#EVERYTHING ELSE IS IVAN TRUST

[spaceflower07]

rusame's oldest son alexei

[ivan-fyodorovich-k]

So on the one hand we have Biden writing Israelis a blank check in the hopes that they will not do anything too evil with the weaponry, and on the other, we have Trump cutting out the middle man and taking it upon himself openly to ethnically cleanse Gaza with the United States military

Honestly, as long as he's not sending aid to Ukraine

[dreamescapeswriting]

One Hell Of A Night ~ KTH [MATURE WARNING]

⤜ WORD COUNT: 2.4K

⤜ PAIRING: Taehyung x fem!Reader

⤜GENRE: established relationships, mafia AU (so no one will say anything about him fucking her lmao) SMUT MINORS DNI, public sex, very public, dirty talk, unprotected sex, lots of “good girls”, sloppy kisses, jealous taehyung

⤜Copyright: © DreamEscapesWriting - August 2024

⤜MASTERLIST

The bass thumped relentlessly, vibrating through the very foundations of the club, your hips moved in perfect time to the music though but Taehyung couldn't take his eyes off you. Neon lights sliced through the small mist that was in the room. Seriously, who thought that was a good idea. It was a choking hazard waiting to happen in Taehyung's opinion, but it did a good job of painting everything in flashes of electric blue, violet, and crimson. The air was thick with the scent of sweat, perfume, and the undeniable electricity of a Friday night crowd in full swing. 

Taehyung couldn't even remember the last time he'd been out on a night like this, it had to have been years ago but he was here now and he was only here for you. And even though clubs were never his scene, seeing you this happy was worth any discomfort he might have been feeling.

He nursed a glass of whiskey, the ice clinking softly as he swirled it, his usual cold demeanour temporarily thawed as he watched everyone in the club. 

It was as though he'd been on high alert ever since the two of you had arrived here. Telling you to have all the fun you wanted since he would be watching you. His attention was fixed on you on the dance floor, a small smile tugging on his lips as he watched you completely unwind. You were a vision of pure, unfiltered joy, the smile on your face was so large he was almost sure it had to have been hurting your cheeks. 

Your outfit was simple and yet seemed to be capturing everyone's attention inside of the club. The holster top shimmered with each movement, and the gold sequins kept catching the light and drawing every gaze in the room. The mini skirt swayed as you danced, each flow of your hips giving people a show that was meant to be for his eyes only but Taehyung couldn't help but smile.

It was a rare sight, his rugged face softening as he watched you. For you, he was a giant teddy bear, his harsh exterior melting away in your presence. Years ago he had sworn no one would ever be able to turn soft for anyone. Stating that the day that happened hell would surely freeze over and yet here he was. Soft for you and no one else.

This whole night had been entirely your idea, no one could ever convince Taehyung to do something he didn't want to...anyone except for you that was. You'd dragged him out tonight, insisting the two of you needed a break from the shadows of his world and to just relax, even if it was just one night of letting his hair down and dancing...Not that he was doing much of that right now.

But as the minutes ticked by, his smile began to falter. He noticed the way others looked at you, their eyes lingering too long, their intentions clear only making his possessiveness rise within him, his jaw tightening so much you could practically see the vein in his neck twitch.

"Boss..." Ivan, one of his most trusted guards said beside him. His eyes lingered on you as he waited for his boss to give him some kind of order.

"Should I get the miss something else to wear?" Ivan glanced back at Taehyung who shook his head. He'd promised you that you could wear whatever the fuck you wanted because you shouldn't have to cover up because dickheads in the clubs couldn't control themselves.

"She's fine," He bites out the words, his jaw once again ticking as he stares over at you. Completely oblivious to the attention you were attracting with each sway of your goddamn hips.

"She can wear whatever she wants because I know how to fight," A small smirk tugged on Taehyung's lips before he downed the rest of his drink, the ice clattering against the glass as he set it down with a firm thud. Ivan watched as his boss slowly rose from his seat and began to make his way over to you.

Taehyung pushed through the throng of bodies, his path clearing effortlessly as people recognized him and stepped aside, muttering to one another as soon as they saw him coming. Noticing that people were starting to take steps away from you, you glanced over and smirked seeing Taheyung making his way to you. Your eyes light up even more as you reached out for him, your fingers brushing his arm, and he catches your hand, pulling you close to him, people staring in complete shock.

No one in their right mind would have imagined Taehyung dancing, especially not in a club like this.

"You feeling okay?" You giggle a little as he pulls your body into him, your hips rocking against him as you feel how hard he is beneath his trousers. Your bodies moved together seamlessly, the heat between you palpable as you rolled your head back to rest on his chest. Taehyung's hands slid around your waist, pulling you against him as they swayed to the rhythm, making sure he ground himself against your ass, letting out a small groan as you smirked up at him. He loved you but he hated that you had so much control over him like this, it was like witchcraft or something.

He leaned in, his lips grazing your ear, his breath catching on your skin and making your knees buckle ever so slightly.

"You know you're driving me crazy, right?" he murmured, his voice a husky whisper. His eyes looking down at your shirt and staring at your breasts which were practically popping right out of the top of the shirt. He wanted nothing more than to rip it off and claim you in front of everyone.

Something that wasn't completely uncommon between the two of you, you couldn't count the times you'd had sex publically because he was jealous of people staring at you. And it might have been the reason you invited him out tonight in the first place.

You giggled, your fingers tangling in the short hair at the nape of his neck, rolling your hips once more as you smirked at yourself.

"That's the idea," you teased, your breath hitching as he kissed your neck, his lips trailing down to your collarbone as he let out a low growl making your whole body shiver.

"You think I won't take you in front of everyone, princess?" Your heart started to pick up as you glanced at everyone who was doing their best not to stare in your direction now. Their eyes were downcast as Taehyung smirked to himself, he liked that he had this control over people and it only made public sex with you all the more fun.

"What if I wanted you to?" You breathe out, your whole body heating up not because of how hot the club was.

"You want that princess?" He smirks, his confidence taking over as he runs his fingers down your hips toward your skirt, rubbing the fabric between his fingers.

"You want me to fuck you so hard everyone knows who you belong to?" He asked, his voice low and seductive as you practically turned to putty in his hands, nodding your head frantically.

He moved with a seductive confidence, his hands exploring your curves, his lips never straying far from your skin making you moan out softly as you shut your eyes, enjoying the feeling of being so close to him like this. The music, the lights, the people—they all became secondary to the two of you as you moved in perfect harmony.

"T-Tae...Please," You breathed out, your heart hammering against your chest as he slowly reached up your back, his eyes on everyone around you as he undid the top of your holster top, letting it drop and expose your breasts as he let out a growl.

"No bra?"

"It ruins the top," You giggled before he raked his hands up your chest, sucking on your neck as his hands began to massage and tug on your breasts. Twisting your nipples lightly as a string of soft moans left your throat. You'd needed this ever since you'd gotten dressed earlier that night.

Part of you had dressed the way you had, in hopes he'd force you to stay home and take his cock but this seemed even better in your mind right now.

"You're just asking for it from me, aren't you?" He whispered, his fingers slowly moving from your breasts and down to your skirt, flicking it up before he ran his fingers through your thong, moaning out lowly when he found out just how soaked you were.

"All for me?" He teased, running his fingers lightly over your clit but never enough to give you what it was you wanted. You knew his games, he wasn't going to give in to you until you told him what he wanted to hear from you.

"Always," You whine, grinding your hips onto his fingers as he smirks at you,

"Go on, princess. Get yourself off on my fingers," He urged, applying a tiny bit more pressure to your already sensitive bud and watching as you rocked yourself on his fingers in time to the music that was flowing around you. Your head rolled back against his chest as you continued to grind needily against his touch,

"T-Tae," You moan out, your eyes finding his as he smirked down at you. Completely captivated by the way you were, his eyes never left you as your legs began to shake from the pleasure you were feeling.

"Come for me, princess. Let everyone here know who makes you feel so good." He growls out, his fingers starting to move on your clit, your breathing sporadic as you nodded needily at him.

"Tae...Close," You cry out as your heart begins to pound harder, your legs trembling as you clutched onto his hand to steady yourself, your moans growing louder as your pussy clenched around nothing. Needing something as you whimpered his name out again,

"Come all over my fingers, princess. Make a mess." He orders in your ear, and as if on the command you do that. Coming all over his fingers, your body convulsing as you cried out his name loudly your head in the clouds.

"Good girl," He moans out, reaching his fingers up to his lips as he sucks them clean.

"Panties. Off." He ordered and you wasted no time, kicking them down your legs and kicking them somewhere else, not even paying attention to where they landed just frantic for him to get inside of you.

"Let's give everyone a show, huh? Let everyone know who owns this pretty little cunt." Taehyung bites out, unzipping his pants and freeing himself, the head of his cock already meeting your entrance as he teased himself with just the tip.

You mewled out in impatience, not wanting to be teased with just how needy you wanted him.

"Tae." You hiss out as he continued to only tease you with the head of his dick, earning a chuckle from him.

"You're the only one I'll let boss me around like this, you know that right?" He whispers in your ear, one hand on your hip while the other held his cock at your entrance, the tip pushed into you as you clenched around it.

"You're so fucking needy you're already clenching around my tip, princess." He smirks to himself, looking down between you and at your ass, wanting nothing more than to slam right into you but enjoying this too much. Teasing you until you were begging.

"Taehyung please...P-Please," You cry out, attempting to roll your hips back toward him but to no avail as he pulls away from you.

"Dirty little slut, you just won't fucking don't you?" You nodded at him before he shoved himself inside of you. A loud moan left his throat as he leaned his head down on yours, your moans growing louder than the music at that point.

Without even thinking you started to rock back on his hips, desperate for another orgasm you didn't care how many people watched the two of you.

"Look at you, fucking yourself with my cock," Taehyung moans out smugly, looking at you as you continued to fuck yourself,

"F-Fuck, princess. Just like that," He moans out, his head rolling back, he wanted to last longer for you but there was something about being watched and the way you just took what you wanted from him that drove him wild.

"S-So big," You moan out, running your fingers over your clit as Taehyung began to thrust inside of you. His hips unforgivingly fast as you cry out his name,

"T-Tae," You moan out, holding onto him as he continues to thrust rougher inside of you.

"Let everyone know owns this pretty fucking pussy, princess. Let everyone hear you." He moans out, thrusting into you relentlessly as your cries grow louder.

Your eyes glanced around at the people who watched, frozen in place as you smirked at him. The orgasm building inside of you only grows faster at the thought of everyone seeing you like this and only for Taehyung.

"You like this princess? You like them watching you get fucked while they can't do anything?" Taehyung moans out, replacing your fingers on your clit and moving them in small, quick circles making you squeal at him. Your legs were jelly as you clenched around his cock, earning a loud moan from him.

"Close...s-So fucking close," You cried out as he nodded his head at you,

"I can feel it, princess." He moans out, sweat dripping down his forehead,

"M-me too," He stutters a little as his thrusts getting frantic, unable to stop himself as you cry out loudly.

