but he had seen no other option at that time. 

Of course you had moved on. He didn’t expect you to just wait around for him all your life in the hope that one day he would change his mind. Partially because up till one week ago, he’d never planned to. 

Yet here he was in his car outside of you apartment building, deciding if he ought to go in or not. Tangerine knows he shouldn’t, he left you. He had made that decision. Then how come he’s here, almost crawling back to you after he saw you with some guy that wasn’t him. Fucking hypocritical it is. 

He started at your window for another 10 minutes before finally giving in. Fuck it. If he was gonna do it he might as well get it over with. He slammed his car door shut and pulled his coat together, making his way over to the entrance of the building. 

As he walked up the stairs to your apartment he thought of what he was going to say, but by the time he was standing in front of your door his mind was still blank. 

He was about to knock on the door, finally having found the courage when he heard a voice coming up behind him.

“Hey.” Tangerine recognized the man from the pictures in your apartment. Your boyfriend. He looked okay, fancy with his grey suit and slicked back hair. Guess you had a type. 

“Hello.” 

“Can I help you?” 

Fuck, yeah... what was he doing here exactly?

“Uh, yeah, I used to be friends with your partner, thought I’d stop by, but if you’re busy I can always come back later.” Meaning never, Tangerine didn’t think he’d find the courage in himself to try this again. 

“Nonsense, we’re about to have dinner, I’m sure she’d love to see an old friend.” 

Great...he’s fuckin' polite too.

Tangerine gives him a smile he hopes doesn’t come off as forced and steps aside so the fancy prick can open the door. He just now realizes he doesn’t actually know his name. 

“I’m Richard by the way.” introducing himself as he walks inside.

“Tangerine.” he mumbled back, not really in the mood for any fruit related questions. 

At the reveal of his name, nothing happens on the man's face, no sort of recognition, suggesting he's never heard about Tangerine before. Meaning you'd never mentioned him, at least not by his name. He shouldn’t care, you were allowed to move on. That’s all Tangerine had wanted when he left, for you to find someone better then him.

Maybe you had referred to him as your 'arsehole ex'. He wouldn't blame you if you did.

However before Richard can respond, you walked into the living room, probably having heard the front door.  

"Hey, honey."

You immediately ran for your boyfriend, completely missing Tangerine standing awkwardly by the door as you hugged him.

The man pulled back to give you a kiss on your cheek, then gesturing to Tangerine who had to watch all of that while trying not to vomit.

"Look who I found at the front door."

The smile on your face fell instantly once your eyes landed on Tangerine.

"Tangerine?" You breathed out just loud enough for him to hear on the other side of the room.

Richard was still painfully obliviously to the situation at hand.

"Why don't you two catch up and I'll get supper ready, hopefully you made enough for 3."

"Oh that won't be necessary, love, Tangerine's not staying." You said looking straight into his eyes. "He has places to be, don’t ya Tan?"

He was gonna say yes and just leave. He really was, but apparently his brain had other plans. “Actually I’m free all night, darlin’.” 

'Darling' was whispered just loud enough so only you could hear it. You glared daggers at him, what in the hell was he up to?

"Wonderful.” Richard shouted from the kitchen.

Dinner was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to sit through. It was in moments like this Tangerine wished he had better social skills. He had to admit you were fairly good at pretending the two of you were actually old friends, painfully good. 

Richard was probably one of the nicest guys he’d ever met. God knows he wouldn’t have just let an old friend who also happened to be a guy visit you out of the blue. There was always a reason beyond just catching up, Tangerine himself was the perfect example of that. 

He should be happy for you, he couldn’t imagine that the prick wasn’t giving you everything you deserved and more. But seeing the two of you looked at each other and the way he kept his hand firm on your thigh he couldn’t help but think that it should be him. 

His jealousy is acting up again and he hates it. Both you and Lemon told him he should talk to someone, but he never did. He didn’t need it without you. The longer the night went on the more frustrated he got. The kissing and stomach-churning pet names were driving him fuckin’ insane.

Just as he went to put his arm around you again, Tangerine’s self-restraint broke.

"Will you quit fuckin' doing that?" He regretted it the moment the words left his mouth. He couldn’t help it, it just slipped out. Richard just stared at him in confusion, while you on the other hand

“Tangerine, can I talk to you? In private.” you said, wrangling yourself out of Richard’s grip to stand up.

He was sure you could see the frustration on his face, not quite sure how Richard didn’t notice since Tangerine felt like he was about to explode. 

“Of course, yeah.” 

He followed you to your bedroom, waiting until you locked the door behind you. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you? You look like you’re about to burst a fucking vein.” At that moment it looked like you yourself might burst one, clearly agitated by his childish behavior. 

“What's wrong with me?! That fucker is holding onto you like he fuckin' owns you.” Tangerine knows he has no right to be bothered by it, but he can’t help it. 

