#I was cheering for Leon the whole time during their match

[sleepy-achilles]

The Family of Destruction- Home

Part two of Leon's first death and yes I was listening to the song one of us from lion King whilst writing it. Bite me.

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Mourning when your son has been on TV since birth is difficult. It's even more difficult when your son is the victim of a cult crime. The whole world thinks the house was old and faulty and just caught fire, which taker scoffed at when he saw the news as that's exactly what they said when his parents and baby brother were taken from him, only those there know the real cause.

John hasn't been the same since. Taker doesn't blame him, he held the boy he saw as a brother as he died. It also doesn't help the others using it to get a rise out of him during promos. John's angry and upset. And he's making sure everyone knows it.

Cassie, she's the only one taking it somewhat well. She's convinced herself he'll come back, claiming dad always does, so will Lee.

Taker can't bring himself to destroy the girl. She's 15, she has school and the fact she's still doing well since she began believing he'll come back taker can't do it. He'll pay for her therapy bills, hell he'll start sending her now.

Shawn? Shawn is a mess. He won't speak, he won't eat. He does his matches and then goes back to the hotel. Taker doesn't remember the last time he even looked at shawn.

Taker? Takers angry at himself. Hurt at the world. Its his fault this happened. But he never asked for this. None of them did. He's put his anger to rest by rebuilding their home. Again.

Unlike John, people don't dare to mention Leon's name to either taker or Shawn. Last time someone did they received a very hard sweet chin music.

It's been 4 months and Taker doesn't know if the pain will ever go away. Taking harder and riskier moves only helps so much.

-----

Taker leans against the ropes, keeping his head low as he catches his breathe back. He listens as a Leon chant begins. Something the fans have done a lot and taker does appreciate it, he does, it helps keep Leon alive, it just hurts him so damn much.

"Chant his name all you want! He is not one of us!" Paul calls. Takers head snaps up, his locking with the fat man on the stage. A man he hasn't seen since he brutally murdered his son. "You bastard" taker growls pushing off the rope. He stumbles slightly causing Steve to catch him. "Undertaker, do I have great news for you? The skeleton Prince is now the skeleton King!" Paul cheers. Takers eyes water at this, his head tilting slightly as his jaw clenches. He always knew Leon was different, he just didn't know he'd be cursed aswell. "No." Taker chokes. "Take a look at what I found" Paul smirks pointing to the tron. Taker lifts his gaze and his world changes.

The camera zooms onto Leon's grave as the dirt shifts and moves. A hand suddenly shoots out, startling the camera man. A bruised and bloody hand. "Help him!" Paul orders. Kanes hand appears, grabbing Leon's and pulling, digging at the dirt. Leon gasps as his face is freed. His face covered in his iconic skeleton paint. His hair blonde hair black and his streak white. His eyes keep flashing between fully white, fully purple and normal.

"Holy shit" Steve gasps. Taker can feel a panic build in him. Leon's alive? Leon's like him? "No" Taker whispers. "Taker what the fuck is going on?" Steve demands. "Hol-hold on" Taker chokes holding his hand out. Steve watches as takers eyes roll back, tears rolling down his face.

"....le......o....n?"

"...w........l....e.."

"Le...on?"

"Leon!"

Leon's eyes snap open at the sound of his father's voice. "Your alive and I don't know where to find you. Come home to us, please." Taker pleads. Leon's eyes scan the room he's tied up in. Hooded figures. No Paul. No kane. He looks down at the metal restraints holding his arms to the wall. "Hes awake" one states, except Leon instantly knows its not English, its Latin. His years of training and hearing his father and uncle speak it together have immediately translated it to English for him.

He'll thank them one day.

"Master said to leave him. The hexes will keep him weak." The other states. Leon lift his gaze to the hexes. He tilts his head slightly and watches as a invisible finger starts to slowly draw through the hexes, breaking them. The fools don't even notice. Leon? Leon can't help but smile at his new power.

He looks back down at the restraints and tests them. A sudden strength runs through him and he breaks them. The hooded figures stop and stare at him shocked. Leon just tilts his head. 'This will be child's play' he smirks before stepping forward.

--

"Shawn!" John gasps as he forces his way into shawns hotel room. Shawn doesn't move. He just stays laid in bed, staring out of the window. It's his day off, he'll spend it how he damn wants. "Shawn! It's Leon!" Shawn sits up immediately and looks at John. "Leon? What about him?" Shawn's voice is rough from lack of use. "Hes alive, They are showing it on Smackdown! We have to get to the arena now!" John tells him. "You drive." Is all Shawn says before dragging him out.

-

Leon looks at the knocked out bodies on the floor. His gaze then turns to the skeleton blade placed on display like a trophy. Leon feels his scar itch even at the thought of what that blade did. And yet he still steps towards it, as if it calls for him.

He raises his hand and closes it around the bone handle.

"Return to us leon"

His eyes glow purple. 'Return home..' he thinks to himself. He scans the area one more time before it fades to black.

-

It doesn't take them long to get to the arena. It takes Leon even less time.

Taker opens his eyes as Paul rants and raves. That's when the lights turn out. "Taker?" Steve asks. "Not me.." Taker whispers. Hope fills taker. 'Hes received my call.'

The lights turn back on and that hope quickly turns to dread. Leon is stood behind Paul and whilst taker is glad he's alive, he sure as hell doesn't look it. His nornaly Ash like tan skin is a dead pale kind. He has deep black circles around his eyes. His hair is thin and wiry. He's thin, his bones visible. But taker knows this is his boy.

Leon tilts his head and that's when taker catches the blade in Leon's boney hands. "Leon! No!" Taker yells. Paul's eyes widen and he jerks forward and turns around. Taker doesn't hesitate to climb out of the ring. He stops at the bottom of the ramp when Paul moves to the side.

Shawns arms are wrapped around Leon. Leon is suddenly not the same person he saw five seconds ago. Leon is himself again. No longer dead looking. Zombie like. The blade falls from his hands as his eyes turn normal. He leans back against his Papa and closes his eyes. "My baby" Shawn whispers as he rests his cheeks against Leon's shoulder blades. "My baby is back to me" shawn whispers, tears escaping his eyes. Leon lowers his head, bringing a hand up rest against his papas.

"Home"

Shawn opens his eyes at the rough voice. He lifts his head slightly and watches as Taker rushes up the ramp, pulling both into a hug. "Welcome home" Taker whispers against Leon's once again full head of hair. "Welcome home." Taker repeats.

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

Cassie smiles widely at her brother. "I told them you'd come back" she states. Leon just looks at her and nods. He hasn't spoken much since his return. Only the word home. "Dad's been working nonstop to rebuild the home. It looks amazing!" Cassie adds. Leon just smiles at her before turning his gaze to meet takers in the rear view mirror. Takers been keeping a close eye on him since he returned. He's not the only one who saw Leon in that state. The whole world did. The media believe wwe have just upped their special affects. Everyone at wwe have questions, but so does Taker. He doesn't know what to say to people. He doesn't even know what to ask Leon.

Shawn? Shawns completely ignoring anything that happened that day. He's just happy to have his family back.

Taker knows better than to push Shawn. Especially now.

He stops the car outside their rebuilt home. Charlie barks in the back seat. "Home" Leon whispers. All three glance at him. Taker wasn't sure how he'd react to seeing the house. But it was worth a shot. They climb out of the car, shawn last. Shawn hugs himself as he examines the house.

Flashes of it on fire shoot in his mind. But no. That's not where shawns trauma really lays. Unlike taker, he's not scared of the fire, just of those who set it. Those who use it to take the lives of others. Those who set the fire and then use a more cruel method to take a child's life.

Shawn turns his gaze too Leon who's staring at the house. Shawn steps closer and notices that Leon isn't staring, his eyes are rolled back. "Taker? Taker!" Shawn yells. Taker jerks forward and catches Leon as he falls back. Cassies eyes widen and Charlie growls, but not at them, at the woods. Taker looks towards the woods and his eyes immediately land on the shadow watching them. He looks away as a hand grabs his arm.

Taker looks to see Leon staring at him. "Leon?" Taker asks. "Sorry." Leon mutters standing on his own. "Im okay. I didn't mean to scare you lot. Its just been...a tough few months." Leon admits. "Its nice to hear you say more than home" cassie smiles. Leon nods and looks towards the woods. "He will cause no harm." Leon states. Shawn and cassie look at him confused. "Not to us. He's here to protect us. A little deal I made when I was down under." Leon adds. "I knew you'd goto hell. Hunter owes me 50" cassie states. "Of course he did." Shawn huffs. "The devil's a good guy. I understand the world differently now." Leon tells them.

Taker examines his sons. There's something different to it than a week ago when he rejoined them. "I understand." Leon tells him. "You shouldn't." Taker states. Leon just hums and looks back at the house. "I know. Now you and kane aren't alone. And now I'm home." Leon shrugs.

"Im glad your home and I'm glad we are all together again" Shawn states.

Taker glances at the shadow again as his family make their way inside. "Whats going to happen next?" He asks quietly.

[emeraldgreaves]

True name, Flashback, and Core for Asteria and/or Moira?

True Name. What is their name's meaning, origin, etc?

asteria - genuinely a name I pulled out of my head. within canon, it's probably a name inherited from a great-aunt/older relative further up the Talovaire family tree.

moira - so moira was a name i've always liked, originally given to an idea for a trevelyan inquisitor that i decided to repurpose for IF. the fact that it means destiny/fate was a complete coincidence, but it sure makes things interesting with the context of ShoH's ch8 reveal. linden is a name given to a family of lime trees, initially picked because it preserves the Lin from when I ran her through TWC and because it let her match trouble alder :)

Flashback. Describe one of their memories, good or bad (with proper warnings).

asteria - she doesn't remember very much of her early childhood--purple hangings on the walls, crowded banquet halls, the impression of golden leaves just out the window. one of her most consistent memories of the talovaire estate is her uncle saying she has her father's brow, her grandmother's nose, and the proud talovaire chin.

moira - her tendency towards healing magic first presented itself when she was seven. westwood had a little orchard, planted when the land was first settled. zori dared her to climb to the very top of the oldest, twistiest tree. she'd just reached the top and turned to cry victory when her foot slipped, sending her crashing through layers of branches. she had two broken bones and a concussion. her parents put her to bed. and then she got up the next morning and bounded downstairs like nothing had happened, scaring the absolute living daylights of her mother!

Core. How is their true nature different from (or similar to) how they are portrayed to others?

asteria's nature is fairly consistent--she delivers everything in fairly good spirits, but close friendship with her is gauged by how much information she's willing to tell you. acquaintances get a quip or a joke, friends get a brief answer, and close friends can see the whole picture. during wartime, she ended up in charge of keeping up morale--with leon & ilya at the head of the column and saine still a prince, it really fell to her to mingle with the troops. she's just more approachable than the nobles. I think there are times internally where keeping up a steady stream of cheer can wear on her privately, especially under high stress/conflict, but she's never not been quick, so she can still coast on instinct even when she's not really feeling it.

moira, on the other hand, is a very keep-these-feelings-here-until-i-die sort of girl. that's not to say that she's stoic or emotionless, but she will not let anything out of the holding pen until she's figured out how to articulate and/or control it. i think the set-apart nature of being hero of haven plays a rather unfortunate role here--among the inner circle, she quietly shouldered the mantle of 'bigger adult', which means she cuts loose a little less than the rest of them, and you're really never going to see the professional mask drop in public. good for PR purposes! bad for self-care.

[adventure themed oc ask game]

[forestwhisper3]

So, I dunno how many of you follow the Pokemon anime, but for those of you who do, you know that the Master’s Eight Tournament started. When I first saw it, I was okay with most of the choices...

But I just can’t stand seeing Alain there. I would have honestly preferred literally anyone else. 

Alain just annoyed me because of every time you saw him during X and Y (which wasn’t much) it’s this moody monologue. Okay, yeah. I get it. You messed up. But just...ugh. I dunno. His character just bothered me.

And then the way they just had him show up at the end and take the League win from Ash. Ash should have won the Kalos League, and I will stand by that to the death. But it was like the writers decided to ignore all the growth he’d had during the whole season and made him lose with a rookie mistake the likes of which he really shouldn’t have made at that point with that level of development.

I remember it infuriated me so much that I didn’t watch the rest of the season and I completely ignored Sun and Moon. I still haven’t.

So...yeah. I don’t like Alain, and I feel like he doesn’t deserve to be in the Master’s Eight. By the time we get to this point in the pokemon fic, you can bet he’s not going to be a part of it. 

Instead, it would look a little something like this (expand if you’re okay with spoilers):

1st: Leon 

2nd: Amy 

3rd: Cynthia 

4th: Steven 

5th: Lance

6th: Ash

7th: Diantha

8th: Paul or some other rival that’s not Alain. 

Honestly, I feel like Cynthia is way tougher than Leon, but as this fic is supposed to follow the anime more than the games, Leon keeps the top spot. He just won’t be the “undefeated champion.” The number one spot will have been passed around between the various champions before settling in this order just before the tournament.

Iris’s inclusion in this feels kind of iffy to me as well, so I’m more than likely going to end up replacing her. It’s just not set in stone with who yet.

[imjeralee]

hi!! uh, how about both leon and raihan realizing they have feelings for a male challenger? someone of age, ofcourse. i just thought it would be cute to see them be like, “holy fuck, that guy is pretty 👁️👁️”

hi anon! thanks for the ask. Sure thing, see below - 

Leon:

Being Galar’s Champion means Leon gets the chance to see, meet and battle thousands of eager and ambitious gym challengers on a regular basis over the course of his ten year reign

Lately he heard about a gym challenger who had taken the gyms all by storm and had impressed a great deal of the gym leaders and when you passed the semi-finals and finals, he’s even more intrigued.

So he’s naturally curious and also really excited and interested to meet you. He can’t wait to see what you look like, what kind of person you are, what kind of pokemon you have, how you’ve been treating them and how close you are to them and what the battle might be like if you get to the Championship - this is the typical kind of things he thinks about because he’s so passionate about pokemon and battling

But what about himself?

EXACTLY, so he’s totally not prepared to see the gorgeous young man standing opposite him on the pitch when it’s finally time for his battle with you.

Leon doesn’t fall in love with his opponents. He’s not supposed to and no-one has ever made his heart skipped a beat, but his heart did when he laid eyes on you. He’s so blown away by how stunning and breathtaking you are. You’ve taken him off guard in every possible way!

You stand opposite him with a determined but friendly smile on your face in your gym challenger gear and Leon will just stand there and stare for a good moment or so before he finally snaps himself out of it. He’ll be a bit surprised and taken aback by the emotions he’s feeling right now, his cheeks red.

When you walk up, he grows even more nervous which is unlike him and you tell him that you’ve always admired him and you’re really looking forward to the battle etc etc no matter who is the winner. Leon’s heart thumps hard the entire time as he looks at you.

Reminding himself of his duty and the whole reason why they’re here in Wyndon Stadium and with the cheering crowd in the background, Leon goes back to Champion mode and puts that front where he’s grinning and folding his arms over his chest and going like ‘Congratulations Challenger for making it all the way to the finals! I am Leon, Champion of Galar’ the usual standard speech he says to other people who get to this stage but you notice he actually stammers at some point and you’re like ???