"S-Shit, I'm gonna cum." You cried out, your fingers digging into his skin leaving marks as you cum around him. Taehyung smirks as he looks up at people in the room, bottoming out inside of you as he finishes inside of you, grunting loudly as you giggle up at him.

"Feel better for that?" You whisper as he straightens you up, watching your thighs as his cum leaks down your skin.

"I am, now that everyone sees who owns you," He chuckles darkly, as he pulls you into his arms, pulling your top back up and covering you, quickly shooting Ivan a look to let him know to get the car so the two of you could go home.

Tagline: @chiisaiblog @sw33tnight @kaitieskidmore97 @laylasbunbunny @tinyoonsblog @whitefoxgirl @katnisspeetaprim @acciocriativity @wolfgurl2600 @choisoorin @heyjiminnie @btsiguess-kpop @alicejustwakeup @halesandy @gothic4under4lord @soulphoenix1618 @aerastus @jin-from-the-block @lenfilms @elizaschuyler18 @whitefoxgirl

[deliciousangelfestival]

"Darling, bad luck seems endless." - Bucky Barnes - 2

Summary: You've always been haunted by bad luck your entire life, despising it deeply, until you meet someone who finds it amusing.

Character: softdark!Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 .

Author's Note: Hello, everyone; this story is for thesleepover eventhosted by @the-slumberparty. What I chose is a strawberry sundae with gummy bears as the topping.

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Thank you to anyone who gave a like, reblog, and left a comment. It motivated me to write more.

Bucky didn’t trust you yet. To test if what you said about your lousy luck was true, he sent you to his competitor, Damien, a mafia boss who owed money to Bucky.

Damien spent most of his time at a museum. Bucky gave you an order, “And I want to see if what you said is true.”

You didn’t thoroughly dislike the idea because, as an artist, you enjoyed going to museums. The museum was a grand, historical building with high ceilings and intricate architecture. Walking through the halls filled with timeless masterpieces, you felt a sense of calm despite the task at hand.

As you wandered, you spotted Damien. He was exactly as Bucky had described: an older man, about the same age as Sir Galileo, with an air of authority and a sharp gaze. You stood at a respectful distance, admiring the same painting he was fixated on—"Portrait of Madame X."

Noticing your interest, Damien turned to you. “A fine piece, isn’t it?” he said, his voice rich and cultured. “John Singer Sargent’s ‘Portrait of Madame X’. It caused quite a scandal when it was first exhibited.”

You listened intently as he explained the history and significance of the painting. His passion for art was evident, and you found yourself genuinely engaged in the conversation.

Suddenly, your phone rang. It was Bucky. “Where’s the bad luck? I see you talking to him without anything happening,” he demanded.

“Uhm…” You hesitated. You never knew when bad luck would strike.

Just then, a scream pierced the air. “Kyaa!”

You turned to see another visitor pointing in horror. The painting you had been admiring had fallen off the wall, landing dangerously close to Damien. You were too stunned to speak.

���No kidding,” Bucky muttered through the phone, equally shocked. It seemed impossible for a securely hung painting to suddenly fall in a museum. He was beginning to believe your curse might be real.

For the second test, Bucky sent you to a café. “Just choose a table and sit near my other competitor, Ivan. It’s an easy task,” he instructed.

You entered the cozy café, its atmosphere warm and inviting with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and pastries. You found a table near Ivan and started sketching another jewelry design for Bucky.

Ivan, seated nearby, glanced over and noticed your drawing. “That’s quite impressive,” he remarked, leaning in slightly.

“Thank you,” you replied, offering a polite smile.

“What inspires your designs?” he asked, genuinely curious.

Before you could answer, a waitress tripped and spilled a hot cup of coffee right onto Ivan’s thigh. He yelped in pain and surprise, the conversation abruptly ending.

Bucky, watching everything unfold on a screen, was astounded. “You really do bring bad luck.”

“...” You remained silent, unsure of how to respond.

“But I’m getting all the advantages,” Bucky continued with a sly grin. “Thank you.”

You didn’t know whether to feel offended or relieved that Bucky was starting to believe you.

The last incident that convinced Bucky was when he brought you to a ball party hosted by another gangster whom Bucky despised, who was there to show off his wealth.

The host planned to reveal a rare diamond during the party, but it was stolen. This was unexpected and seemingly impossible due to the high level of security. While everyone else panicked, Bucky remained calm. He looked at you and said, "You’re my lucky charm."

🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

All these experiences made your once dull life exciting. You started to appreciate the bad luck you had. You realized that working with Sir Galileo was the longest job you had ever held.

One day, you asked him if he had ever faced misfortune. Surprisingly, he said, “I did. My former driver got into an accident, and the electricity short-circuited on the first day you worked here.”

You were shocked and felt guilty. “It must be because of me.”

He shook his head and said, “It’s nothing. I’ve lived a long time and faced a lot of things, especially working with gangsters and mafia. I just keep on living.”

‘Just keep on living.’ He’s right. Even with bad luck, you continued living. Life always punched you to the ground, but you got back up again.

Slowly, you started liking your bad luck. You experienced exciting events, even assisting Bucky in getting rid of his rival businesses.

But then you noticed that your bad luck didn’t happen as often. In fact, you started getting lucky.

You found $100 on the street one day, got a free coffee when the barista mistakenly made an extra, and even won a small prize in a local raffle. It felt like life was turning around.

Curious, you revisited the same paranormal. She said, “Bad luck left after you started liking it.”

“How?” you asked, bewildered.

“It’s complicated,” she replied with a knowing smile.

You still couldn’t believe it. You remembered the saying, “Fall in love with your problems, and maybe they will leave you too.”

Damn. Even bad luck left you.

If there was no bad luck, how could you help Bucky?

Since then, you stopped meeting Bucky, leaving him wondering. Days turned into weeks, and Bucky felt your absence deeply. Determined, he went to find you.

“Do you think I only wanted you because of your bad luck?” he asked, his eyes searching yours.

“Didn’t you?” you replied, your heart pounding.

Bucky stepped closer, his gaze intense. “I said before, you’re the only woman who’s willing to risk her life for me.”

You felt a warmth spread through you as he spoke. "Bucky, I—"

He interrupted, "It's not just your bad luck. It's you. You're brave, resilient, and you’ve changed my life in ways I never expected. I don't want to lose that. I don't want to lose you."

You looked into his eyes, seeing a depth of sincerity that took your breath away. "I never thought I'd hear you say that," you said softly.

"I mean it," he replied, taking your hand in his. "You bring something into my life that no one else ever has. Bad luck or not, I want you with me."

For a moment, you hesitated, memories of your past misfortunes flashing through your mind. But then you realized that with Bucky, you had faced and overcome those challenges together. And now, without the constant shadow of bad luck, you felt a new kind of strength.

"You really mean it?" you asked, needing to be sure.

He nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Yes, I do. We make a great team. And I want us to continue, no matter what comes our way."

You smiled back, feeling a sense of relief and joy wash over you. "Alright, Bucky. Let's face the future together."

With that, he pulled you into a tender embrace, holding you close. "Thank you," he whispered. "For everything."

You looked up at him, your heart full. "Thank you for believing in me."

From that moment on, your life with Bucky was filled with new adventures, challenges, love, and support. Together, you faced whatever came your way, more vital than ever. And you knew that, no matter what, you would always have each other.

-the end-

Taglist:

@thezombieprostitute

@thetravelingtyper

@scott-loki-barnes

@mostlymarvelgirl

@chemtrails-club

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@kjah97

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[gold-pavilion]

Belonging and humanity (some more Ivan thoughts)

There's a big difference between knowing for a fact that you're a human being and getting to FEEL part of humankind. That's a thing that I feel Ivan sorely lacked. Some of his issues can definitely be traced back to it.

There's three things we know for certain about Ivan's early childhood nowadays, so let me start from those:

There were other humans around him in the slums, at least other children (for now it doesn't seem there were adults around, or none who would approach or care for the children).

However, we also know Ivan did not learn social behavior properly; for example, how or when to smile.

Going by the lonely tone of the song Nowhere and its emphasis on having no one, plus the previous point, we can infer there was no meaningful social contact with any people he knew/saw.

Ivan has been described as someone who is always learning to survive and his time in the slums must've been the same, after all; it's most likely that the other kids were competition to him (for food or other resources), threats or simply strangers with whom connections were never made.

That's to say, there were humans around Ivan but no "human community".

And that's the thing: take someone who went through a critical developmental stage with no one to care for or be cared by, learn social behavior with or practice the emotional exercises of understanding and empathy - ask that someone what "being a part of humankind" feels like, and what can he even make of it? It must not mean much more than categorizing a species, no feeling involved. And anyway, what difference does it make if there's anything else to say or not?

It's not like those are easy questions. None of the ALNST cast, with all their limitations, would be able to respond comprehensively.

But it changes things, the differences are there.

There are things that Till knows, from having a mother, learning from her and being enriched emotionally by their interaction, that I don't think he could describe but certainly has within him. Or Hyuna, who had a brother to feel that family bond and sense of community with, learning all sorts of positive social skills and having a heart full of room for empathy as she always looked out for the little Other Person next to her.

Beyond knowing their species, they know what it MEANS to be the rare and amazing human creature from these experiences of connecting, teaching, being taught, holding things in common, giving and receiving love. On an instinctual level they accessed what it feels like to be "part of humankind", which is so cool about them!!

Then you have cases like Mizi being too trusting of aliens because she was raised to feel community with one, Sua being mostly withdrawn because she didn't have a lot of warmth and community around her, Luka who was deprived of everything and then clung too hard to his first proper bond...

And Ivan, with his empty circumstances. There are a million things Ivan didn't learn and doesn't KNOW he lacked.

Of course that with his background he'd end up 1: being defensive by nature, having selfish tendencies, trouble processing emotion and socially weird habits and 2: feeling like a twisted being because of it, which is such a core aspect of his character. A human with less humanity but no idea why or how.

He adapted himself a lot once adopted, of course, and caught up an even bigger lot in his time in Anakt Garden. But I don't think he ever understood why he was "more twisted than others" and honestly, his intelligence and observance doesn't do him any favors on that front; on the contrary, I think it made him more aware of the gaps between him and other people.

And I really have to wonder if his experiences around the segyein are all that different, emotionally speaking.

I mean, of course objectively they have to be, but… his adopted life was a matter of observing his new environment, feeling like an absolute stranger because he's another species, but learning and adapting as quickly as possible in order to make himself a desirable pet that would be kept around. His experience being sent to Anakt and put in a human group was, again, feeling like a stranger because he's different to others of his own species, but learning and adapting as quickly as possible, eventually making himself an "acceptable", charming, absolutely cagey but near-perfect man. He succeeded both times.

He never did get rid of that awareness of being "twisted", though. After all, he also didn't unlearn all his survival patterns or fix the weak spots in his emotional development. As much as he progressed, the sense of not quite belonging and the faint relationship with his own humanity stayed. (With one big exception, but I'll leave that thought for the end of this ramble.)

