#I dunno if it’s possible to keep this up and beat the game without doing so

[sincerely-sofie]

Still haunted by my conversation with @oblonger about my most bizarro Slay the Princess theory yet. His reaction scares me. I definitely got things wrong, but they’re wrong in a way that amuses the people who have seen the theories I pose, which feels veRY MUCH CONCERNING

[artbyblastweave]

Whatever else I may say about the writing of Fallout 3, Oasis is excellent on every level. Genuinely totally siloed from the main quest and the rest of the game world's communities, isolated from any area of the game world that you'd be likely to pass through on your way to another quest objective (maybe Fort Constantine, but you'd still have to detour pretty heavily.) Despite that, allusions to the place are seeded throughout the game- Three Dog talking about it on the radio as an urban legend, a single insane wastelander ranting about it before dropping dead in front of you. One of your rewards for completing the Arefu quest is that you'll have a cluster of locations in Arefu's general area marked on your map if you hadn't found them already; one of those locations contains an exiled, berserk Treeminder with coordinates to Oasis on his person, albeit without any explanation of what Oasis actually is. Actually finding the place is a very self-directed activity even if they hand you everything you'd need to get there. I feel as though there's a level of restraint on display from Bethesda here that you wouldn't get for settlement with a named quest these days- an asset as visually unique as Harold would absolutely end up with top billing in the main quest, you wouldn't be allowed to miss him. And anyway, once you get there, I dunno, there are interesting parallels. Inasmuch as Fallout 3 has any kind of actual deliberate theme, I'd argue that the theme is that you can't run from your problems, and you can't stick your head in the sand. A lot of the settlements you visit over the course of the game have the vibe of a whole bunch of people who are just sort of holed up and waiting to die, even the outwardly successful ones like Megaton and RIvet City. The entire main plot is triggered by James deciding to try and do something about the state of the world instead of just waiting to die of inbreeding along with everyone else under the Overseer's thumb. Everywhere you visit is experiencing some kind of watershed moment- something's gotta give. And then you get to this place that's outwardly a pretty sweet setup, but only because they're obscure- and that's not sustainable. You found this place, other people are going to, the only actual choice on the table is on what terms they're going to come into contact with the outside world and on what timetable. The possibility of reforestation is complementary to Project Purity; they make a big point of the fact that Harold can't do jack about the irradiated water even if the restoration of greenery would still be a major net positive. And it's not hard to draw a connection between the ending where you convince Harold to keep living because the Treeminders are dependent on him, and the whole "abandonment issues" beat that the Lone Wanderer is given room to have with their own father- you don't get to duck out on the world that easy, James Number 2. Lots of interesting little parallels swirling around in there, if you're an overly charitable apophenic such as myself

[suzukiblu]

WIP excerpt for lottie; a pocketful of Kons. Cut for length. Bart is really hard for me to write, especially as a POV character, but I might almost be getting a grip on him now, hah.

Bart ducks into the bathroom and peeks in the half-open cabinet under the sink, where his Pocket is huddled up sulking in the back corner and shredding up the rest of the extra toilet paper, for some reason. So that’s kinda annoying. And definitely gonna make a mess. 

. . . whatever, as long as he cleans it up before Max finds out about it and decides to make him clean it up slow it doesn’t matter. 

Though it’s still annoying.

“What’re you so upset about?” he asks with a frown, and his Pocket shoots him a dirty look. He looks . . . really upset, actually. Bart doesn’t get it. It’s not his fault his Pocket’s slow. Or messed up his cape. Or can’t pick a dumb name. Or . . . whatever he was upset about, it’s been a few subjective hours, it’s hard to remember exactly what set him off. “Seriously, we’re already stuck inside today because you showed up in a superhero costume, dunno why you’re mad at me.” 

They could go out as long as they were fast enough, obviously, except his Pocket isn’t fast, so what’s he supposed to do about that? Like, how is it fair that he gets a Pocket that can’t even keep up with him? He didn’t even ask for a stupid Pocket, much less a slow one that was gonna complain about everything and sulk in his bathroom and wreck all his toilet paper! 

Lame. Super lame. 

Seriously. Couldn’t he at least have gotten another speedster for his soulmate? Or at least not gotten faked out by a Pocket that should be fast enough to at least kind of keep up? Like, even a little bit? 

That part actually might be more annoying than getting a slow Pocket to begin with, Bart thinks. 

Waaaaay more annoying, actually. 

Ugh. 

His Pocket glares at him and then, uh–

Then the rest of the toilet paper just explodes. 

. . . okay, that’s weird. Like–what? What the heck? His Pocket didn’t even touch any of it, so what the heck? 

“What the heck?” Bart says. His Pocket glares at him. 

“Bart,” he snaps angrily, then dives into the destroyed toilet paper and curls up under it. Bart . . . frowns. 

His Pocket’s really upset, huh. 

“Is this about me beating you at all the games?” he guesses. “Because it’s not my fault you’re slow, okay, and–” 

“BART!” his Pocket yells, and all the bottles of cleaning stuff throw themselves at Bart’s head without him actually touching them. 

. . . weird, Bart notes, then dodges. Because again, he’s actually fast, unlike certain people in this bathroom and conversation and . . . whatever. 

Ugh. Isn’t Helen back yet? Isn’t Max done with his stupid calls? Maybe one of them can figure out why his Pocket’s so weird. And so slow. Also why he’s so slow. Because Bart would really like to know, personally.

Seriously, he cannot think of a worse possible soulmate to have than a slow one. 

Ugh. Ugh. Ughhhhh. 

“Don’t be such a jerk,” Bart says, frowning irritably at his Pocket, who just glowers at him again and then reburies himself in the destroyed pile of toilet paper. Bart scowls back, then darts a hand in and yanks him out. His Pocket screeches indignantly. “Don’t yell at me, you’re the one wrecking stuff!” 

“Bart!” his Pocket yells again, his face all screwed up in fury as he kicks out of his grip and zips up towards the far corner of the ceiling. “Bart Imp BART!”

Bart really would not have called Superman being the type to throw a tantrum, but okay. Learn something new every day, he guesses. 

“You’re a grifing brat,” he grumbles, tapping a foot impatiently against the floor before jumping up onto the side of the tub in an attempt to catch his Pocket before the little guy can wreck anything else. His Pocket just flies up higher and screeches down at him in angry Pocket-talk, which is not a helpful method of communication. Bart does not get what he’s so mad about. Like, what’s the big deal or whatever? If anyone should be upset right now it should be him over getting the slowest Pocket ever. Like, he’s definitely the one who should be upset right now!

Well, he is, kinda. 

“Come on, Pocket!” he complains, jumping up to try and grab him again. He’s fast enough to catch him, but his Pocket’s up too high for him to reach. 

His Pocket screeches louder at him, then bolts into the medicine cabinet. Bart groans in frustration and barely keeps himself from falling into the tub before he steps onto the lid of the toilet and tries to tug the medicine cabinet back open. The door doesn’t budge, much in the same way his pillow didn’t. 

Weird, still, but kinda expected at this point. 

“Why are you acting like this? I didn’t even do anything!” he protests. His Pocket just thumps the cabinet door–kicks it, probably–hard enough that the mirror cracks. Max is totally gonna blame him for that, Bart thinks disgruntledly, scowling at his splintered reflection. “Grife, Pocket!” 

His Pocket makes a really weird sound, and Bart–pauses. 

“Pocket?” he tries warily. His Pocket makes the weird sound again. It’s hitched and strangled and thick and sounds like–

. . . uh-oh, Bart thinks with a wince, because he’s pretty sure his Pocket’s trying not to cry right now. 

Sprock. 

He doesn’t even know what he did. He tries to ease the cabinet door open again, but it still doesn’t move at all. 

“Bart!” his Pocket yells in obvious frustration. “Imp Bart, Imp Bart, Imp Bart Imp Bart!”

Bart frowns. He wonders if–

“Is this ‘cuz you don’t like any of the names I suggested?” he asks doubtfully. His Pocket sniffles. Bart hears something rattle in the cabinet. “What’s the big deal? It’s just a name.” 

His Pocket sobs. 

. . . okay then, Bart thinks, his frown deepening reflexively. That’s . . . a reaction, alright. 

Man, this is why he never wanted a Pocket. They’re so confusing. What’s his Pocket even want from him? He suggested a ton of names! His Pocket’s the one who’s being picky! What was even wrong with his suggestions, anyway? They were all fine! If his Pocket wants a name so bad, why’s he refusing to pick one? 

“I don’t get it,” Bart says, tapping his foot restlessly again and frowning all the harder. “I thought up a ton of names for you! Like, all kinds of names! And like basically all Super-stuff ones, even!” 

His Pocket tries to stifle another choked little sob, and Bart . . . pauses. 

“Is that, like . . . a problem?” he asks skeptically, and his Pocket doesn’t make a sound. “Pocket?” 

His Pocket still doesn’t make a sound. Bart gives the medicine cabinet door another tug, and it pops open. A bunch of random junk falls out into the sink, and he finds his Pocket hiding under a couple of washcloths and trying to muffle more sniffles. 

Bart feels–weird, seeing that. He reaches into the cabinet, and this time his Pocket doesn’t kick him when he grabs him. He keeps the washcloth dragged over his head, though, and his breathing is hitched and hurt-sounding. 

Bart doesn’t get it.

[supervgboy]

Super Mario Bros. Wonder - My Thoughts

Some spoilers ahead. Nothing pertaining to the final area or post game secrets.

Gameplay:

Solid gameplay and good character control, and I love how character abilities were handled with this. Every normal character plays the same mechanically so you don't have stuff like 3D World and NSMBU Deluxe where one player is forced to be a character with a unique ability or movement that outdoes everyone else. And the action badges let you use unique abilities without being restricted by character choice. The expert badges also provide a lot of challenge for people looking for it. I ended up using these the most in post game. Trying to beat most of the 4 and 5 star levels with these equipped gets real nerve wracking. I do wish each player can choose their own individual badges in local co-op, but I imagine that would be very difficult to implement.

The online and offline multiplayer is also handled very well. No online lag and and less possibility of griefing (which is something I was greatly frustrated with when playing multiplayer in other games)

Levels:

Levels are stellar and were all memorable in some way, mainly thanks to the Wonder flower effects. I do wish most of the gimmicks and enemies weren't one offs, but I bet they're fleshing them out in future games. The talking flowers weren't as annoying as people were thinking they were. They even got me laughing a few times.

Bosses:

Obviously having Jr. be all the palace bosses can get tiring, but I think they did a good job keeping things fresh with the Wonder Powers. None of them play the exact same. The new airship bosses are also very cool, though there's much less variation compared to Jr's fights.

One thing I do wish for is that things were consistent in terms of boss fighting. World 3 and World 5 don't have a palace or airship level, and therefore don't have a world boss so to speak.

Maybe before reaching the end of W3 and W5, after the trials are beaten, right before the final stage, that's when bosses interrupt (not sure how it would work in World 5 given its setting).

Visuals+Music:

The visuals are on point! One of the best looking Mario games I've played! And I love all the little details they added with enemies too. They didn't really have to, but the little touches in animations and the sound design made the characters seem more alive. I absolutely love the music and sounds too. I dunno if it was listening to the same old NSMB themes from the Wii Era for so long, but all the music of Wonder is stuff I wouldn't be sick of listening to for extended times.

[crystalelemental]

Sync Pair Retrospective - Sygna Suit Lyra

Pfft, yeah okay.  Sure, we're going to talk about what shifted for SS Lyra, right guys.  ...oh god, you're serious.

When you are the only unit in the game commonly cited to be nearly on par with SST Red, a guy who can solo literally the entire game, you know you've got it made.

SS Lyra is insane.   Guaranteed flinch rate, at first, did not seem any better to me than guaranteed sleep.  It's the same annoying timing lockdown, so what's the use?  Apparently, the use is that it's a passive, and Lyra can select another move before the opponent flinches, which gets you another action in the queue. And that action can be "Smack the next fool trying to throw hands."  Lyra is unchallenged in her lockdown.  The fact that she also debuffs a random stat by -2 every attack?  And has Grassy Terrain? And a Pride passive for Johto?  And a decent sync nuke?  And-

Lyra immediately burst onto the scene as a Gauntlet solo bot.  At present, she has 11 wins.  The only one she cannot beat is Tornadus, who becomes immune to flinch, and has too much damage reduction for her to work past.  If only she'd cheated and used a personal passive, it would've been 12.  But in team compositions, she was also invaluable for the Grass-types that were begging for their long-awaited terrain.   Seriously, Psychic and Electric had been around forever, and now Zones are a thing; where is Grassy Terrain?  Apparently on this nonsense.

The major core that arose from this was SS Morty/SS Lyra/Erika.  People instantly took note of how hard SS Erika started to hit with both field effects in play, and the lockdown added in to Morty's obscene defense meant nothing was threatening your team.  You were, completely and without question, safe.  This was the most notorious core, but it's that last bit that's significant.

Talking about how SS Lyra "changed" is impossible.  Because she didn't.  At no point has a perfectly executed lockdown ever been out of style.  Oh sure, you can argue that 50 points in Interference Immunity, but just turn it off.   Put the points literally anywhere else, you'll be glad you did.  So long as that Terrain is up, and Lyra costs 0 gauges, you are eternally in business.  And I do mean eternally.  Every comp benefits from what Lyra does.  She's non-specific in that way; a tech everyone can, to some degree, make use of.

Which...probably explains why I find her so hard to use?  I dunno, I like compositions that are doing something, and the only time Lyra does something is when she's supplying Terrain.  Her debuffs are random so she doesn't help there, and while she can buff, it's hard to justify over a typical flinch-lock.  I guess the application of Confuse and Trap is nice for Interference Sync and the like?  But Lyra's never been one I'm like...itching to break out, you know? The only thing I do repeatedly caution is that Lyra is in need of gauge when Terrain isn't up.  Sure, she's fine while it's up, but when it turns off, now she's needing a lot of help.  And that can pose problems.  She doesn't need a ton of gauge control, but doing what I do and running her with Dawn and SC Lyra is, as it turns out, stupid.  Keep at least a little speed on your side, and she'll manage just fine.

But I don't have anything to say.  Lyra wants for basically nothing.  She's exceptional in such unbelievable ways, and yet I can't bring myself to hate her like I do with SST Red.  I think it's because Lyra requires such insane precision timing that it's like okay, yes she can solo all this stuff, but doing so is the equivalent of driving spikes into your eyes.  Whereas Red feels like "If you had him 3/5, you win."  Which is way more boring.  I guess that's really the point. DeNA, if you're gonna make stuff broken, at least make it interesting.

HEY YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS!  Time for “I didn’t account for the possibility of the Tapu and what they would do to this!”

Yeah, listen.  Sygna Suit Acerola may have taken away the very specific niche of Sun-reliant physical grass strikers from Lyra, but that’s legitimately just in name only.  Unlike Morty, who kinda did have his role ripped away with this, Lyra...does not care.  Like, at all.  In a CS context, Lyra’s actually in love with this adjustment, because immediate Grassy Terrain means immediate free gauges, and terrain extension means no one’s getting to move.  Forget bringing a gun to a sword fight, Lyra’s bringing a cannon.  And in longer stages, if you really want to dunk on Gauntlet this way, Acerola can’t replenish her Terrain, so Lyra having that ability is great.  Sure, it removes the insane nonsense that SC Steven does from Acerola’s core, but the tradeoff is basically perfect, infinite lockdown.  Oh, and the Pride Master Passive, which is added physical DPS with a support that emphasizes physical DPS.  So like.  Okay.  Someone introducing a competitor to your type just made you even more dangerous.  Figure that out.

But supposing there is a limitation and you run them separately, as stated, Acerola can’t replenish her Terrain, while Lyra can.  So as far as broad Grass-type support, Lyra’s got it.  To say nothing of how many gimmicks she checks.  Or that she solos 11 of the 12 stages but ignore that.  Lyra also can do stacks of physical moves up next.  And supports special with trainer move.  So she’s...more versatile as well.

