#Fell forced to be/act like swap

[sometimesanartdragon]

this is an older image I drew from a fic. I was very compelled by how the whole thing went even if it was a bad ending. basically at the end Fell Sans was forced to live as swap sans. So that is Fell/Red.

If I remember Swap Pap went a tad crazy without his brother and "fixed" it. either way cool design dark fic.

and I cannot remember who wrote it they have not been active in the fandom for a while now.

[salty-an-disco]

you know…… there's an argument to be made to getting Contrarian in Nightmare instead of Paranoid. Like– you go for a third option neither the narrator or princess want, but you double down on anyway. In the original Nightmare, that was because you couldn't trust neither princess or narrator, but what if you started doubling down specifically because neither of them agreed with you?

That was how I fell into the swap au trap, with something I'm calling 'A Shift in Perspective' (or 'SiP AU' for short), where the swaps are all decided by whether or not I can find a good argument to why you should get a different voice in the game's routes. Here's the conclusions I reached:

Nightmare – Contrarian: like I already said in the example above, neither princess nor Narrator liked your idea and so you decided to double down on it to the detriment of everyone involved. Princess still feels abandoned by you, but she's also angry to how flippantly you taking this ("You think this is game? OK, then, why don't we play.").

I want to lean more into Nightmare's playfulness here, with some jigsaw and carnival themes. The way to the basement is a jolly ride that take you down to her lair with cheery-creepy music as you pass through exaggerated smiling and crying faces. Contrarian is still trying to make light of the situation, though there's a noticeable undercurrent of fear in his tone. Nightmare doesn't shut down your organs here.

Spectre – Opportunist: You did the job exactly as asked specifically to get that reward, but it turned out it was a bust, so you kill yourself and come back to the cabin in hopes the princess has a better option for you. In this read of the route, you take more of a 'hitman' role, being more focused on what you can get out of this situation as opposed to the act of killing the princess. Spectre doesn't change much, though her cabin has a more sterile feeling to it as opposed to old and abandoned. She won't be happy to learn you killed her just to get a reward, but is willing to hear you out. Now you just gotta negotiate your way out of this situation and make sure not to accidentally get yourself killed by saying the wrong thing!! (don't have many clear visuals for this one, more just a Vibe)

Prisoner – Cold: You completely ignored all of Narrator's warnings and advice. It didn't sound right to you, anyway, so you went straight for the princess, and it immediately became clear who you were more willing to hear out. When she kills you, you accept it without complaint; it's only fair, there was no other way for her to defend herself. If Cold is a steel-weapon in the canon game, here, he is a shield; willing to take on any hit if it means getting his way, and making sure the princess stays alive. In the basement (a stone cold prison with clear, (and very breakable), chains around the princess' wrists and neck). Prisoner smiles when you appear, like she's in on a joke, but doesn't say much. Cold still won't urge you in any particular direction; suggesting you can explore, examine the place, talk to the princess all you want– but in the end, you still have to make a choice. And it's a easy, no?

Wanna lean into the fact Cold is prolly the closest voice to Quiet's true nature here, and the fact that despite lookin' the most human, Prisoner is still the one you can get free by simply letting change happen around her; neither of you may know why, but you two intrinsically trust each other

Damsel – Stubborn: You very insistently didn't get the knife, didn't abide by Narrator's advice to not talk to the princess, resisted when he tried to force your hand, and made sure she would be the one to kill you. (Imagine Narrator saying, "A stubborn bastard, aren't you?" right before you die). There's no doubt now. Narrator is a villain who, for some reason, wants to make sure the princess dies. You won't let that happen.

This is the one where we focus more on the 'distress' part of Damsel in Distress. There'll be lots of traps and trials trying to attack her once you save the princess from the chains, and it's your job to make sure she gets out of there unscathed. Something of a scourt mission. Stubborn's fighting instincts here are directed to the threats around the princess instead of her; much like Cold, he's more of a shield than a weapon in this version.

Beast – Broken: You got absolutely wrecked by the princess like you were no more than a mouse against a lion. What hope can you have to survive in this situation? It's simply nature; you should just lay down and let it take its course. The basement here is much more open, and with an arid feel to it; more of a savana than a jungle. The princess lies in plain view, a mighty Beast that you cannot hope to face against. You have to fight against your own Broken spirit as well as this apex predator to hope you can have any chance of survival.

Witch – Paranoid: The moment you saw the princess chew her own arm, you knew you made the wrong choice. She's clearly not someone that should be trusted, attacking was the only option you had!! The Princess attacks back in surprise, immediately hardening her stance once she realizes what you did. The two of you die, and the way she clawed and bit at you only cements in your head that she's a tricky monster who cannot be trusted.

There is more than one entrance to the basement this time, and no matter which one you take, you'll end up in a labyrinth of roots and vines full of tricks and traps the princess laid out for you. You never see her clearly, but her cackling laughter follows you all the way. Paranoid will warn you of any trap before you can fall for them, and listening to her is the best way to avoid getting caught; though some of the things she perceives as a trap might not actually be there– the roots almost seem to move imperceptibly, and you're sure there eyes following you. Are they really there, or are they imagined? You'll find Witch right at the center of the maze, where you can either fight her or try to talk things out. Though none of these choices will really help you escape. You're already trapped.

Wanna lean into the cyclical feel of both Witch and Nightmare here, with your distrust/fear is what keeps cementing this cycle of violence you're both stuck on.

Tower – Smitten: (women that can kill you by stepping on your throat are kinda ho– [gets shot]) Right before you die, you see the situation for what it is. You never should've wielded that knife against her, she's a light that can't be snuffed out, don't you see? With that understanding is that you die. There are bells echoing in the distance when you enter the cabin, a beautiful place with ornamented windows and mobilia; really leaning into that church symbolism here. Tower is sitting as she waits for you with a soft smile on her face. Her voice is honey, and what she offers you is benevelonce and a place at her side, all you have to do is pledge yourself to her.

Instead of an imposing and impossible figure, Tower is more of the 'benevelont god' figure here. Still very much wants you to be under her control, but won't rush or press that offer upon you (she knows you'll accept it one way or the other anyway). Smitten is the only one forcing control of your body here, wanting to rush to her and kneel at her feet; you can fight him, or you can let him steal all the choices from you.

Adversary – Hunted: You tried to go for a killing blow, but you gave her too much time to prepare herself and now you're also at the receiving ending of her blows. Well, kill or be killed; you're both just animals trying to survive. The cave you find yourself in once inside the cabin has more of a humid air to it, and at the bottom, you find the Princess; Adversary has more of a scaled lizard aesthetic to her, and is eager to fight for her life again with you.

Hunted isn't as excited about fighting as Stubborn is in canon, but is very much willing to prove you can overcome this obstacle. Doesn't matter how many tries it takes.

Stranger – Cheated: "What the fuck do you mean the universe itself will warp into itself to keep you from leaving?!? That's absolutely bullshit!!"

That's all the argument I have for this one. Stranger themselves doesn't change much, the main difference is Cheated's reaction and how he goes about treating a world where you're choices doesn't seem to matter anyway.

Razor – Skeptic: There must be a reason you couldn't kill her before, and if you find the answer, you can make sure you kill her for good. You see this mission as a puzzlebox that needs to be solved if you want to slay the princess. The cabin is basically a escape room from the moment you step in, and will not let you progress unless you solve it. Each wrong answer slices you in half and gets you a new voice. New perspectives to see this rubix cube from!!

At this point, you overcomplicated this whole thing so much, it's all just a tangle of webs and knots with no rhyme or reason, with you and the princess (who's at this point, just a mess of wires and steel) stuck right in the middle. The only way to escape is shutting down all your thoughts and cutting through the knots with her.

+ some doodles I did for this concept

[protagaster]

Hello, all! My hyper-fixation and maladaptive daydreaming scenarios are currently centering around the fantastic EPIC! the Musical, created by the amazing Jorge Rivera-Herrans!

However, because I have a female main character bias, I tend to imagine the songs as if they were sung by my current best girl: Penelope.

Thankfully, two artists went ahead and drew this into reality: @vioofc and @too-much-flynnolium. Inspired by their works of perfection, I have gone and wrote the first of many vignettes based around this Warrior Penelope AU!

There is also a version on Ao3, if you prefer that platform over Tumblr!

EDIT (10/7):

Hello all! I'm in the process of heavily editing this AU in order to have it:

A) Make more sense

B) Fit the timeline better

You'll notice some changes here and there in the story! Some of the content was cut, but don't worry! I'm gonna add it into a fic of its own in the future, so look out for that! ;)

(Credit to @w3ndytheraccoon for an excellent idea of theirs I included in this AU! You'll see it towards the end!)

A King with no Queen (EPIC! Swap AU)

Odysseus is trying to cope with many things. 

His failure forced his beloved Penelope to fight the Trojan war in his stead, leaving behind all she ever knew and what she thought herself to be. In turn, the King was left to run his kingdom and raise their daughter all by himself. 

This is how things have been for the past 12 years. And now, to make things even harder, the first of his suitors have made themselves at home in his palace…

~

Odysseus is a rare kind of man. 

In fact, it was not uncommon for the King of Ithaca to be compared to a single drachma coin. There seemed to be two completely opposing sides driving him:

On one end, Odysseus was the alluring, cunning, quick-witted man that achieved many impressive feats throughout his life. 

He was deemed ready and crowned King of Ithaca at the young age of 13, despite his father being very much alive. He passed her challenge and was gifted the guidance of the Goddess of Wisdom herself, something he very much boasted to all who would listen.

He even fell in love with a Princess of Sparta!

And, despite the warnings of those closest to him, she too fell in love and accepted his hand, regardless of how small and lacking his humble Ithaca was compared to the grandiose and luxurious Spartan kingdom. 

Yes, despite being relatively smaller and having considerably less strength when compared to his fellow Greek man, Odysseus was a warrior with an arguably more valuable and sought after prowess: a warrior of the mind. 

So why, even with these innate talents and gifts of intellect, was it not enough to keep him from harm during that first year of war? 

Why was it not enough to keep her, the only person whose life he desired more than his own, to have to pay for his hubris? 

That was where the other side of Odysseus’ drachma came into view, a side of despair. A side of longing. A side that waited… 

~

“Your Majesty…”

Eurylochus waited for a moment, staring at the king from the double-doors of his bedchamber balcony. 

… 

Nothing. 

“Odysseus…” Eurylochus tried again, if not for a response then hoping for at least some form of acknowledgment.

… 

Still nothing. 

Eurylochus was unsure of what to do. 

It was far too early for his liking; the sun was still in the oceans’ embrace, the sky a dark indigo with only a few streams of orange light penetrating its serenity. 

The day was only just beginning. Any other morning Eurylochus would most likely still be asleep, albeit prepared to wake once the early light illuminated his dark and lonely bedroom. 

However, this day was not like any other. 

And so, with great reluctance for more than one reason, Eurylochus woke early to fetch his king. One of his best friends. His brother. 

And this made him nervous. 

Not to wake the other, mind, as Odysseus always woke within the first instances of Helios’ light. 

No, Eurylochus was nervous because of what the day represented. 

And so, in an act that could have been either futile avoidance, petty rebellion, or a sad mix of both, Eurylochus allowed his brother to have this one moment of disassociation. 

Meanwhile, on the other end of the balcony, Odysseus continued to sit peacefully in his kline. He had chosen not to respond to the call of his name, despite knowing the urgency behind Eurylochus’ visit. 

Instead, Odysseus chose to stay true to his personal morning ritual: sitting in silence with morning’s first light.

He had honored this custom for more than a decade; he did not want today to be the one time he disturbed his routine, nor did he want to leave the comfort the balcony’s kline brought him. 

Every morning he sat in silence, waiting. Every morning he sat in his designated seat, the left side of the kline, soothed by what it represented. 

After all, it was Penelope’s very first contribution when brought to her new home. 

Odysseus remembered when the young couple had picked out the kline upon their first week of engagement, with Penelope first to declare that the right side belonged to her. Odysseus remembered laughing, saying that it made sense "considering she is always right". 

The kline was placed on the left side, on the farthest corner of their bedroom balcony. In this place the loveseat had a perfect view, with Ithaca’s beaches on one side and the villages of the common folk on the other. Penelope always loved this spot, for if she wanted she could see the sky kiss the ocean and embrace the beaches from above, or the hustle and bustle of her people, satisfied and content with their lives, down below. 

At first Odysseus did not understand why Penelope would subject herself to wake so early in the morning simply to gaze upon the rising sun. Now, only after she had been forcefully sent away, did he understand how something as simple as the day’s first light could bring an instance of happiness to an otherwise age of despair. 

And thus led to his daily ritual, one he has promised never interrupted no matter what.  

Every sunrise for the past 12 years, starting from the moment he woke, the King of Ithaca would spend a few minutes staring at the various views outside his bedroom balcony; it was never too long, but the minutes always lingered with a heavy sense of despair and longing.

...

How long has it been, Odysseus couldn’t help but wonder, since he last saw his wife lounging in their kline. When was the last time she beckoned him to join her with a wave of her delicate hand, appreciating the open air whilst the kingdom was in a state of silent calm and peace. 