In a way, I feel like this is exactly what made him so successful in segyein society as far as he lived. So adaptable that beyond being a good pet, he could also be trusted with and hold down an actual job, decent (faked or not, still good) relationships with segyein and, if he had any chance of survival, probably the capacity to live in their society with moderate perks.

Being an adaptable stranger who belonged nowhere in the first place… I think it's what made him more willing, more capable and more okay with mixing with the segyein like that, paired with his intelligence to pull it off.

No human pride to sacrifice. Not much humanity in the first place.

Except for the one noteworthy exception that shifted Ivan's growth: his relationship with Till.

Not only did Till embody things that Ivan lacked, which fascinated him from the start, but through his bond with him Ivan developed a lot of those traits and sensitivities that constitute peak humanity. It's a bit of the "love will make you human" trope, but on god does it apply. Ivan learned to care, to feel and to love, at times selfishly, at times messily. Buth he got pretty good at it; so much that love made him selfless and sacrificial in the end. He became a little more human for the object of his feelings. It didn't't erase all his struggles or fix his issues at large, but it was a lot. Of course he'd die thanking Till.

Anyway, that's all I wanted to get off my chest!

Humanity is a tough theme with Ivan, so I hope my thoughts about it were an interesting read.

The usual disclaimer: I've talked about 1 aspect of Ivan in this post, which does not mean this is all there is to his character or that I aim to invalidate other aspects. Just rotating this one in my head.

[picaroposting]

HEY DOSTOBLR. the tbk dating sim is going well, but i am quickly realising that the more creative aspects of it should probably not be done by myself...

therefore, i am looking for:

someone to draw backgrounds

someone to draw characters

someone to write dialogue

if you would like to help, please let me know in some way. :3 (more details below the cut)

i am still planning on arranging everything else and programming it all, and it would be difficult for me to share this role with someone else. i think i might set up a discord server...

anyone can contribute at all skill levels, but please be aware that if multiple people sign up for the same role, it can be difficult to arrange it all.

reblogs for further reach are appreciated!

SCRIPT:

i am in the process of making a flowchart for the entire story, so contributors are recommended to stick to this as much as possible, but changes can be made.

multiple people can contribute, perhaps on a google doc or otherwise. i trust everyone enough.

CHARACTERS:

each volunteer chooses a character, and can contribute different emotions for each character which will be determined after dialogue is written.

transparent background, canvas size 1920x1080

all characters needed: (will be added to)

Alyosha

Dmitri

Ivan

Mme Khokhlakova

Grushenka

Fenya

BACKGROUNDS:

each volunteer chooses a background or scene to draw.

canvas size 1920x1080

all backgrounds/scenes needed:

field outside hermitage/monastery

inside father ferapont's rooms (+view on inside from window?)

inside mme kh's house

at zosima's funeral

underneath a tree

inside grushenka's house

[alien-til-i-stage]

ok so about the new alnst comic i think its smth interesting to point out how close both ivan and till act with each other

like they arent kids anymore, or at least not the same age they were when they attempted to run away.

which i think is really interesting bc we have never seen anything from tills pov, only ivans and even then we know what we are seeing is very unreliable. when we see till in ivans pov they arent friends, they arent speaking unless they are fighting. and even then we only see them as kids together.

this continues into the fact that we cant trust everything we have seen through ivans eyes, hes really an unreliable narrator, however another thing to point out is how we havent seen anything from till either.

the only flashbacks we get from till is mizi or the abuse prior to round 7, but nothing else about anakt garden. this really makes me think that everything we know about their relationship was wrong, and if anything it makes me even more curious about how they really were when together.

[marvelmusing]

A Courtship of Shadows

Pairing: Fae King!Aleksander x Fem!Reader

Summary: After centuries of seclusion, Aleksander is ready to form an alliance with the humans of West Ravka. The human king will be easy enough to manipulate, though his royal advisor appears to be more than Aleksander anticipated.

Word Count: 1.6K

My Masterlist

“She is infuriating.”

Ivan watches his king pace back and forth beside the fireplace in the royal study, firelight dancing over his features as his brows draw together. As the king’s most trusted advisor, Ivan knows to remain quiet as his ruler vents his frustrations. Especially since he knows exactly who has him so riled up.

For centuries, East Ravka has been a safe haven for the Fae-folk, protected by the wall of shadow that shielded them from the rest of the world. Humans from Fjerda, Shu Han, and West Ravka often ventured into the darkness, only to be driven out by the volcra – fierce creatures that would only answer to their master.

Just over a year ago, the Fae king had decided it was time to witness for himself how humanity had changed, parting the Fold and creating a small path for his travelling party to journey into West Ravka safely.

When the volcra and the shadow barrier had been created, Fae were hunted for their gifts, held captive to be tortured, killed, or enslaved. The Fae king had wanted to see if they had changed.

The Fae kingdom was thriving with freedoms never allowed before, but there is always opportunity for improvement. If there is one thing the Fae king cares about above all else, it is the people he has ruled over ever since the creation of the Shadow Fold.

Ivan finds the human king rather unremarkable, and he’s certain his king feels the same. The humans don’t suffer for it, but the man lacks any sort of drive or ambition. After one conversation with him, Ivan had thought his king would abandon his thoughts of an alliance with the humans.

Then he had met you.

A royal advisor that possesses everything the king lacks. Even Ivan will admit that you are intelligent and quick witted, you clearly care for your people, and you had never looked down upon the Fae. Though it is evident you don’t trust them. Fedoyr, ever the optimist, had argued that you didn’t seem to trust anyone.

Ivan knows that his king isn’t above manipulation to get what he wants. From what they have seen of your influence at Court, to have you in his debt would be to own the human king himself. Though it appears you are not as easy to trap as the Fae king had initially hoped.     

“She doesn’t accept gifts until she knows they are given freely.”

He runs a hand through his hair before he stops at the small table beside his armchair. There’s the clink of glass as he removes the stopper on the decanter of wine, then the dark liquid flows into a short crystal glass.

“She won’t eat or drink anything I offer.”

The king swallows down a mouthful of liquid, nose wrinkling at the strength. He looks down into the glass, sighing as he sits down.

“Almost every human I’ve ever met responds with thanks after a compliment, but of course she doesn’t.” He scoffs lightly, taking another drink.

For a moment, Ivan thinks he hears amusement in his king’s voice, though he pushes that thought away quickly.

“She never accepts my invitation to dance. Even at a human function, where the music holds no power over her.”

The king runs a hand over his face, smoothing across his neatly trimmed facial hair.

“She never lies to me, though I can hear the way her truths bend into clever little remarks to distract me.”

The corner of his mouth twitches slightly as he stares down at the rug beneath his feet.

“She gives me a new name to call her by every time we meet, with this teasing smile, as if this is all just a game to her.” That prompts Ivan into speaking up,

“You think she suspects something of you?”

“Perhaps,” the king muses distantly.

Then he appears to realise that Ivan is still standing by the desk where they had been discussing plans for a trade route, until the topic of conversation had somehow shifted to the king’s opinion of you. He nods towards his advisor, saying quietly,

“I think that will be all for tonight, Ivan.”

»»---------------------►

Aleksander is so very tired. Being away from the Fae kingdom always drains him but the company, particularly at these balls, has him longing to lie alone in a field until the sky grows dark and the stars reveal themselves.

He stifles a yawn, briefly wondering when the last time was that he had a relaxed morning where he could remain in bed until whenever he wished to rise.

A group of young men and women flock around him, unable to resist the allure of the unknown and fantastical. He captivates them all easily enough, securing an almost unending chorus of ‘thank you, your highness’ in a coy response to his charms.

Humans really should teach their children about the dangers of the Fae. He isn’t intending on invoking any of these young nobles into his service, but he could, with the power they all hand to him unknowingly.

Politely, he excuses himself from them and makes his way around the room, noticing that the Kaelish ambassador had finally found another poor soul to listen to his ramblings, meaning that you are alone.

He appears beside you, stepping closer as he reaches behind you to pick up a goblet of wine. You bow lightly, inclining your head as you greet him. His own words are spoken into the crook of your neck.

“What name have you selected to offer me tonight, my lady?”

Momentarily, your eyes meet.

“You may call me Blossom.”

“Feeling inspired by the turning of the season?”

A small smile flickers at the corner of your lips.

“Spring has always been one of my favourite times of the year.”

As you watch people gathering to the centre of the ballroom, glittering dresses twirling as princesses and noble ladies are swept up by doting suitors, you don’t notice his gaze as he admires you.

“Might I say you look rather lovely this evening.”

“That’s kind of you to say, your highness.”

Whilst your knowledge of Fae-folk might be vexing at times, and detrimental towards his plan for the human throne, Aleksander finds it refreshing. His smirk widens as you turn to meet his gaze, no doubt curious as to why he hasn’t provided a response like usual.

As his lips part to give you a retort, there’s the sound of a small commotion at the side of the ballroom. The two of you watch as people gather around to get a glimpse of whatever has happened.

When Aleksander sees you roll your eyes lightly he frowns, and you duck your head down, tilting it towards his to inform him.

“It appears a lady has swooned rather tactically into Prince Rudolph’s arms.”

The corner of his mouth twitches in distaste. This isn’t the first swoon Aleksander has observed in the human court though he is no more impressed than the first time. The Fae Court, for all its rules and laws, is infamously brutal. A display of weakness, and dishonesty, such as swooning would gain a lady nothing but indifference.

“If someone were to swoon in my court there would be very few that would consider them a suitable partner.”

“That’s my sister.”

Aleksander’s eyes widen as they bounce between you and the woman currently being fanned down by the Prince.

“I meant no offense. I-”

The soft sound of your laughter stops him from fumbling through any more of his apology. As you look over towards your sister, your smile fades.

“Mother will be pleased. At least one of us turned out how she wanted.”

Aleksander has never known you to mention your family before. Of course, he knows of each and every member and their position in the human court. That your father was a viscount before a riding accident left your mother a widow when you and your sister were young. He knows you have a cousin that will inherit your father’s title when he comes of age.

“She thinks I was a changeling child.”

He tilts his head towards you at your admission. The idea of changelings is rather outdated, something humans of the past had used to scaremonger their peers, because the Fae were considered evil creatures that would kidnap society’s most vulnerable and innocent.

“We don’t actually do that.”

The corner of your mouth twists as you remark teasingly,

“What? Steal children?”

He nods with a tiny smile as he observes the glimmer of disappointment in your eyes. Had you hoped to be a changeling? Did you want to be like him? Aleksander has a feeling that you would thrive in the Fae kingdom.

“It’s just a fable,” he says softly.

Looking down, you nod in resignation.

“I thought so.” Then amusement sparkles in your eyes as you look back up at him. “After all, there’s only one person who can cross the Fold safely, and I can’t imagine you smuggling armfuls of babies in your leisure time.”  

