#I found this in my notes with zero memory of writing it

[greygreyfruit]

AU where Zoro and Sanji decide to have a kid. They want to use a surrogate and when they’re deciding whose DNA to use Sanji pretends to put up a fight about it and then when they're in private Zoro says “I really don't care, the baby can have your DNA. You're strong as hell and I'll raise them to be an amazing swordsman regardless”

And Sanji is like “NON ON ONONONOPLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE IT HAS TO HAVE YOURS IT CANT BE A VINSMOKE GOD PLEASE NO NO NO”

And Zoro's like "jesus fuck- fine whatever."

And Sanji is so, so happy when the baby comes out with green hair and furrowed, straight eyebrows. A little mini marimo for him to love.

The crew's all like “damn Sanji you must be pissed he doesn't look like you at all” and Sanji responds “what haha yeah what an asshole Zoro is for winning the argument for that hahha” but he's so glad that his son looks nothing like him. Nothing to remind him of his birth “family”

But of course the kid grows up with so many Sanji traits. He's polite, and selfless, which really should've shocked Zoro more the first time his son gave his food to the small seagull that had landed on the Sunny. But really, he just finally saw Sanji. He also loves to cook, and he understands the intricacies of food way more than Zoro ever could. His son knows more about flavor and drink pairings at 5 years old than Zoro ever will. 

Everyone can see Sanji in the little boy, even if he's missing the curly eyebrows and blonde hair. Even though he has his dad's grey eyes. Because Sanji broke the cycle of abuse despite all his worst fears. And he's nothing like his own father. He's an amazing papa, and their son becomes an amazing person.

[vetteltea]

Daniel Ricciardo and Trying to get a Family Photo [no warnings]

Day 12 of the Vetteltea Advent Calendar

Note: This one was such a pleasure and so, so fun to write and it is solely dedicated to my soulmate, @a-distantdreamer. It is a genuine pleasure to speak to you every single day; thank you for having a whole notion board with me, dedicated to Danny Ric, Baby Badger & Bingo. I love you so, so much.

The sand of the beach felt warm underneath your feet, the Australian sun dancing across your features. Christmas cards were portrayed with layers of snow across quaint little villages, a stark contrast to the scenery which you were currently standing in. 

It had been a whirlwind choice to attend the holidays alongside the Ricciardo clan; having barely been dating four months, official for two and public to the world for zero, your stomach had originally dropped at the idea of being so far away from home for Christmas, instead surrounded by faces you had only briefly interacted with over a FaceTime call. 

Daniel would never have forced you to come, hands cradling either side of your face and dark eyes boring into yours, making you promise him you were okay with coming home for the holidays. He knew the risks; even though his parents were adamant you were such a lovely girl and were crawling the walls more than him to meet you, it meant traveling the world publicly; the followers were far from stupid, the moment they saw a beautiful young girl stood alongside him, everything would fall into place. 

Standing on the soft grains of Leighton Beach now, you couldn’t understand why you had been so nervous; Grace’s arms had pulled you so tightly into her chest when arriving to the family home, Issac tugging at your arm, insisting he had to show you his new bed because ‘Uncle Daniel had already seen it!’

You’d found out on Christmas Eve, whilst Joe was packing up one of the people-carriers, that it was a Ricciardo tradition to spend Christmas Day on the beach, with presents in the evening and tender kisses when Michelle and the children traveled to be with her husband’s family on Boxing Day. You’d been quick to jump up and assist with packing up the car, the patriarch of the family passing a loving comment that you had slotted into the family perfectly already. 

The fact was only highlighted further when you had been curled underneath a blanket alongside Daniel later on in the family room, glasses of wine held by most whilst you listened intently to the stories they felt you had to know. 

Come Christmas Day, the sun was glowing across the horizon, Daniel’s fingers had barely unlaced from yours, his family knowing he had never been this smitten from his previous partners and they could not seem to find a single fault with the wonderful girl he had brought home as his partner. 

“Everybody stay put!” Daniel’s voice had struck you from the traces of memory you had from the past four days. He stood further up the beach than the rest of you, attempting to set his camera up on a makeshift tripod, determined that after last years’ lack of a family photo, he would make up for it now. 

He’d planned it oh-so-meticulously; Grace and Joe stood in the middle, their new puppy that his father had gifted his mother sat at their feet. Michelle stood on one side, her husband’s arm wrapped around her waist. Issac and Isabelle stood either side of the new puppy, fighting every will they had not to bend down and cuddle the new family member. 

You had stood just out of frame, unsure of whether it was overly pushy to place yourself alongside the family; after all, it had only been a few months, the relationship wasn’t even public to the rest of the world. If Daniel had the desire to post this to the public, it would open an entire new world for you. Besides, even if your heart melted at the idea of being nestled into the family, there was no way-

“Timer is set! We’ve got ten seconds!” 

Your head snaps upwards, seeing a mass of dark curls and a gaudy Christmas shirt, identical to his father, nephew and brother-in-law sprint at you. A tanned hand snatches at your wrist, pulling you clumsily across the grains of sand and slipping into the gap on the opposite side of his sister. Daniel barely has time to adjust himself, wrapping both of his arms around you tucking you neatly underneath his chin, his grin sparkling as the shutter snaps, both of you smiling as if your childhood-self had found a room stocked with an infinite supply of candy. 

The moment after the photo is taken, the children are chasing after the puppy, Grace turning to Michelle to continue their previous conversation. Daniel’s hands are hesitant to unwrap from your frame, instead opting to look down, seeing your widened eyes and mouth slightly open. A look of concern laces across his face, one hand gently reaching down to trail against your cheekbone, taking in your appearance. 

“All good?” He cradles you closer, brushing the hair out of your face oh-so-delicately. “I didn’t…you’re all good, yeah?”

“Yeah-” You’re quick to respond. “I just…I didn’t think you’d want me in with…y’know, the family photo-”

 There’s zero chance of you finishing your sentence when your boyfriend leans in, pressing a hard kiss against your lips, almost as if he could convey everything he had felt for so long into one action. He’d never believed when his mother had told him he would know. That feeling never came with the previous girls he had bought home. It had lingered when he first set eyes on you, and now stuck like adhesive when you had slept in his arms for the first time. 

When he pulls away, his tanned forehead rests against your own, content as your breathing patterns synchronize, his grin returning, voice low; his next sentence is to be treasured by you, and you alone.

“You are family.” He murmurs. “You’re my family.” 

There’s no words that can fall from your lips, instead letting him pull you back into his chest, feeling him press a butterfly kiss to the top of your head, both of you tilting your gaze when seeing the two children sprint into the sea after the new puppy, his sister beckoning you over to come and look at something, Joe patting a hand onto his son’s back. Only 365 days until the next Christmas with your family.

[veritas-scribblings]

more - @jegulus-microfic - words: 1,260

[technically a follow-up from yesterday's 'safe', but can be read independently]

Regulus has taken to hiding in his bedroom, the smallest bedroom in the Potter house down the hall from James and Sirius. From the yard, where James will sit with Sirius on days when it is not cold and raining, James will often see Regulus sitting on his padded bench in the bay window of his bedroom reading some book or other. Writing some thing or other in his many notebooks. Sometimes just staring. Observing.

Plotting?

James worries about all of this, which is nothing new because he’s just prone to worry. He worries about Regulus isolating himself. He worries that Regulus is being deprived of sun, because Regulus inherited the Black Family affliction of pale skin and probably requires a significant dosing of Vitamin D.

And he worries that Regulus is ignoring him. Shutting him out. Though he will not say why.

Rationally, James knows that Regulus is concerned about Sirius’s reaction, given how over-bearing Sirius has been since they left Grimmauld Place. He’s not really ignoring James; he’s just being cautious.

But the memory of Regulus is seared into his brain. Regulus sneaking around the castle with him, kissing him in little nooks and hidden corridors. Regulus spending hours talking to James about nothing and everything, laughing, poking fun, insulting James, comparing notes on quidditch, telling James stories, telling James his hopes and dreams. 

He remembers Regulus’s warmth, his scent, the feel of his skin, the touch of his hands running over James’s body, the press of his lips on James’s neck doing wonderfully wicked things. The memory of Regulus’s body pressed against his, against places no one else has ever touched, making James feel in ways no one else has ever made him feel. Making James produce sounds he’s never produced for another person.

‘Oi!’ 

James jolts in alarm when Sirius elbows him hard in the side. Warmth flushes his cheeks, and James quickly looks away hoping that his embarrassment isn’t visible. He’s thought of Regulus many times over the days they’ve been home from Hogwarts. Sometimes late at night when he’s in bed and the thoughts turn into fantasies and he wonders, imagines, what it would it would feel like if…

No. Good Merlin, he can’t go there. Not right now. Not right now, when Sirius is right beside him and he can feel the heat rushing through his body to parts that are rapidly taking an interest. James cringes and turns away, trying to conjure disgusting images as quickly as he can, because this is all just going to get so damned awkward.

Snivellus naked. Snivellus naked. Snivellus naked.  

‘Prongs!’ When Sirius goes to whack him again (James remembers being whacked by Regulus, how wonderful that had been), James quickly shifts out of the way. 

‘Huh?’ Laying on the grass, propped up on his elbows, James looks back up at Regulus curled up in his bay window staring down at them. ‘What do you think he’s doing?’

Sirius shrugs. ‘Dunno. Writing love letters? Writing sad boy poems? Plotting to take over the wizarding world? Actually…!’ Sirius sits up, grinning like he’s suddenly found the secret to world peace. ‘Hey, you can ask him!’ At James’s confusion, he gesticulates wildly. ‘Who it is!’ he clarifies. 

‘Who what is?’

Sirius hunkers down and leans over so close to James, who is still laid back on his elbows, that it leaves weird, awkward, fluttering feelings in James’s stomach. Like drunken moths trying to find a light that just isn’t there.

‘The filthy, no good, two-bit rat who is sniffing around my brother. You can ask him, he’ll tell you. I hear he’s a real…what’s the word Marlene used…playboy. I think it means he’s a whore. Like, the local town broomstick. Everyone’s had a ride.’

Excuse me? James tries not to gawp, but he’s in no way ‘the local broomstick’. Sirius has slept with more people than James has, because James has slept with a great big whopping zero of people. That’s just not who James is. He wants it to be special. He wants it to be someone he loves. Call him a romantic or whatever; James knows that it’s not ‘cool’ of him, only he doesn’t care.

Maybe, just maybe, that special someone he loves will one day be Regulus.

‘I wouldn’t say he’s a broomstick,’ James mutters, ‘the person “sniffing around your brother”.’ 

Sirius cocks an eyebrow in a way that reminds James so much of Regulus. ‘You know who the dirty rat is?’

‘No, no. Just. It’s Regulus. Like Regulus is going to let a…filthy, no good, two-bit rat…around him. He has standards, doesn’t he? He’s too clever and proper and dignified for that.’

‘Right,’ Sirius says firmly. His eyes narrow suspiciously, and he leans back, stares up at Regulus in his window. ‘Well, they’d better not. Regulus is too innocent for any of that. He’s still a baby.’

James breaks out into a grin, unable to withhold the laughter that bursts free from his chest. ‘Regulus Black is in no way “innocent”, Pads. There is nothing innocent about your brother!’

’He is too, Prongs. What are you implying?’ Sirius shoves James hard, and James goes tumbling onto the grass heaving with laughter. ‘What are you calling my brother, you little shit.’

‘Not innocent, is what I’m calling him!’ James giggles. There had been no reservations in the way Regulus had manhandled James. James knows that Regulus has never had a relationship before. And as far as James knows, Regulus has never…’been with’…anyone before, or Sirius would have absolutely decimated the person who had dared to touch his little brother. 

But Regulus had been bold. He had been shameless. And had been certain in obtaining exactly what he wanted from James.

‘I’m just saying,’ Sirius hisses, standing firmly on the hill he is prepared to die upon. ‘I’m saying Regulus is sensitive. He has a gentle heart under all those thorns and prickles and shards of glass. He deserves someone who will handle him with care. He deserves someone good, someone who will be good to him. He can't afford to be hurt, Prongs.’

James nods vigorously in agreement. He knows this. He knows it because, he thinks, Regulus has started to show James his heart, and James feels blessed because Regulus does not trust easily.

But Regulus seems to trust James. So maybe James is enough?

‘Someone…you have to approve?’ James hedges.

‘Absolutely. My blessing is the number one requirement. I also expect applications in triplicate. Character references. Criminal history checks. 15-inch written essays on why they want to get within one kilometre of Regulus. They will be interrogated and reviewed by a jury of my peers.’ Sirius flops down onto the grass, his hair fanning beneath him. ‘So, you gonna talk to him for me?’

‘Sure,’ James says. 'I can talk to him for you.'

There’s a tiny spark of hope in his heart that maybe Sirius also thinks James is enough. That James is a good person who will take care of Regulus’s heart and handle Regulus with care. That Sirius will trust James with his little brother.

James will explain that he makes Regulus smile and Regulus makes him smile. He’ll explain that they laugh together and have fun together, that James listens to Regulus’s stories and his hopes and his dreams. That James thinks Regulus is brilliant and clever and cunning and sneaky and that this makes Regulus special. That James knows how brave Regulus is, and how bold, how kind Regulus can be.

And maybe Sirius will decide that James is enough. 

[hearts4hughes]

ECHOES OF LOVE | MARK ESTAPA

mark estapa x fem!reader

summary: in which reader confesses her love for her best friend— oops.

warnings: angst w/ happy ending, reader and mark both being blinded by love, nothing else!!

author note: my first writing after what feels like forever. oh my goddddd!! i have months of ideas and thoughts for more writings on the way. i haven’t done first person writing in forever, but i honestly love it!!

