#Honestly the amount of people that want to smack her

[atcb]

"In hindsight, the artist should have done the background first... And laid out my words better! And gotten my hair right! They're so mean!"

Next: here

[fuck-customers]

I don't know why this one coworker is so hellbent on convincing me to become a lead, but I've explained to her over and over why I don't want to, and I'm going to smack her next time she asks omfg

It started with her making small talk and asking how long I've worked here and then questioning why I wasn't a manager. Fair enough question. I answer her honestly and say that I don't want to be a manager because I know exactly what the workload would be and it is not worth the extra $2/hr. (I'm nosey and I've followed and asked dozens of previous leads what their position entails to determine if I want to do it. Absolutely not. They basically have to do everything in the store except hire new people and they only get paid $2 more per hour. Nope.) I also say that I would probably consider and accept the position if it were a full-time position, but leads are still part-time and get roughly the same amount of hours as the rest of us. I could look forward to a maybe 4 hour increase at most.

She listens to all of this (which I think are plenty of valid reasons) and says "oh but it would look good on your resume" "yeah, but it's not worth it to me"

This conversation was maybe a month ago and she's been pushing me every time she sees me to become a lead. It's borderline harassment at this point, but it seems to ridiculous to report.

So is it because you'd be a cool boss? Or because someone higher up is asking her to push you so they can force you to do their work?

I personally have had both and I've done the job and would do it again for what it pays. There's a reason I'm not a manager anymore.

-Rodney

[pls-hold-me-im-justa-weeb]

Zoro x Fem reader fluff! You know how Zoro has an unimaginable amount of debt towards Nami? Well, S/O has been paying Nami time after time to slowly repay Zoro’s debt because she loves him so much and she’s sweet enough to do that. Nami does decrease his debt to a point where even Zoro notices his debt decreased. When questioned, Nami confessed what S/O did for him and how she’s so sweet that she didn’t have to and Nami collected all the money to give to Zoro so he could make it up to S/O.

So cute omggggg. As you wish my lovely! I kept this as broad as possible, with an S/O who likes music, which I think is pretty broad, but if it isn't, don’t come at me pls I’m just a baby.

I think in One Piece, they have like CD players where you plug in headphones and you can carry it around, at least that's what was shown in the anime when people were lining up for Brook's concert after the time skip. I can't remember the name of it, but it used to be a popular thing. I made it a spring island because its (supposed) to be starting to be spring where I am, but we just started our second winter (as per usual with the midwest lol).

Warnings: paying off partner’s debt behind his back, cheating at GAME, Zoro being broke lol.

It's just fluff man idk what else to say.

“Witch.”

“Unsanitary marimo” Nami replied easily, keeping her focus on her magazine. Zoro’s eye twitched, but he held his tongue.

“Since we got loot at the last island, how much are you pulling out of my debt for my share?”

Nami’s ear perked at the word “loot”, and she did some quick mental calculations.

“Hmmm. All but your allowance. But I’ve been considering reducing that for you”

“Oi! Why would you cut my allowance?”

Nami shrugged.

“You only buy alcohol”

“So?”

“So you don’t need that much. Besides, after a couple months of a reduced allowance, you’d be down to at least an imaginable amount of debt.”

Zoro paused. Why was his debt going down? He wasn’t paying unless she demanded it. Had he paid that much? Or did they get that much loot at the last island?

“How much did we get at the last island?” He asked. Nami glanced up at him.

“It’s kinda creepy how you’re showing interest in money, but about 734,286 Beli” she said. Zoro only focused on the seven hundred thousand Beli. He wasn’t great at math, but knew when that was split between the crew, his share would hardly make a dent in his debt. So why?

“That doesn’t make sense” he muttered. Nami looked at him curious.

“No?”

“My debt was… I don’t even know how much. So why has it been going down?”

“Hmmm. Maybe I’m just generous!” She smiled sweetly at the swordsman, putting on her most innocent act. He narrowed his eyes at her. She knew something.

“What do you know.”

Nami glanced around, as if making sure anyone besides the swordsman was within earshot. Zoro furrowed his brow at the action.

“What is it?” He muttered, arms crossed. Nami sighed.

“Look. You should thank her by doing something nice for once. She’s so sweet and kind, and I have no idea how you ended up dating her but… I saved the money she’s been paying me for your debt. I thought maybe you knew, and I was going to smack some sense into you but she begged me to keep it quiet," Nami shrugged and picked at her nails before continuing, "Technically, it’s been going towards your debt but I figured I could be nice and generous for once, and ask you if you wanted to accept it. Once you found out, of course. But if you want, I can give it to you and you can spend it on her instead.”

Zoro’s jaw clenched, and he looked down. You had really been doing that? For him? He only mentioned being annoyed by that damn debt when Nami held it over his head when he had to do the dirty jobs for her. He could be mad at you for thinking he couldn’t handle it on his own, but honestly? He couldn’t handle it, and he couldn’t be mad at you. He just ignored the debt, hoping it would eventually go away, and you were so kind to him. He hardly deserved you.

He scraped a hand through his hair, sighing as the other hand landed on his hip.

“I… I don’t know how to… I want to do something for her to pay her back. But what?”

Nami leaned back in her chair, gesturing for the swordsman to sit next to her. He slumped into the chair, brow furrowed as he thought.

“In a day or two, depending on the weather, we should make it to another island. Think about what she likes, not you. Go and enjoy it with her, together. Support her passions, and it’ll mean so much to her”

Zoro huffed.

“How much did that advice cost me?”

“Free for this time, only because of her. Not you. It would be 100 Beli otherwise”

“100?!!”

“I could make it 500.”

“You’re scamming me.”

“You’re the one who needs my help. Why should I give my help for free?”

Zoro sucked his teeth and stood to walk away but paused. The navigator looked up questioningly. He looked off into the distance, a stoic expression on his face.

“Thanks for the advice” he muttered. He obviously meant it, so Nami smiled in return, and he walked off to find you.

He found you playing a card game with Luffy and Usopp, laughing as you laid down your winning hand. The other two complained loudly, groaning and flopping back. Luffy accused you of cheating, and Usopp backed him up.

"Me? Cheating? Never" you teased, giggling. You looked around as you heard heavy footsteps behind you, eyes landing on your boyfriend. You turned back to the other two in front of you and stood, producing a card from its hiding place, tossing it on the pile of cards.

"You guys are pirates, think of this as training to learn when someone is cheating at a card game"

"Hey! You were cheating!"

"No fair!"

"Like I said- training, not cheating"

Zoro stood behind you arms crossed and a smirk on his face at your antics. You turned around, hands laced behind your back, trying to look innocent. You batted your lashes at him, smiling sweetly.

"Right, Zoro?"

He looked at you and grunted, seemingly unfazed by your act. Inside, his heart skipped a beat with how cute you looked.

"Don't tease them. They're idiots"

"Hey!" "We're not idiots!" Luffy and Usopp protested in tandem. You sighed, pouting at him. He blinked at you, keeping his face neutral despite his sudden desire to kiss the pout right off your face.

"C'mon. I wanna ask you something" Zoro said instead, turning on his heel and leading the way. You followed, but not before turning and tossing the last card you cheated with on the pile. Luffy pulled his eye and stuck his tongue out, and Usopp blew a raspberry at you. You stuck your tongue out in retaliation, and skipped off after your boyfriend.

You followed him, unsurprisingly, to the crows nest, scampering after him on the ropes. You were a little nervous. Zoro wanting to ask you something could range from giving your humble opinion on a sword technique, to if you loved him even though he was aggressive. You simply didn't know. You entered the crows nest with practiced movements, eyes falling on the swordsman sitting on a bench near an open window.

You approached him, slightly hesitant.

"What did you want to ask me?"

He hummed, acknowledging your question and indicating he was constructing his answer. You furrowed your brow. He hardly ever thought through his words. He spoke once you had sat next to him.

"What do you know about the next island?"

You cocked your head.

"Nothing really just that it's a spring island... should I know something?"

"Just curious. Is there something you've been wanting to do lately? Like something that can really only be done on an island?"

You thought. Nothing in particular came to mind. But maybe...

"I uh. I want to buy some music to listen to. I know we have Brook, and he's amazing but... I dunno. I miss my music player a lot, and hearing whole bands at once and different singers... I mean Brook is a great singer and he does different genre's, but sometimes you want to shake things up so you're not listening to the same artist all the time, ya know? But I usually end up buying some other things I need instead" you shrugged. You looked at Zoro. He wasn't looking at you, instead was looking out the window. He grunted.

"Show me"

"Show you what?"

"Show me what you listen to, and what you like. I'm not really familiar with music all that much, having not listened to it much growin up or... ever really."

Excitement grew with every word. He wanted you to introduce you to music? To the music you listened to and liked? What would he like? Would anything surprise you? Warmth spread from your chest, through your body, and you bounced in your seat, a grin curving your lips.

"Really?! Oh my goodness there's so much to show you! I can't tell if you'd like softer music like R&B or maybe you'd like hard rock... I'm not sure you'd like pop punk but you might! Maybe some pop songs, but you might be picky about that. French jazz might be meh for you, but it might remind you of Sanji so maybe we should stay away from that... Maybe some other jazz? Or probably something with a good beat. Like workout music?" You babbled on excitedly, pondering the possibilities. You continued talking, not completely sure if Zoro was listening, but you didn't mind.

A small smile formed on Zoro's lips as he listened. Nami had been right, frustratingly, but this way, he would get to see a side of you he hadn't yet. Even if he didn't like the music you did, experiencing it would be good for him, and more importantly, you'd be happy. He saw the little scrunch of your nose that you got when you were really happy and excited, and he huffed a laugh.

"and maybe- what are you laughing at?" you looked at him, smiling still as you interrupted your chatter. He finally faced you fully, leaning his head on his hand, his arm propped on the back of the bench.

"Just you. You're cute when you're all excited about something. You get a little scrunch in your nose when you smile when you're happy like this."

Your hand rose self-consciously to cover your nose. He gently smacked it away with one hand, swooping in to kiss the tip of your nose gently.

"Don't cover it. It's cute"

You blushed, flustered. A thought suddenly occurred to you.

"Why are you asking about what I want to do on the next island? Normally, we do what catches your interest, which don't get me wrong, is typically entertaining, but... why the change?"

"You."

Your brow furrowed in confusion.

"Me?"

"You've been paying my debt to Nami"

"Whaaa??? Psshh nooo~ I never. I mean. I would, but I haven't?"

Zoro raised a singular brow. You swallowed, eyes flicking to the side.

"That so?"

"Uhh. Yes?"

"You are really a terrible liar. How can you cheat so well at card games but you can't lie to save your life?" he teased, a rare soft smile curving his lips as he spoke.

"You're intimidate me and fluster me at the same time! I can't help it!" you whined, before shyly asking, "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad at you for taking care of me?"

He ruffled your hair, and you squawked in indignation.

"Thank you, really" he said softly. You looked at him, smiling.

"You're welcome"

The two of you sat in easy silence, listening to the waves and distant chatter of Usopp and Luffy.

"So music, huh? What do you like?"