Too long, Odysseus concluded to himself. 

“Ody…” 

Odysseus flinched, knowing the other only called him by that name when all other options failed. 

Finally turning to acknowledge his visitor, Odysseus saw Eurylochus leaning against the door frame. His best friend, his brother, was watching him with a sad look in his eyes. 

“It’s been 3 years,” Eurylochus' voice was sad, betraying the attempt of stoicism in his eyes. “They aren’t coming back-”

“You don’t know that.” Odysseus yelled out sternly. Unfortunately, he immediately regretted it when he saw Eurylochus let out a heavy sigh with his shoulders slumping in unison.  

“Eury… I-I’m sorry-” 

“It’s okay, Ody,” Eurylochus said with a smile that was not at all genuine. “I know.” 

Odysseus wanted to kick himself. After all, he and Eurylochus were stuck in the same horrible situation. 

Both men waited, longing for someone that was no longer by their side. Both men woke alone inside their isolated, dark, empty bedchambers, at one point naively unaware of how large a bed could be until that fateful day 12 years ago. 

Both men waited, longing for the return of their wives: Queen Penelope of Ithaca and her best friend and second in command, Princess Ctimene.  

It had been 13 years since the Trojan war officially began, a petty debate between the Gods leading to Helen’s abduction. Menelaus and Agamemnon drafted Helen’s suitors to help in her rescue, using Odysseus’ proposed oath to defend her husband against those who would dare to challenge him. 

Odysseus had tried to avoid this draft through various means, but each attempt ended unsuccessfully. He was required to fight in this war, forced to take with him only the best of his Ithacan warriors. He remembered his tearful goodbyes to Penelope and Telemachas, filled to the brim with sorrow at having to leave his beautiful wife and newly-born daughter. 

From then on, since he first set foot on Trojan soil and every subsequent battle thereafter, Odysseus would pray to the Gods to find a way to end his term in the war. Anything to return back to Ithaca as quickly as possible. 

The Gods were quick to grant his wish. 

That first year of war no one could have expected things to turn out as they did. 

The men had secretly infiltrated the Palace of Troy using various spies, successfully sneaking Helen out and tucking her aboard the first ship back to Greece. Unfortunately, the Trojans were quick to discover her disappearance. 

The Trojans took their revenge the next night. The Greek army, beyond ecstatic that their primary goal had been achieved, went to sleep that night with their bellies filled with meat and cups poured with more wine than water. 

None of them noticed the dead quiet of the nature surrounding them. 

The Trojans, with their own spies implanted in the Greek army, had found their hidden camps. Before the men of Greece realized it, they were too late. They were struck without mercy, the etiquettes of war no longer a priority.  

The Greeks, despite their night of festivities, put up one hell of a fight. The battle took hours, lasting from the darkness of night up until the early crack of dawn. 

The Trojans quickly retreated once early light hit. However, the damage was done.

In the struggle Menelaus and his closest brothers-in-arms were taken prisoner, held as a form of ransom. Odysseus was the only one in Menelaus' circle to avoid this capture, for Eurylochus and the rest of his Ithacan crew refused to allow the Trojans the glory of kidnapping their king whilst under their watch.

Though there were few deaths, the Greek men were maimed and damaged beyond repair. 

The lucky ones had escaped the confrontation with more scars and wounds littering their bodies, though they were the ones likely to return to combat after a short time of recovery. The unlucky ones, the majority of the men, had been struck deep in the flesh. Their injuries sustained left no meager scars or wounds, but permanent physical hindrances to their limbs and muscles. 

Odysseus was speared in his left shoulder. Though the gash had closed and relatively faded 12 years later, he could no longer maneuver his arm as easily as before. Without his weekly massages and leather brace, which he wore only when surrounded by those he trusted, he couldn’t even wield his bow as effortlessly as he once did. 

Eurylochus was sliced in his left eye, leaving him permanently blind from that view. He had also been struck in his leg, though it was not as severe as his previous injury and had already come to a full recovery.

Regardless, the state of the current Greek army was too grave to ignore. 

A few handfuls of the men, those deemed fit and well enough to continue combat, were left behind to hold down the front lines. The rest, consisting of practically their entire army, were sent back home to recover and sustain what little dignity they still had. 

Though he had been permanently damaged, Odysseus couldn’t help but see a small silver lining. Even if it wasn’t how he expected, the Gods had granted his wish. Now, he was able to stay by Penelope’s side and raise their daughter together. 

If only he had known then what he knew now. 

Even though the men could no longer partake in battle, Greece still needed an army. And of course, for the sake of their own petty interests, this is when the Gods intervened. 

Almost immediately after he had returned home, the God of War himself stood before them with his signature spear in hand. However, he was not there to speak with the King. 

He was there to make a demand of the Queen. 

Ares ordered his student, Penelope, and her unofficial sisters-in-arms, women trained in combat with the blessings of the God of War and Goddess of the Hunt, to fight in the war against Troy on his behalf. All of this was to “make up” with Hera, after first siding with the Trojans on Aphrodite’s request. 

Odysseus remembered how he pleaded, begging to return to the battlefield in his wife’s place. Pride and flesh be damned! 

Odysseus knew what Penelope’s life would look like in Troy, having experienced it himself for the past year. Even if she had sufficient knowledge in the art of combat, trained by her life as a Spartan and student of Ares, she was still a traditional woman who enjoyed traditional womanly activities. Fighting and killing in the name of the Gods as a woman had never been heard of before that point! 

And then there was Telemachas, their beautiful baby girl who was only a single year old. What would her life look like, growing up without her mother to guide her through the trials of womanhood? 

Unfortunately no amount of begging and pleading, nor the King’s friendship with Athena, could spare his wife of her mentor’s decree; neither could it spare the many other women trained in the art of defense. 

Within the next two month a portion of Ithaca’s women, those of age and combat experience, boarded the ships to war. 

The next 12 years consisted of a mixed flurry of emotions. 

Of those 12 years it took 9 before the war came to an end. Helen, once nothing more than a damsel in distress, proved her strength to everyone with her contribution to the war. After rescuing Menelaus and the other captive men, the royalty of Troy were killed off to the last drop of blood. Rumors circulated within the Greek world that Penelope had a great hand to play in their victory, but the specificities were never clarified. 

Eurylochus, along with the people of Ithaca, recalled the look of pure joy in their King’s eyes when the messenger gave them the news. Many thought their King’s happiness was due to his wife’s battle prowess being praised by all who could speak, but those closest to Odysseus knew the truth.

Odysseus was ecstatic that his wife was finally coming home. 

Penelope would once again be inside his arms! Her warmth, her voice, her scent, they all would no longer be reduced to a distant memory. The people of Ithaca would once again have their Queen, and Telemachas could finally meet and learn from the mother she had heard so many wonderful stories about. 

That’s how things should have been by now. And yet, 3 years after the war’s end, the wives and daughters of Ithaca had still not returned. 

Many held out hope in the beginning, thinking that the womens’ delay was only a momentary setback. They believed it would not be much longer, that the women would return any day now. 

However, days turned into months. And those months quickly became years. 

With their hope dying alongside their wives and now presumed to now be widowers, the husbands and fathers of Ithaca reacted in very different ways. Many remarried, desperate to once again have their homes filled with the comfort of a wife and care of a mother. The rest could not bear the thought of remarriage, taking up vows of celibacy in honor of their fallen wives and praying to the Gods that their love alone would be good enough for their children. 

The one thing they all had in common: they had lost hope of their wives ever returning to Ithaca. 

This was where Odysseus differed from them all. 

His people, Eurylochus, and now even Polites had tried telling him how likely it was that Penelope perished at sea. They reminded him that as the King of Ithaca it was his duty to find a new Queen. The kingdom needed a female role model alongside the male, to help him rule and lead their kingdom to prosperity. This was the standard procedure for royalty in Greece.

But Odysseus was never one to follow the standard procedure. 

“Some of our… visitors… are making themselves at home in the throne room.” Eurylochus finally broke the silence once again, reminding Odysseus of the very thing he was trying to disassociate from. “They’re asking when you’ll go to see them.” 

Odysseus couldn’t mask his frustration. 

3 years. That’s all those selfish dogs had given him to “mourn” for the love of his life, for the mother Telemachas never had the chance to know. 

And now that the 3 years were up, they expected him to move on just like that. 

“Already?” Odysseus commented as he rose from his left seat, almost feeling impressed with the desperation of his so-called guests. “Helios hasn’t even finished placing the sun in its morning spot.”

“C’mon, you and I know human nature better than anyone.” Eurylochus scoffed, having to turn his head to get a proper view of the palace yards beginning to pack with various women and their guards. “Who would ever resist the chance to obtain more power?” 

Odysseus let out a scoff of his own as he walked back inside his bedchamber, practically identical to Eurylochus’. Though his expression was quick to change into one of concern. 

“What of Telemachas!? Is she-” 

“She’s still sleeping. I went to check on her before coming to get you.” Eurylochus answered calmly to Odysseus’ growing anxiety. “I knew you’d ask, so I figured I’d get it out of the way.”

Odysseus let out a sigh of relief. Eurylochus was one of the very few people he trusted with the keys to his palace, which meant he was one of the only few with the ability to open the doors of the royal bedchambers. 

If Telemachas was still asleep, then that meant she would be spared of the wrath and judgments of the “guests” below. For now. 

He would have to check in on her later, for both their sakes. 

Meanwhile, for the sake of maintaining peace, Odysseus had a duty to greet his guests and show them hospitality. Even if he didn't want to. 

And he really, really didn't want to. 

~

Odysseus, now wearing his royal chiton and elegant gold crown, walked down the halls of his palace with his head held high. Eurylochus walked by his side, hand strategically placed near the handle of his broadsword, ready to protect his King from strangers with ill intent. 

It did not take long to make their way to the palace throne room. Given how small Ithaca was as a kingdom, it made sense for the royal palace to look smaller in comparison to neighboring palaces. 

However, even with the relatively small structure, both men shouldn’t have been able to hear commotion within the throne room from 4 halls ahead. This was an immediate indication to Odysseus of how many women were already vying for his kingdom. 

Once the two men stood close enough to the throne room’s closed doors they were able to hear the muffled voices from before much more clearly. 

“What’s the hold up!?”

“We’ve been waiting for hours!” 

“Why can’t we find the King ourselves?!” 

They all sounded feminine. And very annoyed. 

“Ladies, please!” A man's voice, Polites’, called out from the other side of the doors. “The King will arrive in just a moment! So, in the meantime, why don’t we all conduct ourselves in a polite, orderly fashion?” 

A chorus of exasperated groans; if there were any words spoken then they were undecipherable due to the sheer loudness of the crowd. 

Odysseus saw Eurylochus toss him a look, one that had “I told you so” written all over it. 

Nevertheless Odysseus let out a deep breath, praying to the Gods above that he looked much more confident than he felt. With a nod to the other, Eurylochus made his way to the double doors of the throne room. 

He threw the doors open, attracting the attention of every guest within the throne room. Welcome or otherwise.

Eurylochus’ booming voice could be heard from every corner of the large room:

“Presenting His Majesty, Odysseus, King of Ithaca!” 

Everyone within the throne room, friend, suitor, or guard, either kneeled or bowed at the sight of the luminous King of Ithaca. 

Odysseus paid them no mind. He opted to stare straight ahead, looking at nothing in particular. He sat on the left throne, despite royal customs declaring he sit on the right. The right seat belonged to Penelope and Penelope only. 

He would make sure every suitor in his palace remembered this. 

Meanwhile on the opposite side of the room, while Odysseus prepared to address the crowd, Polites was slowly inching his way to Eurylochus’ side. Eurylochus did not notice the younger approaching him, only realizing when Polites had placed a hand on his shoulder. 

Polites gestured to the third member of their friend group, mouthing a silent “Is he okay?”. 

Eurylochus blanked, unsure of how he should answer, before opting to shrug his shoulders; Not necessarily disagreeing but not entirely agreeing either. 

Polites understood. Odysseus was somehow both managing and not. 

Polites couldn’t help but grow somber. He could sympathize, but never fully understand. He will never fully understand the pain his best friends shared when it came to the misfortune caused to them by the Trojan war. 

Polites was one of the lucky few spared of permanent injury on that fateful battle 13 years ago. Any wounds and scars he attained had long since faded, their only proof of existence reduced to mere memory. Meanwhile, Odysseus and Eurylochus had sustained injuries that would affect them for the rest of their lives. 

Odysseus and Eurylochus were also victims to the whims of the Gods, for the divine ordered their wives to war in their stead. How must it feel, to know the love of your life was forced to act as your replacement simply because you allowed yourself to be moved by premature pride? 

Even though it was painful to Eurylochus, Polities knew it was pure agony to Odysseus. He had lost both his younger sister and wife due to a rash victory party… 

Odysseus suddenly shot his best friends a look, silently indicating to them that he was ready for his speech. 

Polites and Euylochus stood straight and gave him their undivided attention. They were ready to lend him their support, regardless of the difficult decision he made. 

“Greetings, my friends.”  

Odysseus took mental note of the amount of women littering his throne room. 32 in total, so far.