“We’re dating, Tan, you used to do the exact same thing, remember?” you said matter-of-factly. 

He did in fact remember that. God did he miss the feeling of you tucked into his side as the two of you fell asleep on the couch to your favorite show.

“Yea, but he’s not me.” Tangerine stated as he took a step towards you. 

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” 

“It means, love, that every time that prick touches you I want to cut his fuckin’ arms off.” Another step.

Tangerine slightly lifted your chin up with his hand. You didn’t recall when he had gotten so close to you. For a moment you stay like that, a loud silence filling the room. 

The next moment his lips were on yours, kissing you hard. His hands roamed all over you from your hair to the curves of your body. There were no words that could describe how much he missed this. Missed you.

For a moment you allowed yourself to kiss him back, getting lost in the way his lips felt on yours. It was too long before you fully registered what was happening. Too long before you finally pushed Tangerine away from you.

“The hell was that?” You tried to get your breathing under control as you backed away from him.

Tangerine could tell you were trying to come off as angry, but found it impossible to take you seriously. Your lips were slightly puffed and your cheeks were red. Hair messed up from where he had grabbed at it before. God you were beautiful.

“Tangerine, why did you come here?” 

“Because I thought I could move on, that I could forget about ya, but it’s been 2 years and I still think about you every single day.” You could tell from the way he’s looking at you that it’s true, but that didn’t change anything. He still left you. 

"You have no right." You scoffed. 

"You can't just come in here and expect me to throw away my entire life for you after you left me!” You said, careful not to yell too loud. 

“You don't think I know that? You think I like being like this, love?” Tangerine stepped closer again. You tried to back away, but were met with the wall behind you.

“Stop calling me that.” 

Tangerine was now hovering over you, trapping you between his body and the wall. “I tried so fuckin’ hard not to love you, to let you go, but the truth is that I can’t. I need you.”

“Well that’s too bad for you, ‘cause I have.” You could feel Tangerine staring directly at you, but you refused to make eye-contact knowing you could never resist those demanding eyes of his.

"Have you?” 

“Yes.” you breathed out, still looking at the ground beneath you.  

“Didn’t feel like that from the way you kissed me just a second ago.” He brought his hand to your face again, lifting you chin up forcing you to make direct eye contact with him. 

“Now you be honest with me, when he touches you, is it his face you see or mine?” Tangerine’s eyes never leave yours as one of his hands slides down your body and starts undoing your belt, the other still cupping your face.

“Tan, we can’t.” your breathing became more ragged as he continued to roam his hands over you, purposely ignoring his question. This was wrong, so fucking wrong. Your boyfriend was innocently waiting in the living room while your ex was trying to finger fuck you against the other side of the door.

“Tell me to stop and I will.” his hands gently pushed your pants down to give himself better access. 

You should tell him to stop, you know that, but no words came out of your mouth as he continued to pushed your panties aside. He raises his eyebrow asking for permission to continue as if he didn’t already have you wrapped around his ringed finger. 

Tangerine took the moan that escaped from your lips when his fingers ghosted over your clit as a cue to continue. You threw you head back against the wall as he slowly pushed one digit inside you. 

“Fuck, love, you’re already so wet for me.” his mouth went to your exposed throat kissing and sucking on it lightly. Before he could even think about leaving a mark you managed to push him away, only to drag him back pulling his lips to meet yours. 

After lazily pumping his finger in and out a few times he added a second without warning, whimpers forcing their way past your lips. You could feel the rings on his fingers against your sensitive skin every time his fingers thrust back into your cunt, hitting that perfect spot every single time. 

You had been doing a decent job at keeping quiet until Tangerine decided to see how far he could go and added a third finger into your folds. And if that wasn’t already driving you over the edge he crooked his finger inside you, dragging them along your walls. 

A loud moan escaped from you mouth and Tangerine’s other hand immediately came up to cover it, but giving no indication that he was going to slow down his movements. 

“Shh, can’t have your boyfriend hearing your pretty little sounds now, can we?” 

But apparently Richard had already heard something, because not seconds later there was a knock on the door. Tangerine slowed his pace, but not completely stopping, as you waited for what would come next. Luckily you had remembered to lock the door behind you. 

“You two alright in there?” he called through the door.

“Yeah we’re good, we’ll be right out.” You hoped you sounded convincing enough. You knew Tangerine was loving this, the way you tried to hide how fucked out you already were from just his fingers. 

“Good girl.” he praised after he heard your boyfriend walk away from the door.

There was something so thrilling about almost getting caught, right now it only made you want Tangerine more. You felt your climax getting closer and closer as he picked up where he left off thrusting in and out your cunt at an unforgiving pace. 