You wiggled excitedly, chattering away with Zoro asking the occasional question, even as he started training again.

~~~

"You're buying this?? Zoro, hon, I can get it" you pleaded, eyeing your pile of CD's and your brand new player.

"Nope"

"You can hardly afford alcohol! How could you afford this?"

Zoro ignored you, producing some other CD's you had reluctantly put back earlier, unable to afford them.

"These too" he muttered to the cashier. You repeatedly smacked your boyfriends arm, getting rougher with each one. He finally caught your hand.

"Stop hitting me, woman! Nami gave me the money you paid her for my debt, and now I'm spending it on you! Accept my love, damnit!"

You froze, looking at him in awe and surprise. You started as the cashier cleared his throat.

"Th-that'll be uh... the a-amount you s-see right there... s-sir" the poor teen stuttered, obviously intimidated by the swordsman. You would've snorted had you not been filled with love and awe for your boyfriend. Zoro paid the cashier and took hold of the bags. You followed closely, still aware of yourself enough to know he would get lost without you. Again.

"Thank you, Zoro" you finally said. He smirked at you.

"Of course."

[to-myalphonse]

"Shall we?"

Neuvillette x Reader

2k+

Multiple things inspired me when I was writing this.

I hope you Enjoy!

Moon Eclispe obviously is not a real Fontaine event. It's just my excuse to write Neuvi and you dancing at a ball.

The Moonlit Eclipse, a former ball given for the Hydro Archon and her people to commemorate the fall season, was approaching. Things were busier in the Hydro country.

Shops were packed with customers, while melusines and other decorations adorned the streets. Lady Furina travels to the streets, giving little speeches to her people to get them excited for the event. She performs a tiny twirl, which elicits excitement from the spectators.

The ball was a tremendously popular event that everyone wanted to attend, but getting inside was tough for anyone who wasn't noble. Popular Fontaine and paparazzi figures had an easier time attending the event.

Middle- and lower-class people like yourself needed an invitation to even be permitted inside.

Your position as a ticket attendant at the Opera Eclaisse was going well. Given the increased amount of people you've been dealing with, today's trial appears to be quite popular. The salary was good, and the atmosphere was often chaotic, but Monsieur Neuvillette always made sure you and your coworkers were safe. You sighed softly, hoping that nothing goes wrong today.

"Hello, ticket for two?" A foreign couple comes up with funds for the latest trail. They take in the Opera House with astonishment.

"First time here?" They nod as you proceed. "This is the Court House, often called the Opera House. Monsieur Neuvillette and Lady Furina have their troubles here." You react by, giving them their change and tickets.

"Expect a bit of chaos, have a good day." You wave them away as they approach the door, until they notice a criminal being led out of the house near the other exit. He attempted to flee, but was apprehended and held once more. The couple next to you leaps and immediately enters the house.

Monsieur Neuvillette steps in for the next trial, past the man being led out. He passes you by just a single glance, surrounded by a pink aura. As he walks into the entryway where you work, his long white and blue hair sways in without a gust of wind. You gave a  smile as you watched him pass you.

His expression changed today, and he appeared to be nearly happy. As you immediately attended to the next customer, a tap on your window disrupted the image.

As you exited the Opera House, the sky was painted in orange. The bell tower in the distance is chiming, signaling the upcoming hour. You stroll outside, exiting just as the bell rings its final chime.

A gathering of people gathered near the fountain to cheer for someone. Fontaine's famed magician performed for the audience, pulling a few items from his hat. It appears that Lyney and Lynette's troupe performed tonight. Squeezing through, you make your way to the ferry back to the city.

"So what are you planning on wearing to the ball?" As you waited for the ferry, a group of girls dressed in elegant attire chatted nearby.

"I want to wear a pink dress with those pearls." Another girl scoffs, suggesting that her attire will resemble that one. A little quarrel breaks out as the girls begin insulting each other loudly.

A few spectators glared them down, but everyone else seemed to ignore them. Things became more severe as one girl was thrust into you. She turns with a humble expression until she scoffs seeing your attire. "Honestly, commoner, pick yourself off the ground; you will look pathetic." The others join in, laughing and shaming you even more.

"Sorry, ma'am, but you ran into me.” You brought up their fight only a few moments ago. One girl's arrogant smirk faded into an ugly frown, wrinkling her brow. She approaches with a pocketbook in her hand, her voice increasing.

"Do you dare to speak back to me? You are nothing but a lousy commoner." She starts swinging and smacks you in the head. Wincing, you try to get away from her, only to return the wrong way, falling into the sea.

Your uniform and hair were immediately ruined, much to your dismay. "Haha, you really needed a swim." The other burst out laughing as you swam your belongings to the platform.

Grab your belongings first, then swim back for your cap. After getting them back to shore, you noticed something was missing: your wallet. Looking around, you see it just underwater.

You dive down and grab it, unaware of the incoming aquabus. As you emerge from the water, your face comes into contact with the approaching boat before you can fully think. Pushing you back towards the platform, squeezed you until you were hauled out of the water by the approaching bus. You were gently placed back on the ground as Elphane raced off the aquabuscar to investigate.

"I am so sorry." The purple melusine bowed profusely to you as they checked over your injuries. 

"Please, board, let me take you to the hospital." "Ah, Monsieur Neuvillete, do you plan to return to the city as well?"

Is he here?

Monsieur Neuvillette attends to your injuries while Elphane ensures the boat is still operational. He assists you in carefully standing as she turns the boat right, allowing you both to embark.

"Uhm, Monsieur, I can stand now." He releases go, letting you stand. He looks at your figure before backing off.

"Uhm, you can enter now." The melusine stands at the top of the stairs before returning to position. You nod and swiftly find a seat toward the back of the steps. Monsieur Neuvillette is seated across from you. As the boat takes off, you stare out into the water.

You then sit silently as Elphane begins to speak. She asks if your trip went okay, only to receive an uncomfortable silence before moving on to another issue. You stare at your hands, embarrassed by what happened before.

"Uhm, I apologize if I made you awkward." He looks over at you.

"No, no, it's my fault for falling into the tract like that." You just wanted to curl up up somewhere where they couldn't see you. If Iudex noticed, he probably decided not to remark at all. Elphane continues her brief conversations as the boat glides back toward the court.

You hurriedly leave the dock and return home. You didn't hear anything else from the Iudex as you walked through the city towards your house.

In the days that followed, your routine continued as usual. Since Monsieur Neuvillette's schedule appears to be slightly modified. Now at work in the Opera Eclaisse, you see less of him. The people in today's trial  appeared to be less full than normal. Due to those reasons, your task began to slow down after a few hours. During that time, you were tasked with cleaning the windows and entrance. You clean the windows and sweep the floor at the entrance to Opera Eclaisse.

People in the courtroom could be heard whispering and twisting their words. AYou continue your duty until you hear Monsieur's voice calling the courtroom to order. You started blushing as you remembered how you embarrassed yourself in front of him and the Melusine tour leader the other day. You hope not to come across him again anytime soon.

As the day's final trial comes to a close, the day gradually fades into night. You wait for everyone to leave the courthouse before carrying out other responsibilities. You work intently on your tasks as someone descends the stairs. As you look up from your task, high-heeled boots come to a stop next to you.

"Oh, you're working late tonight." The man you were hoping to avoid stopped next to you.

"Ah, greetings, Monsieur Neuvillette." You keep your gaze fixed on the floor, determined not to make another mistake in front of him.

"One of my coworkers got sick, and he asked me to take over his shift, as there was no one else to cover it today." He nods, inspecting the items in your palm. As the conversation grows silent, you stroll over and put them away.

"Is there something that I can do for you, Iudex?"

"Are you attending the moon eclipse?" You stare at him puzzled; certainly he was aware that this event was not open to people of your status, right?

"Monsieur Neuvillette, someone of my status isn't allowed into the ball without an invitation."

"It's a ball for those with higher social standing to attend. Someone like me doesn't have any space there at all." You speak while still completing your responsibilities so that you can look up and return home. The Iudex stands there, watching your movements. When you realized he was tracking you, your movements became more robotic. Why was Monseiur still standing there? You gave him an answer.

"Would you like to attend?" You halt, staring at him with wide eyes. He glances back at you, waiting for your response.

"I'm not against it." He nods as he approaches the Opera Eclaisse's front doors. You shrug, lock the booth, and walk home more slowly than normal.

The night arrived as you prepared for the ball. A letter came in the day before with a gift for you, and a ticket for admission. Monsieur Neuvillette telling you keep the mask with you, should anyone deny you entrance.

You chose your best clothing and made any necessary modifications before picking up the mask that came with your admittance. The mask was the same color as Iudex's hair. You hold the mask up to your face. The mask suprisingly complemented the color of the clothing. You take small, deep breaths to relieve your nervousness before exiting into the night.

"Welcome to the Moon Eclipse." One of the men in charge of the ceremony addressed the audience of aristocrats. You could see upper-class women conversing with one another, and Monsieur Neuvillette himself standing at the front of the gathering, cane in hand. The speaker finishes his statement as music starts playing.

You pick up your dress and go far from the nobles whom were dancing. You keep your head down to avoid drawing attention as you make your way to the balcony.

"Oh, I don't believe that we have had the pleasure of meeting." A man dressed in expensive garments approaches you.

"I am Duke Myris, and you are?" He makes a slight bow before reaching out his hand to you.

"Nice to meet you." You bow to the noble and give him your name. He gives a slight nod before frowning at you.

"Name.. I don't think I've heard of you. Are you a child in the house of (insert name)?" You shake your head as his face shifts to a smug one.

"So a commoner at the Moon Eclipse." His words drew the attention of the noble women around.

"A commoner?"

"Who invited them?"

"They could have stolen an invitation; it's fitting of them to do that."

The women and other nobility slowed the music, focusing their attention on you. Sneers and critical looks were sent your way.

"I was invited." He gave a tiny laugh as the women laughed behind their fans. Your shoulders stiffened as you attempted to prove your worth here. The truth is, you are aware that you do not belong, but you should enjoy it. Monsieur Neuvillette had personally invited you, after all.

The lords and ladies' laughter halted as the man you were thinking about reached you.

"Hello, is there any issue with the person that I invited?" You push the mask closer to your face while the others gaze on in shock. Monsieur Neuvillette approaches, donning an outfit more formally than he usually does. The mask he wore matched the clothing you wore. Seeing the connections, the nobility who mocked you apologized profusely before retreating.

"Good evening, monsieur." You bow to him out of respect.

"Good evening, I see you managed to make it." You gave a slight nod, grasping the end of the mask that was held up near your face.

"Thank you for inviting me, Monsieur Neuvillette." You were ready to walk away when he extended a hand toward you.

"May I request your permission to dance with you?" You swallow anxiously and accept his hand. As you start swaying, the music begins to play. A wave of happiness seized control, and a grin rose to your face. He whirls you around, and you followed in harmony. As you dance, your inner mind screamed with joy. You attempted to calm your heart, thinking he wouldn't hear it. He focuses on the waltz, seemingly not hearing it; the music stops as he dips you.

Silence consumes the room before erupting in cheers. You look up at the Iudex, the mask taken away from your face. His blue eyes stare down at you as he gently lifts you back up.

[ochrearia]

RBG ART PROMPTS LIST

All of these are things I'm pulling from my Poly Propaganda fanfic series because there are an alarming amount of drawable parts, either super vague or super specific lets get it.

(THIS POST WILL BE UPDATED WITH EACH NEW PART THAT COMES OUT BY THE WAY)

Part One:

BF smacking his dumbass leg straight into a metal pole while he daydreams about smooching GF and Pico

BF confined to the bed with an ice pack on said pole-smashed leg like a doofus

Part Two:

3. Pico relenting to GF holding his head in her hands, pushing his cheeks into the touch

4. Yourself shaking BF by the shoulders (THINK, MARK) telling him to snap out of his stupid fears

5. Pico and GF littering BF's cheeks with kisses after the scare

Part Three:

6. "I'm going to kiss the shit out of you if you keep this up." "Maybe that's what I want, hitman."

7. Little spoon BF big spoon Pico

Part Four:

8. Pico flaunting his new chromatics with a smug ass look and a mic

9. BF and GF with flushed faces because Pico's voice is hot