“I am delighted to see so many new, cordial faces in our humble kingdom on this day,” 

The suitors weren’t stupid. They all knew Odysseus did not mean a word of what he was saying. He was just spouting flowery nonsense for the sake of appearances. 

However, it mattered not what he felt. All that mattered was his submission to the expectations of Greek royalty.  

That included his remarriage. 

“Now, let’s not beat around the bush.” Odysseus gave everyone an easy, nonchalant smile. “You all want to know who I will take as my new Queen.” 

That threw everyone for a loop. 

Those who knew Odysseus, his guards, servants, and slaves, were surprised at how readily he addressed the issue he tried so desperately to avoid. 

The suitors, along with their guards, were also shocked that he was willing to address the issue without hesitation. Were the rumors about him and his loyalty to his wife all false? 

Polites and Eurylochus, who had known Odysseus for practically their entire lives, couldn’t help but feel a semblance of worry with his words. Odysseus was not one to just give up so easily, especially in matters concerning his heart. 

Just what was he planning? 

Odysseus, for his part, did not betray a single one of his thoughts with that easy smile of his. He stood still, waiting for the commotion to cease, before once again speaking to the crowd. 

Polites and Eurylochus, along with one mysterious suitor, were the only ones to notice the mischievous glint in the King’s eyes. 

“However, in respect of honoring the deceased, I regret to inform you all that I can no longer discuss the matter anytime soon.” 

“WHAT!?” 

A chorus of angry voices were quick to make themselves known at the end of his declaration. Two or four voices quickly became 31, each one demanding to know why he couldn’t choose a new wife right then and there. 

Again only one of them was silent, leaning against the side of the wall with her arms crossed. She watched the King with an intense stare. 

Odysseus raised a single hand, prompting the angry voices to silence themselves. 

“As I was saying…” The King’s smile dropped, replaced with an expression of stoicism. “I plan to honor and respect my wife in death as I did in life. And so, in her memory, I will carve a wooden statue in the form of the late Queen. This will be done carefully and with precision, achieved by my hands and my hands only.” 

Another chorus of annoyed and angered groans sounded from the women. They all knew it was bound to take a long time before the statue was even close to completed. 

Eurylochus and Polities were a mixed bag of reactions, one impressed with the cunning of his friend and the other filled to the brim with worry. They both knew Odysseus was talented in the art of carving; As a symbol of his long-standing love to Penelope, he had made her a bridal bed from the inside of a long-lasting tree. However, that was before his injury to his arm. How long would it take, to carve out a wooden statue that could rightfully honor the beauty and grace of Penelope of Ithaca, all with a bad shoulder, a kingdom to run, and a child to raise? 

It was the perfect plan. 

Odysseus had been scheming ever since he heard talk of his “inevitable” remarriage. The king knew he had to delay choosing a new wife, if not for his fidelity and loyalty to Penelope then for the sake of his daughter. 

Who knows what would happen to her if he remarries, for what Queen would allow the daughter of her predecessor to take the throne? 

No, he needed to be smart and tactical about this. He needed to use the gifts of quick-thinking and feeling calm under pressure bestowed to him by Athena. Telemachas was already 13, well on her way to 14. All he had to do was keep his suitors at bay for a few more years, until the Princess was deemed ready to be Queen. Then Telemachas would be allowed to ascend to the throne without any complaints from his adversaries. 

This statue was the perfect excuse. He will spend as much time as he needed carving it, forever if he had to. 

He could do this. He will find a way. For himself. For Telemachas. For Penelope. 

~

Odysseus was so caught up in his thoughts he didn’t notice how one of his suitors was looking at him. She stared at him quietly, intensely, glaring at him from the moment he walked into the throne room. 

She couldn’t look away from his body. His tanned, toned, delicious body. She noticed the way Odysseus’ chiton stuck to his waist, showing off his firm, fit figure. 

When he lifted his hand to silence the crowd, the fabric of his clothing was forced to rise up; his naked body, only briefly displayed, was shown to anyone standing at a certain angle. She was the one lucky enough to stand at this angle. 

She could see his torso from where she stood. She saw his v-line fade into his abdomen, some single stray beads of sweat drip down in that path. She saw a set of prominent abs, mild but still very much there, that shuddered with each breath he took. And finally, before he lowered his arm and his torso was covered once more, she was able to see his pectorals in full view. They were flat, but still round; oh, what must it feel like to take a bite of that flesh, to watch as the man underneath was fully marked and claimed?

There was no doubt about it. He was beautiful. He was perfect. 

He was hers. 

Based on what he just declared, accompanied by rumors circulating the palace, it appeared that he planned to make his remarriage a difficult process for his suitors. 

That was fine.

She can be patient. 

No matter how long it took she’d find a way to force him to accept her, even if she had to hold him down and take him by force.

After all, she was blessed by Zeus himself. Though not his child, and by definition having no divine blood, one would be forgiven for assuming differently based on her ability to look forever young despite her age. The King of Gods gave her this gift, saying he knew her to be a kindred spirit. 

The point was anything and everything she ever wanted would belong to her.  

Ithaca. 

The Right Throne. 

Odysseus.

No matter what it took, no matter what she had to do, one day all of it will bear her name. 

Calypso.

[quitealotofsodapop]

I’m loving your courtnapping posts and lore. Question tho, who is Sai Tai Sui and what’s his story in JTTW and your aus? Trying to remember if you already made a post but just can’t find it.

tw in advance for discussion of SA.

Sai Tai Sui aka "Jupiter's Rival" is the villain of the Scarlet-Purple Kingdom Arc.

Roughly; Chapters 68-71 in the unabridged version of Journey to the West. Just before the Spider Demons arc.

Sai Tai Sui fell in lust with the King's wife "Lady of the Golden-Sage Palace", and kidnapped her while her and the king were enjoying the Dragon Boat Festival. The King the fell terribly ill/almost comatose from grief for the next three years.

Luckily, Dr Sun Wukong answered the call for an experienced doctor to cure the king! Well more specifically he tricked Zhu Bajie into answering it to punish him for falling asleep when he was supposed to be grocery shopping. Wukong then offers to take the heat off Bajie and treat the King instead.

Wukong spends literally the next whole chapter nerding out about traditional Chinese medical procedures and treatments.

Wukong accurately identifies that the King's illness was from emotional distress... and constipation. He goofs on the palace retainers a bit to hide what his medicine actually is (both out cunning and cus they were keeping Tripitaka hostage as collateral in case the monkey accidentally killed the king through medical malpractice).

The medicine gives the King a colon clean-out big enough to snap him out of his depression, and get him able to recount what happened the night his wife got courtnapped.

The only reason Sai Tai Sui hadn't forced himself upon the stolen Queen by that point was because a Daoist Immortal named Zhang Ziyang saw her being kidnapped, and sneaked her a garment that would make any physical contact upon her extremely painful.

So what does the celestial horn-dog do now that he can't SA his target of affection?

Over the next three years Sai Tai Sui extorts the kingdom to give him women and girls under the guise of providing servants for the Queen. The text sort of tip-toes what he actually does to the women he steals; but one of his demon lackeys mutters that the stolen women are "substitutes" for the Queen. And that the women are "driven to death" by the abuse they suffer.

Bruh.

Cut to Wukong sneaking in disguised as a minion to offer a rescue to the Queen. But the Queen warns him that Sai Tai Sui possesses weaponized bells called Purple-Gold Bells; that with a single shake they can release poison, fire, and sand able to harm even Wukong of all people.

We know she ain't lying cus when Wukong tries to swap out the bell with fakes the first time - he accidentally activates them, hurting him and alerting Sai Tai Sui to his presence.

Wukong is forced to disguise himself as one of the unfortunate servant girls as part of Rescue Plan B. Curiously, the servants/slaves in the fiend's compound include fox and deer demons, making it likely that Sai Tai Sui's crimes extend beyond what he's done to humans.

Wukong forms a plan with the Queen to seduce Sai Tai Sui into dropping his guard so Wukong can steal the real bells. Wukong even blasts off a bunch of tiny hair clones to act as fleas and lice to force Sai Tai Sui to take a bath.

Sai Tai Sui gives the disguised Wukong ("Spring Grace/Beauty) the real bells to clean (note: he be creeping on him too). But the horndog is so embarrassed by the sudden infestation of lice that he's not in the mood for pushing his luck with the Queen and instead goes to "retire with a palace maiden".

Note: In some adaptations (like the 1999/2000s cartoon) Wukong disguises himself as the Queen/the unfortunate palace maiden and does the seducing himself, albeit while wearing the same "don't fcking touch me"-dress as a precaution.

Wukong then goes outside to call Sai Tai Sui for a one-on-one fight.

When the fiend's fails to activate the fake bells' powers, Wukong pulls out the real ones, and jokes "Well clearly your male bells fail to preform in front of my female ones." (it's a erectile dysfunction joke)

Guanyin shows up, subdues Sai Tai Sui with the real Purple-Gold Bells (like a dog collar), and explains the Lore of what went down.

Lore:

Turns out that when the King of Scaret-Purple Kingdom was a young man, he shot and killed two peachicks while hunting. The peachick's mom? Oh you know, Mahāmāyūrī. The same primordial peacock-phoenix who's the Buddha's mom?

So yeah, Mahāmāyūrī (Peng's sister btw) cursed the then-Prince to be separated from his true love, as he'd separated her from her children. Guanyin was witness to this sentence, as was her current steed; The Golden Haired Hou. The unicorn-wolf decided "why the heck not?" and steal the future king's love for himself - breaking through his chain leash when the watch-disciple in charge was asleep.

Golden Haired Hou = Sai Tai Sui.

In other words he's another Celestial animal giving demons a bad name.

End of Lore.

Wukong: "I'm gonna kill this guy." Guanyin: "No. No killing." Wukong: "Seriously!?" Guanyin: "Killing him would be merciful. I'm going to strap his own weapon to his body and trap him in the South Sea so that he can't walk the mortal plane ever again. If he ever defies this sentence, then you can kill him" Wukong: "Ok! That punishment is more like it!"

Sai Tai Sui is a curious case in that; unlikely many threats faced by the PIlgrims, he did not try to hide his actions behind "Well you got 80-something trials to face, and I was available" rather he was a genuinely evil creature who exploited Mahāmāyūrī's sentence to chase his dark desires. And unlike the earlier Kui Mulang - who courtnapped out of genuine, misguided love for a woman who did not remember her past life with him - Sai Tai Sui was motivated by sexual sadism.

Also though Guanyin doesn't want their steed killed, they do not forgive Sai Tai Sui - instead condemning him to an eternal imprisonment in the South Seas, unable to leave less he invokes a bounty on his head from all the Buddhist and Taoist pantheon.

You know it bad when the embodiment of Mercy and Forgiveness is like;

It's really dark story arc in that it deals with some nasty stuff done to women. Stuff that Wukong himself is in danger of since Sai Tai Sui has powers exceeding his, and has no qualms SA-ing his servants/captives.

You can imagine why Sai Tai Sui isn't explored in adaptations much. Amongst all the murder, monk-eating, and treasons; this guy takes it a step farther.

Also rare occurrence; Tripitaka didn't get kidnapped this time. Though considering what Sai Tai Sui does to his captives that's probably for the best.

I'm using the Yu and Jenner translations of Jttw as reference, with help from this cool Chapter-by-Chapter Summary of Jttw to break down the info.

[love-toxin]

ELLIE!! SO happy that totk finally released bc there's a chance you might hyperfixate and give me the yandere link content that sustains my life force. oh and uh, cuz we waited so long for this game too, of course!

prrrrr i really do love yan Link! so many potential avenues! i was replaying totk recently (bc i was so excited for it i literally blazed thru the whole gam 8 days after release LOL) and some gems really cropped up:

1. Link makes you a little dream house in Tarrey Town to keep you safe and to take advantage of your inherent housewifery. He's so feral you don't even think about leaving even when he's gone for long stretches of time, because you know he'll track you down and drag you back home because you're not the hero silly! :) you stay home :) where it's safe :)

2. Yiga clan member reader who is constantly being hunted down and "rehabilitated" by the Hylian hero. Which is incredibly frustrating to you because a.) ur trying to kill him and b.) the other yiga quickly lose respect for you/shun you when they find out you're practically Link's little playtoy. Especially when he goes x2 as feral on the other yiga in battle when you're around cause he's bricked up at the very sight of you, and you end up getting chewed out by Kohga for letting him hit it and just escape afterwards.

3. You work at one of the stables or the little inn at Hateno village and Link falls so hard for you he's downright creepy. He's constantly hanging around and bringing you gifts and stuff you didn't ask for but you can't just tell him to go away cause...he's the hero. So you kinda just have to deal with his awkward stare and the fumbled kisses he steals behind the barn and try not to hurt his feelings because what are you gonna do if the hero of time decides to quit saving Hyrule because he got rejected?

4. You're part of the Gerudo/live in Gerudo town and Link is undeterred in his attempts to woo you, even though he can't step foot in town or he'll get locked up. So he either dresses up in the vai outfit or just lies in wait for you to leave the city for one reason or another, and then ambushes you and follows you around like a weird little stalker until you love him. Bonus if he scares off another suitor or saves you from a Molduga or--my personal favourite--your sand seal gets spooked and takes you far out into the desert and strands you by accident, and you're forced to accept Link's help when he comes to save you. And now, you owe him.