Apparently Tangerine could sense your upcoming orgasm too as his fingers started dragging along your walls impossibly faster, he knew exactly how to get you off and you fucking hated it. Hated how you’re supposed to be over him, but still allowed this to happen. 

Every single one of those thoughts left your mind as the pleasure of your orgasm took over. There was nothing on your mind except him and the way he was making you everything you hadn’t felt in years. Tangerine slowed his pace as he helped you ride out your high.

“That’s it, love, did so well for me.” he continued to whisper praises into your ear as you tried to get yourself back together. 

After a while he pulled his fingers out and you whined at the empty feeling they left behind. Before you could even get your breathing under control Tangerine brought his fingers, still covered in your juices, up to your mouth. Knowing where he was going with this you opened your mouth and starting to suck them off.

After he was satisfied he walked over to the bathroom connected your bedroom, grabbing some paper towels to clean you up. By the time he was done, you started to get your common sense back, realizing what you had just done. 

“Fuck.” 

A/N: decided to make a part 3 and perhaps a part 4 to this, because I have too many ideas :) 

Taglist: @venusthepirate @waiting4ff @bratdoll666 @assmaster37 @wrendermedone @earth-elemental18 @nocturnest @sisterslytherinog@dontknownameauthor @thirstyfortangerine @betheac​ @ilovetangerinewithallmyheart​ @kpopgirlbtssvt​ (let me know if you want to be added or removed)

[slytherinshua]

soft hours!!

imagine working overtime at your job and you finish around 11PM. it’s raining outside and you don’t have your umbrella but little did you know that co-worker joshua also worked overtime as well (and you may have the slightest crush on him too…). he sees you and offers to walk you home or to the bus stop since he has an umbrella, and it’s just you (and maybe him) trying to handle the closeness of being next to each other while walking under the umbrella together KANSNKSJS SN

ssdkjs rania u can't do this to me omg????

It's the way you both would always steal glances at each other at work, but somehow never noticed that the other did it. Both of you completely oblivious that the other was garnering feelings, so you both tried to act as natural as possible around each other as you could.

And you were fairly good at that, until one night when you were working overtime. You thought you were going to be home by like 6 pm, so you didn't look past that time on the weather forecast. It was supposed to start raining at 9, and when you glanced out the window from your work you realized you would have to walk home in the rain.

But fear not! Because when you had finally finished everything and packed up to go home, Joshua was standing at the door waiting for you.

"I thought you had already gone home?" You asked him, because you remember watching him walk out about an hour before you.

"I had things to do after overtime before I could leave." He lied so quickly, too shy to admit the fact that he was waiting for you. But what was he supposed to do? Leave you to walk home in the rain when he had an umbrella? No.

He coughed awkwardly, "It's raining... pretty hard." You hummed. "You don't have an umbrella, do you?" You shook your head awkwardly. "I can share mine."

When you looked at him, he had this satisfied grin plastered on his face, low-key proud of himself for being able to be all gentlemanly and offer to walk you home in the rain. But, that confidence didn't last long as you agreed and you both actually started walking.

Your shoulder was practically brushing against his because whenever one of you stepped away a bit, the other would worry about their shoulder getting wet. There really wasn't anyway around it if you both wanted to get home without dampened clothes.

"Your shoulder will get soaked." Joshua said with a frown, holding the umbrella over you so it covered both your shoulders again. You glanced over at him and the very obvious fact that because the umbrella was now covering you, it wasn't covering Joshua nearly as well. So, you pushed the umbrella back over to cover both his shoulders, muttering something about him being a hypocrite.

Your stubbornness combined with Joshua's stubbornness just ended up with you two in such a close space that your stomach did flips. Your fingers once accidentally brushed against Joshua's, causing the bright blush on your cheeks to only deepen.

You thought it was only you, but the close proximity made you both blush. If it wasn't dark and rainy in the middle of the night, you would probably catch on to the other's flushed state.

But, since it was late at night in the pouring rain, you both just continued to walk, unaware that the closeness was affecting the other person as well.

↳ send in your soft thoughts!!

[rebelumbrella46]

HOTD "A Son For A Son" Thoughts

Winterfell: Nostalgia.

Starting at Winterfell: It gave me so much nostalgia listening to the Stark's theme. I cannot wait to see more of Cregan; I wish the show would've shown more of Jace in the North. But it was nice to be back at the Wall.

Dragonstone: Tension and Conflict

The conversation between Rhaenys and Daemon. I understand why he is so upset and restless; Rhaenyra has been gone for a while, and no retaliation has been done to the Greens. I understand wanting to kill Vhagar, but honestly, the whole "kill Vhagar with Meleys and Caraxes and attacking King's Landing" and "I'd pity Aemond" is bullshit. Let's be real—they have no chance against Vhagar (not without one of them at least dying in the process).

Also, the line "It'd if you were the King…" Oh Rhaenys—the Queen you would have been.