You’re not the only one who’s noticed his change of demeanour - Leon is all too aware and he’s not familiar with this feeling; he's not meant to or supposed to be feeling like this. What on earth is happening to him?

The battle begins and Leon usually experiences and goes through the pre-battle jittery sensation, the adrenaline rush and excitement of getting to fight a strong opponent but on this occasion, it’s going crazy and the amount of pressure he feels crazy intense! You’re definitely keeping our sweet Champion on his toes. He realises he’s pretty anxious and nervous in your presence. He doesn’t want to mess up, he doesn’t want to look like a fool.

He will probably focus-slap his face three times and another for good measure, which you notice but you just smile it off

The battle will be intense and Leon will do his best to focus on the match. In fact, he’s trying so hard he’ll be sweating a lot XD

If you lose, he’ll feel really bad and your sad face makes his heart lurch. He’ll approach you shyly and take his hat off, holding it in his hands as he speaks to you; he will be kind and spend more time with you afterwards compared to his other opponents in the past and he will offer to heal your Pokemon, or come with you to the pokemon centre. 

Now that he can’t quite get you out of his head, Leon will want to see you again and can’t wait for the next battle, though inwardly he will always be hoping for more between you

On the other hand, if you win, well you’re the next Champion, Leon will be bewildered at first but at the same time he can’t help but thinking how pretty you are and when you’re emotional and celebrating, he’ll just think to himself O_O oh my god, this guy is so beautiful...he’ll be unable to tear his eyes off you and despite losing the title, he’ll really hope you will continue to be in his life someway or another. He'll probably offer to mentor you into becoming a good Champion and providing emotional support should your duties become too much to bear.

Raihan:

For Raihan, it’s just another day at the gym where he’s meant to be battling and his attention will be on his phone when he’s summoned to the pitch, busy with his social media and taking pictures or waving to the crowd

But when he’s introduced to his opponent and he puts his phone down and stops waving, taken aback by how attractive this gym challenger is. He won’t act like he is but he’s thinking it.

He’ll quickly do his best to find out everything about you if he can - from your social media, any photos, any blogs etc. 

He won’t hide anything. The moment he laid eyes on you and he liked what he saw. He doesn’t even care who’s watching and who’s listening. He’ll still keep it professional when you walk up to the pitch to face him to talk.

Raihan doesn’t mind having relationships with gym challengers and has often thought about it because he’s pretty open, though it is frowned upon. But he’s careful and he’s also quick to know if someone’s just using him just to get his badge and advance onto the championship.

He won’t get that vibe from you though; he knows you’re genuine and hardworking, and Raihan can tell who is a passionate, seasoned battler - it’s from all those years of being Leon’s rival.

He’ll really want to get to know you better.

He’ll say something different to you compared to the other gym challengers, something flirtatious with double entendres which will have you blushing.

And you’ll feel the way how he looks at you...you can tell he’s interested in you beyond the typical and simple gym-challenger/gym leader scope

When you shake hands, he’ll subtly squeeze your hand and even brush his fingers over your knuckles and thumb in a flirty way, accompanied with a wink and a grin.

It doesn’t mean he’ll go easy on you though, just because you’re easy on the eyes. 

Raihan will battle you ferociously. It’s his way of testing you. 

During the battle and you’ll feel this intense chemistry between you two, from the way how he looks at you, how he smirks and grins or licks his top lip and fang... he looks hungry for you. You might need to calm your racing heart a few occasions and remind yourself to focus 

If you lose, he will feel a bit disappointed but he’s looking forward to the rematch. Before you leave, he’ll ask to take a selfie with you and will probably ask for your number or something so you can keep in touch.

If you win, Raihan will be stunned but immensely turned on. He likes having a partner who is stronger than him LOL. 

He’s super impressed; not many gym challengers have come close to making him feel the way he does. He’ll take a selfie with you and ask for your number. When you’re closer, he'll ask you to meet him often outside of the gym.

[champion-prism]

NSFW Alphabet- Champion Leon

Explicit NSFW under cut-

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

It depends on how tired he is. If he’s really tired, he’ll do his best not to make a mess; afterwards, he’ll simply pull you tight against his chest and fall asleep. If he isn’t tired, he gets as messy as he likes, always cleans you up afterwards, and lays back as you pull on his shirt and snuggle into him. Lots of soft kisses afterwards- on your knuckles, on your face, ghosted over your lips.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

 He loves his hands. They’re large, especially compared to yours- he has pretty, artistic looking fingers that you love to kiss, and he loves to pump inside of you.

His favourite part of your body is your hips. He loves to teasingly pepper kisses on your pelvis, trail his hands down your waist and over the curve of your hips...even when you’re in public, his hand on your waist may occasionally drift lower.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Loves to cum inside. For someone who has a whole reputation at stake, he’s actually quite lax about protection, and in the moment he’s always kissing you and moaning and asking permission to cum inside of you.  He also has a lot of cum, and he likes watching it leak out of you. If you don’t allow him to cum inside, he’ll cum over your stomach or chest.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Sometimes when you’re asleep and he’s horny, he ruts against you gently and runs his hands over your body, one hand creeping into his pants to get himself off. If you’re a deep sleeper, he’ll hump against you, desperate for friction as his hands run up your shirt. 

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Experienced, but not very. He’s been with only one or two people before you, and not very serious relationships at that- his whole focus before you came along was his work. That being said, Leon is a quick learner and he definitely puts all his experience to use. He quickly adapts to your body- he’s quite explorative in the beginning, trying everything he can and noting exactly what makes you moan and arch your back.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

He really likes doing it when you’re both on your sides, facing each other. You’re pressed up to his chest with your leg thrown over his waist, kissing and touching him, he’s holding you as close as possible as he thrusts into you, hands roving your form and coming to paw at your chest. He loves the closeness of it all.

Contrariwise, he also loves the exact opposite- taking you from behind with most of your clothes still on, fast, desperate, trying to reach his high as he slams into you, groaning and gripping your hips to steady you.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Leading up to the moment, he’s definitely humorous. He likes to talk to you, smiling against your lips and sometimes tickling your sides just to see you laugh. But in the moment, he’s focused. All he can think about is your body, and how much he wants to see you moan and say his name and clench around his cock as you cum.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He mostly keeps it short and slightly fluffy. He doesn’t like shaving it off completely- it gets uncomfortable and prickly, but he keeps himself nice and groomed. It’s about the same shade as the hair on his head- he loves it when you down his purple happy trail.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Moans into your ear about how much he loves you, how perfect you feel, and how your hole was just made for him. He’s usually more intense than romantic, although he gets romantic afterwards.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

When he’s single with nobody in mind, he doesn’t jack off that often- he has an intense workout routine where he can vent his frustrations to the point of exhaustion. When he likes you, however, he will jack off, even though he’ll be self conscious about it. Leon’s been raised to be very self aware, and this can pervade into his most private moments- he’s terrified of  somehow being caught touching himself, even in the privacy of his own bedroom-  when he does pull up a picture of you and pleasures himself, he feels guilty afterwards.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Powerplay, roleplay. He likes pretending you’re some rookie trainer or a fan that fell into bed with him, even though he’s too conscientious to actually do something like that. He loves dominating you, eliciting squeals of “oh, Champion Leon!”, but alternatively, sometimes he likes it when you take charge, pushing him down and riding him and making him admit that you’re the only one the all powerful Champion submits to. Also slight breeding kink, but he doesn’t tell you about it- you more or less find out by accident when he blurts something out in the heat of the moment. 

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Apart from your bedroom, he likes to do it in his private locker room/shower at Wyndon stadium. It’s the thrill of it all, coming down from a battle high with the crowds’ cheering still ringing in his ears, feeling victorious and powerful when you call him your Champion as he rails you in the shower. He’s very careful about the doors being locked, and it’s still more of a guilty pleasure than anything, but he loves it.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Winning battles, for one thing. The adrenaline coursing through his veins, seeing your bright face and you gush over how incredible he was, makes him very hard. He also loves seeing you in pretty clothing- lingerie, and also pretty clothes in shades he likes, maybe something that’s slightly revealing, but leaves enough to the imagination.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

He’s really not into hurting you, or anything like that. Seeing tears streaming down your face would just be a massive turn off for him. He wants you to enjoy yourself during sex, to make faces an moan and beg and plead- but he doesn’t want to hurt you, even if you’re fine with it. 

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

There’s nothing quite like a blowjob to relax him after a long day, but if he had to pick, he would deviate towards giving. It’s just a massive powertrip to have you come undone by just his mouth- the sounds you make and the way you taste and leak for him, he loves every second of it. He could eat you out for hours.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

When you’re in bed, he likes to take his time with you, going at a slow to moderate pace and speeding up when you beg him to. If you’re on the couch or a place like the stadium, he’s pretty fast and rough, although he’s careful not to hurt you.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

He’s fine with quickies- he actually finds them kinda hot, seeing how desperate you both are to simply get off. Doesn’t indulge in them too often, though- usually prefers to take his time with you.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

He’s fine with experimentation as long as it doesn’t involve the risk of being caught. His image as a family friendly icon is immensely important to him- important enough that the risk of being caught is a real fear for him, not a thrill. Apart from that, he’s willing to at least try something new that you’re into.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Between 1 to 3 rounds. If he’s tired and the first round goes on for very long, he’ll either stop, or have a really quick second round before he goes to sleep. He’s strong with great self control, so he can pace himself to last as long as he wants. On days when he’s free for once, he likes to go for long, explorative rounds where he takes his time toying with your body.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Prefers to get you off by himself, but he won’t say no to toys if you want to use them. Doesn’t have any toys of his own- he once considered getting a fleshlight, but he’s too self conscious. 

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Teases a fair bit when he’s in the mood to, but he mostly doesn’t want to waste time before being inside you. He gets these playful moods where he likes to edge you and draw your orgasm out, but he always makes up for it by pounding into you during the next round.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Very loud. It’s usually lewd moans and slurred words about how much he loves you, and how you feel warm and wet and you’re perfect around him, fuck, he wants to cum inside you so bad. During your post-battle romps at the stadium, he bites down on your shoulder to muffle his moans. 

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Has a secret fantasy about being tied up. He wants to completely surrender all semblance to control, and just let you have your way with him for as long as you like. Has a small thing for overstimulation.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

It’s thick, and cut. About 5” flaccid, but goes up to 7.5” when he’s hard. 

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Progressively increases as he gets to know you. When he’s completely in love with you, he yearns for you all the time- expect sex multiple times daily if he’s free, or atleast two rounds at night when he gets back from work.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Fairly quickly. He’ll take care to clean you up, but once he’s cum, all he really wants to do is cuddle into you and fall asleep. He’s very tired a lot of the time, and he feels relaxed and safe in your arms.

[andromeda-nova-writing]

My Entire Life

Fem!Reader

Summary: When you say you can’t imagine life without each other it becomes clear to everyone that becoming a couple is only a matter of time. Who knew falling in love with your best friend was something that was going to happen.

Words: 3193

AN: I managed to write an entire 140 words for the last of the chapter. My motivation to write is slowly returning. It's great cause I have only so many prewritten chapters and they are finally catching up to me.

Previous / Next

Chapter 7: Inbetween

It had been a week since Y/N ran into Leon in Hammerlocke and she hadn’t told anyone what happened yet. She and Leon still have some things to talk about still. And the thought of either of their parents finding out and getting overly excited terrified her. 

They spent years actively saying they wouldn't date and they were just friends. It was true at the time but now they were inching closer and closer. They already began the process of tiptoeing the line trying to see where they could cross.

Leon thought his crush on Y/N was bad before. Now he was trying to avoid every free second from becoming 'think about Y/N time'. People around him did notice he was a bit happier than normal. They either didn't think much of it or just let him be without asking.

Leon was in the private locker room just trying to relax before he had to go have a match in an hour. He laid on the bench with his cape and hat neatly placed on the floor nearby. There wasn't much to do besides scroll through his phone. He looked back at an old photo that Hop had sent of him with some of his new gym badges. He couldn’t be more proud.

Then there was a photo his mom sent both him and Hop. It was their grandparents wearing homemade t-shirts cheering on both of them. It was a nice gesture but he wished they just focused on cheering on Hop this year like his mom. Leon was already a confident trainer. He hadn't had a loss once in his life. Okay maybe he was a bit cocky about it but that was more reason to cheer on Hop. A boost of confidence was always helpful for a new trainer.

Maybe he'd try to go and watch Hop during one of his gym battles. From the locker room tv. He didn't want to bring on unnecessary pressure. But if he told Hop that he watched the match it might cause more pressure. It probably just would be best to ask Hop if it was okay first. After the match, he'd call Hop.

He looked at the time. Only 40 minutes till he needed to get ready and 50 till he started. Taking a 20-minute nap would be nice but the last time he did that he overslept. A nap was a luxury he would not get today.

He was going to catch up on a show he had been watching extremely slow. It’s all he could come up with at this point. A notification popped up for a text message. He clicked it before even reading who it was from.

There was a photo of Y/N’s Mimikyu and her mom's Vulpix standing next to a vase of flowers. A message came in shortly after he saw the photo. 'Watching my mom's vulpix while she spends the week out of the country to see her parents. Why does her vulpix think the flowers are for her?'

Leon let out a laugh. The flowers did get to her. He had got her roses again. This time instead of the plain yellow he got her when they were 15 he had got a yellow and red ombre. A red rose still felt too bold. 

They both revealed to each other that they were open to the idea of being together. So they didn't directly say anything but when you know someone for so long, you can tell what vibe they are giving off. It didn't make it any less nerve-racking.

Leon hadn't been on a whole lot of dates before. He could count them all out on one hand. Technically two hands if counted the one where Sonia had him and Y/N tag along for a group date. But that wasn't a real date. Yeah Y/N was his 'date' that day but they were just being good friends for Sonia. And Y/N had a crush on someone else at the time.

Another photo message brought him out of his thoughts. There was a flower tucked behind Vulpix's ear. A text came through with it. 'Got her to leave the vase alone. Hope you don't mind, I gave a flower away.' 

'Guess I'll have to get you more.' Leon typed out. That had to be the right amount flirty. At least he didn't think it came off as too strong. He hit send before he could start overthinking.

Her message came in quickly. 'Can't wait.'It had a purple heart emoji attached to it. 

Leon had the biggest smile on his face. He was about to spend way too much on flowers for the next few months. He just knew it.

-

Y/N had met up with Sonia and Nessa at a coffee shop in Hulbury. It was just a quick hang-out before Nessa had to go battling gym trainers in 2 hours. They were just trying to catch up quickly before all having to go off on their separate ways again.

“You need to get into model photography so we can have an excuse to hang out.” Nessa took a sip of her lemonade.

Y/N stirred her ice tea with a straw. “I’m not so sure about that. I’m bad at directing people.”

“You got photos of Leon and Me. How’s that different?” Sonia took a bite of the shared large cake slice.

“Cause we were goofing off. If I mess anything up there’s no pressure.” Y/N explained.

“What about the ones where it’s just Leon? Some networks keep those photos on file for reference.” Nessa brought up as her argument.

“We were still goofing around.” Y/N looked down at her tea. “Plus they only use those photos cause they make him look down to earth.”

“Only you taking the photo could make Leon look down to earth.” Sonia pointed. She was in every sense of the word correct.

“I seriously doubt that. I thought we were going to anything but talk about Leon.” She took a sip of her tea. It was a bit sweeter than she would have liked.