5. Much like Link, you're a fellow adventurer/wanderer/merchant/etc. and bump into him out in the wild. Maybe you share a campfire for a night and swap stories, or you give him directions, or you just wave at him in passing, and now Link is completely obsessed with you. He stalks you through the wild areas of Hyrule and never lets any harm befall you, be it monsters or gloom pits or pools of malice or just general unluckiness, and while you don't realize it's him you slowly feel less and less alone when you're out in the field. You swear you can even feel some kind of warmth when you lay down in your tent to sleep, like someone's curled up right next to you....

6. Link kidnaps you and takes you to Hyrule castle where he forcibly makes you pretend to be a princess. He dresses you up in pretty gowns and kills all the monsters lurking around so you'll always be safe, and he acts like you're his damsel in distress that he's constantly saving even though you're just some farmer girl he picked up off the side of the road and fell in love with. You're the pretty princess, he's your loyal knight, and if he does a really good job at "saving" you, maybe you'll let him stay in your room for the night when he keeps watch...?

[secretsapphicsociety]

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟗 𓏺 𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐬

⟡ ݁₊ syno. after completing a bounty, all argus wants to do is kick back and rest. however, the rest of the crew had other plans in minds.

wc. 800

cw. indications of forced proximity ⋆ crack ⋆ mild criminal activities ⋆ ficlet

an. its was funnier in my head… enjoy my turtleducks ᢉ𐭩

Disco... Every day, all night long. Disco.

It's too upbeat electronic music, gaudy fashion, and blinding lights; it's misery. One Argus has had to deal with every single night since joining the crew. It was all they ever listened to. And look, she gets it; some people have that one thing they really love, and it is the music of their time. It may make them feel at home, but good lord, when is enough, enough.

She ain't one to worry about other folks' business unless commissioned to do so, but it gets to a point.

As she sat in her room, shining away, she thought about how she truly took every turn to get to the high road. But every turn led her right to this point. She asked politely. Mercuria and Pioneer are good people, so they tried keeping it down. But these room walls were only so thick that it seeped through even at a reasonable volume. And why should they have to strain their ears to appease her? They hardly knew each other. And it was just her luck to have the room shelved between them. Even when both sides lowered the volume, it was as if it were playing directly in her room, regardless.

So she's tried staying out late in hopes they'd be fast asleep by the time she got back into the case. But what would they be if not disco junkie night owls; it was like they never slept. It was unbearable—she and this situation grew far too pitiful for comfort. And so, finally, she swallowed her pride and went to the young owner of the suitcase.

Vertin, a kindred soul, offered to swap her rooms for a while so that she could work out rearranging them the best she could to please everyone. And how could Argus let her do that? She was grateful for all the young girl had done for her thus far; burdening her and everyone else with her petty trouble was a no-go. Being new brought enough attention as is. Begrudgingly, she declined. Leaving Vertin with the only solution left, which Argus hadn't yet figured out if it was worse than being driven mad by the noise Mercuria and Pioneer called music.

Rooming with Tuesday...

She'd always heard the phrase 'hell on earth' in her line of work, and she didn't want to experience it. But it sure did seem like the devil wanted her to.

It was an easy fix; Tuesday's room was at the end of the hall; she chose it specifically because she didn't want to be in the situation Argus was in now. She'd only have to room with her for a few nights until a new room was situated. But she couldn't; she just wouldn't. Maybe she'll grow to like disco...

Or so she tried convincing herself. But today had been long; her head and back were killing her, and all she wanted was a silent night's rest. She didn't know what had taken her to this point.

Her migraine? The vodka Lilya swore would put her out in no time? Or the way she knew how Tuesday would act when she saw her. Maybe it was all those factors, but as she defeated drug her aching, cloudy body out of her room and down the hall, the straw fell on the camel's back.

"Keep on, with the force, don't stop! Don't stop 'til you get enough!" Repeatedly, as loud as possible, Pioneer sang obliviously in the shower.

Vertin had been finishing up sorting files at her desk when she felt the intense surge of arcane energy. Before she had time to react, she heard a loud bang piece through the air, followed by screaming, running water, and the drowned-out sound of music before another gunshot rang through.

At the point everyone had left their rooms startled at the mayhem, standing in the hall staggering a bit was a very drunk Argus, huffing triumphantly as the record player had been subdued. She hadn't taken notice of everyone staring shocked at her because all that mattered was it was finally silent. Finally, she lowered her shotgun, and the shimmering emerald light in her eye went out.

She slung the gun over her shoulder and said with a slur, "Close the shades," before stumbling down to Tuesday's room and pushing past the aroused maid. As the door closed, everyone remained stunned in the hole as to what happened.

Lilya turned to Vertin, "Close the shades?" she said, confused, but even Vertin had been too stunned to process an answer.

"If I may, my database traces the term back to the 1970's," Lucy stated. Before she could state what it meant, John Titor suddenly spoke.

"4d65616e696e673f?"

Staring blankly at the girl, she answered, "Shut up."

⟣ how its gonna be when i force argus into every mercuria team. one of many silly shenanigans i imagine will happen in my suitcase.

also fun fact: it actually did mean shut up, it was disco slang supposedly, don’t write stories when you’ve been ip all night kids.

( no pioneers were injured in the making of this short-short )

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

~*~

1. hi guys hope y’all are well

for the next mood for

is it possible to have some more lesbian wangxian? i’ve read everything in the complication and now im a little obsessed

thank you for everything ❤️‍🔥

Beautiful mess, a colourful wreck  by covalentbonds (Not rated, 12k, wangxian, modern, rule 63, fluff & humor, mild smut, childhood friends, first meetings, evil vending machines)

End Racism in the OTW by Deastar (M, 2k, wangxian, F/F, modern, ABO, non-traditional ABO dynamics, alpha LWJ, omega WWX, fluff, rule 63)

Line of sight by deliciousblizzardshark (T, 8k, wangxian, F/F, pre-relationship, always different sex au, plucky heroines, misogyny, enemies to friends, WWX has ADHD)

you can always find me here by ScarlettStorm (E, 15k, wangxian, F/F, post-canon, getting together, genderswap, cisswap, trans woman LWJ, cis woman WWX, first time, vaginal fingering, oral sex)

A Heart in Ribbons by Alliandra (E, 8k, wangxian, F/F, gender or sex swap, canon divergence, war lord LWJ, darkish LWJ, powercouple wangxian, dub con, finger fucking, cunnilingus)

smoke gets in your eyes by Hi_Hello_smile (T, <1k, wangxian, F/F, modern, chef WWX, WIP)

Pocket Too Deep for Play by bigamma (E, 57k, Female WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, Vibrators, Easter Eggs, Sex Toys, Autistic LWJ, Female WWX, Female LWJ, WWX Has ADHD, Lacrosse, Christian Themes, Sports Medicine, YZY’s A+ Parenting, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Christian Holidays, Easter Egg Hunt, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Bible Quotes (Abrahamic Religions), Cunnilingus)

~*~

2. Hello, I am looking for fics about Lan Zhan being an overprotective father to Lan Sizhui, thank you. @majhe2026

❤️ A Civil Combpaign by Ariaste (M, 12k, zhuiling, wangxian, arranged marriage, combs, courting, awkward teenagers, teenage drama, humor, feelings, fluff, Mojo’s post)

Work in Tandem by MimiSpearmint (E, 23k, wangxian, LWJ & LSZ, modern cultivation, single parent LWJ, swordflight instructor WWX, fluff, protective LWJ, getting together, smut)

~*~

3. Hey mods! Are there any fics where LWJ is hurtful towards WWX to protect him (like staying with him is dangerous and so LWJ acts all horrible so that WWX leaves) and then later he has to work to reconcile etc.?

~*~

4. Hello!!

So I'm in the mood for Wei Ying homeless & found fics!! Like Wei Ying has been missing & found years later, or sometime later homeless and brought home. If there is intense trauma even better 🥹 I'm not really sure what to add.

Or even Wei Ying missing & found.

Full of secrets waiting to be revealed!! @spicyramen10969​

(Un)forgettable by Edens_Cat, VividestListi (E, 67k, wangxian, modern, kid fic, misunderstandings, angst w happy ending, teacher WWX, juniors as WWX protection squad, amnesia, protective WQ, protective LSZ, matchmaker LJY, single parent WWX, smut) dont think he's homeless in any of these but wwx has been missing and gets found again in all of them

End Racism on the OTW || Yesterday Once More by Sweetlittlevampire (T, 22k, wangxian, modern, reality show au, Long Lost Family au, adoption, family reunions, lost love, getting back together, family feels, angst w happy ending)

Running Home to Me by songsofthespring (T, 34k, wangxian, Anastasia fusion, royalty au, angst w happy ending, hurt/comfort, temporary amnesia, medical inaccuraties, JYL & LWJ friendship, everyone lives au)

Where You Fell by Sweet_William (E, 303k, wangxian, 3zun, NHS/JC, JYL/JZX, modern, coffee shop au, angst w happy ending, homeless au, pining, getting together, slow burn, implied/referenced child abuse, suicidal thoughts, self-esteem issues, autistic character, WWX has ADHD, panic attacks, hurt/comfort, implied/referenced sex work, implied/referenced substance abuse)

~*~

5. Hello! I'm in a mood to know what everyone is reading right now!

The Fifth Type of Non-Contact Force by Caixx (Not Rated, 83k, WangXian, Modern AU, High School, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Fluff and Humor, Actually Somewhat Canon, Mutual Pining, Horny Teenagers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Non-Graphic Smut) Such a fun question! I'm rereading this fic, it's one of my fave teen wangxian fics

Caffeine, Small Talk by mistergoblin (E, 144k, WangXian, Modern AU, Friends With Benefits, Enemies to Lovers, or more accurately: frenemies to fuckbuddies to lovers, Angst and Fluff and Smut, touch-starved lwj, Slow Burn, high levels of sexual tension, Misunderstandings, Getting to Know Each Other, Switching, Bottom LWJ, bottom WWX, slight D/s, Happy Ending, side yanqing, lwj's patented horny grip, Sub LWJ) I just found this one and I'm hooked

Going on charmingly by scribbet (T, 21k, WangXian, Teenage LWJ, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, WWX is BSSR's Disciple, Genius WWX, Petty LWJ, Meddling LXC, Canon Divergence)

Mew Dao Zu Shi by DizziDreams (T, 28k, WangXian, Tokyo Mew Mew AU, High School, Minor Violence, knowledge of Tokyo Mew Mew not required) been keeping a close eye on this Tokyo Mew Mew AU

~*~

6. for the next iitmf, I was wondering if any of our lovely readers wanted to rec a fic that they recently came across that is new and they think is worth a read ? I took a hiatus from all things fandom and now there are a ton of new fics and I don't know where to start! when I say new, I mean in the last 2-3 months. thanks everyone! I love this blog ! ❤️

The Scarlet Lotus  by rainbowninja167 (M, 137k, WangXian, Marriage of Convenience,  Secret Identity, Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, It Gets Worse Before  It Gets Better, Canon-Typical Violence, canon-typical war crimes,  Yunmeng Bros, the mortifying ordeal of getting seduced by your own  husband, nonlinear chronology we die like cql, just kidding nobody dies  in this fic, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Miscommunication) these two are my face recent fics that I think deserve waayyyy more attention!