What I mean is Lyra didn’t miss a beat.  A competitor arose and she just laughed and was like “Cool, now I’m even stronger.”  Like...what do you do to stop something like this?  How do you stop the ultimate disruption machine?  I guess Interference Immunity, but like...just don’t select that in CS.  I dunno, man.  Lyra feels kind of invincible.  I know there’s someone arguably above her, and we’ll get to that loser when anniversary runs around, but by and large I appreciate Lyra so much more.  Because she’s outrageous, but because of her supportive effects, while still being able to do the damage thing when desired.  She actually supports.  Which is what I want for a field effect setter.  I don’t like when they hog the spotlight, and outperform the people they’re aiming to support.  And Lyra?  Lyra does just that.  While also being one of the most outrageous options in the game.

[oodlyenough]

Another preemptive cut to spare some dashboards. Also I've definitely drifted a lot from the original thesis of this post so feel free to treat this as a conversational off-ramp if you like, lol. I just finished the trilogy this summer and am, clearly, bursting with unexpressed thoughts.

Eh, I think if AA really wanted to do a face-heel turn from its BL roots the writers would unabashedly make Iris and Phoenix reunite in the end, but it didn't happen.

Yeah, I don't want to spend much time re-litigating a shipwar that probably reached its peak 20 years and 6 games ago, and I don't have an issue with the prior relationship stuff or feel it takes away from the present. But some of the forward-looking lines did grate on me, especially ones they gave Edgeworth specifically ("seems like there's something between you two 😏😏😏😏") and the little closing epilogue scene with Iris mentioning with a blush that he "couldn't keep his eyes off her". The epilogue hinting at something going forward made the already-glaring absence of any similar closing scene with Edgeworth (or my best girl Franziska) feel more pointed.

But then AA4 flips the whole table anyway lmao so 🤷🏼‍♀️ It was a bit weird playing these for the first time now, and not really knowing the specifics of AA4-6 but knowing enough vague spoilers to know Iris/Phoenix was a nonstarter despite the 3-5 text suggesting otherwise. I would be lying if I said I left AA3 hoping to see more of her and Phoenix's relationship in the next game, but the fact that we don't is also why my original post describes the game/franchise as feeling disinterested in her.

Oh also one more thing, not related to your post, but I hope the god old "bashing a female love interest that gets in a way of a popular mlm ship" would just die in the fandom

I haven't actually encountered anyone being nasty about Iris myself, but I'm quite new to the scene (finished aa3 about a month and a half ago) and this fandom is huge and old so I am sure it is out there. I think it's possible to criticize a studio's decision-making without taking it out on the female character herself/descending into sexism. Generally speaking I'm pretty cynical about how studios handle queer fans/audiences/stories/subtext but homophobia (real or perceived) isn't an excuse for misogyny either.

Hmm, and I think it would be just a repeat of the Farewell's main punch.[...]

To me it would've been distinct enough because one is the crux of the final case and focuses on his professional life/career goals (part of being a defense lawyer IS defending the guilty, in reality) and the other would've just been background noise from 3-1 -- to be clear I think him still trusting Iris in 3-5 is fine, and Iris being innocent (of Misty's murder) is fine, etc, I just didn't think we needed to go back and change Feenie/Dollie to do that. Trusting Iris in spite of his relationship with Dollie rather than because of.

But actually mainly bringing up Engarde just made me wanna talk about 2-4 a bit, totally unrelated to Iris or Dahlia, because I found the first half of it kind of clumsy for... kind of this reason? When I played I was like "why does Phoenix have to be blackmailed when he would've taken this case anyway? it must be because the client is guilty" -> don't worry the magic rock says he's innocent -> just kidding the magic rock was wrong and the client IS guilty, lol. I like the end of that case a lot, and some of the broader beats, but I do still wonder if I would've found the beginning less frustrating had Maya not gotten kidnapped until, idk, day 2 or something -- maybe Phoenix maybe starts to suspect Engarde and wants to drop the case, or something... I dunno I just remember thinking all of that was a bit clumsy. So I guess I'm saying in my perfect world it would be rejigged and not feel like a retread, lol.

I've been thinking a lot about how fandom attitudes towards female characters shift, and how a lot of the outright hatred that was once prevalent now is replaced by "girlboss" "mom friend" "only braincell" type discourse... and also about the Hawthorne twins and what I see of them in fandom vs canon.

It's interesting to me that I see a lot of what feels like a fandom desire to rehabilitate Dahlia as a character from a feminist perspective, sometimes taken as a given that her canon material was bad, when ...tbqh I don't really feel that she needs it. If I think of characters wronged by their canon text, Dahlia wouldn't make the list. Even a surface-level reading of Dahlia is, imo, a compelling character, with clear motivations, consistent behaviour, agency. She's funny and memorable. You can dig deeper into speculation and headcanon territory with Dahlia (and I totally get the impulse, she's great and there's lots of potential there) but I don't think you need to do that to make her a solid character, I think she already is. I don't think she's any less complex than the other trilogy villains, and if anything she's a lot more complex already than someone like Engarde, and on par with Von Karma.

On the other hand, I think Iris got some paper-thin writing as "the good twin" and, let's be honest, a feeble attempt to set up a heterosexual romance for Phoenix which gets dropped in subsequent games anyway. There are interesting possible complexities to tease out of Iris, just as with Dahlia; Iris facilitates or participates in some pretty messed-up things, but Phoenix and the story are very forgiving, which just flattens her out further into Good Twin. I don't think the canon is very interested in Iris outside of her role as plot twist doppelganger and occasional blush sprite... and mostly it seems the fanon Iris gets in response is to quadruple down on those things. She's pure and kind and sweet, besties with Phoenix, their relationship is cast as something wholesome and innocent, despite the uh objective reality of it.

What about the Iris who helps her sister plan harebrained criminal schemes only to back out at last second, the Iris who fell in love with Feenie despite herself and yet continued to lie and place him in danger for eight months, who watched Dahlia get a death sentence without ever coming clean ... Those things are the aspects that would make her a multidimensional character, imo, but they're ignored and/or glossed over in the story and (what I've seen of) fandom. And I don't say this to mean that she's evil or irredeemable or something, she isn't -- just that the basic fact of her actions is a lot messier than is usually acknowledged, by canon or fanon. For the canon I think the reasons are obvious and not flattering; for fandom, I think the intentions are generally positive, trying to correct for the opposite end of the spectrum (and 20 years ago the attitude was probably quite different), but I still wish female characters were given more space to be complicated in ways that include being kind of fucked up actually.

[eryiss]

Fraxus Day: With Sickness Comes Sweetness

Summary: Since he first celebrated it, Freed's favourite holiday has been Halloween. But when sickness comes and Freed is bedridden, his hopes of enjoying the season seems bleak. Of course, as he knows too well, Laxus' sweeter side wouldn't allow for that.

Notes: Hi all. It’s been a while, but I'm happy to be back writing for these two. I felt like my characterisation and quality was slipping in some of my later things, and honestly I wasn’t enjoying writing at the end, so taking some time away felt like a good idea. This is a sweet little thing written for Fraxus day, hosted by @fuckyeahfraxus. I’ll also have a longer fic written for the day itself. Hope you all enjoy this.

Link: Ao3

With Sickness Comes Sweetness

He felt the cold hand against his forehead before he woke. It took some blinking and wincing against the brightness of the bedroom for him to return from slumber and once he did, the weight of his sickness hit him. It was smothering, claggy and had drained him of all of his energy. The warmth of his duvet and blanket was both too much and entirely necessary, and he pulled them closer around him.

The hand that had been on his forehead moved up, stroking through his hair. The scratching and tugging, both gentle and firm at once, was pleasant at least. A short rush of chills ran down his body and he pushed up a little into it, closing his eyes.

"How are y' feeling?"

"No different than before."

"You think you could handle some food? I got soup."

"Soon. Let me wake up first."

Sleep, over the last few days, had been an inconsistent thing. Sometimes he struggled to even keep his eyes open, the warmth of the room cradling him to a state of tiredness that had his head bobbing and his muscles protesting the smallest of movements. Other times, the mixture of sniffling, coughing, wincing and water drinking meant sleep wasn't possible. He was getting good at predicting which state he'd be in, and he was almost certain he wouldn't be sleeping again for a while now he was awake.

For a time, Freed indulged himself. The hand still stroked into his hair and made waking up much more pleasant, and the thin beating of the room's light became more gentle as time went by.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Laxus was sitting on the edge of their bed, looking at him. His face was relaxed, but eyes flickered over Freed's face in a way that showed his concern. Laxus, even with Freed, kept his emotions close to his chest, but Freed knew that he was still broiling with that concern he always got whenever Freed was sick.

"How was the guild?" Freed asked, shifting so that he could sit up, leaning against the headboard. He made sure to have his duvet and blanket wrapped around him tight as he did so.

"Loud."

"How descriptive."

"Orange?" Laxus offered. "Smelt weird. I dunno."

"I expect that would be sugar," Freed nodded slightly in confirmation of his own thoughts, then regretted it. The room whited out for a moment and he ducked his head to lessen the rush of a headache. "You gave Mirajane my apologies?"

"I did," Laxus nodded. "She said you're an idiot and not to worry about it."

"Did she? Those sound like your words."

"Paraphrased," Laxus shrugged. "I'm right though. You're sick, shouldn't be worrying about something like that."

"I made a commitment."

"Also made a vomit stain on the carpet."

"She handled everything without me, though?"

"Think so." Laxus seemed content not to continue, but Freed looked at him with a steady - if not a little weak - gaze. "It looks great. Everyone looked happy, lotta games were going on, pumpkins everywhere, and I guess Levy worked out your instructions because the runes in the haunted house look like they were doing the same things they did last year."

"Good," Freed nodded slightly, looking down at his lap.

Laxus' hand retracted from Freed's hair, and Freed glanced at it before going back down to his lap again. HIs mind lagged a little, thoughts preoccupied as he ran his hand over his duvet cover. It was textured, and the feeling of the slight bumps in the fabric grounded him from his aching head. It was weighted and heavy, exactly what he needed, and as Laxus leant down to do something Freed couldn't see, his mind wandered. Specifically, to what he should have been doing in the guild that day.

The Halloween party was a guild event that Freed was fully involved in. This had only happened for the past few years - the years following Laxus' excommunication from the guild - but already it was a highlight of each year. After what had happened, Freed began making an effort with his guildmates, and had in turn gained a fondness for Halloween. What had previously been something he scoffed at, was now a cherished tradition.

His main contribution was in the haunted house that Magnolia's residents could go through. His runes were placed in each room, affecting the tension and fear levels of everyone inside of it. A child and a fully grown adult could see the same thing and have entirely different reactions, allowing it to be suitable for all ages no matter what they saw. This had allowed everyone involved to be as creative as they wanted with the haunted house without fear of getting into trouble by taking things too far, and seeing how much enjoyment his guildmates had because of something he had done had been oddly heartwarming. The following year, Freed had not only helped with his magic, but also with decorating; having wings and skills with a blade were sought after skills on Halloween, apparently.

Not so much that he couldn't be replaced, though. That was clear.

"Stop looking like that," Laxus instructed, and something heavy landed on Freed's lap. "They'll want you back and you know it."

"I'm not looking like anything."

"You ain't awake enough to be in control of your face yet. You're looking sad, cut it out," More things landed on Freed's lap, and Freed slowly realised that he had closed his eyes again at some point. He opened them to a blurry mess and a rush of whirling in his mind. Whatever this flu was, it needed to end soon. Three days were more than enough. "You're gonna have to help me with this. Don't know what I'm doing with it."

Freed blinked away his grogginess again, and saw what had been placed on the bed. A pumpkin, a thick book that boasted an anthology of horror novels, a leather case and an enchanted foodbox.

"What is this?"

"You like Halloween," Laxus did a half shrug, reaching for the crystal that controlled their Lacrima Entertainment System. It flickered to life, and Laxus turned the volume almost all the way down to suit Freed's headache. "Just because you're sick, doesn't mean you shouldn't get to enjoy yourself. Won't be as loud as the guild, but it's something."

Freed looked up from the array of things on his bed, and towards his boyfriend. Laxus, as he so often did when he was doing anything romantic, made sure not to look at Freed. His cheeks were tinged with red and nose turned up slightly, and Freed smiled. Two years of dating, and Laxus was still shy about his romantic side.

"You're very sweet," Freed whispered.

"Shut up," Laxus refuted. "I'm gonna change my clothes. Don't mess with anything while I'm out."

"You're leaving to change?" Freed asked. "I think it's okay if you do it in front of me."

"It's a costume," he mumbled the latter word. Freed smiled slightly; Laxus had always been averse to costumes. "Wanna surprise you. Shut up."

"Okay."

Laxus huffed out a breath, pulled something out of the now empty bag he'd apparently brought in, and walked out of their bedroom. When the door was closed, Freed looked around everything that Laxus had brought him. Even the entertainment system was settled on a menu of horror movies, which Laxus typically avoided due to their 'crappy storytelling, stupid characters and loud screaming.' 

Freed knew that Laxus didn't understand his enjoyment of Halloween, and mainly looked on in confused bemusement. A holiday focused around costumes, games, and the occasion prank wasn't exactly to Laxus' tastes. The fact he was willing to do this was just so sweet.

As he waited for Laxus to return, Freed ran his hands over everything Laxus had brought him. The pumpkin was real, and had been scooped out but not yet carved. The book was filled with a selection of short stories, some of which Freed had heard of and some which he hadn't. The foodbox was humming with its magic charm, and was warm to the touch. The black case, when opened, housed the same tools that Freed used for pumpkin carving in the past few years. That explained the pumpkin then.

"If you laugh, I'm flashing the lights on and off until you vomit," Laxus' voice came through the closed door.

"I won't laugh," Freed said, though he doubted his voice would carry that far in it's hoarse state.

The door opened, and Laxus walked out in a costume. He was dressed as the Mad Hatter, in a suit a little too snug for his body and entirely at odds with his style. He looked slightly embarrassed, and was holding the tophat rather than wearing it. Freed smiled indulgently and patted the bed beside him. "You look good. Very handsome."

"You think?" Laxus scoffed.

"Indeed. Though I'll take any excuse to see you in formalwear. Even costume form," Freed smiled, and Laxus grunted as he sat beside Freed. "It's not what I expected though, I'll admit. I thought you'd maybe get a cape and call yourself a vampire."

"Didn't know that was an option," Laxus huffed. "The fucking store was insane, I get why you make your own now. So many fucking mannequins, and they played the same music on repeat. And there were so many fucking weird costumes; half of their names started with either slutty or sexy," He glanced at Freed from the side with a little grin. "How come you never wore one like that. Might enjoy it more if you did."

"Try me next year, see if you can convince me," Freed laughed, resting his head on Laxus' shoulder.

"I'll remember that," Laxus nodded, then reached down, picked something up, and then put whatever it was on Freed's head. "Devil horns. Thought it made sense."

"It does," Freed smiled. "Thank you for this. It's very nice."

"Least I could do," Laxus dismissed, and Freed let it drop. Laxus wasn't one for praise.

Freed picked up the pumpkin and placed it back onto his lap. He reached for the case containing the knives he needed for carving. As he did it, he caught Laxus looking at him with amusement in his eyes. Freed halted and tilted his head. "What?"

"You think you're gonna carve that yourself, huh?"

"I don't see why I wouldn't." Laxus said nothing, just picked up one of the knives and held it for Freed to take. Freed did, and the moment Laxus let it go, Freed's hand slowly fell to the bed and couldn't be lifted. Freed looked down at it, then at his arm. He was weaker than he had thought. Laxus seemed greatly amused. "Don't be smug."

"Don't be stupid," Laxus rebutted, and Freed exhaled but allowed it. "You're gonna eat the soup and tell me what to do with this thing," he lifted the pumpkin and placed it on his own lap. "And we're gonna have a movie on as well. One of those shitty ones you like."

"That sounds nice," Freed smiled as he spoke. "You don't need to do this."

"Shut up," Laxus nudged Freed slightly. He reached to the foodbox and clicked it open. A waft of steam came from it, and Laxus reached in to produce a large bowl of chicken soup. Freed noticed with a smile that the bowl was a ceramic pumpkin, and the spoon meant to look like a bone. Laxus took one of the pillows and placed it on Freed's lap, then rested the soup on it. "Let it cool for a little while."