Aleksander laughs. The sound turns a few heads and you look rather bashful at the realisation that you had made the fearsome Fae king - the infamous Darkling - laugh.

“I actually use a cart pulled by volcra.”

As the jest leaves his lips, you gape at him with amusement and surprised delight dancing in your eyes. Then you bite down on your lip momentarily, before succumbing to your own bout of laughter. Aleksander loves hearing you laugh. When your laughter fades and the two of you go quiet he decides to add,

“Kaminsky’s parents were human.” When you frown he elaborates, “My second in command, his parents were both mortal humans. His brothers were human too.”

He can see you holding your breath as you look at him, eyes wide with longing and hope and fear. Your voice wavers as you whisper,

“What are you trying to say to me?”

“That you do not have to be born of the Fae to be one of us.”

»»---------------------►

marvelmusing Tag List: @dreamlandcreations @blanchedelioncourt @idaofinfinity @slytherheign @ellooo0ooo @vixenofcourse @dumb-fawkin-bitch @jane-arthur @ilikefictionmen @budugu @watersquirtpewpewboomm @mysweetlittledesire

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BB Characters Tag List: @rachlovesactors @noortsshift @aikeia @weallhaveadestiny @two-unbeatable-beaters

»»---------------------►

[lafiametta]

Loved your meta on Igor and agree so much, he was one of my favourite characters this year. I just wanted to add a thought or two of mine about the ending.

A important moment imo that surprisingly few people are talking about is the moment they just look at each other after he stops her from hitting him again. It's the longest time they share eye contact in the film, they miss each other gazes a lot and when they do you at each other, it's not with eye contact, they're not SEEING each other. Even when she initiates sex she has a 'mask' on even as he staring at her. When the mask finally slips after he tries to kiss her, he looks at her as if he's seeing her for the first time, and he probably is (A+ acting from both of them, this movie would've have worked with any of the cast but particularly those two).

And it's so important that he pulls her in to hold her after she's been so brutally rejected throughout the film ( in the script, she collapses on him, while he still holds her as she cries, its different-and how I though it would be when i read the summary before seeing it). Him actually seeing her and pulling her closer feels important for me, even if it's just for a moment

Love this! And you're totally right: in that moment he really is seeing her without the mask she puts on for everyone else. (And I suspect he already knew the mask was there, even if up until that point he could only see hints of what she was actually like underneath it. Even her name is like another layer she hides under, although he makes it clear his interest is in the real person, not the girlish nickname: “I like Anora more than Ani.”)

He's been quietly watching her almost the whole time they've been together and seen her be all kinds of things — defiant, furious, combative, sarcastic, demanding, resigned — but it's the first moment she lets her guard down and shows her vulnerability to another person. It would have been easy enough for her to scream and push herself off his lap and get out of the car. Instead, she just freezes, waiting to see what he'll do. Now that he's seen her, the real her, will he reject her (as you so accurately put it) like everyone else in the movie has? Will he call her a whore or a fucking bitch or a disgusting hooker?

Even with her hair shielding part of her face, we can see her start to crumble, her chin wobbling. Igor can see it too — the scared and hurt girl who's been putting up a massive front for so long — and he reaches for her, pulling her in close, offering comfort and acceptance. It's only then that she feels safe enough to let go and surrender to everything she's feeling. (Will that feeling of safety last? It's hard to know — Ani's built up some big walls and it would take a lot to bring them down.)

I think it's also true that in that moment, she sees him too. It's not quite the same, because he doesn't wear the mask like she does, but it's a realization that's been slowly growing since the plane ride to Vegas and fully dawns on her only once they're in his car. For all her bluster about him being a “fucking psychopath” with “rape eyes,” she trusts him enough to sit near him as they watch the local news and share a joint. There's no way she would have been comfortable doing that the day before.

The idea of visibility and being seen is such a interesting current that runs through the movie. Ani's entire livelihood — her whole persona — is wrapped up in being seen, but only in the most superficial way. Even to Ivan, she's an ornament, an accessory, something that literally drapes off of him as they party or as he plays video games. Igor, on the other hand, does his best to be completely invisible, not just in his nondescript clothes, but by his silence, the way he backs up and blends in, his habit of shielding himself underneath his hoodie. It's not until the very end, in the final minute of the movie, that both of them are really seen — and not coincidentally, by each other.

[shitgoblindingleberry]

OKAY CAUSE LISTEN. (till character analysis let’s go) (apologies in advance this is LONGG)

if till is actually in love with mizi then there is literally no outcome in which him and ivan are happy.

because 1) he’ll never love ivan as long as mizi is alive, and 2) even if he thinks mizi is dead, ivan will only ever be a rebound, the second choice he turned to when mizi wasn’t an option.

however, i would like for you to consider that maybe, instead, the problem is that till doesn’t know how to properly process or identify his feelings. i would like to propose that maybe he misinterpreted his feelings for mizi as love when in actuality he views her as some unattainable idol to covet but not actually connect with (like parasocial relationships).

meanwhile, ivan was always there for him and slowly became a support system till didn’t even know he had. because even if he didnt feel LOVE for ivan, they definitely had a REAL relationship—arguably more real than anything he ever had with mizi. all of their interactions are just like. much more RAW than anything till ever had with mizi if that makes sense. because all we’ve ever seen him doing with her is admiring from afar and sacrificing things for her in secret that she never asked for, nor wanted from him. while with ivan they actually hung out with absolutely no expectations of anything between them (on till’s side at least. it wasn’t a performative relationship to be this self sacrificing person for ivan like it would’ve been if he were talking to mizi. which is ironically a much more healthy basis for a relationship. to fully see the person as being equal to you without putting them on a pedestal)

i think till’s way of coping with everything was finding someone else outside himself to live for and idolize. his entire life was built around mizi, every choice he made committed with her in mind (like when he chose to stay in the garden rather than escaping for her sake). and once she’s ripped away, he’s left feeling empty and aimless—the center of his very world is no longer there.

HOWEVER.

this is shaken by ivan’s death. even though mizi was always his center, he can’t exactly not be affected by someone who’s been at his side for YEARS. and, unlike with mizi, their bond was definitely real and very much tangible for BOTH sides (despite meaning different things for each of them). but when ivan died FOR him, till felt something that was very real and very confusing which was very much a mixture of raw emotions he wasn't prepared to face feeling from anyone apart from mizi. because while mizi is his ideal, i think his feelings about her were always accompanied by a sense of disconnect because they didnt have any actual basis for this bond beyond till simply yearning for her. but with ivan. they were friends. they trusted each other by this point, and ivan has shown that he cares for till REPEATEDLY throughout them knowing each other. and.

i think till subconsciously acknowledged that ivan was important to him, even if just as a background support in his life. someone he hung out with without thinking about it too much. and i think that sense of care came very gradually too. because ivan is a weird mf but he still managed to worm his way into till’s world, and now he’s a staple there, even if till himself isn’t aware of that.

mainly just my vibe here is that his feelings surrounding ivan are very messy and complicated (as real life emotions tend to be) and that wasn’t what till was looking for when he was younger. he needed something stable, something he could look at and idolize from afar. something he could dedicate his messed up life to without having to worry about other complicated feelings. and that was what mizi was to him. a purpose to live that was unchanging because no matter what till himself did or what happened to him, it didn’t affect HER. and that was comforting. but ivan existed outside of his little ideal. and he was a real person who (unfortunately :/ ) made till feel real things that were outside of his control. which wasnt what he needed when he was younger—he needed stability. but i think in the end he had the most chance of an actual developed, healthy, and consistent relationship with ivan.

that is, if bro wasnt dead 🙏🙏🕊🕊

[nickyrothfan]

Why her?

Trinity was already walking toward the table where all her friends were sitting when she suddenly noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Finch standing near the table where her friends were sitting... she couldn't help but overhear.

"You don't belong at this table, Finch," the dark-haired girl in the yellow t-shirt said to her.

"But..."

"Listen, Finch... lately, you've been spending way too much time with those idiots from the Inventor's Club. We warned you what would happen in this case. Sit somewhere else." The brunette next to her waved her hand, signaling Finch to leave.

"But we'll keep the newspaper about sick Nick in your memory!" These words only angered Finch.

She didn't say anything... turned around, and walked away. Her head was down, her face full of tears and sadness.

Trinity, witnessing this scene, wanted to comfort... her friend? Yes, she was hanging out with them now... but the old actions still lingered.

She did nothing in the end, because her friends had called her over.

She sat down, everything was as usual... Ivan and Enzo were talking about something, Maritza was teasing the latter, and sometimes he was eyeing her. The only thing different was that with Delroy's arrival, there was always someone who could annoy Ivan. But still... where was Nicky? It had been... quite a while, where was he?

"Guys, do you know where Nicky is?" She looked at her friends.

"He... is probably not hungry," Ivan shrugged, such things always interested him less.

"Ivan... he always came here, even when he didn't eat. Maybe he got food poisoning or went home..." Enzo took a sip of juice. Nicky will be fine, the cult isn't showing itself yet, and Peterson... well, he's not concerned with them.

"Dude... you're probably right." Delroy leaned back in his chair, though there wasn't one behind him, and he almost fell.

"Actually... I haven't seen him either," Maritza looked at Trinity in response. Where was that idiot with the brown eyes?

"Where is he?" Trinity mumbled. What if something happened to him? Is he in danger? Is he seeing something again?

Everyone quickly forgot about the topic and went back to talking... but she didn't forget, she needed to find him. Trinity stood up from the table and went on a search.

She wandered around the school looking for him. Some teenagers around were whispering about something, but as Nicky had said, she was used to it.

She was starting to lose hope... maybe he really just went home? She left the school, maybe he's hanging around there... it was the last place. Suddenly... she heard his voice, somewhere in the alley near the trash bins.

"What is he doing there?" She ran toward the sound, he was speaking... with someone? The second voice was weaker, she couldn't hear it clearly.

Bales couldn't believe her eyes...

Nicky and Finch were standing by the two dumpsters, Finch was making a box of cookies with him... what was stranger wasn't that it was by the trash... but that it was them... together, alone, by themselves...

Finch didn't make any sarcastic remarks, didn't humiliate him behind his back. They were just talking... and he... was smiling.

He was smiling like... never before in recent events, in fact, he hadn't smiled at all since the basement incident. After that, he had been... gloomy, but now, with her...

Why were her hands shaking? Why was her heart racing? Why didn't she want him to be with her?

Jealousy... no. Nicky was just a friend, and always will be, yes, she worried about him more than anyone when they dealt with Theodore... but they were just friends, partners... she couldn't love him, not in that way. Yes, he was... sweet, especially with those old eyes... with his strong warm hands that she had held when they ran away. What was she thinking?

She knew that Finch was quite a powerful and popular figure at school. Although the second one was now in question, since she had been kicked out of the group.

Trinity didn't trust her... she may look innocent, but the dark-haired girl remembered everything... every mockery towards the brunette... and that was only after her arrival. And now they were happily talking... what went wrong?

Why had Nicky been so... happy when she joined the club?