“Oh wait she’s right Sonia. I don’t want to hear her talk about him only to not make a single move.” Nessa got a piece of cake on her fork. “I know I’m rooting for you two to get together but please either hurry up and kiss him or quit bringing up his ‘dreamy’ eyes.”

Y/N laughed. “One, I’ve never called his eyes dreamy. Two, guess who keeps sending me flowers every week.” She spoke proudly unprepared for any questions.

“He’s sending you flowers? Did you two finally get together and not tell us?” Sonia asked first.

“When did you finally tell him? Are we about to deal with both of you being in a honeymoon phase?” Nessa asked second.

“How long have you been a thing? Did you both at least tell your family?” Sonia followed up with the third round of questions.

Y/N’s face heated up a bit. “Oh wow um, that’s a lot of questions for not wanting me to talk about Leon.”

“Ignore what we said. Spill.” Nessa demanded.

Y/N took a breath. "Yes, he's sending me flowers. No, we aren't together." She took a sip of her tea. "Do I have to explain more than that?"

"Of course you do. He's sending you flowers and you aren't together. We need more information." Sonia told her.

Y/N placed her head in her hands mumbling to herself for a moment. She looked back up at the two integrators she called friends. She explained everything that happened while she ran into Leon at Hammerlocke. Sonia and Nessa avoided interrupting till she was done.

"You two are so a couple now." Nessa had some excitement in her voice.

"We aren't a couple. Just best friends who won't stop flirting at the moment."

"We are gonna end up seeing them kiss and they still would say they're just friends." Sonia joked.

"Okay, we aren't that bad. We are just in that weird phase where we both know we want to be together but neither of us has made a move yet." She stirred her tea with her straw again. "I think we are trying to figure out if it’s worth possibly ruining a friendship if things don't work out."

"Do you think that would even happen? You two are so close." Sonia couldn't even imagine Y/N and Leon having a bitter break up.

"Honestly, no. It probably would get awkward at the most." It sounded terrifying to lose her best friend because of a breakup. She didn't want to imagine what her life would be like without him. "Can we take a break talking about this?"

"Sure." Nessa knew the annoyance of people not respecting her space and changed the topic. "How's your research going Sonia?"

Y/N tried to pay attention to the conversation but she just felt out of it now. She and Leon really needed to have a serious conversation soon about this. She was extremely excited over the idea of being in a relationship with him but she was still scared of what that change would bring.

-

Y/N sat in her living room. It was night and she had already taken a shower. She sat on her couch watching a movie with her Mimikyu. She had a bowl of ice cream she was snacking on. It was a nice treat after being in the July heat earlier that day.

The movie was something she’s seen only a few times before when she was younger but never managed to make it to the end. So far her attempt tonight was going well. She had made it into the second act of the movie. Maybe if she finished the movie tonight she would watch the sequel right after.

There was a knock on her door. She looked at Mimi with a bit of concern. Y/N wasn’t expecting anyone especially with it being after 10. She spoke quietly. “Think if we ignore it they’ll go away?”

The knock happened again. Y/N got up off the couch and set her bowl on the end table. She looked at Mimi. “If we have no idea who they are and they refuse to leave, I want you to be ready to use shadow sneak. Don’t hit them if I don’t tell you to.”

Mimi nodded before fading away into the shadows. Y/N grabbed Mimi’s Pokéball and another containing her Hatterene. She didn’t bring Hatterene out much but if for any reason Mimi went down, she needed a backup. And with her being home alone with random knocks on the door, she was glad to have two extremely powerful pokemon.

She slid Hatterene’s Pokéball into her shorts pocket. She walked over to the door and opened it with only a crack. What was he doing? She opened the door wider. “Leon, why are you even here? It’s past 10 and you didn’t even call.”

He looked annoyed and exhausted. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t want to be in Wyndon after today. Can I come in?”

“Yeah.” She stepped out the way and let him in. “Mimi come back.” Mimi appeared in front of her.

“Were you gonna attack me?” Leon walked in and closed the door behind himself. 

“It’s late and I didn’t know it was you. I live alone. You can’t blame me for being on guard.” She returned Mimi to her Pokéball.

“Can’t be mad at you for that. It’s pretty smart.”

“I’m a smart person. Now before I yell at you for showing up this late without calling you better tell me why you’re here.” She walked back over to the living and placed Mimi’s and Hatterene’s Pokéballs on the end table next to the rest of her team.

Leon sat on the couch. “Well, I left my phone at the stadium. Though I did do that on purpose.”

Y/N sat next to him on the couch and crossed her arms. “That still doesn’t explain anything and it didn’t make it better.”

“I just started. Give me a minute.” It was the first time in a while she saw Leon start to snap. He took a breath. “Sorry. So I was having a late evening training session with my team. I thought I’d put in an hour or two and be done for the day. Then Olena comes in and brings in these two from marketing and advertising.” Leon was already rolling his eyes at the thought.

“I mean that sounds like a pretty normal day for you so far.” Y/N added.

He continued with his story. “So Olena leaves me alone with them. So these two start talking about how they want me to do some magazine and tv ads. Then they bring up this model they want me to work with.”

Y/N put her blanket back around her. Leon’s problems sometimes from an entirely different world and it looked like it was going to one of those times.

“So they start talking about this project that I’d be on with this model. And one of the guys suggests I go on some very public dates with her so that could help kick start her career.”

What Leon was talking about was making sense to her now.

“So I tried so many times to politely tell them that I was okay with the ads but I wanted no part of their publicity stunt. They kept going on about how no one knows anything about my personal life which you know is exactly how I like it. It’s like they had no idea how not to cross boundaries. I got them to finally leave me and alone and they started calling over and over and over. So I left my phone and got a taxi here as fast as I could.” He leaned back into the couch.

“Well, why didn’t you just go home?”

“Just decided fuck it, now I’m ‘lost’ for the rest of the weekend. I just don’t want to deal with their bullshit for a bit.” He took a breath feeling like a weight went off my shoulders.

“Why didn’t you just go to your mom’s then?”

“So I can hear her say that’s what comes with the job? Or my grandma say if I had a girlfriend then maybe they wouldn’t try to force things like this on me. I love them but I’m not in the mood to deal with that.” Leon complained. “I just figured I’d come here for the night to calm down. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I mean I wish I had a warning but other than that, it’s okay. I don’t even have a guest room though so, where are you even going to sleep?” Y/N thought the last part aloud. “I think the only clothes I have of yours here is a pair of sweatpants I borrowed when I was at your mom’s cause I got covered in milk.”

“Those will work. I could just sleep on the couch.” He reasoned.

“You look exhausted from all of that. Are you sure you are okay with sleeping on the couch? You could just sleep in my bed instead.”

Leon was caught a bit off guard by the suggestion. He raised his eyebrow at her. “Are you inviting me into your bed?”

Y/N rolled her eyes. "Oh you know I don't mean like that. Don't act like we haven't slept in the same bed before. Just accept the hospitality."

"I wasn't trying to be immature." 

"Uh-huh." She shook her head. "Just go take a shower so you can relax."

"Okay. Just where are my sweatpants first?"

"Folded on top of the dryer."

"Thanks." Leon left her alone in the living room.

She looked over at her unfinished bowl of ice cream which was now melted. She got up and took the bowl into the kitchen to wash it out. She turned on the faucet before dumping the melted dessert down the drain. After rinsing out the bowl she placed it in the sink.

Y/N began to think. Leon did go directly from Wyndon to here in Wedgehurst. She honestly wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't eaten dinner yet. Even though she was annoyed by his unannounced arrival she would feel bad if she at least didn't offer him anything to eat. She probably could just offer her leftover pasta and he’d be happy.

She walked back into the living room and turned off her tv. She’d just have to try and finish that movie another time. Y/N went up to her bedroom and began picking around the room and moving things back to their place. She kept her bedroom fairly clean but it would still be polite to pick up even if he probably didn’t care.

Y/N pulled down an extra blanket from her closet just in case Leon wanted it. She did keep her apartment on the colder side to protect the camera equipment. Even though she was used to it, the cold did bother her now and then too. It caused her to keep enough blankets placed in almost every room.

She looked over at her alarm clock. 11:05 pm. It wasn’t the latest at least to her but maybe it would be smart to also get ready for bed. Y/N sat on the bed and forced herself to start winding down for the night. As she was covering her arms in lotion she heard a light knock on her opened bedroom door.

She turned and looked over. Leon stood at the entrance to her bedroom. He was focused on drying off his hair with a towel. Y/N did her best to not let her eyes wander further past his shoulders. 

She's seen him shirtless plenty of times before. It's the nature of what happens when you go swimming at a lake. The last time they did that was when they were 17. Sure she had a glace that day she slept in his room but the shock of it distracted her from taking in any of the sights.

"Do you mind if I throw my clothes in the wash?" Leon's question brought her back.

"Oh sure. There's some leftover pasta in the fridge if you haven't eaten yet too." Y/N offered.

"You're the best." He thanked her and left the room.

In normal circumstances, she would have followed Leon took the kitchen and chatted the night away. She very much still wanted to. She wanted to be annoyed at him for showing up unexpectedly but when she looked at his eyes you could just see how much he needed a break. Maybe Y/N was being selfish by not giving him a chance to vent and get everything off his shoulders. She’d bet everything that he was still stressed out.

She stood up. Her mind was now focused on trying to ignore her crush and trying to be a good friend.

[a-gun-with-one-bullet]

Prompt- ‘Poem’ with Toko Fukawa x Reader

Request by @pantiecollectordumbass​ fic under cut!

   Fukawa was wonderful at writing. Her stories were favored around the world, her romances winning first place at many competitions and festivals. However, she was not a good romantic. Her palms got too sweaty, she stuttered, she often forgot what she was going to say in your presence. She had to admit, she was in deep if she couldn’t even write near you. 

   It started on a normal day at Hope’s Peak, when Toko was calmly writing during her english class. It was interrupted as the teacher started introducing a new student. Her eyes followed you, her future desire. Your eyes, your face, your cheerful voice as you introduced yourself. She felt her heartbeat rise in her chest, the beating echoing in her ears.

   Since then, it’s been nonstop writing, just about you. She thought of you as a muse, all her stories featuring a nervous princess, a skittish village girl, or a soft housewife to somebody who matched you perfectly. Be it a charismatic merc, royalty ruling over a village, or a loving partner coming home from a long day of work. Some of these stories got pretty popular, and with a bit of the money she got from them, she bought you gifts.

   You never knew who these came from, but you were thankful to have them anyways. Sometimes, when you opened your locker, there’d be a new necklace hanging from the bag hanger, or a box with new shoes sitting at the bottom. Each boxed gift was wrapped with plum wrapping, shining gold bows to accent. Today, finally there was something to help you figure out who your secret admirer was. A small paper hanging from the inside of the door. You opened it, and quietly read it to yourself.

   ‘My love, like a summer day

     free from rain, 

      yet brighter than lightning

       sending my heart quickly racing.’

   The writing was in beautiful cursive, the ink still a little damp. That means, whoever left this, must’ve been here not too long ago. You looked both ways in the hallway, which was completely empty.

   You were distracted during classes. Bombing a test, zoning out during a lecture, assigned a detention from the hall monitor for running into other students in the hall. After the last bell, you trudged to the detention hall, already tired and unwilling to be there. You pushed open the door, and inside you saw some of your classmates. Leon Kuwata sat in the front, snoring already. Mondo Owada all the way in the back, chewing on his pen and throwing cheap pencils and sticking them to the ceiling. In the middle, you were quite surprised to see Toko Fukawa.

   She was a quiet girl, barely speaking in your shared classes, usually with her head down writing away. Figuring that she should be the best choice to sit closest to, you sat your bag down on the floor next to your chosen seat. She looked at you with a frightened look, the hand holding her pen trembling and shaking droplets of ink on her paper. You were about ready to ask what she was writing, when Kiyotaka Ishimaru came marching through the doors.

   “Alright everyone! I have been assigned to look over the detention hall for the next hour!” The boys groaned, both of them showing complete disinterest in being there.

   “I have thought of a great exercise, to help us get through our delinquencies and grow from them! Each of you will say your reason for being here, why you did it, and how you will improve for the future.” Everyone was silent, looking to each other, none willing to go first.

   “How about you, Kuwata?” Leon lifted his head from the desk, groaning.

   “Chugged an energy drink in class. I’ve got a game tonight- I can’t afford being tired.”

   “How will you improve?” Leon rolled his eyes.

   “Getting decent sleep, I guess.” It seemed to be a good enough answer for Kiyotaka, as he nodded with a smile, and turned his attention towards the back. 

   “How about you, Owada?” Mondo lazily chewed on his pen.

   “I skipped class to go on a joyride. Me and the gang haven’t had much time together, since I’m still a fuckin’ school student…”

   “Language, Owada, or I will have to write you another detention slip. This is your only warning. Now, how are you going to improve?

   “Skip the whole day instead of just a class.” Mondo barked out a laugh.

   “You know this is not the improvement we are trying to get to!” Mondo huffed, gnawing at his pen again.

   “Fine, the guys are for after school…” 

   “How about you?” Kiyotaka’s eyes seemed to pierce through you, with how intense he always seemed.

   “I wasn’t paying attention in the halls and caused a disturbance. I guess I’ll pay better attention.” He nodded, and pointed at Toko.

   “You’re the last one up, Fukawa! What caused you to be here today?” She shook, eyes pointed down at her hands.

   “I broke into somebody’s locker…” Ishimaru gasped. Suddenly, your mind was buzzing. Who’s locker? Yours? Is she the one...

   “What would cause you to do something like this?” Taka’s voice was shrill, causing Toko to cover her ears.

   “It was f-for good intentions, I… I swear!” Kiyotaka shook his head.

   “There is no reason to break into somebody’s locker, Fukawa! You should know better than that!”

   “Was it mine?” Your question seemed to reverberate in the room, all eyes now turned to you.

   “Are you the one leaving those nice gifts?” Before Toko could answer, the detention bell rang, and everyone minus Ishimaru raced for the door. You managed to catch Toko’s hand, stopping her from escaping. You halfway dragged her to the nearest empty classroom, free from delinquents and the prying eyes of the hall monitor.

   “Was it you?” Toko’s face was a vibrant red, reaching all the way to the tips of her ears. She couldn’t meet your eyes. She then thrust the paper she was writing into your hands, then backing up.

   Your eyes traced the paper, the little ink stains from her previous anxiousness. The words curled beautifully, just like the paper in your locker. It read,

   ‘My heart feels like a drum

     beating wildly out of my chest.

      with only a rhythm you can hear,

       no longer wanting to be repressed.’

   At the bottom, your name was signed, in that beautiful, dainty writing. One, that you see every day, excited for the new letters, written from your new love.

[starkeaton]

the adventure zone: graduation character list

Well, i accidentally deleted the original graduation character list post, so here i am making another one. Oops. And as always, if anyone has important details i should add then feel free to suggest them!

Here are all the characters introduced in episodes 1-25. Named characters only!

Also i can’t hide spoilers! So, um..... I can’t put spoilers on this one. If you need the version with spoilers try this version of the post that i made on the adventure zone subreddit but youre not missing out on much.