Mad about the Boy by TriviasFolly (M, 62k, wangxian, 1950s America au, greaser WWX, historical smoking, historical viewpoints, angst, internal struggle, pre-relationship, historical homophobia, sexual awakenings, sexual exploration, self-discorvery journey, self-love journey, gay academia, teenage dramatics)

here's a few I adored that I recently read! Troubled Heart, Cooking With Love. by serenare (T, 10k, WangXian, Modern: No Powers, Light Angst, POV LWJ, Internal Conflict, Intern WWX, Strangers to Lovers, LWJ Loves Cooking, Cooking, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Anxiety, Ambiguous/Open Ending)

The Housewife's Guide to Causing Chaos by dvasva (T, 99k, WIP, WangXian, Canon-Typical Violence, Functionally Trans Character, Mild Sexual Content, Domestic Fluff, Love Confessions, Transphobia, Grief/Mourning, Body Dysphoria, Fake Marriage, Canonical Character Death, Misunderstandings, Doting LWJ, Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Misgendering, Mild Angst, Assumptions, Comedic Elements, non-sexual nudity, Discussion of Various Bodily Functions, 4 years of mourning instead of 13, POV Multiple, Corporal Punishment, Trans WWX, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, pregnancy mention)

Silenced With A Kiss by NinjaKK (E, 88k, WIP, WangXian, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Flirting, Teen Romance, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Soft WangXian, WWX in WWX's Body, Secret Relationship, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Dates, Inventor WWX, Genius WWX, Canon Divergence, Protective LWJ, Protective WWX, Ripple Effect, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Optional Smut, Supportive LWJ, BAMF WWX, Inappropriate Use of Gūsū Lán Forehead Ribbon, Has an Angry LWJ Kink)

Truth Will Out (when caught on video) - End_OTW_Racism!  by KizuKatana (E, 82k, wangxian, WN & WWX & WQ, graphic   depictions of violence, modern cultivation, canon divergence, YZY abuses  WWX , caught on camera, partial core removal, WWX kicked out of Jiang sect, livestreamer WWX, meet ugly, dual cultivation, smut, no war, WIP) I’ll take any and every opportunity to rec  - currently my absolutely favorite fic

~*~

7. Hello! Once again thank you for everything you do. 

For the next in the mood for i'd like to request everybodies favourite getting together fics from Lwj's perspective. I just need more of him pining for Wwx. (But if you have other good Lwj POV fics i'd love if you could recommend them too)

Thank you in advance!!

like blue flame over my fingertips by tangerinechar (T, 37k, wangxian, modern, college/university au, pining, 5+1 things, food as a metaphor for love)

Window Shopping by thunderwear (E, 18k, WangXian, quarantine fic, Single Dad WWX, Getting Together, Long-Distance Relationship, kind of??, Mutual Pining, Fluff, lots of fluff, almost no angst, Happy Ending, First Time, Phone Sex, background 3zun, switching POV, Domestic Fluff, no like a shitton of domestic fluff, some smut)

fell by you by Vrishchika (E, 44k, Dragon LWJ, Fantasy, Explicit Smut in Last Chapter, Pining, POV LWJ, Canon Divergence, Immortals, Deities, Canon-Typical Violence, Dragon WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending)

leave all your love and your longing behind by ScarlettStorm (E, 143k, WangXian, Modern AU, no magic, Meet-Ugly, Panic Attacks, autistic lwj, neurodivergent wwx, the neighborhood asshole dog, if you’ve met one then you know, Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, Happy Ending, for everyone including the asshole dog, Eventual Smut, switch rights, Sex Toys, horny yearning, Masturbation)

Child's Play by flowercity (FaoriE) (T, 14k, WangXian, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, Family, Kid Fic, Fluff, Love at First Sight, Light Angst, Brief Hospitalization, Seizures, Alcohol, But no one gets drunk, Making Out, Single Dad WWX)

You'll be my by cupofwater (G, 2k, WangXian, First Meetings, Meet-Cute, Modern AU, Weddings, Fluff, Illustrated)

Admonishment by bookwyrmling (T, 6k, wangxian, canon divergence, fix-it of sorts, teacher LQR, student WWX, LQR pov, gusu lan sect positive, cloud recesses study arc, burial mounds settlement days, golden core reveal)

Keep Track of Losing Days by giraffeter (T, 74k, WangXian, NieLan, Modern AU, Case Fic, Police, Missing Persons, Mystery, Getting Together, Flashbacks, Rooftop Conversations, Detective LWJ, antifa WWX, team give LWJ friends, Angst with a Happy Ending, Sharing a Bed, First Kiss, First Meetings, Seattle, Mutual Pining, nonfatal car accident, mafia wens, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Guns) 

I know what my heart wants  by yakuso5u (Not Rated, 28k, WangXian, Modern AU, Single Father LWJ,   Fluff, Mutual Pining, Getting Together, Accidental Child Acquisition, Domestic, Slice of Life, Christmas references)

The Second Jade of Lan's late but incendiary sexual awakening by KizuKatana (E, 41k, wangxian, modern, college au, genius WWX, competency kink, caretaking kink, canon wangxian dynamics, first time)

(not) puppy love by tiramisus (M, 3k, wangxian, modern, WWX owns an animal shelter, affection starved LWJ, LWJ’s tragic childhood, meet-cute, love at first sight)

some things go forward by everythingispoetry (T, 73k, WangXian, Modern AU, Hospitals, Teenage Drama, Slow Burn, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Happy Ending)

~*~

8. Hello! For the next ITMF, I’m looking for fluffy fics with no misunderstanding and no oblivious WWX. Just falling in love, getting together, actual communication

i prefer canon but i'm down for modern as well :)

Question for 8: are they looking for canon or modern or both/any?

~*~

9. Hii , thank you for all the hardwork. I really appreciate it and I am back with another request. Can you please recommend me fics where it's wangxian being in love but from outsider pov. Thank you so much @sineofu​

hey I just met you, and this is crazy by KeriArentikai (E, 9k, wangxian, modern, outsider pov, woke up married, married in vegas, with a twist, getting together, love at first sight, unrealistic sex)

Wait, What? by MarbleGlove (G, 1k, wangxian, time travel, outsider pov)

Always the right way round by so_shhy (G, 3k, wangxian, modern, office party, LWJ loves rabbits, good brother LXC, fluff, excellent boyfriend WWX, outsider POV)

The Misunderstanding by kisahawklin (T, 9k, wangxian, LXC & LWJ, WQ & WWX & WN, WWX & LSZ, modern, misunderstandings, outsider pov)

Everything's growing in our garden by like_a_bird_that_flew (T, 3k, wangxian, LXC & LWJ, modern, coming out, supportive LXC, family feels, established relationship, remrefenced fear of homophobia & rejection, fluff, angst w happy ending, humor)

looking through a window by glitteringmoonlight (T, 5k, wangxian, modern, college/universtity au, outsider pov, fluff, humor)

oh brother by lanzhans_rbf (G, 5k, LXC & LWJ, wangxian, modern, outsider pov, twin jades of lan dynamics, twin jades of lan feels)

~*~

10. *cupped hands* do you of /any/ fics where jin ling gets his dajiu's gift? bonus if it comes into play as it grows up? 🥺🥺 please i can't believe the only fic i know like this is my leaves reach ever for the sun 🙏🙏🙏🙏

a symbol to remind you that there's more to see by paperminds (T, 9k, JL & WWX, JC & WWX, JL & JC, post-canon, canon typical violence, hurt/comfort, angst w happy ending, JC & WWX reconciliation)

~*~

11. Askjhgahgahab I love your blog!!!! 

Have you heard of the fic called A Price to Pay by Wangxianist? In that one, a lot of WWX’s angst was caused by LWJ. I’m looking for fics where the same is the case. Where he’s angsty not because of the Jiangs or the SSC or anything else. But because of LWJ. But also not CQL post canon fics where the WWX is pining because LWJ left him on the roadside. 

~*~

12. For the next itmf,  can you recommend some dark lwj fics where he is older than wwx. The time period doesn't matter. Thank you for your hard work!💞💞

A Matter of Time by mrcformoso (M, 40k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, graphic depictions of violence, underage, LWJ pov, JC pov, dark LWJ, manipulation, grooming, teen body adult mind for LWJ, happy ending for wangxian, problematic consensual underage sex, blood & violence, insane LWJ, manic LWJ) i would recommend 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 by mrcformoso, i think it fits ♡︎

~*~

13. Hi!! I'm going crazy searching for Wen Yuan fics, especially something where he or the Lans discover his identity before WWX resurrection. I'm craving for angst. Thank you!! @niquels-mind​

no new age Series by everythingispoetry (M/T, 145k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Permanent Injury, Recovery, Disability, Parenthood, Character Study, Thirteen Years of WWX’s Death, Families of Choice) part 2 in this series is focused on pretty much exactly that!

the blurriness of being alive by RedLipped (T, 18k, wangxian, canon divergence, grief/mourning, burial mounds, angst w happy ending, hurt/comfort, LWJ is a good dad, inquiry, character study) lwj tells him before wwx resurrection but lsz doesn’t handle it very well at first

~*~

14. any fics where wwx has a dependable parental figure? preferably not jfm? examples that come to mind are jyl in the teapot plot, and lqr in ssj. i would absolutely adore more stories like this, in whichever way the parenthood comes into play ❤

~*~

15. it's been a while since i saw this request so please some inventor/genius/talented-artist wwx? love that guy :')

💖 Pentimento. by orange_crushed (E, 73k, wangxian, modern, college/university au, art conservation, museums, pining, not actually unrequited love, angst w/ happy ending, misunderstandings, smut, major character injury, hospitalization, hurt/comfort, past incarceration, forgery)

~*~

16. ITMF WWX debating with Lan Qiren? LQR could be kind or cruel, I just would love to read some fics where the two debate philosophy, practice, history, academia, etc.

Seasons of Falling Flowers by merakily (G, 40k, wangxian, LQR & WWX, LQR & LWJ, post-canon, character study, introspection, in-laws, emotional baggage, family bonding, protective LWJ, good parent LQR, LQR has feelings, LQR & WWX become friends)

💖 Minding series by WithBroomBefore (G, 85k, wangxian, canon divergence, what if WWX got therapy and recovery post-sunshot, trans LWJ) Part 2 of this series has some debating

~*~

17. Itmf: wwx dies a child birth or after having the baby, can be temporary character death.

The time we’ve lost by Anye (T, 54k, wangxian, LSZ & WWX, LSZ & LJY, modern, ABO, everyone is alive but they don’t know that, eventual happy ending, slow build, twins, misunderstandings) this one is wild bc lwj thinks wwx died in childbirth but he didn’t and has been raising lsz in America the whole time

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[yandere--stuck]

As much as I love D'arce and want only the best for her, seeing her struggle with her love for her Obsession and her "love" for Le'garde would be so fucking funny fr

(Tbh I don't think she actually LOVES Le'garde(or maybe I just really hate him), it's more of a situation where she forces herself to have feelings for him. Anyways, D'arce is a girl boss and I love her)

No dw I agree Le'garde is so sucks </3 I think she probably likes the idea of the guy or the image of him she built up in her head but it turns out he's super shitty 😔

---

It would be difficult for D'arce, realizing that the further down she descends into darkness of the dungeons, so too does she delve deeper into her growing affection for you. Upon your first meeting, even, it was like sliding your hand into a specially made gauntlet. The perfect fit. The perfect pair.

Though she held the soul of domination and the rest of your allies saw her as team captain, D'arce found herself deferring to you. It was just so easy. As easy as breathing, even. Acting out your orders, shadowing your movements, heading your every word. Almost like how she felt with…

Le'garde. He was alive. Alive, but tortured and beaten and bloody, and with very little memory of himself and the life he lived. D'arce should be happy. Overjoyed. Falling to her knees and crying as she embraced her captain.

But, there was barely anything. As if whatever emotions she should have felt only barely sparked within her and fizzled out before they could burst. 

She met her captain's eyes, and there was recognition. And there it was - a small bit of warmth inside her. A smile made its way to her face. Maybe… Maybe she was overthrowing this. Or just in shock. And, well, the fact that in the time you spent down in the dungeons, D'arce had spoken with you much more than she ever had with Le'garde, at least in terms of personal matters. You spent downtime and guard shifts for your sleeping allies whispering anecdotes of times long passed, swapping rations over stories of your home and childhood and how you came to this place, holding back laughter as you shared some ale. 

It felt like she had known you for lifetimes. And now, it was as if it'd been lifetimes since she last saw Le'garde. And what shone blindingly in the sun now seemed a bit dim and dull in the dark.

"I… Th- there's something down there," Le'garde insisted, pointing to a door that was just visible behind a veil of shadow. "I must get it. Then, then we can leave."

"Le'garde, we must leave," she implored.

"Please," Le'garde grasped her hands in his own. "I need this."

D'arce couldn't look him in the eyes. Instead, she turned to you and the others. Cahara and the girl were clearly anxious to leave while Ragnvaldr and Enki showed clear signs of irritation. But, you…

Despite your fear and exhaustion, you told her, "Wherever you go, D'arce, I'll follow."

She felt as if she should be the one saying that to you. A smile lit up her face and it takes her a moment to realize she needed to make the choice.

"Real quick, right?" She hesitated before nodding to Le'garde. "And then we can go?"

"I… Believe so. I don't remember."

—

She fell back into her role as Le'garde's right hand - but now, it felt wrong. Suffocating. Unnatural. She let him lead her down further, she followed him through the ancient, impossible city underneath everything. Because of her, you found yourselves within a Grand Temple. And that's when Le'garde let his facade drop.

She had let Le'garde trick her.

You were all wounded, some starving, some missing limbs. D'arce had led you further and further into this hellhole. This was all his fault.

"You don't understand. You couldn't understand, this is so much bigger than you," Le'garde approached the Throne of Ascension. "I must do this."

"You said you couldn't remember…" The Knight mumbled.

"You fucking liar!" Ragnvaldr roared like an animal, both Cahara and Enki barely able to hold the Outlander back.

D'arce's gaze flitted to you, only to look away when your eyes met. Instead, she looked to the girl, who peeked out from behind you, clutching at the fabric of your shirt. She looked upon Le'garde with an unreadable expression.

"D'arce, I'm sorry." The man said.

"You lied to me."

"I don't expect you to understand," he sighed, then made his way for the throne.

D'arce couldn't move. The world felt as if it was breaking apart around her. Everything she knew to be truth was all lies. Le'garde, captain of The Knights of The Midnight Sun, noble and fair and strong and true. Like a god in man's skin.

The false prophet. The false god.

D'arce gritted her teeth, shaking with rage. She white-knuckled the sword in her grip. She-

"No!" Your voice cried and D'arce gasped as she watched you fly across her vision. She whipped her head to follow, body as tense as wound-spring as you made a mad grap for Le'garde. Scrambling for a hold, you tugged the man away.