"Okay."

"And Blondie sent in a couple of Cobweb Cookies, which she said you liked. Got Bix and Ever to decorate them too."

"That was nice of them."

"They're good people."

"They're not the only ones," Freed said, smiling as he rested his mouth into Laxus' shoulder. He heard Laxus make a noise of discontent at the praise, but knew that if he looked up Laxus would have his little smile and red cheeks again. "I won't say anything more about it, but this was incredibly nice of you and you've made me very happy."

"Though I said shut up," Laxus huffed. Freed buried his nose against his shoulder a little more before pulling away. "Pick a movie, asshole."

Freed did, choosing an old one that could easily be forgotten in the background but would be entertaining if they wanted to watch it properly. Once the opening credits started, Freed took a spoonful of the soup and sipped at it, smiling at the richness of flavour. This was good; all of this was good.

"Stop looking like a dope," Laxus mumbled. "How the hell am I meant to do this," he hefted the pumpkin. "Fuck. You're gonna have to talk me through it. Sorry."

"I'll try to suffer through," Freed smiled, then wrapped the blanket over them both. "But before I do, I want to make it clear that we'll be doing this every year from now on. Because this is… it's just lovely."

"Shut up," Laxus mumbled, and Freed just smiled.

[buckyownsmylife]

Memory - Bucky Barnes smut

The one where Bucky's a vampire but still manages to develop a breeding kink

Warnings: smut, breeding kink, vampire!AU, creampie, daddy kink, mention of blood because of biting

A/N: this is for my darling cousin @whisperlullaby​‘s challenge, and also my own! Like I explained here, I’m going to try to fill every single AU I listed with the characters I picked for the challenge, and since the deadline if May 27, these fics will be posted randomly, as I finish them, instead of on Thursdays, which are my usual one-shot posting days. I hope you guys will enjoy this silly idea of a vampire with a breeding kink 💛 I had a blast writing it! Unbeta’ed because I almost died this week and cannot be bothered to stare at my writing for any longer.

Bucky’s P.O.V.

“Okay, let’s play truth or dare!” I groaned as silently as possible at the proposition. One of the downsides of dating someone in college was having to deal with the immaturity of their friends, especially when I was unable to escape yet another invitation for a weekend getaway.

There were only so many encounters a man could refuse before mysterious became annoying, and I knew I was toeing the line, even if my girlfriend never complained.

She understood just how irritating these gatherings could be to me. It would have been easy to imagine if there was a realistic age gap between us, but considering the centuries that separated our birth dates, it was laughable that anyone would entertain the idea of me with a bunch of young adults who only wanted to get laid, smoke some weed and drink their asses off.

Of course, her friends didn’t know my true age, so they only thought I was a little bit irked by their behavior. Y/N knew the truth, and so evidently she tried to get me out of it, but I resisted.

I wanted her to take part in the normal experiences people her age were having. There was already so much that she was missing out on just by being with me - and I wasn’t even referring to the blood that she granted me every night.

I’d accepted to be there with her that evening. I was going to immerse myself in the full experience, if only to learn a bit more about her and those she surrounded herself with.

Her best friend let out a little excited yell when she noticed that we were joining the circle and I forced myself to smile at her. “Alright, let’s do this.” One of the male friends rubbed his hands before reaching for the bottle, making it spin as I frowned. I thought that was a different game, but apparently I was mistaken.

It landed on a girl I had yet to get acquainted with, and so I disconnected myself from the conversation as I watched my beloved laugh and have fun with her friends. It made me feel warm. It made me grateful I had decided to join.

A few more rounds went by without anything of essence actually happening. I was about to excuse myself when the bottle surprisingly stopped while pointing at Y/N.

She gasped as she stared at the man who was responsible for deciding her fate, and I already knew I wouldn’t like what was coming next. But she was smart, so she avoided the dare that would undoubtedly enrage me, leaving her to answer a question that I also would have preferred not to hear.

“So… Y/N…” He began, taking far too much pleasure at the situation, and by the way she rolled her eyes, I knew she was thinking the same.

“Yes, Simon.” He opened his mouth to say something, but instinctively looked my way. I was trying my best not to let any emotion slip through the cracks of my perfectly constructed mask, but whatever it was that he saw seemed to make him change his mind.

He closed his mouth and frowned, for a second deep in thought, before he sighed and finally voiced his question. “Just tell us one of your kinks.”

It sounded like he was trying to get this over with, and although Y/N seemed just as confused, she cleared her throat and gave him an answer.

“Oh, I don’t know… I guess.. Creampie?” Little giggles and comments rose around the circle, but nothing really stuck out and they were quick to motion her to spin the bottle so another person could have a turn.

It was a different reaction that I was expecting, especially considering what everyone did for much tamer answers, but the explanation for the lukewarm crowd was made clear by a groaned comment from Simon to the man beside him.

“This is no fun now that she isn’t single.” A small giggle resonated by my side, and I turned in the direction it came from to find my girlfriend trying to suppress her amusement behind her palm.

“Something funny, little one?” I knew they’d take notice of the pet name, but I honestly couldn’t be bothered to even pretend to care, and the fact that she smiled openly up at me showed me that she didn’t, either.

“Not at all.” She pulled me closer to deposit a quick peck on my lips and I was sure if my heart was still beating, it would have fluttered at the way she looked at me. “Thanks for coming tonight.”

“Of course.” Thankfully, the game didn’t last much longer - for us, at least. Somehow, the bottle didn’t land on me once, and Y/N started to yawn, her head resting against my shoulder after the third consecutive “Who would you rather bang?” question.

“I think we’re gonna leave for the night,” she excused us even though I knew she wasn’t really sleepy. She really could be an excellent actress when she wanted to.

We walked up the stairs to where the bedrooms were located, quickly getting in what had been assigned as ours for the weekend. She smiled softly at me as she reached for her backpack, no doubt looking for the one shirt of mine she always slept in, but I had a few things in my mind I wanted to ask her about.

“Why do you like creampies to much?” The words spilled out at me so unusually, considering the silence in the room, it didn’t surprise me that it took her a while to answer. When she did though, I was surprised to find her biting her lip, a look between amused and horny in her eyes when she approached me.

“Dunno.” She shrugged, taking my hands in her and playing with my fingers. I knew it was a way to avoid my intense gaze. “Guess I have a bit of a breeding kink, actually. It just felt too personal to share with those guys.”

The answer took me by surprise as I stared down at her, blinking a couple of times as I made sure to really process what she had said.

“A breeding kink?” I confirmed, and she rolled her eyes in that way I knew she did when she was embarrassed but trying to play it off as annoyed.

“Yeah, you know.” She pulled away from me to sit on the bed, legs dangling off of it almost like a child. “I like the idea of being bred. Even though I’m in no way ready to become a mother,” she added in a serious tone, making sure I understood what she meant.

But I didn’t. I didn’t and I guess it was clear in my face, because she quirked an eyebrow and jumped out of the bed, coming to stand before me once more.

“Why is this so weird to you?” She inquired, head tilted in amusement. “You’re over a century old, I’m sure your expectations regarding sexual relationships were related to impregnation for most of your life.”

And I mean… she wasn’t wrong. But I hadn’t thought about that for so long, I guess it didn’t occur to me that there was an actual term for it these days.

“There’s no way you don’t have a breeding kink.” The affirmation sounded almost like a dare, so my instinct was to fight it, wrap my arms around her torso so I’d keep her close to me, but deny it.

“You know I can’t ‘breed’ anyone anymore, darling.” But she wasn’t giving up. Her fingers softly traced my jawline, eyes sparkling with a dangerous glint as she countered, “Doesn’t mean you can’t like the idea of it.”

Even though I didn’t need the oxygen, I inhaled sharply, suddenly fascinated by her every movement, the way she gently unwrapped herself from my arms to slowly unbutton her simple dress, the one she made it look like a fucking gown.

“Think about it, Buck…” Every inch of skin that became exposed to my eyes still had my mouth watering, desperate to taste her all over.

“Wouldn’t you want to see me round with your child?” The question provoked my imagination, playing with her features as I thought about what she proposed. Her breasts fuller, stomach protuberant, and maybe a little feet rubbing against the skin, something I could kiss.

“See me carry your genes, continue your lineage… Wouldn’t you want that?” Her innocent eyes spelled trouble when she stood before me again, close enough to touch.

And I couldn’t deny that the idea did something to my heart - even though it didn’t beat anymore. Most undeniably, it definitely did something to my cock, which now strained against my pants, the arousal that the image of her impregnated by me provoked bursting as I looked at the creature that I loved in wonder and fascination.

“Are you trying to tempt me, doll?” She bit on her lower lip to stop herself from giggling before I pulled it away from her teeth when I took her in my arms again, naked breasts rubbing against my shirt.

“Is it working?” She breathed out, eyes connected to mine while she tried to gather my feelings about her attempt. I pressed her body closer, making sure she’d feel the hardness in my pants before I even voiced it.

“Very well,” I whispered in her ear, enjoying the way my cold breath awakened goosebumps all over her warm skin. She never complained about the difference in temperature, something that I was profoundly grateful for, since I loved to feel her hot blood pumping underneath my fingertips whenever I trailed my digits over her flesh.

“So tell me,” she pressed, still going for seductive even though she sounded slightly out of breath, her desire evident in the way her pupils had dilated. “Would you like to breed me, James?”

A shiver went down my spine at the question and I closed my eyes for just one second, just to relish in this sensation before I opened them to confess, “You have no idea how much I’d like that.”

My hand easily spread her lower lips, middle finger running between them to test her wetness and finding her soaked, like she always seemed to be for me. The knowledge had me smiling as I lifted my hand to taste her before making quick work of my belt, observing her slowly walking backwards towards the bed as I followed, almost like there was a thread connecting us, keeping us close.

Y/N’s P.O.V.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” he moaned against my ear as he buried himself inside of me and I clutched at his shoulders, desperate to feel every part of him connected to every part of me.

Only he could get me this way. Chest heaving, mouth open just from the simple act of feeling him stretching me open. It didn’t matter how many times he took me, it still burned the same - and I loved it.

“Tell me, doll,” he panted, hypnotizing eyes connected to mine, unwilling to let my gaze escape his hold. “Tell me you’d want to have my child. You’d look so beautiful with your body changing because of me, wouldn’t you want that?”

I groaned, throwing my head back as James fucked me senseless, his cock ramming against my sweet spot over and over again. He knew no mercy, I knew that. I just never anticipated to have such an overwhelming reaction to a silly little kink I never even thought I’d ever get to explore.

“Answer me, little one.” His fangs came into play then, piercing around the nipple that he sucked, galvanizing me into actually responding, “I would, I would, daddy,” while pulling on his hair without even realizing.

He let go of my breasts to look at me with dark eyes - not because he had come in contact with my blood, oh no. It was clear that this was the reaction to the name that escaped me so easily, waving its way into him until it broke the last bit of his control and left him completely undone, only determined to fuck me.

I watched him lick his lips before he ordered, “tell daddy you want his cum inside of you.” Hearing him acknowledge this other secret kink, refer to himself as it had me delirious, unable to formulate any words to obey him, so I opted to hide my face in the crook of his neck, hoping the feeling of my burning cheeks would satiate him.

What a mistake.

“Oh, so now you’re shy?” He mocked, rubbing his jaw against my cheek as I whined against him. “Want daddy’s cum so much but can’t be a good girl and beg for it?”

I came with a long drawn-out gasp right then, my body twitching underneath his as his cock dragged along my walls once, twice, a third time until it spilled his cum inside of my channel. The act was so hot to me that it had me pulling on his hair, whispers of “I love you, I love you,” tumbling out of my lips.

He silenced me with a kiss, still managing to keep on thrusting until I had to push him away because of my sensitivity.

“Spread your legs for me, little one…” He ordered, brushing his tongue over his lower lip in contemplation. “Let me see the mess I left there.”

I was still a bit nervous about the whole ordeal now that the wave of horniness had left me, but I did eventually spread my legs for him, whimpering as he bit down on his own lip at the sight of his spent dripping from my abused pussy.

“Oh, you look so good like that, darling.” I could barely contain my giddiness as he laid down by my side and pulled me to rest on his chest, pressing a kiss to my temple while he caressed my arm. “But one question remains unanswered.” To my almost sleepy hum, he proceeded, “Why do you like the idea of breeding so much?”

That got me thinking, wiping the tiredness off of my muscles like a bucket of cold water. It felt weird to admit it, but at the same time, I wanted nothing more than to bare my soul to the man I loved, to have him aware of every little thing about me…

So I admitted, “I like the idea of being yours… in this very scary, slightly territorial way.” At his silence, I giggled, hiding my face on his chest as I waited for his response.

“But you are mine,” he reminded me, and even as I rolled my eyes, a silly smile painted my lips, loving that he felt like he needed to tell me that.

“I know I am,” I recognized. “It’s just another way I’d like to be claimed by you. Besides, I can just imagine how well you’d take care of me…”

Silence filled the room as we both got lost in the images of what could never be. Me with a fully-grown belly, walking like a penguin as he held up tiny onesies that looked ridiculous in his huge hands.

My heart ached for what could never be, surely, but I couldn’t really grieve a future I’d never have while I was so happy with the man who wanted to give me one.

“I’ll always take care of you.” He kissed the back of my hand, and even though he knew it wasn’t exactly what I meant, it was just enough. “I’m sorry that I can’t ever give you children.”

The guilt in his tone was almost palpable, and I wanted to do anything in my power to make it disappear. This wasn’t what I intended when I shared my sexual fantasies with him. They were just that - fantasies. I wouldn’t trade my reality for any alternative version the universe could offer me.

“It’s alright, babe,” I assured him, depositing a kiss on his chest, right where his heart would be beating for me if it could. “I think the way you want to claim me is just as territorial… and much more final.”

Bucky held me close, breathing me in - even if he didn’t need to do that to survive - before he asked me the last doubt that still hovered in his mind.

“Aren’t you scared?” And as I laid there in his embrace, feeling loved and cared for, I knew the only acceptable answer that I could give him was, “It’ll be worth it.”

[pies-writes-and-more]

HIHIHI I HAVE A REQUEST IF YOURE UP FOR IT KASJHDASKD i was wondering if you could do tsukishima, akaashi, and kageyama (you dont have to do all of them if you dont want to) with a s/o who loves giving affection but doesn't really take it *seriously* when they recieve it? like they think that the character is joking bc they could never actually be that amazing? (sry if this made absolutely no sense just ignore it if you want kaskjasd)

Warnings: potentially some swearing, Akaashi saying “good girl” which I do think deserves a warning, Y/N having some insecure moments, but all fluffy endings promise!

Characters: Tsukishima Kei, Akaashi Keiji, & Kageyama Tobio, all with a fem!Reader

A/N: okay @lucyheartfilias-wife i know this took foREVER for me to finish and I’m so sorry xD but i kept going back and forth between ideas so this is what we ended up with! I hope they’re decent enough!! <3 Not of the following gifs are mine! Creds to the original creators :)

Haikyuu Masterlist

Tsukishima Kei

If Tsukishima knew one thing, it was that he was a lucky boy. Somehow he had managed to make a girl who was probably made of sunshine and rainbows, like him back and somehow figured out how to keep you around.

Although he always had an annoyed look on his face when they did, anytime the team asked about you or mentioned you to him, he was always happy to subtly brag about you.

“Our little Tsukishima has grown up hasn’t he?” Sugawara laughed, slapping pats to the back of the tall first year. “You’re not blackmailing her are you?” Tsukishima just rolled his eyes in response.

“It must be nice to have such a pretty girl around!” Noya whined loudly, punching the wall angrily.

“It is,” Tsukishima smirked, enjoying the immediate anger that Noya tried to turn on him. Daichi held the wild libero back with an exasperated smiled, shaking his head.

“She’s really smart too isn’t she?” Hinata gaped, having only really heard of this girl that Tsukishima was dating but Yamaguchi said it was a girl in their class so she had to be smart.

“Anyone’s smart compared to you,” Tsukishima scoffed but shrugged. “She’s the top of our class.”

Everyone made sounds of excitement and surprise, the upperclassmen nodding in approval, “Who knew this salty bean pole could find someone smart and pretty to like him back?” Tanaka snickered and Tsukishima just rolled his eyes.