10. Pico laughing his ass off because he's got simps for his voice

Part Five:

11. Pico and BF fighting over the TV remote like toddlers

12. BF being an asshole abusing the fact Pico is ticklish

13. GF happy and indulging in the laughter of her boys

14. Any one of the three laughing w/ the provided synesthesia-induced colors

Part Six:

15. Pico gently holding a """"sleeping"""" GF in his lap while he talks out loud about how he's grown to love her

Part Seven:

16. BF and Pico riled up and pissed about some prick insulting GF

17. GF using her demon wings and purr to cuddle and placate them both

18. Flustered Pico because BF and GF always gang up to tease him

Part Eight:

19. BF being held by Pico and GF while he rides out a bad day

Part Nine:

20. All of the kisses in this part honestly there's a handful

21. Goofy smile and happy Pico because he's got silly butterflies in his stomach while he gets kissies

Part Ten:

22. 3 tired idiots in their sleepwear trying to unpack boxes

23. Trio piled together on a blanket-less bed, BF and Pico using GF's arms as pillows

Part Eleven:

24. FRIDAY NIGHT PAMPERIN'

25. "You can't go from frat boy to horrendously homosexual in two seconds!" "Waaa waaa it’s called bisexuality you ginger homophobe, pick a struggle goddamn."

26. GF and Pico taking the wildest double takes after BF admits to loving hearing them laugh

27. Pico whacking the shit out of BF with a pillow for the prior comment

Part Twelve:

28. BF and GF holding onto Pico for dear life while a thunderstorm goes off outside

Part Thirteen:

29. Absolute menace BF abusing the fact Pico and GF get all hot bothered and weak to his neck kisses

30. GF and Pico turning the tables immediately in revenge flustering the fuck out of BF

Part Fourteen:

31. BF's dream sequence

32. Yourself helping BF calm down + hug + Silly Billy music box lullaby

33. GF telling Yourself she's proud of him (accidentally sets him on an immediate spiral to a breakdown)

Part Fifteen:

34. Literally any of the three struggling with being touch-starved. Pick one or all

Part Sixteen:

35. Pico having a mental crisis over possibly being in love with both BF and GF

36. GF and BF comforting Pico after his outburst-breakdown

37. "Wanna be in a poly relationship with us?" "I'm scared about being in a relationship again but yes, yes I want to so badly"

Part Seventeen:

38. CUDDLE SANDWICH.

39. Pico hugging BF and/or GF like it's his last second alive

40. BF and GF joke fighting over who'd get to keep Pico in their pocket

Part Eighteen:

41. BF and GF dancing all silly in golden hour light

42. "My heart. My home. Together you are both, two people together as one. Where my love lies."

43. BF kissing the breath out of Pico

44. Stupid lovesick idiot snuggle pile

Part Nineteen:

45. Pretty tooth gap smile Pico

46. BF menace-ry

47. Puppy dog eyes GF

Part Twenty:

48. GF with her demonic features out being a hot girlboss

49. Dumbfounded BF having the hots for GF lmfao. Pico "Close your mouth BF fuck's sake"

50. Literally any part of the flirting. Jesus christ.

Part Twenty-One:

51. Koala-bear cuddly Pico

52. BF and GF reminiscing, also trying to get their stupid ginger to SLEEP DAMMIT

Part Twenty-Two:

53. Cherryblast kisses

54. BF dumbass smoking cigarettes and being distracted by random trinkets

55. BF MELTING TO UNDER-JAW KISSES

Part Twenty-Three:

56. Yourself/Silly Billy sticking halfway out the mirror talking to BF

57. BF absolutely yapping about being in love like a FREAK

58. Pico and GF in an absolute trance because Boyfriend.XML yaps. Literal heart eyes

Part Twenty-Four:

59. GF in BF's shirt

60. BF in Pico's sweater

61. Pico being an absolute sucker for both of them

Part Twenty-Five:

62. Pico and Nene about to kill the shit out of each other

63. "I DO NOT HAVE A LOVERBOY VOICE" -Pico, lying,

64. Darnell and Nene just being amused as fuck over how lap-dog core their friend has become

65. But in the same vein D and N are secretly really happy for Pico so it works out

Part Twenty-Six:

66. Pico losing it over the realization his two special someones trust him with their lives

67. Demon weighted blanket GF for Pico

68. BF spouting "I love you" over and over to the sleeping Pico in his arms

Part Twenty-Seven:

69. Pico calling BFGF freaks and attacking them /silly

70. BFGF with knowing looks watching Pico lean into their hands without thinking about it

Part Twenty-Eight:

71. Hypothetically, RGB existing as space debris for the rest of their lives, because they'd rather be together than alone

72. BF singing without his auto-tune microphone and absolutely enamoring GF and Pico

73. Pico kissing the knuckles of BF's hand because he would be a hand kisser.

Part Twenty-Nine:

74. Pico drowning in his own guilt and fear of being controlling over BF and GF

75. Yourself and Pico staring each other down like the stubborn shits they are

76. BF and GF terrified while Pico breaks down in their arms because seeing him upset makes them upset too

Part Thirty (M FOR SEXUAL CONTENT):

77. I mean it's just 1.8k words of body worship as of last update. Just any part of it tbh. Pico gets fucked up by GF and BF LMAOOOO

Part Thirty-One:

78. Pico completely asleep and being GF's personal teddy bear

79. GF using her magic to remove her offending musical emotions out of her head and glaring at them in the air

80. Pico having a heart attack over the form of how GF sees him, holding it to his chest and being so fucking in love

81. Pico also exploding into a blush because BF and GF kiss his musical self

Part Thirty-Two:

82. BF cuddled up against Pico's sweater nuzzling his nose in it

83. GF and Pico sad/angry that the world taught BF his birthday wasn't important

Part Thirty-Three:

84. Pico just horrendously collapsed on the couch because he can no longer move bitch is TIRED

85. BF CARRYING PCIO BRIDAL STYLE WHILE HE YELLS ABOUT NOT NEEDING TO BE CARRIED (he does)

86. Shy Pico soaking in the hot bath when BF and GF beg him to let them take care of him

87. All three of them in bed, Pico's nose pushed into BF's thigh while GF rubs his bare back in comfort

88. Pico squeezing the life out of an M-Raptor plushie

89. Freckle kisses...

Part Thirty-Four:

90. GF "I want to hold", BF "I want to be held", Pico "Both"

91. Pico losing the war against being sappy

92. GF in the kitchen with her scented candle hoard

Part Thirty-Five:

93. Pico singing to a "sleeping" BF

94. BF and GF arguing like an old married couple over who gets to be serenaded by Pico while he just sits there dying of embarrassment

95. Pico giving in and singing to both of them

Part Thirty-Six:

96. BF and GF flirting with each other calling each other pretty

97. A dozing Pico, comforted by his partners being flirty and loving behind him

98. Pico getting 3 seconds of victory by making BF blush calling him a pretty boy

99. GF giving Pico chin scritches that he enjoys far too much

100. BF getting Pico back, calling him a pretty boy and making him red in the face instead

Part Thirty-Seven:

101. Koala-Bear Pico with GF while she sleeps and he cuddles her for comfort

102. BF with Pico in his arms, petting comforting patterns into his back and singing the song "i5 pt. 2" to him with his real voice

103. Hypothetical post-fic trio cuddle pile where they're all tangled up in each other

Part Thirty-Eight:

104. Full demon mode GF with the black and red monarch butterfly patterned wings

105. Demon GF's lavender skin glowing with magic as she leaks the song of her emotions out into the air

106. Hurt/Comfort on the balcony, GF crying while clinging to BF and Pico

107. RGB back in bed cuddling with GF in the middle this time, for once

Part Thirty-Nine:

108. I mean. It's literally just about PicoBF and PicoGF makeouts... Staring directly into the camera like it's the office

109. But also BF calling Pico a "Needy Little Thing" on purpose

Part Forty:

110. More YS and BF shenanigans

111. BF bouncing around like an excited puppy about his poem

112. Pico not being able to Handle Poetry Written About Him

113. Storm of Demon Kissies for the boys!!!

[justagayperson-2024]

Sub!Hermione Granger x Dom!Reader

~Reader helps Hermione get off in the library~ GN!Reader

The library was its usual quiet self, with the sound of quills scratching on parchment paper and the flipping of book pages being the only noises you could hear. I sat in the corner of the library with Hogwarts's most esteemed nerd, Hermione Granger. She diligently scribbled her essay down on the parchment as I watched her with admiration and lust. Hermione looked up at me and blushed softly, "What are you looking at sweetie." Now it was my turn to blush. Her little pet names for me never failed to make me blush like a 12-year-old. I smirked at her and shook my head, "Oh nothing I just love watching you study and do homework." I said honestly. Her blush intensified and she tried hiding her face with her hair. I moved it behind her ear and gently cupped her chin, making her look at me. "Don't hide from me beautiful, you look so lovely when you blush," I whispered moving closer to her lips. A faint whimper escaped her rosy lips as mine ghosted over hers. I stopped millimetres from her lips then pulled away, "Oh I am sorry darling I don't want to distract you from your homework." I said sitting back in my seat and going back to reading my book. Hermione pouted and moved her chair closer to mine. "Please Y/n, kiss me." She begged quietly. Her hand rested on my knee and she looked into my eyes. Her pretty brown eyes looked at me with a neediness I'd never seen from Hermione. I looked around and noticed no one was around us so I swiftly maneuverer her onto my lap. Hermione gasped and squealed softly, "You need to stay quiet honey, there are still people at the other end of the Library yeah." I said gently squeezing her thigh. She nodded and crashed her lips into mine. Her neediness was overwhelming in the best way possible. She fervently kissed me while grinding her hips into mine earning a soft moan from me. I grabbed her hips and moved her onto my thigh, "Is my darling needy huh?" I asked moving her clothed pussy against my thigh softly. She bit her lip and nodded, trying to keep her moans quiet. I moved her hips at a painfully slow pace making sure to apply just the right amount of pressure to her clothed clit. Hermione buried her face into my neck in an attempt to quiet her noises. I softly chuckled as she began moving quicker, "Oh honey you want to cum?" I whispered in her ear, moving her hair to expose her beautiful neck. I peppered kisses from her ear down her neck leaving small bites now and then, littering her pretty neck in pretty marks. She moaned louder and I smacked her thigh gently, "You need to stay quiet honey or you don't get to cum." Hermione nodded quickly and moved faster against my thigh. I knew she was getting close so I let her get herself off on my thigh. She looked so pretty like this, face flushed, hair a mess, neck covered in marks made by me. "God the things I am going to do to you tonight my dove, I'm going to have you screaming my name." I whispered in her ear earning me a 'yes daddy' moan from her. Gods she is perfect. "Daddy I'm so close fuck please," Hermione whispered/moaned not so quietly. I ignored her loudness and moved her hips faster. "Good girl, cum on daddy's thigh you can do it my little dove," I said sweetly lifting her chin and making her look at me. I always love it when she looks at me as she cums. My words sent her over the edge and her eyes rolled back into her head as she came on my thigh. "Y/n oh god!" She moaned falling onto my shoulder. Her breath was heavy as she rode out her high. I slowly guided her hips off my thigh and sat her at the edge of the desk. "Was that okay my love?" I asked already knowing the answer. She nodded weakly and clung to my shirt. "Come now my dove let's get you to bed." I waved my wand and our stuff was in our bags neatly. I grabbed the bags and carried her bridal style out of the library earning some confused looks. 

[heaven4lostgirls]

Work for it (S.R)

pairing: steve rogers x reader, billy russo x reader

warning: angst, steve is still an ass but he's working on it! they also have a civil conversation for once

summary: the aftermath of the party, some closure and decison making.

word count: 1.5k

a/n: omg hey guys, been a while huh? *nervous chuckle* DONT HATE ME I'M SORRY I LOST MOTIVATION BUT I'M BACK NOW!

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5

tag list: @blackhawkfanatic, @buckys-wintersoldier, @witchychanel, @nicoline1998enilocin, @vicmc624

Seeing Steve with Sharon playing happy families had been a slap in the face to put it kindly. Although you knew that Steve had brought her to invoke jealousy, it had also highlighted just how right you were to be suspicious of how much of a priority he made her.

You knew Tony and Bucky felt bad for letting them stay, and even though you had forgiven then, a part of you also felt guilty for feeling like some part of that night was partially their fault. Peter had been attached to your hip after the party, a little brother in every sense of the word, warding off any advances from men and just talking your ear off about his chem final he had last week.

You had indulged him for the most part, he was the only person you knew realistically that you’d be able to handle for such an extended amount of time. Most of the other avengers would play nice for the most part but most, if not nearly all felt a sense of protectiveness over you after your decision to end your relationship with Steve and there was only so much coddling one person could handle.

You were tuning the party out as you excused yourself from Peter, letting him know you were just going to get a refill and would be right back. The happy nod you received in return was enough to let a little bit of a drunk giggle leave your lips. As you reach the bar, you order another cocktail and as you gaze over the party, you see a lot of people you’ve never met but you know are influential, it comes to you that as much as this party was for you, it was also just a typical Tony Stark party.

You loved Tony but he often overdid most celebrations he was left in charge of, you would’ve been happy with a small cake and a movie night, but nonetheless, nobody would ever complain about a party this extravagant being thrown for them. As you receive your drink from the bartender you feel someone sit in the seat next to you, and before you turn your head you already recognise the figure. Bucky.