# -EPISODE 1- (19 characters)

Hieronymous Wiggenstaff (he/him): Head of the Hero/Villain school. at least 400 years old. wears shining blue armor with gold accents. also an elf. according to Tomas, he led the charge at the "battle of blood valley", brought the Kingdoms of Rickart and Dawnbreak to a peace treaty, and founded the school. a little boastful, a little prideful, [SPOILERS OMITTED], and overall a pretty good dude.

Higglemas Wiggenstaff (he/him): Head of the Sidekick/Henchperson annex, cranky old elf. has a dog named hero who shows no signs of anything strange at all, ever. 

Gary (he/him): friendly room gargoyle. pseudo-hivemind.

Groundsy (he/him): the groundskeeper. a pretty nice fellow. don't go in his shed.

Hernandez (he/him): beautiful centaur professor of animal handling.

Jimson (he/him): human battlegrounds trainer for sidekicks/henchpeople, world famous featherweight champion, wields a staff. married to crushman.

Crushman (he/him): silver dragonborn with a sickle, and self-described beefy boy! heavyweight blood champion married to jimson. never lost a match for 8 years. full name Frostus Crushman.

Rolandus Fontaine (he/him): former prince, son of deposed king, kind of an asshole, maybe. wears a cape (important detail)

Zana (she/her): "terrifying" tiefling villain sorcerer, friend of rolandus. barkept the test tavern in ep2

Rhodes (she/her): hero ranger, friend of rolandus.

Buckminster Eden (he/him): hero guy. son of "The Iron Lord". their dad is stronger than rolandus's dad. his wiki page says rogue so i think hes a rogue? i never caught that and ive listened more times than i wish i did

Leon (he/him): softspoken buff, bald "fighter" (although i dont remember any clarification on how exactly he fights), sidekick of buckminster, around 28. anyone else keep forgetting he's bald? i keep forgetting it. >!gets sorta-drafted into becoming a falcon for higglemas and so far hasn't done much else.!<

Rainer Michelle (she/her): cheerful villainous necromancer with a floating chair. also, her name is pronounced "rainier" despite not being confirmed as such? travis ships her with fitzroy.

Tomas (he/him): human man with "kind eyes" and a good (psychic???) memory. guidance counselor.

Stewart LeBoeuf (he/him): brawny human man. serves food. there is no joke here, i promise

Mulligan (he/him): teaches potions. mentioned but doesn't appear yet. and we're like 25 episodes in. maybe we'll see him someday

Germaine, Victoria, Rattles (he/him,she/her,???/???): Skeleton crew. They live in the training room i guess, and as a result can never die, because "no one dies in the training room!" (note: someone now HAS to die in the training room). also their races are never explicitly stated but i guess they're probably human? in episode 3 travis brings up something about how many bones are in "the human body" and at this point i think i'm looking too deep into this so i'll just forget about it and you probably should too.

# -EPISODE 2- (9 characters)

Riveau (he/him): halfling, blame-taking teacher.

Mimi (they/them): gnome sidekick who builds cool robot prosthetics

Bartholemus (he/him): owl aarakocra accountant teacher, known for being the best accountant in the land and having a face some might describe as "smoochable". very pro capitalist :’( hope he gets better

Ramos (she/her): goliath teacher of shieldwork. *

Dip (she/her): sidekick, half-orc twin of pip

Pip (she/her): hero, half-orc twin of dip

Festo (they/them): fairy with "beautiful gossamer wings", independent study teacher of magic, loves to party

Snippers (he/him?): Let me tell you my story about Snippers the magic crab. When Travis gave the list of animals that Griffin could choose as Fitzroy's familiar's current form, he listed crab near the start, and this gave me excitement. Now i knew that crab was pretty unlikely but god i hoped that he would choose it. When the list went on- Bat, Cat, Crab, Frog, Hawk, Lizard, Owl, Poisonous Snake, Fish, Rat, Raven, Seahorse, Spider or Weasel- I nearly lost hope. I was hoping so hard that Griffin would choose the crab, but i was ready to accept a non-crab familiar. It was just buried in that list. It wasn't the most useful animal and it was an obscure pick. And as Travis informed him that it didn't have to keep the form for the whole campaign, Griffin said those five words i wanted to hear so, so badly. "Well then it's a crab." Folks, I do not often react physically when something happens in media. But in that moment, i remember very clearly, i fist-pumped and yelled, "YES!!!!!!"

so anyway, Fitzroy has a crab.

Jackle (he/him): kenku teacher of sneakery. creepy dude. apparently knows something about argo? also his name is not spelled "jackal" for some reason. Also in later episodes theyve started calling him "The Jackle" for some reason??? *

# -EPISODE 3- (1 character)

Dakota (they/them): tavern instructor, clad in black/red leather. no race stated? probably human. *

# -EPISODE 4- (6 characters)

Gerry & Tom (she/her, he/him): shopkeepers at barns and nobles who seem to have very bad names. also constantly competing for customers? these guys got dropped faster than the heathcliff quests, which is honestly just sad.

Barb (she/her): the bartender. runs Springs Eternal in Last Hope. has a sweet seeing-eye hawk familiar. 

Jaryd Reginald (he/him): owner of Reginald Ore. Wants the workers to be held responsible for the damage caused by the xorn. (fun fact: originally i wrote down "Jerrod" because i wanted it to sound like a fantasy name, then realized it was probably "Jared" because theyre named after listeners, but i was pleased to find it confirmed that it's actually "Jaryd")

Candice (she/her): A Miner. thought those werent allowed in bars but, i guess not. Wants the mine owner to be held responsible for the xorn's damage.

Jade Johnson Esq. (she/her): lawyer.

# -EPISODE 5- (1 character)

Xorn: a big hungry gem eating guy from the plane of earth Low-Down Deep with 3 arms and 3 legs. why did travis just say "multi-armed" instead of specifying it was 3? who knows! Anyway it leaves

# -EPISODE 6- (3 characters)

Osric (he/him): the man, the myth, the bursar. finally shows up after being mentioned in episodes 2 and 4. he's an elf. 

breeze through the willows (she/her): Pegasus attacked by demons, lost her parents. introduced in ep1 but gets a name here so fuck it. also in ep>!16!< we find out shes a "white arabian pegasus" and i dont think thats a spoiler bc we shouldve really known it from the beginning

Sabor (he/him): Librarian/research teacher. also a TORTLE. Really good at recalling stuff, i guess. kinda reminds me of Tomas's memory thing but i'm sure that's just a coincidence... *

# -EPISODE 7- (1 character)

Mosh (he/him): The goliath blacksmith who welcomes argo into the unbroken chain. Also, and this is specific to the tumblr version of this post, all the characters with an * at the end of their descriptions are also members of the unbroken chain. if someone knows how to do spoilers on tumblr please tell me

# -EPISODE 8-

:)

# -EPISODE 9- (2 characters)

Eeiïäá#æ&éñn (pronounced like "Ian") (he/him?): an imp but without a shitty voice. also happens to not be violent. what a coincidence?

Terence (he/him): a chain devil with a real demonic name. minor boss of the imps. very convincing and very threatening. has the frightening ability to make you zone out during his fight

# -EPISODE 10- (2 characters)

Althea Song (she/her): elf with autumn-orange hair. representative from heroic oversight guild. i'd like to personally thank travis for spelling her name out.

Crabtree (she/her): Artificing teacher. Long gray hair with a long grey beard. no mentioned race, one might guess dwarf but that would be an assumption i suppose. also unbroken chain member, presumably the dwarf argo didn't recognize in episode 7.

# -EPISODE 11- (3 characters)

Marie (she/her): Grey-haired elf woman. She's the school's physician, i guess. Member of the unbroken chain.

Dendra Maplecourt (she/her): Fitzroy's mom. Has hot mint gum, i guess. She was mentioned earlier but i wasn't convinced she was a real person until this episode

Cool Gary (he/him): AYY ITS ME GARYR

# -EPISODE 12-

no new characters again!

# -EPISODE 13- (7 characters hhhyyyuu)

Kale (???/???): Head of the Placement Department, in charge of real world assignments. First mentioned in Ep4 but i missed that the last few times bc it is so brief. Gives exposition about missions i guess????? is that the only reason this chara cter exists

satyr thief (unnamed) (he/him): tries to rob thundermen, dies instantly

Ogre (he/him): teamed up with the satyr. his name is ogre.

Moon (he/him): A Sidekick. small pale sullen guy. no mentioned race. Why is there another FUCKING sidekick WE HAD ENOUGH hhhyuuuuuu

Deanna (she/her): A bigoted centaur with an obnoxious voice. Malwin the Strong's second in command.

Malwin the Strong (she/her): Leader of the centaurs of the scarlet woods. Wants to appease the spirit of the scarlet woods so that thecentaurs of the scarlet woods will be protected in the scarlet woods. Had a relationship with Arturas in the past but their clashes are currently known to get pretty heated.

Arturas (he/him): Leader of the Centaurs of the Valley, i guess. Had a relationship with Malwin. Centaur. Did i mention centaur? i cant think of anything else about this character

# -EPISODE 14- (2 characters)

Calhain (he/him): Human wizard, Malwin's magical advisor. Kind of an amateur wizard in a job high above his skill level. Graduated Wigginstaff's as a hero.

Spirit of the Scarlet Woods: A spirit who requires sacrifice in order to keep Malwin's herd safe and prosperous. Not keen on dubiously canonical combos, i guess. i wouldnt be either. also apparently the sacrifice depends on personal value, not how much value it has to the spirit.

# -EPISODE 15- (2 characters)

Sylvia Nite (she/her): Fitzroy's magic theory teacher at knight night school, who he turned into a catfish by accident. oops!

Chaos (they/them, maybe more): Presumably a deity, gave Fitz his powers and wants him to give in to his chaotic desires. (physical desc: 9 foot tall, iridescent 'mother of pearl' skin, pure white eyes, fine burgundy cloak with gold/onyx lining. their physical form beyond that seems to change every time they show up.)

# -EPISODE 16-

none -w-

# -EPISODE 17-

some demins happened. the big dudes are called "Pit Fiends" and the armored demon ladies are called "Erinyes", by the way. that was incredibly hard for me to figure out the first time, especially without headphones, i thought travis was saying "pig feet" and i just could not discern what the other things were

# -EPISODE 18- (6 characters)

snow on the mountain: shire horse pegasus

storm at sea: peruvian paso pegasus, vehement defender of The Guardian. doesn't have a goofy voice.. but he could have....

thaw of the spring: a winged horse

night of no clouds: a winged hhorse

The Guardian: "An ancient and powerful being that guards the unknown forest." Has protected the flock from demons for many many years. apparently is the voice that was talking to our firbolg in episode 1?

Grey, the Demon Prince (he/him): wants to cause a war, originally wanted to kill hiero and higgs, forces the heroes to build an army to fight his. As "Fauxronimous", he has skin the *color and pattern of* (but not necessarily made of) slate splashed with liquid, pointed ears, sharp teeth, shining eyes, horns of unspecified shape. 12 fucking feet tall. wonder if the slate-looking skin is related to garys. plot twist detected? Also i recently looked at the episode descriptions and found out his name is spelled "Gray", but really does it truly matter?

# -EPISODE 19- (2 characters)

Shabree Keene (she/her): Argo's mom, killed on the Mariah, possibly by the Commodore. Long auburn hair, green eyes. Mentioned earlier but described here, so fuck it.

**Thomas** (he/him): Argo's first mate on the Mariah, as the Kraken, in his chaos-dream. may or may not actually exist.

# -EPISODE 20- (1 character)

The Commodore (he/him): Reknowned hero of the seas, military regalia, great naval hero, presumably responsible for the death of Shabree Keene. No mentioned race. Seriously, they never mention this guy's race. The only thing described about him is how he's dressed and his evil smile. Does that mean he's human? Elf? Dwarf??? Who knows! maybe it just doesnt matter. 

# -EPISODE 21-

none

# -EPISODE 22-

not any of them. not any.

# -EPISODE 23- (1 character)

Ozymondelius (sp???) (it/its): A warforged teacher who just so happens to like war or something? i guess its in the name. only mentioned in this episode, doesnt show up yet.

# -EPISODE 24-

they have a fight in the training room but nobody dies :\\ maybe next time. also no new characters. pog

# -EPISODE 25- (4 characters)

Gherkin (he/him): Tall lankier skeleton, has a scimitar and a merkin, which is a pubic wig... and he wears a jerkin? which i guess is a kind of coat? also i think hes mute 

Tibia (she/her?) : Shorter skeleton with gold teeth, and long canines. i think both of the skeletons are mute actually.

The Lich King aka Gordy (he/him): Rainer's dad. Commands armies of the undead. lives in The Crypt. described as a hooded, skull-faced man with intricate black lines on his face, but changes to a shaved-head man with dark skin and vetiligo. Abandoned as a babby, raised by traveling parents, had necromancy powers, took Rainier in. Not actually very scary at all i don't know why he did the creepy laugh. Kind of a warm fatherly figure actually. hm. also people are speculating Gordy might be short for Gordita and his parents are maybe supposed to be lup and barry but THAT S JUST A THEORY.

our firbolg's father (he/him): A firbolg who lived by the code and was there when our firbolg was banished. Came to respect our firbolg's interest in a new way of life, in his final moments.

TOTAL: 72 NPCS! (well, including 2 extra PCs, i guess.)

Average: 2.88 NPCs per episode.

i was gonna not include the bone-PCs and have it be 69 but our firbolg's dad was just too important to not respect with a spot on the list.

anyway as always make sure to smack me with a blunt object if i forgot any characters!!!!!

[calacuspr]

Calacus Weekly Hit & Miss – Carl Nassib & UEFA

Every Monday we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the previous week.

HIT – CARL NASSIB

“I hope that one day videos like this and the whole coming out process are just not necessary," said Carl Nassib, the Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive end after revealing that he is gay.

In making his admission, during Pride month no less, Nassib becomes the first active National Football League player to come out publicly.

Nassib added: "I'm a pretty private person so I hope that you guys know that I'm really not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important.

"I'm going to do my best to cultivate a culture that's accepting and compassionate."

He followed up with a written message admitting that he had “agonised over this moment for the last 15 years” and it was only after he received so much encouragement from family and friends that he decided to go ahead.

“I am also incredibly thankful for the NFL, my coaches, and fellow players for their support,” Nassib wrote. “I would not have been able to do this without them. From the jump I was greeted with the utmost respect and acceptance.”

Nassib is also donating £100,000 to the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention service for LGBTQ youth in America, a creditable gesture which highlights his understanding of the struggles many young people face.

Amit Paley, CEO & Executive Director of The Trevor Project, gave thanks to Nassib for his generosity and said: “The Trevor Project is grateful to Carl Nassib for living his truth and supporting LGBTQ youth. Coming out is an intensely personal decision, and it can be an incredibly scary and difficult one to make. We hope that Carl’s historic representation in the NFL will inspire young LGBTQ athletes across the country to live their truth and pursue their dreams. 

“At a time when state lawmakers are actively trying to restrict transgender and nonbinary youth’s participation in school sports, this news should serve as a clarion call for greater LGBTQ inclusion in the locker room and on the field.”

Of those who have admitted that they are gay in the past, Michael Sam came out before being drafted into the league in 2014, but never played a regular season NFL game.