She started to approach, but someone grabbed her by the shoulder.

"A-?!" Her mouth was covered.

"Shh..." Maritza clicked her tongue... what was she doing here?

"Did you hear something?" Nicky's voice came clearer as she got closer. He sounded calmer... happier; though he was a bit nervous? Embarrassed? Confused?

"Yeah... should we check?"

"I'll go." Footsteps... damn! They needed to leave! Maritza grabbed her friend's hand, and they hid.

"I swear... I heard something. Hm..." He shrugged and walked back.

"What are you doing here?" The girl with violet eyes looked at the girl in the cap.

"Same question, leader."

"I... was looking for him."

"And that's why you were spying on him..."

"How would you know, maybe I just came up."

"Well... I know. Damn." She covered her mouth.

"Ugh... alright, I'm going back." Trinity walked to the end of the wall, she needed to find out everything... because the leader needed all the information, no intrigue allowed!

"We're like stalkers..." Maritza followed her. And now these two were hiding behind the wall, eavesdropping on the conversation.

"There's no one there." Roth approached the girl with blue hair.

"Alright... maybe it was just some school kids walking by... still want more?" She handed him the box.

"How much?"

"Oh... for free... we're friends, after all..." She turned away from him.

"Actually, I was talking about how many cookies were in the box, but thanks." He smiled.

"Oh, come on..."

"You know... I never would've thought we'd be able to talk like this. But now... it's just wonderful." The sounds were getting quieter, they both sounded softer...

"Let's go." Trinity whispered to Maritza, they needed to leave. And think everything over.

"Alright... alright..." It was strange now, and her voice sounded... sad? Just like hers now... what was happening...

Later, in the club's office:

"So... where did you guys go after lunch?" Enzo looked at Trinity and Maritza.

"Oh... we e-"

"We went around the school to look around. You know... even after a year of living here, I still don't know the place very well." Trinity crossed her arms behind her back, hoping Enzo would buy it.

"Uh... alright." The guy went back to talking to Ivan.

"I'm telling you, that's how it was." Nicky, laughing, entered the room; everyone looked at him strangely. First of all, Nicky was laughing... for the first time in a long time. Secondly, Finch was also giggling, and she came in with him.

"Something happened?" He looked confused. His eyes darted from one person to another.

"Nothing..." Ivan returned to his invention.

"Yeah... we were just talking about random stuff." Enzo waved it off and turned to Ivan, or rather, pretended to, because his gaze was focused on a certain female in the room.

"Alright..." Nicky sat down at the desk. His gaze shifted to Trinity, who seemed off...

"Trinity, did something happen?"

"Nothing... just... um... where were you during lunch?"

"Oh... I... I wasn't feeling well, I must have been poisoned."

"You were right, nerd." Delroy shifted his gaze to one of the two bespectacled guys.

"That was pretty obvious..." Enzo smirked, thinking he must have surprised Trinity... she went silent for a moment.

«Why is he lying?»Trinity's thoughts wandered, trying to find an excuse.

"I... I need to go." The leader stood up and left the room, followed by Maritza.

"What's with them?" Nick was confused... why were those two acting like this?

"Don't know..." Finch stared at the closed door.

"Guess you just pissed them off, Roth." Delroy teased his rival.

"Shut up!" Nick turned to him.

"So, what are we going to do?" Enzo looked around. Since the cult hadn't done anything for a while, and neither had Peterson... no plans could have been made. They mostly just discussed them.

"Well... we're inventors. We need to invent something... useful, but not too useful." Nicky shrugged. He weakly smirked, remembering that thing they made that emitted fart sounds.

"Show off!" Finch slammed her fist into her palm.

At that moment...

"So, what are we going to do, girl?" Maritza stood opposite Trinity, both in the alley between trash cans.

"I have no idea... I don't understand. Why is Nicky spending so much time with her? Of course... he pulled away from me after... the incident." She shuddered. She still blamed herself... why did she do it?

"Yeah... locking him in the basement was such a great idea." Maritza said sarcastically.

"Let's not talk about that... still, why?" There had to be another reason.

"Well... our Sherlock Holmes had been mocked by the scout for a long time. So I have no idea. But... it worries me." She turned away. Why was that idiot acting like this? Not long ago, he didn't want to talk to anyone from the club, even yelled at them. But after the psychiatric hospital, he became... better, but now all his attention was on that... #####. Seriously, how could he forget all the bullying?

"Are you blushing?"

"What?! Me?! No, not because of that idiot. It's just... you know, it's hot. I'm more concerned about that journalist." She snapped. He couldn't like her... could he?

"Yeah... I agree." Trinity nodded.

"So... first, he forgives her, then invites her to the club, and literally convinces the boys to let her in by playing on their sympathy. What were they doing this whole month?" Maritza glanced around, yeah, the bathroom smelled awful.

"No idea... but I still don't like her, how could he just forget everything?"

"Well, he seems to have forgotten about the basement and the book."

"I don't know, everything seems so weird... I have a bad feeling, do you think she's trying to worm her way into his trust and then stab him in the back?"

"Considering their communication before, it's quite likely, yes."

"We need to talk to him, or her... this can't go on." Trinity shook her head.

"I can't argue with that." Maritza smirked and extended her hand to Trinity, who firmly shook it.

Back to the club:

"So... are we going to build a machine?" Nick looked surprised, how did Ivan even come up with this?

"Exactly! With it, we can fight the cult more effectively." Ivan looked at the blueprints.

"And how? Are we going to run them over?" Delroy didn't really understand the point, it wouldn't fit in many places, what's the point?

"We'll be able to escape better in case of a chase, and we can store important stuff in it, like Finch's slingshots for example." Enzo considered the possibilities.

"Still, we need to get that black book from the psycho before he takes it himself..." Finch thought about it, everything was very dangerous.

"I don't know, guys... everything seems at least suspicious." Nicky narrowed his eyes. He didn't really want to be involved in this, as usual, but his friends' safety... he had to help them.

"Besides, those Crows are hanging around the amusement park and the dump, we probably won't be able to gather the necessary materials." Finch agreed with Nick.

"But the tunnels under the school, there might be something useful there." Delroy proposed a hypothesis, since they existed, there must be a reason for it, and given how much the cult needed resources, maybe they stored them there?

"Then it's settled, we'll start everything today—"

"Can't. Dad is taking me on a trip for a while, I'll be back on Sunday evening." Enzo averted his gaze.

"Oh, come on, we had only 2 free days and this happens?" Ivan grabbed his hair.

"I actually have stuff to do too, my aunt is a little sick." Delroy leaned on the chair, continuing to drink lemonade.

"Alright... minus two... guess we'll meet next Friday?" Ivan glanced at everyone in the room.

"That works for me." Delroy wiped the remnants of lemonade with his hand.

"Works for me."

"Well, since we've got a whole week... guess we can relax." Nicky yawned, even after the thing... disappeared, he hadn't been sleeping well because of nightmares.

"Yeah, right now we have time." Finch looked down, the park's reopening would take at least a month, considering the small complications Peterson and they had caused.

"Great! Once Trinity and Maritza get back, we'll discuss everything again." Enzo smirked.

So, the two idiots went to meet the other amateurs, and everything was finalized. They would start their actions next Friday.

It was evening, and everyone was heading home. Ivan, Maritza, and Enzo went in one direction, Delroy and Finch in another, and Nicky and Trinity in a third.

"Um, Nicky?" Trinity spoke after looking around to confirm that Finch and the others had gone.

"Yeah?" Nick looked at her, still those same brown eyes... could they go back to how they were?

"We can talk about something?"

"We're already talking, I don't see a problem..." He shrugged, his gaze shifting from her to the floor.

"You know... we're still friends, right?" Trinity continued to watch him, even though his eyes were directed elsewhere.

"Uh... yeah? Why wouldn't we be?" He started moving his eyes around, seemingly searching for a catch.

"You know, after... the incident, I thought you-"

"Listen, I don't really remember everything... I remember how you... left me, and then... it's like a blank, I don't remember how I got out, how I ended up on the street at night, or how I was strapped to a chair, the only thing I remember is your worried face, why were you beaten, by the way?"

"You... wow. That's not that important, the important thing is that... I'm glad."

"Well, we're friends, does that make you happy?" He turned his gaze forward again.

"Yeah... listen Nicky, I want to talk about Finch..."

"Finch? What about her?" His voice seemed to lighten up.

"What about you, actually? I... You two have been sticking together ever since you came back."

"And what's wrong with that? We're friends, yeah, she's hurt me in the past, but so did you... she's not that bad, really." He gave her a strange look.

"Uh, yeah... just, I... you're pulling away, and I'm worried."

"Uh, I just want to spend time with her, it's my life." He replied a little sharply.

"I'm just worried... maybe she's pretending, just to humiliate you later?"

"She wouldn't do that... she's different, I know it." His tone grew harsher.

"I'm just worried... Nicky, I-"

"Listen, if you care so much about me, please, let me be with whoever I want, okay?" He was irritated, and unfortunately, they were already at his house.

"See you tomorrow." He turned toward the door.

"Did I really screw up?" She looked at his back until the door finally slammed shut, sighing.

They used to be best friends without a doubt... at least that's how they acted. Always walking together, she was the only one who supported him, but now, because of her actions... he was pulling away.

Maybe she should talk to Maritza? Or even Finch? Maybe parents? Though no, they didn't like Nicky much.

Could she get him back?

Let's switch to Nicky's room (Nicky's POV of the recent events):

I laid down on the bed after entering my room, my backpack immediately thrown on the floor.

Parents aren't home again... since we moved to this town, they've been so rarely home, sure, now there's a lot of work, but I miss them. Although, do they care about me?

There weren't even any posters about my disappearance, damn, even the broken window was still broken, although they definitely knew what I did.

"They didn't even visit me in the psychiatric hospital..." - I closed my eyes. Only my friends visited me, and even then, only once. They had to make a whole plan because they weren't allowed in, so I understood that.

"Do they even need me?" - I looked at the picture, our family photo right after we moved to this city. I looked so... happy? Back then, everything was easier.

"What should I do now?" - Usually, I would come up with ideas about how I would fend off aliens or become a double agent on Earth if they captured me. But now... I didn't want to. And disassembling toy cars and other trinkets didn't appeal to me either.

There were no castles here anymore, and the park was occupied by a cult, so I couldn't even indulge in a hobby.

"When did everything get so complicated?" - I stared at the ceiling. Maybe it started right after Trinity arrived? Or after the investigation against Peterson was launched? Or after the basement? Definitely after the cult, at least.

"And what am I supposed to do?" - My eyes closed. My friends... I did this for them.

Ivan was probably a pretty nice guy, considering we were the most active members of the club, though I'd give credit to Enzo as well. And... Aaron.

Aaron, where are you? When I met him in the basement, I was overjoyed. He's alive! My best friend is alive! I immediately tried to talk to him, but he wasn't very happy to see me. We tried to escape many times, I came up with around 20 escape plans, but every time we failed, and it was especially bad for me.