“Hey Buck” you greet softly as you turn in your seat to face him, he turns to you with an apologetic smile, “Hey Y/N/N.” he opens his  mouth to start off his apology but before he can speak, your hand is out and halting it. “Don’t Buck, honestly you’re not responsible for what Steve does and I’d really appreciate if you could stop taking it out on yourself whenever he does something idiotic, he’s a grown man Barnes” you state and you watch as his brows furrow before he nods, “Barnes?” he questions with a chuckle. “You’ve been demoted” you pout fakely as you smack a kiss on his cheek before trying to find Peter among the crowd of people.

You find him talking to a prestigious Harvard professor you had met once at a charity gala, you leave him be and attempt to find someone else you recognise but the sheer amount of people in the complex starts to overwhelm you and before you realise it, you’re making your way to the elevator to the roof so you can get some air.

The elevator ride is silent which gives you some time to reorganise your thoughts, as the steel doors open you make out a male figure looking at the skyline of the city. You pause and hesitate if you want to disturb them, in your inebriated state you can’t make out exactly who the person in but before you can call out and ask them if it’s okay to join them, they turn around you are met with the face of one guilty looking Steve Rogers.

You sigh and turn to leave but Steve’s voice breaks the cold night air, “Wait- Y/N please don’t go!” he yells, and you stop but don’t turn around. You hear his hurried footsteps to where you’re standing and in fear he’ll try to touch you, you turn around and hold your hand out to stop him. He looks sad but stays put, “I’ll talk to you if you don’t come any closer to me Steve and believe me if I see you even twitch your hand closer to mine, I’ll be gone, and you’ll never see me again” you threaten before making your way to the wall he stood looking out beforehand.

He sighs and nervously stands about a meter from where you’re standing, you two stand in silence for a couple seconds before you break it “Why did you bring her.” “I’m sorry”. You both look at one another in shock before you snort drunkenly and motion for him to continue. “I’m sorry, I was just jealous you were leaving me- us, for Anvil and when I found out you were going to be working for Billy Russo, I couldn’t think straight, all I could think about was you moving on and leaving me behind and that’s not how this is supposed to end Y/N, we’re not supposed to end.” He rushes out and you listen intently before snorting again.

“You know Steve, it’s so funny when you hear the one person you used to beg to hear you, verbalise the same insecurities you had when the two of you were together.” You say with a small giggle and you watch as Steve’s expressions morphs into confusion and then pain. The alcohol in your system has effectively rendered your filter useless so you start again. “You can be as jealous as you want Steve, but  what we’re not going to do is tell me how I should move on with my life, you’re the one that fucked all of this up, not me.” You tell him and he nods emphatically before sighing again.

“I know honey, I know. I fucked up real bad but I’m here asking if there’s even a single shred of hope that we can fix this, I’m going to do it. I will spend the rest of my life fixing this, I will run myself into the ground trying to mend every wound and insecurity I have ever caused you, I need to know if you see a future with us, because if you do, honey I’ll never hurt you like that ever again” he says as his eyes plead with you believe him.

“Those all sounds like empty promises right now Steve, do you know how many times you’ve promised to me that you’d prioritise me when we were together? How many times you told me you’d stop running after Sharon? How’d you Put. Me. First.” You emphasise and watch as guilt overcomes his features. He’s about to start talking again before the sound of the heavy metal door opening to the roof scrapes against the floor to open.

It's almost comical how your heart drops and then flutters at the sight of Billy Russo. You see Steve’s body stiffen at the sight of the playboy worthy smile on Billy’s lips. You smile back at him and as you move to walk over to him, Steve stops you. “Hey, I thought we were still busy talking?” he asks with jealousy and anxiety in his tone. He can’t watch you walk away with Billy; you need to stay here. You’re safe here with him, who knows what Billy will do with you. You can’t leave him again; he has to make you stay.

Before you can even make out an answer, Billy’s close enough to speak. “Hey! Tony let me know he was throwing you a party and you know I had to come a celebrate my  new assistant. He let me know he saw you coming up here, I can leave if you want some privacy” he says with a smile as he nods at Steve before focusing his attention on you. You smile at him with one of the biggest and brightest smiles he’s seen you wear since before your breakup. He wants to roll his eyes at Bily’s obvious  flirting, but his jealousy takes a backseat at the anxiety he feels because his charm seems to be working on you.

“Yeah, actually we’re a bit busy!” he calls out to the both of you but all you do is turn to glare at him as you turn to Billy and shake your head before placing your hand on his suit jacket. Steve clenches his jaw at the sight whilst glaring at your hand like it’s committing a criminal offense. You turn to Steve, and he quickly fixes a small smile on his face. “I think I’m going to head back to the party with Billy. I’ll see you around Steve.” You say and although Steve feels his heart drop in his chest, he nods with a small smile as he watches the two of you walk away, already conversing animatedly.

“Hey!” he calls out at the last minute and winces as you turn around with a look of annoyance, “What, Rogers?” you ask and winces at the use of his last name, thin ice. “You never gave me an answer! Do you still have hope?” he calls out with a hopeful look and watches as your jaw twitches but the slight movement from your lips indicate your amusement. “You’ve got work to do, Rogers” is all you call out as Billy holds the door open for you to let you go back. Like the prick he is, Billy just smiles and nods at Steve as he leaves.

[kurov1864]

How Milgram characters act when drunk

For legal reasons they are all of drinking age I swear!! Please don't cancel me I just wanna write them a lil silly :(

Not Amane tho

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

Haruka: Clumsy and emotional drunk. It's like his normal personality, but emphasized by a hundred times. You have to pay extra attention to your words because when he's drunk, he can take any sentence you say and twist it so badly he'll convince himself that you think he's the scum of the earth. He's also quite clumsy, slurring his words, mixing up which hand is which, accidentally smacking your face when trying to hug you. Be patient with him, would you? He's trying his best.

Yuno: Bitter or happy drunk. It depends on her mood honestly. If she's drinking around fun and lively people, she'll be a happy drunk. The life of a party, teasing and flirting around, doing drunk karaoke, basically having an all around good time. If she's not in a good mood though… she'll become a bitter drunk. She'll let her usual sweet and cheerful facade slip and become her natural pessimistic self, muttering about her regrets and whatnot.

Fuuta: Sleepy drunk. He's literally the type to start off strong and rowdy then nod off in the middle of the conversation. His energy would slowly start to ebb during the early night, and he'll be completely knocked out by the time it's 11pm.

Muu: Emotional and sleepy drunk. She'll be crying left right and center about the unfairness of the world, trying to rationalize and convince everyone that she's the victim, all while slurring her words and eventually nodding off.

Shidou: Wistful drunk. He will reminiscence about his family 90% of the time, which would then lead him to tear up slightly. If you manage to get him in the other 10%, he'll talk about the "good ol days" with you, laughing about past experiences and maybe even complain about the new generation together, who apparently think it's acceptable to stay up writing headcanons about characters that don't exist at 3:55am.

Mahiru: Happy and affectionate drunk!! I think that's pretty obvious. She'll be giggling at everything and nothing, all while slinging herself over your body and trying to physically mush you together because she's just so full of love for you!!

Kazui: Impulsive and nostalgic drunk. We know that Kazui has lots of things he wants to act on. Alcohol is a very good way of making him forget about his worries and simply doing what he wants. When he gets tipsy he already would be spilling his life stories out. Good luck trying to get him drunk though, he has a highhhh tolerance.

Mikoto: Another friendly and affectionate drunk. Very warm and approachable, would definitely drag you to a couch just to cuddle. He'll want to talk about his lost passions and interests that he could never pursue because of his workload, telling you his plans for projects he would never pursue.

Kotoko: Talkative drunk. It's just her true personality without all the layers of wariness. She'll discuss with you about the ethics of her "job", the flaws of the legal system, the fucked up way that victims are treated in this society. Very passionate and doesn't have as much self-control as she does when she's sober, so be careful not to piss her off too much lmao

Es: Emotional and affectionate drunk. They WILL cling to you to make up for the amount of affection they have not received during their time as a warden. Please comfort them and tell them they're okay. Please. On an unrelated note, they can also get really passionate just like Kotoko. Just more open to discussion I suppose. Might let a few details about the prisoner's MV slip to you, but they'll never try to purposefully tell their story without consent :D

Jackalope: If he gets fed alcohol he'll die. Good riddance.

[aleksanderscult]

Analyzing "Demon in the Wood" (book) - Part 5

(Part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4)

(TW: self-harm!, suicide!)

Did you think I had forgotten about this meta?

ABSOLUTELY NOT

I was just dealing with a small health issue and before that I didn't have the motivation.

But now my meta-analyzing-self has returned with the fifth and last part of the book.

This is the passage from the book that actually made me think "What if Aleksander himself started sleeping less and less as an adult?". He "adopted" so many things from Baghra. It's possible that he did this too. Sleeping very few hours at night and always ready to leap at the first sign of danger.

Also, not Eryk not wanting to get smacked from his mom if she catches him. 😭

“It’s not enough.” His voice made me jump. The Darkling emerged from the shadows onto the lamplit path.

He really can startle people with his silent movements.

And the fact that he has been trained by hunters!

So he has learned from hunters, seers, Kings, Saints. Through all these four hundred years he gained an enormous amount of knowledge. (I would honestly sit and listen to his experiences for free)

HE'S TOO CUTE I JUST--

He really preferred to get interrogated by his mother for his wet clothes than get naked in front of a girl. 😭🫶

We went from this "He felt too shy to remove everything."

To this "His hand slid down to my hip. I felt a little trill of panic as my skirt slid higher and his fingers closed on my bare thigh."

They grow up so fast. 🥹🥹

It's that beautiful realization that he acts like a kid that makes me happy. All giggling and smiling while playing and swimming. This is the life he was supposed to live and he knows it.

He's so happy and hopeful that he starts making plans! 😭

He just wants to stay somewhere.

The Darkling never hated the otkazat'sya. It wasn't hate he felt but (overtime) he just only came to know their nature.

Eryk really liked Sylvi and thought her a good company to have her around.

He was aware of the way men looked at his mother.

I'm sorry but I find this line kind of awkward. It may only be just me. But little Aleksander seeing men giving lustful looks to Baghra is a little awkward. Like, man, not in front of her son. 😭

It was one more weapon in her arsenal.

Actually an anon once sent me an ask saying that the Darkling was promiscuous on his earlier days out of his need for touch and to gain information.

At that time I said that I doubted it since he had other means to gain information (through his spies, his natural charisma etc.) but @stromuprisahat discussed this in the comments and now I agree with her that Aleksander would sleep with someone to gain information. And, in the end, it was this line that fully convinced me. Just like I've said previously, Aleksander mimics his mother in almost everything. He just copies her behavior and patterns. And that's one more pattern that he must have copied. If he didn't have any other choice and was desperate (also it would depend on the person he had in front of him) Aleksander would go in "flirt mode" to get what he wants. Seduction was one weapon out of the hundreds in his arsenal, ready to be used if necessary.

Well hello socially awkward Aleksander.

That might be my hot take for him I think. Aleksander Morozova was actually socially awkward in sensitive matters (this moment right here, revealing to Ulla that they're siblings, his first kiss with Alina).

He was never raised in a stable home, never had healthy friendships and was raised by his mother very strictly and to value power over love. So whatever compassion he had as a person, he had it out of his own character. He was born with it and not nurtured to feel it or have it.

He doesn't know if this question about her mother is appropriate because he normally doesn't have conversations with peers and hasn't learned to.

It's a very sad but true fact about his character.

Eryk: "Thanks mom for nothing I guess".

I don't think people realize how cut off Aleksander was from literally everyone. And it was Baghra that cut him off. Not one single word about his father like she created him by herself or something.

(Now I also remembered how Alina was the only other person Aleksander could bond and be with since she was immortal too but Baghra took that from him as well. That woman really said "You'll have no one but me")

now I'm angry