Roy Simmons, who played for the Giants and Washington in the 1980s, was one of a number of players to come out after retiring. He told the New York Times in 2003 that he did not feel safe announcing that he was gay while he was in the NFL.

“The NFL has a reputation,” he said at the time, “and it’s not even a verbal thing – it’s just known. You are gladiators; you are male; you kick butt.”

Hall of fame quarterback Warren Moon revealed that gay players had long been a part of the NFL. He tweeted: “As long as they helped us win and were great teammates- their sexual preference was never a issue..

“We live in a different time now where diversity is much more accepted. Cheers Carl, and I hope this lets other athletes know, its OK to say who you are...”

The Raiders tweeted: “Proud of you, Carl” while club owner Mark Davis played down the significance of the announcement and said: “He’s a Raider. If he’s happy, I’m happy. It takes courage. I thought we got to the point where this wasn’t (a story). It doesn’t change my opinion of him as a man or as a Raider.”

The NFL was swift to offer their support for Nassib with Commissioner Roger Goodell saying: “The NFL family is proud of Carl for courageously sharing his truth today. Representation matters.

“We share his hope that someday soon statements like his will no longer be newsworthy as we march toward full equality for the LGBTQ+ community. We wish Carl the best of luck this coming season.”

NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith added: "Our union supports Carl and his work with the Trevor Project is proof that he -- like our membership -- is about making his community and this world a better place not for themselves, but for others."

Certainly 20 years ago, Nassib’s announcement may have ended his career based on the macho culture within the NFL locker rooms but the fact that his shirt was the top-selling NFL jersey on its network after his announcement according to sports apparel retailer Fanatics.

Nassib is now a poster boy for a new era in American Football and it is to his credit that he is embracing the challenge.

"I do not know all the history behind our courageous LGBTQ community," he added, "but I am eager to learn and to help continue the fight for equality and acceptance."

MISS – UEFA

The football community has been largely united in support for the LGBTQ+ community recently, from European players donning rainbow laces and calling out blatant acts of homophobia.

However, UEFA have been criticised for not explicitly challenging or condemning homophobia during Pride month.

German captain Manuel Neuer’s decision to wear a rainbow-coloured armband was initially banned by UEFA before they quickly changed their position.

UEFA then last week rejected a request to illuminate the Allianz Arena in Munich with rainbow colours during the EURO 2020 Group F match between Germany and Hungary.

There was suspicion that the proposal was a response to new Hungarian legislation, which has banned the promotion of homosexuality to those under the age of 18.

In a statement posted on social media, UEFA defended their decision by saying: “UEFA is proud to wear the colours of the rainbow. It is a symbol that embodies our core values, promoting everything that we believe in.

“Some people have interpreted UEFA’s decision to turn down the city of Munich’s request to illuminate the Munich stadium in rainbow colours for a Euro 2020 match as ‘political’. On the contrary, the request itself was political, linked to the Hungarian football team’s presence in the stadium for this evening’s match with Germany.”

The major of Munich, Dieter Reiter, was one of many who saw this as a missed opportunity from UEFA and he had hoped that the illuminations during the match would “send a visible sign of solidarity” with Hungary’s LGBTQ+ community.

The Germany and Hungary game finished 2-2 and summed up the mood from the footballing community perfectly towards homophobia and UEFA’s decision.

A pitch invader took to the field with a rainbow flag as the Hungarian National anthem blared out around the stadium, while Leon Goretza celebrated his late equaliser for Germany by running over to away fans and making a heart gesture with his hands, conveying the simple message that homophobia will not be tolerated.

Undoubtedly, UEFA have not a strong and clear position regarding homophobia throughout the EURO 2020 tournament.

Earlier, during Hungary’s opening Group F game against Portugal in Budapest, a set of Hungarian fans were seen holding a sign that read “Anti-LMBTQ”.

UEFA had an opportunity to react instantly to confirm the LGBTQ+ community as equals in society and in football but its delays had the result of many feeling unwelcome.

It took five days for UEFA to release a short statement on their website on the incident and no action has since been taken against Hungary.

The delay meant the message was not instantly dismissed, which suggests UEFA do not take the issue seriously enough.

Joe White, a spokesperson for the LGBTQ+ fans group 3LionsPride, has criticised UEFA’s messaging. In a statement, he said: “UEFA will tout themselves as supporters of equality and rainbow-wash their brand when it suits them, but rarely proactively engage or make improvements for LGBTQ+ people involved in the game.

“LGBTQ+ people across the game are not able to enjoy football when they have to face hatred in stadia and online.

“It’s clear that UEFA once again has its head firmly buried in the sand and is no ally of the LGBTQ+ community. Until UEFA start taking serious action against discrimination, the beautiful game is once again allowing its ugly side to rear its head.”

The rainbow symbol in football stadia reassures to LGBTQ+ individuals watching EURO 2020 that they are welcome in football. It demonstrates that attitudes towards homosexuality are improving within the sport.

Without the rainbow, particularly during Pride Month, those messages are lost.

Germany has led a continental call for greater LGBTQ+ unity throughout football. In the days following the UEFA Allianz Arena rejection, officials across Germany ignored the guidance, as stadia in Frankfurt, Augsburg and Nuremberg, as well as in Belgium, joined Munich by lighting up in rainbow colours.

Elsewhere, UEFA sponsor Booking.com, will use a rainbow outline in all of their pitch-side adverts for Round of 16 matches, including Holland’s game against the Czech Republic in Budapest.

Ahead of the tie in the Hungarian capital, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that Hungary has “no place in the EU,” unless they retract their homophobic laws.

UEFA have demonstrated that the rainbow symbol will not be universally accepted in football, which is hardly consistent with their own claims to be pro-LGBTQ+.

The inconsistency shown by European football’s governing body during Euro 2020 underlines the fact that they have a long way to go to regain the confidence of the LGBTQ+ community.

Perhaps it is time for UEFA to go back to the drawing board and come up with a consistent policy which allows freedom of expression in the promotion of sexual equality.

[naomisimagines]

Hewwo! Can I request Leon and reader narrowly snatching the Champion title from him and going from flabbergasted, to elated, to worried and slightly regretful before rushing and slamming into him in a tight hug? (bonus point if the reader has a crush on Leon and they both have a bit of a "thing" going on >;3) I just felt so bad after beating him during the tournament, I just wanted a chance to give SOME comfort to the big boy,,, ;v; Thankch for your time, have some nice holidays! :D

coming right up!! ~ ModEevee

~~

You exhaled nervously, looking up at the vast walls of Wyndon Stadium that stood before you. Today was the day, you knew, the day you would finally take on Leon. Your face flushed slightly as you thought of him, but you shook away the feeling, replacing it with solid determination.

To prepare, you had watched plenty of his matches, recent and older, thanks to Leon’s younger brother, Hop, who had graciously let you watch all of them in exchange for some pointers on how he could improve his team. You wanted to know Leon’s strategies before going into the battle, that way you could totally blow him away by showing him up completely.

But you were still worried that you had missed something, or that just the sheer power of Leon’s team would completely crush your well trained up team anyways. Your heart clenched at the fears that continuously bubbled up in your mind and heart, but you eventually brushed it all aside, finally walking forward from your trance to get registered for the finals.

As soon as you were in the changing rooms, your trusty Sylveon hopped out of its PokeBall, chirping at you happily as you slid on your Gym Uniform. Sylveon always loved the energetic setting and feeling being down on the pitch brought and you knew she was excited to finally take on the Champion.

You were excited too, but of course, you started thinking about Leon again. He had taken it upon himself to join you along your journey, since his younger brother Hop had too many plans, none of which involved traveling with you. Plus the other two familiar challengers you recognized, Marnie and Bede, seemed to have schedules of their own as well. 

Leon had taught you how to set up a tent and you had cooked him a great number of curries as well. And just like true rivals, you and Leon battled at every turn, usually after you beat a Gym Leader, or needed a bit of a pick-me-up.

But you couldn’t help but long for more of him. Every time he disappeared to do something Champion related, you felt extremely lonely, and the enjoyable conversations you had while traveling upon the routes had you wishing you knew more about him. 

You’re sure you know more about Leon than most people, but there was something that was drawing you to him. You had learned little things about Leon every day that made you question him, but also made him more personable and seem less of an important public figure.

Like, who knew the Champion of the Galar region was such a wreck? You’re sure that everyone knows he’s absolutely lost when it comes to directions, but sometimes, he even tries to convince you that you’re going the wrong way as well! Only cause “he swears it didn’t look like this” or “it didn’t seem familiar to him”, and when you listen to him begrudgingly, it only ends up causing you to become lost.

You wonder how he even became Champion in the first place sometimes.

Or why he puts milk before cereal. Which when you found that out, you had screamed in horror and taken both the milk and cereal away from him because you were dying on the inside because of the unacceptable act. You also ignored him for a whole hour before your guilt got the best of you, but you’ll never forgive him for such a vile act.

But anyways, you hoisted up your gym shorts, grabbing your teams PokeBalls before looking at the tournament chart. It looked like you would be battling Nessa first. You switched your team around that way you would send out Roserade first and returned Sylveon to its Pokeball with a smile on your face. 

You jogged out onto the track, the smile on your face never leaving as the crowd starting cheering.

~~

Even after the whole catastrophe with Rose, nothing could destroy your spirit. You had easily won the final tournament, taking down the Gym Leaders you had already battled before with ease.

But now, only Leon remained to defeat, and you hadn’t seen him, even when you took over for him in taking down Eternatus. You wistfully sighed, glancing up at the towering stadium that stood before you again.

Suddenly, all of your Pokemon burst out of their PokeBalls, crying happily as they looked at you with determination. Your Incineroar even stepped forward picking you up rapidly and spinning you around as you laughed loudly. 

“Thanks you guys!,” you said, smiling, “I know all of you will do great today!” Your Pokemon cry out again, and your Weavile and Roserade get into fighting stances, pretending to fight each other, and both you and your Inteleon shook your heads jokingly.

Your Tyranitar jumped up behind Roserade and Weavile, cheering like it was pretending to be the crowd. Sylveon jumped into your arms, scared by the sudden noise, and you giggled playfully, holding out their PokeBalls as if to say that fun time was over.

All of them looked at you proudly before you returned them, walking into the stadium with a newfound pride in your heart. Your Pokemon weren’t doubting anything, so why should you? You’re not going to drag down their good mood with your doubts, so you pushed them all aside as you ran out onto the pitch again.

Leon was waiting for you at the center of the field, his head cast downwards. He held a single PokeBall in his hand, and his head immediately raised when he saw you standing across from him on the center of the field. 

“Man, I’ve been waiting for this for so long!,” Leon exclaims, his words only loud enough for you to hear, “It’s about time we finally battled in an actual stadium, huh?” You nod energetically, raising up your first PokeBall, “And you’re going down today Leon! Your Champion reign ends here!”

Leon smirks, before expertly throwing his first Pokemon, Aegislash, out. You smirk in return, already knowing that he would use Aegislash first before announcing, “Alright, go Incineroar!” 

~~

The battle rocked back and forth slowly, with both of your teams taking one loss after another. You weren’t letting it get to you, but you were sure that Leon was beating you, even if only by a little bit. You had one Pokemon left while Leon still had two, but your Tyranitar was making quick work of his Mr. Rime, which had been weakened by Incineroar already. 

And soon enough it fainted, leaving only his G-Max Charizard left for you to take down. Your Tyranitar was still in pretty good condition, so you knew Dynamaxing it would be the only way you could successfully take it down.

As soon as it was out, you were already Dynamaxing Tyranitar and commanding it to use Max Rockfall. It was four times effective against Charizard, so you would take this opportunity with no hesitations. By the time Tyranitar was ready to use the move, however, Leon had already gigantamaxed Charizard.

You inhaled shakily before giving Tyranitar the command to use Max Rockfall. The move landed perfectly, and you noticed Leon’s shocked face as Charizard fainted before you realized that you had just won.

You had beat the unbeatable Champion, and even though it had taken most of your team’s full effort, you had done it.

You stood there in shock for a few seconds, trying to process that you had actually just won and truly beaten Leon.

And then an overwhelming rush of joy slid over you, and you cried out in joy, wrapping your arms around Tyranitar in an excited rush, and Tyranitar cried happily, putting its arms on your back.

But then you realized that Leon was probably heartbroken, and you turned to him, worried…

However, Leon had thrown off his hat, and his eyes were filled with an intensely proud emotion.

The two of you ran towards each other and you enveloped him in a big huge, tightening your arms around his neck as he spun the two of you around. “Great job y/n!,” Leon cried out, placing you down in front of him, “Let’s go and get something to eat in celebration!”

[musubiki]

Do you have any head cannons/bullet points for Gloria and Hop you wouldn't mind sharing with us?? 👀 💖

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- glorias battle style is full-frontal attack. she doesnt think, she just does. none of her pokemon have any moves that are for stat boosts, healing, anything. just pure attack moves. she figures if she REALLY needs healing or stat boost she can just do it artificially through items, so her bag is always heavy with stuff she might need

- hop tries to do more strategy-based things. i think he doesn’t realize it, but he IS the smarter of the two and intellectualizes too much. tries to set up an advantage on the battlefield through other moves but by the time hes ready to attack gloria is,.. wiping the floor with his team.

- in this sense i actually think zacian fits gloria better than zamazenta but because i have sheild she gets zamazenta LMFAOO maybe ying yang kinda thing then??????

- gloria is very affectionate!!!! shes really good at comforting, talking to little kids, making people feel encouraged, etc!!! even though hop is her rival, every time hes like “I’ll win next time!!” she’d respond with something like “I’m rooting for you!!“ or “Do your best!!!!!”

- A little more on glorias battle style, shes not very patient, so she tries to get as many 1HKO’s as possible. She HATES those long, dreary, boring battles with like, both pokemon have low accuracy, high defense, slow poison killing, she HATES THAT SHIT!!!!

- So her battles are always really electrifying and exciting. If you get up to use to the bathroom in the middle of the match it WILL be over by the time you come back

- She exclusively trains in the wild area. Everyone else recognizes that dynamax pokemon are aggressive and dangerous except gloria, who goes flying around on her flygon seeking out dynamax pokemon for fun

- Because of this she has been known to be a dynamax master, and has even taken Dynamax pokemon multiple times without dynamaxing herself (and piers gets really excited about this)

- but no one really knows that its her going around the wild area??? (i kinda hc a little post-game subplot where there’s reports of a mysterious figure roaming the wild area capturing dynamax pokemon, so hop/sonia/leon go to investigate this strange person all “Maybe they know more about dynamaxing than we do!” so they go through the wild area researching and trying to find this person the media dubbed “the desert siren” fhdjks and at the end of it its just gloria in like sandstorm clothing and goggles and as soon as she sees hop shes all “Hop!!!!!!!” like a puppy and just runs over to him and gives him a tight hug around his neck) 

- She likes hugging hop!!! The soft fluff of his jacket is comforting!!!! And they have a good height difference so that her head falls just right on his jacket fluff

- They start to get crushes on each other throughout the journey. Specifically it started about around the time bede waged psychological warfare on hop LMFAOOO!!!!!