You hadn’t meant to overhear the conversations happening in the club room but you were just waiting for your boyfriend against the railing. To say you were a bit embarrassed was an understatement. And that embarrassment was probably written all over your face because when Tsukishima finally came out, his cheeks turned pink seeing your expression.

“What?” He asked after a beat, avoiding your eyes as he started to walk towards the stairs.

“You know you don’t have to lie to your teammates right?” You asked him eventually, giving him a small smile. “I’m sure they know you’re just being nice.”

For once, you had actually surprised Tsukishima. Normally he could tell exactly what you were thinking but this time, he actually stopped in his steps and looked at you like you had grown a second head in the last few moments.

“Lie?” He asked, tilting his head up in thought before scoffing a bit, “What part of what I said was a lie? For that matter, how much of that nonsense did you hear?”

The word nonsense rang in your ear repeatedly, echoing all your insecurities further into your subconscious, “I dunno, how much were you saying?” You retorted, glancing at him with a shrug. “Come on, I wanna get home before it gets too dark,” you decided when he didn’t answer right away. The two of you started walking, Tsukishima clearly deep in thought because for once on your way home, he wasn’t complaining about the boys or listening to music. He was just… walking.

“When did I lie?” He finally asked at your doorstep, as if realizing if he didn’t ask now, he never would. He grabbed your wrist before you could turn away and leave without answering him, tugging you closer so he could look right into your eyes (he could always tell when you were lying to him).

“What?” You squirmed a bit. You knew exactly what he was asking but did you really want to admit it?

“You said I lied to my teammates. What did I lie about?” His frown was tight, eyes as serious as ever. “I’ve been thinking about everything I said to them and I can’t think of a lie that I told. Was it about everyone being smarter than Hinata? Because I really was telling the truth.” The little smirk at the end made you feel like he was trying to keep this lighthearted. But the topic weighed so heavily on both your shoulders.

You could feel Tsukishima keeping your gaze right on him, and knew if you looked away, he might just get more upset. So you were forced to just look at him awkwardly, as if he was looking through your very thoughts.

“I asked you out didn’t I?” He continued when you didn’t respond right away. “Doesn’t that make you my girlfriend?”

You let out a little laugh, surprised that that’s what he had come up with after that very silent walk home. “Yeah, I suppose so,” you smiled, finally pulling your eyes away from him and staring at your hands as you fiddled with your fingers.

“So what-”

“They’re just being nice,” you tried to tell him awkwardly, cutting him off from asking one more time. “I’m not… I’m not everything they’re pretending I am. And you don’t have to keep up the charade with them.”

Tsukishima’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, what charade could you possibly be talking about.

“I know I’m not as pretty as your managers,” you explained quietly. “And I’m sure being surrounded by them all the time has got you having some high expectations and standards for girls. That’s why I was surprised when you asked me out… but I know it’s probably just cause we’re always together and we study together. I know I’m pretty helpful when it comes to schoolwork so-”

Tsukishima started laughing. Like genuinely, throwing his head back, from the bottom of his belly kind of laugh. Your eyes widened as you watched this normally cool and collected idiot snicker himself practically to death.

“T-Tsukishima?” You blinked, poking him a little to make sure he wasn’t just having some sort of weird seizure.

He finally ran out of breath, standing back up straighter than ever and hitting the top of your head (not as gently as he should’ve, how rude), “Listen here, shortie,” he huffed, leaning down slightly so you were forced to look at him. “I have high standards for anyone I even keep around me. The only one who’s exceeded my standards for dating though, is you.”

You watched him, blinking nervously as if he was going to laugh in your face again and tell you it was a joke.

“I didn’t lie to them, idiot,” he shook his head, flicking your forehead. “You’re way too pretty to be as self-conscious as you are.”

Words would never solve your self-consciousness, you knew this. But if there was ever a moment that would ever come close - it would be this one.

“Go inside alright,” he grinned at you, pressing a quick kiss to your forehead and shoving you closer to your door. “And the next time I compliment you, you better accept it.”

You couldn’t even retort anything back before he ushered you inside, gave you a cheeky wink, and started to head home.

You were still very bad at accepting Tsukishima’s compliments and almost felt tortured with how much he could try to get you to understand how much he loved you. So naturally, Tsukishima just did it more and more.

Everything you did became a compliment, just to make you all hot headed and make him chuckle. He would praise you for being one of the smartest people he knew after a test or assignment, he’d say you were the cutest person up on the stands after his volleyball games, would just shower you in aggressive amounts of affection (well aggressive for him).

And then one day…

One day you day you didn’t fight back as much. And Tsukishima just smiled because he would never say anything to you he didn’t mean.

Akaashi Keiji

Akaashi was literally an embodiment of everything that someone could want. He was calm and wonderfully humble, his voice was like a mellow song that you could fall asleep to and he had the most amazing biceps that just made your heart flutter every time you saw them.

He was everything you could ever dream of which was both incredible… and not at the same time. It almost hurt to know that he was this unobtainable boy standing near you. Sure, you were dating - but how long until he realized you were beneath him? How much longer would it take him to realize that there was better.

You couldn’t hide these thoughts from Akaashi and more often than not, he’d give you a look like I know what you’re thinking, stop that, and then tell you he loves you before you just nod and smile and try to focus on something else. He’d let it go there, but he’d probably spend the rest of the day with you trying to convince you he really meant it.

But today he wasn’t next to you to read your face. Today, he was going to be down on that court, showing off his incredible reflexes and sports ability, and you would be up here. Blending in with the crowd. You were a filler character - something to fill the stands with and not be noticed. Unoriginal. Boring.

“Y/N!” Bokuto ran to you, grinning as wide as ever. “Look what I brought you!” He held up Akaashi’s jacket happily, waving it over his head as he jumped up and down in front of you.

You tried to put on a smile, as if you hadn’t just been spinning in your insecurities a few seconds ago. Your eyes focused on the jacket that Bokuto was trying to put on you, blinking as you came to the realization that he had 100% stolen this from your boyfriend without his knowledge, “Bokuto, won’t he need this?” You offered with a small laugh.

He shook his head with a grin, “He practically discarded it somewhere. I thought I’d come bring it to you! It would probably make him super happy to see you in his jacket! And you look so cute in our colours!” Bokuto declared, patting your head. You tried to start telling him that he should bring it back and that you weren’t really sure Akaashi would want you wearing it, but suddenly you could hear his coach on the court screaming from him to get his ass back down there. “Whoops! Gotta run! Cheer hard for us!” Bokuto gave you a thumbs up before running down.

You stood there for a moment, face feeling hot as you start to smell Akaashi’s scent on the jacket. How did he manage to smell this good all the time?

You could hear whispers from people in the stands, some people wondering who you were or if you were Bokuto or Akaashi’s girlfriend, since it was Bokuto who gave you the jacket.

All the ruckus from his coach made Akaashi actually look over, smirking a bit while Bokuto was getting scolded. He sheepishly made his way over, trying to seem all innocent to his best friend.

“Where the hell even were you?” Akaashi asked, throwing him a toss as the boys warmed up.

“Oh! Just dropping something off to Y/N for you!” Bokuto grinned, nodding in your direction as he received the ball nice and high.

Akaashi shouldn’t have looked over. But he did. His eyes locked onto you and saw you in his jacket and for a moment, he definitely spaced out. His whole brain was just thinking about you and nothing else and he didn’t knock himself out of it until Bokuto’s pass knocked him right in the head.

“Akaashi! Are you okay?” Bokuto laughed, knowing the pass had been pretty soft. Akaashi’s cheeks turn a bit pink as he shook it off, running after the ball.

You were wearing his jacket. And you looked so good in it.

After a complete win for the game, Akaashi was so hyped up to see you. You had worn his jacket the whole game and he had to avoid looking at you because you were just so distracting.

But now that it was over, he wanted nothing more than to swoop you into a hug and admire you. You gave him a huge grin when you caught up with the team, excitedly cheering them for their win and giving Bokuto high fives.

Akaashi watched you with a small smile on his face. You glanced over at him and gave a nervous sort of smile, noting there was a difference in how he was looking at you. “Oh! Here, you’ll get cold soon when your adrenaline stops pumping,” you said, pulling the jacket off.

“It’s alright,” he insisted, smirking a bit down at you. “You look gorgeous, I don’t want you to take it off,” he admitted with a smile, patting your head adoringly.

Your face gets all hot again, avoiding his eyes quickly, “Alright alright, Mr. High Off Of A Win,” you laughed nervously, poking at his chest gently. He raised an eyebrow at your dismissive behaviour.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t go spreading stuff that isn’t true,” you shrugged, shoving your hands in the jacket pocket. Sure, you liked the jacket but there was no way you were as pretty as he was making you out to be. Gorgeous? No way.

Akaashi’s eyes darkened slightly hearing this, taking your chin into his fingers and tilting your chin up so you were forced to look at him, “You think I’d lie to you?”

The question made you shrink inside, noting his hardened expression. He didn’t like it when you were hard on yourself, always made you notice all the little great things about you. But this wasn’t a private conversation, and people were starting to stare, which just made your face go even warmer. “N-No,” you mumble out shyly, trying to look away but he kept your gaze.

“Good girl,” he smirked at you, tapping your nose gently, “Now take the compliment. And wear my jacket more often, alright?”

You couldn’t help but nod at that point, Akashi smiling in his satisfaction before dragging you off for the team’s celebratory meal. The pit in your stomach that liked to tell you you were a filler character was slightly less intense now, after talking to your boyfriend. Akaashi had such an effect on you and there was no denying it. How could a guy like that be with a girl like you, you would never understand. But there was such an honesty in his eyes, and he was right after all, he wasn’t the type to lie about these things… so maybe. Just maybe. There was some truth to it.

Kageyama Tobio

Kageyama wasn’t the best at noticing hints and subtle things, and honestly, he’d rather if people were just blunt and to the point with him. But with you, he knew that he would have to learn between the lines. It wasn’t because you weren’t great at communication (and let’s be honest, even if you were bad at it, Kageyama was in NO place to call you out on that), but rather, Kageyama understood that at some point in relationships, it was important to see what the other person wanted.

So when he started really trying to read you, he found himself almost discouraged by a reoccurring instance.

It was real subtle at first, and in that moment, Kageyama probably wouldn’t have noticed. But he probably just smile at you and press a kiss to your forehead, thanking you for always thinking of him.

“You’re always so thoughtful, Y/N. I appreciate what you do for me,” he told you, almost like he was thanking a teacher for their help on homework which just made you laugh.

“Don’t be silly, Kageyama, it’s just a milk box,” you insisted, giving a little wave to his teammates before he left.

But it wasn’t just a milk box and even Kageyama could see that. He had forgotten his lunch today and you had shared yours with him. But he always had a milk with his lunch and you didn’t have one, but he didn’t have the chance to actually buy one before he had to head back to classes. He didn’t think he had mentioned anything about the milk, or even hesitated to eat without it. But you had still gone out of your way to buy one for him and bring it to him after classes.

You had even apologized that it was later than he usually had his milk, as if you should’ve known to get it earlier. Kageyama was amazed that you even went and bought him one. He held the box in his hands for a moment before getting called over to start practice, promising himself to have the drink right after practice.

It wasn’t just that you brushed off his appreciation for what you did for him. Kageyama always felt something was wrong when he complimented you. So much so, he had to awkwardly ask his upperclassmen for help.

“Oh our little Kageyama needs help with his girlfriend hmmm?” Tanaka laughed, hands on his hips like he was some sort of relationship expert.

“I dunno why you’d come to us,” Daichi admitted with a smirk, leaning against a nearby wall as he considered the question. “It’s not like any of us are really all that experienced with girls.”

“But you know how to… communicate,” Kageyama explained, playing with his fingers as he shyly stared at the floor. “I’m just worried I’m… doing that thing that Hinata says I do. Where I think I’m complimenting her but I’m actually hurting her.”

Sugawara chuckled and threw his arm around his first year’s neck, fluffing up his hair playfully, “Aw! Little Tobio is growing up!”

“What kinds of things are you saying to her?” Asahi asked, offering Kageyama a smile as the blueberry boy tried to fix his now messed up hair.

Kageyama thought about it for a moment, not having to think that far back to remember an example. “This morning, she was wearing her hair differently,” Kageyama told them, gesturing towards his hair as if to act out how her hair was. “And I told her she looked very pretty.”

The boys just looked at him, as if expecting for there to be more. “Okay and?” Noya piped up, shrugging.

“That’s it,” Kageyama blinked. “Should I have said something else?”

“Why would you say something else, Kageyama?” Daichi raised an eyebrow, noting the distress in the setter’s eyes.

Kageyama huffed, remembering how you awkwardly turned away, as if he had said something brash, “She just said ‘you don’t have to do that, Kageyama’ and changed the subject. But I don’t know what she meant. Was… Was I not supposed to tell her? She did look very pretty but should I have kept that to myself?”

Sugawara gave him a sympathetic smile, “I think you did fine, Kageyama, don’t worry! Maybe she was just embarrassed.”

The others agreed, Tanaka explaining to him that some people were bashful when it came to their appearances.

“But she’s the most perfect being in the whole country!” Kageyama burst out, his forehead creased with concern. “Why shouldn’t I tell her?”

“Just in the country?” Asahi chuckled and Sugawara smacked his arm.

“Don’t tease him, I don’t think Kageyama has ever left the country!”

“Maybe she’s just not used to you complimenting her. Like how you weren’t too used to holding hands with her at the beginning of your relationship,” Daichi offered, remembering how red the boy’s face was you first took his hand at a tournament. He didn’t even know he had to hold your hand back and just had his hand staying there stiff.

Kageyama nodded slowly - he could understand that. It just took some time and then he was okay with it eventually. Now he would grab your hand out of instinct and it wasn’t something foreign to him.

After talking to his upperclassmen, Kageyama felt a little better. Perhaps it wasn’t his words then, maybe he just had to do it more.

But after a week of trial and error, Kageyama still couldn’t understand why you still seemed so uncomfortable. The day after consulting the second and third years, Kageyama had told you he really liked the way you hummed and that you had a really nice voice (he really did like it, it was his favourite thing to listen to).

But you just flickered your eyes away from him, offering a nervous laugh, “It’s nothing,” you mumbled before quickly asking him about his practice schedule.

So Kageyama thought maybe you just didn’t like talking about your singing. So when the two of you were studying, you noticed his laser focus wasn’t on his work but instead on you. His eyes were so trained on you, it was like how he was on the volleyball court.

“Kageyama?” You blinked in surprise, catching him staring at you. “Are you alright?”

“You’re really smart, Y/N!” He blurted out, a firm nod afterwards like confirming what he was saying. “I appreciate you always coming to help me work!”

But you just squirmed in your seat, turning your eyes back to your work, “I really don’t know all that much.”

It had been a week of this back and forth, Kageyama desperately trying to find what was going on. Was it him? Was he just not using the right words? Could he actually be being really rude and didn’t realize it? Was it his face? Was he supposed to smile more?

Finally, Kageyama felt like he was at the end of his rope. He didn’t know what to do now.

“The sunset is really pretty today!” You beamed as the two of you walked home from his practice. He glanced over and noticed the brilliant colours in the sky. It looked nice sure, but how could you understand that that looked pretty and you didn’t?

“I think you’re prettier.” He stated simply. Kageyama didn’t really know what lines were cheesy and what weren’t. But you did and your face just overheated immediately in response.

“K-Kageyama, don’t say things like that!” You insisted, staring to walk ahead.

“Wait!” Kageyama yelped, grabbing onto your wrist and pulling you back to him. “What am I doing wrong?” he asked you desperately, his eyes wide and searching yours for some sort of answers.

You stared at him for a moment, confused by his words, “Wrong?” You repeated softly, noticing how upset he looked.

“I…” Kageyama’s voice faltered as he watched your eyes. “I keep trying to tell you how amazing you are. You do all these things for me, you help me when I’m upset and you always help me train. You throw balls for me and Hinata, even when you’d rather be at home. You call me during my jogs just to keep me company. You bring me milk when I forget mine. And you always compliment me when I’m feeling like I’m not 100%… so what am I doing wrong? Because everything I say to you… it doesn’t seem to work.”