The University of Michigan had been my dream school since freshman orientation; Umich felt made for me. Yet, it wasn’t the only thing capturing my heart during those college years. Environmental Science class introduced me to Mark, and it wasn’t just about the subject matter. Mark, a walking ray of sunshine, entered a room like a force of nature, captivating everyone with his vibrant energy. Engaging conversations and lively class discussions made Mark the embodiment of an unforgettable college experience. It only took him two classes to claim the seat next to me, uninvited but eventually charming his way into my world.

Amidst my journey at Umich and with Mark, an opportunity to study abroad in Italy emerged. Excitement coursed through my veins, but it was tinged with a bittersweet undercurrent. Studying abroad meant a semester without seeing Mark, and my heart ached at the realization. The palpable truth lingered—I had feelings for him.

The day before leaving for Italy was spent entirely with Mark. We recounted memories, gossiped, and held each other. An emotional undercurrent hinted at something more than platonic love. In a moment of uncertainty and sadness, I confessed my love for Mark. The silence that followed my confession echoed in my ears as he stared at me with wide eyes. I had read the situation wrong, and tears brimmed in my eyes as I stormed out of his dorm.

The next morning, I vowed to leave the hurt and agony in Michigan and treat Italy as a fresh start. Italy became a sanctuary, a place where I could do as I pleased without worrying about the boy who rejected my love proposal. Now, sitting in the small, claustrophobic plane, dread overshadowed my return to the real world. Thoughts of making a scene to ground the plane lingered, as four months of studying abroad in Italy felt like pure bliss—warm weather, Italian boys, and zero drama. However, the sweet sounds of Taylor Swift couldn’t coax the cacophony of my racing thoughts. How to make a 12-hour flight even longer?

MARK: Hope Italy treated you well. We need to talk.

My hands trembled as I reread the message, the digital words carrying a weight that mirrored the turbulence within me. The plane had landed mere minutes ago, and as much as I dreaded my return to Michigan, a strange sense of comfort enveloped me the moment I stepped off the aircraft. As I navigated through the airport’s hustle, Mark’s message echoed in my mind, creating a symphony of worry and anticipation.

The journey from the airport to my dorm was a blur, the cityscape outside the window a mere backdrop to the whirlwind of thoughts in my head. The prospect of facing Mark, unresolved emotions lingering like a specter, fueled a mixture of anxiety and a glimmer of hope.

He wants to let me know how he feels. Is that good or bad? What if he found someone else? What if he doesn’t want to be my friend anymore? What if… I mentally stop myself from spiraling down that certain rabbit hole.

With a heavy heart, I approached my dorm building. The door creaked open, revealing the dimly lit room adorned with posters and decorations. The message from Mark burned brightly on my phone, demanding acknowledgment. The empty bed next to mine indicated my roommate Miley’s absence. As much as I missed her, part of me was relieved to be alone. I read the note on my desk written in her neat handwriting. She wouldn’t be home for the rest of the night. Good.

MARK: Where are you? We need to talk.

The urgency in his words heightened the tension, and I hesitated, almost responding, but I couldn't muster up the courage to press send.

MARK: Y/N, if you're trying to ghost me, at least turn your read receipts off.

Shit. I silently cursed the advanced technology of iPhones.

Y/N: What do you want, Mark?

MARK: To talk, we need to talk.

Y/N: Oh, now you want to talk. Seems convenient.

MARK: I'm serious, Y/N.

I scoffed as I read his final text message. Who's he to say when I need to talk to him? I could ignore him for the rest of my life, and it wouldn't even bother me—scratch that; I'd miss him more and more every day.

Y/N: Fine. Let's meet at Logan’s around 7:00.

Y/N: Seriously, Mark, don't make me waste my time.

~

I take a deep breath, trying to shake off the unease that settled in my stomach. Logan’s, the pizza place around the corner, wasn’t fancy, but it held a certain charm. Memories of late-night pizza runs with Mark flooded my mind.

I grab my phone, checking the time for the fifth time in ten minutes. Everything feels wrong, from the headache-inducing bright lights to the fact that Mark is ten minutes late. The air inside Logan’s is thick with anticipation, and I can’t escape the nagging thoughts that something significant is about to happen.

The door chimes as Mark finally enters, a disheveled look on his face. I try to read his expression, but his eyes remain elusive. We exchange awkward greetings, and the atmosphere tightens with every passing second.

“Hi,” Mark says, gesturing to an empty booth. The weight of his words hangs in the air as I comply. The vinyl seats are cold against my skin, and the tension in the room is palpable.

Mark fidgets with his hands, avoiding eye contact. I want to break the silence, to demand answers, but fear keeps me silent. Finally, he takes a deep breath, meeting my gaze.

“I didn’t handle your confession well,” he admits, his voice strained. “I panicked, and I’m sorry.”

His words hang in the air, and my heart races with a mix of relief and frustration. The apology doesn’t erase the hurt, but it opens a door to understanding.

“Mark, I know what I did was stupid. I ruined a perfectly fine friendship for my selfish feelings,” I sighed, shame laced my words.

“Y/N,”

“No, Mark,” I interrupted. “You don’t need to pity me, I get it.”

“Wait, let me finish.” He spoke, reaching over and grabbing my hands in his. “Y/N, I didn’t handle what you said well because I was scared. I was scared because I’ve never felt so much for a person.” He huffs, eyes filled with sincerity and care. “I love you, Y/N. I’ve loved you ever since I saw you. I can’t even put into words how you make me feel. These four months without you have been pure torture. Ask any of the boys, I’ve been a complete and utter mess.”

His admission hangs in the air, and I feel a whirlwind of emotions—shock, joy, and a lingering sense of pain. The rollercoaster of feelings leaves me momentarily speechless.

“Mark, why didn’t you say something before I left for Italy?” I finally manage to utter, my voice a mix of vulnerability and frustration.

“I was scared too, Y/N. Scared that you wouldn’t feel the same way or that it would ruin our friendship,” Mark explains, his gaze unwavering. “But the truth is, I can’t imagine my life without you. I couldn’t let this continue without being honest about my feelings.”

“Mark, I… I don’t know what to say,” I admit, still processing the whirlwind of emotions. “I thought you hated me.”

“I could never hate you, Y/N/N,” he brought his hand up to your face, caressing your cheek. “I’m stuck with you forever, whether you like it or not.”

I giggled, tears of joy spilling over and flooding my face. “I like that idea.”

[viking-raider]

A Witcher's Soul

Summary: When tragedy strikes, Geralt of Rivia seeks comfort in the arms of one woman.

Pairing: Geralt of Rivia/Reader

Word Count: 2.7k

Warning: PG - Abandonment Issues, Child Abandonment, Fluff Parental Loss, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Memories, Bathing, Love Confession, Soft!Geralt, Character's Death

Inspiration: This scene from Season Three of the Witcher! 😭

Author’s Note: I hope you enjoy this! Line divider by @FIREFLY-GRAPHICS!

If you would like to get notifications for my writing! Just follow my Tag List blog, @VIKING-RAIDER-TAGLIST and turn on the notifications for it! It’s that easy!

Geralt rode Roach hard, only deviating from his path to guide the powerful black horse around a tree or rock. He gripped the worn brown reins tightly, feeling them cut into the top of his bare hands as he urged Roach to move faster, foam already starting to gather around his bit. The Witcher's mind raced, desperately trying to push down the power of the news he received from a good friend, while trying to help someone he'd found on the job. He struggled for a few days, trying to push it down, telling himself it didn't hurt.

She had left him almost a century ago, at this point.

Witchers had no emotions, he told himself, as a means to drive them back. It didn't work however, the emotions continued to smash into him.

So, he left in the dead of night, not a word to Anika, Otto, or even Jaskier, of where he was going or why. Though, he was sure Anika would know why. Geralt covered almost a whole league by the end of morning, cutting through the forest outside of Murivel, until he reached a modest clearing and an even more modest, three-room hut constructed in the middle of it, a stone and clay well on the left side, the bucket swaying softly in the breeze.

Roach came to a hard stop, hooves cutting deep grooves in the grassy earth, with Geralt wasting no time in dismounting the stallion and stomping across the yard to the front door. His sore and broken heart rose up with hope that it would swing open and the face of the one he was seeking would appear, to greet him. But, the door didn't open to him, instead he was greeted another way.

“Geralt!” A soft and confused voice called out.

He swung around on his boot heels, his golden eyes zeroing in on you as you stood just passed the tree-line, a basket of herbs and mushrooms balanced on your hip, as you regarded the Witcher. You hadn't seen Geralt in over a year, since he decided he needed to go to Cintra to make sure Ciri was safe from the sea of black and gold he'd seen on the Amell Pass. After the Dragon Hunt. You had heard the thunder of the new Roach's hooves coming up the path to your home, while you were gathering in the forest, and came to see who it was. You were surprised to see Geralt in general, but you were worried by how rushed he seemed.

“Geralt, what's amiss?” You asked, coming to close the gap between you. “Are you well?” You inquired, seeing the unusually deep crease between his brow and across his forehead, and how his complexion was paler, almost matching his hair.

Geralt took a deep breath through his nose, lips pressed together for a moment, working up the strength to speak. “I need you.” He finally rasped, his expression breaking into something soft and vulnerable.

“You rode all the way from wherever, just for time with me?” You smirked, tisking.

“Please.” Geralt replied, reaching out to grasp your free hand and squeezing it, rubbing his thumb over your knuckles, his expression breaking even more.

You frowned at him, all jest dying inside of you, seeing his wall fall before you and the pain he was being crushed underneath. “Let's go inside.” You whispered softly, tilting your head towards your door.

Nodding, Geralt reached out for your basket, but shaking your head and swatting it away gently, you pushed the front door open and put your hand on his arm, guiding him inside. You set your basket on a large table and turned towards the just as large fireplace, grabbing wood from the dog grate and tossed it in. Building it back up, sparks flying up the chimney. You moved to Geralt, who stood motionless beside the table, taking his hand and guided him over to the chair at the head of the table, gently coaxing him to sit down, then knelt before him. Grabbing the heel of his boot and his calf, you tugged the muddy, black leather off and set it underneath the table, followed by its twin. There was dust and mud covering his black clothing. You brushed your palm over his knee and thigh, casting some of it off, before standing up again and starting for the next room, only to have Geralt grasp your wrist and pull you into his lap. His arms wrapped around your shoulders as he buried his face into your chest, and breathed deep.

You frowned at him, sympathetically brushing your fingers through his hair and pulling it free of its usual tie, his white strands cascading over his shoulders. You nosed the top of his head, caressing the back of his hair and squeezing his bicep, still confused as to why he was there and what was ailing him so much.

“Geralt.” You whispered into his strands. “Tell me, what's happened?” You asked, your fingertips brushing the back of his neck. “Did you not make it to Ciri in time? Has something happened to her or Jaskier?” You inquired, licking your lips as your heart thundered against his forehead. “I noticed that isn't the Roach you had the last time you were here.” You pointed out, remembering the sweet Chestnut you used to feed and brush, when Geralt stayed with you, but now there was a sturdy black stallion standing in your dooryard.

He shook his head and cleared his throat. “No, they're both fine.” He rasped, turning his head to rest his temple against your collarbone. “As for the last Roach, she was killed by a Chernobog, a few months ago.” He added, softly.

“Oh, I'm so sorry.” You cooed, tucking his hair behind his ear. “Then, what's the matter with my Wolf?”

He was still and quiet again, for a long time, his fingers restlessly toying with the strings at the back of your bodice, before suddenly standing with you still in his arms, and turning to sit you on the chair in his place. He went out the door, rounding the house to the well and dropped the bucket to the bottom. You watched Geralt come back inside with each bucket, holding it in one hand, like it was the weight of one of his swords. Pausing in the open doorway and giving you a hard stare every time, as if he expected to find you moved off the chair or vanished completely. Only then, did he go to your large cauldron, dumping the full bucket in and returning back outside for another.

“Are you going to tell me, what's the matter, Geralt?” You asked, your concern only mounting with his bizarre behavior and irregular moodiness.

“Nothing.” He grunted harshly, setting the cauldron over the fire to boil.

“That's a lie.” You answered, just as sharply, being one of the few people on the Continent brave enough to talk back to the White Wolf in such a manner; other than Jaskier and Ciri. “You wouldn't have come from the bum fuck of Nilfgaard to see me, if something wasn't bothering you.” You insisted, glaring at his back.

Geralt ignored you, heading towards the back rooms of your home and leaving you more worried and annoyed at his behavior. He came back a few minutes later with no shirt on, and your suspicions on his task were answered. Despite what the people of the great Continent thought of Geralt of Rivia, he did not in fact like smelling of death, blood and horse. When he stopped for the winter at Kaer Morhen or with you, he bathed regularly. He just found it more a nuisance to do so while on the Trail, since the next Contract or sleeping rough would only dirty him up again.

Pulling the roiling cauldron off the fire, Geralt carried it to the large, soaking tub you boosted in your bathroom. He filled it almost to the brim, before adding in Lavender and Sage bath salts to the steaming water. A fragrant haze filled the room as he tugged his pants off and tossed them over a chair in the corner. He strode out of the bathroom, returning to you, still sitting where he'd left you. He took your hand and helped you stand, untying the strings of your bodice and tugging down your dress, so it pooled around your feet, before slipping his arm under your knees and an arm around your shoulders, scooping you up against his chest.

You sighed softly, wrapping your arms around his neck, while he carried you to the bathroom. “I missed you.” You whispered into his ear, as he stepped into the tub, lowering you both into it.