He really really tries.

I've analyzed this moment a bit here but basically Aleksander was very awkward with others showing a vulnerable side. He isn't used to being close with others since he constantly travels, so here he does his best to comfort Annika as she lays bare her thoughts and feelings. He wants to let her know that her father didn't fail but did his best to protect his remaining family.

Hell nah!! 😭😭

Not my boy being protective over his new friend 😭😭

He only knows her for a few hours and he feels already close to her.

This shatters my heart because he doesn't want to believe the truth. He doesn't want to face it in the beginning. He's like "Oh. Maybe we're playing". He doesn't want to know that his friend has turned against him.

*tears up*

Can you hear me crying in the background? 🙂

He was so ready to protect her against a boy taller and stronger than him. Because they're friends. Friends are supposed to stick together.

*I'm ready to cry*

He's still in denial. 😭

And seeing the difference between this young Aleksander to his older version. The young one being naive, innocent and weak because he lets his emotions get the better of him. While the older one never begged for anything (at least directly), shed that side of him and still died because he still wanted things.

THE STRATEGIC BABY GRISHA IS HERE!!

He cleared his head and started thinking of ways to get out. And what better way of escaping than making Annika and Lev fight each other?

I personally think he said that line for two reasons:

He wanted Lev to know what he is in order to make him come over, break the ice and even stop Annika so he could buy himself some time and escape.

It's very interesting that he said "you won't be able to push her or her sister around anymore". He could have said "When Annika wears my bone she'll be more powerful than you" but he brought up Annika's vulnerable position and that shows that he understands why Annika does this.

But still he won't sit and let her finish the job.

His determination is the one quality that admire in him the most.

Take this moment for example. Someone just hit his head with a rock and he focuses on staying awake and alive. He doesn't allow his own body to take him down.

And here the same thing happens:

He's ready to vomit and pass out but he just forces his body to do more, to escape and survive. He never lets anything deter him from what he wants. And apparently it was Baghra that made him this way too:

She nurtured his strong will and over the years he became a driven, focused and determined person. And it were these qualities that kept him alive all those centuries.

When Alina left him behind on the Fold he survived and kept going.

When Sturmhond left him with a broken ship, a wounded arm and in the middle of nowhere, he survived and kept going.

When Alina betrayed him and brought a building down on his face, he survived, took the throne and rose again.

When his mother committed suicide, he cleared his head and continued his war.

When he came back from the dead, he still continued the march towards his ambition.

Literally nothing could stop him. Even "when he wasn't so sure he wanted to go on" he put his one foot in front of the other and set his eyes towards his dream. Whether that was to provide the Grisha a safe home, or the Ravkans a safe country or himself a companion to have. Or all of it together.

It was enough to make him less a boy than a prize.

A sad existence to live. Especially in your childhood. Your own people seeing you as a trophy to have, to wear and use than a human with a life of his own.

He revealed his gift to Annika when he showed kindness to her and now he pays the price.

His relationship with his mother is one of the most (if not the most) pivotal aspects of his character. Her words and teachings have been implanted deep inside him and can hear her often in his mind (just like he did in RoW).

Did he also hear her voice whenever he was close to dying in his adulthood?

He lashed out of fury, desperation and sadness for everything that happened that day. Just when he thought he had it all, fate came and took them out of his hands along with his hope.

Let me make a mark on this world before I leave it.

He succeeded in that. The Little Palace is the greatest proof and people talked about him long after he was gone (and they'll continue to do so).

As a child he saw how Grisha came and went from this world without "touching" anything. He didn't want the same thing to happen to him. He wanted to make something.

(Also the fact that he dropped that iconic, serious line at the age of thirteen. The Darkling at thirteen "I want to make something grand before I die". Me at thirteen: *watching Shakira clips and failing school like nobody's business* 😭😭)

I don't think most of us understand that Aleksander literally self-harmed himself to survive and save his mother's life as well. Used his own power against him to make sure that they won't be burned alive for what he did.

For the Ulle to be so sure that nothing would happen at their camp makes me think that they were being established successfully there for a long time. But that surety and protection faded because of his own people who are so desperate to gain power in order to survive. It's not a matter of selfishness. I don't see it that way. But it's a matter of survival especially since the Grisha are a group of persecuted people that are hunted down for their powers, feared and shunned.

Whether you believe it or not, I've seen people say that Aleksander didn't regret the fact that he was responsible for the burning of that village.

*screaming in frustration*

So. I'll repeat that it wasn't an act of selfishness but a matter of survival. It's not a black and white situation. If Aleksander had said the truth he would be executed alongside his mother for what he did. And the other Grisha wouldn't hesitate to do it since they already feared Baghra. And what people fear, they destroy.

Aleksander opted to cut his leg deep with his own powers, lose unconsciousness and tell a fake story to save his mother and leave from that settlement in one piece. But he didn't take pleasure from it. He wasn't glad when Lev and Annika died and felt sorry for their parents and their reaction. And now he feels sorry for the burning of the village. He knew they were innocent and he supposed they were going to interrogate them or something. But kill all of them? That he neither expected or wanted.

Look. I think Baghra loved her son. But let's be honest. If he wasn't so powerful, if he wasn't immortal he would cast him away the same way she did with his siblings. Sooo....yeah. It's a toxic kind of love. She loves him for what he can offer her (companionship mostly) so it's not an unconditional love. She mostly wanted to keep him safe because, if he died, she would be left with no one.

Bardugo in a podcast called her "a horrible, horrible mother" and she is. But I still find her a fascinating character that I can't get enough of for some reason. I don't like her but I find her interesting.

Honestly, me neither. Annika was not my favorite character in this story but I don't hate her for trying to kill him. She wanted to protect her family and their position in the camp. It's a bleak world for the Grisha and they have to "eat" each other to survive.

Aleksander really said: "I will make my people matter. I'll make them touch this world and make themselves known. We will be seen".

All the Grisha characters that were trained in the Little Palace owe their reputation to the Darkling. Alina would never know who she was and, even if she did, she would waste because she would be unable to use her powers without someone to guide her. Zoya would never achieve that reputation.

Grisha would just continue to live in caves and hidden establishments. Afraid to go out and show their powers to strangers.

By S&B the Grisha were still despised but there was a minority that held them in awe. But that did nothing to change the situation. Now they are seen but used by the Crown. It was the only place they could have in the kingdom.

It rose from the trees surrounding it like something carved from an enchanted forest, a cluster of dark wood walls and golden domes. As we drew closer, I saw that every inch of it was covered in intricate carvings of birds and flowers, twisting vines, and magical beasts.

“Welcome to the Little Palace,” said the Darkling.

He did it. The crazy son of a bitch did it. 🥹🥹

He managed to create a safe home for them. Made sure for them to be surrounded by other people like them, sitting in front of a warm hearth, in unity not in conflict with each other. Somewhere to rest their heads under the gorgeous carvings of vines and birds. A place to practice their powers freely and eat luxuriously. Somewhere to come back to, like all of us do when we want to go home. Somewhere to belong and somewhere to stay.

(fuck you Tolya for what you said in that duology. Fuck you and everyone who talks shit about Aleksander's greatest accomplishment)

That was the end of the book and I absolutely loved that story. I need 20 more novellas like this from the perspective of the Darkling from his earlier adventures. I'll analyze the Graphic Novel next.

[arcanarubinaito]

MC & M6 Dynamics

Each section contains a mini-playlist with six songs. It’s followed by a general analysis of what I aimed for each playlist to convey when listened to.

A song they’ll sing to/with each other. (In Lucio’s case, specifically him to Auric.)

A song that summarizes the start of their relationship, post-death.

The dynamic from Auric’s POV.

The dynamic from the character’s POV.

An instrumental song that fits their current dynamic.

Bonus song.

Muriel’s playlist will have nine songs, in an attempt to encompass both where their dynamic is currently and where I aim to take it. I’ll show the pattern below using the numbers from above to show what each song is meant to represent.

(Present, first four songs)—2,3,4,5

(Future, last five songs)—1,3,4,5,6

Brothers.

It’s a term that both use without even needing to think about it. Family, siblings, so incredibly close that sometimes it takes Asra a moment to remember they weren’t always in each other’s lives.

Long before they lost half their heart, it already felt like it was missing. The experience forced a lot of their trauma and unresolved issues back into the forefront. They began retreating frequently once Auric was able to take care of himself, taking lengthy trips to get away from it all before it consumed them entirely.

Even without his memories, Auric still loved him. He looked up to him, depended on him. Frequently, Auric wondered if that was why Asra kept leaving—if Auric loved him too much and scared him away.

He stayed. Even when it was painful, sleeping all alone in the loft they shared. Auric stayed right where Asra left him, waiting for them to come back.

Can one still love when they feel so angry? Auric couldn’t figure it out. As time went on, the resentment would build up and all Auric would feel was guilt for it.

Love and care, soured by resentment and loneliness. Auric is finally pulling away, keeping things from Asra that he never did before. Asra wants to fix it, and they’re hoping to god it isn’t too late to do something.

Best friends; confidantes, even.

They knew each other before Auric died. They met at the wedding, and quickly figured out they had a bit in common. While they weren’t particularly close—they led very different lives and rarely had the chance to interact—they were still fond of one another.

When they met again, Nadia had been expected someone brighter and happier. That was who she met in her dreams after all. Instead, she was faced with an anxious, slightly irritable apprentice. And it felt horribly, horribly wrong.

She took extreme amounts of care to make sure Auric was comfortable at the palace. One of the smaller guest rooms, (mostly) practical outfits made from comfortable fabrics, she even incorporated foods into the menu that Portia recommended the average citizen of Vesuvia would enjoy.

Nadia found a unique confidante in Auric. It wasn't long before she confessed her memory loss, and now the two know they have something they share.

In many ways, they leaned on one another. For two people that felt lonely throughout the lives they remembered, there was nothing better than to encounter someone who knew how they felt.

Nadia wants to foster more trust between them. If ever Auric should need anything, Nadia will be right there for him to assist in whatever ways she can.

What else can they call themselves but family? Their relationship fluctuates, depending on their situation.

Meeting Julian for the first time was an… experience. But glimpses past Julian’s façade quickly revealed that he was desperate, not dangerous. Didn’t save him from getting smacked with a broom though.

Honestly the song dedicated to the start of their relationship is more or less just the vibes Julian gave off to Auric at first. Yes, it’s a Will Wood song. You can’t make a playlist without one, I don’t make the rules I just follow ‘em.

It would be a lie to say Julian didn’t have a healthy fear of Auric at first. That wasn’t what Auric intended, but he got a little intense and Julian didn’t know Auric well enough to realize that’s not how he is normally.

There’s a lot of running into each other because there’s a lot of following each other around. Auric tracked Julian down for the purposes of his investigation; Julian started following Auric around to make sure he didn’t run into trouble.

One thing they both could relate to is a longing for adventure and exploring. On top of that, the feeling that they had to stay behind for one reason or another, and in Julian’s case, the guilt that came from finally leaving and pursuing his interests.

These two keep each other in check. Both are impulsive and self-sacrificing; which means they’re perfect to keep each other from diving headfirst into something without thinking, or otherwise doing things they might regret. (Cough, cough, Julian nearly giving himself up to the guards so Auric could escape despite them both being in a very secure hiding place.)

Auric is yet another person Julian hopes can forgive him, for his past and for what he’s planning to do.

Best friends in that do everything together, giggling school girls talking about their crushes, going to the ends of the earth for each other kind of way.

They clicked faster than Auric did with Asra. Like the platonic version of falling in love at first sight. Auric found it incredibly easy to talk to Portia, and vice-versa.