Something in you clicked. Is this why Kageyama had been acting so weird this week?

“Kageyama… I do all that because I like you and I want you to be your best,” you explained softly. “And I compliment you because I mean it! Not because I’m trying to make you feel better. Or try to boost your self-esteem.”

There was something in your tone that Kageyama couldn’t place. What was that in your voice?

“Why are you sad when I try to tell you things?” Kageyama was practically begging you for an answer. He didn’t understand how to read things from your tone, he wanted to desperately to understand but he just couldn’t grasp it. “Sugawara told me that complimenting people on things makes them feel good… am I doing it wrong? Please just tell me, I’ll be better! I’ll be the best boyfriend!”

Your smile was almost sad and Kageyama’s heart tugged a little in his chest, “I don’t want you to say things because you feel like you have to say them,” you sighed softly, now avoiding his eyes. “I know my hair is a mess most of the time, I know that my singing isn’t some professional level shit, and I know I’m not the model kind of girl or those gorgeous girls who come to your games. I don’t need you to try and convince me otherwise…”

Kageyama’s mind felt like it was blowing up. What were you talking about?

“Don’t be so stupid,” Kageyama whined, huffing at you and poking your forehead, “You think I’m lying about these things? You think I say them because I feel like I have to?” Kageyama shook his head, taking your face into his hands. “I’m not the best with words, I know this. But you are…” Kageyama’s face twisted into a funny expression as he tried to find the words he wanted, “the most perfect thing. You’re like when I make a perfect set and the spike goes right past the blockers!”

You couldn’t help but smile as he went on talking about volleyball. You weren’t surprised - he often related things to volleyball to understand better.

“You… are the perfect jump serve. Seeing you is like I’m winning full sets at Nationals!” He expressed, looking at you with wide eyes in hopes you were understanding. “I’m not trying to make you feel better about yourself, Y/N. You are everything I could possibly want. You make me feel like volleyball isn’t the only thing that matters anymore. I want to hear you sing all the time and I love your hair no matter how you think it looks.”

Your eyes were welling up with tears as he spoke dramatically, looking up at the sky as if that would help him figure out his sentences better. When he finally looked back at you, he jumped back almost immediately in fear.

“N-No! Don’t cry! I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have brought up volleyball again! I-”

You laughed and quickly shook your head, grasping his hands in yours, “Happy tears, Kageyama,” you explained softly, almost immediately burying your face in his chest as you drew him closer for a hug. “Thank you,” you whisper.

Kageyama wasn’t really sure what you were thanking him for but he hugged you tightly anyways. He hated seeing you cry and he would squeeze them all out of you until there was none left if he had to. “You are very pretty.” He stated, pressing a kiss to your head.

And this time, you didn’t argue. You just stayed there in his arms, and listened to the genuineness in his voice.

Haikyuu taglist (let me know if you’d like to join!)

@scphiredrafts @aurumk @devilkittymusic @thisnoodlewritesao3 @satan-ruler-of-hells @trashy-simp @jeppiet @lucyheartfilias-wife @darkvadeeer @haikyuutothetop @wolfishwriting @livy384

[nohalosinhell-archive]

"Niss? Can I come in?"

Silence. The young hellhound knocks on the door. More silence. She sighs. She knows he's in there. She heard those distinctly little legs tapping on the floor in the hall, and she could smell that he had been in contact with flowers recently.

That had made her smile. After the days he beat himself up after the silencer fiasco, she wasn't sure he was ever going to buy anything for anyone ever again. She had paused her game and hopped off the couch to dart across the hall and ask how it had gone (and what made him decide to buy flowers in the first place. He never does this sort of thing unless she pushes him to do it.) -- when she heard the door slam shut. Almost immediately after, the sound of smashing glass told her a whiskey glass had been chucked against the wall.

Okay... so she would give him a few minutes to calm down.

It's been a few minutes.

... And she's not hearing a no, so she's using her key to unlock the door.

She peeks inside half expecting a war zone-- but aside from the pile of broken glass against the wall... and a few dents in the door of his coat closet that she doesn't remember being there earlier, the apartment looks okay.

The small spider on the sofa... has looked better. His knees are raised to his chest and he's staring pretty hard at the glass of gin in his hand.

At least this one hasn't become a projectile.

"... You wanna talk?"

He doesn't respond right away. After a pause, he lifts his head enough to look at her. Another handful of seconds pass before he speaks.

"... Was I s'possed t' keep givin' him things he didn't want 'til I jus' gave 'im my bank account an' told 'im t' get himself somethin' he'd like? Was that the game?"

The hellhound sits down on the chair across from the sofa with her head tilted. "... What?"

The spider takes a deep breath before pinching the skin between his eyes. Shit. The fuck was he so worked up about? "I dunno what the fuck he wants from me, an' the more I try t' figure it out th' more it bites me in the ass."

God. He's sick of listening to himself. She's got to be beyond tired of it. What was he even doing? He knows the guy's a conartist. He went all over town looking for a proper silencer because the guy's a conartist... and the idea of him giving his position away made the spider feel uneasy.

... That's when he lowered his guard, isn't it? When the guy didn't want to pretend to like it just so he could run off and sell it.

.... Fuck.

That's all it took? One time? One time and he was at that guy's house, drinking alcohol without checking it for poison and handing Pierre his card so he could buy them drinks? He wasn't... completely ignorant, he knew there was a possibility that could bite him-- but he brushed it off.

He ain't gonna do that t' me.

Why?

What gave him any reason to think he was worth not taking advantage of? All he'd ever done was piss the guy off... and for some godforsaken reason, he kept coming around to do it again. He kept coming around thinking he'd learned, thinking he'd figured him out this time. Thinking he was going to do this right.

He never did. Even once he realized the only thing he was good at when it came to Pierre was pissing him off, and even when he knew damn well that the best thing he could have done for the angry flea was to walk away before he made it worse, even when he started to do just that... he stopped. He turned around. He went back.

Because why?

What made him think this time would be any different? What made him think he had this figured out? What made him think he was so god damn special that he could help fix whatever had gotten him so pissed off?

I know you could take the guy on yer own. Don't mean ya gotta.

What the shit was that? Pierre's made it pretty damn clear he doesn't want Arackniss' help before. The fuck was he thinking pulling that you're not alone bullshit?

What was he thinking?

He wasn't. That's all there was to it. He wasn't thinking. He made an absolute jackass out of himself-- and kissed a man in public, knowing full well what Henroin would do if word of that got back to him... because he wasn't thinking.

... For a guy who must be playing him like a damn fiddle.

"... I gotta cancel my card," he grumbles as he pushes himself off the sofa. Guy probably memorized the numbers before he gave it back. He'll cut it up and cancel it... order a new one... if he's got any money left.

As he walks to the kitchen to get his pair of scissors, he hears his phone vibrate against the coffee table, which causes him to sigh. "Who is it?"

Sasha peers over to look at the lit up screen. "It's..." Her ears flatten against her head, half expecting that glass in Niss' hand to join its shattered friend on the floor when she answers that question. "Pierre. He wants to know if you can talk."

To her surprise, the glass doesn't sail across the room. The spider just sets it down and continues looking for his scissors.

"... Do you want me to answer?"

There's a pause. Arackniss squeezes his eyes shut briefly before breathing out a long sigh. "Do whatever."

The wolf wines softly before slowly reaching for the phone and inputting his security code. She barely has an idea of what's going on, but she knows it won't get better if they don't talk.

She looks between the spider and the phone before deciding to transribe what he had just said. That seemed the most honest thing to do.

Text: Do whatever.

That was one crisis averted. It was better if Giovanni knew it wasn't anything more then a job. He'd tell him he was getting distracted or lazy otherwise. None of those things were good for the guy to think while Pierre was working with him.

He still needed to call the gangster and apologize...or maybe it would be better to leave it here. Cut ties. Sure he'd talked the bull out of chasing him off but he didn't know if this would work out and Arackniss may not try to kill him but that didn't make his family any less dangerous. That and he did just promise the bull blessed guns...ugh. Now he'd have to find those. He knew damn well Gio wouldn't forget that promise either.

Putting the vase of flowers down, he leaned against the counter and groaned as he plucked one of the flowers from the bunch. Well, it worked for everything else right? He thought to himself as he picked at the daisys petals. Either he calls him and keeps this going or he doesn't and he hopes that he can just avoid the spider from now on.

Call, don't call, call. It went like that until the last petal on the stem and Pierre grimaced as he looked to his phone. "You really like to watch me get hurt don't you karma?" He huffed as he grabbed his phone to text the spider. He didn't know if he was busy..he couldn't just call him..what if he was mad?

Text: Can you talk darling?

@nohalosinhell

[uswntxfootball]

purely by accident (leah williamson x uswnt!reader)

everything was going to plan until you made the mistake of wearing her shorts to practice.

word count: 2044 ish

rated F for fluff, S for stupidity, and M for messy as fuck.

——

it was open training today in tokyo, and you fucked up.

you fucked up.

the olympics were set to begin next week, and you fucked up.

~~

so flashback to last night.

with some thorough bribing, you finally coaxed jordan to crash with beth for the night, promising and swearing not to defile her bed while she was gone.  

you glanced down at the defender in your lap, her attention solely focused on the show playing in front.

the show was leah’s pick and it didn’t particularly interest you, as you were more focused on the sight before you.

both of you were in bed, leah’s head in your lap, your right laid gently over her side, and leah’s hand was playing with your fingers absentmindedly.

the girl in front of you let out a laugh at something that played on the screen, the sound making your heart skip a beat.

upon hearing your silence, she looked up at you.

leah’s cheeks flushed when she saw you already staring down at her, a loving smile stretched across your face.

“what is it?”

you lean down to kiss her.

“nothing. just my girlfriend is really cute is all.”

leah rolled her eyes but met you half way, pressing a tender kiss to your lips.

she turned back to the show and slipped her fingers between yours shyly, an action that caused butterflies and wholeass rhinos to have a disco party inside of you.

it was only a few minutes later when leah spoke again.

“you’re acting weird.”

you quirk an eyebrow at that.

“me? how so?”

“you’re staring at me like you really love me or something.”

you let out a snort.

“congrats baby it only took a year and a half for you to figure out.”

leah giggled, and you grinned, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek.

you couldn’t help but let out a sigh at how good it felt, having your girlfriend in your arms after not seeing each other for a month.

given the hectic schedule of the olympics, you both wanted to spend as much alone time together as possible.

you both knew that coming out in the midst of big events was a terrible idea, with first the world cup and the olympics following suit.

it wasn’t that you were ashamed of it, it was just that the media could be a lot at times.

and so could your teammates.

the two of you had met during the world cup, leah taking a particular liking to you after seeing you in the semi final match when england played the us.

she then had missed the chance to talk to you, but lucky for her, the next year, following suit with many of your other teammates, you signed internationally, landing a spot as a midfielder for arsenal.

trainings and games brought you closer together, and feelings developed, with both of you realizing quickly that they weren’t platonic.

but it still took an embarrassingly long amount of time.

and jordan couldn’t stand the two of you.

neither could rose, with leah and you both complaining to them, respectively.

even after quarantining with the defender (and jordan) and spending every second of the day with her, it was almost the end of the fixture when you finally mustered up enough courage to ask her out, only for her to beat you to it.

jordan can’t tell if this was better or worse.

on one hand she no longer had to witness the idiocy and obliviousness for days on end, no longer had to hear the desperate pining from both sides, and no longer had to deal with leah having a mental breakdown overanalyzing every text you sent her.

on the other hand, she now had to deal with the sickening cuteness of the two of you, and had unfortunately caught the two of you going at it in the arsenal locker room after practice, before practice, in the shower, and basically everywhere in the house.

rose was in a similar state, though being overseas, she was spared the worst of it.

the two of you had parted ways when national team duty called, leah staying in england and you flying back to the states.

and here, in tokyo, you were together again, and you couldn’t be happier.

~~

it was 11 pm now, the lights were off ,the defender fast asleep and snuggled close into your chest, your arms wrapped around her.

you had the vague thought of getting up to set an alarm for your training tomorrow, but any attempts to get up were squashed by your girlfriend, who at any movement only held onto you tighter.

your heart melted at the sight, but your rational thought knew this was a bad idea.

worst case is that you miss practice.

best case is that you somehow wake up on time naturally.

unfortunately it ended up being worse than that.

~~

you were jolted awake by your phone ringing.

the girl next to you let go of your waist and mumbled sleepily:

“turn it off.”

you stood up and saw rose’s contact name flash and you picked up the phone groggily.

“uh hello? what do you want?”

“HELLO?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT DO I WANT THE BUS FOR TRAINING IS ABOUT TO LEAVE IN SEVEN MINUTES WHERE ARE YOU?!”

you glance at the clock and the panic sets in.

7:23 am.

fuck.

oh. fuck.

you mutter a “shit” into the receiver before hanging up, glancing over at leah who was fast asleep.

brushing your teeth and putting your hair up quickly, you went around the room grabbing your jersey, jacket, shorts and cleats as you prepared to leave.

but before you left, you leaned over quickly and gave your girlfriend a light kiss on the forehead before rushing out the door.

you sprinted across the street to where the building where the us teams were staying, making it onto the bus quickly and collapsing on the seat next to rose, hoping no one saw where you had came from.

luckily for you most of the team was chatting and preoccupied, except christen who noticed and gave you weird look when you stepped onto the bus.

sam gave you a weird look too when she finished talking to mal.

“when did you come in? why are you still in your pjs? do you even have your kit and training things?”

you decided that saying you overslept was the best excuse.

you could tell sam didn’t quite believe that.

“well why didn’t rose wake you then?”

“um-“

rose cut in and saved you when she said with a shrug:

“it was a prank. i turned off her alarms and thought it would be funny.”

that was slightly more believable, as the younger kids played pranks on each other all the time, so sam let up her questioning.

you turned around on the bus, quickly pulling on your jersey, shorts and socks, all the while hearing a wolf whistle from kelley upon seeing you changing.  

you flipped her off when you finished.

“so where were you-oh,” rose’s eyes widening.

you scrunched your eyebrows in confusion.

“oh?”

rose let out a laugh and pointed to your collarbone.

you looked down and cursed.

there they were in all their glory, two hickies, bright as day.

“fuck this is an open training too.”

you were freaking out.

but thank god for rose.

rose thought about it for a minute before suggesting:

“well it’s kind of cold out today, you can keep your jacket on for the whole training and no one will see.”

“what would i do without you?”

“i dunno die probably.”

~~

arriving at the pitch, you hoped that your hyper-vigilant fans wouldn’t notice anything.

you did make sure to take some pictures with fans on your walk there though.

you noticed walking to the locker room that christen kept giving you weird looks, but you just brushed it off and got your mind set for training.

the open part of practice went well and without issue, except for the odd looks occasionally thrown your way by some of the veteran players.

when closed practice began a little bit later, you asked christen about it.

“why do you all keep giving me weird looks? do i have something on my face?”

christen shook her head, and upon seeing that there was no one around she whispered:

“i’m pretty sure it’s because you have a lionesses crest on your shorts.”

you looked down and gasped.

shit.

she was right.

in your haste this morning you had unknowingly grabbed leah’s shorts instead of your own.

in your defense, with the the english and us home kit both being white and both of you being #14, it was an honest mistake.

but still.

fuck.

so much for keeping it a secret.

christen opened her mouth to say something else, but upon seeing your face decided against it.

besides the one hiccup, the rest of practice went smoothly, and you were on your way back to the locker room when you were stopped by sonnett.

“do you play for england now or something?”

“it was an accident.” you said, shushing her.

all the way back into the locker room emily teased you, so much so that your face couldn’t have been any redder in your life.

you changed as quick as you can, trying to get out of the locker room as fast as you can.

walking out, you stopped abruptly upon seeing your girlfriend in the stands.

“leah? what are you doing here?”

your girlfriend, who looked radiant as always, said with a smile:

“well i was originally going to come bring you your shorts baby.”

“oh you found out about that?” you said sheepishly, a blush crawling up your neck.

leah shook her head and laughed.