“And I, you.” Geralt replied, holding you in his lap and resting back. “Ciri and Jaskier are well, by the way.” He said, his fingertips stroking the skin of your side, beneath the water. “Ciri is being watched over by Yennefer, who's helping her try and control her magic and Jaskier was with Anika, last I left him.”

“Anika?” You frowned, tilting your head back against his shoulder. “Why is Julian with Anika? If he's well.”

Geralt's thick, scarred arms squeezed around you, almost painfully, making you squirm in his lap. “You remember my mother.” He mumbled, barely audible. “Visenna.” He said so quietly, you had to strain to hear it.

“Yes, I recall you telling me of her, a few years after we met.” You murmured, seeing the strained expression on his face. “And that you'd seen her at Sodden Hill. She healed you, after the ghoul bite.”

“I remember bits of my life with my Ma.” He rasped, his grasp on you loosening, but he still held you close to him. “She smelled like embers, from keeping our measly fires alive during the long nights.” He told you, the crease between his golden eyes slowly vanishing as he went back to that time, tapping into that abandoned little boy, he had never grown out of, but skillfully concealed from those he didn't cherish. “We were quite poor, even though she was skilled as a healer. So, she-” He paused, his voice thickening and his throat bobbing as he swallowed.

You looked up at him, seeing the redness in the whites of his eyes and the unshed tears threatening on his lashes. It frightened you to see the Witcher like this. In the fifteen years you'd known him, you'd seen him in many states, but you had never seen Geralt cry. Reaching up, you cupped his scruffy cheek in your hand and thumbed a droplet away, pressing your lips to his jawline.

“She would use her magic to create the most elaborate meals that we couldn't afford.” He continued, tilting his head into your hand. “There was—I would have done anything to make her smile. And yet,” He voice broke again, this time with more than just hurt and abandonment, but with resentment. “The day she left me, she was sick. She needed some water, so I went to get her some, and when I came back to the road...she was gone.” He croaked, pushing his jaw forward and shaking his head, trying to deny the burn of more tears.

His fingertips pressed into the skin of your side and back. “I called for her.” He said weakly, his golden eyes off in the distance. “But she was gone.” He whimpered, the tears finally winning out, dripping off his jaw and into your hair and the bath water.

You squeezed your eyes shut, pressing your forehead to his neck and hugging your arms around his torso. You had known Visenna had abandoned Geralt. He had told you that bluntly not long after you had met. The torture of her leaving him there, to be taken away to Kaer Morhen, where he'd suffered such agony in his transformation into a Witcher, at just five years old, coupled with the pain he never got over with his mother.

You wondered how Geralt had survived at all.

But no, Geralt was strong, even from a young age.

“She's dead.”

You pulled out of your thoughts, shocked. “She's dead?”

“She was giving aid to some villager and was mistaken as an Elf.” Geralt told you, bringing a hand out of the water to wipe it over his face. “They beat her severely and she later died, at the Temple of Mourning, where Anika was. Which is how I found out.”

“I'm so sorry, Geralt.” You cooed, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth, connecting the dots to his arrival. “I hope the two of you were able to make some sort of easement between you, when you last met.”

Geralt pressed his lips together and buried his face into your hair, his throat too tight to speak in the moment. He considered how he and Visenna last met, in the forest outside of Sodden Hill, as he laid feverish and hallucinating from a Ghoul bite to the leg. After saving a poor Merchant, who was trying to bury the dead from a camp Nilfgaard had attacked. At first, she had tried to conceal her identity from him, pretending to be Renfri, Yennefer and finally, you, before he managed to discover who it really was. Triggered by her belief that, People linked by Destiny, will always find each other.

He asked her what she thought of his eyes. Demanding to know, if she knew what they did to improve a Witcher's eyes. Telling her that it didn't always work. She had begged him to stop. Calling him by his name, only for Geralt to reject her right to do so, like she had rejected him. He had begged to know if she knew how many boys actually made it through the Trials. Tears filled both of their eyes as they stared at each other in the darkness.

In the end, his Ma had left him, again, fading into the night, trying to convince him she was just a dream and he would never get the answer he wanted.

So, had he made peace with his mother abandoning him, forcing him on the Path of the Witcher?

No. Geralt decided in the end, he had not.

The only thing Geralt did know was he wanted you. You were the first person he had thought of, upon finding out about his mother's death. Wanting to feel you against him and needing the comfort only you were able to provide. You shifted out of Geralt's lap, moving around him, while reaching over the side of the tub, grabbing the small cup that sat on the foot board there. Dipping it into the water and gently pouring it over Geralt's silvery-white strands, you set aside and took up a round, solid bar of honey and chamomile scented soap, using it to work his hair into a rich lather. Geralt moaned, feeling your fingers massage his scalp, resting forward to prop his elbows on his bent knees, eyes falling shut.

“I love you.” He murmured, quietly.

You stopped, resting your hands on his broad shoulders. “You've never said that before.” You said, looking around at him, mouth softly agape.

“No?” Geralt rasped, cocking a brow over his shoulder at you.

“Not once, in all these years.” You assured him, your hand gently massaging the scarred muscle of his neck.

He turned to you, causing the cooling water to slosh over the edge. “Then, I have a great deal of making up to do.” He cooed, reaching out to cup your face in his rough palm. “Because I do. I love you. Out of everyone, besides perhaps Jaskier and Vesemir, you know me better than anyone, and no one has ever taken better care of me than you have.” He told you, his face betraying the emotions a Witcher truly had, but guarded for their most treasured person, and not those of an abandoned child, rather those of a man in love.

“I love you too, Geralt.” You assured him, turning your head to kiss his hand. “And I will always care for you, me bleidd.” You whispered, picking up the cup to continue washing his hair.

[justmeinadaze]

Aftercare Part 2 (Steddie X You)

A/N: I had an extremely ugh day (couple of days actually) so Ive been living in this fic, writing it out lol Enjoy it <3. I feel safe with them.

Part One Here

Warnings: Dom Steddie and Sub Reader and all that implies (I regret nothing!) , Spanking, DP, mentions of previous bad past relationships for the reader, Smut and fluff. No angst today my friends.

Word Count: 4275

It had been a few days since your tender incident with your roommates Eddie and Steve. The day after they took care of you, you found yourself incredibly sore, not just between your legs but your ass and wrists as well. 

The continued to look after you, changing your bandages and icing the swollen area of your limbs. Today they both had to work so your plan for the rest of the afternoon was to put on one of Steve’s shirts and cocoon yourself in Eddie’s bed while you waited for them to come home.  

As you entered Steve’s room, you found yourself looking at it with a completely new set of eyes. The smell of his cologne hung in the air making you dizzy as your memory floated to him sitting on the edge of the bathtub caressing your thighs. Your fingers ran across his dresser as your grinned at the pictures you passed of the three of you together. On his desk were some applications for jobs he had been looking at including one at his father’s firm but thankfully he hadn’t filled that out yet and you hoped he never would. 

Yellow notepad paper caught your eye and you reached over to bring it closer to you so you could read it. 

Sexy things I think Y/N would enjoy:

Spanking (The correct way!)

Restriction/ Handcuffs (Eddie may have some that won’t hurt her.)

Daddy? (This is more for me and Ed. I know it turned me on hearing her talk like she did.)

DP ( I think she’d love to have us both inside her especially with how fucking tight she is…) 

I know she said she likes it rough. Eddie said he had some ideas of things he did with other girls. I don’t think she wants us to really hurt her…I don’t know. I should ask her…

Edging ( I just want to hear her beg me in that little voice to allow her to cum)

Role play? (She loves scary movies. I bet she’d love Eddie and I pretending to stalk her and then using her.)(Seriously that thought got me ridiculously hard!)

You smiled as you read his list. The men you tried this dynamic with were always pretty selfish, focusing on their own pleasure instead of yours. Steve seemed to genuinely care about you and your feelings; they both did and always had. 

Picking up a nearby pen you scrawled a note of your own on the bottom. 

All of these sound fantastic, Stevie! Or should I say Daddy? ;).

Reaching into his closet you grabbed one of his button up shirts, giggling as you wrapped in around your naked skin. He was so much bigger than you were, his shirt feeling like a nightgown as it touched past your knees. It made you feel safe, as if he was there right now with his arms around you. 

You pleasantly sighed as you left and headed to Eddie’s room. The metalhead was night to Steve’s day. Where Steve’s room was neat and organized, Ed’s was a complete disaster. His room had a cologne smell like the other boys but it was hidden under is signature smell of cigarettes with a dash of weed.

Even the pictures he had of you three were slightly different. All of Steve’s were from outside in the sun whether it be at the beach or a school event you guys had attended in high school. Eddie’s were from nighttime activities like after one of his shows at the bar or a heavy metal concert outside of town. 

You grinned as your finger’s ran over his guitar. God, you loved watching him play. The way his eyes zeroed in as he focused on the notes or the way his fingers moved across the strings… Fuck. A small moan left you at the memory of those same fingers thrusting inside of you. 

As you sat on his bed, one of his composition books bent into your thigh. You opened it expecting to find doodles and notes on his next D & D campaign but were surprised to see song titles. 

Y/N’s Mixtape 

No One Like You- Scorpions

Little Lover- AC/DC

Rock Me- Great White

Why am I not better at this?! 

I don’t want them all to be sexual! I need to ask the guys. 

-Learn to play Def Leppard 

I want to play a song for her on stage and I know she likes them.

Photograph or maybe Animal?

Not Pour Some Sugar! Too cliché!

It took you awhile to find anything to write with in Eddie’s room so you settled on a marker you found under a pile of clothes. 

“You got some kinda hold on me You're all wrapped up in mystery So wild and free So far from me You're all I want, my fantasy.”

Your grin grew as you turned on his stereo and Metallica lightly flowed through the speakers. Finding a spot in the middle of his bed, you curled up into a ball, hugging his composition book to your chest as you slowly drifted off to sleep. 

##############

The bed dipped by your side, followed by the notebook gently being pulled from your grasp. 

“Did she write something in it to?”

You kept your eyes closed so you could hear what they would say when they thought you weren’t listening. You could hear the subtle smile in Steve’s tone as he asked Eddie his question who responded with an equally happy sounding voice. 

“Yeah, she did.”

“What does yours say?”

You felt a calloused palm tenderly pet your head, pushing your hair out of your face. 

“I wanted to play something on stage for her. I thought she deserved something special after what she went through…has been through with those other assholes. She provided a suggestion.”, he grinned. “What about yours?”

“Shit, dude. What I was working on wasn’t as romantic as yours.”, Steve chuckles. “I, uh, wrote down some things I thought she’d like to try…in bed, you know? Especially since no one seems to be doing it correctly. I still can’t believe she didn’t know what aftercare was.”

“Yeah…what did she write? Hell, what did YOU write?!”, Eddie laughs at his friend. 

“She said she liked them all especially, um, calling us Daddy.” The bed gradually dipped on your other side as he lowered his voice. “Dude, that little voice she spoke to us in—fuck—I’ve been jerking off to that sound for the past few days.”

You tried so hard to hold it in but it was impossible to catch the heavy, pleasure filled sigh that escaped your lips. 

“Hey Harrington, did your list mention touching her while she slept?”

“Naw, Ed, it didn’t. I think this sweet girl would hate that we made her feel good and she wasn’t awake for it.”

“Very true. We can think of it like a punishment for snooping around our rooms and taking your shirt without asking.”

“I wasn’t snooping.”

“Oh shit, Munson. Would you look at that. She’s awake.” You slowly open your eyes to meet their beautiful smiling faces. 

“I just wanted to be close to you guys since you were both gone.” Sitting up, you lean your cheek on Eddie’s shoulder. “I missed you two.”

“How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

You excitedly flash them your wrists. “Much better! And I can definitely sit normally now.”, you giggle.

“Did that prick call you?” Steve sighed when you shook your head. 

“Probably won’t come around again until he’s horny.”

“Well, he’ll have to go through us so…” A wicked grin spread across Eddie’s face when he noticed you exhale again. “You really like us being protective over you, don’t you?”

“I like knowing that I’m safe and cared for.” Your head hung in shame. “I’ve never felt that before.”

Steve’s fingers hooked under your chin, lifting you to face them. “You’re always safe with us. We would never make you feel unwanted or unloved.”

That giddy feeling from the other day returned at his words as you shuffled your shoulders and beamed with pride.

“Can-Can we play?”

The metalhead chuckled as he turned to Steve. “She’s so polite. I love it. Which makes me wonder…Y/N, were those other guys just hitting you to hit you? Like with your idiot, why did he spank you with a belt?”

Your eyes narrow at him as his choice of words for your now ex-boyfriend. “I told him I wanted to try something rougher so he said he could spank me.”

“But that’s not you, is it, sweetheart? I mean you’re not into that sado-masochistic stuff. No judgement if you are.”, he grins. 

“No, I don’t want to be hurt like that. I just…like being controlled… and punished if I do something wrong.”

“Like going through our stuff when we aren’t here.”, Steve replied.

“I wasn’t going through your things! I just—”

Eddie interrupted you by roughly grabbing your jaw. “Didn’t sound like to me he was asking but telling you that you did something incorrect. For a pretty girl that’s so polite, you should know it’s not ok to touch other people’s property when they aren’t there.”

The action of him grabbing you and talking the way he was had your pussy clenching as you felt yourself slowly dropping. 

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I did a bad thing.”

“It’s okay, honey. You’ll learn.” Steve smiled as the metalhead loosened his grip. His eyes were constantly scanning your face for any discomfort. You seemed to be enjoying yourself so far so Eddie continued. 