See the thing is, they both love with their entire beings, absorb the stress of everyone and everything around them, and deal with it through borderline overworking themselves. It cancels out with each other. There’s no feeling like they have to prove themselves, and they can feel relaxed.

Auric hadn’t smiled like that in months. His cheeks hurt, his feet ached, but it was worth it to dance and let go of his stress for a couple hours with Portia.

It really just felt natural to talk to her. She was warm, sweet, and caring. Auric felt the most like himself, the most relaxed he had been in ages. That’s not to say he isn’t comfortable around the other M6, but they all carry stress or stressful situations with them that make it hard for him to really let go and unwind.

Boundless energy and curiosity. When Portia and Auric had the time, it was pursuing books in the library or exploring the secret passages. If their schedules didn’t line up, sometimes they’d use their time off to help each other out with whatever they were working on.

There is trust, but also secrets. And that is perfectly fine; they’ll tell each other in good time.

Once upon a time you could describe their relationship as friendly rivals. As a child, Auric often engaged in prank wars with the new Count.

Now they’ve become mortal enemies, their laughter and antics lost in the past. A small part of Lucio missed it, which spurred his actions a little; but whatever kindness and affection he might’ve had was swallowed up in anger and resentment during those three years.

Death was not kind. Or in Lucio’s case, the lack thereof. Three years allowed his anger and desperation to fester and rot, lashing out at anything that wandered into his abandoned wing.

Originally there was a sort of cat and mouse dynamic. It started when Auric first stepped foot into Lucio’s wing; taunting, chasing, even outright hurting Auric in his limited capacity. Auric didn’t remember him, which made it all the more frustrating for Lucio. Although slowly it became a point of interest.

Once he had his own body, his attention shifted away from Auric for a while. It returned swiftly once he completed his deals and he began to realize the little apprentice actually posed a threat. It’s at this point as well that Auric’s fear of Lucio transformed to full-fledged hatred. (Morga’s death was the catalyst.)

It didn’t help that The Devil and The Fool had their own issues going on, and that was beginning to influence things.

Blood will be shed because of their mutual hatred. But while Auric tries to keep it contained between them, Lucio frankly doesn’t give a fuck who gets caught in the crossfire.

They may have begun as strangers but they end up as partners.

Of course, the road to that point is long and slow when one can’t remember the other, and the other doesn’t like the first one.

Muriel barely knew Auric before he died. His opinion only really started forming after Auric’s resurrection; ‘The dead should stay dead.’ is what he told Asra. And he stood by it; he saw firsthand what trying to resurrect Auric did to them. And he saw the aftermath of it too, and how it changed his best friend.

The first time he properly met Auric post-resurrection, it was only because Asra needed someone to keep an eye on him the first time Asra took one of his trips. There wasn’t anything Auric did wrong in particular, but Muriel left with a sour taste in his mouth anyways.

Auric was afraid of him at first. The first several visits were like that; reactions of fear that never quite ebbed away. Muriel could deal with that, he was used to it. What really started to disturb him was when Auric began to slowly become more comfortable around him, despite the curse.

It’s not fear but it slowly developed into wariness. Muriel long discovered that his fear was not absent entirely; it remained attributed to whoever remembered him. And while Auric didn’t remember him entirely, something still did—something small, just under the surface. So whatever fear and anxiety Muriel was developing about the situation mimicked that.

Though to someone who lived a few years now with very limited fears, that was more than enough to trigger some avoidance and general distrust. Especially because he couldn’t control this; he had no say in whether or not Auric remembered him. And in that tiny, under-the-surface way, that was terrifying.

After this, he watched Auric only from a distance and very, very rarely would he interact with him. Warning him about the palace the morning Auric set out to see Nadia was the first time he had spoken to Auric in a good year.

… which was then subsequently followed by multiple interactions over the span of a week, and Auric’s slight recognition began to turn into vague familiarity.

To be honest, Auric was starting to freak out. He was insanely attuned to his own memory out of paranoia that he would lose it all over again; so it was very easy for him to notice all the missing ones. And it really didn’t help that they were cropping up more frequently.

Thankfully Asra returned and Muriel wasn’t needed anymore. And by the looks of things, Asra wasn’t going to leave for a while yet; good. Muriel wanted to put as much distance between himself, and Auric, and these weird feelings of slight fondness and concern as possible.

Asra asked him to stick around longer anyways. Auric was accepting only so much help from them, and they didn’t trust Julian to keep Auric safe and out of trouble either. Great, now he was stuck watching TWO people he didn’t like.

Muriel had to wonder just how much fortune hated him, for Auric to stumble across him that fateful evening in the forest. Sure, he was bleeding out from a gaping wound in his side and sure Auric unthinkingly healed him up and spent his magic reserves…

… and then they were traveling together…

… and getting to know each other…

… fuck.

Now he understood exactly what ‘butterflies’ meant. Now he knew a different kind of fear. Now he knew a different intensity to the fears he used to have.

His knee jerk instinct is to run away from it all when it gets too intense. But Auric didn’t really let him… which was surprising. And nice. Everything Auric did was surprising, mostly in good ways.

Whatever happens, they’re prepared to weather the storm together.

[hana-no-seiiki]

༊*·˚ GUEST IS GOD CUSTOMER SERVICE お客様は神様 カスタマーサービス ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

☎️ . . . HELLO HELLO! You have reached the Guest is God’s customer service line. How may I help you, dearest guest? ♡

Oh, you’re new ? My my, why don’t I introduce you to our establishment first, shall we ?

line status: unedited

The Guest is God Host Club is home to many of our fantastic hosts here to make your day, afternoon, or evening a little more interesting. Our employees cover a vast amount of needs our visitors might want from a regular old friend to talk to or maybe a dominant sexual deviant to spend the night with !

It’s important to know that despite our guests position as gods and goddesses of our club, to touch and perform any type of activities must with our hosts must first ask for consent. The best way would be to use our in-house formats such as “May this god . . . ? “ or “Could you service this god by . . . ?” as our staff are trained to respond immediately to this call.

If you break any of the rules, especially the one above, you are to be eliminated escorted outside the premises and blacklisted from entering.

So, dearest Guest. Please make sure to read our rulebook thoroughly !

Now that you know what The Guest is God is, how about I introduce you to our hosts and hostesses?

Now I may be a bit biased, but [L/N] [Y/N] has got to be my favorite ♡ You’ll find them to be the best match for you if you’re interested in the maid types . [Y/N] may act like a bit of a brat at times however, as such it’s your job as our guest to put them in their place ! We can’t have a disobedient servant after all . Oh oh, and I heard, if you pay extra you can bring them home to do your chores and what not. Aren’t you just excited by the thought of —

[ You hear an awfully loud cough from the other side and a couple of smacks. ]

Thanks but th-that hurt, y’know!

Fine ! Fine ! Moving on. Geez.

Now, Hazu Kashi is our latest addition so there may be times he . . . gets out of character but rest assured he’ll get to an acceptable level . . . one day. He’s supposed to represent the Dominant Daddy type but he’s a bit too shy. I honestly don’t know what boss was thinking trying to —

[ Another smack, this time much, much louder ]

He does pack a hit however! [ groan ] Making him the perfect sadist to entertain any of your masochistic needs!

Unto our next host, shall we?

If you’re looking for a more experienced worker. Ms. Hilda Mcguire might be more up your speed. She has worked here for close to a decade now and used to be the top of the ranks before [Y/N]. If you’re into the classic femme fatale who’ll sweep you right off your feet then I suggest scheduling a meeting with her.

Mmm . . . who next . . .

Oh Oh! If you’re up for even more spice in your life, might I direct you to our very own Orochi Kimura! The Yandere Lover. Signing up for them is a little tricky though. Buncha waivers regarding privacy and the lack thereof moving forward with his contract, possible missing peers and family members, bloody letters and what not.

Ah, you want something a little more tame?

Keisuke Abe is pretty rough around the edges. If you like a little excitement but not - well risk your life and all that. Keisuke is pretty fun to hang out with. Though the smell of alcohol in his dedicated room is quite nauseating. He’s great at bringing people out of their shells !

For guests with more expensive tastes, I recommend Junichiro and Nao. Jun is the perfect sugar baby for those whose time is little and wallets big. Give him a gift or two and he’ll be yours to use however you’d like. Nao on the other hand is for guests who love to be on the receiving end.

Tired of demure partners? Why don’t you try Masashi? Personally I wouldn’t hang out more than I have to with the grump, but surprisingly he’s quite popular with the folks here. Some people really do like getting insulted 24/7 huh?

On the other hand, if you like the definition of bland . . . er - shy. Well Haku, Hazu’s twin, should be right up your alley! He’s more of a listener than a talker, so he’s usually partnered with chatty clients.

Let’s get some estrogen back in for our last few introductions . . .

Hinata has to be my second favorite next to [Y/N]. She used to work as a regular old nurse both in and out of the club until Boss was looking for a potential replacement for the latter. Fortunately I heard that [Y/N]’s graduation was cancelled so they’re both available at the moment. As a host she’s pretty similar but with less of the formal speech and more of the motherly vibes, y’know?

Emi Ishii is a jack of all trades when it comes to the sibling-con types. May it be the clingy little sister or the big boobie- [cough] nice older sister, Emi’s got ya covered! A little warning though, that girl can talk for hours if you pick the little sister option. Even I got winded.

And last but not least, we have our general staff members. You might encounter us once in a while during your stays inside the club.

Our boss Mr. Melchior is basically as old as time at this point. I heard from Ms. Hilda that he’s been here since she started working ten years ago and he has not age a bit! He can be really, really scary when people break the rules . .

Ursa or what we usually call her, Bear, is in charge of security. Nothing gets past her sight. If you ever see a big bear mask and claws. Make sure you’re in your best possible behavior.

If you’re having scheduling problems or issues with how your host is acting, please contact either Akihiko Sugimoto or Mei Lan. They’re in-charge of human resources and management respectively.

A quick ring of a bell will alert Kin, our cleaner of any messes you’d like to have gone. He doesn’t exactly talk so don’t expect a conversation if you ever pass by him down the halls.

And last but not least, little old me! I man the desk 24/7. No rest for the wicked they say h a h a! You can call me Youko. I’ll be handling your documents, log in times, and what-not in addition to any questions you may have about The Guest is God.

You still need a bit more time to choose?

Once you’ve made a decision just give this number another ring. I’ll be right here to guide you along the sign-up process.

Hope to see you here soon, Mr. Eden Whitlock!

GUEST IS GOD REGULARS: [reply to be added to the taglist]

©️ hana-no-seiiki 2023.

[einsatzzz]

How does fandom characterize/mischaracterize your characters ship in fanworks? for Kana

Hi Lou! I forgot to queue this skjdfhjsvfhsf but here's the answer for your second ask. Thank you again for sending them! Putting an old Kana pixel art here as it's kind of relevant hehe She does not give a fuck 👍✨

In terms of general fandom depiction/characterization, I feel like there will be a divide on how people would interpret her gender - whether she would be depicted as some set gender like female or male. Majority would probably depict her as female because we(creators) use she/her on Kana by default and her voice too (or maybe they even saw tk/rv Kana), but I can also see a good amount depict her as male because of her clothing and behavior.

I say gender, because I know there are people out there with strict preference with the genders involved in their ships. I don't really see anything bad with it of course, everyone has their own preferences, as long as they don't force it on other people. But the simple truth is that either and neither of those interpretations are correct.

To be honest, besides gender, there will definitely be people who will also fight on how they interpret her character in general, which would highly likely reflect on how they depict her dynamic with the character she's being shipped with. Though, I honestly won't blame this hypothetical fandom. Even I, someone who knows her current full lore, still feel like her character can be quite difficult to grasp at times (easiest is when she's involved in a comedy scene ngl) and I also get surprised by the (bull)shit she's capable of/can think of. Though, one of the most mischaracterization that people can do for her is to either extremely woobify her or extremely vilify her - in general, just seeing her in an absolute black or white way. Thank you @ciaossu-imagines for mentioning this to me hehehe 🫶🥰✨ sjbfjhvfs