“i woke up to us trending on twitter so yeah. did the girls tease you about it?”

you pouted a little nodding a yes, and leah just laughed, cupping your cheek with one hand and smoothing back your flyaways with the other.

at this point some of the chaos crew came out of the locker room looking for you, and upon seeing you and leah, they stood back and watched with wide eyes.

they watched you giggle at something leah said, lindsey making sure to keep a hand firmly closed around emily’s mouth to keep her from speaking.

some of the vets came out to see what the holdup was for, and upon seeing you, they stood back as well.

sam whispered quietly:

“are they flirting?”

“i think?” lindsey whispered back.

“it sure looks like it..”

christen shook her head.

the gears clicked into place in christen’s mind quickly, first with the hotel this morning, then with the shorts, and now this.

“i think they’re dating.”

emily’s eyes bugged out of her head and she finally ripped lindsey’s hand off.

“they’re WHAT??!”

this caused you and leah to turn, cheeks flushing when you see the majority of the team there, watching.

then they all started screaming at once.

“come introduce us to your girlfriend y/n!”

“hi leah!”

“WAIT CAN I GIVE HER THE SHOVEL TALK??!”

“I’M YOUR BEST FRIEND Y/N I SHOULD DO IT!”

“NO IF ANYONE DOES IT SHOULD BE ME I’M HER TEAM MOM”

you turned back to leah as the rest of the team quarreled.

“well since they’ve seen us already, let’s formally introduce you to the team.”

you stuck your hand out and said:

“come on. i’ll catch you.”

leah let out a laugh and took your hand, jumping down from the stands.

meeting the team wasn’t as bad as it could have been, partially because vlatko called sonnett away, but at the end you were both glad you had done it.

leah intertwined her fingers with yours as you walked across the field to the bus.

“i do have to admit my shorts look good on you.”

you looked at her and winked.

“maybe i’ll wear them on purpose next time.”

[we-love-imagines]

How about one where Jotaro has a crush on the reader but he thinks the reader likes Kakyoin, so he tries to get them be together. Reader notices this, gets frustrated by it, and confesses to Jotaro out of said frustration

I really liked this ask!!! Thank you so much anon! I’m sorry this took so long, my ask box was being mean, but I hope you enjoy! I’m going to start writing more frequently again- I took a little break after Christmas Countdown!

warning: some naughty words and a sprinkle-dinkle of angst!

Ripping off the Band-Aid

Jotaro couldn’t take it anymore.

How you looked at him, how you laughed at all his jokes, how happy you two seemed together- it hurt more than words could express. Jotaro, over the course of your journey to Cairo, had somehow learned to love you; but he saw how you didn’t return his feelings, that much was obvious. There was little question in his mind that you and Kakyoin had a thing for each other. Yet, that isn’t what hurt the most.

It was the lack of closure that really stung; the feeling that he still had a chance with you clawing in the back of his mind every time he saw you and Kakyoin. Frankly, he wished you two would just get together already so he could pack away his feelings and be done with them. If he knew you were taken, forever out of his reach, he could let you go. But this weird limbo you were in, where you were simultaneously attainable and out of his grasp, was torture.  

While Kakyoin certainly wasn’t outgoing, he was far more approachable than Jotaro was. Of course you would prefer him; Kakyoin was nicer, smarter, and overall the better option compared to him. Jotaro really wanted to beat himself over the head sometimes, wondering if he’d be in Kakyoin’s position if he had just been a little nicer. Getting sick of all the ‘what if’s’ and heartache, Jotaro made the decision to get you and Kakyoin together as soon as possible. That was the only hope he had to pack away his jealousy, and put this stupid feeling behind him.

It started small, of course. Jotaro would distance himself from you and Kakyoin, giving you two a lot more time alone together than you were accustomed to. This technique quickly grew more obvious, like when Jotaro would whisper to the Old Man to let you two room together or insisting you both sit in the back during long car rides. While you enjoyed your time with Kakyoin, of course, both of you started to notice Jotaro’s desire that you two stay together at all times. When it was just the two of you, it felt like there was a piece missing- the third member of your little trio.

Jotaro got tired of you two still dancing around each other’s feelings, so he upped the ante. Pushing aside how much it hurt, he’d throw the old man’s money away on flowers and jewelry for you, writing “From: Kakyoin” on the little tags and leaving them in your hotel room. While he was never into this lovey-dovey type shit, part of him wished he could address this sweet, romantic gifts from himself. 

He didn’t know where he was going with this idea- you weren’t stupid. If Kakyoin admitted to you that he didn’t give you these gifts, you’d probably think it was some sick prank. For once, he hoped Kakyoin would lie to you, claim it was his doing and confess, so this could all be over with. Even if you did think it was some mean joke Jotaro was trying to pull, who cares? Maybe you and Kakyoin could bond over your shared hatred of him.

After a few of these incidents, your patience was beginning to wear thin. At this point, Jotaro refused to speak to you and Kakyoin outside of conflict, always ducking away the moment you three were alone together. Not to mention the weird, frequent gifts; it was clear Kakyoin wasn’t getting them for you, seeing as he freaked out and assumed the strange objects in your room were part of an enemy Stand. Quickly discovering it wasn’t part of a ploy to kill you, you figured that it must be from another member of the group- you had a sneaking suspicion of who it could be.

The next time you checked into a hotel, you hatched a plan with Kakyoin to catch your mysterious benefactor red-handed. While you two were “hanging by the pool,” Hierophant Green remained in the hotel room, watching and waiting for them to deliver the goods. 

Wouldn’t you know it, Jotaro shuffled into the room, looking around to make sure the coast was clear. When he saw you weren’t there, he pulled back his large, black coat to reveal a little bouquet of daisies, scribbling “From: Kakyoin” on the tag, leaving as quickly as he came.

Something in you was deeply hurt by this, rage pooling in your gut as you stood up from your poolside chair.

“I knew it!” you exclaimed to Kakyoin, your eyebrows knitting tightly as you spoke, “That bastard’s been messing with us! I’m gonna go give him a piece of my mind!”

As you began to stomp away, Kakyoin called for you to wait just a second, to try and calm down before you went to confront him. However, his words fell on deaf ears, your face going red out of pure frustration. Jotaro has the gall to ditch you and Kakyoin out of nowhere, try and push you two together at all times, and now he’s trying to fool you? Nuh-uh. Not on your watch. You were determined to figure out his little game so you could figure out why he wanted you out of his life so badly. 

Behind all your anger was genuine hurt- someone you cared about very, very deeply looked like he wanted nothing to do to you. You deserved an explanation at least.

Angrily marching up to his hotel room door, you knock with resounding force before waiting for him to answer. After a moment, the door opened up, Jotaro’s eyes widening when he saw the furious look on your face. Before he could shut the door on you, you placed your foot in the doorframe, forcing yourself in with an angry glare.

“You’re not getting out of this one, Jojo,” you practically snarled, crossing your arms as you stood before him, “You owe me an explanation.”

Without skipping a beat, Jotaro dryly remarked, “Kakyoin asked me to do it.” In his mind, Jotaro felt like shit for what he was doing; the fact that you were this upset surprised him, but he didn’t let that show on his face. His bold-faced lie only seemed to heat you up further, the hurt in your heart threatening to boil over.

“Don’t spout Bullshit at me, Jotaro. Since you’ve been making me and Kakyoin spend every waking moment together, he’d never have the time to buy anything.”

Jotaro, in his usual emotionally-unavailable fashion, remained stone-faced as he turned away from you. He was trying to suppress his feelings, trying to put the pain of hurting you aside so all of this could be over and done with. While he felt you staring daggers into his back, he tried his best to pretend you weren’t there, searching for the TV remote in the hopes you’d just go away- go away and find Kakyoin, that is.

You were both used to fighting in the literal sense, beating the snot out of enemy Stand users on the regular. However, fights like these, arguments about emotions and friendship and junk, were somehow a million times scarier for Jotaro. He couldn’t just hit the problem until it stopped moving, he had to sit down and sort out his feelings- the very feelings he was trying to keep hidden.

While Jotaro wanted to ignore you, you were done being ignored by him. Your bubble of anger burst as Jotaro grabbed the remote, sending your Stand to slap it out of his hands and forcefully turn him around to face you.

“You know how much it hurts when you try to push me and Kakyoin away? How much we miss hanging out with you?” you spit at him, words spewing out of you as everything boiled over, “I dunno what you’re trying to do with the flowers and boxes of chocolate, but it isn’t funny. If you’re trying to get me and Kakyoin together or something, it won’t work- I don’t like him like that. I like you like that!”

Clutching a hand over your mouth, you couldn’t believe what you said. By the uncharacteristic blush on his face, Jotaro couldn’t believe it either. Ever since he saved your ass from Yellow Temperance, you’ve definitely had a thing for Jotaro. That thing grew and grew, especially in his absence; in all honesty, that’s probably why his trickery hurt you so badly. Both of you stood motionless, silence hanging in the air as you both waited for the other to speak.

After a few long, deafening moments, Jotaro finally croaked out, “So... you’re not into Kakyoin?”

“Only as a friend,” you squeaked out in response, your cheeks reddened and blazing hot, “Did you think me and Kakyoin were...?”

“-Yes.”

Again, both of you just stared at each other, trying to gauge what the other was thinking. You had just confessed your feelings to Jotaro, and other than his pink cheeks, his stoic face remained the same. Little did you know, his stomach was doing backflips, his mind racing at a mile a minute trying to comprehend what you had said. 

You liked him? You really, really liked him? Like that?

He practically short-circuited, anything about DIO or the outside world gone from his mind; to him, it felt like the entire universe was just this room, and you two were it’s sole inhabitants.

“Jotaro?” you mumbled his name weakly, breaking him out of his reverie. He didn’t realize how long you’d both been standing there, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes as the prolonged silence left you wondering if your feelings were returned.

“I- I, um-” he stuttered, quickly trying to regain his composure, “I thought you and Kakyoin had feelings for each other, so I tried to help you two out.”

“Oh, I see,” was all you managed to mumble out, your mind swirling with thoughts of rejection. Was this a subtle way to tell you to get lost? If he wanted you and Kakyoin to get together, he probably didn’t feel the same. You turned to leave, trying to hold back tears as you reached for the door’s handle.

“(Y/n),” he stopped you, grasping you by the wrist. You turn to face him, his grip sliding towards your hand as you found yourself closer to him than ever before.

“I tried to get you and Kakyoin together because I thought I didn’t have a chance with you. I thought it would make me feel better,” he admitted, his face now fully red as he averted his gaze from yours, “You know I’m bad with the mushy stuff, but I like you, (Y/n). A lot.”

Both you didn’t realize how good hearing that out loud would make you feel. Wordlessly, you wrapped your arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. His body was still for a moment, almost as if he didn’t believe this was really happening, but eventually his tenseness melted away as he returned your physical affection. Jotaro felt a little dizzy, but in a good way- he was so surprised you felt the same way, it made him delirious.

“I’m sorry I got so angry,” you whispered into his chest, arms slowly pulling off of him, “Me and Kakyoin really missed you.”

“I’ll try not to overdo it next time,” he chuckled, looking down to meet your eyes again. You jokingly punched him in the arm, trying to muster up an angry expression despite how good you felt.

“There won’t be a next time doofus!”

As you both laughed together, you tried your best to memorize the rare joyful look on Jotaro’s face. You had a feeling you’d be seeing it more often.

[wesimpforxiao]

Say My Name and I’ll Be There: 9.1

Author’s Note:  Short chapter.  My anxiety has gotten really bad and I’m busy so I could use some virtual hugs haha

"You dared to deceive an archon?"

The bellow hung heavy in the morning air, but Childe didn't flinch.  "Oh?  If my memory serves me correctly, you were all for my plan."  A slight excitement rushed within his chest at the thought of the possibility of fighting an archon today.  The joy he would feel! To have the privilege of testing his strength against a former god--

"Don't play games with me," Zhongli growled, his infuriated gaze sliding to the brat that was more than amused at his ill-composed state.  Archons, the consultant was trying so hard not to summon a meteor this instant--something his past self would've done without a moment of hesitation.  "You nearly--"

"I never claimed to be one of the good guys, sensei."  

Zhongli bit the inside of his lip until he drew blood and his eyes glowed a threatening yellow that was far too similar to the Exuvia.  He so desperately wanted to run Childe into the ground, to pummel him with the same spears that defeated Osial himself.  To do so would mean the complete and utter destruction of the harbor that sat below them, as they were on the hill behind the Liyue Qixing's headquarters.  The sun beat down on them harshly as if to mirror Zhongli's rage.

"I have my own agenda to fulfill, in the end."  Something somewhat apologetic flashed in the harbinger's eyes before he looked out to the vast sea, still unflinching from Zhongli's threatening aura.

"You have broken a contract.  A breach in trust.  Do you know what this means for you?"  I'll end him right here.  As a cost for the Tsaritsa to pay for breaching--No.  Zhongli took a deep breath to quell the raging tides of fury that swirled in his being.  No.  The Tsaritsa broke no contract.  I willingly gave Xiao after being played like a fool by Childe.  That's right.  Anger consumes all rational thought; Zhongli could not allow himself to make the same mistakes.  To do so would surely destroy any concept of safety for you and Xiao.

"I will fight to the death if you see it fit, Mr. Zhongli."  The corner of his lips curled slightly upwards after hearing the anger in the consultant's voice, but they downturned again as he turned to face the man.  "But, as I see it, I have learned from that...experience in Fontaine."

Zhongli's hard gaze remained unwavering as stone.

"Mezzetin..."  Childe returned to his view of the ocean.  "...has been in too dark of a place as of late.  I had deceived you in an effort to protect her from your yaksha; his presence seemed to have too negative of an impact on her.  So I thought, for her benefit, I would recruit her into the Fatui for her own safety.  From Xiao, and from the unrelenting forces of Snezhnaya.  She wouldn't have to live in fear of us as long as she was with us.

"But then another side effect showed up and I realized I had made a mistake for deceiving you, Mr. Zhongli.  I was mistaken to think that the yaksha was the problem instead of the distance between the pair.  That, dear sensei, is why I brought her here for the Lantern Rite."

While he's speaking from the heart, he is still being untruthful.  The archon stood unmoving, rage reigniting a little until a memory of Guizhong flashed in his mind.  He wouldn't bring her to Liyue without another motive.

"I'm speaking honestly, Mr. Zhongli."  Childe didn't even hold his signature smile across his lips; he was dead serious.  "While this excursion most definitely benefits the Tsaritsa, I only brought Mezzetin for her own wellbeing."

Zhongli still wasn't buying it, and he approached Childe until he was at his ear.  His low voice had to have dropped an octave lower while he maintained his composed but threatening demeanor.  "The next time you cross me or seek to harm those in our group, you will join Osial below Guyun Stone Forest."

The threat was enough to send a slight chill down Childe's spine, as reluctant as he would admit it, but the harbinger grinned darkly nonetheless.  After all, how could a measly chill overpower the thrill of battle he always got?  It egged him on, but...he did consider Zhongli a comrade more than a means to an end for the Tsaritsa.  One that he didn't want to lose, even if he was still pissed that the consultant had deceived him for being a human and not the Lord of Geo.

The archon began to brush past Childe, when the harbinger gripped his shoulder to keep him in place.  "Mark my words, Mr. Zhongli.  When the time comes, you will be relying on me once more."

What?  Zhongli rotated his head, but Childe had already let go of his shoulder and started to walk off.  He would've perceived the statement as the threat that it was, if it weren't for the different fluctuations in Childe's voice.  Was that melancholy he sensed?  Guilt?  Uncertainty?  Zhongli narrowed his eyes as he watched the harbinger scale off the mountain with his glider.

Perhaps that was enough to get through to him, Childe thought to himself without peering over his shoulder.  He didn't dare say too much.  The Tsaritsa will get what she needs for her war; what's it to her if he moves a few chess pieces across the board himself?  This is the only time he would ever allow to make such a daring exception.  As long as you and Aether didn't try to intervene down the line, then maybe he could bring you freedom...

That was a cry for help, Zhongli found himself dumb-founded. Childe's figure was now a spec in the distance and near touchdown in the plaza.

.......................