“Do you have a safe word you prefer?”

“I usually use Red. I mean, I haven’t used it yet but…”

“Tough girl. Can I ask you something and I want you to be honest?”

“Yes of course.”

“Have you wanted to but you felt embarrassed? You said last time that fucker hit you too hard sometimes. Why didn’t you use it?”

“It’s not that I feel embarrassed… I don’t want to seem weak…”

They both heavily sighed but Steve couldn’t help himself as he climbed further up the bed and collected you in his arms. 

“Y/N, we know you’ve been through a lot. Not just with guys but with your family to. You’re not weak if you need to stop because you feel uncomfortable.”

“Promise us, princess. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, unsafe, or anything like that, you will say that safe word. No matter what we will still love you.”

“I promise.” To add emphasis and lighten the mood you do the “cross my heart” gesture along your chest making them laugh.

Eddie crawled up the bed as well till he was shoulder to shoulder with Steve. “What do you think, Harrington? Should we let this descension slide just this one time?

“I mean, little girl needs to learn the rules and respect us, right?”

“I-I respect you…”, you mumble. 

“Hm. I don’t know, baby. Maybe just a small punishment, Munson. Just to let it really sink in.”

The man nods and motions for you lay your head on his lap, adjusting you so you stomach was across the other man’s thighs and your ass accessible. Steve tugs your panties down your legs, gently running his palm over the soft flesh. 

“These cuts do look a lot better, Y/N. You said they don’t hurt anymore?”

You shook you head aggressively before responding in a tone that had both boys subtly groaning. “Eddie took really good care of me.” 

“Yeah, he did.” A small yelp left your throat as his hand came down on your backside. It wasn’t hard but meant to tease while making sure you were okay. “How did that feel, honey?”

The metalhead brushed back your hair from your face as your nails dug into his jeaned leg. 

“Good. S-s-so good.”, you moaned. “You can spank me harder i-if you want to.”

Steve didn’t do it immediately, choosing to run his hands along your skin before finally rearing back and delivering a much harder smack that had you pushing up on your arms. 

“Do you like that, princess? Do you like Steve spanking you?”

Your eyes practically roll out of your skull as he does it again a bit harder. “F-fuck, yes I like it.”

“Say it correctly, babe.”

*SMACK*

“Mmm—I like Steve spanking me.”

“Jesus… here, Y/N. Don’t…don’t move.”

The man slides out from under you and you hear sounds behind you of him shuffling around before something clanks loudly to the floor. 

“Again, didn’t take long for Harrington to get naked.”, Eddie chuckles making you smile as he continues to play with your hair. 

Your hips are abruptly lifted so your lower half is more exposed for him on your knees as he firmly spanks you again before his tongue suddenly licks between your folds. 

“Steve! Oh my god…”

“It’s ok, baby. You’re ok. Remember, you’re safe with us.”, Eddie coos. “As sexy as you look, I’m going to slide this shirt off you.” 

You lift up on your hands again, helping pull Steve’s shirt over your head as the boy behind you continues to aggressively devour you, moaning into your cunt as he strokes his length. 

Pulling back, his palm comes down on your ass and you mewl as your head falls back down to Eddie’s lap. One of his hands reach underneath you to grab a handful of your breast as the other pushes his tongue back inside of you. 

“You really are so beautiful, sweet girl. You deserve to be treated right.” His fingers caress your nipples causing you to moan as he gently tugs on the erect bud. “Do you want that? Do you want us to take care of you and make you happy?”

“You…you both have—fuck—have always made me…happy.”

Your answer genuinely makes him smile. “Not like this, sweetheart.”

Your mouth falls open in a silent whimper as you cum, body collapsing as you twitch with pleasure. Sighing, you feel yourself being lifted and wrapped up in Steve’s embrace again. Your eyes remain shut as you inhale him, forehead pressed to his neck as they both tenderly praise you. 

“I want you both…to feel me at…at the same time. I don’t think it’s fair for the first time we’re together one of you has me first.”

“Who said we were going to fuck you tonight?” Your eyes meet Eddie’s playful ones, glimmering with mischief. “I mean, you misbehaved and then, I don’t know about you Stevie, but…” He obnoxiously stretches his arms wide. “I had a LONG, stressful day.”

“I did to, Ed. There were so many rude customers and we were SO busy. I kept thinking ‘Gosh I can’t wait to come home and just crash on my bed ALL ALONE.’”

“Oh, come on! Like you haven’t been thinking about fucking me for the past few days.” You crawl off Steve’s lap and climb into Eddie’s, straddling his waist. “I have ever since I saw you both naked. I kept thinking ‘How could I have known these men for so long, lived under the same roof even, and had no idea their cocks were that big.’”

The boy underneath you exhaled through his nose at your words, feeling his dick get unbearably hard against his jeans. Your palms glided down his chest, raising off his shirt before leaning forward to place delicate kisses along his shoulders and neck. 

“Please, Eddie. You both deserve to feel good to. Make me yours.”

The metalhead practically growled as he crashed his lips to your own. Effortlessly, he lifted you off him, passing you to Steve who was more than happy to pick up where his friend left off. 

“Have you ever done this before?”

“Not at one time. I have had anal but…”

The man’s fingers tenderly lift your chin. “It didn’t feel good?”

Your own fingers run through his hair as you place a kiss on his lips. “Not with him but I trust you two.”

Steve grinned as he held on to your waist, shifting his body down the bed till he was flat on his back. A now naked Eddie pounced back onto the mattress making you laugh before licking your lips as you watch him pour some lube into his hand and stroke it along his cock. 

“You ready, honey?”

You nod as Steve grips the base of his own cock, allowing you to descend onto it at your own pace. Even with just the tip of him inside of you already full.

“Steve…fuck…”, you moaned, lowering yourself further. 

“Yes, baby, you’re doing so good. Just…take your time. Y/N, I…”

“T-tell me, please.”

“I’ve never felt a pussy this fucking tight before. Fuck me, Ed. You don’t even know what you’re about to experience.” His words had you fluttering around him making him groan until you were fully seated on top of him. “Don’t fucking move. I swear I don’t know how long I’m going to last.” His newfound gruff tone had you clenching again, leaning forward on your hands as Eddie gently pushed you down.

“Oh yeah? You like hearing me tell you what to do?”

Steve watched as your face scrunched together as Eddie gradually began pushing his dick into your ass. 

“Jesus Christ.”, he grunted under his breath. 

The other man grabbed your throat, pulling you closer to his face. “I asked you a question, little girl. You want to play rough you have to show respect. Now…” They both thrust their hips into you roughly at the same time eliciting an obscenely beautiful moan from your lips as your forehead fell on his. “Do you like hearing me telling you what to do?”

“Y-yes, Steve. I-I-I like it.”

His hand snaked around to the back of your neck, bringing your lips to his as they began thrusting into you. Eddie’s palm slid up your back, intertwining his fingers in your hair as he yanked it back. 

Steve looked up at you with half-lidded eyes swearing he had never seen anything or anyone so perfect. He had always hated the way people in your life treated you. To him, you deserved the world but he had always been so scared to make a move. He was terrified of losing you and at least as your friend and roommate he could keep an eye on you, protecting you while being there when you needed him. 

Eddie spanked you hard and you whimpered at the feeling as he leaned over you to kiss along your shoulder; his ear closer to your lips so we could absorb those gorgeous sounds coming from them. The metalhead struggled to get along with anyone but could always connect with you and Steve. You always made him feel like a person and not the freak everyone thought he was. There was that level of insecurity within him though that felt you could do better than him. He always wanted to tell you how much he truly loved you but, like Steve, was so scared of losing you. 

Truth be told, they needed you as much as you needed them. 

“Fuck me…I’m gonna fucking cum. Do-do you feel comfortable with us—”

“Yes!”, you cut Steve off. “Fuck yes—mmm—please. Fill me up, Daddy.”

“God fucking hell—”, his voice strained as he tightly gripped your hips, trusting into you roughly as his spend released inside of you. 

Eddie wrapped his arm around your chest, pulling you up against his own as his fingers reached between your legs to rub your clit. 

“Cum, pretty girl. Fucking squeeze us both as fucking hard as you do. Come on, baby.” He kept urging you as he pumped faster.

“What-what should I—fuck—call you? Are you Daddy to?”

“I’m whatever you want me to be, princess. As long as you do what I say.”

Your arms clung to his as you placed your lips against his ear. “I know—mmm—you’re an amazing…dungeon master. Do-do you want to be my master to?”

The moan that left his throat was too much for you as your eyes closed and you came. Eddie soon followed, pounding into you roughly till he grunted against your skin and released his seed inside of you. 

The three of you collapsed on the bed, panting as you tried to catch your breaths. As Steve started to stand however, you quickly reached for his arm. 

“Don’t leave!”

“Whoa! Hey, honey, it’s ok. I’m not leaving. I was just going to get something to clean you with because I assumed you wanted to lay here for a little bit before taking a shower.”

He could still see the panic in your eyes until Eddie’s arm slid under yours and pulled you tighter against his sweaty chest. “It’s ok, sweetheart. I’m right here. You’re not alone.”

“Did you wanna take a shower now?” The metalhead chuckles as you nod, Steve smiling as he lifts you into his arms. “Maybe we should do it like this till she gets more comfortable.”

“I’m sorry.”, you pout; afraid your making things too difficult.

“Baby, there’s no reason to be sorry. Now, Eddie, on the other hand should be sorry for how much of mess this fucking bathroom is.”

Said boy who had been getting the shower ready, stood to his full height and playfully squinted at his friend. “Excuse me. Rude. I like my bathroom. I know where everything is.”

“Yeah, on the floor.”

You giggle at their banter as you step into the tub. “I don’t mind your bathroom, Ed.”

“THANK YOU, princess.”

After both men follow you in, you stand still allowing them to clean and take care of you. There was a vast difference between this time and last time. The biggest one being while they had been rough with you there wasn’t any lingering intense pain. You ass stung where they had spanked you but it was a good burn that had you softly sigh as you leaned back against Steve’s chest. 

You were already sore between your legs and your ass but it was a dull, lingering pain that you knew would have you constantly thinking about them and how good they made you feel. 

That garbage feeling you had come to know after each sexual encounter wasn’t present here. All their attention was on you and as they continued to care for you, you felt your brain slowly return and leave that previous headspace you were in. They never pushed you or made you feel rushed. Because you had felt so heavy and collapsed in his arms last time, Eddie always kept his hand or arm on your waist just in case. 

If you happened to feel that clingy impulse, you would rub your nose into Steve’s chest and he would smile softly as he held you to him. After you and they were clean, they quickly dried you, shoved a shirt over your head, and jokingly tossed you back into bed.

Eddie chose to remain naked, lighting a cigarette as Steve thew on some boxers before laying on either side of you. 

“Fuck. Look at me being a dick. Y/N, is it ok if I smoke this close to you?”

“It’s fine, Ed. I don’t mind.”, you grin. There was a comfortable silence that feel over the room as you laid together. Your smile grows as you place your hand on Steve’s chest. “Um, so I’ve never done roleplay or any other punishment type stuff before but I’m opening to trying anything you suggest. Just nothing too violent… like don’t punch me or anything.”

“Who wanted to punch you?!”

“No one! I just… I’m still learning…”

“Sweetheart, no one should be punching or kicking you.” Eddie raised his arm and you lifted your head to rest on top of it. “Did you like what we did here?”

“Yeah!”, you exclaim a bit too excitedly making them chuckle. “I, um, I didn’t hate the belt with my ex. I just—he just—”

“It’s too hard. Y/N, is that your way of saying you’d like to add that into our thing here?”, Steve smiles coyly. 

“I think as long as I’m with you two, I’ll like anything you try.”

Eddie squished the cigarette into the ashtray, rolling onto his side to face you. “Is it ok if we try, maybe, taking you out to dinner or a movie?”

“Eddie, of course. I love hanging out with you guys.”

“That’s not what he means, honey.”

“Oh…”

“Before you said you didn’t want this to be a one-time thing but you didn’t actually say if—”

“You wanted to be our girl or just do this.”, the man gestures around the bed. 

You scoot your body further down the mattress and grab Eddie’s cheeks as you place your lips on his. As you roll over, you do the same with Steve before settling down fully in the metalhead’s embrace. 

“’Our girl?’ Is this the 60’s? Are you going to give me your jacket pin, Steve Harrington?”, you teased. 

“If that’s what you want, pretty girl. Hell, I’ll do whatever I have to do to show the world how much I love you.” His tone dropped to a more serious register as he reached out to caress your cheek. “WE love you.”

Eddie lightly gripped your jaw, turning you to face him. “We do. Now I don’t have a jacket pin but I can tattoo my name on you somewhere.”

“No!”, you laugh as his fingers tickle up your sides. “I love you to. I’d love to be your girl."

[gojolvs]

I still want you.

Chapter 4

⤿ Satoru Gojo × reader

Falling in love with the Satoru Gojou wasn’t an easy task. You truly love him but will this come to an end?

Warning/ tags; angst, profanity, smoking, cursing, smut, cheating gojo, baby daddy gojo.

Genre; angst, cheating, infidelity, jik, Gojou × reader

Notes: the tag-list is open if you'd like to be mentioned everytime i update just send me a message, also excuse my writing I got too lazy to edit it lolll.