Le'garde nearly fell, before righting himself as he swiveled around to sneer at you, lips pulled back to bear his teeth. His hands fumbled for his sword. 

"I won't let you take this from me!" He screamed, raising his sword with a flourish. D'arce watched, eyes wide and unblinking as you panicked and went still in shock.

She didn't even realize what had happened. It was instantaneous. Instinctual. One second she was watching you, and in the next, her sword was sticking through her former captain's neck. Droplets of blood began to coat and run down the metal of her sword. The man's eyes were wide and scared, sparkling with betrayal. Gurgle escaped his throat, either attempting to speak or already beginning to slowly drown in his own blood.

And she felt nothing. Just another casualty in this place. In the name of her leader. Her savior. Her living god. You.

In a flash, she swiftly pulled the sword from Le'garde, letting him fall to the ground as blood shot from neck. D'arce simply stepped away as blood began to pool at her feet. She turned to your group.

Meeting Ragnvaldr's eyes, she crossed one arm across her chest and gestured to the man on the floor. "You can take care of the rest, if you desire."

The Outlander was still for a moment, before shaking himself out of his shock, approaching the man as he shook with barely restrained rage, moving to straddle him and making Le'garde wheeze and bubble with pain and pressure.

D'arce turned away. Sounds of pain and fist meeting flesh echoed in the temple. But she didn't look away because the idea pained her, no. Le'garde simply was nothing to her now. She'd get nothing, not even pleasure, out of his painful death.

The others… Enki seemed slightly amused, a smirk on his lips as he ogled the beating. Cahara was across the room, shielding the girl's eyes and ears as best he could as he waited to depart. Apparently, the money wasn't worth it anymore. And you…

"D'arce!" You surged forward to embrace her. 

You embraced her. Your arms around her, face pressing against her chest plate. If not for her armor, you could hear her heartbeat. She was euphoric. Filled with light. If this wasn't proof of your holiness, what could be?

"You saved me. You saved my life."

Of course. Of course she did. She is your knight, after all. Your knight. Your right hand. Your most devoted soldier. She loved you. She'd do anything, everything for you.

"I want to go home," you admitted. Tears collected within your eyes, stinging your cheeks.

D'arce nodded. She parted from you, only to slowly, with shaky hands, raise up to cup your face. She held you gently, like you were the precious, most fragile treasure in the world.

"Wherever you go, I'll follow." She promised.

[tmwcs]

how would Heethan react to a hickey prank??

my idea:

when dropping y/n off at school, he briefly spots something on her neck but doesn’t get a chance to ask her because she gets off the car pretty fast so when Heethan texts her, she plays dumb the entire time and to make it worse, says it might have gotten from a guy 👀

well damn anon….😲😲😲😲 RIP to you and all the other readers…..at this point, you all behind saving. Not even I, can stop Heethan. Lol

Y’all really want to just experience Heethan’s brutality don’t you? Lol 😈 as you wish. One shot, not proofread so pls ignore mistakes. But this was a fun one… hehehe

nice knowing you…

April Fools

The girls had introduced their traditional act of a prank draw for April Fools. Each person was to draw out a ticket from a fishbowl and commit to a prank against their boyfriend, and to your dismay, you drew out the worst possible one you could imagine, the fake hickey prank. 

Your heart fell into your stomach upon seeing the ticket, and you begged to swap it out but the girls were relentless in seeing you suffer at the hands of your man, considering everyone knew how Heesueng was with you.

He LOVED you…yet you felt like your life was about to be cut short after conducting this prank. 

In the girls bathroom, you became overwhelmingly nervous as it was closer to time when Heeseung would pick you up. The girls had collected a variety of purple, blue and even brown eye shadows and applied dabs of it on the side of your neck to make it appear as a real hickey. 

“Voila!” 

“Wow it really looks like a legit hickey.”

“Oh poor y/n hahahahahaha”

You stood there with your eyes closed, brows furrowed, and in complete fear as your hands began to shake. 

Not only did the girls enforced you to keep your ticket, they also made you wear one of Heeseung’s favorite mini sun dresses to add a bit of sting once you reveal the fake hickey, and tell him that you got it from another boy. 

“Okay, so you have to tell him that after he dropped you off, you skipped class with a boy. You’ll tell him that you were taking photos of you pretending to hug and cuddle with the boy as an “April Fools” joke, but then you got too carried away and let the guy continue in the midst of passion and he gave you a hickey. Got it?”

The girls scoffed and chuckled upon hearing the regulation of your prank. 

“I…I really don’t think I can do this…” you softly spoke, your voice shaken from the chills at imagining Heeseung’s face. 

“Come on Y/N, we all did ours. Just do it, it will be so fun. Well immediately tell and show him it’s fake after you pull his string for a few minutes.”

Nodding hesitantly, you reluctantly agreed. Suddenly H/N appears busting through the bathroom door. 

“Oh my God! Oh my God! Ethan’s here!” 

Your eyes widened and you grabbed on to one of the girls arms for dear life. 

‘No, no, no, no! God help me I’m going to die…’ 

They push you out of the girls bathroom, forcing you to make your way out of the exit. Seeing Heeseung’s car parked along the curb, you gulped. Unlike some of the other boys, Heeseung had so much on his plate that he didn’t even realize it was April Fools day. H/n made Jake promise to not reveal the date or the prank to him, since she had already got her fill and conducted her prank earlier in the day. 

Walking slowly up to his car, you wished, for once, that his windows were not tinted as you couldnt see his face through the glass. You wondered if he was already looking at you.

Your hair laid down, it was his favorite way of you wearing it, just all natural and free as it frames your face. 

Opening the door, you felt a chill run up your spine the moment you got a swift sniff of his cologne as you sat inside next to him on the front passenger seat. He was on the middle of sending out a mass group text to his peers to remind them of their assignments due date as he had assisted his professor with teaching and leading exam prep. 

As he remained focused on the screen, he speaks out, 

“Hey pretty baby, how was your day?”

You were so glad he was still staring at the screen, otherwise you would not have been confidant enough to answer right back. 

“…fine…how was yours?”

“Good. Just sending out a reminder real quick. Had a busy day.”

“Oh?…”

“Yeah, my professor left early so I had to-“

He glances up to see as your hair was all swooped over to the opposite shoulder, with some shorter layered pieces near the front falling along your neckline as it subtly covers the fake hickey…but not enough to go unnoticed. The very second he lifted his gaze he went silent, yet his eyes remained on your neck. 

Meanwhile, you tucked in your lips and stared out through your window, wincing your eyes shut as you took in the silence. You hear him put his phone down and as he continued to remain focused on your sight, you hear his hand lift up and reach over to you, in attempt to move the pieces of your hair away from your neck. 

“Uh I forgot something I’ll be right back!!”

You quickly ushered as you got out of the car and ran back inside the building. What frightened you even more was the fact that he didnt even try to stop you, grab on to you, yell or chase you down. 

‘He actually let me get away?’ 

Most times, Heeseung was quick to snag your wrist or your waist before you could even move an inch, yet this time, it appeared he was in such shock that he didn’t exhibit the viper strike speed of his hand like he normally did. 

You saw up ahead and watched as the girls all laughed and pointed at you, knowing full well they had watched through the window and were waiting for you to bust in, yet upon realizing that Heeseung wasn’t coming after you, everyone grew confused, as did you. 

“What the hell? Y/n, does he know it’s a prank?”

“No, I don’t think so…”

“Then why isn’t he coming for you?”

“I…I don’t-“

Suddenly your phone vibrates, a text from Heeseung came in…

You nearly started to hyperventilate as you read his texts.

‘Oh my God…I’m dead…’

The girls all peered in as they took a glance at the text, which enabled them to enthusiastically remind you of the format in your prank. 

“Remember! You have to tell him it’s from a boy while you were skipping class!”   They all issued out and laughed, knowing full well that you were scared beyond shitless. 

You stopped texting at noticing that Heeseung didn’t go on a rampage or rant out with his interrogational rant. There was absolutely no text back. 

After telling the girls of his lack of response, you began to tell them that the prank has to be called off, that you had taken it way too far. 

Suddenly the door behind you opens, turning around you see Heeseung walking slowly over towards you. His hat covered his eyes in their usual fashion, but there was something very eerie with the way he looked compared to how he normally did. And it wasn’t just the fact that his Ethan side had emerged. 

Not saying a word, his chin tilted down, he walks over, upon breaching you you noticed a pair of black, fingerless martial arts gloves adorning his hands. The sleeves of his black tanker jacket rolled a quarter way up, left completely unzipped as he displayed the semi-fitted white tee-shirt underneath, which subtly showed off his lean muscle. Earlier you thought he looked incredibly sexy with how his ensemble paired nicely with his straight jeans and boots. Now, you were terrified as he resembled a hit man for hire. 

The girls all rushed over to cover you and began explaining the prank as they hurdled around, taking notice of the man’s fierce demeanor.

“Ethan! Ethan! It was a prank! It was a prank, we all did the fishbowl prank like in high school. Remember? Remember Vicky used to do it to you?”

“Yeah it’s all good Ethan. It was a prank, y/n would never…”

They all fell silent and their eyes widened with fear as he ignored their words and continued to walk through them, his frame and slow pace pushes them off to the side as he walked into some of the girls that remained steadfast in blocking you, yet in the end, they all cleared the path at seeing his tenacity to get to you, despite how slow he was walking. 

You merely stood there with a look of fear and aloofness as your expression told him that you were flying the white flag of mercy. Your eyes began to start tearing up and getting glossy as he stood right in front of you.

He lifts his chin just enough to reveal and peek one eye from under his cap. The shadow still tinting his face as he looks into your eyes, a ghostly smirk appears from the side of his mouth. Reaching up, he gently placed his hand on the side of your neck, resting it on the corner of where the neckline meets the shoulder. With the extension of his thumb, he presses down on the mark, and drags it downward, smearing the eyeshadow, revealing that it indeed was fake, though it didn’t make you feel any better, especially at feeling the leather of those fingerless gloves, which you were deathly afraid at figuring what was going through his mind when he placed them on and came to find you. 

Still displaying his devilish smirk, he finally spoke.

“You in a mood to play pranks today, babydoll? Hmm?”

The combination of the low tone in his growling voice and the pet name reflected that he had totally gone to his Ethan side, lacking all the softness, rationality, and gentleness of his Heeseung side. 

You just stood frozen staring at him with the stinging moisture covering your eyes as you felt like you wanted to scream and cry. You felt scared…really scared. With your lips slightly parted, you watched as he slightly tilted his head to take a closer look at the fake hickey, before he shifted his shadowed eyes to you and grinned once more.

Upon hearing his question, the girls all started to rush in from behind him as they issued out words to explain yet again, that the prank was part of their yearly traditions. Yet the moment that Ethan snapped his head over, glaring a deathly gaze in his side eye to them, they all stopped, retracted, and looked away as they issued whispers of how great it was in knowing you. 

Turning his face back to you, his smirk re-appears. It was sinister, eerie, and teasingly deceiving.

You shook your head and finally responded to his question.

“N-no…”

“Oh?” Here merely responds with his eyebrows raised.

He leans in and softly buried his face into your ear, softly taking in the scent of your hair surrounding it. You felt his mouth gasping open right over it, the vapor of his hot breath submerging directly into your ear canal as he softly kisses it in very slow motion. In between his soft and gasping kisses he finished his statement.

“I *kiss* think *kiss* you *kiss* are.” Each kiss was filled with a soft gasp, it was sickening and tenderly sweet with how his lips tapped on your ear as he softly and calmly spoke into it with his deep and alluring voice.

“Well since you’re in a playful mood, let’s go and…play.” 

Quietly taking you by the hand, he leads you out of the building, still walking at a slowed pace, which made you feel even worse. His grip on your hand tightened the moment you exit the building. Guiding you into your seat, he walks around and seats himself, driving back to his room as if nothing had happened. The car ride was silent and awkward, all you could do was sit there and stare at the flooring of the car while your hands remained on your lap. 

You tried to apologize, feeling terrible at how the whole thing turned out. 

“I’m sorr-“

“Shhhhhh..”

His shushing cut you off as he stared at the road, yet the moment he issued it, his eyes widened and that sinister smirk re-appeared. Even though he was looking at the road, you felt ultimate fear upon seeing it from the side. 

Finally, you both arrived at the frat house. Getting out, he walks over and takes you by the hand and leads you out of the car and into the house. Walking in, you shuddered at the fact that he was still walking in a calm, quiet, and slowed pace. The moment he started to lead you up the stairs, you heard him humming…

Whoa, whoa, whoa

다시 chaconne now

Whoa, whoa, whoa

Chaconne now

“Ethan, what song are you humming?”

He merely grinned and chuckles without looking back at you. 

Entering his room, he guides you in first.

Reaching behind, without breaking his gaze on you, he locks the door, takes the key, and tosses it off the side without even looking at where it went. You hear the metal sound of the key bouncing off the floor, that was when you felt internal panic. 

“Uhh…Ethan?”

Still humming and grinning, he passes you as he heads over to his closet, where he started to dig out something. 