"Will you two cut it out already?!" You had thought that the subject had long passed, but apparently Aether had no mercy teasing you as he had always teased Paimon.  "We didn't do anything! How many times do I have to say that?"  You drew a deep breath to keep up with your mouth.  "Or do I have to whack it into you?!"

"Hm, dunno, Paimon thinks denial is even more suspicious than silence!"

"Ugh, why did you have to go and say we 'slept together...'"  Your head dropped into your hands in an exasperated manner, eyebrows furrowing together with the threat of an impending headache.

"Mortals make too large of a fuss over such trivial matters.  It was really nothing," Xiao scoffed at the traveler and the weird floating thing he still couldn't figure out.  It was then that he remembered your odd behavior in bed this morning, and how you were exhibiting the same redness now.  "Though...I do have a few questions.  Why do humans flush red at the most random of times?"

"EH?!"  Your hand instinctually flew to his mouth, nearly covering up--except the yaksha caught your wrist before you had the chance to prevent him from saying anything else that could be perceived the wrong way.  "What are you--?!  Just stop talking!"

"Like now," Xiao noted aloud, completely oblivious to the dumb-founded shock--or what could've been exasperated horror--on Aether's and Paimon's faces.

"Think of it as a defense mechanism," Childe approached the group, completely lacking the tension from earlier.  "Or as an indicator for lying."

"'Lying?'"  Xiao looked unconvinced as his eyes met yours.  You definitely didn't flush red when lying.

"Well, in some settings," Childe let out a chuckle before plopping his hand atop your head.  It wouldn't be inaccurate to think that Xiao nearly summoned his weapon and thought of slicing his hand off right then and there.  "Are you ready to go?"

"Go?  But you said tomorrow."  Lips pursed into an irritated pout as you turned to face him, nonchalantly pushing his hand off of you in the process.  "And Zhongli said something about a possible del-"

"The matter is settled."  Was it just you, or was his smile a little strained?

"And if we don't let you take her back?"  Aether stepped forward.  A few pedestrians glanced his way while passing the group.

"Oh? Is this your way of asking me for a fight? I'd be happy to humor you."

"You can't take all three of us at once," the boy took another step forward, this time lowering his stance as if he were ready to lunge at the harbinger.  Paimon egged him on.  

"Will you two stop with this macho contest?"  Your growl seemed to snap them out of it.  "No one is fighting.  I left with the harbingers to prevent that from happening."

"If the lady insists." Child winked at Aether, who scoffed in turn.  Then he faced you once more.  "As for the sudden change in our depart, I simply changed my mind.  Meet at the Northland Bank.  You have one hour."

.....................

"One hour?!?!" You were still fuming over the smug smile that had tugged at the corner of Childe's lips after the three of you parted from him.  "What...What am I supposed to do in an hour?!  I swear I'm gonna--"

"Paimon thinks we should take him out now!"  

"Why are you so bloodthirsty when it comes to Childe?"  Aether reminded her to keep her voice down, suddenly conscious of the stares you were all getting.

"Why aren't you?  He's lied to us, hurt us, and now he's hurting our friends!  Paimon simply can't accept that!"

Aether had long since tuned Paimon's voice out and was focused on you and Xiao instead.  The lack of eye contact between the two of you made it blatantly obvious there were some things to discuss privately. "We'll let you have some alone time."

"Huh?  Why're you leaving?" You spun on your heel with a confused expression, whirling to a stop once you faced the boy.  "Shouldn't we all be together before I--"

"You'd rather not be alone with your boyfriend before you leave?"  A confused, innocent tilt of the head sent you into another wave of embarrassment.

"B-boyfriend?!"

"Hold up!  You're telling Paimon you're embarrassed by THAT even though you two--"

"Boy...friend...?" Xiao's face twisted in clear disgust as if he had eaten something sour, the words being carefully sounded out. You were his companion.  What is this 'boy friend' term being flung around all of a sudden?  "I've lived for a millennia and you dare refer to me as a child?  Have you no respect for the adepti?"

"U-um!"  Your stammer caught the attention of his narrowed eyes, and his gaze softened slightly.  "Just ignore them.  It's not a bad term or anything of the sort," you sent a pleading glance Aether's way so he wouldn't reveal the meaning of the word.  Boyfriend...ah, I guess he is now...!  Despite your heated cheeks, a flutter of excitement pressed against your chest at the thought and you broke eye contact with the yaksha.

"Yeah, you two need to talk about that," Aether laughed before turning serious.  "Be careful.  If you need help, Xiao can hear you, right?  You just need to pray to him and--"

You nodded, "I know," and gifted him with a grim smile.  "Don't worry about me.  Focus on finding your sister.  I'll figure out a way to deal with the Tsaritsa sooner or later."  You pulled him into a tight hug, yanking Paimon out of the air to envelope her in one too.  "I'll come back."

"That better be a promise you won't break."

"I swear it on my Granny's grave."  The three of you released one another and stepped back.  You waved them goodbye as they ran in the direction of the funeral parlor before turning to Xiao.  "So..."

Xiao crossed his arms and shifted his weight onto his other foot, closing his eyes in a somewhat pensive manner.  "Is there anything you wanted to do before you leave?"

[ddarker-dreams]

New Oath. Yan Dabi x Reader [COMM]

warnings: isolation, food mention, unhealthy relationships, implied not sfw, not sfw dialogue and beginning of stockholm syndrome.   word count: 3k.

It feels easier to live a life without regrets.

To know that every opportunity that presents itself had been taken, is a justification that you maintain to keep your sanity intact. This life that you’ve been forced to live -- one that has clipped your wings -- denying all forms of freedom. Every aspect of the day revolves around survival, nothing else. You’ve tried different methods of overcoming with varying results. The most prominent being escape, or working towards one. 

No person was meant to be secluded in an environment like this. Not even taking into account that lack of socialization that’d be enough to drive anyone mad, but the one person you get to speak to is a pain in his own right. Speaking to a brick wall is more inviting a concept than holding a conversation with Dabi. At least a brick wall remains quiet, not trying to provoke you for a reaction. You don’t know how much longer you can maintain your cool around him.

Looking from the decaying state of the ceiling to the walls around you, which are in even worse condition. This apartment building is definitely violating some building codes. Cheap paint peels off the wall from the slightest humidity, the ceiling fan creaks with every pained turn, and the lone light bulb in the room has been prone to flicker. While you aren’t sure what Dabi’s salary might be, you infer it must be enough to live in a place better than this. A semi abandoned apartment complex with dogs barking at unholy hours of the morning, and sirens going off just as often. If you were to guess on why he chose such a seedy residence, it’s because of the advantages it brings. Any screams for help will go ignored here, as they’re commonplace. 

You’ve had lots of time to reflect. It feels like the world is against you, nothing ever going according to plan. The hours spent revising and considering every variable were for naught in the end. It felt like for each step forward, Dabi would be another two paces ahead. You had considered the fire escape, only to find the bars singed. The windows were a no go, having been fastened so tightly a tool set is necessary to undo the screws. He thought of everything when he decided to hold you captive. This might be enough to drive anyone to the brinks of despair, but not you. You continue preparing, looking for an opening, and acting accordingly. 

You don’t want to lose to someone like him.

Dabi is human, and humans are fallible. One day, in the near future, he might make a mistake. Forget to lock one of the many latches on the door, or ignore a hole in the wall that could soon crumble to sweet freedom. You tell yourself this, not sure if you even fully believe it anymore. You long to have that hope. The hope that this nightmare may yet come to a favorable ending, that you could pry your life back from his vice like grip. Even if it meant breaking your own moral code, resorting to the lowest of tactics… what he had done to you is far worse. This is the drive that drove you to strategize for weeks on end.

Just to fail, like all the times before.

Your lift your arms, grimacing at the sensation of cold metal around your wrists. The punishment for your latest transgressions against Dabi. Everything had been going so well -- too well, now that you’ve had time to think on it -- only to blow up on your face. Weeks of batting your eyelashes at him, playing the role of a perfect, enamored partner went down the drain in a flash. You click your tongue, recalling with disdain how smug he had looked. That’s what got to you the most. Getting underneath your skin and festering with all your other negative feelings for him. 

He knew what you were planning, for god knows how long, and just wanted to see how much you could pull off. Treating it like a mere game. Dabi let you taste coveted freedom, observing from the shadows with intrigue. When your feet had hit the ground, everything felt right with the world once again. You had been held prisoner to the four walls of Dabi’s apartment for what must’ve been months, each day more miserable than the last. You remember the fresh air that swelled into your lungs. The rush of adrenaline that had every nerve on high alert. How your eyes had stung, and threatened to spill over with tears of joy. Nothing could compare to the high from that moment.

It wasn’t a lovely area. At the time, you had still been situated in an alleyway; surrounded by animal carcasses and unsavory items. None of that had mattered at the time. All that mattered is that you could run, far away from his condescending words and threatening presence. You could finally run back to the life that was stolen from you. A supposed light at the end of the tunnel. Nothing in life is that easy, you think in the present. Nothing that involves Dabi is that easy.

There had been a feeling in you gut that eyes were following your every movement. A premonition that came true, and horror in the flesh made his appearance. He had clapped, and expressed how impressed he was with your valiant plan. Dabi cooed at how adorable the sight was, that he had watched you scramble to get everything done in secret. He complimented you on the tact necessary to pull it off. Then his demeanor changed, to something far too sinister to be human. Maybe it was betrayal, or offense at the audacity displayed in going behind his back. Whatever it was that clouded his eyes, you pray you never have to see it again.

Which leads you to the present. 

What you wouldn’t give for some pain killers, even over the counter would do. Anything to dull this pain in your back from sleeping on a spring mattress for days on end. Even this was a luxury that you had to earn through demeaning acts. When Dabi first threw you in this grimy room, the concrete floor was all that you had to sleep on. Through some coquettish speech and unbuckling of pants, you had earned this mattress on which you currently sits. You never thought you’d be missing the dingy, shared bedroom with Dabi until it was taken from you and replaced with something worse. There’s no way of knowing for certain how much longer this punishment will last. From the lack of windows in this room, you can’t even know the time that has passed since the punishment began. It can’t be more than a few days, you thinks. How much longer will you be held here…?

Eyelashes flutter shut, figuring that sleep is a solid way to pass the time. There’s nothing to do until Dabi decides to make an appearance. Gauging from how hungry you’re feeling, it’s been around five or six hours since he last showed up, bringing food with him. Your attempt at sleep is interrupted at the distinct sound of footsteps approaching. So your guess was on the mark. You listens carefully, no detail to be overlooked. There’s a click from unlocking. Then four more after it. So he’s placed that many locks on the door? Seeing as you’re not even able to move an inch with these restraints, you find the precautions excessive. Not even a master escape artist could get out of this. It’s nice to know he thinks you so resourceful.

Faint light shines in your room as the door screeches open, revealing your captor. In his scarred hands is a bag of takeout. He offers a nod of the head in acknowledgement to you, shutting the door behind him. It’s impossible for you to ignore the quickening of your pulse in his presence. You collect yourself to the best of your ability, face remaining composed. Will he make another lascivious offer in exchange for more comforts? The fear of the unknown is like a shadow in the night, creeping over and devouring you. There’s no telling what Dabi might do or say. It’s a constant guessing game. You square your shoulders, making a point of looking Dabi in the eye. Maintaining eye contact is a sign of strength.

“What? No thank you for your knight in shining armor?” Dabi inquires, tilting his head. His voice holds a playful lilt that almost makes you roll your eyes. He’s enjoying every second of this. 

“That’s not the role I’d associate with you.” You respond with a dismissive shrug. The two of you always banter like this, seeing who will crack first under the immense pressure. You have found yourself getting used to these encounters. At first, you didn’t find it wise to possibly earn the wrath of your captor with snark, but those feelings have since changed. Now that you’re more familiar with Dabi, the words flow from your tongue with ease. He never makes a point of stopping the behavior. There’s a tension in the air whenever you’re in a room together, that Dabi always instigates. You’re only returning his own energy.

“I was thinking,” he starts with a sharp inhale, taking a seat in front of you on the ground. “You seemed so willing to do what I asked last time. Why not always keep that attitude up, sugar?” 

You raise an eyebrow at the implication of his words. “That depends on you. What’s in it for me?” 

“Oh, I dunno. Maybe getting out of this shithole? Not that you seemed to like my other place much better,” he motions to the derelict room around you to emphasize his point. “Still beats this dump. How ‘bout it?” 

It’s like you predicted. After Dabi got a better taste of you, he can’t help but want to come back for more. You can’t deny the thrill that comes with hooking up with him. There’s a semblance of control, knowing that you can hold something over him. He could theoretically take whatever he desires, yet prefers you give yourself to him willingly, for whatever convoluted reason. It’s difficult to deny the satisfaction from your previous rendezvous. One of the first things Dabi explained to you was that life would be so much easier for the both of you with your compliance. Resentment and pride were roadblocks to this initially. Now you’ve grown weary of all the games and hiding. The sparks of resistance have been methodically snuffed out, and all you want now is a little solace. 

Your reply comes as a surprisingly fast response to you both. “Sounds like a deal. After I eat though.” 

Dabi wasn’t expecting you to be this easy, not after the stunts you’ve pulled. His eyes search, scrutinizing your schooled expression for something hidden beneath the surface. You’re met with distrust, despite him being the one who made the suggestion in the first place. Having sex on an empty stomach doesn’t sound like the best idea. If that’s what it takes to get out of this room, then you’ll  do it. You’ve been waiting for the offer. It doesn’t make you as sick to your stomach as you thought it would, knowing the prize that’ll await after it’s all said and done. Life is a game of adapting, and you’re playing by those rules. The rules that Dabi himself established.

You break the silence yourself, hunger making you impatient. “You did offer me this food, right?” 

“You’re a sharp one, princess. I picked it out for you myself. Hope you like Chinese.” 

He reaches into the bag, shuffling around for the takeout containers. The scent of fried noodles, rice, and chicken fills the air, which piques your attention. It’s by all means a simple meal, and you couldn’t be happier. When you’re as hungry as you are, it might as well be a gourmet buffet. Dabi himself admitted to not being the best chef, so most of your meals have consisted of this quality. Or, on the occasion, he’d let you cook. Partaking in one of your hobbies is a nice distraction that he makes you work for. He’s always such a pain in the ass...

Dabi fiddles with the key ring in his pocket. Looking you in the eye, he gives a sly smile. “You wouldn’t do anything stupid, would you?” 

You look down at your restraints, a result of doing just that. “Me? I wouldn’t dream of it.” 

“Mm. Let’s hope so. Would hate for you to make me think up yet another punishment.” 

You don’t want to give him the fearful reaction he’s longing for, opting on maintaining your current visage. Lips pursing together, eyes indifferent, and nose upturned to him. Dabi works through the various locks, the shackles falling to the ground as he unlocks each one. He suddenly takes on a more apathetic air. You know better than to take this at a surface level, feeling him observing your every movement. Anything that could be mistaken as a sign of resistance. You decide to act as natural as possible, to mitigate the suspicion. Really, what does he think you’re going to do? Stab him with the plastic fork this meal comes with? A few months ago, you may have given that a shot, but things feel different now. All you’re interested in is regaining your strength. The first step to that is getting rid of this gnawing hunger. 

There are indents in your wrist from where the shackles were. You stretch the sore muscles, and proceed to go for the food.

“Thanks for the food.” You offers a closed mouth smile, using your now freed hands to open up the boxes. You waste no time indulging in the meal. The grin that you’ve grown accustomed to seeing on Dabi’s face is no longer in sight, replaced by thinly veiled distrust. This conversation is oddly normal. A stark contrast to the extreme circumstance, at least enough to perturb him. What makes him on edge or not is none of your concern. You’re complying, as he’s demanded numerous times. Shouldn’t he be over the moon, if anything? To finally get what he wanted, after months of poking and prodding, a subservient version of yourself. Dabi’s the one who molded you into this shape of his own design.

He props up his chin on his knee, watching you devour the meal. “I wasn’t expecting this room to be what did ya in.” 

You swallow a bite of orange chicken, wiping at your mouth with the back of your hand. You don’t want to entertain Dabi in conversation right now. It takes too much brainpower to keep up with him, Dabi always trying to get you to trip over your words. Ignoring him isn’t one of the cards at your disposal, so you give what you hope to be a satisfactory response.