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Opening the door you couldn't believe it. Grabbing all your belongings you silently sobbed. He actually cheated. The man you desired and loved every single day had cheated on you and had felt zero remorse. All you could feel was abhorrent towards your husband. Even calling him your husband was bad enough. Walking into the house you could feel the coldness. Sighing you could slightly see your breath. Initially, you called yourself crazy for thinking Satoru might love someone else. You couldn't believe he did that to you. In spite of everything, you desperately wanted this marriage to work. Not being able to believe what your own eyes saw you tried pinching yourself, trying to see if you were dreaming. Hoping this was nothing more than a dumb dream and that you awoke to your husband hugging you tightly. Unfortunately to your demise this wasn't a dream. This was the harsh reality, a reality you couldn't seem to accept no matter what.

In a state of sadness and anger, you felt like you had been punched in the stomach. You felt totally dismayed. All you could do was sob. It felt like you had been stabbed in the throat. Did he fall out of love so long ago? She was everything you weren't. She had beautiful long brown hair, her eyes were a dazzling shade of hazel. She was tall and slim, she had a beautiful figure and her curves were literally perfect. She had the most beautiful smile you've ever seen. It broke your heart knowing that Satoru left you for an amazing person. What a sight for sore eyes you thought. You weren't even half as pretty as she was. You loved him so much you just couldn't let go. Satoru was and is your husband but it hurt you so much. Did the 4 years of marriage mean nothing to him? Did all the memories you created together mean absolutely nothing???

Opening the bedroom door you were hit with a wave of sadness. Seeing your cute little stuffed animal that Satoru had won in those stupid carnival games, breaking your heart every more. The excruciating silence that made you feel empty and alone. Just remembering seeing him so happy left you with a sore heart and tightened chest. Tears streamed down your face as your cries echoed through the room. You felt your heart breaking with each sob that left your lips, and your tears seemed to never stop flowing. The sound of your cries were so loud and powerful that it seemed to fill the entire room. You were such a mess. It felt like your whole world came down crashing on you. Your once husband had fell in love with another woman. Despite your attempt to save this stupid marriage that couldn't be saved to begin with left you dumb-founded. Your doleful eyes continued to sob as you remembered all the good times you spent with your husband.

Why is it so cold? Why is it so go damn cold in this fucking room. Seeing the marriage photo at your night stand you grabbed it, with anger you threw it at the ground seeing how the picture you once loved so much meant nothing to you. You couldn't care less if Satoru came home now, seeing how u ruined your so called "lovely home".

What was so much better that she had that you didn't? She wasn't the one who awaited for his arrival. She wasn't the one who wouldn't stay up late at night waiting for a call or even a simple text. No, she was the one who had gained all his love and attention. Not you, never you. Grabbing your hair you fell onto your bed. Bringing your knees up to your chest you tried your best to not cry. Despite everything all you could do was cry. Why did she win? Did you do something wrong?

Im sorry I was the one who caused the arguments, im sorry I was the one who was being "over dramatic" or maybe sorry I was the only one who cared about this damn marriage. You curled up in a ball, burying your face in his pillow as the tears streamed down your face. You never felt so alone, so helpless, and so broken that the only thing you could do was cry in your bed. You lay on the bed, and his smell still lingered in the sheets. You thought you had moved past the pain, but the scent of his cologne brought it all back in a wave of hurt and betrayal. You had trusted him, and he had broken that trust. You had never expected that he would do something like this to you.

Feeling so weak you didn't even care if Satoru came in and saw you like this. At this point you just wanted this whole day to end. Despite knowing that he had cheated on you, you still found yourself eagerly awaiting his arrival. The feelings you have for him were so strong that you couldn't help but hope he would come back and make things right. Even though your head told you to turn away, your heart could not give up on him. Getting up you walked towards the restroom. Washing your face you felt a certain chest pain When you finally looked into the mirror, your eyes were red and swollen from all the tears you had shed. you couldn't help but feel a deep sadness in your chest as you gazed upon your tired reflection. It was a reminder of how much you had been struggling and how far you still had to go.

"Y/N?" There he was. It was him who broke your heart, who had your heart in a tangle. Seeing your frail appearance, his eyes widened. His hand caressed your face as he ran to your side, "Are you okay?" He asked, "What's wrong?" Slapping his hand away you scoffed.

All of a sudden he fucking cares huh? As you got out of the restroom, you pushed him away from yourself . You felt discomfort in your feet as you walked towards the side of the bed. Seeing the glass photo you had of your wedding day. "Get away from me Satoru." Walking towards the bathroom you tripped groaning in pain after your foot had been stabbed by the small shards of glass

You felt Satoru walk towards you, picking you up bride style before walking towards the restroom and placing you on top of the sink. "Let me see" grabbing your foot he saw the small glass shards deep in your skin. Flinching when he touched it your eyebrows furrowed. "Let me help you." You felt tears starting to form, shaking your head you bit your tongue.

He grabbed the small medkit that was under the sink, carefully he grabbed small tweezers. Swabbing a bit of alcohol on the sole of your foot you sighed. You could see a bit of lipstick smudged in his jacket. We're you really that clueless? Did you never see anything that didn't belong to you? Or where you just too scared to admit that there was another women in his life.

"Who is she?" Looking up his eyes widened. He quickly looked down, taking out the small glass before applying antiseptic on the sole of your feet. Bandaging it he got up, washing his hands he looked at you with a gentle smile.

"There you go, all done." Opening the bathroom door he stopped in his tracks. Gojo looked at you confused perking himself up in shock and confusion. "What?" he replied.

"Satoru answer me. Who is she?" Getting up you moaned in pain. You couldn't believe he was ignoring you, not answering a simple question. You scoffed at his reaction. He clearly heard you the first time but he pretended to not. "You could've told me you fell out of love but instead you stayed with me and lead me on." You couldn't even cry anymore.

The white haired man was stuck and had no idea what to say. "Who's who?" He turned to face you, grabbing your hand you pulled it back. Who does he think he is? He broke your heart. You laughed at his words looking at him you couldn't believe who he had become.

"Who's the girl you kissed in the cafe Satoru thats who. Who's the girl you fell in love with." Biting your lip you hoped he called you crazy and denied the whole time but he didn't, He didn't even care. "What did I do wrong Satoru? Is she that much better than me? Did our marriage and kid mean nothing to you when you were out with her while I cried my fucking ass off?" Your heart ached

You couldn't do this anymore. This wasn't the Satoru you once fell in love with. No this was just a random man who meant absolutely nothing to you. "I love you Y/N." You were taken aback by his words, and in a fit of rage, you slapped him. You couldn't believe that he would say those words after he had betrayed your trust. You felt hurt and angry, and you wanted him to feel the same way.

"I can't believe you," you scoffed. After all he's done, how could you believe him when he says he loves you?

"You expect me to believe your bullshit? You can't love two people at the same time Satoru. You just fucking can't." You snapped pushing him away from you. He hung his head low, he didn't even say a single word back. You sighed "I want a divorce."

He was taken back, his eyes widened and his fists clenched. "What?" Attempting to grab your hand you pushed him away again. You couldn't believe he was acting like this. Acting like this marriage meant nothing to him. "I want a divorce Satoru. Go be happy with her." He forcibly hugged you tightly, he couldn't loose the only person that understood him.

You gulped heavily, "Don't touch me." You whispered shakily. "You got what you wanted didn't you?" You scoffed, a hiccup following shortly after and you looked at him with pure doubt written across your face.

Not a single tear came out, you felt your face feel numb. You felt so cold, sighing while clasping your hands together. Rubbing them together to try and get some sort of warmth out of it. Grabbing your purse you exited the room, Satoru quickly following behind. You knew this marriage was over when Satoru didn't even fight over this. When he just completely gave up on trying to explain himself. You should've known his loyalty didn't even stand high enough for you.

Just to make matters worse the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" Leaving the room you had seen the desperation in Satorus eyes. Opening the door you could see a familiar face. Immediately wiping your tears the door swung revealing your little sister standing at the door frame. Seeing your face her heart dropped.

"Y/n? Are you okay?!" Her eyes widened when she noticed your fraile figure and your saddened face expression. "Im fine!" You said rubbing your neck and quickly plastered a fake smile. Seeing your little sister after years did help you a bit but you still couldn't stop thinking about him.

"Are you sure? You look so doleful." Walking inside the house she gave a small hug before placing a hand on your forehead "And your burning hot we should get you to a doctor."

"No im fine, enough about me how are you?" Staring at Satoru you gave him a look that basically screamed act normal.

"No Y/n, what's the matter?" She grasped your hand and placed it in hers. It doesn't matter how much she annoys you at times, you love your little sister so much. While looking down, you spotted an engagement ring. "What's wrong?"

"Is that?" You glanced at her and looked down at her ring finger. That's right, it was. Your little sister had gotten engaged. Despite being happy your heart broke already knowing that she was going to ask you a question you couldn't say no to. Oh god, you thought.

"Don't change the subject." Her eyes were laced with concern. Her eyebrows were scrunched a bit, her hands squeezed yours in return to your sigh. She was the best, your one and only sister you had. Looking at you she looked at Gojo raising one eyebrow.

"It's nothing really. You're engaged?" You felt appeasement seeing her eyes sparkle and the mention of an engagements. Maintaining eye contact you forced yourself to let out a small giggle. Crying you embraced your sister, hugging her tighter by the minute.

"Yes! And I was planning to ask you if you'd be my maid of honor and Gojo the main groomsman!" Feeling your heart ache after hearing his dumb name, your closed your eyes in despair. You couldn't ruin this for your sister, nodding you gave her a sweet and bitter smile. It'd be hard discussing with gojo about this marriage your sister was having. Having to pretend that everything was okay was going to be a difficult challenge. I guess you were just going to have to pretend that everything is fine between each-other, even though you knew it wasn't.

"Yes of course we can." Biting your lip you looked away, avoiding eye contact. Pursing your lips you decided to smile at your sister. Sumire was at your friends house Shoko. She instantly agreed to take care of Sumire while you went home and grabbed all of your belongings and moved in with your mother, but of course you had gotten distracted with your dumb feelings and went straight to your house. Your sister started talking about wedding stuff, making you uninterested at the conversation. You were about to get up and excuse yourself when a certain detail had caught your eye.

"And after everything I'm planning to have my wedding at Hawaii because that's where my fiancée was raised." Clasping her hands you could see the excitement in her eyes. Wishing you could go back in time and remember how happy you were when you planned your own wedding with your family. "Also we're going two weeks prior the wedding because I want all of us to get along so pack your suitcase and hire a babysitter for that little rascal Sumire."

Two weeks with Satoru by yourself, you couldn't even bare thinking about sleeping with him on the same bed after everything. Convincing yourself that you could do it you agreed to this stupid thing. You must really love your sister if you agreed to stay even one more week with your cheating husband.

“So pack your suitcase cause we leave in three days.” Kissing your cheek she excused herself yapping about how she had to do so much stuff she couldn’t stay any more longer. Closing the door you waved goodbye. Rubbing the bridge of your nose you didn’t want to face him again. Gojo was patiently waiting for you on the couch. He was scrolling on his phone before looking up to you.

“After her wedding im signing the divorce papers. As for now act like a normal couple, and don’t even think this means I forgive you Satoru because I don’t and i don’t think I ever will.” Walking away from him you closed the bedroom door. Not caring if he sleeps in the couch you fell onto the bed.

Im so fucked.

taglist; @allofffmypeaches @wo-ming-bai @nerdiel-has-no-braincells @creolequeen11210 @yevene @doughnuts-eater @narutosagemode @lilith412426 @pandoraium

[pillarsalt]

hi there!!! love your art first of all!! :)

i came across a rb of your cotton cieling/peaking comic (which i also love!) and saw in the notes how tims have scrubbed the tag since then. it made me curious how widespread the knowledge of their rape rhetoric actually is (since we know how happy they are to spew it when they know only lesbians are reading/listening, but we also know how hard they try to pretend to everyone else that they're tooootally not homophobic and toooootally don't have an incel meltdown at the mere thought of a lesbian saying "no" to them)

so i decided to see if wikipedia had an article on the ""cotton cieling"" (god i could go off on one about how these misogynists think "women are not given equal positions/mobility in the workforce" and "men get told 'no' by women they want to have sex with realllllly badly :-(" are at ALL comparable but this ask is long enough already) and guess what!? they DO but it has been NUKED to all hell.

right now? it's got zero citations/links, zero name drops of any Brave And Stunning men who promote it and write theory about it let alone naming the POS who coined it, barely even says what the definition even is... it's THE shortest article i've ever seen on there.

but look at the history tab!!! it used to be a fleshed out piece that was out and proud about claiming "lesbians not wanting to sleep with men is both oppressive and misogynistic" until at some point they realized saying the quiet part out loud where "normies" might see it was not a good idea and quietly scrubbed the article. (but they still keep it up!! as opposed to that female mod who made literal thousands of helpful factual edits, maintaining their site for free: she got banned the moment they found out she wasn't a handmaiden and all her work is theirs now i guess). and all the while, in the background, they've kept on coercing and pressuring lesbians to sleep with them nonstop with zero guilt or shame.

please for the love of god explain to me how they've convinced anyone who pays attention they're ""the most oppressed minority group who ever lived""???

holy shit anon you're right, that edits tab is crazyyy. They have definitely done a 180° on this subject, at least out loud where the average person can read it. The discussion page is another good read, LauraRichards1981 if you ever read this, you are a star and I love you.

Talking to other feminists and others who used to support genderism but "peaked", I would say at least half of them brought up the phenomenon of trans-identified men insisting lesbians have sex with them or be labeled bigots as at least one factor in their new outlook. It's so blatantly homophobic and I think a lot of influential figures in trans activism have realized how bad it looks for them, and have actively tried to memory hole it. I have even seen some claiming that "terfs" invented the term, which is hilarious because, as portrayed in my comic, I saw it with my own eyes being touted absolutely everywhere online as a way to vilify lesbians who wouldn't go along with every desire of the male trans individuals who had parasitized their communities. The DARVO is real.