Over time, he gave up. I ignored it and decided to escape on my own, and maybe later, with the others, we'd pull him out too, despite that shadow whose appearance Aaron had drawn based on my description. But I got caught again, and the worst part... I saw my friends outside, I screamed, I begged, but they didn't hear me.

I don't know what happened next. Peterson pumped me full of something, and I was out for a long time. When it finally wore off, I tried to escape again, but Aaron, of all people, stopped me, hitting me on the head with a crowbar, saying he needed a friend.

That was just one of the many injuries there. I got caught in traps, electric shocks, I fell into spikes, though I avoided serious cuts. I tried to break a window with my body and broke my arm. He choked me, beat me, kicked me—hell, he even threw me from the entrance into the basement. That's how my other arm and leg got broken.

I don't know how, but everything healed quickly, just like the house changed. However, the phantom pain remained, and I still feel it now.

Although hope that my friends would come to save me faded, they did.

I vaguely remember everything... first, it seemed Enzo was talking to me, then they were there with me in the basement.

That night we escaped. And I still remember...

Her hands. So warm, cozy, safe. I trusted her. And we escaped, all together.

She was so wonderful. Strong, smart, kind, and even beautiful. It was no surprise that Enzo fell in love with her at first sight.

I felt something... something more. She was different, completely different.

Strong like a bull, I realized that after being pinned against the locker.

Smart, because she was able to command everyone.

And kind, because she came to save me and didn't abandon the others.

But she changed after that note...

First, she called Delroy, and she knew we didn't get along. That was already a red flag.

Then the creation of the team to fight the Crowface, I decided not to join because... I was scared. I felt like something was wrong.

But the worst part... she came to me, knowing that I didn't want anything to do with it. I snapped.

A few weeks later, when her house was in order, she approached me on the street and forced me to go with her to that damned house.

She knew my fear, she knew about my trauma, but she didn't care.

I accidentally remembered the past, where I tried to convince her to help me... but there was a difference. I didn't force her to follow me, I didn't grip her hand, forcing her to go into that house. I just wanted someone to believe me.

I'm not defending myself, but there is a difference.

Later, I found out that she visited that monster. And the newspaper didn't help. I felt betrayed.

"We'll get used to it." - she said. How? I escaped. I needed to be alone, and now, he was back.

My legs moved faster than ever, my heart was racing, I screamed, I cried... I wanted to leave, I wanted it to go away.

Then everything was like a fog.

And the basement... I don't want to remember it.

She changed... for the worse.

Was she normal now? I don't know... my feelings are mixed. I'm scared... scared that she will hurt me again, but I also worry about her.

Why? Can I love her?

Trinity's POV:

My gaze fell on Peterson's house.

It had finally kept its shape, nothing new.

My thoughts wandered. I had been in this city for about a year and a half.

I had made friends, good friends, although at first, I didn't like them.

Enzo was just a simple nerd. I knew he liked me, but back then and now, I didn't feel the same way. He was a good friend, but nothing more.

Although he was really brave when he broke into the psycho's house to save Nicky. I was even surprised by that.

I know I manipulated him throughout the whole investigation with the Crowfaces, and now I feel really guilty. He still loves me...

Ivan was... I don't know, a weirdo. But sometimes his squeaky voice and childlike naivety were quite endearing. But when I got to know him better... he turned out to be a really good guy.

Maritza... she was a cool girl, and she still is. Although I'm still a little upset about the book, but she did it to save Enzo.

Delroy... he just exists. To be honest, his arrogance really annoys me; a person like that is hard to come by. But he's actually very brave; it's just that his constant fights with Nicky irritate me. Seriously, how could he hit a guy like that?

Finch, who I didn't like at first and still don't, especially her mockery of Nicky. How could he forgive her? Although he forgave me...

And finally, Nicky... the local weirdo, but actually a really good guy.

I don't know why he kept following Peterson, and every time I asked him about the death in my house, he would fall silent.

I got closer to him, much more than with anyone before, and even after that.

He was a bit arrogant, but still a good-natured guy. He could joke around, act clueless, but he wasn't a bad guy. Well, okay... he seemed to have been a troublemaker before that.

After he got caught, I wanted to help him, but I was scared.

When I finally met him in the basement, I was terrified. He was so broken... and what happened to his eyes? I don't know what my neighbor did to him, but I wanted to help him.

I led him all around the house, I didn't want to let him go, I wanted to save him, and I did.

But the whole cult situation... I was too obsessed with it. I wanted so badly to figure it out that I hurt him.

I don't know what I was thinking when I dragged him into that house, when I locked him in the basement.

But when I saw the ambulance at his house, my worry grew... he attacked me.

Although he didn't remember it, and even tried to reach out to me, even after everything he went through because of me.

That broke me.

Now... he's in better shape, although I don't know if that dark creature drawing is still in his house. But he doesn't wear the sack on his head anymore, and he's not hallucinating.

I'm afraid that this will change soon, that he'll return to his old state.

And now he's pulling away, and hanging out with Finch. Why? What did she do to deserve that? Wasn't I his best friend? The one he trusted the most?

The worst part is, he's clearly upset about that conversation.

I don't know why he's with her, but I'll find out. And I won't stop until I do. I have to make sure he's okay and that he stays okay.

Finch's POV:

I stared at the sky, yep, still no stars.

My mind was in chaos.

Now I was out of the cool kids' group and with the inventors.

And I was talking to... Nicky.

It's not like we got along well before.

From the beginning, he struck me as a simple weirdo who talked nonsense about aliens and brought toy cars, which he would take apart and put back together like a child.

Then after the incident, he became obsessed with Peterson, and the nickname "Sick Nicky," coined by me, stuck, although he ignored it.

Next, I noticed that I started just looking at him for no reason.

And then he disappeared for a whole month. I missed him.

Where was the guy with the silly smile? Where were the shouts?

To say I missed him is an understatement. Although I had to play indifferent for quite a while.

Then he came back... different.

He became gloomy, his eyes changed, and the bags under them seemed to always be there now.

He became more aggressive and sensitive; if before he just ignored everything, now... he could easily attack, though it was only Delroy, and then just run away.

I remember that day when I heard his screams. He woke up the whole neighborhood. I took a photo of him for the newspaper.

Principal Abanante let me do a lot, and she didn't like him much, so printing the newspaper wasn't an issue.

When he was screaming in the hallways, for a moment, I even wondered if I was going too far. But a classmate convinced me that it was fine.

Then... I didn't see him. Although I heard through the grapevine that he was in a psychiatric hospital or something like that. Did I push him to that?

After that, something strange happened, I wanted to discuss with the principal the topic of publishing the article about the people in the Raven suits. But she scared me off and threatened me.

The next day, I decided to continue the investigation, hoping she would approve it now... but I nearly got killed. I barely escaped, and not without his help.

I was in the woods, so hiding in the bushes wasn't a problem, though he took my camera and threw it in another direction, so those freaks would chase him, and we could run away.

The next day at school, he brought me a new camera, saying he owed me. Then he immediately turned around, ready to leave... I don't even know how, but we started talking.

And now, here I am. I'm helping them, even though everyone, except for him and a little Delroy, doesn't trust me, but I'm holding on.

He was nice to talk to, how did I never notice that before?

I know he probably doesn't feel the same way, but, uh. I can't help myself. And apparently his main girl friend, aka miss new girl, isn't too happy with us hanging out.

Well. I won't lose, and I especially won't lose this idiot.

Esposito House (POV Maritza):

I tossed my bag onto the chair and immediately settled onto the couch in the living room.

My gaze was fixed on the television, which was showing all sorts of stupid alien shows; I think Nicky would love it.

My older brother was running from one place to another, gathering his things.

Well... at least I'll be able to talk to Mom about everything.

How did I end up facing the cult again? It happened recently when they tried to eliminate Enzo, or rather Trinity, near whom he happened to be accidentally.

I realized then that the safety they promised me was nothing but a lie; after all, they say deals with the devil end badly.

Understanding that my brother was in danger one way or another, I rejoined her, and soon after, Ivan followed suit.

Delroy got back into action after his aunt was nearly blown up.

Nicky and Finch joined after the incident in the woods.

I never thought my life would turn out like this.

As a child, I was always an energetic kid, kind and caring, always hanging out with Lucy and Mya, which is why Enzo and Aaron also got along with us.

However, after Lucy's death... I changed.

Enzo and I fell out with Mya and Aaron; I don't know why I didn't want anything to do with them. Maybe it had something to do with the incident since their father was to blame, or maybe it was simply because he was awful.

Then Mya disappeared...

During that time, I changed a lot; I became something of a tomboy, the one who would always be first in a fight, even carrying a bat with me.

I still love my brother; he's an idiot, but he's still my brother, and we care for each other.

Ivan is just his friend; those two are just nerds.

Nicky... at first, I was skeptical about him, but getting to know him better, I found him funny.

When he was kidnapped, I was scared; fear was the reason I left the Bales' house even before the operation began.

I tried to pretend like I didn't care, but in the end, I went to rescue him.

And here we are...

Trinity initially seemed like an ordinary girl. But now she was annoying, manipulating my brother, knowing about his feelings; making Nicky participate in all of this... seriously, how was she not sent to boarding school?

Finch and Delroy are just weirdos; I couldn't care less about them.

Nicky... oh, Nicky.

I knew that Mya seemingly had feelings for him, based on what he said during their time together. I don't know why, but it bothered me.

He even knew Lucy, though he didn't interact with us back then. He mentioned that he used to live in the house across from the Petersons, but they moved for some reason.

Only after her death did he start talking to us.

I don't know what their relationship was like, but he was very down about it... could they have been in love with each other?

After Aaron and Mya went missing, he became fixated on them, on Theodore. He always talked about them.

I felt like I was fading into the background; he was sinking deeper into the Petersons' mess.

Now... he's switched his focus to Finch.

Why have I always disliked the way he talks to anyone but me?

I need to keep an eye on this idiot so he doesn't get into trouble again.

Back to Nick:

"What's wrong with me?" I placed my hand on my forehead.

Everything is getting more complicated. Maritza and Trinity are acting strange, and I feel like their minds have been taken over by aliens, or maybe it's the work of a cult. Ha, or maybe there's a creature capable of creating time loops, and it has a form like theirs? Maybe it's its doing? Or... do they also see the shadow?

Why does it matter so much to Trinity that I'm with Finch?

She can't love me. I'm sure she'll be with Enzo.

Finch... oddly enough, she's a good friend. I actually wish I had started talking to her earlier.

I bought her a new camera, because I felt a little guilty when I threw out her old one. Since then, we've been talking.

Why do I feel strange around her? And not just her, but Trinity and Maritza sometimes too.

A few times it was with Aaron, but... I don't want to think about him.

The only two times I felt something like this before were in my interactions with Lucy before her death, and with Mya before her disappearance.

I can't feel this way about six people, can I? This isn't normal!

Maybe it's brotherly feelings? That seems more like the truth... but why do I feel hot?