Rhaenyra’s Silent Sorrow

Rhaenyra broke my heart this episode. I liked that she didn't need to speak to show her grief. It was an amazing performance; the heartbreak in the first scene as she watches Storm's End.

Driftmark: I'm curious about this Alyn guy. I also wonder if they'd bring back Laenor. I'm kind of hoping that they do… but I don't think it would happen anytime soon. Perhaps he will come back after a very important death of a loved one who will die this season.

King's Landing: I kind of liked Aegon this episode. He is trash; he is not a good king, obviously, but he is so oblivious that it was funny and entertaining to watch him. It kind of made me think about how he would have turned out if only Viserys had cared more for him, if Rhaenyra and he had a better relationship, or if Alicent hadn't been such a shitty mother.

Alicent and Cole: Hypocrisy and Disgust

I could not be more disgusted… and this says a lot considering that this show is hard on the incest. But this couple, the first scene they appear in this season, just disgusted me… and I get it. Good for you, Alicent, you probably never enjoyed sex before in your life, but seriously, you could do better than this bitch…

I don't know, but Alicent has really pissed me off this episode. She's portrayed as a saint, but she's a hypocrite, and so weak. Where is the Alicent of episode six and seven? That's the Alicent I want to see; the whole righteousness act is getting boring. I want to see her being the mother of the usurper and the evil stepmother she was in season 1.

Criston Cole can go and fuck himself. I literally cannot wait for him to die. Every time he shows up on the screen, it's so fucking annoying.

Aemond: The Threat

We didn't see enough of Aemond this episode. He is insane but smart, probably the only real threat in Team Green at the moment, which is why it makes sense that Daemon wants to get rid of him—not only for revenge but also for Vhagar. I liked that Aegon put him on the council. And I understand the strain in his and Alicent's relationship; she's mad at him for killing Lucerys when she literally requested the boy's eye when he was a kid. I imagine Aemond must have felt like she was also siding with Lucerys on the matter.

Otto: Is a cunt as usual… but an enjoyable one. I liked the scene in the Throne Room where he councils Aegon. It gave me Joffrey and Tywin vibes.

Larys Strong: Creeping Influence

I like how he has gained power little by little. And he is definitely Alicent's karma. I think that scene where she's bathing is the moment she realizes that Rhaenys was right—she's never going to be free. All these men are controlling her and constantly diminishing her: Otto, Aegon, Aemond, Cole, and Larys. She would have been happier and more free if she had remained on Rhaenyra's side after she was crown Queen.

Aegon as a Father: Inconsistent Portrayal

Jaehaerys: I wish we had seen more of him to actually care... i've seen a lot of reaction videos and people were shocked obviously, but everyone was more mad and upset about cheese kicking the dog. But i wish we have seen more of Aegon as a father, because at this point, it felt just forced. Aegon has so many bastards in Flea Bottom, and he was ready to leave his kids, wife, and everything behind in episode 9. And now he's a good father? I'm not buying it.

Mysaria: The Essential Outsider

Mysaria: Oh, she's an interesting character. I think Team Black needs a member like this, someone to pull on strings. I think she's the counterpart of Larys.

Daemon: The Rogue Prince

And his crime hoodie. I found it tedious how he kept blaming everyone around him. But I get it; he is impulsive and prone to anger. And I truly want to believe that he ordered Blood and Cheese to kill Aegon's son, because he is not supposed to be a nice character. I do feel like the showrunners are whitewashing this whole conflict too much. With Aemond accidentally killing Lucerys. And now the rats choosing to kill the boy instead.

There is no need to hold back. I mean, in "Game of Thrones," we saw worse. We saw the Lannisters trying to kill Bran, we saw Stannis burning his own daughter, we saw Jon hanging the boy (can't remember his name), we saw Daenerys killing hundreds, we saw the Red Wedding.

This leads me to the last scene… Blood and Cheese and Helaena.

I honestly love Helaena so much; at this point i think i like her even more than i like Rhaenyra, but no more than i like Rhaenys. I think the performance of the actress is so good. I find it interesting that she's a dreamer. I bet Viserys never even knew of it.

I enjoyed Helaena and Aegon's interaction; obviously, you can tell they are more siblings than husband and wife.

My frustration with the scene comes from the lack of guards. We don't need to see more violence; it was already bad and terrible enough with only the sound. But the fact that there were no guards there, that they didn't have to kill anyone to get to Helaena and the children, it's just ridiculous. I also think the lack of begging on Helaena's part comes from a place of her knowing this was going to happen one way or the other; she saw it already. So the best she could do was to save her daughter.

But I would have loved to see Alicent being tied up, watching all of this unfold. I understand the changes for Maelor's absence, but the no guards is lazy writing unless they find a way to justify it next episode.

Anyways... FUCK THE HIGHTOWERS!