“If it’s of any comfort, it wasn’t just the room.” 

Dabi hums, keen on gaining more information. “Would you be so sweet as to fill me in?” 

“It’s nothing that interesting. I had lots of time to think, or reflect to be more exact. You said it best. What was it again… something among the lines of, the day I decide to be a ‘good girl’, life will be easier,” you reach for a box of rice next, Dabi handing it to you when it’s too far away. “So, this is me doing that. A novel idea, I know.” 

He can’t help but agree with the statement. “You said it best.” 

Dabi’s budding curiosity must’ve been sated by your word, as he now lets you eat in relative peace. The gears in both your minds are turning. Trying to predict what the other may or may not do. It’s a tedious dance, you having a lot more to lose than him. This is what makes it an uneven match up, Dabi capable of exercising far more power over you, even without putting it on display. You’ve seen enough little details to be wary of him. How the news stories in the morning speak of victims burnt to ash, the occasional spots of blood on his jackets, and suspicious material from his shoes. Whenever you’ve worked up the courage to inquire on the origins of it, he’d offer an unsettling smile and ask if you really want to know. 

Ignorance is bliss. Months of isolation, suffering, and cruelty have left you in a state of latching onto any consolation available. It’s a bittersweet idea that your tormentor is what doubles as an essential distraction. When you’re in a heated embrace with him, bodies sweaty and head in disarray, the rest of the world melts away. As if it never existed in the first place. You can forget about your own loneliness, the tears that would normally stain your cheeks that time of night, and the burning resentment for the one on top. Every touch erases a pain, even if it’s for a moment. Giving into the desires of the flesh has never felt so good. 

“Looks like you’re almost done, babe.” Dabi comments with a wolf-like grin. He crawls towards you, uncaring of the lousy conditions of the room. His hand grasps your cheek, massaging the skin, and moving down to your lips. The coarse pad of his thumb rubs circles into your bottom lip, looking down at you through lidded eyes. If you’re going to let him take what he wants, he couldn’t be happier. The possible ramifications will be considered later. For the time being, he wants to feel you underneath him, months of pent up lust finally gaining an outlet. 

“You shouldn’t be the impatient one,” you can’t help but remark, shivering underneath his touch. “I’m the one who has been locked in a room for days.” 

“You’ve got it all wrong. I've just missed you oh so dearly,” Dabi coos into your ear. His lips part to place open mouth kisses over your bare neck, hands starting to feel you up. “From how you’re responding, it looks like you’ve missed me too. How precious.” 

“Keep dreaming, Dabi.” 

“I don’t have to anymore, now that I can fuck you as much as I want.” 

[lizzy-frizzle]

I’m going to start this by saying, I have bias. Everyone does. I do not intend for this to come off as “the thing you like is bad”, but moreso “the corporation that controls the thing you like is manipulative”.

My background; I am a 26 year old trans mom, I have a history with addiction, particularly gambling, and spend most of my time playing video games. I have gone to college for about 3 years for my psychology degree, and while I do not have my degree, I have been studying psychology for roughly 12 years. This is to say, my views will reflect this background. Just because I present this information like I do, does not inherently mean I’m right, though it also doesn’t mean I’m wrong. Try to view things with a critical mind, and know that most topics have nuance.

Ok, so lootboxes, booster packs, gacha games, all of these are gambling. This is not really an argument. You are putting money into a service of sorts, and receiving a randomized result. Be that a fancy new gun, that same boring legendary you have 5 of, or that final hero you’ve been trying to collect. You don’t know the outcome before you give your money. As defined by the merriam-webster dictionary: “Gambling; the practice of risking money or other stakes in a game or bet”

You are risking your money in not getting an item you want. There are ways this is handled acceptably, and ways this is handled poorly. Gambling is also illegal to people under 21 in a lot of places, but places online aren’t quick to tell you why. I don’t have any sources because every source requires a paywall to get any information, but pulling from my own personal experience and what I learned in college, it’s because children are very impressionable. I say “I like pokemon” and suddenly my 2-year old can’t go anywhere without her pikachu. I remember distinctly playing poker with my mom and her friends when I was 12. When you normalize gambling, what it does is lower the risk aversion of gambling. You are less likely to see a threat in playing that card game, because when you are that young you have no concept of money. You don’t know what a dollar is, so why not throw it away so you can have fun. This is...I hesitate to call it fine, but it’s mostly harmless. The issue is with children and their lack of knowledge of money. When I grew up and got a job, it’s a lot harder to tell my brain, “hey, don’t spend that money, you won’t get it back and you won’t get what you want.” Because my brain just acknowledges the potential for what I want. I want to buy the booster pack so I can have the potential to get that masterpiece misty rainforest. I want to buy that diamond pack so I have the chance to get the cute hero. I want to buy that lootbox so I can get the battle rifle that does a cool effect. These are harmless concepts, but very dangerous.

Make no mistake, companies know how psychology works, and will use it to their advantage. MatPat from game theory states that companies have even go so far as to have systems in place that change the odds as you’re losing, and monitor your skill level to put you up against harder opponents, to see the better weapons and go, “Oh I want that!” and entice you to buy more lootboxes. As it turns out I found an article covering what he was talking about, Activision had actually acquired a patent to arrange matchmaking to do just that [x], and the article says it’s not in place, but my trust in companies is not high enough to actually believe them.(honestly, matpat made a 2-part video series about lootboxes, and I’d recommend watching them)

So, companies are trying to manipulate you to buy more gambling products. There’s proof of it. It’s also more blatantly obvious in games like Magic the Gathering, where they release fancier versions of cards at rarer probabilities. To better explain it, from a collector’s standpoint, you want the fancy card cause it has value, it has value because it’s rare, rarer than the other versions, so if you’re on the lower end of the income ladder you buy a pack, or two. After all, you could get lucky and get it. On the higher end of the income ladder, you buy the card outright and hoard it. Maybe sell it off later if you notice the price goes down. From a player perspective, you see a card is being used by tournament players, you want to win more games, so you want those cards, which encourages you to buy products and try to get those cards. That’s predatory behavior. It’s predatory from the company’s perspective because that poor person might not be able to afford the card outright, but $5-$10 isn’t much, plus they always entice you with that Chance. They also further this desire for the cards by making it limited runs, such as the secret lair packs, if there’s a low amount purchased and it’s made to order, or worse, if they limit the order capabilities themselves, that drives up the value, and provides further incentive to buy the cards and packs. This not only creates an impossible barrier between the poor and the rich, but also heavily encourages people buy their gambling pack than people would have in other conditions.

For the record, I love magic the gathering, I’m not saying the game itself is bad, this is just a VERY predatory marketing tactic.

Let’s switch gears. Gacha games. I play AFKArena, because like I said, I have a gambling addiction and cannot stop myself. In AFKArena, you collect heroes, and battle with them in various ways. If you collect more of similar heroes you can rank them up. If I’m to believe what I’ve heard, it sounds like this is pretty common for gacha games. So what makes it bad. In AFKArena you use diamonds to summon heroes, now, you can acquire diamonds by beating specific story chapters, logging in every day, random limited time events, or paying for them with real money. AFKArena hero drops don’t seem that bad compared to the free diamond amount they dish out, which has resulted in me not spending all that much money on it, all things considered ($20 over 2 years). I believe that for a mobile game like this, that’s fair. I get way more enjoyment out of the game than I do most $60 games, so it balances out. However, this isn’t the case for every gacha game, and my trust in companies, as previously stated, is very low. The issue lies in them making the rates for good heroes so low that you HAVE to spend money on the game to really get over a roadblock of sorts. I do think that there is this issue in my game and I just didn’t notice it, someone with a lower tolerance or patience might absolutely have the incentive to drop hundreds of dollars on the game over a month. There are people of all different flavours, and it’s important to keep that in mind when discussing these topics, just because a marketing technique doesn’t work on you, does not mean it doesn’t work on anyone. After all, they have those $100 packs for a reason, you might not be that reason but someone is. That’s predatory.

I feel like I’ve gotten off track, let’s get back on the rails. Where was...gambling...predatory…ah, kids. So my biggest issue, is that Magic the Gathering is marketed towards 13 year olds. Not directly, but the packs say 13+. AFKArena and any mobile game for that matter, can be downloaded by anyone with a phone for free, with minimal mention that there’s microtransactions. AAA title games like Destiny 2, Overwatch, Fortnite, etc. are probably the worst offenders. A kid spent $16,000 of his parents money on fortnite in-game purchases, and that’s not the only time this has happened [x] [x] . More often than not, what happens is, the kid wants to play a video game, like halo on xbox, or destiny, or something, they ask their mom for their credit card, and the system saves it. I mentioned before that kids do not have a concept of money or its value, so giving kids unlimited access to the credit card is going to result in this kind of thing happening. I’m not blaming the parents for not being hypervigilant, sometimes you are really busy, or disabled, or whatever the reason, and you don’t notice the system just saved your card. I’m not blaming the kids cause their brains are literally underdeveloped. I blame the corporations, because they make the process as easy as possible to prey on kids and people with gambling addictions. (as a personal anecdote, I found that if I want a magic card in MtG:O, I’m way less likely to try and buy it if I have to get up and get my card, I’d recommend not saving your card if you suffer from gambling/addiction problems)

So after all of this evidence, how can anyone still view these things as anything but predatory? The answer is simple. You’re told they aren’t. Businesses spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on really good marketing, and public relations. I tried to google why gambling is illegal for people under 21, and got nothing, I got a couple forums asking the question, and a couple religious sites saying it’ll make them degenerates. I try looking up sources to prove the psychology behind these concepts, but they are locked behind paywall after paywall after paywall. Businesses and capitalism has made it so incredibly hard to discover the truth and get information you need, and it’s on purpose. They want you to trust that that booster pack is a good idea. They want you to spend money on lootboxes (look at all the youtubers that shill out for raid shadow legends, or other gambling games to their super young fanbase [x]). They want you to lower your guard and go, “well, it’s a video game, how can it be predatory?” “it’s a card game with cute creatures on it, surely it’s not that bad”

But it is. So why did I make this post? I dunno, my brain really latched onto the topic, I see so many people enjoying gacha games, but I’m worried that it’s going to ruin lives...I just want everyone to be informed and critical of what is going on.

[crystalelemental]

Alright, we have finished Black Eagles route of the demo.

Is it bad to say I kinda like this game already?  Like it’s pretty fun.

I like Shez better than Byleth.  Low bar, but she’s more of a character presence than Byleth ever was.  And honestly, takes up less of the focus.  Everything warped around Byleth, and Shez feels a little more...neutral?  Like, without Jeralt around, we get Alois explaining that this was a serious blunder on the church’s part, and that you’re not really being asked so much as told to come along and keep things quiet.  You’re set up only as a student, so there’s no real preferential treatment out of nowhere from Rhea.  And you’re like...around with the students, but they don’t treat you especially different from just part of the group, which is nice.  That said, Byleth’s only been in the opening, but this is my favorite iteration of Byleth.  She talks, for a start, but getting to see the iteration of the Ashen Demon is kinda cool.  And I do really like the sense of Byleth not getting why Shez is out for revenge.  I can’t wait to fight them.  I hope we kill Jeralt.

The early prologue is pretty simple setup.  Arval is okay.  My wife likes him more than I do.  I dunno, I haven’t completely taken to him, but he’s fine.  Similar kinda vibe to Sothis, where they’re trying to make them immediately endearing based on being kinda sassy and fun, but I really wound up not liking Sothis all that much by the end of things beyond that sass, so I’m kinda keeping Arval at arm’s length.

Chapter 1 is where things get interesting.  It’s set up similarly, in that your objective is taking out bandits, but it’s immediately shifted.  And subsequently, immediately apparent that without Byleth, everything is better.  See, this game has apparently hard confirmed the Jeritza Replacement Theory.  With the bandit attack successful, and the intended professor run off, Jeritza takes over.  And Edelgard did need him in place, but not for Church-infiltration.  It’s to save Monica.  Apparently, Monica is alive at this phase, and this is kind of the last moment to possibly save her.  With Shez as a student and Jeritza in the intended professor role, Edelgard has someone leading a group that can draw them to Monica, take out the Agarthans who have captured her, and bring her back to the fold.  This sets off a domino effect we’ll get to in the next chapter, but the baseline here is that this occurs in every route.  Monica is always saved, because Edelgard got Jeritza into position.  Which confirms a few things.

1) Edelgard had intended to oust the Agarthans first, pinpointing them as the bigger threat than the Church all along.  The reason she couldn’t act as aggressively against them in Three Houses seems to be a lack of direct support, and the inability to divide and conquer.  Following Monica’s death, Kronya is able to join Solon and Thales in a unified group.  But with Monica saved?  Kronya’s neutralized outright, and Solon is ousted by the Church, leaving Thales effectively defenseless.

2) In a scenario where Byleth takes the role, and Edelgard doesn’t have the backing she needs?  She leaves Monica for dead.  Granted, this is because she actually can’t stand against them without support, and can’t save Monica without bringing immediate attention to the Agarthans and that there’s something going on, but still.

3) Monica’s really close with Edelgard.  And given some of their dialogue, Edelgard is close to her.  Which...kinda reads to me at least that their selection of Monica was intentional, and meant to be a threat against Edelgard.  That reminder that she’s not able to stand against them.  Which...hm.

So it’s very cathartic to just beat Kronya’s ass this early on and remove her from what’s going on.  Sadly, she is alive, but oh well.  Nothing’s perfect.  This leads into Chapter 2, where Edelgard...asks Rhea for help.  When Solon’s unmasked as Monica’s captor, Edelgard points out the similarities between his circumstances and Arundel’s, requesting the church for support to maintain order in Adrestia while she takes him out.  So hey, look at that, good outcome where they just talk to each other, right?

Nope!  Chapter 3 and the timeskip, Edelgard immediately turns on Rhea and the Church and is ready to throw down the institution anyway.  That was 100% her motive all along, and no amount of “talking to each other” was going to fix that.  Riveting.

I do want to briefly mention that I actually love how this stuff unfolds.  I feel like it’s a much better showing for Edelgard and Hubert both as schemers.  Like, having this kind of plan pulled off feels a lot more running by the seat of your pants, but also having laid the groundwork for it to potentially succeed.  I’m also just in love with how the handle Varley.  “It could not have happened to a finer man,” indeed.

The actual chapter layout is fine and all, it’s mostly just getting experience, doing your base stuff, etc.  I admit, I like the flow of it better.  And I’m honestly a big fan of everyone staying in their respective house.  You can’t just pull everyone together for the big showdown.  Honestly I’m not sure if you can recruit anyone, outside of presumably the Ashen Wolves.  But the demo ends before the major battle of this chapter so I guess I won’t know until the full game comes out.  So the only thing left to talk about is character stuff I guess?

Supports haven’t been built too much.  As mentioned, I do like Shez, and a big part of this comes from her support with Edelgard.  Edelgard asks her perspective on the war, and Shez will tell her that yeah, her opinion absolutely would change depending on her station, and brings up that the commonfolk really aren’t going to appreciate lofty long-term ideals when they’re suffering in the moment.  It’s a really solid answer.  The other is Monica.  I love Monica, I can’t help it.  I’m seriously rooting for her.  Her conversation with Shez is adorable, she’s trying so hard.  I also really like her support with Hubert?  Like, their dialogue broadly sets up their rivalry for who’s best supporting Edelgard, but even their C-support has them show a sort of respect for one another.  I also kinda get the vibe that Monica’s kinda self-depreciating, just a bit?  The first inkling was when my wife gave her a gift based on her interests, and her initial response is shock that you remembered what she liked.  And her conversation with Hubert has this sense of “I know you’re the best aid to Edelgard, I just want that for myself too.”  Like she doesn’t feel good enough.  And guys.  Guys I have such a soft spot.  I’m sorry, I love her.

So yeah, first run of this is going pretty great.  We’ll be getting the full game after all.  Turns out my wife enjoys the game pretty well too, so that’s always a plus.  I’ve been doing Blue Lions, and my wife has shifted to Golden Deer, so I’ll give thoughts on the other two routes once the demo’s done.