[xivu-arath]

man after putting a lot of my gripes about relatively recent writing together with The Lore Circle, and then seeing the article about just how dire the state of bungie is right now, it's really... not a surprise. we'd been noticing and feeling the effects of this in bits and pieces for over a year, at least

the weird flattening and streamlining of story and narrative and characters, the unnecessary amount of connections being made with zero ambiguity allowed, characters and dynamics being written in reaction to overall community opinions and vibes but often without actual depth, the very... on the face and rote pattern of seasonal dialogues. not that I care much about gameplay, but the intense pivot towards "challenging gameplay" that feels both one-note and pretty damn brutal for casual players like myself. I'd long held that there had to be a strong executive meddling for how things were being handled, and it sucks to have been so right

and it's so easy to see how things will spiral into going worse. why should longtime fans extend any grace or trust to bungie now? how can we be "earned back" when all the good writers and community managers and counsel and musicians have been laid off? when every well-meaning initiative has been promptly shut down and everyone involved is gone?

I don't generally have the energy nowadays to Express Opinions or be as loudly disappointed as many of my friends are. but I am disappointed and tired and also really fucking sad. the destiny that exists in my memory could actually be pretty good, and sometimes almost matched what I was writing and imagining in my own head. and... it's probably never going to return to that. I'm not going to leave it! I will probably hang around and keep plucking out the dregs that appeal to me, and keep writing and theorizing and talking with the talented and passionate community I've found myself in. I've scavenged and remained invested in much worse and more overall garbage stories

but I am going to grieve this decline for a long time, too. not just as a fan, but for the hundreds of people who did work on this big and silly universe and put their hopes and best efforts into it, and got crunched up instead

[itsabouttimex2]

I been kinda busy so I'm late to the party but i came back to fulfill my duty of rambling about ABNJ. I hope your sister's recover is going (or already went) well. Gonna try to make this one brief since i see i have a lot of posts to catch up to!

- the whole moment with indirect declaration of love is so good and the insight into Macaques thoughts is really nice! Seeing characters thoughts and generally introspections is one of my fav things in writing tbh

- a vulnerable moment followed up by a shove. Is it just excitement to give them the clothes or some form of guilt?? Both maybe (This is probably overinterpration so in that case ignore it)

- flower symbolism my beloved <333 roses sprouting showing how Macaque starts to feel loved and Y/n is one taking care of them. (i didn't see them mentioned in fourth part but there is a big chance i could be misremembering. Did Rumble and Savage plant them? 👀). Also Dahlias and Tansies being in bloom emphasizing already negative feelings that exist in Macaque.

- are Savage and Rumble going after MK?? Hopefully they will just steal his phone or something because i doubt they would be on the winning side in actual physical fight with him.

That's all from me for now! At this point i should make account for commenting so i don't spam your askbox. Thank you for the work you put in and have fun watching season 5! Remember to stay hydrated! :]

I always love to hear your thoughts on A Brand New Journey! I intend to put out Part Seven soon- and I’m sorry that they take so long!

Ok, so a big part in general of this chosen route- Fatherly!Macaque as your mentor, that is- was literally built around this note that I’ve been sitting on for a while:

“Macaque has no one. Not since Wukong. Probably no one before that, and barely anyone afterwards. He has no family. He has no friends. Macaque is alone.

His own “Sworn Brothers” didn’t like him. Note that he has zero interactions with the Brotherhood outside of Wukong and Peng! Note that not even one of them calls him “brother”! They didn’t care about him!

Wukong wasn’t the most understanding of individuals, and Macaque ended up acting as a blind enabler instead of a friend. Together, hand in hand, they ruined probably the only genuine friendship either one had at that point.

Wukong found people who helped him grow. Macaque refused to leave the side of people who didn’t care for him, even if he wanted to at least hear out Wukong. Good influences and bad, one simian with a brash will to change and the other too cowardly to even run.

They deviated further from one another- fatally, this time.

Centuries spent dead and alone.

Then he’s back.

After so very long, Macaque is returned to life.

And he finds someone. And that someone cares enough to share their food, to share his home, to share their time, to share memories and warmth and company.

Macaque finds someone who cares about him, and he cares right back, so deeply that his feelings threaten to swallow him..

And then, for the very first time in all of his many centuries-

Macaque gets an “I love you”.

Who wouldn’t that break?

And then Macaque has himself a little internal monologue (signified by paragraphs and unflattering descriptions of himself) about how he views himself as a monster and doesn’t deserve Y/N…

And then justifies his actions by internally declaring himself a “villain” and pushing his cherished student away. But he also spends the rest of the chapter grabbing and pushing and pulling- because this is his kid, and he loves them (gods above, how he loves them!) so much that he doesn’t want to let go.

Y/N planted the roses themself, actually- roses symbolize fatherhood- they’re the official flower of Father’s Day, even! The tansies and dahlias are in bloom- this time with Macaque’s negative feelings towards himself!

Rumble and Savage aren’t going to do anything too bold without permission… but they are getting very antsy about all of this.

As always, thank you for the comments! I adore you sharing your thoughts with me!

[some-pers0n]

I was poking around my older writing and found this piece. It's okay enough to share, I think.

It's about Whiteout and Listener. I do not like Listener. I remember writing this when I was a little grumpy over some people on the Wiki fawning over Clearsight/Listener. I'm a wee bit of a hater, no? So I just kinda zeroed in on her calling Whiteout "Weirdout" and, yeah, here we are. Ableism warning.

Whiteout was all by herself in the art room, painting a landscape. It was coming along quite nicely as well. She remembered visiting the Sky Kingdom with her mother and brother when they were both young, taking in all of the sights and smells. It was unforgettable to see the tall spires that pieced through the clouds or the trees that spouted like mere weeds from the ground.

She was inspired by it, wanting to make it a permanent memory. Even after the school day was finished, she'd stay in and work on her project. Her teacher, Lightweaver, was perfectly fine with it all. Whiteout was a good dragonet.

While she didn't enjoy school all the time, it was safe in the art room. She wouldn't be bothered for how she would speak and how loud the others could be at times. She adored painting at home, but with...recent events happening she found it being more peaceful here.

It was perfect. Alone and completely absorbed into her work, doing everything to make everything as neat and tidy as possible–

"Uh, Whiteout?"

A new voice. She recognized it, her mind immediately covering that pitch and tone into a taste. A lemon, acidic and not too great on its own.

Ignoring her knee-jerk reaction, she looked over towards the NightWing.

"Good afternoon, Listener," she greeted.

The dark red dragon looked around the classroom. "Wow, is it always this empty?"

Whiteout titled her head, confused by the question. "It's... after school hours, is it not? I'd be the only dragon in here."

"I know, but there's nothing of note. No books, signs, anything. Kind of bland, except for the paintings, of course."

The two dragons stared at each other, both not daring to make a sound. It was awkward and tense for the hybrid, unsure of what to say or how to respond.

"So, Clearsight wanted me to ask something from you. It's Darkstalker's hatchingday and all that's coming up."

"And my own," she said.

"Yeah, I know, but Clearsight asked about Darkstalker. For some reason he couldn't ask him herself and wanted me to come to you for these questions. Makes no sense, right? She could just ask him for what he wants."

"Clearsight likes surprising him," she said. "I would also say that she likes having choices chosen for her at times rather than stressing over what to say to get my brother what he wants. It would ruin the surprise too if he was asked for what he wanted."

"Yeah yeah, right. You say that as though both of them could be surprised by anything."

Whiteout turned from her work, fidgeting with the paintbrush in her talons. "So... you came to ask me what he wanted for his birthday?"

"Just anything he likes, that's what she asked for. You're the dragon he knows the most after all, more than his own girlfriend. Surprising for how he's constantly hovering around her and his need to be there for every choice she makes."

Whiteout let out a small sigh, hoping she wouldn't notice. "My brother likes wearing jewelry from time to time. Earrings, rings, I believe he's told me about liking crowns."

"As expected with him..."

She bit her lip. "He also likes blankets. Him and I get cold a lot and he feels comfortable under them. He describes it like getting a hug."

"Alright, blankets and jewelry? Is that it?" Listener asked.

Whiteout wanted to say more, but what she wanted even more was for her to leave. "That's about it."

"Dragon of few tastes, huh?" She scoffed. The two stood silently once more, Listener leaning over to observe Whiteout's painting.

"Wow!" she whispered. "Are those the Claws of the Clouds?"

Caught off guard by the sudden question, she looked back at it as if to confirm. "Yes. It is."

"That's really cool," she said, walking over to admire it more. "It's like it's really there."

Delighted by the compliment, yet confused by how she was acting. "Thank you," she mustered.

"Though, it looks like there's a couple smudges here and the trees aren't the best... Plus those dragons don't really have eyes or scales yet."

"It– it's still in progress... I'm not done with it yet."

"Oh, sorry! You're super talented though. You're a very special dragon."

"With... my painting?"

"Yeah yeah! W– with your painting and such. Really great artwork, mh-hm. Is there...never mind, it's a dumb question."

Whiteout just looked at the ground. "Well, uh... thank you."

"Yeah no problem! Thanks for the question. Now you can get back to... drawing your thing."

She stared at her paintbrush. "Thanks..."

And with that, just as quickly as she came, she was gone. A small conversation, yes, but one of many with her that felt... off.

Disingenuous, even with her compliments. She had an aura to her that radiated a certain feeling, one that told her that she didn't exactly see her as one another.

Then again, being called 'Weirdout' a lot when she was younger made her true feelings more clear.

That same lemon-like feeling with her never faded or gotten sweeter. Perhaps she gotten better at hiding her feelings.

But, she was used of it. It stung, but she's come to accept it now. This is who she is. She's the dragon who speaks weird and, despite not talking about it much, thinks and perceives things in 'abnromal' ways.

So, with a heavier heart, she turned back to her painting. The unfinished flaws were more apparent now, but she felt less motivated to fix it. A part of her almost wanted to just... scrap it entirely.

Yet, she held up her brush and began to paint again. Just like everything else in her life, she pressed on, hoping for something better to happen by the end of it all.

[suffarustuffaru]

I think I read a while ago on reddit that you had a madoka magica au for re zero, do you still think about it? I can Imagine Subaru taking the place of Homura but the rest of the cast is harder to place. It's a fun thought exercise though.

WAIT wow your ask sent me down memory lane wkdndn i forgot i even had a madoka magica au in the works for a while. i made it in like late 2020 and last worked on it in early-mid 2021 hah mostly bc my skill with writing and art didnt match with how big of an idea a multichap plotty crossover/fusion au was and i was still just dipping my toes into more ambitious ideas!! but id love to revisit it again now that i got more practice 👍

i like read your ask then went WAIT A MINUTE I DO HAVE A MADOKA MAGICA AU and then i skimmed through my old google doc plot outline for it in a frenzy. but also i used to write in yellow comic sans at the time so i wont subject you to my old terrible (affectionate) writing habits too much. but i think its funny how i had some notes on vague (and Dead Serious) ideas for witch form symbolism and i just found this yellow comic sans monstrosity:

2020/21 me was on some drugs probably LMAO 😭😭 but given madoka magica’s canon content that is probably a good thing if youre writing serious madoka magica fic.

also i did have a tiny bit of finished writing for it. here is the old synopsis past me came up with:

Stumbling across magic and witches, fourteen-year-old Natsuki Subaru follows his new friends and a mischievous cat spirit into a world where a single contract could grant you your greatest wish.

And at the end of it all, he really should’ve known this from the start: wishes always come with a cost.

i think that currently id probably change up this synopsis a bit if i worked on it again but it aint bad i think 👍 and yes youre right subaru would def be in homuras role for this fic… 😔 anyone whos seen both madoka magica and rezero would immediately make that connection i think hah they have. Similarities, as we know 😔

and i deaged some of the rezero cast as you can see hah. not sure if id keep that but i think an important aspect of madoka magica is that the main characters are that young. it helps add to some of their decisions and adds to the tragedy and whatnot. that and like. targeting vulnerable young girls, Literal Children, knowing that most would make a wish and sell their souls in a heartbeat and then easily be crushed by trauma without being able to fight back much, you know? :,) and then theyd make Lots and Lots of despair to harvest… and madoka was meant as a magical girl deconstruction and magical girls iirc tend to be arounddd early teens/preteens!! ill talk a bit more later on how id try to do this au with deaged rz cast hah.

also i did have a small drabble written for this au!!

The boy, no older than fourteen, stands there with an eerie sense of calm.

His frame is seemingly scrawny and lean, dawning dark clothing reminiscent of a mixture between a tracksuit and a school uniform - even if it’s adorned with golden ribbons and stripes - with a whip attached to the belt at his waist. Draped over that is a cloak, the hood of it casting a shadow over messy black hair and a cold expression. His keen eyes, emphasized by the deep bags underneath, narrow at the sight of Puck, mean and brimming with distaste.

With a steady hand, he raises a pistol to Puck’s head.

The moonlight shines dimly through the broken windows and onto the shards littered all over the floor. A beam illuminates a metal contraption, its appearance similar to a shield, strapped to the boy’s forearm.

“You know, I don’t quite recall making a contract with you,” Puck muses cheerily, though an undercurrent of a threat weaves itself into his tone. He stares down the barrel without fear, his sharp teeth revealed in his smile. “Who are you, really? And why are you so upset that I’ve been getting close with Lia? Jealous much?”