For other possible shipping-related mischaracterizations, I'll just list them:

Love (and therapy) can fix her and bring back the light in her eyes - *smacks roof of the car* This bad boy can pack so much hatred, bitterness and emptiness. Jokes aside, I want to emphasize more that love and hate are two sides of the same coin. She can only hate that much because she already had a lot of love in her to begin with.

Depicting Kana crying from some shipping-related situation? Or tbh...for any situation people would think she'll cry from considering the current information revealed about her and any available canon information in KHR that's retained in KHRe - *smacks roof of the car* This bad boy can pack so much emotional repression.

I see this so often actually, but there really will be people out there who only care for the ship itself, rather than the separate characters that make up the ship. This won't be a Kana-exclusive instance in the hypothetical fandom, but an instance of such would be a grave sin against her character itself. It would really show if they ignore Kana's other important relationships with other characters (like Kurumi, Yui, etc), just to inflate their own ship more.

And that's another episode of: Thank goodness my OC is not a canon character!

[kin-the-muffin]

i currently have a half-baked theory about alastor…

ok so in the finale, he said that he wants freedom, meaning he has been restricted in some way. but as far as we’ve seen and can tell, he is basically free to do as he wishes. and of course there’s the theory with lilith being the one owning his soul, which he might have traded away to gain such insane amounts of power. but what has he ever done that didn’t seem to be in his best interest?

charlie.

yea, yea, i hear you and your sassy clips of him saying he’s helping the hotel simply for boredom’s sake and that he enjoys watching people try to do something meaningful but then fail in the process but! that would imply that he’d done so before, but we have never, not once, ever heard that he even dabbled in such a thing. (and don’t you dare try to tell me that he actually cares about charlie, the man is the most manipulative, sadistic little mf i’ve ever seen, and that’s saying something because i’ve seen miraculous ladybug and hate liela rossi as much as anyone else.) the only things we know about his past is that he appeared in hell very suddenly with lots of power, he toppled countless overlords overnight, and his radio podcast killed tons of demons. nothing of this has to do with other beings in hell trying to make it better (as i highly doubt any of those overlords had good intentions since they were, well, overlords). but he doesn’t seem the type to do things meaninglessly, he always has ulterior motives.

but then if his excuses of entertainment are as flimsy as i’m making them out to be then why would he ever help charlie? well, i think that brings us back to lilith. it’s far from a rarely-noticed detail that the length of alastor and her’s disappearances were for the same amount of time and while we know that lilith spent that time in heaven (if that even is lilith, but idk enough about that theory so i’m just gonna assume that it’s her and that she’s been in heaven the whole time), we don’t have a smack-dab CLUE as to what alastor was up to during his vacay. then he just shows up out of nowhere, at the idealistic princess of hell’s doorstep of all places.

well, i’ve had a sneaking suspicion for a while that lilith’s deal (at least part of it), in exchange for his power, was to help charlie in some way. i’m thinking that’s why he seemed so torn-up about how he almost ‘died for his friends’. he doesn’t care for any of them (except maybe nifty but i think that’s just bonding over shared mania (i think rosie (and maybe zestial) is the only one he truly, honestly cares about, but i get the feeling that even that relationship is pretty business-based)).

we have no idea what lilith is like, we have absolutely zero characterization of her except for what charlie explains about her in episode 1, that she’s passionate and hardworking and stubborn and independent—qualities that charlie mostly has in abundance. so i would say that she’s cared about charlie this whole time but due to whatever is keeping her in heaven, she can’t help her, except that lilith seems a little too malevolent to care about charlie’s hotel. why would she? she fell in love with a dreamer who shared her rebellious heart and for this, she was the first human soul cast into hell. she has never had any kind of reason as to why she would ever want to go to heaven, or anyone else for that matter (as she did work to make hell into the semi-civil place it is now). and we have no idea how close she and charlie were before she left (i suspect we’ll learn more about that in season 2), so we can’t assume that she’ll just support charlie, whatever her aspirations may be. so i honestly have no idea as to why lilith would enlist alastor to help charlie, but i am fairly convinced that this is the case of what’s happened.

thoughts?

[sulphuryasecretcloset]

Leave Him Alone

“I'm sorry.” Zev sighs, plopping some snacks into her mouth from the container she had secured from the first food stall they had encountered.

This was meant to be a quick trip into the village to pick up some supplies and then just head back to the cabin where Mose is waiting with Junior (Neither of them do well in the cold.) and Grogu, but things just got more complicated.

“It's fine.” Din sighs as well. He had known bringing Leave-it along, not just her and Corin, would mean there would be a lot of talking, he just hadn't anticipated the blond making it his personal mission to speak to just about every soul in the village.

“He's just...” Zev gestures vaguely towards where Leave-it and Corin are in deep conversation with some stranger. “Weird. Always have to talk to strangers. He got invited to some baby's naming ceremony last week after speaking to the parents for about ten minutes. I honestly can't take him anywhere.” She rummages around in the container for more treats. Din battles against a smile. They are such complete opposites, her and Leave-it, but somehow it works. Judging by how much she's been eating these last two days, things appear to have worked really well between them. She hasn't said anything about anything, but Din is still willing to bet credits on there being some good news real soon. “Seriously, it's fine.”

Which it is. A bit time consuming, but fine. The trouble emerges when Leave-it and Corin come trotting back over, all excited, to tell them they had just been invited to join in on some big sporting event that takes place on a frozen lake.

Zev'sonya scowls and chews. Din is about to veto the entire thing until he sees the excitement in Corin's eyes and the gorgeous smile that reveals just how much he wants to go to this thing. Great. How is he supposed to say no to that?

He can't.

Which is why Din Djarin finds himself standing next to a frozen lake with a very annoyed twi'lek by his side, while the love of his life and his obnoxiously cheerful friend are attaching skates to their feet to join the people already warming up on the ice.

“Push-over.” Zev'sonya mutters.

“I didn't hear you tell your boyfriend no.” Din mutters back, skilfully ignoring Zev’sonya’s scowl.

Down on the frozen lake, Leave-it shows he's not a lost cause on skates, unlike Din. He's clearly not completely comfortable at first, a little awkward as he moves but improving by the second, and soon he's skating around with a confidence and skill Din has yet to achieve even after an embarrassing amount of tutoring.

Corin, on the other hand, is moving with such talent and grace that Din can't help but to wonder if he'd come rushing out of his poor mother on skates. He’s outshining everyone on the ice and he’s not even trying to impress anyone. If anything, Corin looks relaxed and is just having fun hanging around with Leave-it.

The game is silly and pointless. Six souls on each team, each person with a sturdy stick in their hands, trying to smack a small, black rock across a line about a meter long on either side of the lake.

If not for the bright grin on Corin's face as he skates next to Leave-it, Din would have found this a complete waste of time. That smile makes it worth it, though. That smile is perfection.

Once the game starts and the battle for the rock commences, it doesn't take long before the opposing team realizes what Din had already concluded; Corin is the biggest threat to their victory.

While there follows plenty of bickering over the rock, shoulders knocking against shoulders and the volume of voices rising along with their tempers, Din isn't too worried at first. In the fighting pit at the Covert, tempers always flared during their games as well. Then everything changes.

Corin is racing up the ice, tapping the rock along with his stick, when one man comes rushing in from the left. This one ignores going after the rock entirely and instead, with the determination of a hammerhead corvette, he body-slams into Corin with all of his might.

Din’s entire body jolts as Corin goes flying through the air, slams back down onto the ice and slides a good distance before coming to a halt. Pushing himself up on his arms, Corin shakes his head, as if to shake off the shock and dizziness, while Leave-it rushes to his side to check on him along with a couple of others from their team.

Din takes a step forward, about to call Corin off the ice, but it's too late as the crazy man is already up on his skates again and is sliding over to rejoin the game. He appears unharmed by the attack, though Din doesn't trust that for one second and scans Corin as he moves for any signs of discomfort. He knows only too well that Corin will ignore broken bones rather than inconvenience anyone, thinking a silly game being far more important than his own well-being. If Corin's shoulder droops, like when he broke his collarbone, or if he tries to keep his weight off a leg to ease hidden pain, or anything like that, Din will march over and physically drag Corin off the ice.

It’s not long before there is a new attempt at knocking Corin over. The same guy rushes twoards Corin with every intention of body slamming him into next week and it happens so fast that Din can't do anything to stop it.

Luckily, Corin must have anticipated this and he’s ready for it. When the guy charges at him, Corin turns, twists his body out of the way, and watches as his attacker flies by and nearly ends up face-first into the massive snowbank that circles the lake. Unfortunately, Din doesn't get to feel relief because he sees a second guy rushing at Corin's back with the intent of knocking him over while he’s distracted, but Corin once again merely turns and lets the idiot fly by him, even gives him a little wave. Now Din smirks and actually relaxes. A little. Corin's got this.

Despite several more attempts, no one comes close to even touching Corin. He side-steps, twists and slides out of their path with hardly any effort and mouth-watering elegance. If anything, he seems amused.

Din does the mistake of relaxing. Which is of course when bad luck strikes.

Once the players realize they can’t break any of Corin’s bones, they unleash their anger on the easier target: Leave-it, the other outsider. He’s nowhere near as fast or smooth on the skates and so he has no chance to dodge the guy now rushing at him.

Din flinches at the impact. It’s not as harsh as when that first guy hit Corin, but it is plenty hard enough to knock Leave-it over and for him to hit the ice with a yelp. Din looks over at Zev’sonya, who watches with a frown until Leave-it is back up on his skates and grinning at the fussing Corin before turning her attention back to her snacks. It appears that she’s a lot less worried than Din.

Minutes later, they knock the blond over again. Corin quickly skates over and helps Leave-it back up. Minutes after that, the opposing team knock him over a third time.

Kneeling next to Leave-it, who is gesturing that he’s fine, Corin slowly turns his gaze towards where the opposing team are huddling together with smugness radiating off them.

Corin is too far away for Din to see his eyes clearly, but he does see how Corin lowers his chin and how his shoulders tense up as his muscles tighten and bulge.

“Uh oh.” Din mumbles.

“What?” Zev’sonya asks.

“They just made Corin angry.”

Zev’sonya squints with the effort of trying to see what Corin’s face looks like. “I didn’t think he could get angry over a game.”

“Trust me.” Din says. “They could go after him and knock him down all day and he wouldn’t be bothered, but once they go after someone he cares about… I almost feel sorry for them.”

“I don’t.” Zev’sonya says, indeed without an ounce of sympathy in her voice. “I hope Corin breaks their legs.” She slowly cracks something between her teeth that sounds scarily like bones breaking.

Ah. A slight smile tugs at Din’s lips. Not less worried than Din after all, just better at hiding it.

The game starts up again, but this time Corin is the one ignoring the black rock and makes no attempts at scoring points. Instead he skates nearby Leave-it in what others might think is a purely whimsical way until one guy does the mistake of rushing at the blond with every intent of knocking him down.

Corin turns, faster than anyone should be able to on skates, speeds up, hunches forward and slams his shoulder into the guy so hard that both Din and Zev’sonya flinch. The impact is so violent it stops the man as if he’d run straight into a wall, his feet fly high while his upper body go down like a lead weight. The landing is so brutal his ancestors probably feel it too.

Zev’sonya lets out a low cackle of mean satisfaction when the guy has to be helped back up on his feet. Din, on the other hand, keeps his gaze on Corin, who nonchalantly skates around like nothing happened without straying too far from Leave-it or taking his eyes off the opposite team. Oh, he is seriously pissed off. Those guys have no idea what they’ve unleashed. Dank farrik, Corin is hot when he’s angry like this. Watching him destroy that guy without mercy, he’s gorgeous. Most people who have met Corin once upon a time would describe him as amiable to the point of being an easy push-over, but he’s showing a very different side to himself at the moment. One that Din loves. Right now, Corin looks ready to knock your teeth out if you challenge him.