- Because she would spend extra time making sure he was okay, encouraging him, they go get food to cheer him up, he watches all her of matches and watches how strong and amazing shes becoming

- But the feelings don’t go into FULL OVERDRIVE until post-game/post-postgame. After hop bonds with zacian and gains his confidence back and becomes sonias assistant, like the whole time gloria had this warmth and happiness in her chest whenever she saw him but NOW ITS LIKE A FIRE

- Specifically like when zacian went uwu for hop and she was like..,,“.,..i love him. I just. Love him. i cant explain it away or blame it on any one thing im just. i love him. husband” on the inside and it makes her happy and SO NERVOUS

- And hop fell BAD during the post-game too, watching her be the amazing confident champion she is like she was born for it, while she also CONSTANTLY MADE SURE HE WAS OKAY AND CARED FOR HIM,. AND THEN WATCHING HER BATTLE ALL THESE DYNAMAX POKEMON LIKE A BADASS HES JUST STANDING THERE LIKE “I…might……love her..”

- and after the last battle in the slumbering weald,it felt like the world disappeared around them and its just. Her and him in this moment with the legendary wolves in battle and it was like fate. like all hes ever wanted and hes standing there like “I think I love her”

- And as more time passes, she keeps coming to visit him at the lab, and they go adventuring in the wild area and go to the slumbering weald to hang out and de-stress and it turns into “OH FUCK I LOVE HER A LOT”

- and at some time to the point where he mentioned a few times like “I’m not a hero” or “I never felt like a hero” in some tight hug, soft moment of reassurance, gloria just drops a bomb on his heart and like really softly tells him something like “You’re my hero, Hop. You always will be.” and HE EXPLODES. 

- And while hop is sonias assistant, he also starts using leons old workout stuff for a hobby when he goes home, and (I headcanon them at 16 at the start of the journey) hes still a growing boy so REALLY SOON he gets. Hot. Really hot. Like leon is already VERY HANDSOME and hop is his brother. Its only natural. Theyre an attractive family.

- And gloria is so fuckinf nervous sometimes she just stands there stammering until she runs out the door and mopes around mumbling “why did I do that im an idiot”

- (wink wonk gloria walking in on him working out, trying to talk to him about paperwork she needs him to sign and is just spewing nonsense trying not to stare)

[spindlebeforesunset]

The Stupid Heart Will Want Another Stupid Heart

"So, why precisely do you hate him more now?"

"Strong words, Rook. It is more of an apparent dislike because he is talented at behaving like a throw rug."

"...Right."

Rook quirked an eyebrow as he looked at Vil over his teacup. He did not care much for chrysanthemum tea in general, but he knew from experience that once Vil brought it out in the lounge, there would be something up. Maybe he should have connected two and two earlier on regarding what happened during morning classes.

Vil was still aggravated over the group presentation that Leona was late to by more than half.

"Don't look at me like that," Vil set his teacup down with an uncharacteristic clatter.

"No bad intention. But you look like you are more disappointed than the usual."

"What do you mean, Rook? He exists to disappoint others... and himself, if you don't mind my adding."

"Well, if you knew that, then why did you hope that he would be early?"

"Wishful thinking he would get a spine."

Rook did not miss the tiniest of bites in Vil's voice. But he did not make any other comment when Vil put hand under chin and drifted off. Ah, to see Roi de Poison not realize he's starting to have a crush on Roi de Leon. It's a tragedy in the making!

---

"Wow... never seen you this hung up over some stupid project."

"I did not mean to sleep in."

"Sure you didn't. But you did show up in the end, so Professor Trein won't exactly write you off with a zero."

Leona pretended to yawn, and turned away from Ruggie to face the wall af his room. "Not him I'm worried about."

Ruggie scratched his head. This was not like Leona at all - minus the sleepy part. Or maybe his group mates chewed him out, especially because Vil was there, scolding him since first year. But why though, there was nothing new in that?

"If you don't have anything better to do, you can leave. I'll sleep."

"I call it improvement that you're starting to care enough to be disappointed."

"Good night!"

"Yeah, night. You're not gonna get scolded, cheer up." Oh, he probably wanted to make them shut up again, alright. Maybe the prissy one to shut the hell up, as always.

Ruggie stopped in the path to his room. Leona Kingscholar could not have been stupidly crushing on Vil Schoenheit the whole time right? His head started to spin with dangerous what-ifs, each one wilder than the last. But that is sad right? They don't match at all.

[bumblebeereus]

Go Solo.

Word count: 2222k A/N: Look who’s back, back again, tell a friend. I’m back with this whole thing of thinking that I’m a writer. Not everything is bad while being on quarantine, found the time to write again and this is the result. English is not my first language so sorry if there’s any typo. Sorry for the spacing if you’re reading this from your phone. Hope you like it. Feedback is always welcomed, thanks for reading this. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Her friends told her first, but deep down she already knew. There’s no way on Earth that she couldn’t have fallen for him. They started as an on and off thing, fuck buddies, no string attached whatever you wanted to call it. She knew the deal, all the cards were on the table when they decided to start what they have now but that hasn’t stopped her from developing feeling for him. Leon hasn’t lied to her, he wasn’t ready for a relationship, but he wanted her company and he has fun whenever she’s around, not only when it comes to bedroom activities. They met thanks to a common friend and they clicked almost immediately. And a couple of beers later, they were even able to finish each other sentences. That’s why it has worked so easily, it simply flows and they go with it, they thought it could be a great idea. He found her attractive and she couldn’t lie either, he was handsome, to say the least. So yes, when they started their things it seemed perfect on the paper but a few months later…she isn’t so sure about it. She turns her head to look at him, he’s sleeping next to her oblivious to all the thoughts that are running around her mind right now. All she knows right now is that she can’t keep it for herself. Otherwise, she’s gonna end up exploding in the worst moment for them. Unconsciously, her hand runs through his curls, she always loved the feeling of stroking his hair. A grin flashed on his face. That’s the moment it hits her, she can’t keep it up with that they have. She needs to leave now before things get more complicated than what already are. She can’t have her heart broken by him, he hasn’t done something bad, he’s not guilty of that one. He made it crystal clear, he wasn’t ready for a relationship, he wasn’t ready for falling in love for someone. It’s game over for her. After all, she always knew that this could turn out like this. She didn’t expect to fall for him it simply happened they more they spent time together. She gets out of the bed and changes into her clothes before looking at him, peacefully sleeping unaware of all that's happening. She trips over one of his shoes, cursing under her breath, she looks back at his bed when he stirs. Leon opens his eyes, half asleep half awake looking at her using his elbow to sit up. “Where are you going? It’s 3 am, go back to sleep.” His fingers run through his hair as confusion flashed across his face. “I have tons of papers to finish before the end of the month, I wanna wake up early tomorrow, well today, and I didn't want to wake you up.” Hopefully, his half-asleep state helps her this time, she knows that he wouldn’t buy her bullshit if he were fully awake. “Can I give you a ride at least? I don’t like the idea of you walking home alone.” He sits on the bed resting his head against the headboard looking at her. “It’s okay Leon. I’ll call a taxi, don’t worry.” She smiles but somehow it doesn't reach her eyes and he notices it, he knows her. He has made her smile before, he knows when it's genuine. “Am I missing something here? Did I do something?” She shakes her head searching for her phone to call a cab. “It’s all good, I swear. I’m just a little stressed right now, you know me.” He opens his mouth to say something but shakes his head before talking. “I do. That’s why I’m asking…you know you can tell me whatever’s happening on that mind of yours, right?” She should have known better, he wasn’t gonna let her go away that easily. “I know, I’ll tell you as soon something is happening. But right now, it’s just my responsible self calling me out for not being focus on my work.” He’s not buying but he knows that she isn’t gonna tell her a thing right now so it’s better to let her go now and ask later. “Okay. Are you sure you don’t want me to give you a ride? Send me a message as soon as you’re home at least.” She shakes her head one more time before heading to the door. “Don’t worry I’ll text you as soon as I make it home, safe and sound. See you, Leon." “Thank you. See you, gorgeous.” Leon’s name and face appear, once again, on her phone screen. He has been calling her all day, well more like since he finished his match. She’s aware she’s gonna have to face him someday, but she's not ready to do it now. He didn’t buy her bullshit and knew that something was off with her. After all, they were friends and if she didn’t want to share what she was dealing with, it somehow offended him. He thought they were friends and he thought that she would feel confident enough around him to tell him whatever was going on with her at the moment. But what he can’t imagine is that he’s the main reason for her being off with him. Avoiding him forever wasn't an option for her, their friends were mainly the same and she couldn't be around them without him being there most of the times. It wouldn’t be fair for their friends to chose a side when it’s not a side to chose in the first place. They had nothing to do with what they have or had. She’s aware of what she needs to do. Face him, get all out off her chest and then call it quits. But everything seems easier on the paper, she knows she'd crumble under his presence. Focusing on her work rather than spend the afternoon thinking about him was her plan, but it hasn't worked at all. He was constantly on her mind, and the phone ringing across the room hasn’t made it easier for her not to think about him, even tho she put it on silent mode the seconds time it ringed. Leaving the house seemed like the perfect way of getting her head to stop thinking about him, nothing like strolling around the city with a cup of coffee. The crisp air of Munich during autumn gives her chills as soon as she steps out of her house. She walks around the city not knowing really where she is going, she simply walks while her favourite playlist is put on shuffle freeing her mind for at least one hour. When she looks around, she knows exactly where she is, she’s been there before. Indeed, she’s been there a lot recently. All the times she's been there instantly crosses her mind, all the laughs, hugs, kisses and the sleepless nights. God, she's gonna miss him. “Are you looking for me?” She’d recognize that voice anywhere, in all of the possible different tones. She turns around to face him and he’s looking way better than the last time she saw him if that’s even possible. Is she a joke to everyone? Because at this point, she truly thinks she is. “Kind of…yes. I think I was.” She nods as he places one hand on her back slightly pushing her to the door. “Let's talk inside then.” She’s on his couch with a cup of tea on her hands while he comes back with one for himself as well. Sitting next to her he puts one hand on her knee, his thumb rubbing it as he looks at her with concern on his eyes. “What’s wrong? You’ve been avoiding me for days. And I know you were stressed with work and all that but…” She can tell by the tone he is using that he’s been beating himself up for this. He knows it because of him but can’t put his finger on what he has done to her. “It’s not something you’ve done. I know you think you’re the reason and somehow, you are but not in the way you think. God, I’m not making sense, aren’t I?” He smiles sweetly at her, he always thought she was adorable but she reaches her own peak when she starts acting like that. “You can try tho, talk to me. What’s the problem? What’s going on? I don’t know what I did, but I’m pretty sure that I’m sorry.” His hand covers her hand resting on her knee and her whole body shivers under the subtle touch. “You don’t have to apologize, you did nothing wrong. I’ve always known that you can’t control how someone else feels. You’re not the one to blame, well, there's no one here to blame.” She tries not to look at his eyes, for all that’s good in the world, otherwise, she knows she’ll crumble. “What are you trying to say, baby?” “I’m falling for you if I haven’t had already. And I know what you said, you’re not ready for a relationship, you aren't ready to fall for someone and I do get it. That’s why I’m calling quits with this. I can’t keep seeing you and spending time with you and having sex with you when I already know how this is gonna end. I don’t wanna ruin our friendship, you’re one of the most incredible human beings I've ever met.” He hasn’t seen her since told him that she was falling for him and that she needed time to clear her mind before seeing him again. He tried to tell her, he tried but words didn’t leave his mouth even tho they were dancing on his tongue. “I'm falling for you too” She didn’t even give him a chance to speak, she kissed him for the last time, hugged him and smile at him before leaving his house. That’s the last time she saw her. He wanted to giver her the space she asked for and yet he wanted to call her every single day. He has missed her like crazy. He missed watching her along with his friends at the stadium cheering for him, he missed talking to her before an important match. He missed celebrating every win with her. He missed the way her fingers traced his back when he snuggled with her watching lame tv shows. He missed the way her eyes were always waiting for him whenever they were, he knew as soon as he looks for her, she was already there waiting for him. He missed the way he could always talk about anything and everything and she'd never judge him no matter what. Maybe his friends were right, maybe he took it for granted thinking that she’d always be there for him. Maybe he didn't accept the way he was feeling about her. Maybe he should have said it and she wouldn't have left him. Maybe, but it was too late now. She wasn’t in his life now, she called it quits, she needed out and he was too afraid to say he didn’t want her to leave. And he knew it, all too well. His friend called him that day asking him to go out with him, to have dinner. He missed most of them, but being around them was a reminder of what he’s missing. He knows it’s been a while and she hasn't been around whenever he was out with them, so she won't be there that night. That's what he thought and the main reason she went out with them. The same reason why she said yes to go out with them that night. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her. She was glowing, her smile reaches her eyes, they’re sparkling and he can’t but smile when he sees her like that. Like the old times, she’s smiling just like he did when he was around her. But this time, he isn’t the one making her smile. His hand is on her lower back, they’re talking with a bunch of friends. She rests her head against his shoulder as they speak. She seems happy, way happier than the last time he saw her. She laughs and he can’t help but smile, a sight for sore eyes. When she stops laughing their eyes meet and his whole body shivers, all that he has felt until that day explodes. He wants to go and talk to her, he wants to say something but deep down he knows it too late. The guy next to her leans over and kiss her, his hand on her lower back and hers on his chest. That’s when he realizes it's too late, she has found another one and she seems happy he has no right to say something, he wants her to be happy and she is now. One of his friends pats him in the back when they watch the whole scene. He smiles, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes and says goodbye. He needs to leave. He turns to look at her one last time and she’s already looking at him. She could have been the best right in a million wrongs but now, he goes solo.

[theshatteredrose]

Relic Keepers: Awakening of the Red Lily (Chapter 24) - Original Fiction

AN: Another somewhat long chapter, but I hope its intriguing nevertheless. So, enjoy~

Also minor warning; I use italics a lot in this chapter to signify a guided meditation.

Ao3 | Wattpad | Inkitt | FictionPress

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Chapter 24:

Eishirou sat next to Zayne and across from Misaki at the cafeteria table. With them sat Lyvia and Rinka. Surprisingly, Leon and Ernesta had chosen to join them for lunch. Tatsu, however, declined. He didn’t say as much, he just shook his head and walked off in the opposite direction.

Leon took a seat next to Zayne while Ernesta chose to sit with the two girls on the opposite side of the table. She seemed honestly amused by Lyvia’s attempt to pull Rinka into a conversation. She, however, spoke so much that she didn’t really give Rinka a chance to speak. Though, it seemed to have been done on purpose as Rinka was content to listen rather than speak.

Ernesta had to leave shortly after in order to speak with Sigmund about something. Likely what occurred during that battle match earlier.

Eishirou had noticed a few puzzled looks from the other occupants of the catering hall. But he was beginning to learn to ignore the stares. They weren’t doing any harm. They were just sitting and eating together. That shouldn’t be a cause of concern or confusion.

“Eishirou, do you have your tablet?” Lyvia suddenly asked.

“Yeah?”

“Can you check to see if Little Kitten Café is open yet?” she requested.

Eishirou pulled out his tablet from his bag and tapped at the screen to pull up the local news, promptly finding the subject requested. “Ah, there’s going to be a Grand Opening tomorrow.”

“Yes!” Lyvia cheered. “Can’t wait. It’s going to have kittens available to pet. I love kittens so much. Do you like kittens?” she directed that last question toward the Elite next to her.

Rinka nodded her head. “I like rabbits more, though,” she shyly revealed.