"I need to sleep..." I was too tired from thinking. Physically, I was fine, relatively fine, but mentally... I was exhausted.

I was distracted from these thoughts when I heard the notification sound on my phone.

Getting up, I walked to the table and turned it on.

"Trinity?" I quickly went to the chat with her. What did she write?

"Hey. I hope you're not too mad at my words. We can talk about it, and other things, tomorrow for example? I can come over if you don't want to go out." I mentally ran through the text. Yeah... I snapped today. I don't think I handled it well.

"Hey. Not really, sorry for snapping. I have no plans, but since it's dangerous outside and your parents don't like me, yeah, you can come over." I reread everything I wrote aloud. Just a simple conversation between friends, nothing more.

I put the phone aside, when another notification came.

"Already?" I opened the app, but it was a message from Maritza.

"Hey, idiot! So, since my stupid brother is leaving, can we talk, hang out? I'm bored and they won't let me out alone. Answer quickly!"

"Even here, aggressive..." I gulped. I hope I don't get hit in the head for this.

"Hey. Uh... no problem, you can come over tomorrow evening. After that, we can walk you back to your place." I read everything I wrote out loud.

Alright... Trinity will probably come in the morning or afternoon, so she'll leave by then.

"Finally!" I jumped onto the bed and flopped into the mattress. It felt so warm...

"What's that again?!" I couldn't take it anymore. I jumped up when I heard another ring.

Finch...

"Hey, Nicky. You know, since we're friends now, it'd be nice to talk more often. I can come over tomorrow? Or we can just go for a walk, though it's dangerous because of the crows. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Interrupting..." I decided not to write that.

"Hey. Tomorrow... I think it's fine. We're friends, after all. I agree, it's risky. No, I'm just about to go to sleep." And then the phone flew to the ground from my toss.

"Alright, since Trinity lives nearby, she'll probably come in the morning. We'll talk, and by the time the day ends, she'll be gone. Then Finch during the day, and Maritza in the evening."

"On Sunday, I could talk to Ivan... but not Delroy." I immediately ruled out the possibility of talking to that fat guy. He really annoyed me, a lot.

I laid down, and now nothing would disturb me... and I fell asleep.

.....

Well... here's the beginning. I told you this story would also be just a collection of different other things, right? So...

I don't know what will happen in the end. Maybe I'll make a bunch of endings, or maybe just one... we'll see.

[puppysirie0-0]

Anybody Call A Doctor (I'm 1000 Degrees In Love)

Pairing: Aleksander Morozova x Lantsov!Reader

Warnings: Mostly fluff that I wanted to be smut

Chapter 3 of "The Bunny and It's Shadow"

Aleksander slowly starts kissing down your body with a tenderness you had not expected. He kisses every inch of your skin, and all your insecurities and worries melt away. You knew you loved him and he loved you, you knew this was going to be forever, even if nothing else was.

You watch as he travels down. The admiration and utter devotion in his eyes, evident as he looks back up at me. My heart skips a beat as I make eye contact with him. He also made me feel special and the intimacy of this moment pours over me like a refreshing shower.

You and Aleksander had done this before. The fleeting makeouts in his room and quickies in the hallway. Him whisking you away into his chambers or a bathroom to let out your mutual frustrations. But, now you’re married, it’s 100 times more intimate. It was coveted, it was sweet, it was something you’d only dreamt of doing with Aleksander. Never knowing that you’d ever be able to marry him.

You snap out of your haze of reflection as he reaches down between your thighs. He knew what to do to make you come undone quickly, but he didn’t want it quick. He wanted to savor this moment, cherish it like an ancient relic. You being his most prized possession. He thrust a finger in your cunt, slowly pumping it at a steady pace. Stretching you out for him, despite your numerous other times taking him.

He adds another, and another, whispering sweet nothings into your ear and the air around you. Kissin down your neck, littering your collarbone and neck with love bites. Knowing that you wouldn’t be able to hide them in the morning, purposefully making sure that they would be bright purple and noticeable when you had to face your friends at breakfast. He made you feel safe and on the edge at the same time.

He teased you like you were a puppy jumping up at a treat right before it was pulled away. And you loved it. It might have seemed cruel, but you did. His mere attention made you feel like a star shining bright in the midst of a void of darkness.

∾ ▩ °º❤️º°  ▩ ∾

The next morning, you woke up to the smell of violets. They had a very distinct smell for you because they were your favorite. Your nanny as a child would always pick them and bring them to you. Those were some of your happiest memories, happily playing with your older brother, Nikolai, and your shared nanny.

You turn to see Aleks still asleep. He looked so peaceful there, lying in the morning sunrise. The orange light illuminates his skin, making him glisten like a gem. He was a gem to you, the most precious, beautiful, perfect gem of the world in your eyes.

His eyes flutter open and he catches you staring. You blush as a smile spreads across his face. He reaches for you, pulling you back into bed and you let him. You trusted him with everything, your heart, your life, everything. He whispers in your ear, “Morning, Mrs. Morozova.”

You can feel his grin on your neck and you look back at him, “Mrs. Morzova is hungry right now, Mr. Morzova.”

He chuckles before shrouding the room in darkness. He grabs your wrist to amplify your new-found power, illuminating the once pitch-black room with stars. You both look in awe, completely and utterly amazed to see not only the beauty of your stars, but your respective stars and shadows mingling together, in harmony.

∾ ▩ °º❤️º°  ▩ ∾

You head to breakfast with the rest of the camp and your skin prickles with the stares of everyone. You had forgotten about the marks Aleks had given you. You feel a hand on your back leading you to a fairly empty section by the stoked out fire. You know it’s Aleksander, you lean into his touch, and let him guide you.

Breakfast had a tension thick enough to cut with an axe. You slowly eat your food as Aleksander casually talks with Ivan beside him, leaving you swimming with awkwardness. You turn and talk to Fedyor, but you feel the eyes boring into the back of your head.

∾ ▩ °º❤️º°  ▩ ∾

Once Breakfast is thankfully over, you start packing up to head back to the Little Palace. You knew Aleksander had duties and you wanted to move out of the Main Palace as soon as possible.

The trek back home was easy, simple. It was actually quite calming, you grin every time you see a flower. You had studied them for hours as a child, continuing far into your adulthood, ever the anthophile. But you were still nervous, you had to face your parents not only about the failed Fjerdan engagement and your marriage to Aleksander, but about your powers as well.

∾ ▩ °º❤️º°  ▩ ∾

When you're back at the Little Palace, Aleksander immediately tells the servants to move your belongings into his, or your now shared chambers. You follow him into his war room, wanting to relax after the ride home. Aleks asks for tea before sitting down on a chair he’s had for years. The leather worn from both of you napping in it after a long day of Aleks’ work.

You climb into his lap and wait for the tea. He cuddles you and grads a purple and black blanket to lay over the two of you. The tea arrives and you guys sip the tea in silence, enjoying each other’s company. But your mind is racing a million miles a second, because what are you going to do about your powers? And more importantly, what are you going to do about your parents?

Your mind snaps out its trance as Aleks exclaims, “Anybody call a doctor!”

You turn to look at him and he’s grinning before saying “I’m a thousand degrees in love.”

You smile at each other. In a soft, sweet, domestic way. You were in love and you were going to cherish every second of it.

∾ ▩ °º❤️º°  ▩ ∾

A/N:

Hey guys! This is the third chapter of Aleksander Morozova series, I'm writing this while collaborating with @lost-tothe-centuries! I have been swamped with classes so I am sorry for the wait. We'll, lemme know what you think. Also, always remember that my DMs and requests are always open if you wanna talk. Love y'all! Mwah!

[kissorkill16]

The Device: A Hello Neighbor Fanfic

By JJ

Summary: The device is dangerous, so why would anyone want it?

Nicky laid down on his bed, holding the brass and emerald pentagon that he found a year ago.

He was about to go to sleep, but then it kept glowing in his desk, so he thought about examining it for a while.

His mind thought back to when Ivan basically threatened him for it, saying it was really important and that he was aware that it could control the weather and stuff, but that didn't matter to the fake Ivan.

But why would anyone want this device? Surely it's gotta do more than just control the weather and just look shiny and pretty.

He sighed, putting the device in his pocket and going to the bathroom to get his pills.

When he came back from the bathroom with his pills and a glass of water, he nearly fainted when he saw the large shadow of a hulking man in an argyle sweater.

Mr. Peterson was in his room.

The boy dropped his pills and the glass of water and started screaming in terror. Mr. Peterson jumped back and immediately walked over to Nicky, slapping a gloved hand over his mouth to muffle his screams.

"Nicky, calm down! I'm not here to hurt you!", he tried to reason with the boy, but Nicky kept screaming and trying to pry the hand away from his mouth, but Mr. Peterson was too strong.

When Nicky was starting to run out of breath, he stopped screaming, and Mr. Peterson slowly removed his hand from his mouth.

"Also, you've broken into my house more times than I could count on my fingers, so please stop screaming.", said Mr. Peterson. Nicky shrugged and backed away from the man.

"Whatever.", he said, "Just...why are you here?"

"Because you have something important that the Guest is after, and you need to give it to me before he gets to you."

Nicky furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "What is it? And how do I know you're not just Crowface in disguise? Because I feel like I recognize him even as someone else. Seriously, he -"

"He came to you disguised as Ivan, yes. I already know about that."

A moment of awkward silence passed by.

"Look, whatever you think I have, I don't have. So you can leave.", Nicky said, pointing to the door.

But Mr. Peterson didn't leave, "Nicholas, this is serious. You do have the device, I know it. You remember last year when you and your friends snuck out to the woods, don't you?"

Nicky did remember that night. But how did Mr. Peterson know about that night?

"Also, I can see green glowing in your pocket."

Nicky looked down at his pajama pants pocket which contained the device, and slowly pulled it out. "Fine. Yes, I have it. No, I don't know what power it holds other than controlling the weather. But I still don't completely trust you, so if you're asking me to give it to you, then you can leave."

Mr. Peterson gently grabbed Nicky's arm, pulling the boy close to him and taking the device, despite Nicky trying to keep a firm grip on it. "I'm sorry, Nicky. But this demon bird has been cursing me for years, and it's about time I get my revenge."

"Fine, whatever. You have it, now you can leave.", said Nicky. He was about to pick his pills back up, then Mr. Peterson said something that shocked him.

"Nicholas...", he said, "Come with me."

"What?", asked the boy.

"This is for your protection. The Guest could come here at any given moment and try to kill you like he promised.", said Mr. Peterson, "You think I didn't notice the Golden Apple bracelet around your wrist? Lucy had one of those, and she's dead, like you're going to be if you don't come with me.", said Mr. Peterson. Nicky shrunk back and backed up against the wall.

"No. Get out! Leave me alone!"

Mr. Peterson moved forward to the boy, holding a gentle hand to him, "Listen, I know it's too much to take in and you're really scared right now, but please listen to me. Let me help you just like you helped me."

Nicky was hesitant for a moment.