The next man trying to knock Leave-it down fails to see Corin’s approach, but he certainly feels it when Corin grabs a hold of his shoulders and spins around to fling him face first into the snowbank on the left. Idiot number three who charges at Leave-it eats the ice hard when Corin comes up behind him and swings the stick with all of his might at his ankles. It takes a little while before someone tries to knock Leave-it down again after that, but once he scores two points for his team the tempers flare and one moron can’t help himself and rushes towards the blond.

“Mistake.” Zev’sonya observes,

“Big mistake.” Din agrees, while hoping she doesn’t pick up on the rasp in his voice due to how his throat is snaring up with the urge to admire out loud how hot Corin is right now.

“Down, boy.” Zev’sonya mumbles with a slight grin.

She heard. Dammit. Din clears his throat a little awkwardly, but still savours the ruthless way Corin slams into a guy with all of his considerable strength and no fear. Magnificent. Mandokarla. So karking Mandokarla. This is what he knows is hiding behind Corin’s peaceful front and Din love it when idiots are corrected for mistaking his kar’ta’s kindness for weakness. Just because Corin prefers not to beat the shit out of people, it doesn’t mean he’s not able to if he feels like it.

It almost makes Din a little sad when there are no more attempts to challenge Corin’s defence of his friend. Leave-it gets to skate around freely, oblivious to the ominous presence of his self proclaimed bodyguard hovering nearby, ready to interfere with anyone going after him.

Not trusting things to not go wrong, Din lets out a sigh of relief when the game is finally over. Corin and Leave-it’s team win 16-2. After a quick celebration with their team-mates, the two make their way over to Din and Zev’sonya, who choose to wait at a safe distance from clingy strangers.

“We won!” Leave-it declares with a laugh, one arm around Corin and the other punching the air.

“Congratulations.” Din says, eyes dwelling on Corin and loving how happy he looks.

“We saw.” Zev’sonya drawls.

“Don’t you wanna kiss the most important player on the ice?” Leave-it counters, leaning towards Zev’sonya with a suggestive grin and waggling eyebrows. “I mean, I must have scored ten or eleven of those points.”

“Yeah.” Zev’sonya says, raising an eyebrow to underline her sardonic look. “Because Corin beat up anyone who got in your way.”

“What?” Leave-it huffs. “No!” He looks over at Din. “Tell her that’s not true.”

Corin sends Din a tense look that begs for him to lie so Leave-it can go on smiling like he is.

Din purses his lips for a brief moment, considering his options, before replying. “I think you scored twelve of them, actually. That’s what I counted, anyway.”

“See?!” Leave-it exclaims with delight, only to have Zev’sonya roll her eyes and walk away which of course makes him hurry after her. “Zev, baby, twelve points. That’s awesome. I’m awesome! We should celebrate. Lucky you to be married to a genius. I’m kinda jealous. Zev. Hey, Zev. Wait up!”

Din smirks. Not a lie, no revealing of Corin’s actions, the perfect distraction for the guy famous for his lack of attention span. Raga would have been proud.

Corin inches over to stand next to Din as they watch the two walk away, speaking in a quiet voice: “Thank you.”

Din grunts, then turns to face him.

Offering a nervous smile, Corin shrugs. “I got a little carried away, I know. I’m sorry. I just… There was no reason to go after him like that. They were just doing it because they couldn’t get me; hurting him because they couldn’t hurt me, and I… got angry.”

“Furious.” Din corrects him a little absently.

Corin nods and lowers his gaze, appearing outwardly submissive, yet there is an unmistakable undertone of quiet, hard defiance in his voice as he speaks. “It was just game, I know, okay? I acted like an idiot, I realize that, but they were hurting him and I-”

“You.” Din reaches up and cups his gorgeous face between his hands to make him look up again. Din loses himself in those mesmerizing eyes as if the barrier of the HUD does not exist. “Were magnificent out there. Strong. Gorgeous. I could have watched you for days.”

Corin’s eyes flash with surprise and his lips part a little in a way that makes heat lick up Din’s spine. Yeah, his kar’ta still has no clue in regards to the effect he has on him and Din is starting to think he might never get it. Though, that might not be a bad thing, considering how enticing Corin looks all flustered when Din has to spell it out for him. “Din…”

Breathing a soft laugh, Din decides not to tease him today. He draws a final and lingering caress along Corin’s jawline before letting go and ordering the heat to leave his blood. “You protected your brother. As a Mandalorian should. You did good, okay?”

Corin smiles as the anxiousness leaves his body, but his gaze never leaves Din. Actually, there is something in his mesmerizing eyes that keeps a stubborn ember of fire alive in Din’s veins. “Does that mean I get a reward?”

Din struggles to swallow. Behave. He might mean something platonic. “Sure. What do you want?”

Corin’s smile widens a tiny fraction. There is nothing platonic about what’s on his mind, for sure. “I’ll tell you later.” He abruptly turns to follow the others. “Let’s get back to the ship before Zev’sonya decides to leave us behind and makes us walk back to the cabin.”

Din takes a deep, deep breath, before he follows with a faint laugh. Ice skating with sticks is officially his new favourite sport. It is definitely not a waste of time after all.

Maybe there is some way to get Corin a semi-regular spot on the local team?

[wolven91]

Hard & Soft

Graticus unlocked her front door and stepped inside as the door swept to the side. It was another fine day of being ‘security’ for the station with minimal issues. It wasn’t as busy as a station in taurian space, but in the shared or contested territories, depending on who you asked, there was enough to keep one busy.

Hell, when the ursidain in the marketplace had overstepped and started to wreck a stall in a tantrum, she even got to suplex the overgrown fat blob for a change. It was a far cry from her old career, but she enjoyed the little things. Like smacking around someone that deserved it. A good day all in all, she could ride this high all week.

"Pumpkin? I'm home!" She called out to her partner, a human, Don, someone she had known for several years now and who would be home by this time. A quiet sniff and a clearing of a throat before she heard a reply. She placed her toolbelt next to Don’s phone on the table near the door.

"Hey beautiful, I'm in the lounge." Came his light tone from within, although something was… off.

She pulled the scrunchie from her brown curly locks and slipped it down one of her horns to keep it safe in a smooth, practised move as she tromped deeper into their home. She frowned as she realised that she was hearing a wobble in her partner's voice.

Stepping into the front room she found her mate sat on the sofa with a game console controller in his lap.

"What have you been up to since you've got back?" She enquired with a soft smile, sharp teeth flashing. Graticus knew that humans were slippery. If you asked a direct question they'd clam up and no amount of prying would get the problem out. They may be one of the smaller of the known sentients, but they were far more resilient than many others. They’d shoulder any burdens they experienced on their own until they were eventually crushed.

She had to be careful about sniffing out why she could sense something was troubling him. She’d known him too long, had been through too much together for him to be able to hide his feelings from her. Even when he tried.

"Oh just messing around on the game." He said offhandedly. She glanced at the screen, then to the controller resting in his lap.

"Is that why you've been still long enough for the controller to go to sleep?" She asked in a firm, yet mildly accusatory tone, a fist rose and rested against her hip as she quirked an eyebrow down at him. She had only ever wanted what was best for him. And he, her, but he always seemed to put himself second. Those damned resilience and self imposed standards.

Unacceptable to Graticus. 

It was her job to protect her partner, it was more than just tradition for taurians, it was a comment on her abilities.

"Oh, no.. I've been messing around on my phone." He lied. She get a quiet snort to herself, she hated people lying to her. Even her Don.

"Mm, the one that's still on the sideboard near the front door?" She confronted.

He went silent. Dammit. She sighed and nodded, deciding how to help.

She walked back around to the rear of the sofa to a trunk that crouched there and retrieved a heavy, fluffy blanket. He was craning his neck round to watch her and realised her plan. He immediately tried to placate her as she walked back around to the front carrying the massive bundle. Graticus, both in her career as a security guard and as an ‘independent’ before, had no problem in taking her own actions to solve problems, Don wasn’t going to be able to talk his way out now.

"I'm fine, honestly, there's no need to-"

Putting an arm thicker than his torso around his waist and bodily lifting him into the air, she placed him over her shoulder, on top of the blanket. With her other arm she arranged the cushions that decorated the sofa to create a little nest for them both. His squirming did nothing to escape her grip.

She laid down in the centre of the pillows lengthwise across the sofa, arranging her little Human so he fell against her front. Finally she flicked the heavy blanket, more of a weighted blanket to her mate's perspective, but it floated down to cover them both.

Curling her massive arms around him, she dragged him into her chest and squeezed him. She finally let out a rumbling, deep sigh of contentment. Although her favourite part of the day was laying down with Don, this was for him, to send a message that his resistance would not outlast his passive adorable-ness that drove her to protect and cherish him. She would lay here, holding him against herself, stroking his hair, until he opened up to what was bothering him.

His taurian would chase him down relentlessly until he relented. Time didn't matter. She wasn't paying attention to how long it took for him to begin speaking, but when he did there was that wobble again.

"A customer had a go at me at work again today. I know I shouldn't pay attention to it, they're annoyed at the business not me, but I'm really trying and I just... it gets to me sometimes..."

Her past bubbled immediately back up to the surface, her claws extended and a short, sharp snort burst from her nostrils.

"I will break them in two. Who was it?" She demanded, being deadly serious.

"I don't know, just a customer. It doesn't matter." Shaking his head as he lay across her.

A minute or two passed as the pair settled and the stress of the day bled away.

"...do you remember what they looked like?" The human immediately sighed dramatically.

"Graticus, I'm not going to help you hunt down one rude customer. As much as that would be quite nice..." he explained with a chuckle as he buried himself deeper into the blanket.

There's that little bloodthirsty streak; he can pretend he's a helpless babe all he wants, she knew he always had a quiet danger floating just under the surface. It was always fun watching humans with a grudge. That resilience would come back in the form of a long, patient memory.

Graticus reminisced about their meeting. As she did, she went back to running a hand up and down his back using the short sickle-shaped claws to graze his skin as she placed her chin on top of his head.

A silence followed as he believed she had dropped the subject.

"What time did they leave the shop?"

"What? Why?"

"There are cameras along that promenade." She stated firmly.

[ridiasfangirlings]

SaruMi are taking the bus and a guy gets on it, he had a very poor care and clothing Saruhiko noticed. He ignored him for a while until the man began to say that he had been kicked out of his house for being gay, he had been living in the streets since, and recently took a homeless child under his care and needs any amount of money to take care of her and himself. Saruhiko heard it with a flat stare and gave Yata a big shove, silently indicating to give the guy some money or something.

Honestly I feel like Fushimi would be all ‘sucks to be you, stop annoying me,’ I don’t think he’d trust a random guy on the bus with a sob story (Yata would be the one in tears like ‘that’s so sad’ and Fushimi smacks him for being so gullible). But maybe they’ve seen the guy fairly often, like he’s a younger guy and he’s always trying to find work and asking random people for suggestions. Fushimi normally ignores him but on this one day the guy gets on the bus and he looks really disheveled and messy. Someone complains about him looking so messy and the guy apologizes, explaining he was kicked out of his house for being gay and he’s trying to support his younger siblings who were also made homeless for supporting him. He doesn’t want a handout but he just thinks everyone should keep in mind that they never know someone else’s story. 

Yata is shifting uncomfortably through this whole spiel, looking upset but unsure. Fushimi meanwhile is just staring flatly, looking highly unimpressed. He can tell Yata’s getting antsy though so finally he just shoves Yata a little. Yata’s all hey what was that for and Fushimi rolls his eyes all if you want to be an easy mark then go for it. Yata’s like what does that mean and Fushimi says Yata has an expression like someone kicked his puppy, he’s obviously swallowing this whole story hook line and sinker. Yata’s grumbles that isn’t it miserable not trusting anyone ever, Fushimi clicks his tongue and says better than being a gullible idiot. But if Misaki will be gloomy all day because he didn’t help then go ahead already. Yata decides fine I will, and ends up giving the guy some money. The guy is super grateful and Yata feels pretty pleased with himself. Fushimi rolls his eyes and says Yata’s so easily swayed. But then when they get back on the bus later to go home from wherever they were going imagine they spot the guy near the bus stop, waving and accompanied by some skinny dirty kids who all wave and smile at Yata as the bus passes. Yata grins and looks at Fushimi like see, Fushimi clicks his tongue and says he supposes trusting people is one of Yata’s good points too.