“Oh, wouldn’t a bunny café be adorable?” Lyvia began to prattle.

As Eishirou set his tablet down onto the table, Leon unexpectedly motioned a hand toward it. “What kind of information can you reach through that?”

The question was unexpected. “Pretty much everything, though it depends on connection. Here in the academy, however, I have access to whatever information I require; I just need to know what it is that I want to know about,” Eishirou answered.

“Huh,” Leon appeared mildly impressed. “So, you can find out how Mikiel is doing?”

“Let’s see.” Eishirou returned his attention to his tablet, quickly tapping at the screen. “I can’t fully access his medical records. It’s kinda unethical, anyway. But I can get information on his status.”

As a medic he had authority to enter the medical archives, though he couldn’t pull up an entire medical record. That could only be reached through the security of Communications. He found Mikiel through his patient number and looked up the latest medical notes. They alone should be able to tell him the status that Mikiel was currently in.

“Hmm. He’s still unconscious, unfortunately,” Eishirou answered as he scanned through the notes. “But he’s stable. His brain activity has been steady increasing. Though minor, it’s still an improvement.”

A subtle frown tugged at Leon’s lips. “I see.”

Eishirou cleared his tablet and switched it off. “I’ll be sure to let you know if anything else happens.”

“Yeah, ok,” Leon said simply in response.

“I don’t suppose you guys know anything about those missing Elites?” Eishirou asked as he folded his arms atop of the table and leaned forward.

“Nah, not a thing,” Leon replied, sounding subtly frustrated. “They don’t tell us anything.”

“Veteran Elites are involved, so that might be a reason,” Misaki added.

Leon perked up, confusion on his face. “Veterans? How long have they been involved?”

“Three days now.”

“Huh.” Leon appeared genuinely surprised as he turned toward Zayne. ���That’s probably the reason why Sigmund has been pushing us so hard.”

Zayne nodded his head, a light frown on his lips, also. “Yeah, probably. Losing two teams is bit of a big deal.”

It was highly likely that the veterans, and perhaps the administrators of the academy, were keeping quiet about the whole situation. While Eishirou and his fellow Chroniclers were able to access a lot of recorded information, there was still a small section that was off-limits to students like him.

A buzzing of his communicator pulled Eishirou from his thoughts. He reached into his bag and it out. He flicked it on and noted the name on the screen. A pout soon made its way to his lips.

“I’m not talking to you,” he said as he answered the call.

Jacob laughed at the response. “Oh, come now, I was just teasing. Besides, I have good news; Professor Jairus wishes to see you this afternoon.”

Eishirou sat up straight. “What, really?”

“Yes, really,” Jacob returned. “He wants to see you in his office after lunch. Block M, room 105. I’ll meet you there, so be sure to get there on time.”

“Right, I’ll see you soon,” Eishirou replied before he bid goodbye and ended the call.

He wasn’t expecting to visit Professor Jairus so soon. He was a mixture of nervousness and excitement. He hoped that he would be able to help him to pull a recording or two from the Red Lily.

“Professor Jairus?” Zayne asked him.

Eishirou set his communicator atop of his tablet. “He’s specialises in meditation and mana manifestation. Jacob seems to think it’ll be useful in the study of the relic.”

“How is that going?”

“Slow,” Eishirou sighed and reached down to pick up his bag to place it on his lap. “I can’t get a recording from the relic. That’s why Jacob recommended I speak with Professor Jairus.”

Especially since he wouldn’t be heading back to Flutterlight Forest for a while.

“How long will it be?”

“Dunno.”

Zayne lifted his arms over his head and stretched. “Ah, that means I’ll need to figure out what I’m going to do for the rest of the day.”

As Eishirou slipped his tablet and communicator into his back he remembered a previous conversation he had with Zayne. Elites didn’t have hobbies or interests outside of fighting and battling. What did Elites do in their free time if they didn’t have to fight?

“You can come with me, if you want?” he suggested.

“Sure,” Zayne replied immediately, indicating that he was thankful for the suggestion. He placed his hands on the table and pushed himself to his feet. Him doing so prompted the others at their table to take the incentive to move along, too.

“Hey, Rinka, want to go shopping with me?” Lyvia suddenly requested as she sent the other young woman a smile.

Rinka turned to look at him in open surprise. “H-huh? Really?”

“Sure, it should be fun!”

Rinka was unsure on how to respond at first. She meekly turned to Zayne to seek guidance from him.

Zayne nodded. “Go ahead.”

A light flush made its way to Rinka’s cheeks as she turned back to Lyvia. “Kay,” she replied simply.

“Great!” Lyvia cheerfully took Rinka’s by the wrist and began to pull her along with her, prattling mindlessly as they moved out of sight and hearing.

Seeing the two leave prompted Eishirou to glance over at Misaki and then Leon, noting the two looked as though they were feeling left out. They were essentially pairing off, after all.

“Hey, Leon; why not visit Mikiel at the infirmary?” Eishirou suggested as he draped the strap of his bag over his shoulder. “Maybe someone familiar will offer him some comfort?”

Leon awkwardly scratched the back of his head. “Ah, I don’t know.”

“I can show you the way,” Misaki offered.

“No, I meant-” Leon started but paused when Zayne kicked the back of his leg lightly. He glanced over at his teammate, his brow furrowed. Zayne, however, simply shrugged. “Ah, all right,” he finally relented.

“Catch you guys later,” Zayne said simply as he moved to leave, prompting Eishirou to walk with him.

Witnessing the short and silent exchange between Zayne and Leon prompted Eishirou to wonder whether Zayne had suggested to his teammates to give mixing with Passives a try.

“Nice to see others mingling,” Zayne commented idly as they stepped out of the catering hall and into the gardens outside.

“It is.” Eishirou smiled and folded his arms behind his back as he regarded Zayne. “I know you forgot your mana cartage on purpose.”

Zayne didn’t reply nor look at him. He did smile, however.

“I don’t mind,” Eishirou continued. “It was nice, seeing the other side of the academy. There’s always been a huge divide between Passives and Elites. Been like that for as long as I can remember. Chroniclers are weak paper-pushers, and the bottom of the Academy Hierarchy. But Medics are off-limits. So, what happens when you’re both?”

Zayne snorted. “The Academy Hierarchy is stupid.”

Eishirou uttered a short laugh. “Right?”

“Anyway, have you worked with this professor before?” Zayne asked as they headed down the path that would take them to Block M.

Eishirou shook his head. “No, first time. I have no idea what to expect, to be honest.”

They both fell silent as they entered the inner halls of the study block. Eishirou himself hadn’t frequented this part of the academy often, so he wasn’t entirely confident in where they were to head to, first.

Thankfully, Jacob was already there waiting for them. He unexpectedly had a briefcase with him, though Eishirou didn’t think too much about it as he and Zayne approached.

“Ah, there you are,” Jacob said as a form of greeting. However, a telling smile soon made its way onto his lips. “With Zayne, nonetheless.”

Eishirou felt his features heat up and he tried to scowl. “Don’t say anything.”

Jacob uttered a short laugh before he held his hands up in front of him. “I’ll be good,” he promised in a teasing tone. “Nevertheless, you’ve arrived just in time. Let’s get going.”

He bent down to pick up the briefcase by his feet and turned to lead the way. They moved through a steady throng of students as they turned down a couple of hallways. Finally, they reached a room that had the name of Professor Jairus on a plaque upon the wall next to the ajar door.

Jacob raised a hand and knocked once upon the door before he pushed open the door. Essentially letting himself in. “Jairus, hope you don’t mind us turning up a bit early.”

Eishirou stepped into the room at Jacob’s heels. He paused just inside the room, however, and waited by with Zayne.

“Not at all, Jacob.”

A man who appeared to be in his late thirties with short, professionally kept black hair and bright sky-blue eyes behind a set of silver glasses greeted Jacob warmly. He leaned back from his desk and seemed to press a button on the arm of his chair. He then rolled out from behind his desk, revealing that he was indeed in an electronic wheelchair.

“Ah, you must be Eishirou,” the professor stated as he turned his gaze in his direction. “I’ve heard much about you.”

Nothing embarrassing, he hoped.

“Nice to meet you,” Eishirou returned politely.

“I see you’ve brought support with you.”

“This is Zayne,” Eishirou introduced, Zayne nodding his head simply in greeting. “He’s a friend.”

Jairus simply smiled. “I see. Well, welcome to you. Shall we get straight down to business? Today, I would like to walk you through a controlled meditation. Professor Chryses?”

Jacob lifted the briefcase and patted it with his hand. “Here.” He placed it upon Jairus’s desk and snapped it open. Nestled securely in conforming form sat a very familiar relic.

“The Red Lily?” Eishirou questioned, confusion evident.

“By my request,” Jairus explained. “In order to strengthen your recovery abilities, we need to work with the relic itself. Now, before that, I need you to elect an anchor.”

Eishirou blinked. “Anchor?”

“Someone who will be able to quickly awaken you from your meditation.”

“Ah, well-”

“Zayne should,” Jacob interrupted. “I’ll be happy with observing for now.”

“Sure,” Zayne answered before Eishirou had the chance to respond.

Jairus nodded his head, satisfied and wishing to move on. “Very well. Now, Eishirou; take the Red Lily in your hands and move toward the couch.”

Eishirou handed his shoulder bag to Jacob and moved toward the briefcase. He carefully lifted the Red Lily and cupped it with his hands. It felt slightly warm, though that was likely due to it being kept secure in the brief case. With the relic in his hands, he turned to move toward the couch that was located in a corner of the room. It appeared to be made of leather with pillows stacked at one end.

“Now, lie down and keep the relic close to your chest.”

Eishirou sat down on the edge before he scooted back and turned to lie down. He clutched the Red Lily in one hand as he used his other as leverage to get himself comfortable against the pillows.

“Close your eyes. Zayne, stay close. But do not touch Eishirou until I tell you.”

“Ok.”

Eishirou did as he was told. He heard footsteps and felt Zayne’s presence paused next to the couch, which was actually quite comforting.

“Now, focus in on my voice.”

Eishirou settled himself against the pillows and stared at the blackness behind his closed eyes.

“I want you to envision yourself in a white room with your third eye. There is nothing in this room. Just white walls.”

Within his mind’s eye, Eishirou opened his spiritual eyes. He found himself in the middle of a simple room. Four walls. No source of light. Just white.

“Now, look to your left. What do you see?”

He turned his head to the side. All that he could see was a single door.

“Good. Move toward the door. Open it.”

Eishirou crossed the room in three strides and stood before the door. He rested his hand on the golden door handle and hesitated for a moment. He wasn’t sure why, to be honest. He just felt as though it wasn’t, well, time for him to open this door yet.

He pushed that hesitancy aside, however, and slowly turned the handle. The door popped open and he slowly pulled the door before him as he peeked through to the other side.

“What do you see?”

Green. The vibrant, lush greenery of the Flutterlight Forest.

“Step through the door and into nature. Do you see anything else?”

Eishirou looked around him quickly. Did a three-sixty. The door to the room he stepped out of had disappeared. In its place was a tall white building.

Oh, it was the tower!

But…it looked different.

“How does it look different?”

It didn’t look as old. The white facade of the stone was vibrant and flawless. There was no moss, nor were there any vines coiling along the outside. Even the foliage around the structure looked different. It wasn’t as dense or wild as he had previous seen of the lighthouse.

“Does it have a door?”

Eishirou looked. Yeah, it did. It was wide open. No puzzle to be seen.

“Walk through the door.”

Eishirou crossed over the stone path that led to the tower. He hesitated as he approached the archway, once again feeling that sense that he wasn’t supposed to be there. Not yet. It was too early.

Once again, he pushed that aside and stepped through the archway.

“What do you see?”

The interior of the tower. Simple, pristine. Barely any furniture. Only the staircase was seen. And it, too, didn’t appear old. But new. A year or two old at the least.

“Walk up the stairs.”

Eishirou raised his eyes to the ceiling, noting that there was a circular opening at the very top. The same as he had witnessed with the tower not too long ago. He ascended the stairs, noting that he could hear a sound of some kind.

“What kind of noise?”

…Humming? No, someone lightly singing. It was almost familiar. It grew louder as he reached the top step.

“What do you see?”

There was…already someone else there. Before a window. An opening where the stained glass was.

Long white hair, a gentle face, and gentle brown eyes. That man...he looked similar to the underground mosaic and the one found within the tower. Though, his skin was a deep brown. He held a regal air to him. His posture, his presence; he was someone of great importance.

And resting upon his brow, nestled within a golden crown, sat the Red Lily. Bright and vivid against the long, flowing white hair.

Eishirou was unable to prevent a small gasp from passing his lips when the regal, almost ethereal man turned his head. And looked directly at him.

"Radiant Soul."

That voice! That was the voice he heard from the Red Lily. It was exactly the same.

"The time is not favourable," he said as he raised a hand toward him and brushed his fingertips against his brow. "This tower, once of protection, is now out of alignment. For now, leave this place be. You are too vulnerable. Strengthen your connection and learn the role of a Keeper."

Eishirou suddenly felt as though he was falling backwards only for something to suddenly grasp his shoulder. He snapped his eyes open with a start. Instead of the lush greenery of the Flutterlight Forest, he stared up at a plain beige ceiling.

"Easy now," a vaguely familiar voice stated. "Take slow breaths."

With the lingering feeling of warmth against his forehead, Eishirou began to remember what he had been doing. In his hand sat the Red Lily, the red crystals as vivid as ever.

That voice...who was that man? He looked similar to the underground mosaic and the stained-glass of the tower. Was he the residual energy stored within the relic or was he some form of entity that lived inside the red lily?

"Eishirou."

Promptly realizing that he wasn't alone in the room, Eishirou finally raised his gaze. He quickly glanced to his left where Zayne was crouched next to him. His hand rested on his shoulder. The very shoulder he felt something grasp to stop him from falling just moments ago.

"I'm fine," he instinctively stated. "I was just startled."

"What did you see?" Jairus asked him. "I lost communication with you for a moment."

Eishirou closed his eyes for a moment to gather himself. "I saw a man who looked like the one in the mosaics. And his voice was the same I heard from the Red Lily."

"What did he say?"

"He said something about me being too vulnerable and to learn the role of a Keeper," Eishirou explained as he opened his eyes.

Jairus tilted his head questioningly to the side. "Keeper?"

Eishirou shook his head. "I don't know what that means."

"I might," Jacob unexpectedly revealed.

Eishirou immediately looked over at him in surprise. "What? Where?"

Jacob folded an arm across his chest as he stroked his chin thoughtfully with his other hand. "Within Irwin's own research he had encountered the word "Keeper" several times. It appears to indicate a social role of importance. Like that of a priest or holy man. Something similar."

Well, the man he encountered definitely held a role of importance.

"I'll speak with Irwin about it further," Jacob confirmed, though also promptly ending that line of conversation. “Moving on, it seems that this session was a success. We have other avenues to explore.”

“Indeed,” Jairus nodded his head and leaned back in his wheelchair. “Truth be told, I was not expecting to progress this quickly. It appears that you have the significant mana to connect with this Red Lily. However, it appears to have a sentient being present. And it is that which is preventing you from reaching recordings.”

“Sentient being?” Eishirou repeated before realisation struck him. “You mean it has a consciousness?”