Despite everything Mr. Peterson said, he still wasn't sure whether or not to trust him.

He didn't even believe that Mr. Peterson wanted to protect him, after everything he put him through. The man was probably tricking him into thinking he still cared about him a little bit just so he could offer him to Crowface as a sacrifice.

...But maybe once he was about to do it, he'll realize he could never go through with it, because Nicky was the only thing Mr. Peterson had left to a friend, just like he said.

He was starting to behave just like the old Mr. Peterson again.

And that Mr. Peterson would rather fight Crowface to the death than allow Nicky to go through the same fate as his daughter and Lucy.

Without a second thought, he extended a shaking hand to Mr. Peterson's gloved hand, allowing the man to lead him out the door and across the street to his house.

[my-dear-clematis]

Hiii Mizi

Can we get your opinion on everyone else in ALNST, from the perspective of yourself in canon? 👀

- @ruler-ofthe-stage

OF COURSE YOU CAN HI LUKA !! (I expect yours as well after this /lh /nf)

Starting with the best person there!! SUA:

Honestly, probably my favorite person. I can say YES we were girlfriends (or. Partners I guess considering I'm like. Not a girl AJJSHAJJHS), and that makes me so ridiculously happy. She was everything to me. I loved (love.) her with everything I had (have). When I said she was "My god, my universe", I meant it. But we weren't just that. We were best friends. We were each other's lights. We were a team. We were everything you could want and more. She was less,, overly optimistic like I was, but when you were someone she cared about, she was so gentle and sweet??? I could go on about Sua for AGESSS (And you will be getting that eventually, trust), but I feel for the sake of fairness I will try to move on. Plus when I think about Sua my brain just goes: "AKJSJKASHJKAHSJAHJKHSAJHJSAHJHSHJKA SUAAAAAAAAAAA" which. Is kind of hard to transcribe.

Next!! TILL:

To be honest it's kind of weird knowing Till was in love with me because??? I was never in love with him AKSKAJS but we were very good friends. I cared about him a lot, and we were very close. Not as close as me and Sua, of course, but still very close. We got into a lot of Shenanigans together, and it was a bunch of fun. Also Till was just??? Cool as hell?? Like- That's just an objective fact, I fear.

IVAN!!:

Every theory that says that me and Ivan were besties? Real.

Ivan is so >>>>>>

Big brother core!!

Ivan was so nice to just??? Sit and exist with. Like he seems intimidating but he's literally the sweetest and silliest person on earth TRUST.

He was also very comfy to fall asleep on (/hj /silly)

HYUNA!!!:

LITERALLY THE COOLEST PERSON EVER GUYS

I'm not kidding when I say Hyuna saved my life in more ways that one. First off she saved me from getting killed, and she also just. Gave me back a reason to live? She helped me understand myself, and understand everything I'd been through. Sure, she kept the energy up, but at the rebel's base everyone really cared for each other, and you could tell. Speaking of which, I probably won't do something specific for the members of the Rebellion, but I want to know that they were so incredibly kind and lovely. Even with how oblivious/naive I'd been before, it was the first time I'd ever felt fully supported and safe by everyone around me, not just by a few special people (Sua, Ivan, and Till, for instance).

But Hyuna was such a wonderful person. She taught me so many things. She helped me understand my gender, she taught me how to ride a motorcycle, how to stand up for myself, how to be myself. There are so many things I wish I could thank her for.

Finally, the last one I'm gonna discuss rn, LUKA!!:

Bitch.

(/lh /j)

IM KIDDING IM KIDDING OKAY???

Okay, look. I did not much like Luka the few times I met him. I didn't know him very well at all, and the first time I properly met him (I think) was when I was competing against him. So I was like,, not in the best of states. I think for a while after that, I full hated him. It took me talking to Hyuna about it for my thoughts to change a little. Hyuna never told me much, but she told me enough. I still didn't like him, but I grew to understand that it wasn't necessarily his fault, it was the fault of the world we were living in. Luka was just doing what he had to in order to survive. I may not have liked him, but I could sympathize with that.

Ummmm yeah that's all I got for now. I've already shared my thoughts on my Alien owner. And you already know I'm part of the Heperu hate club soooo.

Anyway YOUR TURN @ruler-ofthe-stage :D

[maibluemen]

Lietpru: 1, 7

ship asks!

1.) What do they see in each other that they see in no one else?

for better or for worse they've known each other for so long that they sort of can't help knowing each other well, even when they're at peak Mortal Enemies imo. they remember each other as children, though both their memories are warped for various reasons (and i mean even aside from trauma, etc, 1000 years give or take is a long time...obviously the memories are not perfect....)

and so i think when they start to fall for each other, it's coming from a place of like, knowing each other intimately already. like even if they've never shared secrets or Backstories or anything, they have seen each other at their worst moments, both wrt doing evil shit and wrt low points, near-permanent death experiences and so on. in a way, i think that the two of them starting out as enemies means that they can each see the other as vulnerable.

obviously this is especially remarkable with how tolys sees gil, since gil loathes the idea of being seen as weak or vulnerable at all, but tolys still sees the scared child in him.....tolys by the 1960s or so has obviousy been through A Lot, and for a very long time, and yet despite this i think he tries really, really hard to also maintain a veneer of, if not strength per se, then stability, and gil knows how fragile he is....

7.) could they have piqued interest in one another without said circumstances?

(question 6 is about their environment influencing them)

HM. well, tolys will sleep with p much anyone imo lmao, and gil is (at first) a notable exception asdfv but i think to actually answer this question i'm going to mostly be looking at them living together in ivan's little soviet house of horrors lmao

i think that the years immediately following the war (and obviously the war itself) were so horrific, and took such a massive toll on both of them, that they're different people in 1945 than they were even in 1944, let alone anything before the war.......now, you know that i have gil being massively changed by ww1 too, and i think tolys being forced to live with him makes him realize that yeah, actually, gil is a totally different person now, if he sort of tries to hide it (or maybe his shit-eating grin was a facade all along....) and that creates a foundation for tolys to trust gil. and gil seeing just, everything tolys has to deal with on a daily basis makes him feel genuine empathy for him, which creates the foundation for gil to actually be sincere and nice to tolys lmao

i can see them hooking up without this, and maybe after many many years they could form an actual relationship, but i think being forced together makes the process not only faster but also more effective.

[unhetalia]

Hetalia sexuality headcanons:

Tumblr ate an ask that was sent to me? I have no idea where it went, only that it was about Philippines/Ningning being aro/ace. Anyway, I wanted to do headcanons for Hetalia characters I talk about often/will probably talk about.

America, aka Alfred F. Jones: Gay demisexual. As I've mentioned before, this man does Not really think about sex because he's so busy Doing Stuff. Probably a virgin. Or like, has had two sexual partners in 400 years. It depends on my mood.

Philippines, aka Liwanag "Ningning" Dalisay: Cis woman, aro/ace. Has a lot of fun talking about hot people and giggling over abs and strong thighs and so on, but it's all just talk. More interested in other people's romance than her own.

Taiwan, aka Lin Yi Ling: Cis woman, bisexual. Low sex drive. She has dated and had sex, but very infrequently, and almost with an air of "I need to see what this is about I guess".

South Korea aka Im Yong Soo: Trans man, bisexual. Pretty complicated relationship with sex and has therefore become pretty avoidant of relationships. More interested in other people's romance than his own.

India, aka Devi: Cis woman, straight. Has been in love with the same man for hundreds of years. He happens to be her ex boyfriend. It's Complicated. Frequent complainer about having had no sex and "drying up", but will take no action to change it and will in fact run from any situation that looks like it might lead to her having sex.

Japan, aka Kiku Honda: Cis man, bisexual. Has been in love with Alfred for a long time, but doesn't want to pursue it. Outside of his feelings for Alfred, he's quite aro, so he only pursues sexual relationships (and he tends to go for humans, who won't gossip and who he wont run into 100 years from now).

Mexico, aka Maria Soledad Hernandez Xicotencatl: Cis woman, complicated aro/ace. It's not that she hasn't fallen in love or isn't sexually attracted to anyone. In fact, if we go by her feelings alone, Maria is a straight woman. However, her early experiences of men - Arthur, who took her brother away, and Antonio who colonised her country, translated into a deep inability to trust men who aren't her brothers. In fact, Maria has spent time as a nun in the past in order to escape notice as a single woman, and it was fine, though deeply boring.

Canada, aka Matthew Williams: Cis man, I see-saw between straight or bisexual depending on whether or not I'm writing darker Matthew or not. My general Matthew is straight, but my darker Matthew has feelings for Alfred, and is therefore bisexual at least in that instance. General Matthew FUCKS, he is not like Alfred or Maria at all. I have a soft spot for Matthew and Ukraine together, so they're endgame, but he had a history of sleeping around before that.

England, aka Arthur Kirkland: Cis man, bisexual. FUCKS FUCKS FUCKS. He fucks to the point where Francis feels threatened. Those two have competitions. His sex drive is CRAZY and so is his stamina. And he is DAMN good at sex, plus he's a perfect gentleman in the morning. Will return anything you leave in his hotel room. He gets five stars on sexy Yelp.

Russia, aka Ivan Braginsky: Cis man, gay. He's... complicated. He uses sex to let out steam, but also dislikes sex without feelings. Even more so hates looking for sex knowing it will be an empty act. He pays for sex a lot in order to avoid having to explain his lack of passion and also so that he doesn't have to go through actually looking for a partner who may have expectations. Very good at sex, something he's worked on as an almost apology for everything else.

Prussia, aka Gilbert Beilschmidt: Cis man, exclusively Austria-sexual. This man fell in love at first sight and has never ONCE strayed.

Austria, aka Roderich Edelstein: Trans man, bi/demisexual. Was very used to using sex and marriage for politicking (until Gilbert got his act together). Before Gilbert, it was all very much a chore that he didn't particularly love doing. Didn't even really believe in love? And didn't really enjoy sex? Mostly he was unable to experience falling in love because everything was about treaties and etc., his romance with Gilbert was such a slow burn of being enemies to friends to lovers. He NEEDED friendship first in order to fall in love, and he needed to be in love to find sex interesting and fun and good. He gets there.

Belarus, aka Natalya Arlovskaya: Cis woman, straight asexual. At times sex repulsed, weary towards romance in general. Distrusts any man who expresses attraction towards her, even if she reciprocates their attraction.

Ukraine, aka Kateryna Kozak: Cis woman, straight. I tend to pair her up with Canada.

Belgium, aka Laurel Dupont: Cis woman, straight. I tend to pair her up with Scotland.

Scotland, aka Alisdair Kirkland: Cis man, straight. I tend to pair him up with Belgium.

Wales, aka Alwyn Kirkland: Cis man, aro/ace.

Northern Ireland, aka Aidan Kirkland: Cis man, gay.

Ireland, aka Erin Morgan: Cis woman, lesbian.

France, aka Francis Bonnefoy: Cis man, bisexual.

Hungary, aka Erzsébet Héderváry: Trans woman, bisexual.