“Ah-ha. Found it.”  He calmly stated, nearly in a whisper.

‘Found what?’ You wondered.

Taking out a gym bag, he pulls out something that you couldn’t make out. 

“Here.” He calmly states.

Tossing the item to you, he follows on with “Put it on.” His tone still deep, low, and calm.

You looked at him in confusion as you held the piece in your hand.

“Wh- what is it?”

He smirks.

You’ve packed his gym attire and did his laundry countless times, never have you once seen this item inside his bag, he must have gotten it within the week while you were so busy with your class work, it was the only time you hadn’t gone into his bag to clean his clothes.

Upon hearing your question, he tilts his head and smiles yet again. His grin was so….

Scary.

“Ah, that’s right. You’ll need instructions on how to put it on, won’t you?” 

Devilishly grinning, tilting his head, bearing a slight bit of teeth as he eerily stares his smile your way, he reaches into the bag…not even breaking that sinister gaze or smirk away from you.  A chill stuns your spine.

Grabbing a piece of paper that was neatly folded, he tosses it to you. 

“Now…go put it on for daddy.” He chuckles.

You unfold the paper, it displayed instructions on how to put on the item properly.

It wasn’t until you saw the image of the item in proper wear that your body was jolted with lightening bolts of fear and panic. Your breathing heightened to an unsteady state.

Looking up at him, you saw that he stood, still grinning and looking at you with wide, piercing eyes while the shadow of his cap hovered over half his face.

Chuckling, he lowly spits out.

“Let’s play.”

………………..

the next day….

>:)

Enjoyed this piece? Show love and treat your girl to a cup of coffee. ♥️  ☕ Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/reinbow

[undertale-writing-times]

Hi , idk if you celebrate it or not , still hope your day is good ^^ can I ask for some Bad guys ( Nightmare , dust , horror , killer , cross , error , shattered Dream , Scoundrel , Bill sans ) parenting headcanons ? maybe The swap and fell brothers ? Thanks for reading my message

Hey! Uh sorry, I only write a few of those ^^' I have a list of names on my thing. It's pinned.

Nightmare: Nightmare wouldn't exactly go out of his way to be a father. It isn't something that he wanted to do! But, now that he is, he would take care of his babybones. It isn't rare to see him carrying the small bundle of blankets around with him in his tentacles. While working he would rock them with his tentacles to help them fall asleep, and since he doesn't need to sleep almost at all, he would take care of them while his datemate slept. Of course he IS sometimes busy, so he couldn't spend his time with them all the time… he would try to act like he doesn't care abot them, but it's easy to tell that he does.

Dusty: He would be a shockingly good dad, but only when he COULD dad. You see, sometimes he has a hard time pushing himself to do things and sometimes he would accidentally lash out. He tries his best to not do that! When he takes care of his babybones, he'll be pretty good to them. He'll listen to them talk, plays with them all the time, and loves it whenever they want to lay on him but sometimes he just can't handle it. He would try to teach his kids to do things thta they shouldn't… like how to pick locks, or how to throw knives and blah blah blah. Baby likes to sleep on top of him because he's so hot.

Axe: He would be SO good at taking care of children! He has always wanted to have children and to take care of them, even if he didn't think that he could because of his low magic levels. Sometimes he would feel nervous to be around his babybones too much, mostly because of how sharp he is! Babies are so soft and squishy, and he's sharp and hard. The baby would look so small in his hands, and he cried the first time that he held them. Baby has him wrapped around their little finger in no time and he can't punish them for almost anything, unless it's really bad.

Killer: Sometimes he treats his kids more like friends, rather than his children. It isn't always a good thing, and sometimes he'll talk them into doing stuff that they shouldn't, just because he finds it fun! Other than that, he is a good dad, just… I dunno, sometimes not a good one. He'll get better as the time goes along, I'm sure.

Error: Wouldn't be a good dad. They've made it VERY clear that they DON'T want to be a parent. They wouldn't help with the kid unless they were forced to, and even then, they don't want to. Sorry ^^'

Daydream: Daydream would be a very good parent, but only sometimes. You see, he likes it when his kids behave but when they don't, he doesn't mind punishing them! He gives them a lot of stuff that they would want, but if they act out, he will show them that he isn't going to take whatever they give him. Other than that, he's a pretty good caretaker :)

[minicomics]

It's Show Time ! >:3

Swap Fell Ringleader Pomni and Gloink: Ringleader Pomni is the Queen of the circus as she would bring the show of hell to bring these cast of f*cking weird *ss characters to go into crazy hardcore adventures as she would want them to go for an adventure of a lifetime and just have the fun for it. Though at times she would be strict as she would force them to do the ones that misbehave to do an act or just stay in the wreck room (for those who want to let out their feelings or anger) for two hours. At times she goes there herself as she would be a bit mischievous and crazy good at times and just be a little gremlin as to go wild with her mace Cain as she using it to strike or shush others for being rude. She would have a buddy name Gloink as he is basically a pr*ck as he always bites Pomni in the arm, which annoys Pom as she has to get him off and just kick him away. Gloink is like a dog that hasn't been tamed that good and just likes to bite things. None the less folks, welcome to the f*cking circus and I hope you enjoy the show ^^

[yanderes-galore]

Romantic scenario with TF: Prime's Breakdown please?

Breakdown's fate in TFP was disturbing if you think about it- Not too confident on if I got his character right but I'm trying lol. Darling is an Autobot forced into being a Decepticon in this.

I went from having no ideas for this to having many ideas. Adoring the angst in this. Let me know what you think.

Clouded Judgment

Yandere! TF:P! Breakdown Scenario

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Angst, Violence, Manipulation, Forced relationship, Delusional behavior, Possessive behavior, Attempted mind break, Stockholm Syndrome.

Autobots and Decepticons have been fighting each other for millions of stellar cycles. Those who were once friends were easily pulled away from each other during the war on Cybertron. There was a time you knew Breakdown... before you decided to take sides.

Breakdown and you had been close companions on Cybertron. You two were so different but so compatible. You didn't like the fight... while Breakdown craved it. You wanted to help everyone while Breakdown wanted to go with who was strongest.

Despite differing beliefs... Breakdown still saw you as his close Cybertronian companion. He respected you and your ambition... he even liked you more than just friends. Breakdown held you close to his spark... you thought of him the same.

Then Megatron came into the picture.... Your differing beliefs tore you two apart. Breakdown didn't even get to say goodbye before you were chased away by the very Decepticons he had joined. He wishes you joined...

He wishes he never lost you.

You never left his mind throughout the war. In fact, he encountered you a few times. As he expected... you fell in with the Autobots... and he had to fight you. Breakdown's rival was Bulkhead, they were always matched in strength...

Breakdown was angered even more when he thought of you and Bulkhead being friends instead of you and him being... lovers....

After the war Breakdown didn't see you for stellar cycles. Not until he came onto Earth with Knock Out.... That's when he found the Autobots.

That's when he found you.

Breakdown could no longer just focus on Bulkhead anymore. Breakdown's job was to destroy the Autobots... which he could do.

But he could never break you.

You clouded his judgment. Whenever you met optics he felt his spark stop. He couldn't do this to you... no matter what Megatron said.

You always tell him you don't want to fight him. He can see the sadness in those glowing optics of yours. He knows you don't want to fight him... and maybe you don't have to.

Breakdown still had feelings for you. He was actually grateful you decided to be his distraction for the Autobots. It gave him the excuse to talk to you.

Maybe you thought the same?

The moment he saw you transition to vehicle mode, he followed. Your vehicle form was smaller compared to his but you were fast. Breakdown allowed you two to play this game of chase before he angled his cannon at your ties.

With a quick shot he shoots out your tire. You spin before rolling into vehicle mode. He hears you groan in pain, flinching when Breakdown swaps out of vehicle mode.

"Funny how it's you who chose to be my distraction." Breakdown teases. It sounds too friendly to you though... it appears he hasn't forgotten what you shared between each other.

You probably wouldn't forgive him for what he plans to do next, either.

You don't look him in the optic, scoffing while struggling momentarily to stand. You didn't forgive him. Breakdown could tell you didn't....

"Still a Decepticon I see...."

"You know... I've still missed you after all this time."

"I suggest you can your words. I don't want to hear them."

"You're afraid you'll get attached again, aren't you?"

You glare at him.

"Attached?"

"Don't act like I'm dumb. I KNOW how you felt back then!"

"Those feelings are gone, Breakdown."

"No they aren't..." Breakdown steps closer, causing you to back away with a blaster up. "I know deep in that spark of yours you still love me. You still wish we were together. I chose to follow you here for a reason!"

You give a confused expression, Breakdown stands a few paces away from you.

"If I beat you... I'm making you a Decepticon."

Your optics widen.

"Breakdown what is this nonsense-"

"It's not nonsense!" Breakdown roars, his temper flaring. "Are you really going to push aside how you feel for me, after all these years?"

"You're projecting, Breakdown! As if you haven't done the same!"

Unintentionally going along with the deal Breakdown made, you fight. You fight ruthlessly against each other. Just as any other Autobot and Decepticon would....

Unfortunately you were too caught up in your emotions to realize Breakdown isn't the same weight class as you. While you were faster, once he managed a hit, you were flung into rock.

Breakdown heavily vents, yellow optic staring at your pained figure. He grins confidently before stomping over to you. You stare at him with scared optics as his bulky body leans down to hold your face.

"You hesitated." He smiles. "Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

You try and get up but Breakdown pushes you back into the rock hole. You grunt and he laughs at you.

"I'm sure I can convince Megatron to make you a Decepticon. It'll certainly be better than allowing you around... Bulkhead."

You can hear the sneer in Breakdown's voice when he mentions Bulkhead.

"Be honest with me..." He tightens his grip on your chin and you can hear your metal creak. "Was Bulkhead my replacement? Did you cling to him when I left? Bulkhead is nothing compared to me and you know that...."

"... was Knock Out my replacement, Breakdown?"

There's a deafening silence between you before Breakdown narrows his optic at yours.

"No. Never. I could never replace you. I've wanted to find you for many stellar cycles. Now... I have you. I don't plan to replace you, I don't plan to lose you..."

He transitions his grip to your arm.

"Which is why you're coming with me."

---

You felt only pain. It felt painful to betray the Autobots... your family, with an oath of loyalty to Megatron. It felt painful to receive the Deceptibrand on your metal, covering the Autobot symbol once on you. The emotional rollercoaster Breakdown forced you on certainly didn't help.

You were always around the larger Con. On The Nemesis you felt out of place. Your loyalty did not come from the spark... it was forced.

All Breakdown cared about was the fact he managed to force you to join him in the end. It took stellar cycles but he managed to reunite with you. Even if it was only possible through your suffering.

"I've never stopped loving you..." Breakdown says to you in private. He gives you a sparkfelt smile and keeps you close in his large arms. "Now I don't have to."

Your turmoil eats away at you from the inside. You feel judged by the other Decepticons. You still miss the Autobots....

The only thing that distracted you from it all was Breakdown. With every affectionate glance and touch... it was your only solace. You really did miss him.

Breakdown promises to love you forever like he did before now that you're a Decepticon...

He's the only Con that keeps you sane now... if you lost him you may just lose yourself too.

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan

4/5. Releases 9/24/24.

Vibes: arranged marriage, bride swap, warrior hero, Secret Identities

Heat Index: 6.5/10

The Basics:

Tamsyn is the royal whipping girl, which means that though she has been raised like a princess—even calling the princesses her sisters and the king and queen her parents—her ultimate duty is to take the punishment meant for her adoptive siblings. She takes it again when Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, demands a princess to marry in exchange for his continued protection of the kingdom. Veiled for the wedding night, Tamsyn is given to Fell in place of a real princess... something that, despite their immediate connection, he isn't happy about upon realizing it. He has no choice but to keep her—but as the two make their way to Tamsyn's new home, they have to decide whether they can even trust each other. Because not doing so could cost them their lives.

The Review:

I'll be honest—the past few historical romances I've read by Sophie Jordan have been a bit light on the romance for me. And fantasy romance in particular can be a mixed bag on that level as it is. So I'm happy to say that this series is off to a SOLIDLY "fantasy Romance" (emphasis on the romance) start. Really, a lot of this first book was laying the groundwork for the general world and big plot, while giving us a clearer idea of our characters and teeing up the direction in which their love story is going. Which I'm not mad at!

From the beginning, you get the sense that Tamsyn has a personality, has desires and needs... but her role as the whipping girl has essentially forced her to push her individuality away. That's compelling to me, especially when she's paired with Fell, someone who is all about self-determination and responsibility and carving out his own destiny. While the two do have an instant physical attraction—and why shouldn't they? They sound hot—the trust is immediately gone as soon as Tamsyn's real identity is revealed.

And... I like that! I like that they have this amazing moment together—Tamsyn's first time, by the way—only for it to be thrown off instantly. It creates a good amount of angst on both sides. However, it's well-balanced because, despite that angst, they also have to focus on immediate dangers, rough travel, and so on.