Jairus nodded his head as he rested his elbows on the arms of his wheelchair. “It may be residual, but yes, that is correct. I would like to work with you further on this project. But not today. It seems that this relic has conditions to be met before it will become active.”

“Let’s return it to the museum for now,” Jacob stated as he crossed the room to retrieve the Red Lily from Eishirou’s grasp. He then gave him a purely patently scowl. “And you, I think you should have the rest of the afternoon off.”

Eishirou wanted to argue that he was fine, but in all honesty, he did feel a little bit dizzy. Likely overwhelmed from the experienced he just had. “Ah, alright.”

Jacob nodded his head, satisfied with that response before he turned to look toward Zayne. A half-smile suddenly appeared on his lips. “And I trust Zayne to escort you back to your room, hm?”

[ohneweiterebedeutung]

@hannobehrens​

Football - as alien as ever

An entire country is sitting at home, many worry about their jobs. But footballers are back in training and extending their contracts. And now they even want to play. By Oliver Fritsch

Imagine if a Bundesliga player now said : "My teammates and I are worried about our country but also about our industry. So at least for the next three months we'll reduce our salaries to that of a nurse, the true key player of our society.

Though we do want to return to playing soon so that our club, as well as the whole of German football will survive and people can enjoy a little diversion. On top of that we really miss playing football very much. But as we know that, not only during a pandemic but all the more in these times, our job amounts to a privilege, we want to give something back. And we'll give gladly, because we have a lot."

The reality's looking different. Although some players do renounce parts of their salary, all in all it's very little. While the ball is resting many keep earning millions. The same goes for managers and coaches.

Thomas Müller even extended his contract this week. Soon he'll make yet more than the estimated 15 million Euros per year. Fans have been celebrating the announcement. Some of them are getting messages from their clubs these days asking them to reduce reimbursement for tickets they've already paid for, ideally by a 100%. An interview with Jörg Neblung illustrates what 'crisis news' sound like on spaceship football: "In the next two years," the players' agent told web portal transfermarkt.de "there probably won't be any 300-Million-transfers." Roughly translated: football will suffer and starve.

The football clubs were the last ones to grind into Covid-standstill. On 8 March the game Bayern against Augsburg took place in a sold-out arena, while at the same time politicians advised to cancel events with more than 1000 participants. The following day VfB Stuttgart played against Bielefeld, yet another day later Leipzig hosted Tottenham, each in full stadiums. Football games may not be foci of infection, as had been reported at first. But the clear signal was: no matter what, we'll keep going.

Now footballers are the first ones getting back into action. An entire country is sitting at home, many worry about their jobs. But since the beginning of the week all Bundesliga clubs are training in small groups, some started even earlier. And Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) is planning for Geisterspiele [lit. "ghost games", games without fans in the stadium] to take place early to mid-May. The declared aim being to finish the interrupted season by 30 June, in order to secure TV money.

The people's sport of football has long been well treated by politics and public authorities. But this time it may have a hard time to explain itself to the public and push through its privileges.

This is what football would look like in times of Corona: only a minimum of necessary staff allowed into the stadium, round about 240 people. The teams and the people around them get tested for Covid 19 about every three days, all in all around 20.000 times. And the players would have to observe social isolation measures for a few more weeks. The entire project will be accompanied by a task force, consisting mainly of sport medicine specialists. And from political circles it transpires there are considerations to have the games only in a few selected stadiums for financial reasons.

The representatives of football justify their plans saying they want to cheer up people and give them news apart from Covid 19. But head of DFL Christian Seifert speaking to ZEIT also admitted openly "Like in other businesses we're dealing with a product, one that is produced by employees on and off the pitch. And when production is halted it's threatening livelihoods and jeopardising jobs."

Though many fans like DFL's idea and are warming towards the atmospherically poor Geisterspiele, at least as a temporary solution, there are also those that recognise in it an undue privilege. Currently every laundry, every kiosk has to remain closed, people are chased off park benches by the police, other athletes are having to train in their kitchens or on balconies. And football wants to play. On top of using testing capacities that are needed elsewhere.

And anyway, which pictures would be shown, inciting not only children to mimic them, once playing resumed? This imperative interpersonal distance of 1,5m couldn't be continually observed on the pitch even by Dortmund's defense!

Curiously, despite its many crises football has seen a steady growth in recent history. The cheating referees Robert Hoyzer and Dominik Marks couldn't harm it, the dubious payments surrounding the "Sommermärchen" didn't cause any damage nor did corrupt FIFA, which reportedly flogged the world cups to highest-bidding Russia and Qatar.

But maybe football's behaviour in the times of Corona will lead to its fall. It's lamenting the loudest when it just wants to secure its business model. That's what many social media postings read like. Some fans are even asking angrily: is football supposed to be worth more than lives? Football to them is as alien as ever.

Critics may overlook the fact that when the Bundesliga is bound to return the situation in Germany and around the world will look different from today. In Covid times four or six weeks can make a huge difference. Until then there will probably be a relaxation concerning economy and social life. Presumably there'll also be more and cheaper testing options.

But when it comes to the negative atmosphere and the reactions of Schadensfreude football at least partially has itself to blame. As a representative of self-indulgent capitalism it has to face a moral debate. The fact that in the past years and decades it always acted as "taker" is now coming back to bite.

An elite is making obscene amounts of money. Even the most unsuccessful coaches have it made after two or three years. Some managers waste millions on nonsensical transfers, collaborating with players' agents who clean up on the deals. On instagram players show off their yachts and luxurary car collections. Some employees even below the level of upper management earn more than those in comparable positions in other business enterprises.

It's becoming clear: despite the abundance almost nobody thought of savings. Allegedly one Bundesliga club is even on the brink of insolvency.

And the fact that the chummy football scene lives in its own bubble is also coming back to bite. Outside opinions, public opinion, counts for little to nothing. Criticism, even from the inside, is never considered constructive but as disruptive to the business. At the same time of course, the men of football get validated by millions of fans idolising them, come what may.

And so, as in some other parts of society, the Covid crisis exposes the wretched state of football. Though there are some players with a conscience, too, for example the Bayern players Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich encouraging colleagues to donate. They're not the only ones giving money to social organisations. And some coaches as well, stand out with reflective statements. Nürnberg's Jens Keller said "I think other branches have to be back and running before football can return." Lucien Favre of Dortmund pointed out the suffering of refugees on Lesbos.

But maybe the opposite examples stick out more. Dortmund's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke downplaying the health threat, even to young people, posed by the virus. Horst Heldt of 1. FC Köln calling Markus Söder's wish, the professionals should voluntarily reduce their salaries "populist bullshit".

Some clubs in the second and third league are considering self-administered insolvency plans, though their financial management was poor even before the Corona crisis. But now they benefit from DFL adapting the rules, not deducting points in the instance of an insolvency. And the 20 Million Euro-worth aid campaign of the four Champions League participants from Munich, Dortmund, Leipzig and Leverkusen might turn out to be a bluff, according to Spiegel investigations.

And it isn't any better elsewhere. Liverpool FC, even with giant earnings still cultivating the image of a social club, alienated fans by [taking advantage of the government furlough scheme to pay staff]. After a shitstorm they retracted, issuing an apology. Adidas, not just a sports equipment manufacturer but also a shareholder of FC Bayern, behaved similarly. The corporation with profits running into billions initially applied to enter [government financial protection scheme] and stopped paying rent to shop owners.

And Dietmar Hopp fuelled likely false hope, repeatedly alleging his company's vaccine could be available in the autumn. Experts have rejected that prognosis. Furthermore it seemed rather calculating, the way Hopp attempted to use his role as biotech investor to bring to an end the debates of him as patron of TSG Hoffenheim.

Who will lead German football through this crisis? Once upon a time Uli Hoeneß or Theo Zwanziger seemed to have the right calibre. But that was long ago, and so now all hope lies with Christian Seifert. He may lack the charisma and emotional address to impress a wider audience. Yet intellectually and politically he's a match to these tough times. 

Seifert has understood how to maintain an influence on authorities and that others are calling the shots now, that their data reign. Virologists or  epidemiologist like Alexander Kekulé who made an appearance on ZDF-Sportstudio which usually broadcasts goals and [Torwandschießen]. He supposed a re-start of football in Mai was "feasible", Kekulé said. 

But he warned about the need "for a justification for people why football should get special treatment." It was a polticial issue, he said. In the meantime Armin Laschet (CDU), first minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP) made it clear that games without an audience would be possible soon.  

Kekulé said something else of note. He put the onus on big clubs - financially, maybe also socially. And in fact not all representatives of football have forgotten about the social assets they hold. Borussia Dortmund have made their stadium available as a Covid testing site, other clubs do the shopping for those in need. [translator’s note: “other clubs” - I beg your pardon, ZEIT? 1. FC Nürnberg, together with our ultras, have been doing this right from the beginning, when everything was first interrupted, credit where it’s due!] It's a service for the public health - but the football business could be doing much more. And for that they could look to their ultras: Many of them doing good and don't even want to talk about it.

Most of all football would benefit and be much better received if it could get back down to earth and deflate in general. After Covid many economical branches will have to make do with much less. This will concern football as well and that puts as back to the issue of personnel expenses which in the Bundesliga amount to 1,4 billion Euros a year. 

Salaries could be reduced, TV money distributed more fairly, mega transfers could be entirely dispensed with in favour of more investments into the youth. And it should be the aim of the Bundesliga to save all, even the much threatened third and fourth tier clubs. And is anybody thinking of popular/mass/amateur sports, the youth team of the village club? 

So far the Bundesliga couldn't even agree on common training rules. Even though the themes of the hour are consolidation and solidarity. All stake holders are on the spot, sponsors, association, staff, right-holders, fans or clubs. The inner logic of the sports dictates that there is no other way other than all together. FC Bayern don't want to end up playing against themselves. And by the way international competition isn't immune to the virus either.

If Bundesliga returns soon, and much seems to point towards it, it would obviously mean a lot to many people. But even more would understand and support it if football contributed something to the greater good. If character truly shows during crisis, there should be more left of football in times of Corona than players kicking around toilet paper rolls.  

[headoverjojo]

Bless you for running this blog

Aaaaah, you’re too kind, hhhhhn~ Sure thing! And I’d like to say to everyone that those are my personal hcs about what type the gang would like, so please don’t be offended if it doesn’t match with your own!

What kind of person would attract Bruno’s gang and Trish Una’s attention, appearance and personality wise

(Under the cut for lenght!)

Bruno Bucciarati

Bruno has a thing for long hair. He loves to sink his fingers in his s/o’s soft locks, to play with them, to brush them… so, a person with healthy and long hair would definitely attract his attention, appearance wise. Then, he’d study their skin, but this is more a professional habit than anything else, since he searches for the infamous “sweat of the liar”, especially during the first times they see each other. Once he’s sure he can trust them, he’d drop also this habit.

Bruno would appreciate a calm and peaceful person. It’d be a balm for his soul, since he’s always put under a great stressful pression. Be able to go back to a s/o who’s able to transmit him calm and peace would be really important for him. He’d also appreciate honesty, determination and strong will in pursue what it’s right. Sharing those values with them is fundamental, in order to make the relationship work.

Leone Abbacchio

Even if he doesn’t say it aloud, Abbacchio has a thing for height gap, so he’d find cuter a small person than one who’s almost as tall as him. It makes him feel in charge, as he could protect them from the world’s dangers. Then, he’d pay attention to their eyes. Eyes are the window on someone’s soul, he knows it: he had seen how his eyes had been changed, after his fall from grace and then the death of his partner, so a clear and sincere gaze would definitely attract his attention.

Personality wise, his possible s/o must have a strong will to keep their ground when Abbacchio is being stubborn. He’d also appreciate a certain calm, a certain soft approaching, in them: in time it’d make him feel safe, appreciated, really at ease with them. Quiet is also highly appreciated, since he doesn’t talk a lot and hates meaningless talks.

Guido Mista

The first thing Mista notices in a person are the eyes. Their shape, their color (he has a thing for light colored eyes, such as blue or green, since it’s not common), their light… bright, happy eyes make his heart beat faster. He’ll also notice, after the eyes, their lips. He doesn’t mind thin lips, but plump, soft lips (without being artificial) are more appealing.

Mista would love a cheerful person, someone who could, like him, see the little joys of life and enjoy them with him. However, this doesn’t mean that they should be totally airheaded, as he also appreciates seriousness and professionality, especially in work. He’d love someone whom he could entrust with his life ( and if the Pistols like them too, even better!), seeing his line of work.

Narancia Ghirga

Narancia is not as tall as his teammates, so he often feels the “little one” of the gang, even if, in fact, he’s not. So he’d absolutely love a s/o smaller than him. They’d be perfect for surprise hugs, to be lifted, to cuddle! He’d also love the beauty of a smile or of a good laugh. He’d definitely fall for a bright and sincerely happy smile, even more if such is for him!

Narancia would be head over heels for a person who knows how to have fun. He loves to laugh, to smile, and he’d like so much to do it with someone else! This, however, will happen after the person has conquered his loyalty; they have to demonstrate to be loyal and trustworthy, since he was burned by people he considered “friends”. He’d also like not to be judged for his lack of education, so a person should really not do it, if they want to gain his attention.

Pannacotta Fugo

The first thing that captures Fugo’s attention is how a person carries themselves. A secure and confident way to move would definitely attract his eyes and would accentuate the other’s natural beauty. Hands, then, will follow it: he himself has beautiful hands, violinist’s ones, so he unconsciously appreciates beautiful hands, especially musicians’ ones, and their graceful movements.

Fugo has severe anger and anxiety issues, so he’d absolutely need a s/o with whom he could feel safe and at ease. A patient s/o could help him to better himself, to tame his anger and to win over his anxiety; he’d like a person to talk to about art, books, culture, so it’d be a bonus point if they’re knowledgeable and love quietness and reading. He’d also feel so happy with a person who wouldn’t put pressure on him, as his parents did; in other case he’d close himself in his shell, to instinctively protect himself.

Giorno Giovanna

Giorno would absolutely love a person with good facial expressions. He learnt, since childhood, how to read others’ expressions, in order to survive, so he’d be attracted by a person who has no fear to show their feelings, bad and good. It’d be even an inspiration, for him! He would also like a person with healthy hair, short or long doesn’t matter; he’d love to softly pet it, sinking his fingers in their bangs or putting a flower that Golden Experience just has created.

He’d admire a person who fight for right and high ideals, no matter what. Seeing a determined and passionate person immediately conquer his attention; if those are put at a rightful ideal’s service, then there are high possibilities that they could become friends and more. He’d also appreciate honesty and a person who’d stick around; even if he doesn’t say aloud, he has always fear to be abandoned, due to his mother’s behaviour when he was a toddler, so a person who sticks around would soothe immensely his own fears.

Trish Una

Trish would appreciate a person who takes care of themselves. A clear skin, well groomed eyebrows, nice nails, even better if painted, would give her the feeling of talking to a clean and nice person. Then, she’d like if the person would be higher than her, yes, but not too much. It’d make her feel too small and vulnerable: she wants to feel protected, not in danger.

Personality wise, Trish would need a person able to gain her trust with sincere gestures. After the whole mess with her father, she has deep trust issues, so she needs proof about their sincere affection towards her. Then, she’s a quite funny person! She loves when someone makes her laugh and smile. She needs it so much!