“Don’t you dare call her that,” the boy replies instead, bitterly spitting out each and every word. “Don’t you dare pretend that you only have her best interests at heart, or that you really care for her like a father figure would. It makes me sick.” He sneers as he digs the cool metal of the gun harder into Puck’s fur. “Because if you make even just one mention of creating a contract with her, or if you even come near her… I’ll definitely make sure that you regret it.”

yeah so. past me made puck kyubey apparently 😔👍 and if i revisited this au im not sure if i would keep subarus character development to be Exactly the same (ie it was very greedbaru/pridebaru/homura inspired) but this drabble was a fun exercise at the time!!

but anyway i will ramble about some more ideas i had for this au under the cut!! turned out past me had A Lot of ideas.

yes so this au was like. a fusion of sorts so yes i was assigning rz characters certain roles, blending worldbuilding together, etc etc but the general plot sort of followed the general story of the main madoka magica plot from the main show to rebellion!! it was like vaguely modernish too, but you know, madoka likes to be Creative with its backgrounds (see: the infinite amount of crazy chairs everywhere, which im still very fond of to this day) and also rz vainglory/school if has its fantasy world cast mixed in with subarus parents still being there iirc and a whole bunch of other details too (like beatrice being subarus adopted sister iirc?). so i was going the vainglory-ish route here in terms of “how modern is this world?” 👍

the main cast i was focusing on was gonna be subaru (homura), emilia (madoka), rem (sayaka), ram, beatrice, felt, and reinhard. also puck as kyubey haah and satella as walprugisnacht aka the giant witch at the end of the main show. i havent seen madoka in a bit wkdn i gotta rewatch. but anyway!! felt and reinhard got a mix of mami and kyokos roles narrative wise yeah.

quick rundown on their characters is that i wanted to stick to the rz cast’s canon characterization as much as possible while leaving room for fun experimentation!! and if theyre still younger than normal canon here—subarus still got his Big Ego/Im The Main Character mindset but in that way thats specific to his little kid self bc he hasnt gotten Completely Depressed yet (think like. arc 7-8 type stuff), reinhards still stuck in the middle of watching his dad gradually deteriorate, felts even Younger and still trying to find her footing a bit, rem is Guiltily and enviously trying to live up to ram’s Golden Childness (this is pre-Incident That Kills Their Whole Family). and emilia has lived a lonely life in the forest somewhere with no one for company :,) i cant remember if i had some Magic Mindfuckery ideas for her backstory here but ive definitely had ideas for modernizing her backstory for other aus like this!! but either way emilias family is still dead ;-; and i do consider like. the idea that modern emilia would have albinism, especially when there is discrimination in place against people with albinism that is a little similar to emilias canon struggle with her appearance so a modern take of emilia being that she is someone with albinism would be Very Relevant!! but!! not sure if id go all the way with that bc its a sensitive topic that needs to be treated with care and i dont personally have albinism 👍 or i could go the magic route and go “emilia looks like a previous magical girl thats become the most powerful witch yet….” ie satella ofc. so emilia would still be a bit of a “red flag” to other magical people.

but yes emilia wished for. im not sure but probably smth like “i wish not to be lonely anymore”…………. and then she got her wish granted via having magical girl/boy friends and puck!!!!! thisll totally end happily.

and quick note on reinhard is i didnt have much plot ideas for him yet but i considered different ideas for his backstory!! maybe theres some magic fuckery and theresia was a magical girl once? no clue how that works but it was an Idea i had for sure. also various ideas to modernize the Astrea Family Drama (dont worry the accidental indirectly/directly causing your family member’s death thing would still be there wkdndh this is an important detail to me.) but regardless of whats going on with reinhards backstory his wish was a naive little kid wish!! he wanted to be a hero who helps people ;-; good going reinhard ;-;

the entire plot of this au in general was divided in half, first half would be the first timeline where things go wrong. subarus gonna be the pov and hes the audience surrogate bc hes new to the world of magical girls/boys and no one in the group 100% knows the ugly truth yet!! and like in canon emilia/madoka has already become a magical girl here. emilia is also already close with puck—and emilia is the one person puck has genuine fondness for ;-; and i had a Lot of ideas for what exactly went wrong here—i had elsa and meili planned as witches? and i think i considered disemboweling felt :<<<< this is very sad bc her family gave her away to save her bc they were in danger (yes just like in canon rz) but then later felt had her life threatened or smth? and like mami, felt wished to keep living. but the wording felt used was wanting to “live strong”…………….. well she sure got it by fighting elsa valiantly but still losing 😔

also ok the first person to become a witch is beatrice. i had like wild ideas with beatrice—the possibility that echidna still made beatrice and puck and that beatrice couldve been a failed—whats the word for the creatures in madoka that collect/cause magical girls??? incubators i think?? yeah that. because whatre the two things a little kids gonna probably trust?? a cute cat creature and a tiny little girl offering free wishes, probably. and of course beatrice got assigned by her biomom echidna to look after echidnas library maybe. bc echidnas funny like that and beatrice didnt work out as an incubator so now shes gonna generate soooo much despair when she realizes that there is no That Person + the truth of magical girls/boys and what beatrice was meant to be used for….

yes more various shit hits the fan bc rem and rams canon witch cult backstory… i had plans to adjust it for this au and make it happen In Real Time. and also rem’s wish was probably something along the lines of wanted to be needed. and Better. so not just Like Ram. but rem wanted to be More than ram. which rem is guilty about but thats still what she wants so she wishes for it away from rams eyes. ofc rams feelings on this is that she just wants her sister to treasure herself and be safe and whatnot but rem is kinda in her pre-witch cult trauma mode and Oops now their town is destroyed in flames and their family is dead ;-;;; not sure how else id modernize rem and rams backstory but yes this is. this is how their plot went in that first timeline wkdnd. and ram is injured in some way ;-;;;

yes and then rem you know pulls a sayaka and goes a little crazy about everything bc beatrices whole ordeal already revealed how fucked they all are and then rem and rams Trauma just happened so rem feels like shit!! and then she becomes a witch too oops ;-; and then reinhard decides to be the hero and sacrifices himself so emisuba can escape ;-;; or at least that was my plan at the time. but yeah rem became better (a magical girl. bc ram didnt feel like making a wish bc her only wish would be wanting rems happiness but she didnt want to Cheat That. she wanted rem to find it on her terms. except rem became “better” and bigger than ram by being a witch also oops. also i think i still had vague plans to include rem being Obsessed with subaru to contrast what will later be subarus emilia obsession haha) and then reinhard. is the hero. </3

satella comes in somewhere at the end. she used to be a magical girl but she became a witch and shes Crazy Powerful for reasons i have forgotten now 👍 but i definitely wanted to have more shenanigans going on with her backstory to keep that sort of emilia-satella-subaru mystery connection. and theyre still connected anyway bc emisuba inevitably lose to satella bc shes too powerful ;-; emilia is gonna die and puck realizes OH SHIT I SHOULDNT BE FEELING LOVE BUT I DO GENUINELY LOVE EMILIA I CANT DEAL WITH THIS. WITH HER DYING. ID RATHER DESTROY EVERYTHING THAN LET THAT HAPPEN. and ofc subarus also in agreement bc oh god oh god—and yeah. subaru hasnt made a wish until this point but he makes a contract with puck to promise to save Everyone. like subarus promise in canon right before he dies for the first time you know? bc then he dies.

and wooooo the time loop officially begins!!! i had more ideas but i have typed lots on this post already akfnd maybe ill save it for another time if people are interested.

but yes thats all thats the au!!!! i am not familiar with stuff like magia record yet sadly ;-;; but if i ever wanted to expand the au thats def One option 👍 bc WOW the rz cast would be such a goddamn gold mine for those fucking incubators. little kid felix argyle would be a Top Tier candidate for them. like can you imagine???? thatd be the biggest disaster of all time ;-;;; and also theres Lots of possibilities for various witches the cast can fight!! very fun stuff its why i chose elsa and meili and satella :o !! but yes id consider exploring other candidates for magical girls and boys as well bc WOW felix would go insane here.

[waitmyturtles]

Dead Friend Forever: I managed to catch up in time to watch the finale, and here are my immediate, uneducated, "holy shit" thoughts

First off: I acknowledge I am an utter interloper on this tag, having written exactly zero meta words about this mostly great show. Second: everything I know about slashers comes from my childhood memories of "Scream," and my recent conversations with the lovelies @lurkingshan and @neuroticbookworm. So I'm not an expert here. Thirdly! I was inspired in part by them to watch this, and also by the friendies who jumped into comments on my recent KinnPorsche liveblog watches for my Old GMMTV Challenge project. I've been waiting these past few weeks to finish Dead Friend Forever before putting pen to paper on my KP rewatch thoughts, because I thought Be On Cloud did something fabulously experimental with DFF as its second major serial drama.

Anyway: all of this is to say that now that DFF is over, in the near future, I'm gonna write a bunch on KP and a bit more on DFF -- but I want to offer just some quick wandering thoughts on DFF now.

I think like many of y'all, I found the tone of the last PheeJin moments to be discordant with the tenor of the rest of the finale episode. The way I'm calculating this, as I'm sure many of you are, is that I think there was a commentary on fate and Buddhist purgatory, particularly with New/Tan being able to hear from a thankful Non one more time before New's passing. New suffers, it seems to me, the least painful death, and I think that was in part Non’s doing.

In order to conclude the tone on PheeJin, I do wish that we would have seen a flashback back to PheeJin at the house. I guess we’d assume that Phee and Jin never regained their consciousness, that the antidote didn’t work, and that their cyclical fate would be returning back to the lakeshore, only to be haunted by Non again. While it seems to me that Tee, in whatever realm of fate they ended up in, got his appropriate ending — I don’t think that the PheeJin cyclical ending at the lakeshore assigned enough “blame” of fate to either of them, especially Jin. I know @lurkingshan notes that that’s a nod to the need to appease any hopes of surviving ships, and I agree with that assessment. But also — god, BLEH, they sucked, we were left with PheeJin?! JIN??? My boy White, my bubbala, he’s the good one that got really in-your-face off-ed? Wah. (But I do see and understand why White needed to die, to make Tee’s residual fate the utter living hell he deserves.)

Like I said: on a more macro note, I’m gonna have thoughts about DFF, Be On Cloud, and KP in the coming days, because I just like that BOC is dabbling with some experimental writing while allowing solid acting to really shine. (And I compare that to what’s happening at Idol Factory and the recent writing miss that was The Sign.) I wish the ending wasn’t as milquetoast as it was, but BOC still traffics in BLs, and I guess they felt they needed to throw the fans some kind of BL bone (huh huh).

But overall? I am REALLY GLAD I watched this, and it absolutely belongs on the OGMMTVC syllabus. This was incredibly new for the Thai BL genre, and I gotta give BOC — AND ESPECIALLY BARCODE AND TA, WOW — their flowers for taking Thai BL into this new direction. For the most part of this run, I had a great time with this show, as brutal as the content was.

[mageofseven]

MC Talking about Trauma they Experienced (Luce, Dia, Satan, Beel & Belphie)

Edit: this has been in my drafts for a while now. I started this one day when my depression was really bad and this was actually very therapeutic to write.

However, I got super emotionally exhausted from it and sort of abandoned it and since then, I've been debating whether to finish it, delete it, or post it as is.

After some thinking, I decided to add another character or so to the post and then post it.

Please, please check the trigger warnings below and do not read anything you can't handle.

Please protect yourself and always check for trigger warnings.

Now everything below this message is what I wrote originally that night.