The Big Fantasy Plot isn't like, a shocker. You'll probably be able to predict the twist fairly on (which isn't a bad thing, to me). Again, we're definitely more laying the groundwork here. If anything, I feel like we needed a bit more time with Fell and Tamsyn getting to know each other. But again, that does seem to be somewhat symptomatic of the plot of this book—how much can they really trust each other at this point? The book is bringing them together, and it's far from a standalone, so I feel like the true emotional intimacy will come later.

For the most part, this is really more of a fun time, an adventure. I will say—something I found so insightful was the handling of Stig, Tamsyn's childhood friend-turned-Friend Guy who only acts on his feelings when he realizes she's going to marry Fell, who tells her she's "more than a whipping girl".

Tamsyn's response is somewhat conflicted, but she's mostly like "Yeah... So why are you only offering me the chance to escape NOW?"

So refreshing. The Friend Guy is a type I hate more than anything. It's a Mal from Shadow and Bone thing. He's always been the heroine's friend, he doesn't make a move, and suddenly I'm supposed to see him as the best option because... friends? Because Other Man Scary?

And to be fair, Fell isn't a bad guy at all. He's big, he's gruff, he's a warrior, he's definitely dangerous. But he clearly has a good heart, and even when he's pissed at Tamsyn, he's never abusive. Stig, however, presents him as this threatening violent guy—and Stig clearly sees HIMSELF as this softer, safer option.

That's really deconstructed here, and I so appreciated it.

The Sex:

I wouldn't call this overly steamy—you have two full-length sex scenes and one scene that is EXTREMELY hot, but not... mutually satisfactory...?—but it's definitely heated. That first scene? So good. You really get the physical chemistry between Fell and Tamsyn.

And there's a whole... thing... that I can't spoil.... But it involves examinations... and it's SO. GOOD. I was clutching my pearls.

I'm a sucker for a "fuck first feelings later" romance. And this does that quite well.

I'm excited for more from this series, and honestly? That's great. While it does feel like a lot of setup, it was entertaining setup. I'm ready to get into what happens next—in the big plot, yeah, but mostly within Fell and Tamsyn's romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[mammons-hubby]

THE OBEY ME BROTHERS WITH A MC WHO'S A PROFESSIONAL ASSASSIN

(I was able to recover up to Satan, the other three brothers are all new)

Lucifer:

When your resume said that you were a professional assassin he thought you would be intimidating, cold and serious.

He quickly realized he had thought wrong, as when you came all he saw was a noisy person who couldn't keep their nose on their own business.

He honestly thought he may have read the wrong paper, or that the wrong human had been called.

Lucifer also underestimated you, yes, you may be dangerous, but how dangerous could you possibly be against a demon?

This question would be answered, just as Belphegor's hands tried and reached around your neck.

In a quick, instinctive movement you were able to throw him on the floor. Even with his demon strenght, he was no match against your defense skills (although you later admit that the shocked you sent him into probably helped)

After that, Lucifer wouldn't worry as much to leave you out of sight, but to raise his ego, let him protect you!

Mammon:

Absolutely refused to believe a human could be so dangerous.

Yeah, humans were known to kill eachother, but c'mon, you totally didn't look the part!

Not only you didn't look like one, you also didn't act like one.

He would see the extent of your abilities when his usual troubles followed him on your date.

A quite terrifying which was in front of Mammon, quite angered and ready to strike-

Mammon was about to show off, after all, he wanted to impress his human!

But you didn't give him a chance, a quick punch to the nose and the witch fell to the floor unconscious.

He is literally speechless, he only snaps out of it when you hold his hand worried, then the biggest grin you've ever seen forms on his face, and he declares you the most badass human!

WILL use you to intimidate all who bother him, you're now Mammon's personal bodyguard.

Leviathan:

Your strenght and abilities as an assassin would be quickly discovered.

TSL competition, you know how it goes, in a fit of jealously and rage, Leviathan goes to deal a fatal blow.

Too bad, he didn't consider the fact that you wouldn't retreat and instead, would run torwards him.

A moment of shock was all it took for you to grab him by his pseudojacket, and throw him in the air.

While he was there, he thought "What?!, how does a human have so much strenght?! That shouldn't be able to happen!"

Once he reached the floor (which didn't took that long) his shocked was subdued, filled by a deep feeling of shame, how could he just loose to a human in front of his brothers AND Diavolo?!

Goes straight to his room, it will take a while for him to soften up, but once he does, he will compliment you always. Expect a lot of questions about your job (and Leviathan infodumping about fictional assassins)

Satan:

He prides himself in always being logical, though, he makes an exception with your work.

Can't wrap his head around you hurting someone, even less killing them.

Of course, this was before that little incident of you refusing to make a pact with him.

Full of rage at your response, he spew a bunch of hurtful words and threats.

Threats that made something click inside of you.

The moment he went to grab your arm, a quick maneuver changed your positions, now, he found himself facing one of his bookshelves, taste of paper in his mouth because of the brute force of your movements.

After the shock, he saw red, thankfully Lucifer came in and the body swap happened.

Once the whole body swap deal is over, he is extremely interested in your work and has many questions.

How did you get started? For what reasons? Similar to Leviathan, he show you his favorite book assassins and asks if their portrayals are accurate.

Asmodeous:

He was actually interested in knowing your lore and about how you became an assassin, mostly because he likes gossip.

He also wanted to know how strong you were, and see how your muscles bulged.

Thankfully for him the opportunity to see your strenght in action would arrive soon.

You both were on a date, buying cute clothes for eachother to show off on Devilgram when all of sudden a few fans of Asmo come in and spot him.

At first, it all seems fine. They ask to take some pictures and start chatting with him.

But this is your date, and as so, Asmodeous politely excuses himself.

The fans leave except one insistent demon, who grabs Asmo's tightly.

Before he could say anything however, you grabbed the demons arm, twisted it and pushed him to the floor, putting all of your weight onto him.

After the whole ordeal was done, he hugged you tightly and fangirled severely.

You're gonna become a bodyguard for two now!

Beelzebub:

It all started with food, as it tends to do with Beelzebub.

Sadly for everyone in the house, he woke up cranky and on top of that, someone dared to eat his food.

As he searched for the culprit, which he quickly found (Mammon) he was ready to blow up on him.

But you got in the way, you tried to calm Beelzebub, but there was not calming the beast once it was bothered.

As he went to put his hand on your shoulder to make himself way to Mammon, you grabbed his arm with all your strenght, pushed him backwards, then slid that arm upon his back and pushed him once again this time on the floor.

This seemed to make him regain his senses a little bit, while making everybody watching you absolutely shocked.

Lucifer quickly went to the living room, where everything was happening and harshly reprimended both you and Beel, while stringing Mammon to the ceiling.

Once you make a pact with Beelzebub, he asks what type of training you do, and if you ever need help with anything.

You both become training buddies. Of course, he is still way stronger than you, but that doesn't mean you can't try and do your best to become stronger.

Belphegor:

The attic. That's where you were going to discover what had happened and how Belphie had been able to get out with just 6 pacts.

You found the door of the room to be open, and once you entered, an oppressive force could be felt all through the room.

You wait, and you hear a step, you feel it all around your body, someone is stalking you.

He jumps at you, going straight for your neck. But you're fast, so you move right in time for him to fall in front of you.

Quickly, you kick him hard in the guts, and as he bends over in pain, you punch him straight in the face, making him fall over.

He didn't have time to regain his strenght, just as he was to attack again, Lucifer and the others ran upstairs to see what was all the ruckus.

When the whole deal about Lilith is said and done, you apologize to him. Which felt strange, as he felt as if he should be the one apologizing, werent for your quick reflexes you would be dead.

English is not my first language, so please excuse me for any mistakes I may have made!

[weathermanpolls]

Jaune's Going on an Adventure

I'm starting to see a pattern here. Now to massage everything together.

Ilia/Rogue: First recruited. Her history as a thief, (she did not get caught for the Assassin part), she was forced to work under Jaune. They eventually fell in love and started acting like they were married, but it was never official.

Pyrrha/Warrior: Next recruited. Falls head over heels for Jaune. Does a terrible job of hiding it, at least from everyone but Jaune. Ilia talks Pyrrha into confessing her feelings, gets them to hook up, and then talks them into marrying.

Ruby Rose/Guard Dog/Gunslinger: I'm going to treat Wolf Faunus guard dog as a Barbarian subclass that swaps out medium armour for some ranger-like abilities. Ruby is basically a trainee wife. She is treated like a wife, without actually having a position.

Weiss/Magic Swordsman: Jacques had debts to pay, and didn't think that much of his daughter. So, to pay off his debts, he away his daughter. Legally, she could be a slave, though the party has never treated her that way. Instead they have treated her with genuine kindness. Well, except for Ilia, but that usually gets her a slap on the ass.

Yang/Brawler: Tagging along to look after her half-sister.

[travelling-on-the-octopath]

s i hope i'm not being presumptuous here but. i would like to hear your sylvain/seteth brainworms

MY AGENDA. IT'S WORKING.

Okay okay okay. Hear me out: (un)stoppable force v. immovable object, Sylvain being the former. Which isn't to say Seteth is a rigid stick in the mud--he can't be for this to work. Only that living for so long means his constant state (i.e. the thing he can't be moved from) is one of at least some adaptability. In other words: we have a volatile force who can (and does) at one point change for the better, and an object that's essentially a stalk of bamboo in the breeze.

The potentials here are endless.

I have another post somewhere in my blog about Setvain, but that's mainly pertaining to a blurb I had about them in Princes (in which they will not, unfortunately, be getting together). But I think Crests would invite a very interesting friction between them. Sylvain has a disdain for Crests that never really goes away. Seteth is one of the few people left in this world who understands what Crests are. And, as far as I'm concerned, Sylvain's attitude reminds him of how he felt when his people were first brutalized. To see the remnants of your family paraded around like trophies and lauded as blessings--I don't think the hurt that comes from that ever truly goes away. But once it's been done, it's done. You cannot strip Crests away from Fódlani society in one fell swoop without being utterly and indisputably morally bankrupt (read: dabbling in eugenics or creating a new social system wherein the Crested are on the bottom).

ANYWAY. Tangent over. Seteth has had time to come to this conclusion. Even if it'll never be true peace of mind, it's peaceful. The truth of the matter is that Sylvain has a Crest, and it is of value. I think Seteth is the perfect person to help him come to terms with that, given that Sylvain has a very nasty habit of objectifying himself, either as a son or potential spouse.

On the other hand, Sylvain has a very interesting and, dare I say healthy, relationship with duty. At least by the end of the game.

We're introduced to Sylvain as someone who's acting diametrically oppositional to how he knows he'll need to act in the future--but he never lets it affect him long-term. He enjoys himself (even if this enjoyment is debatably a method of emotional self-harm, given it feeds into his self-objectification), but when shit gets real he's one of the first to be on top of it. He's emotionally intelligent, even if it takes a while for him to become emotionally mature, and that informs a lot of his more level-headed beliefs. In this instance, when it comes to accepting the reality of the situation ("I'm gonna be margrave one day, might as well party-hardy while I can"), he's swapped places with Seteth.

Because Seteth has his own unrealistic ways about walking through the world, and they all boil down to Flayn.

Though not informed by nothing (see: that oft-forgotten genocide before the start of the game), he is incredibly, unhealthily protective of Flayn. I would argue he is unrealistically protective, the same way Sylvain has unrealistic expectations of women. Yes, some people are going to act the way you fear they will, but to let that inform every single decision you make in this one area of your life--flirting with someone or raising your daughter, for example--is to take the long route of shooting yourself in the foot. You become a self-fulfilling prophecy. You act as though women will treat you like meat, and so you're likely to attract those same women; you have been proven right. In Seteth's case it's more like confirmation bias, where he feared the worst and close to the worst happened, so all of his previous behaviours have been justified--though credit where credit is due, he does send Flayn to school in the interest of self-defence. (Emotional growth and human interaction being bonuses, I guess.)

Seteth does not need advice on how to raise his daughter, per se, but I think the input of someone who was raised with more weighty expectations placed upon him than he has fingers and toes would mean something. And depending on WHEN in canon we're talking about, this can take on different tones. Pre- any sort of relationship, before the kidnapping, and Seteth has actually managed to corner Sylvain and foist advice onto him? Sylvain would passive-aggressively offer advice he genuinely believed in pertaining to how Seteth managed his younger sister. Post-kidnapping, and perhaps a one- or two-night stand for stress relief on either end? Sylvain would be more earnest and serious in reminding Seteth he is not the goddess and couldn't have possibly done anything differently--not without making her hate him indefinitely for keeping her cooped up in a tower a la Rapunzel like he very clearly has the urge to at times. If he worded it specifically that way, I think Seteth would have perhaps a more volatile reaction--because while he isn't the goddess, he is her kin, and if the world were different he would have been able to use that truth of him to protect her more thoroughly.

So we now have two men who have been irreversibly altered by the world, in a way that allows them to offer a different, calmer perspective on the facts at hand, while at the same time giving them emotional blindspots that are perfectly in the field of vision of the other. We have the basis of what so profoundly intrigues me about them. Which leads me to my next and final statement:

I just think DDILF (dragon dad i'd like to fuck) dick would fix him <3 or at least calm him down a bit.