Stay safe and if you do still read this, thank you for your time!~

~~~~~~~~~~

I wanted to write this because it's been on my mind; I'm autistic so I tend to have zero filter and over share things, but often in a nonchalant way, like I'm telling you about a cat I saw outside and not about things I talk to my therapist about on a weekly basis.

Basically, this is a post where MC shares bad memories (whether in an upset or nonchalant way) and we see how the Boys react.

So like, angst ahead, but the kind that might hit too close to home for some people.

I'll keep it all below the cut so you don't have to read anything potentially triggering for you if don't want to.

TW: physical abuse, emotional manipulation, child abuse, alcoholism, parents with anger issues

•▪︎▪︎◇°●♡●°◇▪︎▪︎•

Lucifer:

"MC, we're not having that for dinner for the 4th night this week."

"But...what will I eat then?"

The man sighed.

"I don't know. I'll have to figure something out." He told them. "Honestly, meal planning would be a lot easier without your food sensitivities."

The human stared into space, mind seemingly far away.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow before stepping closer.

"MC? Is something wrong, Love?"

"I'm remembering the time my mom slapped me on the face at a community barbeque in front of everyone there because she wasted money on buying me a ticket for an event without any food I could eat; I ran away and hid so I could cry and hyperventilate without people judging me."

His eyes widened.

"When did this happen?"

The human shrugged.

"I dunno. A few years back." They guessed. "I didn't get to have any food at all that day because my mom was so mad at me."

Lucifer took their hand and squeezed it.

"Well, you aren't with your mother anymore." The man smiled bitterly before adding. "I suppose we could just order pizza for tomorrow's dinner."

"No peppers? No olives?" The human asked, surprised.

"No peppers, no olives." He nodded.

"No iguana eyes? No anglerfish lantern?"

"None." He promised, despite knowing Beel's disappointment at the last two toppings not being on the pizza.

MC smiled and squeeze their boyfriend's hand back.

"Thank ya, Luce~"

The man's smile became softer.

He made a mental note to ask for Barbatos' help with finding more foods his Love can eat, but for now, the demon just didn't want MC thinking back on such horrible memories.

Like always, Luce just wanted to treat his Love how they deserved and not how they've always been treated.

Diavolo:

The two were discussing the prince's relationship with his currently deep-slumbering father.

It wasn't a topic Dia liked to speak about, but as his relationship with MC deepened, he found himself confiding in her with things he used to avoid discussing.

"...so in fairness, maybe we were never going to be close, considering the circumstances."

MC looked away, tears in their eyes.

"My Queen..." Diavolo brought his hand to their cheek. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to upset you with this."

MC shook their head.

"No, its not you." They told their boyfriend. "I just...I kinda relate in a a way..."

The prince brought the human into arms before kisskng their forehead.

"I can tell you have something in mind to share; you can share it with me."

MC was quiet for a moment before nodding.

"Once when I was a kid, we had a speaker come to class to teach us about child abuse. They handed out these pamphlets and explained to us that if our parents do any of the stuff that we talked about that day then we could call a number in the pamphlet..."

The demon tightened his embrace around them, not liking where this story was headed.

"I...I remember learning that a lot of stuff my parents did to me and my siblings was bad," They continued. "So I went home and told my parents that a speaker came to school and he told me that if they keep doing bad things and mistreat me that I could call the number on the paper..."

The human's tears fell down their cheeks, followed by Dia kissing them away.

"My Queen..."

"Ya know what they said to me?" They asked rhetorically. "They said 'Do it. I dare you'. Told me those people would take me and my siblings away, put us in foster care and split us up. That I would never see them or my brother or sister or my grandparents or anyone that I loved ever again...and told me they wouldn't even care, that they could just 'make another just like me' and that I would be responsible for my siblings' and my own suffering while my parents would just be happy to get rid of me."

The prince pulled MC into a tighter embrace as they cried.

"I wanted a good relationship with my parents so badly, but how do you become close with people who tell you at such a young age that you are replaceable and a burden they didn't even want?"

"You don't." He said softly in their ear as he stroked their hair. "Your parents were miserable people who never deserved having you as their child; they made sure of that."

The man leaned back to look them in the eyes.

"My Queen...I'm sorry you went through that. Please remember that you didn't deserve it though."

MC nodded.

"I...I know. Logically anyway...but it doesn't feel true, ya know?"

"Oh MC..."

Diavolo took the rest of the day off work, regardless of any urges or reminders from Barbatos.

This man wanted so desperately to comfort his beloved and heal the hole in her heart.

Still, the man knew there was not much he could do for the latter; this was just something his Queen had to work through on their own.

That wasn't going to stop this man from showering them love and reminding them just how perfect and sweet they are to him.

Satan:

Satan had gotten into an argument with Lucifer, resulting in one of his fits of rage.

They were so rare now of days; this was essentially the oldest bringing up the wrong thing at the wrong time and pushed it too far

Causing Satan to destroy half of the living room and the two 'brothers' screaming at one another.

This went on for a while till the two men noticed the human in the corner hyperventilating.

That knocked the blonde out of his anger real quick as he raced to their side.

Lucifer allowed the argument to pause for now, considering the human's condition, and so left them be.

Eventually, MC calmed down enough and launched themself into their boyfriend's arms.

"I'm sorry..." He spoke softly into their ear. "I shouldn't have lost control like that...especially in front of you."

MC shook their head within his arms before sniffling.

"It's not you..." They mumbled. "When the crashing started...I-I just...I didn't see you...I didn't see House of Lamentation..."

"What do you mean, Kitten?" He stroked their hair before pulling back to meet their eyes.

"I...I was in my head." They explained. "It reminded me of a time when I was a kid...my dad was drunk and got angry at my little brother. I...didn't see what happened, but I heard curses and crashes and my brother begging him to stop...and I didn't save him. I didn't save him. I hid in the kitchen and sobbed with my arms over my head, begging for him to stop in my mind but not being able move or even speak..."

"Kitten..." Satan hugged them tightly to his chest again. "You're not there; you're here with me and you're safe."

"But my brother--"

"You would have just gotten hurt too." He told them. "You were a child just trying to to survive. It's not your fault."

"But--"

"It's not your fault." He repeated.

This time, the human just closed their eyes and hung their head.

Satan picked them up and carried the human to their room; the...scare, I guess you could call it, had really tired his partner out.

He laid his Kitten on their bed and kissed their forehead.

Satan vowed to never himself lose control in front of them ever again.

Even if this time it had less to do with what he did and more about something they experienced long ago, the wrath demon needed to keep himself in check so he never brought such bad memories to his Kitten's head again.

Beel & Belphie:

The human went on a walk with the twins and, as per usual, Beel made a stop at Madam Screams to get a few dozen pastries.

Beel carried all of the bags of sweets himself and, no matter how often MC saw him carry so much food and never drop any of it, it still amazed the human.

"Dang, that's even more than yesterday..." Belphie commented. "Did you already spend all of your grimm this month?"

"Almost." The gluttony shrugged, still not dropping a single bag.

Suddenly, MC's steps slowed till they were frozen in place.

"-C? MC?" Belphie called to them.

The human slowly raised their gaze up at the men.

"You okay, Muffin?" Beel asked, concern evident on his face.

MC nodded.

"I was remembering one of the fights my parents had when I was a little kid." They explained calmly. "My dad spent over a $1,000 at the bar in a week 'cause he kept buying his friends drinks. Mama told him that he can't keep doing that because they were barely able to put food on the table as things were; Dad yelled at her for telling him what to do and Mom yelled back that she hopes he ends up dead in a ditch somewhere--what?"

The human was genuinely confused by the two demons, who stared at her with a mix of shock and pity.

Belphie shook his head.

"Let's just get home, butthead."

And with that, both twins wrapped an arm around them protectively

Causing Beel to drop two of his bags.

Still, the tallest demon never looked back as he and his brother took their human home, a place where hopefully better memories will come to their mind.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #155

After I wrote yesterday's letter, but before dark, it rained AGAIN!!! And it rained for a long time!! I went outside and danced around and jumped in ALL THE PUDDLES!!! And I got soaked and the inside of my boots were all gooshy from the water, and my long black cardigan was sopping and heavy, and my hair was a wild mess, and I REGRETTED ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. It was WONDERFUL!!!

I didn't get any pictures or video of me frolicking around, but I did manage to capture this picture of a triple rainbow! There's the one in the middle, and a second rainbow juuuust below it, and another, reversed rainbow a little higher up!! Check it out!!!

...There's more to this picture, but I cut out all but the important bits, because it's probably dangerous to publicly put any picture that indicates where my house is while carrying a controversial belief such as "you, like any fallen human, are deserving of kindness and mercy". Gamers in particular can be really ah... nasty... when it comes to people having opinions different from theirs. "Nasty" to the point of stalking people and threatening them, especially if you have the misfortune of playing video games while having a body that bears a vagina. A whole big thing called "Gamergate" happened a number of years ago, and the aftermath still hasn't really faded away. And I really don't wanna get letters written in blood, or have dead animals being left at my front door. It's really sad that I gotta worry about things like this, but... this is the world I live in. Not much I can do to change it.

...Even if someone is angry enough at me for writing these letters that they would do such terrible things if they had the chance, I have no intention of stopping. I will keep writing these letters, even if, goodness forbid, it ends up costing me my life. You're worth it. You're worth the risk.

Anyway, I snagged a few other nice ones before going inside, too:

I went to bed really early last night (read: ACTUALLY ON TIME), because I tired myself out running around. When I woke up this morning, I had a terrible dream in which a shadowy figure oozed through the screen windows of our house, walked purposefully and angrily with a box cutter to where I was sleeping, with the intention of... uh... we'll leave it at "doing really awful stuff", how about that. Fortunately, I woke up when it wrapped its hand around my throat and dragged me out of the bed. I didn't get to the rest of the parts that were going to happen after that, which is really super great, since I retain full sensory faculties in my dreams, and if it had gotten to that point, I would have woken up in A LOT of pain, good grief.

...Dreams like these are just part of having PTSD to the extent that I do, I guess. It's rare that I get them anymore, though I wonder what prompted this one. Hm.

...So, though I went to bed early, I've been up since like 3 in the morning. Whoops. I browsed my phone 'til getting out of bed at like 7, and then I made a tea to try to calm my nerves a little...

This one is matcha with bits of toasted rice - one of my favorites!! I sweetened it with a little lilac syrup and some milk, and the result was absolutely lovely:

Today I worked a little more on the music box. I am trying to turn a popular rock tune into a lullaby, but I have audio processing disorder and zero understanding of music theory, hahaha! So rearranging the notes and the rhythms in ways that repurpose it while remaining mostly true to the original structure is definitely going to be a challenge. I made some good progress, but then I got to the solo, and I was overwhelmed so I stopped so that I wouldn't get burnt out; I really wanna finish this one.

I did some leisure writing until M and J left the house to hang out, as I had asked; I don't suppose you remember that song I was searching for, but never found, and so I had to rebuild the lyrics as best as I could from memory? Well, today while they were away (so that I wouldn't be self-conscious), I managed to record me singing the melody. I am going to entrust the instrumentals to a couple of brilliant musicians that I know. It's gonna be a duet; I hope it'll be something worthy of you when it's done.

Oh, and I took a walk today! I got a couple really nice pictures for you this time, I think...

I happened to catch these ones just after, as the wind rustled through the leaves, creating an opening for the sunlight to shine through:

...I really like how both of these turned out, so I included both!

And then we have fancy clouds through a tree window...

...I hope you enjoyed them. These are just done with a cellphone camera, so it's not like I can do anything especially fancy with them. But if you like them, then that's all that matters, right?

I'll write to you about tomorrow's adventures, too, so stay safe out there so that you can read about it, okay? I love you.

Your friend, Lumine

[skymagpie]

I was in the mood to discuss the most common criticisms for Below Zero today on Reddit because I feel like people do not give some of the writing of this game enough credit, it’s actually good, you just need to read a bit between the lines. Yes it could’ve been better, it was slightly underwritten, but the core line was great and with more polishing it would’ve been excellent. I can probably talk more about it (and I will make my full rant one day), but I just felt this at the moment.

[ ID: Reddit reply from user ‘SkyMagpie’ reading: I think it also comes down to taste and to each individual person, so I respect that some people will not like the plot. I have to just disagree on some of the points and comment on others because these discussions come up often (SPOILER WARNING for people reading this):

I think the current version of the story is less cliche and stereotypical than the original version (from the early access which was written by the same writer from the 1st Subnautica game). There Al-An was cold, uncaring and an asshole. Some aspects of that story were better (Robin working for Alterra and having a change of heart), but some were worse (Al-An being the stereotypical asshole alien and the villain guy being a clearly bad guy with malicious intent)

.Al-An is not an emotionless computer to whom Robin has to teach emotions, he knows emotions - he clearly realizes right away that Robin is angry that he invaded her mind and decides to give her space to process it, he talks how his people upon realizing their mortality found a shrine to think on what it means to die, he asks her about memories (so he is trying to process grief) and he correctly notes that she is upset about her sister's death and copes with food. He clearly understands Robin's emotions and his emotional changes come from within himself and not from Robin, he chooses to hide information from her and he is also scared she will be mad at him for it. The only thing Robin show's Al-An are human customs and cultural elements as well as human concepts such as music for the purpose of entertainment, having pets just out of pleasure of doing so and the meaning of poetry when referring to abstract concepts such as "hope".

To go off my last point, Al-An has knowledge, but he has a hard time grasping human concepts because he has not lived with humans. It's the same about not being able to understand jokes and comedy between IRL cultures because the difference in language and way of living means that a part of the joke is lost (for example not all people who don't speak English well or are familiar with British culture will find British humor funny). This is what Robin teaches him. Al-An knows what hope means in the semantic sense, but he doesn't know what hope means to humans. To Emily Dickinson, hope is the thing with feathers - even we as humans who know the poem can disagree on the meaning of hope and interpret the poem differently. I feel that Al-An's writing broke out of the common stereotypes for aliens in subtle ways which are not obvious straight away. A lot of his ignorance came off as charming curiosity rather than instant dismissal of emotion. The note he leaves Robin after she tells him the Emily Dickinson poem is really sweet and shows his willingness to learn and to understand.

Robin and Al-An mutually helped each other go through grief and came out changed. I'd argue that Robin's character is probably the weakest point of the story because it is not clear when she changes and she comes off as preachy, but she is still driving the story forward with enough space for us as players to insert our own emotions. The story with Sam was good, but I think it was pretty brave to take the less obvious route and not just have Alterra be evil and kill Sam, covering her murder as Robin believed, rather have Sam die because she wanted to do something good and she screwed up - she still did well, but not everyone walks out a hero, and in this she parallels Al-An who had a good idea and drove his race to extinction because he also screwed up. Not everyone walks out unscathed. But Al-An learned from Robin and Sam as much as Robin learned from his story and found peace with her sister's death. Robin finally met Sam after she died and learned that her sister was brave and willing to fight what she believed in, even if it ended in tragedy.

Thank you if you read this far, I just think that this story is very cute and it falls together nicely. Maybe the original premise is cliche, but the elements make it very interesting if people are willing to dive into them. That goes for most stories, strip any story down to it's summary and you will get the same stories over and over, but its the way the are told and the execution that people enjoy, that's where the charm is and for me personally this was a really nice story. However it's okay if some people don't like it. And we have to note that Subnautica games are PG10+ so these were written with a younger audience in mind and the plot lines are simpler for children to grasp. Older players and fans have enough things to dig through to still be entertained by the story. The original Subnautica had a pretty cliche story line too, but the way it was executed in combination with the world is what makes it so lovable. When it comes to story, both games are equally good in my opinion.” end ID ]